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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 details in the second stanza evoke a patriotic occasion?

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

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

4. In the second quatrain of the second stanza, what becomes clear about the speaker's state of mind?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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