CLEP Humanities : Understanding Terminology That Describes Classical Poetry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for CLEP Humanities

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Classical Poetry

A poem that is a lamentation for the dead is called __________.

Possible Answers:

an allegory

a limerick

a haiku

an elegy

an epic

Correct answer:

an elegy

Explanation:

One of the oldest and most consistently written kinds of poem is an elegy, a work that is dedicated to the memory of a recently deceased person. An elegy can take on almost any poetic form, such as a sonnet, a cinquain, or any other specific kind of poem. Elegies were written by the ancient Greeks and Romans and continue to be written by modern poets.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Terminology That Describes Classical Poetry

The poetic technique known as alliteration refers to __________.

Possible Answers:

the sequential use of each letter of the alphabet as the first letter of a word

an internal rhyme inside of a sentence

the use of homonyms to create wordplay

the repetitive use of words with the same initial sound or syllable

an poetic structure in which the number of syllables in each line of a poem gradually increase

Correct answer:

the repetitive use of words with the same initial sound or syllable

Explanation:

Alliteration is a poetic strategy that intentionally repeats the same initial sound or syllable in multiple words in a line or lines of poetry. Alliteration can help create a unique rhythm or special structure. While developed in poetry, alliteration is also widely used in prose writing.

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