Early American Literature discussion
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Early American Authors Quiz Game
I'll start...this might be a hard one, but we'll see! 😊Which New England author sometimes wrote under the pen name 'Oberon'?
I believe you have stumped the group at large.As you can see, even Emma is quiet.
Ruth wrote: "I believe you have stumped the group at large.As you can see, even Emma is quiet."
😂 It's probably too hard, but I was curious to see if anyone happened to know! I just learned about it today. Does anyone have a guess, or shall I tell? 😊
Since we're coming upon his birthday, I will say Hawthorne.
Ruth wrote: "Since we're coming upon his birthday, I will say Hawthorne."
Yes, it was Hawthorne!! There is an interesting conflict of stories about how or why he took this name...according to his son-in-law, George Parsons Lathrop, it was "the late Henry W. Longfellow [who] recalled, some of the college friends of Hawthorne had nicknamed him Oberon, in allusion to his personal beauty and the imaginative tone of his conversation."
However, Hawthorne's close friend Horatio Bridge has this to say... "it is stated that "his classmates called Hawthorne 'Oberon the Fairy' on account of his beauty, and because he improvised tales." It seems a pity to spoil so poetic a fancy; but, if truthful narrative is required, the cold facts are these:
"In reality the pseudonym of "Oberon" was not given to him by his classmates or by any one else while in college, but was assumed by him at a later date and in this wise. Soon after graduation we agreed to correspond regularly at stated periods, and we selected new signatures for our letters. Hawthorne chose that of "Oberon " (which he afterwards used for some of his magazine articles), while I took the more prosaic one of " Edward."
Neither his beauty nor his improvised tales had anything to do with his sobriquet of "Oberon."
Some of his early stories were also published under the name "Ashley Allen Royce", or the "Rev. A. A. Royce."
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Ruth wrote: "Wasn't that Cotton Matters?"That would be my guess too. 🤔
Meg wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Wasn't that Cotton Matters?"That would be my guess too. 🤔"
Meg, Have you come across any other author?
No, I can't think of anyone else it could be!
Meg wrote: "No, I can't think of anyone else it could be!"About Hawthorne, his name came to mind when I read your question, for some reason it was vaguely familiar; I dismissed
it, then decided why not. That is interesting, it seem the kind
of moniker Hawthorne would that have been given during
his college years, in their literary circles.
Thinking of his portrait, Oberon does suit him. 🖼🤔💭
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Yes you are right Ruth and Meg!
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Doreen wrote: "Who said: "The truth is the kindest thing we can give folks in the end"?"I know the answer but I had to look it up, so I'll wait and see if anyone else knows... 😀
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I know the answer but I had to look it up, so I'll wait and see if anyone else knows... 😀"
Good for you
Doreen wrote: "Meg wrote: "Doreen wrote: "Who said: "The truth is the kindest thing we can give folks in the end"?"I know the answer but I had to look it up, so I'll wait and see if anyone else knows... 😀"
Goo..."
Well I guess I'll go ahead and answer...this quote is from The Pearl of Orr's Island: A Story of the Coast of Maine, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, another book I can't wait to read! 😊
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I know the answer but I had to look it up, so I'll wait and see if anyone else k..."
Very good Meg. Your turn now to post.
Doreen wrote: "Very good Meg. Your turn now to post."Thanks Doreen. I'm trying to think of a new question. 😉
Oh, and Ruth! You have already answered 2 questions correctly, so now you get to stump us! 😁
Oh. Yea!! Okay.This author was the first woman in her town to register to vote.
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This author was the first woman in her town to register to vote."
I'm guessing. Katherine Lee Bates?
That is a good guess, Doreen.Would anyone else like to give it a try?
Ruth wrote: "I believe you have stumped the group at large.As you can see, even Emma is quiet."
Haha Ruth I just saw this! 😂😂❤️
Ruth wrote: "Oh. Yea!! Okay.This author was the first woman in her town to register to vote."
My only guess would be Arabella Beckett, but since that's a fictional character I KNOW that's not the answer!! 😉
Ruth wrote: "Oh. Yea!! Okay.This author was the first woman in her town to register to vote."
Lydia Taft?
It's probably cheating to look up answer right? XD ;D
Good guesses and nice try Emma.In Massachusetts the year 1879, women won the right to vote,
but not for political leaders. they were newly able to cast their ballots and determine which school committee members would serve their communities. The authoress Louisa May Alcott was the first woman in her town to register to vote.
That is so interesting!
Emma wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I believe you have stumped the group at large.As you can see, even Emma is quiet."
Haha Ruth I just saw this! 😂😂❤️"
😉😄
Ruth wrote: "Good guesses and nice try Emma.In Massachusetts the year 1879, women won the right to vote,
but not for political leaders. they were newly able to cast their ballots and determine which school c..."
Wow, I'm already learning so many new things!! :) Louisa May Alcott did cross my mind once - I don't know why I dismissed it!
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In Massachusetts the year 1879, women won the right to vote,
but not for political leaders. they were newly able to cast their ballots and determine which school c..."
Oh darn. That was my first guess but I tried to play it safe. Very good one Ruth!
Doreen wrote: "Oh darn. That was my first guess but I tried to play it safe. Very good one Ruth!"You too, Doreen?! I will trust my intuition next time! 😂
Thank you Doreen.☺I am enjoying this.
Meg, you answered Doreen's
question in message #17.
you're next.
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Ok, I've got one! 😀 Who is Lowell speaking of here? "He is very nice reading in summer, but inter
Nos, we don't want extra freezing in winter;
Take him up in the depth of July, my advice is,
When you feel an Egyptian devotion to ices."
I'm not even going to TRY guessing the answers to these. HAHAHAHA!! But it's been wonderful reading the comments and learning alongside y'all!
Snow cones anyone? 🍨Does this mean Emma is next?
Why would I go next?
Walden is a good guess, Emma!😂 But no, it's actually a person...
Hannah wrote: "I'm not even going to TRY guessing the answers to these. HAHAHAHA!! But it's been wonderful reading the comments and learning alongside y'all!"I'm glad you are enjoying it anyway, Hannah. But please don't feel shy about guessing...it's all in fun! 😊
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No it's not Emerson, although he does come in for his share in this poem as well. 😁 Ok, here's a little more that might make the answer more clear..."Some scholar who's hourly expecting his learning,
Calls B. the American Wordsworth; but Wordsworth
Is worth near as much as your whole tuneful herd's worth.
No, don't be absurd, he's an excellent _____;
But, my friends, you'll endanger the life of your client,
By attempting to stretch him up into a giant..."
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I'll guess one more time and say Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?
Nice tries, but no...although Emma is getting warm! 😊 Ok, we're waiting for Ruth!! 😁
Early American Literature
Books mentioned in this topic
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (other topics)Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (other topics)
Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Science Fiction (other topics)
The HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature (other topics)
Emily and Carlo (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lafcadio Hearn (other topics)George MacDonald (other topics)
Elizabeth Goudge (other topics)
Washington Irving (other topics)
Washington Irving (other topics)
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Example - "Who is the author of The Great Stone Face?" (OK, I know you all know the answer to that one, but you get the idea! 😁)