Puritan Writing Practice Questions
20 free Puritan Writing practice questions for the English Literature. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
Which prominent Puritan leader delivered the 'City upon a Hill' sermon, formally titled 'A Model of Christian Charity'?
- A William Bradford of Plymouth
- B John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts
- C Cotton Mather, the Boston minister
- D Jonathan Edwards of Connecticut
Correct answer: John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts
John Winthrop delivered this lay sermon aboard the Arbella in 1630. He established the idea that the Massachusetts Bay Colony would serve as a global example of a communal, God-centered society.
What is the primary characteristic of the 'Puritan Plain Style' of writing?
- A Frequent use of classical mythological allusions and elaborate conceits
- B Ornate, flowery language rich in complex metaphors and rhetorical flourishes
- C Clear, direct prose focused on biblical references and practical utility
- D Abstract philosophical musings largely divorced from practical application
Correct answer: Clear, direct prose focused on biblical references and practical utility
Puritans believed that ornate language was a sign of vanity that distracted from God's word. Consequently, they utilized a 'plain style' that prioritized clarity, logical order, and direct biblical parallels.
Anne Bradstreet's poem 'The Author to Her Book' uses which literary device to describe her feelings toward her published work?
- A An extended metaphor comparing her book to a deformed child
- B A series of similes likening the book to a star that fades at dawn
- C Personification of the book as a cruel and demanding taskmaster
- D A sustained allegory of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden
Correct answer: An extended metaphor comparing her book to a deformed child
In this conceit, Bradstreet expresses her embarrassment over her 'ill-formed' poetry being published without her consent. She uses the metaphor of a mother trying to wash and dress a ragged child to describe her attempts to revise the text.
Mary Rowlandson's 1682 narrative is a foundational example of which uniquely American literary genre?
- A The Travelogue
- B The Captivity Narrative
- C The Transcendentalist Essay
- D The Gothic Novel
Correct answer: The Captivity Narrative
Rowlandson's account of her time as a prisoner during King Philip's War established the conventions of the captivity narrative. These stories typically followed a pattern of capture, suffering, and eventual redemption through divine providence.
Which Puritan author wrote 'The Wonders of the Invisible World' to justify the proceedings of the Salem Witch Trials?
- A Increase Mather
- B Edward Taylor
- C Cotton Mather
- D Samuel Sewall
Correct answer: Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather was a prolific minister who firmly believed in the presence of spectral evidence and witchcraft. His book defended the court's actions as a necessary defense of the New England 'theocracy' against the devil.
Jonathan Edwards's sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' is a famous example of which religious movement?
- A The Great Awakening
- B The Enlightenment
- C The Restoration
- D The Transcendentalist Movement
Correct answer: The Great Awakening
Edwards was a key figure in the mid-18th century Great Awakening, a series of religious revivals. His sermon used vivid, terrifying imagery to shock the congregation into an emotional experience of repentance.
In Edward Taylor's poem 'Huswifery,' the speaker develops a conceit by comparing God's grace to what domestic activity?
- A Baking bread and distributing it to the wider community
- B The process of making cloth on a spinning wheel and loom
- C Planting, tending, and harvesting a kitchen garden each season
- D Cleaning, maintaining, and ordering a large colonial manor house
Correct answer: The process of making cloth on a spinning wheel and loom
Taylor uses the various parts of a spinning wheel and loom to represent the process by which God transforms a sinner into a holy vessel. It is a classic example of a 'metaphysical' conceit adapted for Puritan themes.
William Bradford's 'Of Plymouth Plantation' is notable for its description of which historical agreement?
- A The Declaration of Independence
- B The Treaty of Paris
- C The Mayflower Compact
- D The Bill of Rights
Correct answer: The Mayflower Compact
Bradford records the signing of the Mayflower Compact in 1620, which was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. His history provides a firsthand account of the Pilgrims' struggles and their belief in 'Divine Providence'.
Which of the following best defines the Puritan concept of 'The Elect'?
- A Those who were voted into political office
- B Wealthy landowners who funded the colonial expeditions
- C Individuals predestined by God for salvation
- D Members of the clergy who had completed university training
Correct answer: Individuals predestined by God for salvation
Central to Calvinist theology, the doctrine of predestination held that God had already chosen certain 'elect' individuals for heaven. Puritan writing often reflects the intense self-examination required to find 'signs' of being among the elect.
What was the purpose of the 'Jeremiad' in Puritan oratory and literature?
- A To celebrate the arrival of a new child into the community
- B To lament the decline of religious devotion and call for reform
- C To provide seasonal instructions for successful farming in New England
- D To document the translation of the Bible into Native American languages
Correct answer: To lament the decline of religious devotion and call for reform
Named after the prophet Jeremiah, the Jeremiad is a rhetorical form that lists the sins of a people and warns of impending divine judgment. It was used to maintain social and religious discipline in the colonies.
