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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. Whitman says that he was offering too long to feed his soul with __________, which was clearly not a good idea..

2. Who leaves natural breaths, the sounds of rains and winds, calls as the birds and animals in the woods?

3. Who does Whitman answer for when he takes the young man's hands in his own?

4. Who does Whitman profess to folding in every leaf of his poetry in order to celebrate the sea?

5. Whitman is not only considering the idea of death, but also of chanting the chant of ___________.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What is one of the main criticisms of Whitman's poetry, as these graphic images come up in the poems quite frequently?

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

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

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

7. What parts of the United States structure does Whitman have a lot of respect for?

8. Why does Whitman warn the readers about the dangers of religion and those who are enamored of it?

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

10. What is so strange about the idea that Whitman is so fervently patriotic in the poems he has written? When was Whitman born in relation to the 'birth' of the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author is also sure that the wonderful United States is prosperous now, but that it will encounter a time of problems.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman wants to point out that the U.S. is going to have troubles in the future?

Part 2: Do you think that Whitman was correct in his prediction?

Part 3: Why do you think Whitman wanted to discuss the idea of a possible unkind fate in the future?

Essay Topic 2

Whitman talks a lot about the idea of democracy and how it differs today from the way it began.

Part 1: How do you see democracy working in today's world?

Part 2: Do you think democracy is an effective system of making decisions and governing people?

Part 3: Why do you think Whitman wants to talk about democracy in his poems?

Essay Topic 3

Whitman also has a close relationship with nature, talking about being naked with it and being enveloped by it.

Part 1: Why do you think so many poets have such a strong connection with nature?

Part 2: Do you think the nature can be emotionally engaging? Or do you look at nature as something without emotion?

Part 3: How do you think observing nature can affect the way poems are written?

(see the answer keys)

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