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

2. What type of rhyme is employed in line 20, "From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won"?

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

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

Write an essay in which you propose and defend a statement of theme for "O Captain! My Captain!" that takes into account key features of the poem: the celebration of Lincoln and grief over his death, the interrelated nature of victory and loss, and the relationship between the individual and the group. Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem in support of your claims.

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