Literature and the Multiple-Choice Question
Navigating a multiple-choice exam for literature is not much different than plowing through a multiple-choice exam for geometry or history. Really, the test taker in any circumstance will do the best if they first understand the text itself, they fully comprehend the question, and finally they can discern among the often tricky choices in front of them. Easier said than done, right?
Well, like anything, this process will feel a lot less intimidating after we break it down into manageable steps. We will also examine how the literary text may present different challenges than, say, a geometry equation. But, fear not, you can do it! Answering multiple-choice questions for literature can be tackled by looking first at the literary text, then the question itself, and finally the answer options in front of you.
The Literary Text
How does a multiple-choice test for literature differ than other multiple-choice exams? Essentially, it comes down to the material you're presented with. Most likely, you'll have in front of you a passage of fiction or non-fiction prose or a well-known poem (as opposed to, say, a chemistry identification question or a presidential speech). You will be expected to examine the passage and then respond to a multiple-choice question.
But before you even think about the question (no - don't look at them yet!) you need to do something very important. You need to read closely. What's the point of reading closely? There's a very important purpose. You need to engage with the text in order to gain a basic comprehension. What does this mean? Well, basically, you pay attention to the material while you read it, you retain the information as you read, and you reach a basic understanding of the material by the end. How can these initial steps be accomplished? Think about using the following process:
Step One: Notice the title if there is one. Does it tell you anything initially about the topic of the work? Take notes in the margin - basically, write a note to yourself regarding the significance of the title, or you can underline or highlight important words in the title.
Step Two: Read the text. Underline key words as you go (words that aid in the overall understanding of a piece). Take notes in the margin that may help with comprehension.
Step Three: Can you summarize the piece? If so, it's best to write a phrase at the bottom that summarizes the piece. Is it not completely clear what the piece is about (for instance, a poem that might seem fragmented)? Look back again for pronouns that may help set a context, key words that may help in recreating a situation or a story, and any words that indicate speaker purpose or emotion. This can be tough, and it may not always be clear initially. Write down anything that helps.
Step Four: What type of piece is in front of you? Fiction, non-fiction, or poetry? Write it down. If any context is given to you in the title, take note.
This may seem like a lot of work, but it's worth it. And really, once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature. Remember, the idea here is to engage (to read and interpret information) with the text and to gain an overall understanding of the piece before you read (and potentially become distracted by) the questions themselves.
Let's try the process with a practice poem from the College Board website. While this Robert Frost piece does have a title, it has been left off for this exercise:
My Sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds are gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow;
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
Now, let's follow the close reading process while taking notes next to the poem. Initially, I, the test taker, notice that there is no title. I recognize right away that the poem has four stanzas with a specific rhyme scheme. I recognize that the speaker references 'My sorrow' and calls it 'she' - this is personification. She loves the dark days of autumn which I know because the speaker gives many images that relate to the dreariness of autumn. I think, but I am not sure, that the speaker is saying he or she starts to see the beauty in the dreariness at the end. In summary, I think the poem might be about a person who is sad and whose emotional state helps to unveil the beauty in what would otherwise be a kind of depres