ENG 241: American Literature Survey II
Preparation for Examination #2
Your second hour examination, as explained in our recent class discussions, consists of a
matching section, a short answer question, and a take-home essay question. The
examination is worth 200 points, or 20% of the course grade. An explanation of the
examination's format follows.
For the matching portion of the examination, you will place the letter of the alphabet
corresponding to the correct poem, story, or play title in the blank preceding the item. All
titles will appear as the correct answer to more than one question. The author biographies,
essays, and other supporting materials will not be covered in this portion of the
examination. Of course, I will not include character names in any of the quotations, for that
information would give each answer away. A few of the longer poems appear on the
matching section, while some of the other poems will be covered in the short answer
section. Here are the matching key that will be distributed at the examination and a few
sample questions:
Section I: 25 Matching [2 points each = 50 points].
Place the letter of the alphabet corresponding to the correct story title in the blank preceding each
item. Please print in capital letters when you supply your answers to avoid the confusion that
sometimes results from presentation of lower case cursive handwriting. The stories are presented
in alphabetical order and assigned a letter of the alphabet below.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
"Emperor of Ice-Cream, The" by Wallace Stevens
"Babylon Revisited" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller
"Design" by Robert Frost
"Hands" by Sherwood Anderson
Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Proofrock" by T.S. Eliot
"Mother" by Sherwood Anderson
"Pact, A" by Ezra Pound
"Rose for Emily, A" by William Faulkner
"Snows of Kilimanjaro, The" by Ernest Hemingway
Streetcar Named Desire, A by Tennessee Williams
"Sunday Morning" by Wallace Stevens
"This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams
Here are two sample questions; use the key to select the correct answers:
1. _____We have one sap and one root—/Let there be commerce between us.
2. _____ "I only stayed a minute. I take one drink every afternoon, and no more."
Section II: Short Answer Question [Poetry Explication = 50 Points]
Choose ONE of the following poems and come to class prepared to write an explication of
the poem commenting on its form and content. To be successful, you will need to cover the
broad statement of the poem [Interpret it.] and to discuss how its formal qualities [speaker,
rhyme scheme, imagery, etc...] contribute to its meaning. You may use your books for this
portion of the examination.
"Mending Wall" [1953-54] OR "The Road Not Taken" [1960] by Robert Frost
"The Emperor of Ice-Cream" by Wallace Stevens [1993]
"The Young Housewife" by William Carlos Williams [2008]
"To Whistler, American" by Ezra Pound [2020]
Section III. Take Home Essay [100 Points].
Write a three-page, typed essay discussing how one of the following characters functions to
develop the conflict or a thematic concern in the play in which he or she appears. Your
essay's opening must introduce the playwright and play and include a brief plot overview
tailored to identify the issue and character that you intend to discuss. Of course, your
introduction should end with a strong thesis statement that links the character to a specific
set of topics that you intend to cover in the essay.
Do NOT engage in any research in the preparation of your essay; this is to be your personal
analysis of the character and his or her role in the play. When you quote passages from the
play to illustrate your points, document using MLA style. I will illustrate how to do this for
each play during our review period on Wednesday. Format your paper using 1" margins on
all four sides of the page; use either a Times New Roman 12 or Cambria 12 font. Submit
your paper to me by e-mail attachment no later than midnight on Monday, March 26.
Choose one of the following characters;
From Long Day's Journey into Night: Mary Tyrone, Jamie Tyrone, OR Edmund Tyrone
From Death of a Salesman: Linda, Biff, OR Happy.
From A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche, Stella, Mitch, OR Stanley