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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 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)?
2. In the second quatrain of the second stanza, what becomes clear about the speaker's state of mind?
3. What is the rhyme pattern of the first four lines of each stanza?
4. What is a "keel" (line 4)?
5. What type of rhyme is employed in line 20, "From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won"?
Short Essay Questions
1. What evidence is there that the speaker is struggling to understand and process the captain's death?
2. Describe the form of "O Captain! My Captain!"
3. What elements of the poem's diction establish a warm and personal relationship between the speaker and the captain?
4. Explain the allegorical nature of the poem's central conceit.
5. What ironic contrast do the poem's images highlight?
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
How do the metrical and rhyme schemes of "O Captain! My Captain!" support the poem's larger thematic concerns? Write an essay that describes the rhyme and meter used in the poem. Then, tie these choices to Whitman's larger thematic concerns in this poem.
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