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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. What will return as the ocean of life begins to ebb away from the shore, according to Whitman?

2. ___________ are able to convey nature, enjoy materialism, become orators, and create from their own experiences.

3. "And there is ______ to us of all that has ever come of races and days, or ever will come."

4. What is one of the things which keeps Whitman up late at night, though he needs no assurances?

5. Where is the good place in Boston where Whitman wants to see the show from in the morning?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the signs of spring that Whitman lists in the poem, "Warble for Lilac-Time"?

2. Whose philosophies does Whitman respect without any exceptions, according to the writing?

3. What is an endless source of inspiration for poetry, according to the poems which the poet has created?

4. How is the meteor used as a metaphor in the poem called, "Year of Meteors," which Whitman has written?

5. How does Whitman describe Paumanok in the spring when he writes the poem "Sea-Drift"?

6. What happens to the summer rains, according to Whitman's poem "Autumn Rivulets"?

7. Why is it sad when one of the birds in a couple dies and the other one does not know it?

8. What is the lesson of the ebb of the ocean, according to the poem of Whitman?

9. What does Whitman wish he had the chance to do for the United States as it makes its impact in the world?

10. To what are the tides of the ocean compared to in life, according to the poems of Whitman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Whitman seems to have a very strong sense of patriotism and allegiance to the United States.

Part 1: Did you find it surprising that Whitman was so patriotic? Why or why not?

Part 2: Do you think it's important to have a strong sense of patriotism as a creative person?

Part 3: Why do you think Whitman felt so strongly about the United States that he had to include poems about patriotism?

Essay Topic 2

Whitman could be described as being appreciative of people, in all of their forms.

Part 1: Why do you think writers are so appreciative of people and their many forms?

Part 2: How do you think people are done a service by being described by poets and writers?

Part 3: Do you think people are the most important sources of inspiration for writers?

Essay Topic 3

Whitman discusses the idea that he has no legacy to leave behind for his family and the next generation.

Part 1: Why do you think a legacy is something of importance?

Part 2: Do you agree that Whitman has left nothing as a legacy?

Part 3: Is it important to you that you leave a legacy to the next generation? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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