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Quiz about Life and Works of Sam Clemens

Life and Works of Sam Clemens Trivia Quiz

Sam Clemens is better known as Mark Twain. Some of the lesser known facts about his life are found in this quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by Elder1954. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Elder1954

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
303,262

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
845

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Question 1 of 10

1. Clemens wrote, "When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among us boys. That was to become ..." What did he want to become?
Hint

a steamboat pilot

a newspaper editor

a world famous writer

a circus clown

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Question 2 of 10

2. Most people are generally familiar with the premise of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"; a level headed shop foreman is mysteriously transported to Camelot following a blow on the head. What was the name of the Yankee foreman?
Hint

Richard Sawyer

Henry Jones

Hank Morgan

William Stormfield

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Question 3 of 10

3. Clemens collaborated only once with another author on a novel. The novel was "The Gilded Age." Who was the other author?
Hint

Petroleum V. Nasby

Brett Harte

Charles Dudley Warner

Joel Chandler Harris

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Question 4 of 10

4. What work published under the name "Mark Twain" first brought Clemens national attention?
Hint

Tom Sawyer

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

The Innocents Abroad

The Prince and the Pauper

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Question 5 of 10

5. Where did the name "Mark Twain" come from?
Hint

It is a river term indicating "two fathoms"

It is a term used in rating tobacco

He was a boyhood friend of Clemens

It is a term used in newspaper publishing

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Question 6 of 10

6. What astronomical event took place in the year Clemens was born (1835) and the year he died (1910)?
Hint

Total eclipse of the sun over Missouri

Supernovae appeared in the sky

The Northern Lights could be seen as far south as Florida

Halley's Comet appeared in the sky

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The Clemens' house was one of the first in Hartford to be equipped with what modern convenience? (Hint: it wasn't the only house with this device or it would not have been very useful)
Hint

Television

Elevator

Indoor plumbing

Telephone

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Clemens wrote several humorous pieces about the daily life of a family loosely based on his own family. What name did he give to this semi-fictional family?
Hint

Smith

Clementine

Michaelson

McWilliams

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Question 9 of 10

9. Where was was Clemens' buried? Hint

Elmira, New York

New York City

Hartford, Connecticut

London, England

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Question 10 of 10

10. How did Clemens describe the profession of writing?
Hint

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair.

It is awful slavery for a lazy man.

The words just flow like honey from a jar.

I would rather write than do anything else.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Clemens wrote, "When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among us boys. That was to become ..." What did he want to become?

Answer: a steamboat pilot

Clemens wrote about his days on the river in "Life on the Mississippi". As to being a steamboat pilot, he wrote "I have loved that profession more than any I have followed since"

Answer: Hank Morgan

This book contains many of Clemens views on democracy vs monarchy and religion/superstition vs practicality/reality. There have been several movie versions, but none have done the book justice.

3. Clemens collaborated only once with another author on a novel. The novel was "The Gilded Age." Who was the other author?

Answer: Charles Dudley Warner

"The Gilded Age" is a look at the hypocrisy of the "nuevo riche" and politics of the late 19th century. By the time the two authors finished they were no longer speaking to each other due to personal conflicts.

4. What work published under the name "Mark Twain" first brought Clemens national attention?

Answer: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

This short story was wildly successful and established "Mark Twain" as a writer/humorist/celebrity. "The Innocents Abroad" was Clemens first full length book.

5. Where did the name "Mark Twain" come from?

Answer: It is a river term indicating "two fathoms"

The term comes from taking depth soundings with a knotted rope. "Mark twain" meant two fathoms, twelve feet, of depth. This was deep enough to be safe for a flat bottomed river boat.

6. What astronomical event took place in the year Clemens was born (1835) and the year he died (1910)?

Answer: Halley's Comet appeared in the sky

"I came in in 1835 with Halley's Comet. It's coming again pretty soon and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I do not go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt, "Here are these two indefinable freaks; they came in together. They must go out together". (The Autobiography of Mark Twain)

7. The Clemens' house was one of the first in Hartford to be equipped with what modern convenience? (Hint: it wasn't the only house with this device or it would not have been very useful)

Answer: Telephone

Clemens had one of the first telephones in use in Hartford. He wrote a comic piece titled "A Telephonic Conversation" which is probably the first piece of literature written about how odd only one side of a phone call sounds. This comic tradition continued to be used by many comedians of the 20th Century, including George Carlin and Bob Newhart.

8. Clemens wrote several humorous pieces about the daily life of a family loosely based on his own family. What name did he give to this semi-fictional family?

Answer: McWilliams

These stories include "The McWilliams and the Lightning Rod Salesman" and "The McWilliams and the Membranous Croup" The stories are told from the point of view of the head of the household, who happens to be an author. Clemens tried to keep his private life separate from that of Mark Twain, his public persona, but these stories give a glimpse of the daily life of the Clemens family.

9. Where was was Clemens' buried?

Answer: Elmira, New York

He was living on his last estate named "Stormfield" in honor of a story of an old riverboat captain, "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven". During his life, Clemens lived in Missouri, Nevada, California, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., New York, Connecticut, Italy, Germany, and England.

10. How did Clemens describe the profession of writing?

Answer: It is awful slavery for a lazy man.

Clemens had to force himself to write daily. In Hartford, he had a writing area away from the house. Late in life, he wrote in bed. His "Autobiography" was mostly dictated to Albert Bigalow Paine. "The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of your pants to the seat of the chair" is how the historian Stephen Ambrose described writing.

Source: Author Elder1954

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
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