Sample Exam Questions
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
20
1. Name the author:
2. Name the poem:
3. Which verse form is this?
a) free verse
b) blank verse
c) iambic tetrameter
Write approximately 100 words explaining what elements of the passage are
typical of Romantic poetry. Use full sentences. Use specific examples from the
poem. Interpret all of your examples.
This passage is typical of Romantic poetry because the poet
says that Nature has a psychological power over him .
The
“daffodils” represent Nature. The poet says they bring him
“pleasure” and make his heart “dance.” It is also a Romantic
passage because the poet enjoys spending time alone .
The
experience happens when he is by himself, relaxing on his
“couch.” Finally, it is Romantic because the poet goes inside
his own head (the “inward eye”) for comfort and peace
instead of turning to a religion or another person. All he needs
is his own mind and the memory of Nature to feel “bliss” in his
“solitude.” (108 words)
Sample of an inadequate answer:
This passage is Romantic because of Nature. It also shows
individualism and solitude. The Romantics loved Nature =they loved looking at flowers and listening to birds singing.
They also discussed solitude a lot. (sorry, I ran out of time . . . )
This is inadequate because the person drops terms like “nature” and
“individualism” but doesn’t say what the Romantics thought about
Nature or individuals. Nothing he says helps explain what the poem
means or what Romanticism is. And he needed to watch his time. . .
that’s part of the process.
Another inadequate answer:
This passage is Romantic because “they flash upon that inward
eye/Which is the bliss of solitude.” Another Romantic part is
when he talks about Nature. “And then my heart with pleasure
fills/And dances with the daffodils.” Romantics talked about
Nature all the time. It also has emotion, which is Romantic.
They thought emotions were very important.
Like the previous sample, this writer avoids saying what Romanticism
is. Instead, she quotes lines from the poem without explaining them.
She has run out of things to say at this point, and has no way to fill up
the required word count . . .