Creative Writing Final Exam Review
As a writer, why does it help to pay attention to a word's sounds and not just its meaning?
Some sounds, when repeated, evoke a specific feeling in readers.
Why is it important for poets to use precise, vivid verbs instead of adverbs to create powerful descriptions?
They can use fewer words to say more.
What do truly creative artists and writers do to make the best use of time spent practicing their skills?
They experiment.
Why do word play exercises often lead you to creative ideas?<br>
They force you to form unique, original sentences.
What do writers or other artists gain from retreats, conferences, and artist's colonies? (Select all correct answers.)
They share new ideas and approaches, They study with masters in their forms, They're inspired by the creativity of others.
How do prose poems differ from fables? (Select all correct answers.)
They usually have no plot, They rely on vivid, detailed images.
Which of these lines of poetry was most likely the result of a word play exercise?
dreams that splash and sink to the pond's muddy bottom
Which kind of poem is written to memorialize someone who has died?
elegy
What should you expect to gain from participating in a writing community, besides general support and encouragement?
feedback and advice on your written work
What aspect of a narrative poem requires it to use same compressed language that other poems use?
its length, compared to other forms of narrative
Which of these words has the strongest connotation?
massive
What kinds of metaphors make a lyric poem more powerful and compelling?
mixed metaphors, dead metaphors
If you're writing a story set in a dream-like world with mysterious creatures, which words would help you set the story's mood?
moonlight, croon, blue
Which phrase best describes how you should talk about a piece of writing, during a writer's workshop?
objectively and specifically
What kinds of verbs are the most "powerful agents" for affecting readers' responses to your writing?
precise verbs
Which form relies most heavily on precise and concise word choices?
prose poem
What do vivid images bring to a lyric poem?
sensory details that can evoke emotions in readers
Which of these words has the strongest connotation?
sparked
Which short short story form is limited to 750 words?
sudden fiction
Which phrase best describes the purpose of a writing circle?
to share support and advice with other writers
What purpose is a fable typically written to serve?
to teach a lesson about morality
Which literary element is most common in prose poems?
vivid imagery
Which line establishes a tone of awe and reverence?
the wet roar of rushing falls
What type of intertextuality consists of a story that makes fun of another work of literature?
parody
Review this short piece by Lord Dunsany.The Sphinx at GizehWhat literary device makes it a prose poem?
personification
Which phrase best describes the characters typically found in a fable?
personified animals
Which is the best definition of nuance?<br>
shades of meaning
If you're writing a poem that is meant to express your intense sorrow after the death of a close family member, which words would help you achieve the desire effect?
sob, abyss
Which phrase is the best definition of intertextuality?
a thematic connection between two texts
What kind of story is associated with the American author O. Henry?
a very short story with a surprise ending
How should you approach your own piece of writing, to revise it successfully?
as a reader
Which literary device relies on the repetition of vowel sounds in a line or pair of lines?
assonance
Besides boredom, what is the most likely effect of a weak description on readers?
confusion
In the flash fiction piece "Dirty Bird," a father fails to see what could make his daughter happiest, even though it is right in front of him. Readers know a little more about what's happening, however, because the story's narrator reveals what the daughter is thinking and feeling. What two kinds of irony are represented in this story?
dramatic irony, situational irony
What feature do free verse and blank verse share?
lack of a rhyme scheme
After a poetry workshop, what kinds of reader feedback should you feel free to ignore? (Select all correct answers.)
suggestions that dramatically change the poem's message, comments from readers who seem to miss the poem's point.
Why do poets use literary devices in their poems?
to make their meanings more rich and layered
When you apply to a graduate-level creative writing program, which component of your application matters most?
your manuscript of creative work
Why do most poets fill their poems with imagery?
Images can produce powerful effects with few words.
Which sentence describes dramatic irony?
Readers know some important information that a story's characters do not.
What's different about the way you must write an O. Henry style story (a story with an ironic plot twist)?
You must plan ahead for the ending.
Which is the best example of intertextuality?
a direct quote at the beginning of story, suggesting its theme
What should you do when your piece of writing is being "work-shopped" by other writers?
Hang back and "eavesdrop" on the conversation.
Reread "The Song of Wandering Aengus" carefully, noting the shape of the story and the language that Yeats uses to tell it.What important choice did Yeats make about the story of Aengus, in order to express his ideas about desire?
