Emerson's "Nature" & "Self-Reliance" Midyear Exam Questions

Which statement from the essay best supports the answer to #8

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."

Which quotation from "Nature" best supports the answer to #1 (Emerson's philosophical vision)?

"In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, ... and at what period soever of life is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth. Within these plantations God, a decorum and sanctity reign . . ."

Emerson says "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors." What is a redeemer?

- one who saves others from spiritual difficulties - to redeem is to repair or restore

What does the author of the selection from "Nature" mean by the following statement? In the woods is perpetual youth.

People feel refreshed and young in the woods.

What does Emerson say society requires from people that he rejects?

People must conform and give up their individualism in order to become part of society.

1. What is Emerson's philosophical vision as presented in "Nature"?

Spending time in nature can restore one's youth and connect him or her more deeply to the spiritual world.

What is the central idea of the selection from "Self-Reliance"?

Trust your instincts, regardless of what others do.

Where would someone most likely go to find a sense of sanctity?

a church

The word sanctuary is made up of the root -sanct-, which means holy, plus the suffix -ary, which can mean "something connected with or belonging to." What, then, does the word sanctuary most likely mean?

a sacred or holy place

If listeners refer to a speaker's address as transcendent, what kind of speech has she most likely delivered?

an inspirational speech

Which term from the selection from "Self-Reliance" does Emerson redefine by giving it a negative association, even though it usually has a positive association?

consistency

In the selection from "Self-Reliance," the author notes that society "loves not realities and creators, but names and customs." Which word best describes the attitude, or tone, expressed in that comment?

disapproval

In the following passage, Emerson describes becoming "a transparent eyeball," in which he expresses how he becomes part of the larger universe when in nature. What, exactly, does the word transparent mean? "Standing on the bare ground—my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space—all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God."

see-through; crystal-clear

The word sanctify includes the Latin root -sanct-, which means holy, and the suffix -ify, which means "to cause something be in a certain state." Based on these word parts, identify the most likely meaning of the word sanctify.

to cause to become holy; to make sacred