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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "Still I Rise," Lines 1 - 43 .

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which two things does the final stanza use to represent the past and present?
(a) Night and daybreak.
(b) Gathering clouds and rain.
(c) A seed and a sprout.
(d) The directions east and west.

2. Where does the speaker say she obtained her gifts?
(a) From her ancestors.
(b) From well-chosen friends.
(c) From the passage of time.
(d) From effort and hard work.

3. What kind of "certainty" does the speaker claim to have in line 10?
(a) The "certainty of tides."
(b) The "certainty of air."
(c) The "certainty of springtime."
(d) The "certainty of history."

4. What words create a refrain in the final two stanzas of the poem?
(a) "Still I rise."
(b) "I rise and rise."
(c) "Again I rise."
(d) "I rise."

5. Which is the most logical description of who "You" is in line 1?
(a) People of the past.
(b) Scholars and critics.
(c) An unnamed oppressor.
(d) A romantic partner.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the final quatrain, what does the speaker wonder about upsetting "you" with?

2. Which is the best definition for "trod" in the context of line 3?

3. Who is the author of "Still I Rise"?

4. What technique is used in lines 7 and 8, "’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells/ Pumping in my living room"?

5. Which technique is used in line 9, "Just like moons and like suns"?

(see the answer key)

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