At a later point in the story, Candide finally sees the error of Pangloss's teachings and renounces optimism, defining it as "the mania of maintaining that everything is well when we are wretched." Do you agree with Candide's statement? Why or why not? State your definition of optimism.

La Fontaine's fables have been criticized for their cynical tone, or attitude. How would you describe the tone of these two fables? What do you think of their tone?

What attitude toward the conventional language of lovers and love poetry do both Shakespeare and Labé reveal in their sonnets?
A Both poets distrust and mock the conventional speech of lovers and love poetry.
B Both poets rely on the conventional language of love poetry in their sonnets.
C Both poets express their admiration for conventional "love speech."
D Both poets bitterly reject all talk of love.

Dante is both the author of The Divine Comedy and a character in it. How does Dante feel when he learns Virgil's identity in Canto I? Why is Virgil important to Dante as a poet?

What inferences can you make about the following topics?
Cervantes' beliefs about medieval romances
Cervantes' feelings toward Don Quixote himself
Explain why you think each inference is sound.

Judging from the tone of Sonnet 23, what do you think was Louise Labes personal experience of love?
F She had little experience of love in her life.
G She was disappointed and let down by those she loved.
H She was blessed with true and lasting love.
J She withheld her love and trust from those who loved her.

What human traits are ridiculed in these two beast fables?

Clearly, Cervantes wants us to laugh at his protagonist as he prepares for his preposterous undertaking, but is Don Quixote presented as merely a fool, or is he also a true hero? What, if anything, makes him heroic?

When you re-read the story, what new details did you notice? How did these details change your understanding of the story?

What is the author's attitude toward the murder of Siegfried? How can you tell?

For each item, choose the lettered pair of words that expresses a relationship most like the relationship between the pair of capitalized words.
SLANDEROUS: LIES ::
F private: secrets
G spacious: cells
H timid: warriors
J tiresome: boxes

What is the "black dawn" the speaker describes in the last line of Sonnet 23?
A Her realization that her lover is dead
B Her angry recognition that she has been manipulated
C Her sad certainty that she will never love again
D Her positive resolve to get on with her life

The bear that Siegried has captured causes comic disorder before Siegried dispatches it. What does this humorous scene reveal about Siegfried? Why is this lighthearted mood ironic?

Dante says in line 12 of Canto I that he has wandered from the "True Way." If the "Dark Wood of Error" is a symbol of worldliness, what does the True Way represent? On an allegorical level, what might the three animals that try to force Dante back into the Dark Wood represent?