View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 5 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. By which other term, besides "Captain," does the speaker address the captain of the ship?
(a) Master.
(b) Leader.
(c) Brother.
(d) Father.

2. In context, the word "fearful" in line 1 indicates that the trip was which of the following?
(a) The cause of the captain's death.
(b) A metaphor for an internal struggle.
(c) A bad idea from the beginning.
(d) Full of frightening obstacles.

3. What is the most common type of metrical foot in "O Captain! My Captain!"?
(a) The iamb.
(b) The dactyl.
(c) The spondee.
(d) The trochee.

4. 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) Antithesis.
(d) Antimetabole.

5. 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 is addressing the captain's spirit or ghost.
(b) The speaker realizes that the captain is not actually dead yet.
(c) The speaker is having trouble accepting what has happened.
(d) The speaker is not yet aware that the captain has died.

Short Answer Questions

1. Line 6, "O the bleeding drops of red," is an example of which technique?

2. In context, the literal meaning of the word "rack" in line two is which of the following?

3. The list of ways the crowd is celebrating the arrival of the ship in lines 9-12 is an example of which technique?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What ironic contrast do the poem's images highlight?

2. Describe the form of "O Captain! My Captain!"

3. Explain the allegorical nature of the poem's central conceit.

4. What evidence is there that the speaker is struggling to understand and process the captain's death?

5. What elements of the poem's diction establish a warm and personal relationship between the speaker and the captain?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 680 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample