1. What is 'dramatic irony′ in literature?
A. When a character says the opposite of what they mean
B. When the audience knows something that the characters do not
C. When a situation turns out to be the opposite of what was expected
D. When a character expresses humor in a serious situation
2. The Harlem Renaissance, a significant movement in American literature and arts, is primarily associated with which cultural group?
A. Native American
B. African American
C. Irish American
D. Asian American
3. Which author is known for pioneering free verse poetry and is celebrated for 'Leaves of Grass′?
A. Edgar Allan Poe
B. Walt Whitman
C. Emily Dickinson
D. Robert Frost
4. Which American poet is known for her unconventional use of punctuation and capitalization, and themes of death and immortality?
A. Sylvia Plath
B. Emily Dickinson
C. Elizabeth Bishop
D. Anne Sexton
5. Which poetic form, popularized by Shakespeare, consists of 14 lines, typically in iambic pentameter, with a specific rhyme scheme?
A. Haiku
B. Sonnet
C. Villanelle
D. Free Verse
6. What is the literary device 'metaphor′?
A. A direct comparison using 'like′ or 'as′
B. An exaggeration for effect
C. An implied comparison between two unlike things without using 'like′ or 'as′
D. The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
7. Who wrote 'Pride and Prejudice′, a quintessential novel of manners?
A. Jane Austen
B. Charlotte Brontë
C. George Eliot
D. Virginia Woolf
8. Which novel by Charles Dickens critiques social injustices and portrays the harsh realities of Victorian England, particularly through the story of an orphan?
A. Pride and Prejudice
B. Wuthering Heights
C. Oliver Twist
D. Jane Eyre
9. The 'Beat Generation′ in American literature, associated with writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, is characterized by what?
A. Formal poetic structures and traditional themes
B. Rebellion against societal norms, experimentation, and a focus on personal experience
C. Emphasis on realism and objective depiction of everyday life
D. Celebration of American exceptionalism and traditional values
10. Which literary period is characterized by a focus on reason, logic, and societal order, often contrasting with the emotional intensity of the preceding era?
A. Romanticism
B. Enlightenment (Neoclassical)
C. Modernism
D. Victorian Era
11. What is a key characteristic of Modernist literature?
A. Celebration of nature and emotion
B. Emphasis on traditional narrative structures and values
C. Experimentation with form and stream of consciousness
D. Focus on social realism and detailed depictions of everyday life
12. What is 'tragic flaw′ (hamartia) in a tragedy?
A. A supernatural event that causes the hero′s downfall
B. A character′s inherent weakness or error in judgment that leads to their downfall
C. The villain′s evil plan to destroy the hero
D. The hero′s ultimate victory despite facing great adversity
13. Which American literary period is associated with authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and often explores themes of disillusionment after World War I?
A. The Gilded Age
B. The Lost Generation
C. The Beat Generation
D. The Jazz Age
14. What distinguishes 'Victorian Literature′ from 'Romantic Literature′?
A. Victorian Literature primarily focused on nature, while Romantic Literature emphasized social issues.
B. Victorian Literature often grappled with social and industrial changes, while Romantic Literature valued emotion and individualism.
C. Romantic Literature was more concerned with realism, while Victorian Literature favored idealism.
D. There is no significant difference between Victorian and Romantic Literature.
15. What is the significance of 'The Great Gatsby′ by F. Scott Fitzgerald in American literature?
A. It is an early example of science fiction.
B. It critiques the American Dream and explores themes of wealth, class, and love in the Jazz Age.
C. It is a foundational text of the Transcendentalist movement.
D. It is a classic example of Victorian domestic realism.
16. What is a common theme in the works of Ernest Hemingway?
A. The celebration of romantic love and idealism
B. The exploration of war, loss, and stoicism
C. The critique of industrial society and urban life
D. The embrace of experimental narrative techniques and stream of consciousness
17. What is a 'bildungsroman′?
A. A love story with a tragic ending
B. A novel focusing on the moral and psychological growth of the protagonist
C. A narrative set in a dystopian future
D. A poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter
18. Who wrote 'The Canterbury Tales′, a collection of stories told by pilgrims traveling together?
A. William Langland
B. Geoffrey Chaucer
C. Thomas Malory
D. John Gower
19. The Bronte sisters – Charlotte, Emily, and Anne – are most closely associated with which literary movement?
A. Modernism
B. Romanticism
C. Victorian Literature
D. Transcendentalism
20. Which American literary movement championed individualism, intuition, and the inherent goodness of people and nature?
A. Realism
B. Naturalism
C. Transcendentalism
D. The Harlem Renaissance
21. Which American author is known for his Southern Gothic style, exploring the grotesque and decaying aspects of the American South, as in 'As I Lay Dying′?
A. Mark Twain
B. William Faulkner
C. John Steinbeck
D. Flannery O′Connor
22. Which novel by Herman Melville is famous for its exploration of obsession, revenge, and the symbolic hunt for a white whale?
A. The Scarlet Letter
B. Moby Dick
C. Walden
D. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
23. Which English author is famous for his satirical novels like 'Gulliver′s Travels′?
A. Daniel Defoe
B. Jonathan Swift
C. Henry Fielding
D. Samuel Richardson
24. What is the primary focus of the literary genre 'Realism′?
A. Idealized portrayals of life and heroism
B. Accurate and objective representation of ordinary life
C. Exploration of fantastical and supernatural themes
D. Emphasis on subjective experience and emotional expression
25. Which literary movement is characterized by portraying characters as subject to deterministic forces beyond their control, often influenced by environment and heredity?
A. Romanticism
B. Naturalism
C. Realism
D. Modernism
26. Which American author is best known for his exploration of the dark side of human nature and themes of guilt and sin, as seen in 'The Scarlet Letter′?
A. Ralph Waldo Emerson
B. Henry David Thoreau
C. Nathaniel Hawthorne
D. Herman Melville
27. Who is the author of the epic poem 'Paradise Lost′, retelling the biblical story of the Fall of Man?
A. William Shakespeare
B. John Milton
C. Geoffrey Chaucer
D. John Donne
28. In literature, what does 'stream of consciousness′ refer to?
A. A traditional narrative told in chronological order
B. A technique that depicts the continuous flow of thoughts and feelings of a character
C. A poetic form with strict rhyme and meter
D. A dramatic technique where characters speak directly to the audience
29. What is a key difference between English Romanticism and American Romanticism?
A. English Romanticism focused more on nature, while American Romanticism emphasized individualism.
B. English Romanticism was primarily a poetic movement, while American Romanticism was mainly prose-based.
C. American Romanticism often incorporated a stronger sense of national identity and frontier spirit.
D. There are no significant differences between English and American Romanticism.
30. Who is considered the father of English poetry?
A. William Shakespeare
B. Geoffrey Chaucer
C. John Milton
D. Edmund Spenser
