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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 7 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which is the best definition of "sportive" in the context of line 16?

2. How long has it been since the speaker was last in this place?

3. The word "murmur" in line 4 is an example of which technique?

4. What are "copses" (line 14)?

5. What paradox does the speaker introduce at the end of the second verse paragraph?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the speaker mean in line 47 when he talks about becoming "a living soul"?

2. What two elements does the first stanza mention that contribute to the sense that the scene is unbroken and whole?

3. Describe the landscape that the speaker sees.

4. What are two possibilities that the speaker imagines as the origin of the smoke he sees?

5. What literal and philosophical impact do the cliffs have on the landscape the speaker is viewing?

6. What does the speaker say about the hedge-rows, and what does this reveal about his perspective on the scene?

7. Where has the speaker been for the past five years, and how has the memory of this landscape impacted him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you analyze the symbolic value of the River Wye in "Tintern Abbey." Draw on mentions of the river throughout the poem, including in the poem's title, as you build a case about what idea or ideas the presence of the river communicates. Provide both quoted and paraphrased evidence of diction, imagery, and detail that support your interpretation.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the relationship "Tintern Abbey'" posits between nature, the sublime, and transcendence. Establish the literary definitions of the Romantic terms "sublime" and "transcendence" and then provide analysis of how the poem treats these topics and their relationship to nature. Provide textual evidence to support your analysis, and cite all sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Read "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood," by William Wordsworth (widely available online). Write an essay that compares and contrasts the theme of this poem with the theme of "Tintern Abbey." How do these poems portray the recollection of youth? What relationship do these poems posit between humans and the natural world? What contribution do their differing techniques and forms make to the two poems' themes? Support your claims with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both poems, and be sure to cite your sources in MLA format.

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