Final Jeopardy: American Poems (9-14-15)

The Final Jeopardy question (9/14/2015) in the category “American Poems” was:

The title of this poem that begins the 1916 book “Mountain Interval” was inspired by long country walks.

Welcome to the very first game of Jeopardy! Season 32. We’re picking up this brand new season with returning champ, Tara Anderson She won her first game and $17,500 back on July 31, 2015. Today she tries for a second win against these two players: Ed Kim, from Whittier, CA; and Rook Thomas Hine, from Brunswick, ME.

Round 1: Rook found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “So You Want to Write a Novel” under the $1,000 clue near the end of the round, with 6 clues left after it. He was in the lead with $5,200, $1,200 more than Tara in second place. He bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

Try to inspire this release of emotions like fear or pity, a term used by Aristotle. show

Rook finished in the lead with $7,600. Tara was second with $5,800 and Ed wasn’t far behind with $4,800.

Round 2: Tara found the first Daily Double in “You Said What?!” under the $1,200 clue. She was in second place with $12,200, only $2,600 behind Rook’s lead. She bet $3,000, and she was RIGHT.

In a novel, Alice Walker wrote that it might anger God “if you walk by” this “in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” show

Ed found the last Daily Double in “The Place to B” (with the B in quotes) under the $800 clue. There were 6 clues left after it in this round, too. In third place with $8,000, he had $11,600 less than Tara who was now in the lead. He bet $6,000 and he was RIGHT.

This U.S. state capital was founded by the French in 1719. show

Tara finished in the lead with $22,000. Ed was next with $17,200 and Rook was in third place with $13,200.

Incredibly, NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS “THE ROAD NOT TAKEN”?

“Mountain Interval” was Robert Frost’s third published volume of poetry, but it was his first in the USA, and it was also the first appearance of the now world-famous poem that begins: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” The poem was inspired by a man he had become friends with while in England, Edward Thomas. Frost had previously published two volumes (“A Boy’s Will” and “North of Boston”) while in Great Britain. More info on Frost at Biography.com. Also, Here’s a link to 3 readings of the poem (one by Robert Frost, one by Ted Hughes and one by “Mr. T”)



Rook wrote down “What is A Yellow Wood?” which turned out to be the closest response! He bet and lost every penny.

Ed came up with “A Good Walk” but he didn’t bet anything so he remained at $17,200.

Tara had “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman. She lost $12,500 and landed in second place with $9,500, and that made Ed Kim the first new Jeopardy champ! of Season 32.

2 years ago:: ALL of the players got this FJ in “Poets” (the first match of Season 30).

Funds provided by his widow were used to set up a literary charity called Old Possum’s Practical Trust. show

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3 Responses

  1. rhonda says:

    I never seem to remember the full title of “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening either, I usually forget it’s 6 words, not 3. You have such a vast knowledge of poetry, VJ, mine isn’t all that great, I must confess..

  2. rhonda says:

    Very surprised that no one got Final Jeopardy correct.

    • VJ says:

      Me too! So much for my prediction. I never even considered a title mishap.

      That usually happens with Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” The tendency to make it “Stopping by the woods” is perfectly understandable even if Frost didn’t think so. Tennyson does the same thing in “Charge of the Light Brigade.” He wrote “cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them” and many people read it as: to the right (left) of them, even with the poem right in front of them.