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

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

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

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

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 ironic contrast do the poem's images highlight?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

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.

(see the answer keys)

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