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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. In context, the literal meaning of the word "rack" in line two is which of the following?

2. What is a "keel" (line 4)?

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

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

5. The list of ways the crowd is celebrating the arrival of the ship in lines 9-12 is an example of which technique?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that considers the following: what message does the poem's central conceit send about the necessity of any one individual--even a president--to a collective effort like the preservation of the Union? Offer evidence from the poem to support your claims, and if you use outside sources for information related to the poem's historical background, be sure to cite these in MLA format.

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 read Whitman's poem "When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d." This poem was also written to memorialize President Lincoln. Write an essay that compares and contrasts the themes of this poem and that of "O Captain! My Captain!" Support your assertions about each poem's theme with evidence from the text of both poems.

(see the answer keys)

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