Literature - CLEP Humanities
Card 0 of 1212
Who is the Persian poet who is considered an Islamic mystic in the branch of Islam called Sufism?
Who is the Persian poet who is considered an Islamic mystic in the branch of Islam called Sufism?
Rumi was a distinctly accomplished Persian poet viewed strictly from a literary standpoint. His thoughts on Islam were also formative in developing the mystical form of the religion known as Sufism. His works are still read in their original language, but have also gained recognition from around the world.
Rumi was a distinctly accomplished Persian poet viewed strictly from a literary standpoint. His thoughts on Islam were also formative in developing the mystical form of the religion known as Sufism. His works are still read in their original language, but have also gained recognition from around the world.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who was the poet who wrote the medieval collection of stories The Canterbury Tales?
Who was the poet who wrote the medieval collection of stories The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales was a landmark work in English literature as one of the earliest works written in vernacular English, which in the late fourteenth century was Middle English. The Canterbury Tales' author, Geoffrey Chaucer, was most likely inspired by the works of Bocaccio and Dante, which he would have encountered in diplomatic trips to Italy. The Canterbury Tales consist of over twenty unrelated tales, loosely bound together by the fact that they are all told by pilgrims on a trip to Canterbury cathedral.
The Canterbury Tales was a landmark work in English literature as one of the earliest works written in vernacular English, which in the late fourteenth century was Middle English. The Canterbury Tales' author, Geoffrey Chaucer, was most likely inspired by the works of Bocaccio and Dante, which he would have encountered in diplomatic trips to Italy. The Canterbury Tales consist of over twenty unrelated tales, loosely bound together by the fact that they are all told by pilgrims on a trip to Canterbury cathedral.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The lengthy medieval poem The Canterbury Tales was written by .
The lengthy medieval poem The Canterbury Tales was written by .
Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1475) is written in a language known as "Middle English," which is distinctly different from the modern tongue; however, Chaucer's work is recognizable English and was the first widely read, successful work written in the English language. Chaucer's work is a large-scale narrative poem that follows a group of pilgrims who each tell tales while traveling to Canterbury Cathedral in England.
William Shakespeare was an English dramatist of the 16th and early 17th centuries, Christophe Marlowe was an English dramatist of the 16th century, Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist and poet of the 16th and 17th centuries, and Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet of the 13th and 14th centuries.
Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1475) is written in a language known as "Middle English," which is distinctly different from the modern tongue; however, Chaucer's work is recognizable English and was the first widely read, successful work written in the English language. Chaucer's work is a large-scale narrative poem that follows a group of pilgrims who each tell tales while traveling to Canterbury Cathedral in England.
William Shakespeare was an English dramatist of the 16th and early 17th centuries, Christophe Marlowe was an English dramatist of the 16th century, Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish novelist and poet of the 16th and 17th centuries, and Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet of the 13th and 14th centuries.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following was an Old English poem discussing the Crucifixion of Jesus?
Which of the following was an Old English poem discussing the Crucifixion of Jesus?
The "Dream of the Rood" is a poem telling the story of the crucifixion of Jesus from the perspective of the very cross on which he was hung. The poem begins with a kind of mystical vision of the cross itself, presented as being bejeweled and majestic. Then, the cross itself tells the story of the crucifixion, presenting both Jesus and the cross as suffering together in the strife of the crucifixion. Finally, the poem ends with the poet's praise of the cross again. The word "rood" is related to modern English's "rod." It also can merely mean "crucifix." In old churches, you will sometimes see a wooden screen between the main body of the church and the sanctuary. It is topped with a cross and is called a "rood screen."
The "Dream of the Rood" is a poem telling the story of the crucifixion of Jesus from the perspective of the very cross on which he was hung. The poem begins with a kind of mystical vision of the cross itself, presented as being bejeweled and majestic. Then, the cross itself tells the story of the crucifixion, presenting both Jesus and the cross as suffering together in the strife of the crucifixion. Finally, the poem ends with the poet's praise of the cross again. The word "rood" is related to modern English's "rod." It also can merely mean "crucifix." In old churches, you will sometimes see a wooden screen between the main body of the church and the sanctuary. It is topped with a cross and is called a "rood screen."
