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Modern Poetry and Poetics

The poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” ends with the following lines: “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some desperate glory,/The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est/ Pro patria mori.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ?

The poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” ends with the following lines: “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some desperate glory,/The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est/ Pro patria mori.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ?

A. Brooke’s inclusion of a quotation from Horace in these lines serves to emphasize
the distance between the ideals ofWestern civilization and its realities.
B. These lines suggest the author’s anger and disillusionment with cultural norms which glorify war.
C. In these lines, Brooke seeks to bridge the gap between individual experience and cultural norms and beliefs.
D. All of the above

The poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” ends with the following lines: “My friend, you would not tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some desperate glory,/The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est/ Pro patria mori.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Which of the following best describes the reasons why World War I had a profound impact on modern poetry ?

Which of the following best describes the reasons why World War I had a profound impact on modern poetry ?

A. The devastation wrought by World War I was so enormous that it put Europe’s cultural and political norms and values into question.
B. The mechanized killing, which took place on a massive scale during World War I, made it necessary to reflect about the effects of technological progress.
C. World War I was the first global conflict where the distinction between combatants and civilians was erased, and this had a devastating effect on the European psyche.
D. Both A and B

Which of the following best describes the reasons why World War I had a profound impact on modern poetry ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

According to W.E.B. Dubois in his Atlantic Monthly essay, “The Strivings of the Negro People,” what are some of the personal consequences for an African- American living in a racist society at the beginning of the 20th century ?

According to W.E.B. Dubois in his Atlantic Monthly essay, “The Strivings of the Negro People,” what are some of the personal consequences for an African- American living in a racist society at the beginning of the 20th century ?

A. Feeling like an outcast in your own house
B. Becoming a stuttering sycophant just to survive
C. Wrapg yourself in the armor of anger and resentment
D. All of the above

According to W.E.B. Dubois in his Atlantic Monthly essay, “The Strivings of the Negro People,” what are some of the personal consequences for an African- American living in a racist society at the beginning of the 20th century ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Violet Cristoforo was honored for collecting what kind of poetry in her anthology “May Sky” ?

Violet Cristoforo was honored for collecting what kind of poetry in her anthology “May Sky” ?

A. Love sonnets from the Nazi death camps
B. American G.I. poetry from German prisoner of war camps
C. Jewish dissident poetry from the gulags in Siberia
D. Haiku poetry from the Japanese internment camps in the US

Violet Cristoforo was honored for collecting what kind of poetry in her anthology “May Sky” ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Langston Hughes was among the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Which of the following is an accurate characterization of his experiences before he published his first book ?

Langston Hughes was among the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Which of the following is an accurate characterization of his experiences before he published his first book ?

A. He was a native New Yorker who did not travel much but who was keenly aware of New York’s complexity and diversity.
B. He moved to New York from Alabama and the stark contrast between these places deeply influenced his writing.
C. He was born in Missouri and traveled extensively throughout the United States and the world before he moved to New York City.
D. He spent most of his life in Washington, DC, moving to Harlem only after he gained literary fame.

Langston Hughes was among the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Which of the following is an accurate characterization of his experiences before he published his first book ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Which of the following statements best characterizes the central questions faced by poetry after the Holocaust ?

Which of the following statements best characterizes the central questions faced by poetry after the Holocaust ?

A. Is it possible for Romantic themes in poetry to be meaningful after the Holocaust?
B. The horror of the Holocaust was inexpressible; how can poetry speak of what is inexpressible?
C. Is there a relationship between poetry and rationality after the Holocaust?
D. Is there a meaningful relationship between World War I poetry and World War II poetry?

Which of the following statements best characterizes the central questions faced by poetry after the Holocaust ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

In his essay “The Symbolism of Poetry,” William Butler Yeats argues that which of the following is the purpose of rhythm ?

In his essay “The Symbolism of Poetry,” William Butler Yeats argues that which of the following is the purpose of rhythm ?

A. To “amplify and clarify the indistinct emotions created by metaphorical symbols”
B. To “prolong the moment of contemplation”
C. To “counteract the forces of dispersal inherent in metaphorical language”
D. To “make poetry new”

In his essay “The Symbolism of Poetry,” William Butler Yeats argues that which of the following is the purpose of rhythm ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” begins with the following lines: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns./ Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ?

Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” begins with the following lines: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns./ Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ?

A. These lines suggest that it was difficult to define patriotism during the Great War, but soldiers who died in battle provided the best example of patriotism.
B. These lines suggest that the Great War lasted much longer than it should have.
C. These lines equate humans with animals, and they anthropomorphize weapons to show a world where there is no place for human values.
D. These lines represent a modern funeral dirge that mimics the rhythm of ancient Greek funeral dirges.

Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” begins with the following lines: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns./ Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics

Which of the following statements best characterizes the last two stanzas of Charles Baudelaire’s symbolist poem “Correspondences” ?

Which of the following statements best characterizes the last two stanzas of Charles Baudelaire’s symbolist poem “Correspondences” ?

A. They describe the author’s experiences as a young child.
B. They use metaphors with subtle political connotations.
C. They ascribe colors and sounds to scents, relying on a device known as synesthesia.
D. They describe a scene in the countryside, which symbolizes the state of the author’s soul.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the last two stanzas of Charles Baudelaire’s symbolist poem “Correspondences” ? Read More »

English Literature Mcqs, Modern Poetry and Poetics