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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. Why is the speaker's past "rooted in pain" (line 32)?
(a) Because of bigotry and discrimination.
(b) Because of the death of a loved one.
(c) Because no one appreciates her value.
(d) Because she has been abandoned by someone she loves.

2. Which is the best definition of "beset" in line 6?
(a) Troubled.
(b) Cradled.
(c) Decorated.
(d) Inspired.

3. In the fourth stanza, what kind of person does the speaker ask if "you" want her to be?
(a) Angry and afraid.
(b) Sad and meek.
(c) Distant and uninvolved.
(d) Tired and distracted.

4. Who is the author of "Still I Rise"?
(a) Nikki Giovanni.
(b) Toni Morrison.
(c) Alice Walker.
(d) Maya Angelou.

5. What techniques are used in line 19, "’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines"?
(a) Onomatopoeia and alliteration.
(b) Assonance and sibilance.
(c) Sibilance and onomatopoeia.
(d) Alliteration and assonance.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which technique is frequently used at the beginnings of stanzas?

2. What kind of "certainty" does the speaker claim to have in line 10?

3. How does the speaker characterize herself in line 4?

4. Which is the first stanza of the poem that is longer than four lines?

5. What words create a refrain in the final two stanzas of the poem?

(see the answer key)

This section contains 225 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample