Humanities CLEP Prep Practice Exam

Who stands out as the most influential literary figure of the Romantic Period?

1. Virginia Woolf

2. Ernest Hemingway

3. Jane Austen

4. William Wordsworth

The correct answer is: William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth is considered to be the most influential literary figure of the Romantic Period. He was a pioneer of the Romantic movement in literature and his works, such as "Lyrical Ballads," helped to shape and define the movement. Option A, Virginia Woolf, is a prominent writer of the Modernist Period, which came after the Romantic Period, and therefore cannot be the most influential literary figure of the Romantic Period. Option B, Ernest Hemingway, is also a writer from the Modernist Period and does not belong in the Romantic Period. Option C, Jane Austen, is known for her works in the genre of romantic fiction, but she was not part of the Romantic Period in literature. In comparison, William Wordsworth's works were foundational to the Romantic Period, making him the most influential literary figure of that time.