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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. Where is the ship in the beginning of the poem?

2. The poem's title and first line contain an example of which technique?

3. What is the most accurate way to describe the poem's stanza form?

4. Who is the author of "O Captain! my Captain!"?

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

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

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

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

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 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.

Essay Topic 2

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.

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.

(see the answer keys)

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