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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 5 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. The poem's title and first line contain an example of which technique?
2. What does the phrase "swaying mass" refer to (line 12)?
3. In the second quatrain of the second stanza, what becomes clear about the speaker's state of mind?
4. 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)?
5. Who is the speaker of the poem?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe the form of "O Captain! My Captain!"
2. What evidence is there that the speaker is struggling to understand and process the captain's death?
3. Explain the allegorical nature of the poem's central conceit.
4. What ironic contrast do the poem's images highlight?
5. What elements of the poem's diction establish a warm and personal relationship between the speaker and the captain?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Go online and read Whitman's poem "Each Has His Grief." Then, write an essay in which you compare and contrast messages about death and the isolating nature of grief in this poem and in "O Captain! My Captain!" Use quoted and paraphrased evidence from both poems in support of your claims.
Essay Topic 2
Write an essay that analyzes Whitman's use of synecdoche and metonymy in "O Captain! My Captain!" Identify where these techniques are used in the poem and explain the meaning of each instance. Then, explore the relationship these techniques assert between individuals and groups and tie this to the poem's overall meaning.
Essay Topic 3
Go online and do some research about Whitman's beliefs about the relationship of music and poetry. Write an essay in which you first explain what these beliefs were and then apply them to your reading of "O Captain! My Captain!" Use both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem to support your observations. Be sure to cite all sources in MLA format.
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