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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "O Captain! My Captain!" lines 1-24.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the phrase "swaying mass" refer to (line 12)?
(a) The crowd.
(b) The flag.
(c) The ship.
(d) The captain.

2. Who is the speaker of the poem?
(a) A doctor.
(b) A sailor.
(c) A soldier.
(d) A writer.

3. In context, the literal meaning of the word "rack" in line two is which of the following?
(a) A thorough sorting or sifting.
(b) Battle or confrontation.
(c) Storm or upheaval.
(d) A metal rod used for hanging things.

4. What is the most accurate way to describe the poem's stanza form?
(a) Octave.
(b) Double tercet.
(c) Double quatrain.
(d) Sestet.

5. Line 5, " But O heart! heart! heart!" is an example of which technique?
(a) Aphorism.
(b) Paradox.
(c) Euphemism.
(d) Apostrophe.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is a "keel" (line 4)?

2. Which details in the second stanza evoke a patriotic occasion?

3. The poem's title and first line contain an example of which technique?

4. Which technique is evident in line 10, "Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills"?

5. Which is the best interpretation of line 9, when the speaker urges "O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells"?

(see the answer key)

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