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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. How do people try to change old patterns in their lives?

2. Who or what is a part of nature, according to "Nature"?

3. Who was Plato's teacher?

4. Who can too often judge and categorize art and literature, according to "The Poet"?

5. What did Emerson say about communion in "The Lord's Supper"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Emerson say about private enterprise in "New England Reformers"? Based on "New England Reformers", what political party is parallel to Emerson's views?

2. What two major failings of the church does Emerson explain in "An Address"?

3. According to "Circles", how must humans adapt to the constant state of change that exists?

4. According to "Experience", why do most people not recognize the changes in their lives until they are looking in retrospect?

5. How was Plato's dichotomy of the body and soul relevant to Emerson's time?

6. According to "Manners", what people are permitted latitude in their manners?

7. What is transcendentalism, according to "Nature"?

8. According to "New England Reformers", what does a reformist attitude challenge?

9. According to "The Lord's Supper", what does Emerson say is the purpose of the Lord's Supper in Christian ritual? What does he say should be the focus?

10. What are the categories Emerson divides the world into in his essay "Nature"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role slavery plays in Emerson's writing.

Essay Topic 2

Explain Emerson's view of the rite of communion in Christianity. Include the Biblical evidence he uses in his essay, "The Lord's Supper", to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose of "Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson"? What do you learn about Emerson by reading it?

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