Sidney, Dryden, Johnson, Coleridge, Arnold and Eliot - Question Bank
1. Which critic argued for poetry as a 'criticism of life' and advocated for a 'touchstone method' to assess poetic quality?
2. The concept of 'negative capability' is most famously associated with which literary figure, though discussed implicitly by others?
3. The debate over the 'unities' of dramatic action, time, and place is a significant theme in the work of which critic?
4. Which critic emphasized the 'impersonality' of the poet and the 'extinction of personality' in the creative process?
5. The idea that literature should 'instruct and delight' is a central tenet associated with which critic?
6. Which critic is associated with the concept of the 'poetic diction' and its importance in elevating poetic language above the vernacular?
7. T.S. Eliot's concept of the 'individual talent' suggests that a poet's significance lies in:
8. Matthew Arnold's view of 'criticism' in 'The Function of Criticism at the Present Time' is that it should be:
9. Coleridge's definition of the 'secondary imagination' implies it is:
10. Samuel Johnson's 'Preface to Shakespeare' defends Shakespeare's plots, even those that seem improbable, by stating that:
11. In 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy', Eugenius argues for the superiority of English drama by highlighting its:
12. Sir Philip Sidney argues that poetry is superior to history and philosophy because it:
13. T.S. Eliot's essay 'Hamlet and His Problems' introduces the concept of the 'objective correlative' to explain:
14. Matthew Arnold's 'The Study of Poetry' criticizes:
15. Coleridge's concept of the 'shaping spirit of imagination' in 'Biographia Literaria' implies:
16. Samuel Johnson, in 'Preface to Shakespeare', argues that Shakespeare's characters are enduring because they:
17. Dryden's 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy' is structured as a:
18. In 'Defence of Poesie', Sidney praises the 'lyric' poet for:
19. T.S. Eliot's 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' advocates for a shift in focus from the individual poet's genius to:
20. Matthew Arnold's emphasis on 'poetic truth and poetic beauty' in 'The Study of Poetry' suggests that poetry should:
21. Coleridge's distinction between imagination and fancy is crucial for understanding his view of:
22. Samuel Johnson's defense of Shakespeare's language in 'Preface to Shakespeare' focuses on its:
23. Dryden, in 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy', discusses the 'ancients' and 'moderns' debate. He generally shows respect for the ancients but:
24. Sir Philip Sidney argues that the poet is a 'maker' or 'copier' who:
25. What does T.S. Eliot mean by 'negative capability' in relation to the poet?
26. T.S. Eliot's concept of the 'objective correlative' (though not explicitly named in 'Tradition and the Individual Talent') relates to the idea that:
27. In 'The Study of Poetry', Arnold uses the example of Dante's lines on meeting Ulysses to illustrate:
28. Matthew Arnold's concept of 'culture' in 'Culture and Anarchy' is presented as:
29. Coleridge's critique of 'fancy' in 'Biographia Literaria' suggests it is:
30. Coleridge's 'primary imagination' in 'Biographia Literaria' is described as:
31. Johnson praises Shakespeare's characters for being:
32. Samuel Johnson's 'Preface to Shakespeare' defends Shakespeare's mixture of tragedy and comedy, arguing that:
33. Dryden's characters in 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy' engage in a debate, with Neander often seen as representing Dryden's own views. Neander supports:
34. What is the central debate in John Dryden's 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy'?
35. Sidney categorizes poetry in 'Defence of Poesie' into three main types::
36. Sir Philip Sidney's 'Defence of Poesie' is often considered a response to which contemporary criticism?
37. In 'Tradition and the Individual Talent', T.S. Eliot asserts that 'the progress of an artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.' This refers to:
38. T.S. Eliot's concept of 'tradition' in 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' implies:
39. T.S. Eliot, in 'Tradition and the Individual Talent', argues that the poet's primary goal is to:
40. According to Matthew Arnold, the decline of religion necessitates the rise of poetry as a means to:
41. Matthew Arnold advocates for the 'touchstone method' in 'The Study of Poetry' as a way to:
42. Matthew Arnold, in 'The Study of Poetry', defines poetry as:
43. Coleridge's concept of the 'secondary imagination' in 'Biographia Literaria' refers to its ability to:
44. In 'Biographia Literaria', Samuel Taylor Coleridge distinguishes between imagination and fancy, defining imagination as:
45. Samuel Johnson argues that Shakespeare's adherence to nature, rather than strict classical rules, is a strength because it allows for:
46. Samuel Johnson's 'Preface to Shakespeare' defends Shakespeare against contemporary criticisms, particularly concerning:
47. John Dryden, in 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy', defends the use of rhyme in English tragedy, arguing it:
48. Which of the following is a key argument made by John Dryden in 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy'?
49. Sir Philip Sidney defends poetry against charges of being a 'mother of lies' by emphasizing its:
50. In his 'Defence of Poesie', Sir Philip Sidney argues that poetry's primary function is to: