CLEP American Literature

What Is on the CLEP American Literature Test?

The CLEP American Literature exam is broken into five literary periods. Each category period focuses on specific literature and tests students for knowledge of authors, literary works, poetry, literary devices, and historical and societal implications. The exam focuses mainly on fictional and poetic texts, although other types of literature, such as memoirs and essays are presented on the test as well. Some of the periods have different percentage weightings

The Precolonial, Colonial, and Early National Periods

The Precolonial, Colonial, and Early National Periods of literature falls under any text created before 1800 and is 15% of the exam. The precolonial section focuses on European travel texts, such as diaries and essays. The colonial section concentrates on writings like Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Anne Bradstreet's poetry. The early national period discusses texts such as William Brown Hill's The Power of Sympathy. Test takers should also be familiar with the historical periods that match the texts and authors.

The Romantic Period

The Romantic Period concentrates on 1800 to 1865 and is 20% of the exam. During these exam questions, test takers should be familiar with authors such as Edgar Allen Poe and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other writers like Herman Melville and Walt Whitman may also come up. This section will feature literary works from novels to poetry. Test takers should be conscious of the Civil War and tensions between the United States and its people.

The Period of Realism and Naturalism

The Period of Realism and Naturalism consists of texts and authors between 1865 to 1910 and is 20% of the exam. Test takers should be familiar with how these texts would focus on the ordinary and dark ideas of the world. Major writers and works to be familiar with are Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jack London and Call of the Wild, and Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Test takers should understand the ideas of both Darwin and Marx in terms of society and writing.

The Modernist Period

The Modernist Period describes texts between 1910 to 1945 and is 20% of the exam. Test takers should understand important historical events that occurred during this era, including World War I and World War II. Modernist authors include Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and John Steinbeck. Some major works to be familiar with are The Great Gatsby, The Road Not Taken, and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

The Contemporary Period

Finally, The Contemporary Period encompasses texts from 1945 to the present day and is 25% of the exam. Test takers should understand that this section encompasses the feminist movement and the Civil Rights Movement. Multiethnic literature is a large part of the contemporary period; major works include Elie Wiesel's Night, Alice Walker's The Color Purple, and Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Other authors include Steven King, Truman Capote, and Joyce Carol Oates.