1 Walt Whitman used free verse and parallelism in his works, especially “Leaves of Grass” (Song of Myself) to express and celebrate the democracy he envisioned for America, a land where all would be looked upon as equal. Illustrate his philosophy utilizing lines from his verse.
2 In his keynote poems of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes often discusses the complexity of race-relations. Explain using examples from his works.
3. In “Barn Burning”, William Faulkner inserts Sarty Snopes as the narrator of his period tale. What effect does his point of view have on the unfolding story? Illustrate with textual examples.
4. Explain how Shakespeare utilizes comic relief in Hamlet. Why is it a significant inclusion? Give textual examples of its usage.
5. Nature is a key thematic focus in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Explain using lines from her representative verse.
6. Define naturalism using evidence from Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”.
7. Robert Frost argued that he was not a “Nature” poet, but a “people in Nature” poet. Using his poetry, prove this assertion.
8. In his celebrated drama, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams uses symbolism throughout to reinforce his thematic focus. Explain.
9. In A Doll House, Henrik Ibsen speaks about lies/deception and the consequences. Explain.
10. Charlotte Perkins Gilman speaks about the dangers of patriarchy (male domination) in society. Using examples from her short story, discuss this.