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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) Brother.
(b) Leader.
(c) Father.
(d) Master.

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

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. Where is the ship in the beginning of the poem?
(a) Just leaving the port.
(b) Docked in the port.
(c) Just coming into port.
(d) On the open sea.

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

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What is the rhyme pattern of the first four lines of each stanza?

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

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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