Hamilton Greene Practice Quiz — Spoon River Anthology
by Edgar Lee Masters — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Hamilton Greene
What positions did Hamilton Greene hold?
Judge, member of Congress, and leader in the State.
Who does Hamilton think his parents are?
Frances Harris of Virginia and Thomas Greene of Kentucky — "of valiant and honorable blood both."
Who is Hamilton’s real biological mother?
Elsa Wertman, a German immigrant servant girl who was exploited by Thomas Greene.
What literary device makes this poem devastating?
Dramatic irony — the reader knows the truth about Hamilton’s parentage from Elsa’s poem, but Hamilton never does.
What does Hamilton credit for his success?
"Honorable blood" — vivacity, fancy, and language from his mother; will, judgment, and logic from his father.
What is the poem like when read alone vs. after Elsa?
Alone: a bland civic speech. After Elsa: devastating dramatic irony where every line of self-praise is unknowing self-mockery.
What does Masters suggest about how we understand our origins?
We construct narratives about our lineage to explain who we want to be — but those narratives may be built on lies.
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