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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What publication did Emerson call a "living leaping Logos"?

2. How did the event described in the Prologue change Emerson's life?

3. What career paths was Emerson torn between?

4. How does Richardson characterize Emerson's internal state in 1837?

5. How does Emerson describe war in "The Peace Principle?"

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Emerson travel in Europe?

2. What was Emerson's view of American literature?

3. How did the birth of Emerson's first son change Emerson's intellectual interests?

4. How does Richardson characterize Lidian, Emerson's second wife?

5. What was Emerson's relationship with Margaret Fuller?

6. How close was the Emerson family after Emerson's return from Europe?

7. Why did Emerson break with the church?

8. How did travel change Emerson's intellectual interests?

9. What was Emerson's relationship with the Abolition movement?

10. How did Emerson support himself after Harvard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think the nature of Emerson's relationship with Margaret Fuller was? Were they romantically interested in each other, or were they platonic friends?

Essay Topic 2

Emerson is famous for his belief in the idea that people are guided by inner lights. In what instances did Emerson act on this belief most effectively? How do his actions show us his philosophy, or is it in his writing that we see this most? (In which case, how do we understand the difference between the work and the man?)

Essay Topic 3

Emerson wrote essays on love and spiritual laws, but never marriage. Why not, do you think?

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