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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. What precious stones does the speaker use to evoke beauty and value in the simile in line 27?
(a) Emeralds.
(b) Sapphires.
(c) Diamonds.
(d) Rubies.

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

3. Which is the best definition for "trod" in the context of line 3?
(a) The sound of footsteps.
(b) Drag along the floor or earth.
(c) Press down with the foot.
(d) Throw or hurl downward.

4. What body of water does the speaker claim to be in the eighth stanza?
(a) A stream.
(b) A lake.
(c) An ocean.
(d) A river.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the rhyme scheme of the first seven stanzas?

2. Which two things does the final stanza use to represent the past and present?

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

4. What technique is used in line 21, "You may shoot me with your words"?

5. What techniques are used in line 19, "’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines"?

(see the answer key)

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