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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The narrator states “Now I will do nothing but” what, in the opening of Section 26?

2. The poet claims in Section 38, “I troop forth replenish'd with” what?

3. What adjective describes the city’s houses in the beginning of Section 33?

4. The poet proclaims in Section 42, “This is the city and I am one of the” what?

5. What animal is “searching for roots or honey” in Section 33?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the Native Americans depicted in Section 39?

2. What war is described in Sections 35 and 36? How does the poet describe the aftermath of the battle?

3. What is implied of “the journey” of life in Section 44?

4. What reaction does the poet have to his circumstances in the opening of Section 38?

5. How is the motif of the journey described in Section 46 of the poem?

6. To what are flames compared in Section 28? Why?

7. What have the “sentries” done, according to the narrator in Section 28?

8. What conclusions does the poet reach in Section 31?

9. With what characters does the narrator relate in Section 37?

10. What sense and expression is discussed in the opening of Section 25?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the sexual and sensual qualities of the poem “Song of Myself.” Where was the poem and the collection Leaves of Grass banned for its explicit depiction of human sexuality? When were these bans lifted? How did Whitman respond to his work being banned?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the issues of slavery and race relations in 1855 when the poem was first published. What were Walt Whitman’s political views regarding slavery and the dissention between the North and South at this time? What elements of racial relations have been seen in “Song of Myself”?

Essay Topic 3

Define the following literary terms: rhyme, meter, and form. Using an excerpt from the poem, identify the lines and stanzas as well as analyzing its rhyme and meter (or lack thereof). How does this poem compare to traditional, lyrical poetry? Why do you think Walt Whitman chose to write in this style?

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