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

2. How should history be understood, according to Emerson's essay "History"?

3. What word or phrase means a belief that God's grace allows an individual to ignore all laws, divine and terrestrial?

4. How should one be a man, according to "Self-Reliance"?

5. How was "The Transcendentalist" originally delivered?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the two qualifications for a good gift, according to "Gifts"?

2. What rights does every individual in a free society have, according to "Politics"?

3. What do the nominalists and realists each have on their sides, according to Emerson?

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

5. According to "Art", from where does all art evolve? What is its purpose?

6. How does Emerson define character? What analogy does he use in his definition?

7. What are the differences between materialism and idealism, according to "The Transcendentalist"?

8. 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?

9. What three categories of people does prudence manifest itself into, according to "Prudence"?

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

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

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the role of solitude and society in the lives of thinkers.

Essay Topic 3

Explain the role of English romantic poetry on Emerson's writing, including a definition of romantic poetry in your answer.

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This section contains 718 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample