View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who sees through appearances and trends to seize life and speak truth?
(a) The philosopher.
(b) The poet.
(c) The artist.
(d) The academic.

2. In what year was Plato born?
(a) 427 B.C.
(b) 431 B.C.
(c) 427 A.D.
(d) 431 A.D.

3. What is the purpose of manners, according to Emerson's "Manners"?
(a) To establish social ranking.
(b) To foster intellectual discussion.
(c) To demonstrate superiority over animals and savages.
(d) To facilitate the creation and function of society.

4. According to "Self-Reliance", the important thing is to be one's ______.
(a) Natural self.
(b) Inner self.
(c) Spiritual self.
(d) Authentic self.

5. Whom does Emerson especially urge to experience their own heroism?
(a) Religious mystics.
(b) Women.
(c) The downtrodden.
(d) Children.

6. What example does Emerson use in "Spiritual Laws" to demonstrate the effects of force-feeding children questions and answers of little interest?
(a) Patriotism.
(b) Sunday school.
(c) Public school.
(d) Discipline at home.

7. Who can too often judge and categorize art and literature, according to "The Poet"?
(a) Poets.
(b) Philosophers.
(c) Censors of thought.
(d) Umpires of taste.

8. What right of individuals has never been tried as the foundation of a state?
(a) Trust.
(b) Reverence.
(c) Employment.
(d) Love.

9. What does Emerson link with transcendentalism in "The Transcendentalist"?
(a) Buddhism.
(b) Christianity.
(c) Native American practices.
(d) Islam.

10. How does nature affect mankind, according to Emerson?
(a) It nurtures and heals mankind.
(b) It provides a connection with other men.
(c) It slows mankind down.
(d) It reminds mankind of what could be.

11. According to Emerson, what do realists have on their side?
(a) Reason.
(b) Emotion.
(c) Heart.
(d) Faith.

12. What are "apologies for gifts," according to Emerson?
(a) Store-bought gifts.
(b) Flowers.
(c) Books.
(d) Fancy jewelry.

13. What aspect of man does "Nominalist and Realist" delve into?
(a) Psychology.
(b) Spirituality.
(c) Bipolar nature.
(d) Greed.

14. What is bereft of models of heroism, according to Emerson's "Heroism"?
(a) Historical folklore.
(b) Public education.
(c) Secular society.
(d) Contemporary literature.

15. How should one be a man, according to "Self-Reliance"?
(a) Be a nonconformist.
(b) Live in nature.
(c) Follow God's laws.
(d) Follow man's laws.

Short Answer Questions

1. To whom does Emerson attribute the term "transcendentalism"?

2. According to "An Address", what subverts the truly moral character of man?

3. How does Emerson say we become aware of the changes in our lives brought on by experience?

4. According to Emerson, what is a faint reflection of proper manners?

5. What word did Plato use to explain opposites joined together, according to "Plato, or the Philosopher"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 406 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample