Practice Exam 2 I felt went way better for me than the first one. One major reason for that that was obvious to me was that I had had a good night's rest beforehand, and was not jetlagged and half-asleep. Having more of a chance to read over everyone's study guides and study some other sources on stylistic periods in literature I felt helped as well. Also, on this test I just happened to have the good fortune of recognizing many of the passages, and therefore was able to talk definitevely and at length about them, offering insights and ideas about the particular works that I was not largely able to on the first exam. But all of that was really just the luck of the draw, I guess. There were however, two passages which I answered that I wasn't entirely sure of (though I turned out to be right about them after all), and there I was able to employ Bob's very valuable technique of "forceful indirectness," which would have covered me sufficiently to not lose credit even if I had been mistaken. There was also one passage that I knew I knew, but couldn't come up with the name for, and on that one I employed the techniques that we have been discussing regarding syles and periods, and enumerated the characteristics of the poem in terms of the school it came from, and how the individual details embodied certain metaphysical qualities or ideals. The part of the test that was probably most valuable for me, however, was the post-mortem examination that we had afterwards, where everyone discussed the ways in which they went about identifying and articulating their knowledge about the passages. From everyone's very intelligent discussions of the passages, I was able to realize some new angles and approaches that could use on the test in elucidating the passages, particularly from a more structural and stylistic point of view, so I thank everybody. The class' as well Professor Tougaw's comments were also helpful in clarifying the expectations of the examiners on the test and, I have to say, I feel much more confident and prepared for it now than I had been the previous week.