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who was the playwright that wrote the plays Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey Into Night,and The Iceman Cometh?
Who was the playwright that wrote the plays Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey Into Night,and The Iceman Cometh?
Eugene O'Neill was a landmark figure in American theater, as he introduced the realism of European writers like Strindberg, Ibsen, and Chekhov to America. His plays Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey Into Night,and The Iceman Cometh all have become standard parts of repertoire for many American theater companies. O'Neill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936.
Eugene O'Neill was a landmark figure in American theater, as he introduced the realism of European writers like Strindberg, Ibsen, and Chekhov to America. His plays Mourning Becomes Electra, Long Day's Journey Into Night,and The Iceman Cometh all have become standard parts of repertoire for many American theater companies. O'Neill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The playwright who wrote Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo, and Speed-the-Plow was .
The playwright who wrote Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo, and Speed-the-Plow was .
David Mamet came out of the Chicago theater scene in the late 1970s with a distinctive, fully-formed style with short, snappy dialogue referred to as "Mamet-speak," demonstrated in early work like 1976's American Buffalo. He was immediately considered one of the leading playwrights in America, with his Glengarry Glen Ross winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1984, and Speed-the-Plow winning the same award in 1988.
David Mamet came out of the Chicago theater scene in the late 1970s with a distinctive, fully-formed style with short, snappy dialogue referred to as "Mamet-speak," demonstrated in early work like 1976's American Buffalo. He was immediately considered one of the leading playwrights in America, with his Glengarry Glen Ross winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1984, and Speed-the-Plow winning the same award in 1988.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The playwright who authored The Children's Hour, A Watch on the Rhine, and The Little Foxes is .
The playwright who authored The Children's Hour, A Watch on the Rhine, and The Little Foxes is .
Lillian Hellman had an instant Broadway success in 1934 with her first play, The Children's Hour, which also caused controversy over its themes of lesbianism, false accusations, and suicide. The pattern would continue throughout her career, as 1939's The Little Foxes and 1941's Watch on the Rhine both dealt with anti-semitism in America. Both plays were so successful that they were turned into movies with Hellman screenplays.
Lillian Hellman had an instant Broadway success in 1934 with her first play, The Children's Hour, which also caused controversy over its themes of lesbianism, false accusations, and suicide. The pattern would continue throughout her career, as 1939's The Little Foxes and 1941's Watch on the Rhine both dealt with anti-semitism in America. Both plays were so successful that they were turned into movies with Hellman screenplays.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who was the Irish playwright who detailed his time in the Irish Republican Army in his plays?
Who was the Irish playwright who detailed his time in the Irish Republican Army in his plays?
Brendan Behan joined the IRA as a teenager in the 1940s, and because of crimes he committed against the British government, was imprisoned while still young. Upon being pardoned in 1947, Behan left the IRA behind and began a full-time literary career. An icon of Irish literature, Behan's first two plays, 1954's The Quare Fellow and 1958's An Giall (The Hostage), both depicted life in an Irish prison like the ones in which Behan was held.
Brendan Behan joined the IRA as a teenager in the 1940s, and because of crimes he committed against the British government, was imprisoned while still young. Upon being pardoned in 1947, Behan left the IRA behind and began a full-time literary career. An icon of Irish literature, Behan's first two plays, 1954's The Quare Fellow and 1958's An Giall (The Hostage), both depicted life in an Irish prison like the ones in which Behan was held.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following is the title of Lorraine Hansberry’s play about a lower-class African-American family in Chicago?
Which of the following is the title of Lorraine Hansberry’s play about a lower-class African-American family in Chicago?
A Raisin in the Sun was considered a risky proposition when it was first produced on Broadway in 1959, dealing as it did with the story of an African-American family. The play proved to be a success anyway, helping launch not only Hansberry's career, but also that of actor Sydney Poitier. The play was the first on Broadway with a cast that had an African-American majority.
A Raisin in the Sun was considered a risky proposition when it was first produced on Broadway in 1959, dealing as it did with the story of an African-American family. The play proved to be a success anyway, helping launch not only Hansberry's career, but also that of actor Sydney Poitier. The play was the first on Broadway with a cast that had an African-American majority.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who is the American playwright who wrote the “Pittsburgh Cycle,” a series of ten plays chronicling the African-American experience in the twentieth century?
