Transcendentalism Philosophy
Random 1
Questions on the Essays
Questions on the Poems
Random 2
100

What does the word "transcend" mean?

to go beyond
100

What does Thoreau mean when he says he wants to "suck the marrow of life"?

he wants to GET THE MOST OUT OF LIFE

100

Why does Thoreau say that he went to live at Walden Pond?

to LIVE LIFE FULLY

100

In “I Hear America Singing,” what does Whitman celebrate?

the hardworking American people
100

The speakers in “Because I could not stop for Death—” and “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” are both

recalling their own deaths

200

Transcendentalists believed that humans, at their core, were basically what?

Good
200

What Transcendental idea does Emerson's image of the transparent eyeball illustrate?

the CONNECTION BETWEEN MAN, GOD, AND NATURE

200

In "Self-Reliance," whom or what does Emerson say we should trust?

OURSELVES (Our own hearts and intuition)

200

In “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” what does the spider do that makes it seem more like a human?

it searches for contact and connection

200

The people treated as insane in “Much Madness is divinest Sense—” are those who

speak opposing viewpoints

300

How did the Transcendentalists believe they could find truth?

Through artistic exploration and meditation on Nature.

300

The paradox of Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" is--

to be a good citizen, sometimes you must break the law

300

Why does Thoreau say he was not lonely when he went to live at Walden Pond for 2 years (lots of correct answers)?

The planets and stars are his neighbors, he does not need company to be satisfied--he can be satisfied with himself and his spiritual experiences, physical closeness does not make people close on a spiritual level

300

Whitman's poem "A Child said What is the grass?" (part 6 of SOM) provides a list of the different things grass can be/mean. This poem is an example of? 

Catalog

300

Line 29 of Whitman's poem "I understand the large hearts of heroes" reads, "I heard the distant click of their picks and shovels." This is an example of which characteristic of Whitman's style?

assonance
400

How do both Emerson and Thoreau say we should react to society?

we SHOULD NOT IMITATE or CONFORM TO SOCIETY

400

Reread the third stanza of “Because I could not stop for Death—.” The images in these lines most likely represent the--

We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess – in the Ring –

We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

We passed the Setting Sun – 

progression of life from childhood to death

400

What does Emerson say is the only wrong in “Self-Reliance”?

going against your nature

400

The first two lines of the poem "Success if counted sweetest" are an example of--

paradox
400

When Thoreau uses the metaphor “I wanted to live deep and suck the marrow of life,” he means that he—

wants to get the most from life that he possibly can

500

What is the key theme of Transcendentalism (the key teaching)?

Humans should go beyond their limits to discover the ideal, spiritual reality.

500

One major theme of SONG OF MYSELF by Whitman(the long poem we read that is broken up into multiple sections) is--

Life continues after death

500

According to “Self-Reliance,” the indication of a great person is a person who--

follows his or her own mind in a crowd

500

Read the second stanza of "Success is counted sweetest" by Dickinson, "Not one of all the purple Host / Who took the Flag today / Can tell the definition / So clear of Victory." This stanza demonstrates what characteristic of her style?

enjambment and slant rhyme
500

The paradox of Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" is--

to be a good citizen, sometimes you must break the law

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