Anne Bradstreet’s collection 'The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America' is significant because it was:
- A The first book of poetry by an American colonist published in England
- B A secret personal diary discovered more than two hundred years after her death
- C A detailed scientific treatise cataloguing local botany and plant species
- D The first full-length novel composed and printed in the New World
Correct answer: The first book of poetry by an American colonist published in England
Published in 1650, this collection made Bradstreet the first published poet of the New World. Although her later, more personal poems are now more famous, this volume established her as a serious intellectual in the trans-Atlantic world.
What 'visible sign' did the Puritans believe often indicated an individual's spiritual status?
- A The ability to speak in tongues during religious worship
- B Material prosperity and outward worldly success
- C Physical beauty, good health, and athletic prowess
- D The public performance of verifiable miracles
Correct answer: Material prosperity and outward worldly success
While they believed salvation could not be earned, Puritans often viewed hard work and resulting material success as a sign that God was smiling upon an individual. This contributed to the development of the 'Protestant Work Ethic'.
In 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' Edwards famously compares the sinner to what animal?
- A A fierce lion prowling for its prey
- B A spider held dangling over a fire
- C A gentle dove searching for a branch
- D A helpless lamb being led to slaughter
Correct answer: A spider held dangling over a fire
Edwards uses the image of a spider or 'loathsome insect' held over the fire by a slender thread to emphasize the precariousness of human life and the absolute power of God to withdraw his mercy at any moment.
What was the 'Great Migration' in the context of Puritan history?
- A The movement of Puritans from rural England to the city of London
- B The exodus of Puritans from England to Massachusetts in the 1630s
- C The forced relocation of Native Americans from eastern to western territories
- D The journey of Puritan missionaries and traders to South America
Correct answer: The exodus of Puritans from England to Massachusetts in the 1630s
Led by John Winthrop, approximately 20,000 Puritans emigrated to New England between 1630 and 1640. This period established the cultural and religious foundations of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Which Puritan writer is known for his 'Diary,' which offers a rare look at daily life and his eventual repentance for his role in the Salem Witch Trials?
- A Samuel Sewall, the Boston merchant-judge
- B Michael Wigglesworth, poet of The Day of Doom
- C John Cotton, the Boston minister
- D Thomas Hooker, founder of Connecticut
Correct answer: Samuel Sewall, the Boston merchant-judge
Samuel Sewall's diary is a key historical document. He is also notable for being the only Salem judge to publicly apologize for his role in the executions and for writing 'The Selling of Joseph', an early anti-slavery tract.
Michael Wigglesworth's 'The Day of Doom' was a 17th-century 'best-seller' primarily because it:
- A It told a sentimental romantic story about the founding of Boston
- B It presented a frightening, rhyming account of the Last Judgment
- C It offered a sharp comedic portrayal of Puritan church leaders
- D It served as a practical manual for navigating New England waters
Correct answer: It presented a frightening, rhyming account of the Last Judgment
Written in 1662, this long poem provided a vivid and terrifying account of the end of the world. Its simple meter made it easy to memorize, and it was used for decades as a tool for religious instruction for children.
The Puritan belief in 'Total Depravity' suggests that:
- A Humans are essentially good but corrupted by society
- B Only the clergy are capable of sinning
- C Every human being is born sinful because of the Fall of Adam
- D Sin is a result of lack of education and can be cured by logic
Correct answer: Every human being is born sinful because of the Fall of Adam
Total Depravity is one of the five points of Calvinism (TULIP). It posits that as a result of original sin, no human is capable of choosing God or doing good without the intervention of divine grace.
Which of the following was the primary target of Puritan censorship in the New English colonies?
- A The printing of the Bible in English translation for colonists
- B Theatrical performances and so-called frivolous literature
- C Public journals, diaries, and personal correspondence
- D Scientific observations and records of weather and nature
Correct answer: Theatrical performances and so-called frivolous literature
The Puritans viewed the theater as immoral and a waste of time that should be spent in labor or prayer. They strictly regulated entertainment to ensure the community remained focused on its spiritual mission.
The 'Bay Psalm Book' (1640) is significant in American literary history because it was:
- A The first book printed in British North America
- B A collection of indigenous folk songs and oral traditions
- C A novel about a rebellious young Puritan woman in Boston
- D The official legal charter of the Virginia Colony
Correct answer: The first book printed in British North America
The Bay Psalm Book was a metrical translation of the Psalms into English. Its publication in Cambridge, Massachusetts, marked the beginning of the printing industry in the American colonies.
In Puritan theology, 'Typology' is a method of biblical interpretation that:
- A Uses scientific evidence and archaeology to verify biblical events
- B Reads Old Testament figures as prefigurations of New Testament ones
- C Rejects the New Testament entirely in favor of the Hebrew scriptures
- D Insists on reading every passage only for its plain literal meaning
Correct answer: Reads Old Testament figures as prefigurations of New Testament ones
Typology allowed Puritans to see their own journey to America as a parallel to the Israelites' exodus to the Promised Land. This interpretive framework was central to how they understood their identity and historical purpose.