CLEP Humanities : Understanding Terminology That Describes Classical Poetry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for CLEP Humanities

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Poetry

A poem that is a lamentation for the dead is called __________.

Possible Answers:

an elegy

an epic

a haiku

an allegory

a limerick

Correct answer:

an elegy

Explanation:

One of the oldest and most consistently written kinds of poem is an elegy, a work that is dedicated to the memory of a recently deceased person. An elegy can take on almost any poetic form, such as a sonnet, a cinquain, or any other specific kind of poem. Elegies were written by the ancient Greeks and Romans and continue to be written by modern poets.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Classical Poetry

The poetic technique known as alliteration refers to __________.

Possible Answers:

an internal rhyme inside of a sentence

the use of homonyms to create wordplay

an poetic structure in which the number of syllables in each line of a poem gradually increase

the repetitive use of words with the same initial sound or syllable

the sequential use of each letter of the alphabet as the first letter of a word

Correct answer:

the repetitive use of words with the same initial sound or syllable

Explanation:

Alliteration is a poetic strategy that intentionally repeats the same initial sound or syllable in multiple words in a line or lines of poetry. Alliteration can help create a unique rhythm or special structure. While developed in poetry, alliteration is also widely used in prose writing.

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