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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 is the rhyme pattern of the first four lines of each stanza?
(a) ABAC.
(b) ABCB.
(c) ABBA.
(d) AABB.

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

3. In the second quatrain of the second stanza, what becomes clear about the speaker's state of mind?
(a) He is actually asleep and only dreaming of the captain's death.
(b) He has not fully accepted the captain's death.
(c) He hopes to hide the captain's death from the crowd.
(d) He is afraid that he is in some way responsible for the captain's death.

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

5. Which technique is evident in line 10, "Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills"?
(a) Antistrophe.
(b) Anaphora.
(c) Antimetabole.
(d) Antithesis.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does it mean that the people are "exulting"?

2. By which other term, besides "Captain," does the speaker address the captain of the ship?

3. Line 5, " But O heart! heart! heart!" is an example of which technique?

4. Who is the speaker of the poem?

5. In context, the word "fearful" in line 1 indicates that the trip was which of the following?

(see the answer key)

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