American Literature CLEP Prep Practice Exam

“Without you the world’s great riddle, darkly speaking,” is a quote from what poet?

1. Robert Frost

2. Sylvia Plath

3. Emily Bronte

4. Anne Bradstreet

The correct answer is: Anne Bradstreet

Changing the language to be a little more modern, the quote says, "Without you to be the greatest mystery speaken in darkness" This is something that Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan poet of the 17th century, would have written about as Puritans often emphasized the importance of relying on God and his mysterious ways. Robert Frost and Emily Bronte were not Puritan poets, and their writing styles did not focus heavily on religious themes. Sylvia Plath, although a talented poet, was associated with the confessional poetry movement of the 20th century, which was focused on more personal and emotional experiences. Therefore, none of the other options fit the context or style of the quote as well as Anne Bradstreet.