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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. Which place did Charles Lamb occupy amongst his siblings?

2. What BEST describes the writing styles of Richard Steele and Joseph Addison?

3. Who wrote "An Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification?"

4. Ou-Yank Hsiu is considered one of eight what?

5. Where does Montaigne retire to study and write?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the subject of "Pleasure Boat Studio?"

2. Describe the "monstrous child" Montaigne speaks of in "Of a Monstrous Child."

3. What personal details are included in Seneca's "Asthma"?

4. Why are Richard Steele and Joseph Addison so often presented as a literary pair, as they are in this volume?

5. As expressed in "On Some Verses of Virgil," what does Montaigne have to say about the nature of the sexes?

6. What philosophy of death does Plutarch advise in "Consolation to His Wife?"

7. For what style is Abraham Cowley known for?

8. Name three things that Sei Shonagon declares her dislike for in "Hateful Things."

9. What idea sparks Montaigne to write after his first book is a success?

10. What is dealt with by Kenko in his essay "Essays in Idleness?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ambition is the topic of both Abraham Cowley's "Of Greatness" and Seymour Krim's "For My Brothers and Sisters in the Failure Business"?

A) Contrast the tone of each essay. What might tone reveal about the author's own state of mind?

B) What message does each author have the audience? What should the reader take away from the essay?

C) What advice might Cowley have for Krim?

Essay Topic 2

Big events are the topic of James Baldwin's "Notes on a Native Son" and Richard Rodriguez's "Late Victorians."

A) How does each man relate the big events happening around them to his own personal experience? Compare each man's approach.

B) Compare and contrast the significance, as each man sees it, of the event taking place. Why do they believe they are witnessing events that are important to document?

Essay Topic 3

Robert Louis Stevenson's "On Marriage" and Maria Edgeworth's "An Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification" both center on the marital relationship.

A) Compare the tone employed by each writer.

B) What is each author's philosophy of marriage? Is marriage something to be celebrated, mocked, or feared?

C) How might your determination from A) help inform you as to the position each person takes on marriage? How does tone relate to content in each author's case?

(see the answer keys)

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