Identification of Poetry - AP English Literature and Composition
Card 1 of 380
Which Latin American poet wrote odes to age, ironing, socks, tomatoes, and birdwatching?
Which Latin American poet wrote odes to age, ironing, socks, tomatoes, and birdwatching?
Tap to reveal answer
This is the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
This is the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which Caribbean poet wrote the seminal book-length poem Notebook of a Return to the Native Land?
Which Caribbean poet wrote the seminal book-length poem Notebook of a Return to the Native Land?
Tap to reveal answer
This is the Martinican writer Aimé Césaire, an important founder of négritude in French-language literature. Césaire’s work also includes plays such as A Tempest (based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest) and critical essays such as Discourse on Colonialism. Notebook of a Return to the Native Land was first published in 1939 in France.
This is the Martinican writer Aimé Césaire, an important founder of négritude in French-language literature. Césaire’s work also includes plays such as A Tempest (based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest) and critical essays such as Discourse on Colonialism. Notebook of a Return to the Native Land was first published in 1939 in France.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is contemporary Japanese poetry called?
What is contemporary Japanese poetry called?
Tap to reveal answer
All of these terms except “gendai-shi” refer to older, more traditional forms of Japanese poetry.
All of these terms except “gendai-shi” refer to older, more traditional forms of Japanese poetry.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which of the following works is by Russian poet Osip Mandelstam?
Which of the following works is by Russian poet Osip Mandelstam?
Tap to reveal answer
“The Lady with the Dog” is by Anton Chekhov, “The Overcoat” is by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, Notes from the Underground is by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Pale Fire is by Vladimir Nabokov.
“The Lady with the Dog” is by Anton Chekhov, “The Overcoat” is by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, Notes from the Underground is by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Pale Fire is by Vladimir Nabokov.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz wrote which of the following works?
Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz wrote which of the following works?
Tap to reveal answer
Only The Labyrinth of Solitude is by Octavio Paz. The other works are all novels by Mexican writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez.
Only The Labyrinth of Solitude is by Octavio Paz. The other works are all novels by Mexican writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Peruvian poet César Vallejo wrote which of the following works?
Peruvian poet César Vallejo wrote which of the following works?
Tap to reveal answer
Only Los Heraldos Negros is by Vallejo. The rest are works by the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.
Only Los Heraldos Negros is by Vallejo. The rest are works by the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which Latin American poet wrote the collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair?
Which Latin American poet wrote the collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair?
Tap to reveal answer
This is Pablo Neruda. He employed a variety of poetic forms, including love poetry, epics, historical works, autobiography and political manifestos.
This is Pablo Neruda. He employed a variety of poetic forms, including love poetry, epics, historical works, autobiography and political manifestos.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which of the following works of ancient Greek poetry was written by Hesiod?
Which of the following works of ancient Greek poetry was written by Hesiod?
Tap to reveal answer
Hesiod was an ancient Greek poet who lived and wrote around the same time as Homer. His best known works of poetry are Theogeny, Works and Days, and Shield of Heracles. Works and Days is centered on a body of agrarian advice and a farmer’s almanac in which the speaker instructs his brother Perses in farming.
Hesiod was an ancient Greek poet who lived and wrote around the same time as Homer. His best known works of poetry are Theogeny, Works and Days, and Shield of Heracles. Works and Days is centered on a body of agrarian advice and a farmer’s almanac in which the speaker instructs his brother Perses in farming.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
The author of the poem "We Real Cool" is .
The author of the poem "We Real Cool" is .
Tap to reveal answer
The poem is by Gwendolyn Brooks, who was the first African American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. Brooks experimented with poetic form throughout her career, but her poetry is often concerned with the urban poor of the area of Chicago in which she lived for much of her life. This poem is a favorite of the Lit GRE's and it is extremely short, so you should make it a point to be able to recognize it on first sight.
The poem is by Gwendolyn Brooks, who was the first African American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. Brooks experimented with poetic form throughout her career, but her poetry is often concerned with the urban poor of the area of Chicago in which she lived for much of her life. This poem is a favorite of the Lit GRE's and it is extremely short, so you should make it a point to be able to recognize it on first sight.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which American poet was known for a playful use of language, a lack of standard orthography, a latent transcendentalism, and titles such as “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in” and “anyone lived in a pretty how town”?
Which American poet was known for a playful use of language, a lack of standard orthography, a latent transcendentalism, and titles such as “i carry your heart with me (i carry it in” and “anyone lived in a pretty how town”?
Tap to reveal answer
The poet described is Edward Estlin Cummings, usually known as e. e. cummings. In addition to his poetry, Cummings was known for his paintings, plays, novels and essays.
The poet described is Edward Estlin Cummings, usually known as e. e. cummings. In addition to his poetry, Cummings was known for his paintings, plays, novels and essays.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
This American poet was heralded as the leader of the Beats and had his epic poem “Howl” subjected to an obscenity trial in the 1950s.
This American poet was heralded as the leader of the Beats and had his epic poem “Howl” subjected to an obscenity trial in the 1950s.
Tap to reveal answer
The poet in question is Allen Ginsberg, a leading figure in the counterculture movement. His most famous work, “Howl,” gave voice to previously unheard minorities and spoke against war, materialism, consumerism, homophobia, and various forms of repression. Its opening lines are frequently quoted, although “Howl” was often censored because of its depictions of homosexual and heterosexual sex acts.
The poet in question is Allen Ginsberg, a leading figure in the counterculture movement. His most famous work, “Howl,” gave voice to previously unheard minorities and spoke against war, materialism, consumerism, homophobia, and various forms of repression. Its opening lines are frequently quoted, although “Howl” was often censored because of its depictions of homosexual and heterosexual sex acts.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
This poet was known for her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar as well as her collection of poetry, Ariel. Some of her best-known poems include “Daddy,” “Lady Lazarus,” and “Mad Girl’s Love Song.” Who is she?
This poet was known for her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar as well as her collection of poetry, Ariel. Some of her best-known poems include “Daddy,” “Lady Lazarus,” and “Mad Girl’s Love Song.” Who is she?
Tap to reveal answer
The poet is Sylvia Plath, wife of the British poet Ted Hughes and an important figure in the genre of confessional poetry. Plath’s work is marked by body- and nature-based imagery, depictions of mental illness, and seemingly mundane details from everyday life.
The poet is Sylvia Plath, wife of the British poet Ted Hughes and an important figure in the genre of confessional poetry. Plath’s work is marked by body- and nature-based imagery, depictions of mental illness, and seemingly mundane details from everyday life.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is the name of the Mesopotamian epic poem that is often considered the first great work of literature?
What is the name of the Mesopotamian epic poem that is often considered the first great work of literature?
Tap to reveal answer
Written more than 4,000 years ago, The Epic of Gilgamesh discusses the works of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. It was written on clay tablets and exists today in various forms, including the Old Babylonian version and the Akkadian version.
Written more than 4,000 years ago, The Epic of Gilgamesh discusses the works of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and the wild man Enkidu. It was written on clay tablets and exists today in various forms, including the Old Babylonian version and the Akkadian version.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” is a famous poem by which author?
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” is a famous poem by which author?
Tap to reveal answer
The poem, broken into 13 fractured, imagistic sections, was written by American poet Wallace Stevens. Stevens was a leading figure in the American modernist poetry world, and in 1955 he won a Pulitzer for his work. Stevens’ work is marked by a preoccupation with intellectual themes and ideas about human consciousness. Some of his best-known poems include “The Emperor of Ice Cream,” “Anecdote of the Jar,” “The Idea of Order at Key West,” and “Sunday Morning,” as well as “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.”
The poem, broken into 13 fractured, imagistic sections, was written by American poet Wallace Stevens. Stevens was a leading figure in the American modernist poetry world, and in 1955 he won a Pulitzer for his work. Stevens’ work is marked by a preoccupation with intellectual themes and ideas about human consciousness. Some of his best-known poems include “The Emperor of Ice Cream,” “Anecdote of the Jar,” “The Idea of Order at Key West,” and “Sunday Morning,” as well as “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.”
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which Nobel Prize-winning Eastern European poet wrote Elegy for John Donne and Other Poems, On Grief and Reason, and To Urania?
Which Nobel Prize-winning Eastern European poet wrote Elegy for John Donne and Other Poems, On Grief and Reason, and To Urania?
Tap to reveal answer
This is the Russian poet Joseph Brodsky, who was forced to emigrate from the Soviet Union to the United States in the 1970s. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 and was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States in 1991.
This is the Russian poet Joseph Brodsky, who was forced to emigrate from the Soviet Union to the United States in the 1970s. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 and was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States in 1991.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which British poet began a poem with “April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing” and that also included such lines as “I will show you fear in a handful of dust”?
Which British poet began a poem with “April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing” and that also included such lines as “I will show you fear in a handful of dust”?
Tap to reveal answer
The poem, T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” is often cited as one of the most important literary works of the twentieth century. It is a polyphonic conglomeration of Arthurian legend, classical myth, modern social satire, and religious vision, and it discusses themes of disillusionment, despondency, death, and mortal judgment.
"April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing": Adapted from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot, l.1-2 (1922)
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust": Adapted from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot, l.30 (1922)
The poem, T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” is often cited as one of the most important literary works of the twentieth century. It is a polyphonic conglomeration of Arthurian legend, classical myth, modern social satire, and religious vision, and it discusses themes of disillusionment, despondency, death, and mortal judgment.
"April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing": Adapted from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot, l.1-2 (1922)
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust": Adapted from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot, l.30 (1922)
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
The Jamaican poet Jean “Binta” Breeze wrote all of the following except which collection of poetry?
The Jamaican poet Jean “Binta” Breeze wrote all of the following except which collection of poetry?
Tap to reveal answer
Sea Grapes is a 1976 poetry collection by Derek Walcott.
Sea Grapes is a 1976 poetry collection by Derek Walcott.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Which Nobel Prize-winning Caribbean poet wrote Omeros, a contemporary Caribbean epic poem that loosely reimagines Homer’s Iliad?
Which Nobel Prize-winning Caribbean poet wrote Omeros, a contemporary Caribbean epic poem that loosely reimagines Homer’s Iliad?
Tap to reveal answer
This is the St. Lucian poet Derek Walcott, an important post-colonial writer. Omeros was published in 1990 and contains characters with mythical names such as Achille, Hector, and Helen, although the work itself is set primarily in modern-day St. Lucia.
This is the St. Lucian poet Derek Walcott, an important post-colonial writer. Omeros was published in 1990 and contains characters with mythical names such as Achille, Hector, and Helen, although the work itself is set primarily in modern-day St. Lucia.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
If chance, by lonely Contemplation led,
Some hidden Spirit shall inquire thy Fate,
Haply some hoary-headed Swain may say,
"Oft have we seen him at the Peep of Dawn
Brushing with hasty Steps the Dews away
To meet the Sun upon the upland Lawn.
There at the Foot of yonder nodding Beech
That wreathes its old fantastic Roots so high,
His listless Length at Noontide wou'd he stretch,
And pore upon the Brook that babbles by."
Which of the following poems could not be described as a reaction to this work?
If chance, by lonely Contemplation led,
Some hidden Spirit shall inquire thy Fate,
Haply some hoary-headed Swain may say,
"Oft have we seen him at the Peep of Dawn
Brushing with hasty Steps the Dews away
To meet the Sun upon the upland Lawn.
There at the Foot of yonder nodding Beech
That wreathes its old fantastic Roots so high,
His listless Length at Noontide wou'd he stretch,
And pore upon the Brook that babbles by."
Which of the following poems could not be described as a reaction to this work?
Tap to reveal answer
All of the poems are arguably inspired by or draw elements from Gray’s poem except for John Donne’s famous sonnet, which was published in 1633.
Passage adapted from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray, ln.95-104 (1751)
All of the poems are arguably inspired by or draw elements from Gray’s poem except for John Donne’s famous sonnet, which was published in 1633.
Passage adapted from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray, ln.95-104 (1751)
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
This post-war English poet and librarian was known for his obscenity and frank examination of modern life in poems such as “This Be the Verse,” “The Life with a Hole in It” and “Aubade.”
This post-war English poet and librarian was known for his obscenity and frank examination of modern life in poems such as “This Be the Verse,” “The Life with a Hole in It” and “Aubade.”
Tap to reveal answer
The poet described is Philip Larkin, who was born in Coventry in 1922. His poetry is distinguished by a cynical, forthright treatment of romance, children, sexuality, politics, and daily life.
The poet described is Philip Larkin, who was born in Coventry in 1922. His poetry is distinguished by a cynical, forthright treatment of romance, children, sexuality, politics, and daily life.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →