Call Now to Set Up Tutoring:
(888) 888-0446

GRE Subject Test: Literature in English : Literary Analysis of Poetry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Literature in English

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

1 Diagnostic Test 158 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Help » Literary Analysis » Literary Analysis of Poetry

Example Question #1 : Theme: Poetry

A Late Walk

1          When I go up through the mowing field,
2          The headless aftermath,
3          Smooth-laid like thatch with the heavy dew,
4          Half closes the garden path.

5          And when I come to the garden ground,
6          The whir of sober birds
7          Up from the tangle of withered weeds
8          Is sadder than any words

9          A tree beside the wall stands bare,
10        But a leaf that lingered brown,
11        Disturbed, I doubt not, by my thought,
12        Comes softly rattling down.

13        I end not far from my going forth
14        By picking the faded blue
15        Of the last remaining aster flower
16        To carry again to you.

One theme of the poem is                   .

Possible Answers:

romantic habits are pointless

the life of the farmer is better than the urbanite's

spring will always return

human beings are the only creatures burdened by time

the passing of time is something sorrowful

Correct answer:

the passing of time is something sorrowful

Explanation:

One theme of the poem is the passing of time is something sorrwoful, as the poem treats the arrival of winter with weighty vocabulary ("withered weeds"), despondent imagery (such as a falling leaf), and straight-forwardly states that the business of "sober birds" is "sadder than any words."

Report an Error

Example Question #1 : Inferences: Poetry

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

The first two lines of this poem imply all but which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Bradstreet felt that her writing was not strong.

Bradstreet kept her book from being seen by most.

Bradstreet felt that her book was somehow inferior.

Bradstreet intended to publish her book immediately after writing it.

None of the other answers are correct.

Correct answer:

Bradstreet intended to publish her book immediately after writing it.

Explanation:

The first two lines imply that Bradstreet feels her book (the "offspring") is "ill-formed" and the product of a "feeble mind," which indicates she did not think her writing was strong and did not want it seen by anyone else. The fact that it remained "by her side" after she wrote it indicates that she had no plans to publish it.

Report an Error

Example Question #51 : Content

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

The third and fourth lines of the poem imply all but which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Bradstreet felt that her friends had erred in publishing the book.

The book was published overseas and not in her own country.

None of the other answers are correct.

The book was published with Bradstreet's knowledge.

The book was published by friends of Bradstreet.

Correct answer:

The book was published with Bradstreet's knowledge.

Explanation:

Nothing in these lines indicates that Bradstreet had any knowledge that her friends were publishing her book "abroad," and the fact that she charaterizes them as "less wise than true" indicates that she found their actions unwise and deceitful.

Report an Error

Example Question #3 : Inferences: Poetry

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

Lines 11–14 imply all but which of the following?

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers are correct.

Bradstreet felt her revisions created new problems in addition to solving old ones.

Bradstreet felt the need to revise the book since it bore her name.

Bradstreet felt she corrected the errors in the original book.

The more Bradstreet revised the book, the more new errors she saw.

Correct answer:

Bradstreet felt she corrected the errors in the original book.

Explanation:

These lines indicate that Bradstreet did not feel her revisions improved the book, which she saw as hers and therefore necessary to revise.  The fact that she says she saw more "spots" after "wash[ing its] face" indicates that she both found more errors and that she felt her revisions made the poems worse somehow.

Report an Error

Example Question #24 : Literary Analysis Of Poetry

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

In the lines "In better dress to trim thee was my mind, / But nought save homespun cloth i' th' house I find," Bradstreet is using the image of dressing a child in better clothes to symbolize __________.

Possible Answers:

her desire to have herself represented by her best possible work

her dislike for the appearance of the book

her sense of betrayal by her friends in their publishing her book

her inability to improve the poems in her rough draft

None of the other answers are correct.

Correct answer:

her inability to improve the poems in her rough draft

Explanation:

Given the context of these lines and the double-meaning of trim, meaning both "to dress" and "to cut in length," the image of dressing a child in better clothes probably refers to her desire to revise the poems into better forms and her inability to do so (because she has only "homespun cloth").

Report an Error

Example Question #52 : Content

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

The lines "In critic's hands beware thou dost not come, / And take thy way where yet thou art not known" implies all but which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Bradstreet is concerned about the reception of the book in an unfamiliar country

Bradstreet wants her book to be seen by new readers

Bradstreet is concerned about what new readers will think of the book

None of the other answers are correct.

Bradstreet is concerned about the reception of her book by critics

Correct answer:

Bradstreet wants her book to be seen by new readers

Explanation:

"Take thy way" is an older way of saying "be careful," so in essence Bradstreet is warning her book to be careful with strangers (i.e., new readers in places where her work is not known) and critics.

Report an Error

Example Question #1 : Meaning Of Specified Text: Poetry

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

The underlined lines "And for thy mother, she alas is poor, / Which caused her thus to send thee out of door" could be interpreted in but which of the following ways?

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers are correct.

Bradstreet is ashamed of the appearance of her "child."

All three of the answer choices beginning "Bradstreet . . . " are correct.

Bradstreet is only allowing publication of the book because she requires money.

Bradstreet is to be pitied for sending such a faulty example of her work into the world.

Correct answer:

Bradstreet is ashamed of the appearance of her "child."

Explanation:

Nothing in the lines indicates anything about Bradstreet's disappointment at the book's appearance, though some might believe her to be pitiable and in need of money to have allowed such a flawed book (in her eyes) to be published.

Report an Error

Example Question #13 : Literary Terminology And Devices

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

The literary technique that Bradstreet uses in addressing her book directly as her "offspring" is __________.

