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American Literature > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

1
Q

Where was the first permanent settlement in the new world?

A

Jamestown, Virginia

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2
Q

What was main motivation for migration to the new world?

A

Religion, adventure

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3
Q

The two things that sustained the pilgrims through hardship was their will to succeed and their confidence……..

A

In god’s providential care

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4
Q

During the seventeenth century, the meaning of the term Puritan broadened to include virtually all English Protestants who did not support the Church of England

A

True

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5
Q

What were the causes of Puritanism’s decline?

A

With natural prosperity had come worldly interests and goals. Secular values were replacing religious ones. As a result, church membership had fallen

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6
Q

The halfway covenant

A

Attempted to build up church membership

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7
Q

Deism maintained that the solution to man’s problems lies in human reason rather than in the supernatural revelation of the bible

A

True

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8
Q

What were three things the deist a believed?

A
  1. God created us and is all powerful but doesn’t intervene in man’s affairs
  2. Man gets better through education
  3. Man is not flawed, through works we will please God
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9
Q

What had to occur before a distinctly American literature could exist?

A

Dependence on English literature had to be abandoned

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10
Q

Because colonial literature naturally reflected the interests and concerns of its writers, it is not surprising that the earliest author wrote mostly about…….

A

Adversity

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11
Q

Once the colonists had established permanent settlement, the subject matter of literature predominantly concerned……..

A

Religion

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12
Q

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, most writers………..

A

Presented a secular view of life

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13
Q

In arguing for the worthiness of colonization, smith lists responsibilities to four powers from most to least important. Which order is correct?

A

God, King, country, ourselves

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14
Q

Bradford began writing of Plymouth plantation in 1630, perhaps because

A

He was afraid that the Massachusetts bay colony would overshadow the Plymouth colony

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15
Q

Winthrop’s journal primarily focuses on……

A

God’s providential care for the colonists

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16
Q

According to Winthrop, which type of Liberty does man have in common with animals?

A

Natural

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17
Q

The primary purpose of literature in early America was entertainment

A

False, it as instruction

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18
Q

For the most part, early Puritan writers imitate the ornate writing style of popular English authors

A

False, it was a plain writing style

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19
Q

Modern critics have unjustly criticized the writing of Puritan authors as lacking artistry

A

True

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20
Q

What are three aspects of Puritan influence?

A
  • work ethic
  • goal-centeredness
  • the subservience of pleasure to duty
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21
Q

Mrs. Rowlandson’s account of her Indian captivity was one of the most representative works of the seventeenth century in its portrayal of each of the following except

A

The need to preach the gospel to the Indians

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22
Q

The Puritan diary is considered the basis of what genre of literature?

A

Biographical or autobiographical

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23
Q

William’s belief about what principle has been influential among religious and political conservatives since his day?

A

Separation of church and state

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24
Q

What does Bradstreet accomplish more effectively than any other Puritan writer?

A

The touchingly human feeling of human life

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25
Q

In “upon the burning of our house”, what reason does Bradstreet cite for determining that God is just?

A

All her goods belong to God

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26
Q

In addition to being a pastor, what other services did Taylor provide for his town?

A

Physician, and organizer for the defense against the Indians

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27
Q

In “meditation 1.6” what does Taylor want God to be his “spectacles”?

A

Taylor can examine himself from god’s perspective to see if he indeed had god’s image

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28
Q

What is the theme of edward’s writings?

A

That religious knowledge must be in the heart not just in the head

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29
Q

Critics agree that Paige’s genius is in his style rather than in his thought

A

True

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30
Q

Edward Taylor’s view of man’s corrupt nature later influenced authors such as…….

A

hawthorne and Melville

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31
Q

What were Benjamin Franklin’s religious views?

A
  • God exists and created the world governed by his providence
  • the soul is immortal
  • crime will be punished and virtue rewarded either her or here after (this life or the next)
  • the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man
  • he did not accept that Jesus lived, died, and resurrected
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32
Q

What did Paine serve as?

A

The major spokesman for rationalism

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33
Q

What providentially hindered the immediate effects of the popularity/publication of “the age of reason”?

A

It was published during america’s second major revival

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34
Q

What made “travels” significant?

A

Specific observation and literary merit

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35
Q

What was Philip’s frenetic called?

A

Early america’s first truly American poet

36
Q

Freneau’s poetry reflects a shift in the literary emphasis from when? And what?

A

18th century neoclassic style to 19th century romantic style

37
Q

Freneau’s poetry compared to the puritans show a………

A

Fundamental shift in the view of God and man

38
Q

What was the years of the literary spirit of romanticism?

A

1820-1865

39
Q

When was the time when American literature matured and the U.S. Won literary independence from England?

A

The time of American romanticism

40
Q

Underlying the literary romanticism of this period of national optimism was:

A
  • A national/word of optimism

- A spirit of confidence in the economy, political system, and the citizenry of the nation

41
Q

American literature seemed what even to Americans (besides being commercially or military equal)

A

Culturally inferior, especially to England’s

42
Q

What are the four key elements of American romanticism?

A

Individualism
Imagination
Nature
The distant

43
Q

Tell me a little bit about the element of American romanticism which is individualism

A

Romantic individualism regarded man as a individual superior to man in the mass

44
Q

Tell me a little bit about the element of American romanticism which is called imagination

A
  • romantics considered the imagination to be of primary importance in literary creation
  • romantics favored experimentation
45
Q

Tell me a little bit about the element of American romanticism which is called nature

A
  • nature provided romantics both the means of knowing truth and the actual subject matter of their literature
  • they believed God is understandable only through nature
46
Q

Tell me a little bit about the element of American romanticism which is called the distant

A

The two aspects of the sense of distance employed by the romantic writers were space and time

47
Q

What element of American romanticism is least objectionable to the puritans?

A

The distant

48
Q

The publication of darwin’s “origin of species” was the event that brought more attacks against what then any other source

A

The bible

49
Q

The crucial turning point in our national spirit came during which period?

A

American romanticism

50
Q

The recurrence of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby stressed syllables is called?

A

Alliteration

51
Q

The recurrence of vowel sounds in nearby stressed syllables

A

Assonance

52
Q

The recurrence of consonant sounds in nearby stressed syllables

A

Consonance

53
Q

One of of the things a complete metrical analysis of a poem that includes identification of a major pause within the poem’s lines is what?

A

Caesura

54
Q

A poem consisting of his life speech by a character addressing an audience at a moment in the story is called what?

A

Dramatic monologue

55
Q

The use of words that sound like what they mean is called what?

A

Onomatopoeia

56
Q

A word or phrase that conveys an impression appealing to one of the five senses is called what?

A

Image

57
Q

Narrative perspective. The way a story is told is called what?

A

Point of view

58
Q

The manner of expression in prose or verse, in written or oral disease is called what?

A

Style

59
Q

Irving was the first American writer to Emphasize what purpose of writing?

A

Entertainment

60
Q

Compared to the other New England poets, what made Longfellow different?

A

He used the greatest variety of genres and verse forms

61
Q

What is an aspect of cooper’s work that has special interest to the Christian?

A

The Christian values of Natty Bumpo’s character

62
Q

One of the dominant themes of the novel James fenimore cooper wrote is?

A

Initiation (for example the introduction of an untried youth the harsh realities of life)

63
Q

Bryant’s poetry was classic in style but what in content?

A

Romantic

64
Q

Henry wadsworth Longfellow compared to the other New England poets what made him different?

A

He used the greates variety of genres and verse forms

65
Q

Line 12 of “Divina Commedia” which says “the tumult of the time disconsolate” refers to what rather then personal grief?

A

The civil war

66
Q

John green leaf whittiers poetry presents a detailed picture of what?

A

Rural life

67
Q

What is a aspect that causes problems from a biblical standpoint?

A

The idea that a person’s spiritual intuition has authority equal to or greater than the bible

68
Q

James Russell Lowell was not the first American poet who makes a living primarily from his poetry

A

True

69
Q

“The lesson” is not antholigized very often in secular collections because why?

A

Because of clear moral emphasis on god’s superiority to man

70
Q

Which poem launched Holmes’s literary career?

A

Old Ironsides

71
Q

Transcendentalism originated with which German philosopher?

A

Immanuel Kant

72
Q

Where does transcendentalism come from?

A

It comes from German idealism, eastern and western mysticism, Hinduism, and Neoplatonism

73
Q

Transcendentalism masqueraded as a what?

A

Religion (fundamentally anti-christian)

74
Q

In transcendentalism, the true God is who?

A

The over-soul

75
Q

Transcendentalism lead to what religion?

A

Pantheism ( the worship of the universe as God)

76
Q

The chief literary spokesman of transcendentalism was who?

A

Emerson

77
Q

Who was a pivotal figure in American literature?

A

Emerson

78
Q

Who defined poetry a “meter making argument”?

A

Emerson

79
Q

Emerson was described as what?

A

As the 19 century arch-heretic

80
Q

What is the theme/central idea of emerson’s self-reliance?

A

Man should be a passive receiver of present truth

81
Q

What following ideas represents thoreau’s view?

A
  • The individual is above the state
  • Ideally, citizens should be neighbors to the state rather then subjects
  • A person is justified in breaking any law he considers bad
82
Q

What did Thoreau apply to politics?

A

Transcendental principles

83
Q

Tell me a little bit about Walt Whitman.

A
  • he extended Emerson’s ideas to their logical outcomes
  • his most harmful long-range effect has been to encourage freedom in poetic content style
  • he has a strong influence on modern American poetry
84
Q

What does whitman’s work reveal?

A
  • self worship
  • sexual explicitness
  • unity with nature
85
Q

What three dominant symbols are in the poem “when lilacs in the dooryard bloom’d”?

A

Lilac, star, and thrush

86
Q

“Dark mother” and “strong deliveress” refers to what?

A

A song of praise to death

87
Q

What is a thrush?

A

A thrush is a bird

American Literature (7 decks)

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