Questions:
Wheatley-Paine
Wheatley
1. In “To His Excellency…” who is Columbia?
How is she described?
Columbia is the Goddess that
represents America
Strong, Divine, Graceful
Wheatley
2. What do olive and laurel represent?
Olive- peace
Laurel- victory
Wheatley
3. Who is Britannia? How is she described?
Britannia is the Goddess that
represents Britain
Weak, Fearful
Wheatley
4. How is this poem a warning?
Warning that America will defeat
Britain
Wheatley
5. What is the rhyme and meter of this poem?
Rhyming Couplets
Iambic Pentameter
Franklin
6. Describe Franklin’s system of moral perfection.
To him, morality was a way of behaving
that resulted in a balanced life.
He prescribed 13 practical virtues.
Franklin
7. What lesson does The Autobiography teach us
about reading autobiographies in general?
Be cautious as to the truth of an
autobiography
Franklin
8. Define the following:
Aphorism- short, witty sayings
Autobiography – story of a person’s
life written by that person
Almanac- book of current facts and
statistics
Henry
9. Where and when did Patrick Henry give his
famous speech?
Richmond, VA
March 23, 1775
Henry
10. What was the purpose of the speech?
To motivate Americans to go to war
with Britain to gain freedom
Henry
11. What is the famous line? What does it mean?
“I know not what course others may
take; but as for me, give me liberty,
or give me death!”
He was willing to die for freedom.
Paine
12. What was the purpose of The American
Crisis Papers?
To motivate George Washington’s
troops to continue fighting for
freedom
Paine
13. What are the famous lines in American Crisis, Number 1?
“These are the times that try men’s souls: The
summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,
in this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves
the love and thanks of man and woman.”
Now is not the time to be a coward but to stand
and fight and earn the title of hero.
Paine
14. Why does Paine relate the story about the Tory parent and
the child?
He wanted to make the Tory’s look bad.
He also wanted the Patriot’s to fight for their
freedom so their children wouldn’t have to do
it.
Paine
15. Find a passage in which Paine demonizes the king.
Lines 69-78: What signifies it to me, whether he who does it, is a king or a
common man; my countryman or not my countryman? Whether it is done by an individual
villain, or an army of them? If we reason to the root of things we shall find no difference;
neither can any just cause be assigned why we should punish in the one case, and pardon in
the other. Let them call me rebel, and welcome, I feeld no concern from it; but I should
suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul
a sottish, stupid,
stubborn, worthless, brutish man. I conceive likewise a
by swearing allegiance to one, whose character is that of
horrid idea in receiving mercy from a being, who at the last day shall be shrieking to the
rocks and mountains to cover him, and fleeing with terror from the orphan, the widow, and
the slain of America.