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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. Who wrote "On the Pleasure of Hating"?

2. In Montaigne's "On Some Verses..." essay, what opinion does he express about the sexes?

3. Which trait BEST describes what others thought of Michel de Montaigne in his youth?

4. What does Montaigne admit in "Of Books?"

5. What is Michel de Montaigne considered to be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the biographical background necessary to understand "Consolation to His Wife" by Plutarch?

2. What was Michel de Montaigne's background prior to writing?

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

4. What is "On Noise" about? What does Seneca advise?

5. Why is Samuel Johnson famous? What kind of essays did he write?

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

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

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

9. What is the subject of Richard Steele's "Twenty-four Hours in London"? What point does Steele make in the story?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sei Shonagon in "Hateful Things" and William Hazlitt in "On the Pleasure of Hating" both talk about the nature of hatred.

A) Is hate a healthy emotion, according to either author? Compare their views on the healthiness of hate.

B) What types of things are hated by each author? Are there more useful things than others to hate? What types of things might be too insignificant to hate?

Essay Topic 2

Nature and solitude converge in the essays "The Entrance to the Woods" by Wendell Berry and "The Solitude of the Country" by Samuel Johnson.

A) What is valuable/important to each man about nature? Are these views compatible?

B) How does solitude impact the experience of nature in both essays?

C) Compare the tones in the essays.

Essay Topic 3

"An Hour or Two Sacred to Sorrow" by Richard Steele and "Consolation to His Wife" by Plutarch both speak to the grieving process.

A) What is the value of sorrow to each man? Can grief be healthy, or should it simply be minimized and avoided?

B) How is knowledge of the biographical details important in appreciating "Consolation to His Wife"? Is biographical information of Richard Steele necessary to attain a deeper understanding of "An Hour or Two Sacred to Sorrow?"

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