AMERICAN ROMANTICISM - UNIT TEST-PART ONE Choose the letter of the one best answer.

1. Which of these statements is a central message of “A Psalm of Life”? a. Life is the first step in a long journey. b. Life is not worth living without love. c. Life is but an empty dream. d. People can inspire other people’s lives.

2. “A Psalm of Life” urges people to a. sleep. c. march to the same tune. b. act. d. mourn . 3. Which word best describes the attitude toward life expressed in “A Psalm of Life”? a. accepting c. cynical b. depressed d. optimistic

4. What do these lines from “A Psalm of Life” imply? Dust thou art, to dust returnest, / Was not spoken of the soul. a. The dead become the soil in which new life grows. b. It is a mistake to say “Dust thou art, to dust returnest” at a funeral. c. At a funeral, not a soul is present who doesn’t respect the solemn occasion. d. The soul lives on, even though the body dies.

5. In “A Psalm of Life,” what broader meaning does the image of the “footprints on the sands of time” most likely represent? a. a long, hot walk b. deeds done while alive c. sins of our ancestors d. human efforts to stop the passage of time

6. What broader meaning might the image of the “shipwrecked brother” in “A Psalm of Life” represent? a. any human being in difficulty b. a sibling who needs your help c. a sailor whose ship has been severely damaged d. poets of the world

7. In “A Psalm of Life,” what broader meaning in the context of life’s journey might be conveyed by this stanza?

In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! a. There is strength in numbers. b. Because life is a painful but temporary struggle, heroes welcome the peace of eternity. c. People should display some individualism in their lives. d. To the victor belong the spoils, or benefits, of any battle.

8. “A Psalm of Life” stresses the idea that a. life is very short. b. everyone experiences death c. anyone can be a hero. d. experience is all important

9.. What broader meaning might be signified by the image of the tide in the line, “And the tide rises, the tide falls”? a. human pollution of natural wonders b. life before birth c. life’s cyclical, enduring nature d. people or ideas left stranded because of human indifference

10. What do the waves do to the footprints in these lines? The little waves, with their soft, white hands, / Efface the footprints in the sands a. wipe them out b. dampen them c. surprise them d. etch them in permanently 11. "Old Ironsides" was the nickname of a. The U.S.S. Constitution, a War of 1812 battleship b. The Clermont, an early steamship c. The Titanic, a famous luxury ship d. Oliver Wendell Holmes

12. Which of these statements best expresses the author's view in "Old Ironsides"? a. A remarkable national relic should be saved b. Old ships are architectural treasures c. Ships are the foundation of a country's defense d. Older things are built better than newer things.

13. "The mound in sweet Auburn" in "the First Snowfall" is a. the pile of snow that has fallen on the highway b. the stiff rails softened to swan's down c. the grave of Mabel's sister d. the place where Mabel is buried.

14. How does Lowell set the scene in "The First Snowfall"? a. with a dialogue between the poet an dhis wife? b. With a persuasive appeal to trust God c. With a nar5rative of his daughter's death d. With an extended description of a snowfall

15. Which choice below best summarizes these lines from Snowbound? A tunnel walled and overlaid With dazzling crystal; we had read Of rare Aladdin's wondrous cave, And to our own his name we gave . . . a. I watched the sky through the window b. I watched the snow fall c. I stood and watched by the window as the sky did its work and let the snow flurry down like birds or brown leaves whriling by d. I watched the leaves whirl

16. Which word below could replace the italicized word in the phrase "thoughtful" quietness? a. A. pensive b. Ominous c. Gloaming d. Querulous

17. The selection from Lewis’s journal focuses on a. the reasons Lewis and Clark are making their journey across the continent. b. the danger, beauty, and excitement of crossing the Great Divide. c. the excitement of viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time. d.Clark’s return with Charbono and the expedition’s relations with local tribes.

18... Lewis most likely sent Shields to hunt because a. food had to be replenished since it could not be easily preserved on the journey. b. the expedition needed a certain type of food to offer its Native American guests. c. Shields had nothing to do, and Lewis wanted to keep him busy. d.Lewis himself was unskilled at hunting.

19. “We now formed our camp just below the junction of the forks on the Lard. side in a level smooth bottom covered with a fine turf of greensward” is an example of a. persuasive writing. c. descriptive writing. b. fictional writing. d. biographical writing.

20. What chief emotion does the Grand Canyon inspire in Powell? a. fear c. optimism b. envy d. awe 21. . Based on the details in “The Most Sublime Spectacle on Earth,” the erosion in the Grand Canyon seems to be caused primarily by ______. a. water c. ice b. wind d. heat

22.. Powell writes: Pluck up Mt. Washington by the roots to the level of the sea and drop it headfirst into the Grand Canyon, and the dam will not force its waters over the walls. Pluck up the Blue Ridge and hurl it into the Grand Canyon, and it will not fill it. How does this passage help the reader appreciate the Grand Canyon? a. It helps the reader picture the location of the Grand Canyon. b. It helps the reader picture the colors of the Grand Canyon. c. It helps the reader picture the size of the Grand Canyon. d.It helps the reader picture how Powell cleared a path for future explorers.

23.. Powell describes the walls of the Grand Canyon as follows: The black gneiss below, the variegated quartzite, and the green or alcove sandstone form the foundation for the mighty red wall. The banded sandstone entablature is crowned by the tower limestone. This description leads you to visualize the wall from a. left to right. c. top to bottom. b. near to far. d. bottom to top.

24. . What does Powell imply about the Grand Canyon when he writes that “language and illustration combined must fail” to capture it? a. The only way to appreciate the Grand Canyon is to be there. b. Artists who seek to paint or draw the Grand Canyon should work independently and not attempt to illustrate a writer’s words. c. Early American writers and artists who traveled in the West were often not as skilled in their craft as the writers and artists in the East. d. Powell himself lacked the skills needed to describe or paint the canyon.

The questions below are based on the following poem. The Village Blacksmith Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Under a spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; [5] And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. His hair is crisp and black and long; His face is like the tan; His brow is wet with honest sweat, — [10] He earns whate’er he can; And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man. Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; [15] You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low. And children, coming home from school, [20] Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing floor. [25] He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys; He hears the parson pray and preach, He hears his daughter’s voice, Singing in the village choir, [30] And it makes his heart rejoice. It sounds to him like her mother’s voice, Singing in Paradise! He needs must think of her once more, How in her grave she lies; [35] And with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear out of his eyes. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, Onward through life he goes; Each morning sees some task begin, [40] Each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night’s repose. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! [45] Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought!

On the line, write the letter of the one best answer.

25. . The speaker admires the smith for his a. physical strength. c. honest labor. b. beautiful family. d. good job.

26. The image of the “flaming forge” is associated with a. the exhaustion of hard labor. b. the life experiences that shape and form us c. love for deceased family members. d. the threshing floor . 27. Why doesn’t the smith’s wife attend church with him? a. She is ill at home. c. She is too exhausted. b. She is a nonbeliever. d. She has died.

28.. Which of the following statements are true of every stanza of the poem? I. Every stanza develops a separate idea. II. Every stanza contains six lines. III. Every stanza contains three sentences. IV. Every stanza has the same basic meter. a. I, II, and IV c. I, III, and IV b. II and IV d. all of the above

29. Which is the best summary of lines 13–18? a. The smith’s sledge is heavy, and the sexton rings the bell in the evening. b. Week in and week out, you can hear the sledge ring like a bell. c. Day after day, the smith works the bellows and steadily swings his sledge. d. All day long in the village, you can hear blowing bellows, swinging sledges, and ringing bells.

30. From this poem you can infer that smiths in the nineteenth century were generally regarded as a. good businessmen. b. productive members of village society. c. people who were fond of children. d.strong and good-looking.

31.. Lines 19–24 contain images that convey a. sights, smells, and sounds. b. smells, tastes, and physical sensations. c. sounds, smells, and tastes. d. sights, sounds, and physical sensations.

32.. The smith’s heart rejoices when his daughter sings because a. her voice is so beautiful. b. she sounds just like her mother. c. he is so proud of her singing ability. d. she has the lead in the village choir.

33.. What is the “lesson” to which the speaker refers in the final stanza? a. the example of the smith’s honest and simple life b. the idea that we must complete a task each day c. the benefits of family life d. the idea that our fortunes are shaped for us by fate