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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. Which term describes the poem's repeated use of the phrases "O Captain! My Captain!" (lines 1 and 9) and "fallen cold and dead" (lines 8, 16, and 24)?
(a) Chorus.
(b) Verse.
(c) Conceit.
(d) Refrain.

2. Which is the best interpretation of line 9, when the speaker urges "O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells"?
(a) The speaker realizes that the captain is not actually dead yet.
(b) The speaker is not yet aware that the captain has died.
(c) The speaker is addressing the captain's spirit or ghost.
(d) The speaker is having trouble accepting what has happened.

3. What type of rhyme is employed in line 20, "From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won"?
(a) Identical rhyme.
(b) Near rhyme.
(c) Internal rhyme.
(d) Eye rhyme.

4. 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 hopes to hide the captain's death from the crowd.
(c) He has not fully accepted the captain's death.
(d) He is afraid that he is in some way responsible for the captain's death.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which technique is evident in the phrase "for you the flag is flung" (line 10)?

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

3. What is the most accurate way to describe the poem's stanza form?

4. What is the most common type of metrical foot in "O Captain! My Captain!"?

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

(see the answer key)

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