He did not end the story the way it usually ends.
What typically happens at the end of a summer writing program for young writers? (Select all correct answers.)
Participants read some of their best work for the entire community, Participants compile an anthology of the work they created together.
Which sentence uses the most precise verbs?
The cell phone bounced and then skidded across the concrete.
How do precise verbs affect readers of a story or poem? (Select all correct answers.)
They cause a deeper and more intense response, they help readers visualize a scene more clearly.
Why are precise nouns and verbs more helpful to creative writers than vague ones?<br>
They create vivid images more efficiently.
How do the connotations of two words with similar meanings create or represent nuance?
They evoke different emotions in readers.
Which American poet is considered the inventor of free verse poetry?
Walt Whitman
Which literary device is used by a poem that describes a historical figure interacting with modern-day technology?
allusion
The sudden fiction story "Red Light" ends in a way that is typical of the form. Which word best describes its ending?
ambiguous
Which does the word muse usually mean when used by modern writers?
an imagined, personified source of inspiration
Which three phrases correctly define the word muse?
an imagined, personified source of inspiration, someone who inspires another person's creativity, one of nine Greek goddesses of artistic inspiration
Which literary devices rely on the repetition of letter sounds? (Select all that apply.)
consonance, assonance, alliteration
Which is a feature of the Petrarchan sonnet rather than the Shakespearean sonnet?
division into an octave and sestet
What kind of irony is based on readers knowing more than the characters about what is happening in a story?
dramatic irony
Which kind of activity helps writers strengthen their creativity?<br>
experimentation
Which short short story forms can contain more than 500 words?
flash fiction, sudden fiction
What aspect of a poem is best revealed through tone?
its point or purpose
Reread Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" and identify the tone that is established in the first stanza.The New ColossusNot like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-handGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes commandThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame."Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries sheWith silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"-Emma LazarusWhich two lines are most useful for establishing the poet's attitude toward the Statue of Liberty?
lines 6 and 7
What revision strategies help a poem sound more poetic?
replacing a vague phrase with one very precise word
What does a strong, creative description have that a weak description lacks? (Select all correct answers.)
specificity, originality
What aspect of form do today's poets typically ignore, even if they attempt to write in a fixed form?
the rhyme scheme
What is your overall goal when revising a poem?
to help it send its message more powerfully
Why would you want to use scansion on one of your own poems?
to identify and then repeat a line's rhythm
What is the goal of a poetry workshop?
to provide feedback on how a poem is crafted
Reread this excerpt from Ray Bradbury's science fiction short story "A Little Journey." She was amazed at the other women in the auditorium. It was like wandering in a carnival mirror-maze, coming again and again upon yourself—the same floury face, the same chicken hands, and jingling bracelets. One after another of the images of herself floated before her. She put out her hand, but it wasn't a mirror; it was another lady shaking her fingers and saying: "We're waiting for Mr. Thirkell. Sh!" Which words are most helpful for establishing the story's tone?</div>
wandering, floury, chicken, jingling
Which of these forms inspired by Japanese poetry is shortest?
haiku
Who is credited with introducing the concept of the six-word story (perhaps wrongly)?
Ernest Hemingway
Which word names a feature of a masterful description?
specificity
What kinds of changes would help a poem sound more like a poem?
Replace several words with one more precise word.
What rules should you try to follow when playing with words as a creative exercise? (Select all correct answers.)
Don't try to control what you create, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and don't hesitate to take creative risks.
Which questions should you ask yourself a poem's use of figurative language, during a poetry workshop? (Select all correct answers.)
Which lines of the poem contain figures of speech?, Would additional comparisons strengthen the poem's message?
Besides a love of words, what other notion about words is common among writers in all forms?
Words are things.
What are some challenges of participating in an asynchronous discussion of a poem? (Select all correct answers.)
You can't follow up immediately with clarifying questions, You can't see the other participant's facial expressions.