Who is the American playwright who wrote the “Pittsburgh Cycle,” a series of ten plays chronicling the African-American experience in the twentieth century?
Beginning with his play 1982 play Jitney, August Wilson undertook a project to write one play representing each decade of the twentieth century that took on the African-American experience. All but one, 1984's Ma Rainey Black Bottom took place in Pittsburgh, often featuring members of the same family. Two of the plays won Wilson the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1987's Fences and 1990's The Piano Lesson.
Beginning with his play 1982 play Jitney, August Wilson undertook a project to write one play representing each decade of the twentieth century that took on the African-American experience. All but one, 1984's Ma Rainey Black Bottom took place in Pittsburgh, often featuring members of the same family. Two of the plays won Wilson the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1987's Fences and 1990's The Piano Lesson.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who was the playwright who wrote the works Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Yerma?
Who was the playwright who wrote the works Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Yerma?
Many critics and scholars group Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Yerma as a trilogy, as they all deal with rural Spain and were composed from 1932 to 1936. Their author, Federico Garcia Lorca, had actually intended to write a third play to make a trilogy, and did not himself see The House of Bernarda Alba in the trilogy. Lorca was killed by Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, for his activity on behalf of the Republican forces, which often was apparent in his writings.
Many critics and scholars group Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Yerma as a trilogy, as they all deal with rural Spain and were composed from 1932 to 1936. Their author, Federico Garcia Lorca, had actually intended to write a third play to make a trilogy, and did not himself see The House of Bernarda Alba in the trilogy. Lorca was killed by Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, for his activity on behalf of the Republican forces, which often was apparent in his writings.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who is the playwright who wrote The House of Blue Leaves and Six Degrees of Separation?
Who is the playwright who wrote The House of Blue Leaves and Six Degrees of Separation?
John Guare emerged in the 1960s with a wave of other playwrights, but distinguished himself through wry humor and interesting narrative form, both of which he applied to conventionally dramatic stories. The House of Blue Leaves (1966) is a black comedy about nuns, the Vietnam War, and mental institutions that features many characters coming and going. Six Degrees of Separation (1990) tells the story of a con man's deception of socialites from the socialites' perspective at a dinner party.
John Guare emerged in the 1960s with a wave of other playwrights, but distinguished himself through wry humor and interesting narrative form, both of which he applied to conventionally dramatic stories. The House of Blue Leaves (1966) is a black comedy about nuns, the Vietnam War, and mental institutions that features many characters coming and going. Six Degrees of Separation (1990) tells the story of a con man's deception of socialites from the socialites' perspective at a dinner party.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following playwrights wrote the twentieth-century play A Streetcar Named Desire?
Which of the following playwrights wrote the twentieth-century play A Streetcar Named Desire?
A Streetcar Named Desire won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for its playwright, Tennessee Williams. Largely considered one of the premier dramas of the twentieth century, the play's depiction of mental health problems, sexual desire, and violence was considered groundbreaking in its own time. The play would be made into an award-winning movie in 1951 and firmly established Tennessee Williams as one of the largest figures of the theater world.
Arthur Miller won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1949, David Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1984, Eugene O'Neil won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1922, 1928, and 1957, and Sarah Ruhl won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2010.
A Streetcar Named Desire won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for its playwright, Tennessee Williams. Largely considered one of the premier dramas of the twentieth century, the play's depiction of mental health problems, sexual desire, and violence was considered groundbreaking in its own time. The play would be made into an award-winning movie in 1951 and firmly established Tennessee Williams as one of the largest figures of the theater world.
Arthur Miller won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1949, David Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1984, Eugene O'Neil won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1922, 1928, and 1957, and Sarah Ruhl won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2010.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following philosophers was not an existentialist?
Which of the following philosophers was not an existentialist?
Existentialism was a disparate philosophical movement that emerged in the nineteenth century through the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Largely focusing on the individual and the subjectivity of human thought, existentialism was a critical reaction to philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Existentialism would further develop in France during the first half of the twentieth century thanks to figures like Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus.
