T.S. Eliot Life & Poetry

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| By YarrowBadRabbit

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Quizzes Created: 1 | Total Attempts: 580

Questions: 10 | Attempts: 580 | Updated: Mar 21, 2023

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This quizz is created as a part of my dissertation, but feel free to enjoy it.

Questions and Answers

1.

Where was T.S. Eliot born?
- A.
  
  St. Louis, Missouri
- B.
  
  London, UK
- C.
  
  New Bedford, Massachusetts
- D.
  
  Oxford, UK
Correct Answer
A. St. Louis, Missouri

Explanation
He lived in London after he moved to the UK; New Bedford, Massachusetts is where William Greenleaf Eliot, T.S. Eliot's grandfather was born; he was awarded a scholarship to Merton College in Oxford.

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2.

Which college did T.S. Eliot attend?
- A.
  
  Harvard
- B.
  
  Yale
- C.
  
  Princeton
- D.
  
  Stanford
Correct Answer
A. Harvard

Explanation
Eliot attended Harvard University from 1906 to 1909 (during which time he obtained a BA) and earned a Master's Degree the following year. Upon World War I, Eliot moved to England where he spent much time. Also during that time, he'd been working on his dissertation and finally submitted it to Harvard in 1916. Despite the fact that it had been accepted, Eliot had not received his Ph.D because he wasn't present to defend it.

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3.

The poem "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" was first published in 1915 at the request of?
- A.
  
  James Joyce
- B.
  
  W. B. Yeats
- C.
  
  Ezra Pound
- D.
  
  John Davy Hayward
Correct Answer
C. Ezra Pound

Explanation
The magazine "Poetry : A Magazine of Verse" published the poem in June 1915, at the request of Ezra Pound (who was the foreign editor of the magazine). Pound became a mentor and lifelong friend of Eliot.

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4.

Who did T.S. Eliot married first?
- A.
  
  Vivienne Haigh-Wood
- B.
  
  Esme Valerie Fletcher
- C.
  
  Joan Aiken
- D.
  
  Dora Black
Correct Answer
A. Vivienne Haigh-Wood

Explanation
Tom and Vivienne were married on June 26, 1915. He married Esme on January 10, 1957. Joan Aiken was the daughter of his friend Conrad Aiken. Dora Black was married to Bertrand Russell, who had a brief affair with Vivienne.

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5.

To whom T.S. Eliot dedicated the poem "The Waste Land"?
- A.
  
  Vivienne Haigh-Wood
- B.
  
  Ezra Pound
- C.
  
  James Joyce
- D.
  
  W. B. Yeats
Correct Answer
B. Ezra Pound

Explanation
At the very beginning is written "For Ezra Pound - il miglior fabbro." That translates into "the better craftsman".

Eliot and Joyce were friends, and "The Wasteland" was considered to be a counterpart of Joyce's "Ulysses", published in the same year.

William B. Yeats had been influenced by Eliot.

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6.

T.S. Eliot wrote "Ash Wednesday" after a few years after his conversion to what religion?
- A.
  
  Jewish
- B.
  
  Presbyterian
- C.
  
  Buddhism
- D.
  
  Anglicism
Correct Answer
D. Anglicism

Explanation
On June 29 he converted to Anglicanism and in November he became a British citizen. Also, he decided to drop his American citizenship (during November). In 1928, Eliot summarized his beliefs when he wrote in the preface to his book, "For Lancelot Andrewes", that "the general point of view may be described as classicist in literature, royalist in politics, and Anglo catholic in religion."

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7.

Ezra Pond gave T.S. Eliot a nickname he used as a part of the title for a book of poetry for children. What was his nickname?
- A.
  
  Frail Mongoose
- B.
  
  Old Possum
- C.
  
  Small Tom
- D.
  
  Frail Tom
Correct Answer
B. Old Possum

Explanation
"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" is an assorment of Eliot's poems about feline psychology and sociology. A second edition was published in the early 80s that featured illustrations.

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8.

T.S. Eliot has sometimes been charged with Antisemitism due to which of his works?
- A.
  
  The Elder Statesman
- B.
  
  Ash Wednesday
- C.
  
  The Family Reunion
- D.
  
  Gerontion
Correct Answer
D. Gerontion

Explanation
"Gerontion" is a poem by Eliot that was published in 1920. Eliot scholar Grover Smith made a comment of this poem that quotes, "If any notion remained that in the poems of 1919 Eliot was sentimentally contrasting a resplendent past with a dismal present, "Gerontion" should have helped to dispel it." Despite this, the poem is still regarded as antisemitic and harsh Eliot critics have never considered the poem as anything like what has Smith commented.

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9.

In "The Waste Land" there are many lines in different languages. Which is NOT present in the poem?
- A.
  
  Greek
- B.
  
  Spanish
- C.
  
  German
- D.
  
  Italian
Correct Answer
B. Spanish

Explanation
There are a total of six languages in the poem: Latin, Greek, Italian, German, French and, of course, English.

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10.

T.S. Eliot stated that his references to certain vegetation ceremonies were written under the influence from which book?
- A.
  
  From Ritual to Romance
- B.
  
  The Golden Bough
- C.
  
  Sacred Times
- D.
  
  The Nibelungenlied
Correct Answer
B. The Golden Bough

Explanation
Frazer's "The Golden Bough" had a deep effect on Eliot. Although he was deeply influenced by Weston's "From Ritual to Romance" as well, the book had more to do with the Grail legend--and the Fisherking in Eliot's poem. "Sacred Times" William Bloom's description of a new approach to festivals. "The Nibelungenlied" is an epic poem, the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge.

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Current Version
Mar 21, 2023

Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
Mar 23, 2012

Quiz Created by
YarrowBadRabbit

T.S. Eliot Life & Poetry

Where was T.S. Eliot born?

Which college did T.S. Eliot attend?

The poem "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" was first published in 1915 at the request of?

Who did T.S. Eliot married first?

To whom T.S. Eliot dedicated the poem "The Waste Land"?

T.S. Eliot wrote "Ash Wednesday" after a few years after his conversion to what religion?

Ezra Pond gave T.S. Eliot a nickname he used as a part of the title for a book of poetry for children. What was his nickname?

T.S. Eliot has sometimes been charged with Antisemitism due to which of his works?

In "The Waste Land" there are many lines in different languages. Which is NOT present in the poem?

T.S. Eliot stated that his references to certain vegetation ceremonies were written under the influence from which book?