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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. It is the engineer's joy to go with the _____________ in his days.

2. Who is singing the varied carols which Whitman can hear as mentioned in a poem which reveals the answer?

3. Whitman believes that all heroic deeds were conceived in __________, as are all free poems.

4. Whitman says he will make a true ________ which will earn for the body and mind whatever sticks and does not droop in death.

5. What color is the water in the poem, "In Cabin'd Ships at Sea," as it moves around the boat?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Whitman have to say about the pain of loving a man or a woman in great excess?

2. How does Whitman describe the touches of the lover as they are making love in the grass with each other?

3. What does the author feel about the idea of being present in the here and in the now?

4. What does Whitman think about seeing the world through someone else's eyes, even if it is through the eyes of a poet?

5. What are some of the poet's feelings about the idea of mortality, according to the poems he writes?

6. Who are some of the groups for which Whitman seems to have a particular affection in his poems?

7. What are some of the features of the Paumanok area of Long Island which makes the area special to Whitman?

8. What is Whitman's stance on how he views individual people and who they are, an opinion which is repeated frequently?

9. What is the city which Whitman admires, though not for the pageantry and the wealth that exists in this city?

10. What is the main reason why Whitman says that he enjoys Manhattan so much during his travels there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

People are not always what they seem, according to Whitman, and few would disagree.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman wanted to be clear that no one is what they seem?

Part 2: Do you think you would tell a lover or friend that you are not what you appear?

Part 3: How would you react if someone told you that not all is what it seems to be?

Essay Topic 2

The author also repeats the idea that one should live in the now rather than dwelling on the past or on the future.

Part 1: Why is it so important to live in the now, in the present time and place?

Part 2: Do you think you tend to live in the now or do you live in other time periods?

Part 3: What might be some obstacles to living in the now? What sorts of problems may this way of living cause?

Essay Topic 3

The body is something which Whitman seems to worship as a part of his experience as being human.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman is so fascinated with the human body?

Part 2: What are your feelings about the human body and whether it should be celebrated?

Part 3: Do you think that the human body is something which could be described as divine?

(see the answer keys)

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