Possible Answers:

metonymy

personification

apostrophe

None of the other answers are correct.

synecdoche

Correct answer:

personification

Explanation:

Personification, which imbues an inanimate object with human traits, is the most likely answer.  Apostrophe involves the address of a personified object which is not present, but Bradstreet's poem implies that her "offspring" is close by.  

Report an Error

Example Question #1 : Meaning Of Specified Text: Poetry

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

Which of the following is the most likely meaning of the underlined fifth and sixth lines of the poem?

Possible Answers:

Bradstreet's manuscript was printed in its rough draft form, without editing.

None of the other answers are correct.

Bradsteet did not care for the typeface the book was printed in.

Bradstreet's friends printed the book with a lesser publisher than it deserved.

Bradstreet's book was printed on lower quality paper.

Correct answer:

Bradstreet's manuscript was printed in its rough draft form, without editing.

Explanation:

Bradstreet's book was published using an uncorrected rough draft of her poems, since she herself did not know it was being published, and thus she feels its "errors were not lessened" by editing.

Report an Error

Example Question #53 : Content

Adapted from "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet (1678)

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain,
Who after birth didst by my side remain,
Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
Who thee abroad, expos’d to public view,
Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge,
Where errors were not lessened (all may judge).
At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,
Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;
Yet being mine own, at length affection would
Thy blemishes amend, if so I could:
I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet;
In better dress to trim thee was my mind,
But nought save home-spun cloth, i’ th’ house I find.
In this array ’mongst vulgars mayst thou roam.
In critics' hands, beware thou dost not come;
And take thy way where yet thou art not known,
If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none:
And for thy mother, she alas is poor,
Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door.

Lines 7-10 imply all but which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Bradstreet was embarassed by the book's publication.

Bradstreet immediately acknowledged she was the author of the book.

Bradstreet felt the poems needed tighter editing.

None of the other answers is correct.

Bradstreet did not feel the poems should have been read by the public.

Correct answer:

Bradstreet immediately acknowledged she was the author of the book.

Explanation:

There's nothing in these lines to indicate that Bradstreet immediately acknowledged authorship of the book, given that she finds it "rambling" and in need of tighter editing, and the fact that she "blushes" at its publication implies she does not feel the book was ready to be seen by the public.

Report an Error
Copyright Notice
Display vt optimized
View Tutors
Karin
Certified Tutor
James Madison University, Bachelor of Science, Communication, General. San Jose State University, Master of Fine Arts, Creati...
Display vt optimized
View Tutors
Mikah
Certified Tutor
Ivy Tech Community College, Associate in Science, Biotechnology. Western Governors University, Bachelor in Business Administr...
Display vt optimized
View Tutors
Christine
Certified Tutor
University of Toronto, Bachelor in Arts, English. Antioch University-Los Angeles, Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing.

All GRE Subject Test: Literature in English Resources

1 Diagnostic Test 158 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept
Popular Subjects
ACT Tutors in Boston, Math Tutors in Washington DC, LSAT Tutors in Philadelphia, GMAT Tutors in Dallas Fort Worth, Algebra Tutors in Philadelphia, Math Tutors in Dallas Fort Worth, GRE Tutors in Miami, Reading Tutors in Houston, Math Tutors in Boston, GMAT Tutors in Boston
Popular Courses & Classes
SSAT Courses & Classes in Denver, SAT Courses & Classes in New York City, Spanish Courses & Classes in Houston, Spanish Courses & Classes in Los Angeles, ISEE Courses & Classes in Seattle, LSAT Courses & Classes in Atlanta, MCAT Courses & Classes in San Francisco-Bay Area, SAT Courses & Classes in Atlanta, MCAT Courses & Classes in Seattle, MCAT Courses & Classes in Dallas Fort Worth
Popular Test Prep
SAT Test Prep in San Diego, SAT Test Prep in Denver, GRE Test Prep in Washington DC, ISEE Test Prep in Boston, MCAT Test Prep in Chicago, GMAT Test Prep in New York City, ISEE Test Prep in San Diego, ACT Test Prep in Atlanta, LSAT Test Prep in Houston, ACT Test Prep in Boston
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors
Create Account – It's FREE
Our Guarantee Online Tutoring Mobile Tutoring App Instant Tutoring Reviews & Testimonials How We Operate Press Coverage
Top Subjects
ACT Tutors Algebra Tutors Biology Tutors Calculus Tutors Chemistry Tutors French Tutors
 
Geometry Tutors German Tutors GMAT Tutors Grammar Tutors GRE Tutors ISEE Tutors
 
LSAT Tutors MCAT Tutors Math Tutors Physics Tutors PSAT Tutors Reading Tutors
 
SAT Tutors Spanish Tutors SSAT Tutors Statistics Tutors Test Prep Tutors Writing Tutors
Top Locations
Atlanta Tutoring Boston Tutoring Brooklyn Tutoring Chicago Tutoring Dallas Tutoring Denver Tutoring
 
Houston Tutoring Kansas City Tutoring Los Angeles Tutoring Miami Tutoring New York City Tutoring Philadelphia Tutoring
 
Phoenix Tutoring San Diego Tutoring San Francisco Tutoring Seattle Tutoring St. Louis Tutoring Washington DC Tutoring
Our Company
About Us Honor Code Partnerships
Free Resources
Tests, Problems & Flashcards Classroom Assessment Tools Mobile Applications
College Scholarship Admissions Blog Test Prep Books
Web English Teacher Early America Hotmath Aplusmath
Jobs
Tutoring Jobs Careers
Varsity Tutors. © 2007-2025 All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Sitemap
Sign In
Provide Feedback
disclaimer