Existentialism was a disparate philosophical movement that emerged in the nineteenth century through the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Largely focusing on the individual and the subjectivity of human thought, existentialism was a critical reaction to philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Existentialism would further develop in France during the first half of the twentieth century thanks to figures like Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which twentieth-century philosopher had a posthumously published book largely negate and counteract the ideas of the only book published during his lifetime?
Which twentieth-century philosopher had a posthumously published book largely negate and counteract the ideas of the only book published during his lifetime?
Ludwig Wittgenstein's considerable fame as a philosopher comes on the strength of just two books. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was a slim book published in 1921, while Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations were compiled after his death from his notebooks and published in 1953. The Philosophical Investigations were largely a refutation and rebuttal of Wittgenstein's earlier work.
Ludwig Wittgenstein's considerable fame as a philosopher comes on the strength of just two books. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was a slim book published in 1921, while Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations were compiled after his death from his notebooks and published in 1953. The Philosophical Investigations were largely a refutation and rebuttal of Wittgenstein's earlier work.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Edward Saïd is known for what?
Edward Saïd is known for what?
Edward Saïd is a writer most well-known for his book Orientalism, which was published in 1978.
Edward Saïd is a writer most well-known for his book Orientalism, which was published in 1978.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The author of the nonfiction book In Cold Blood, which concerns a brutal murder in rural Kansas, was .
The author of the nonfiction book In Cold Blood, which concerns a brutal murder in rural Kansas, was .
In Cold Blood was considered the first "non-fiction novel" shortly after the book's publication. Its author, Truman Capote, was already an acclaimed author, and sought out the story of two murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Capote interviewed and talked with the murderers for over a year to craft his book, which became a bestseller as soon as it was published.
In Cold Blood was considered the first "non-fiction novel" shortly after the book's publication. Its author, Truman Capote, was already an acclaimed author, and sought out the story of two murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Capote interviewed and talked with the murderers for over a year to craft his book, which became a bestseller as soon as it was published.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
What is the work of existentialism that argued that life is absurd, but requires humans to rebel against such absurdity?
What is the work of existentialism that argued that life is absurd, but requires humans to rebel against such absurdity?
The Myth of Sisyphus, written by Albert Camus during the Nazi Occupation of France in World War II, uses the ancient story of Sisyphus to explain life. Just as Sisyphus was doomed to continually push a rock up a hill, Camus argued people had a life with little meaning. Nonetheless, he argued that humans should strive to rebel against the absurdity of such a life.
The Myth of Sisyphus, written by Albert Camus during the Nazi Occupation of France in World War II, uses the ancient story of Sisyphus to explain life. Just as Sisyphus was doomed to continually push a rock up a hill, Camus argued people had a life with little meaning. Nonetheless, he argued that humans should strive to rebel against the absurdity of such a life.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who is the philosopher who wrote the 1927 tract Why I am Not a Christian?
Who is the philosopher who wrote the 1927 tract Why I am Not a Christian?
Bertrand Russell was one of the foremost and earliest articulators of an atheist position. By affirming what he did believe, Russell made his mark in religious discussions with his Why I am Not a Christian. The work would prove influential for many more anti-Christian and atheist works in subsequent decades.
Bertrand Russell was one of the foremost and earliest articulators of an atheist position. By affirming what he did believe, Russell made his mark in religious discussions with his Why I am Not a Christian. The work would prove influential for many more anti-Christian and atheist works in subsequent decades.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Who was the twentieth century thinker who attempted to synthesize existentialist philosophy with Christian theology?
Who was the twentieth century thinker who attempted to synthesize existentialist philosophy with Christian theology?
After the heterodox Christian Søren Kierkegaard in the nineteenth century, the philosophical movement known as existentialism was largely picked up by atheists. However, in the post-World War II period, the Christian theologian Paul Tillich embraced many of existentialism's chief tenets, including alienation, an inability to know things concretely, and the desire for an authentic life. This made Tillich simultaneously controversial and widely celebrated.
After the heterodox Christian Søren Kierkegaard in the nineteenth century, the philosophical movement known as existentialism was largely picked up by atheists. However, in the post-World War II period, the Christian theologian Paul Tillich embraced many of existentialism's chief tenets, including alienation, an inability to know things concretely, and the desire for an authentic life. This made Tillich simultaneously controversial and widely celebrated.
Compare your answer with the correct one above