Emerson's Essays By Ralph Waldo Emerson Study Help Quiz

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1:  What is the central argument of Nature?

a. Nature should be respected above all else.

b. Nature teaches man the proper use of nature -- to transcend it.

c. Nature is the physical representation of the spirit of man.

d. Man must transcend Nature to find truth.
2:  In Nature, Emerson writes that man can and should "enjoy an original relation to . . ." what?

a. God

b. Each other

c. Nature

d. The universe
3:  In Nature, Emerson says that "Beauty is the mark God sets upon . . ." what?

a. Virtue

b. Truth

c. Nature

d. Faith
4:  Which of Emerson's essays did Oliver Wendell Holmes call "our intellectual Declaration of Independence"?

a. "Self-Reliance"

b. "The Conduct of Life"

c. "The Transcendentalists"

d. "The American Scholar"
5:  Emerson believes that the scholar's duties are all comprised in what?

a. Self-awareness

b. Self-trust

c. Trust in others

d. Faith in God
6:  In "The American Scholar," why does Emerson believe that books can be dangerous?

a. Books can inspire scholars to choose the wrong path.

b. Books can cause scholars to lose interest in the future.

c. Books can provide a biased view of the past.

d. Books can jeopardize the growth of minds.
7:  In "The Divinity School Address," Emerson attacks historical Christianity in favor of what?

a. Unitarian orthodoxy

b. Natural religion

c. Puritan beliefs

d. Catholic doctrine
8:  What is the key doctrine of transcendentalism?

a. Admiration of nature

b. Self-trust

c. Self-reliance

d. Belief in a higher state of being
9:  In "Self-Reliance," what does Emerson refer to as "the chancellors of God"?

a. Cause and Effect

b. Faith and Wisdom

c. Truth and Spirit

d. Faith and Devotion
10:  In "Self-Reliance," what is the tendency of all genuine and self-reliant actions?

a. Knowledge

b. Faith

c. Hope

d. Honor
11:  What tragic event may have influenced Emerson in his writing of "Experience"?

a. The death of his mother

b. The death of his daughter

c. The death of his son

d. The divorce from his wife
12:  In "Experience," Emerson writes that "Divinity is behind our . . ." what?

a. Mistakes and misjudgments

b. Failures and follies

c. Peace and prosperity

d. Dependence and devotion


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