English Literature CLEP Prep Practice Exam

Who wrote the poem "The Solitary Reaper"?

1. John Keats

2. William Wordsworth

3. Robert Browning

4. Alfred Tennyson

The correct answer is: William Wordsworth

"The Solitary Reaper" is a well-known romantic poem written by William Wordsworth. It is about a young girl singing a melancholic song in the Scottish Highlands. This poem is often associated with Wordsworth's belief in the power of nature and the emotions it can evoke in humans. Keats, Browning, and Tennyson were also English poets during the same time period, but they did not write "The Solitary Reaper." Keats was known for his sensual and melancholic poems, Browning for his dramatic monologues, and Tennyson for his epic and romantic poems. While they were all contemporaries of Wordsworth, his style and subject matter set him apart as the rightful author of "The Solitary Reaper."