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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. Who is the author of "O Captain! my Captain!"?
3. Which is the best interpretation of line 9, when the speaker urges "O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells"?
4. Where is the ship in the beginning of the poem?
5. What does it mean that the people are "exulting"?
Short Essay Questions
1. What elements of the poem's diction establish a warm and personal relationship between the speaker and the captain?
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 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 Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Autumn: A Dirge." Write an essay comparing and contrasting the mournful and song-like features of this poem with those in "O Captain! My Captain!" Offer both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both poems in defense of your observations.
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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This section contains 728 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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