WorksheetsPerspectives in American Literature
Total questions: 14
Worksheet time: 25mins
Read this excerpt from Countee Cullen's poem "The Dark Tower," and then complete the sentences that follow.
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting fruit,
Not always countenance, abject and mute,
That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;
Not everlastingly while others sleep . . .
When Cullen speaks of planting while others reap, and standing "abject and mute," he is speaking about the ____________ injustices present in American society.
racial
internal
casual
As these injustices have changed over time, the American ___________ has also shifted. Those changes are, in turn, reflected in American literature.
focus
identity
response
Which of these lines from Walt Whitman's “I Hear America Singing” describes a unified America?
1. I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
2. The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
3. The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
4. The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, . . .
1
2
3
4
In Whitman's "I Hear America Singing," what binds the workers together?
They share the same vision.
They eat in the kitchen.
They sit at the table to eat.
They advocate for peace.
Which of these words most clearly means “point of view”?
prospective
perspective
retrospective
reflective
What paradox of social injustice is presented in these lines from Countee Cullen's “From the Dark Tower”?
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting fruit,
Not always countenance, abject and mute
That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;
The hearing and speaking impaired are routinely victimized by others in American society.
Those who today enjoy power and prosperity may one day become subordinate to those they deem inferior.
The natural system of justice is unbiased, and all people are given equal opportunity to grow and flourish.
Those who enforce racial segregation are typically isolated groups in society.
How are American literature and the American identity interrelated?
American literature often portrays aspects of the American identity.
The American identity is usually determined by American literature.
American literature is part of the system by which the federal government creates an American identity.
American literature is the inspiration through which people build an American identity.
What would the tone of Walt Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing" be if the people in the poem were speaking rather than singing?
jovial
less hopeful
more hopeful
unchanged
Which statement best describes the symbolic and figurative meaning in the first line of this excerpt from Countee Cullen's “From the Dark Tower”?
We shall not always plant while others reap
The golden increment of bursting fruit,
Not always countenance, abject and mute
That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;
The speaker feels that he will someday trade places and reap while others plant.
The speaker believes that he will one day share equally in the fruits of human labor.
The speaker envisions a time when everyone will receive equal amounts of work and leisure.
The speaker longs for a future without immense poverty and hardships.
In "I, Too," why does the speaker say "they" will be ashamed?
because they are not as beautiful as the speaker
because they realize that the person they dismissed is actually beautiful
because they wish they were as intelligent as the speaker
because they have their meals in the kitchen
Which is an example of a "simple sentence"?
(Hint: ONE Independent Clause and NO Dependent Clauses)
I like chocolate ice cream, but my friend prefers vanilla.
Even though she is very rich, she is still unhappy.
My sister loves going to the park.
While my parents went to the movies, I washed the dishes, and my brother mowed the lawn.
Which is an example of a "compound sentence"?
(Hint: TWO Independent Clauses joined together by a conjunction)
I like chocolate ice cream, but my friend prefers vanilla.
Even though she is very rich, she is still unhappy.
My sister loves going to the park.
While my parents went to the movies, I washed the dishes, and my brother mowed the lawn.
Which is an example of a "complex sentence"?
(Hint: ONE Independent Clause and ONE Dependent Clause)
I like chocolate ice cream, but my friend prefers vanilla.
Even though she is very rich, she is still unhappy.
My sister loves going to the park.
While my parents went to the movies, I washed the dishes, and my brother mowed the lawn.
Which is an example of a "compound-complex sentence"?
(Hint: ONE Dependent Clause and MULTIPLE Independent Clauses)
I like chocolate ice cream, but my friend prefers vanilla.
Even though she is very rich, she is still unhappy.
My sister loves going to the park.
While my parents went to the movies, I washed the dishes, and my brother mowed the lawn.
