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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 7 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What technique is used in the phrase "unstoried, artless, unenhanced" (line 15)?
2. The repetition of the word "deed" in line 13 is an example of which technique?
3. Which term most accurately describes the meter of "The Gift Outright"?
4. In line 15, what is the speaker calling "unstoried, artless, unenhanced"?
5. What techniques are used in the lines "She was ours/ In Massachusetts, in Virginia" (lines 3-4)?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does the speaker mean by "the land vaguely realizing westward" (line 14)?
2. To whom is it implied the pronouns "our" and "we" refer in this poem?
3. Explain the poem's title.
4. What does the speaker claim makes the colonists "weak," and what is the solution to this weakness (line 8)?
5. Explain the synecdoche in line 4, "In Massachusetts, in Virginia."
6. What is implied by the diction the speaker uses to describe the lands yet to be conquered by American settlers: "unstoried, artless, unenhanced" (line 15)?
7. Describe the form of "The Gift Outright."
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
What spiritual claims does "The Gift Outright" make about the foundation and expansion of the American nation? How does diction like "surrender" and "salvation" advance its spiritual claim? What hidden premises are introduced into Frost's argument by the implied spiritual claims being made in this poem? If these hidden premises are disputed, does this weaken the overall effect of the argument being made in "The Gift Outright"? Write an essay that analyzes the poem's spiritual claims and considers how these claims impact the poem's overall argument. Support your assertions with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem; cite all borrowed language in MLA format.
Essay Topic 2
What were Frost's views on America and its history? Does biographical information about his beliefs tend to support or undermine the conclusion that he understood the cost of nation-building and found it an acceptable price to pay to create the United States? Do some research into Frost's background, intellectual history, and political beliefs. Then, write an essay in which you use this research to shed light on the meaning of "The Gift Outright." Support your assertions with evidence drawn from your research and from Frost's poem; cite all sources in MLA format.
Essay Topic 3
What does diction with legal connotations add to "The Gift Outright"? How does diction with religious or sexual overtones add layers of meaning to the poem? How do these three types of diction interact with one another? What else do you observe about this poem's diction: is it formal or informal, abstract or concrete? How does the general diction of the poem create a framework for understanding the legal, sexual, and religious diction? How does the general diction itself help to create meaning? Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about diction in "The Gift Outright." Support your assertions with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem; cite all borrowed language in MLA format.
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This section contains 786 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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