- English Literature CLEP Test Study Guide
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The CLEP English Literature examination is a comprehensive assessment focusing on major British authors and literary works throughout history. With approximately 95 questions to be completed in 90 minutes, this exam tests both knowledge of literature and analytical abilities. It's designed to be equivalent to a college-level survey course in British literature. The exam assumes candidates have developed a broad appreciation of English literature through extensive reading, understanding of basic literary periods, and familiarity with the historical development of English literature.
Let's explore the intricate landscape of English literature as tested in this exam. The assessment is structured to evaluate both factual knowledge and analytical capabilities, with questions ranging from author identification to deep literary analysis. The exam covers literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day, encompassing various genres and literary movements.
Knowledge Components (35-40% of exam)
This foundational section tests your grasp of essential literary elements. You'll need to demonstrate familiarity with literary background, including historical contexts and cultural influences. Author identification is crucial - you should be able to recognize major writers and their significant works. Technical aspects like metrical patterns in poetry and understanding of literary references are also tested. Additionally, you must be well-versed in literary terminology, from basic concepts to more complex literary devices. This section forms the backbone of your literary understanding, providing the tools needed for deeper analysis.
Analytical Skills (60-65% of exam)
The larger portion of the exam focuses on your ability to engage critically with literary texts. You'll analyze the formal elements of literary passages, identifying structure, style, and technical components. Understanding and interpreting meanings, both literal and figurative, is essential. The exam tests your ability to recognize tone and mood in various texts, as well as follow patterns of imagery throughout a work. Style analysis includes identifying authors' distinctive writing characteristics and techniques. You'll also need to comprehend and evaluate literary criticism, demonstrating your ability to follow scholarly arguments about literature.
Historical Periods
The exam covers six major periods of English literature, each with its distinct weight:
This period covers Anglo-Saxon works through the late 15th century, including works like "Beowulf" and Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." You should understand the characteristics of medieval literature, including allegory, religious themes, and the development of the English language.
Focusing on the Renaissance period, this section covers Shakespeare, Spenser, and their contemporaries. Key aspects include the sonnet form, dramatic works, and the influence of classical literature on English writing.
This period encompasses the age of reason and enlightenment, featuring authors like Pope and Swift. Understanding satire, the rise of the novel, and neoclassical literary ideals is crucial.
A significant portion covers the Romantic movement, including poets like Wordsworth and Keats. Key themes include nature, imagination, and individual expression.
This section focuses on authors like Dickens, Tennyson, and the Brontës. Understanding social criticism, industrial age themes, and Victorian moral values is essential.
The largest section covers modern and contemporary literature, including modernism, postmodernism, and contemporary works. Knowledge of experimental techniques, changing social values, and diverse literary voices is crucial.
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote / The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote. -The Canterbury Tales, Prologue
Correct Answer: D. Personification
Explanation: The passage personifies April by giving it human qualities ("his shoures") and the ability to pierce March's drought. This personification helps establish the vibrant, living quality of Chaucer's natural imagery. The technique was common in medieval poetry to bring abstract concepts to life.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day -Macbeth, Act V
Correct Answer: E. To emphasize the tedium of time
Explanation: The triple repetition of "tomorrow" combined with "creeps" and "petty pace" creates a sense of weary monotony, reinforcing Macbeth's depression and disillusionment after Lady Macbeth's death. The passage emphasizes how time has lost meaning for him.
Beauty is truth, truth beauty, —that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. -Ode on a Grecian Urn
Correct Answer: C. The unity of aesthetic and moral truth
Explanation: This famous line embodies the Romantic belief in the interconnectedness of aesthetic and moral truth. Keats suggests that beautiful art reveals fundamental truths about existence, and that truth itself manifests as beauty - a core Romantic principle that elevated art to a quasi-religious status.
Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. -Hard Times
Correct Answer: C. The dehumanizing effect of utilitarianism
Explanation: This quote from Mr. Gradgrind epitomizes the utilitarian educational philosophy that Dickens criticizes throughout the novel. It represents the Victorian emphasis on facts and figures at the expense of imagination and emotional development.
Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. -Mrs. Dalloway, opening line
Correct Answer: A. Free indirect discourse
Explanation: This opening line demonstrates free indirect discourse, blending third-person narration with the character's consciousness. It sets up the novel's signature style of moving fluidly between external events and internal thoughts.
The ink is black, wherewith each character was writ. -Pearl
Correct Answer: D. Self-reflexive awareness of textuality
Explanation: The line demonstrates medieval literature's awareness of its own textuality and materiality. It shows how medieval poets often incorporated references to the physical act of writing, linking the material and spiritual aspects of their work.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediments. -Sonnet 116
Correct Answer: E. Spiritual/intellectual love
Explanation: Shakespeare's sonnet describes a love that transcends physical attraction, focusing on the union of minds and spirits. This reflects the Renaissance Neo-Platonic concept of love as a spiritual and intellectual bond.
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night -The Tyger
Correct Answer: E. Divine creative power
Explanation: Blake's tiger represents the awesome and terrifying aspects of divine creation, serving as a counterpoint to the gentle lamb. The image questions how the same creator could produce both benign and fearsome creatures.
The Sea of Faith / Was once, too, at the full -Dover Beach
Correct Answer: E. Crisis of religious faith
Explanation: Arnold's metaphor of the retreating "Sea of Faith" directly addresses the Victorian crisis of religious belief, brought about by scientific discoveries and historical criticism of the Bible. The image captures the period's growing religious doubt.
April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land -The Waste Land
Correct Answer: D. It forces unwanted renewal
Explanation: Eliot inverts the traditional celebration of spring renewal, suggesting that forcing life from death is an act of cruelty. This reflects the post-WWI mood of disillusionment and the pain of surviving in a broken world.
While quite short on the study side of things, the official CLEP book is the go-to final practice test. Since this is the only official practice test available, I normally use it as my final spot check before taking the test.
Textbooks are great as far as they go, but I’d generally recommend you opt for this exam guide instead. It tends to cut through the confusion and help you accelerate your learning process.
The website looks like it was made before the internet, but it’s legitimately the single most useful study guide I’ve found yet. Basically it’s a series of flashcards that help you study in a fast paced and fun way.