What kind of degree would you receive if you completed a university's creative writing program?
a Fine Arts degree
What key feature of short short stories is demonstrated by this famous six-word story: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
a larger, unspoken story
What feature BOTH free verse and blank verse lack?
a rhyme scheme
What does it take to revise a piece of writing successfully?
a shift in perspective
What type of intertextuality consists of a reference to a literary element in an older work of literature?
allusion
Which literary device adds meaning to a poem by reminding readers of something outside the poem, such as a myth or legend?
allusion
Which of these forms was inspired by Japanese poetry but was never part of that culture's literary tradition?
cinquain
Which is a feature of a prose poem?
compressed language
Which characteristics are essential features of prose poems? (Select all correct answers.)
compressed language, precise word choices
What was Walt Whitman famous for inventing?
free verse
What is the purpose of feedback you provide in a poetry workshop?
helping a poem create a more powerful effect
Which poetic devices or elements typically appear in a prose poem?
internal rhymes, figures of speech
Who was the first and most famous fabulist?
Aesop
What is the first step for using readers' feedback to revise a poem?
Analyze each reader's comments carefully.
How does a prose poem differ from other forms of short prose?
Its effect relies more completely on word choices.
How does Walt Whitman create rhythm and momentum in the poem "I Hear American Singing"?
He repeats a single specific word again and again.
Which questions should you ask yourself about another writer's written work? (Select all correct answers.)
How does the piece make me feel, and why? At what point in the piece was I "lost" or confused? Which lines, sentences, or sections are working well?
What should you do when your piece of writing is being "work-shopped" by other writers?
Listen carefully and take good notes on what you hear.
If you feel as though your writing needs to be more creative, what is a good way to improve your skills?
Play with words every day.
What is the best way to make word play work for you as a writer?
Practice it regularly.
What are some common elements of summer writing workshop programs for young writers? (Select all correct answers.)
Students learn how to build their own writing communities, workshops are led by published or professional writers, the program culminates in an anthology of participants' best work.
What kind of metaphor is revealed by images rather than stated directly?
What kind of metaphor is revealed by images rather than stated directly?
Why do so many writers try attend writing retreats and writer's conferences, or arrange to live in artist's colonies?
They are inspired by the creativity of others.
What question should you ask yourself first, before beginning to revise a poem?
What does the poem want to say?
Which phrase is the best example of a strong description?
an eager wind bending the trees
How can tone help a writer of short fiction develop a character more quickly?
Precise word choices can suggest how the reader should think or feel about the character.
Which sentence is the best example of a strong description?
A taxicab dashed dangerously down the slick street.
Which author is best known for writing short short stories with ironic surprise endings?
O. Henry
Why is powerful imagery especially important in a poem, compared to other forms of literature?
Poetry uses fewer words to create its effect on readers.
Which sentence uses the most precise verbs?
The old bus lugged itself up the steep incline.
Which are features of fables? (Select all correct answers.)
a stated or implied moral message, animals or objects as characters
Which word is used to describe a deliberate, thematic connection between two works of literature?
intertextuality
Which kind of poetry avoids telling a story but instead expresses an idea or emotional state?
lyric poetry
In ancient Greek mythology, one art form was supported by multiple numbers of Muses. Which art form was this important to the lives of ancient Greeks?
poetry
How can knowing lots of precise verbs help you revise or edit your writing?
It can help you make sentences more concise.
Reread this poem by Walt Whitman.What is the effect of Whitman's use of the word "singing" in this poem?
It establishes an unique rhythm that suits the poem's meaning.
Why is it helpful for young writers to play with words? (Select all correct answers.)
It helps them think of new and interesting ideas and it helps them grow more comfortable with writing.
The sudden fiction piece "Red Light" ends in ambiguity--readers aren't sure what the driver of the truck saw or why he reacted the way he did. How does this ending make the story more meaningful?
It makes the characters and their relationship seem more complex.
Reread this very famous short short story:For sale: baby shoes, never worn.What makes it a good example of the form?
It suggests an important story outside the story.
How is a narrative poem different from a prose narrative such as a short story or personal essay?
It uses more compressed language.
Reread "The Song of Wandering Aengus" carefully, noting the shape of the story and the language that Yeats uses to tell it.[insert Read Me button linked to The Song of Wandering Aengus_William Butler Yeats]Yeats decides to end his story early, compared to the traditional myth of Aengus. What theme might this particular choice help convey?
People who insist on living out their fantasies are rarely able to connect with others.
How can vivid images help you write a successful lyric poem?
They can evoke the desired emotions in readers.
Which kind of poem is written to celebrate a feeling, object, or place?
ode
