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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. What is subtly appropriate about the meter in lines 25 and 26, "Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang / As if her song could have no ending"?

2. What is the stanzaic form of "The Solitary Reaper"?

3. In line 4, "Stop here, or gently pass!" what is the grammatical mood of the words "stop" and "pass"?

4. What technique is employed in lines 7 and 8, "O listen! for the Vale profound / Is overflowing with the sound"?

5. What technique is evident in the line "Breaking the silence of the seas" (line 15)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the rhyme scheme of "The Solitary Reaper."

2. To which two birds does the speaker compare the reaper, and what area of the world does the speaker associate with each?

3. Describe the tense shift in "The Solitary Reaper" and explain what it reveals about the poem's narrative present.

4. Summarize the action of "The Solitary Reaper."

5. Explain how the mention of "spring-time" in line 14's description of the cuckoo enhances the contrast between this image and the image of the nightingale.

6. In what way do the places associated with the two birds create a dramatic contrast with one another?

7. Describe the meter of "The Solitary Reaper."

8. What are the names of the two forms of poetry that are combined in this poem, and how are they combined?

9. What question does the speaker ask in the third stanza, and what two contrasting answers does he speculate about?

10. How does the speaker's line 26 description of the reaper singing "As if her song could have no ending" reinforce the meaning of the poem's ending?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the significance of the poem's setting. Defend your ideas with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you respond analytically to the following question: why is the reaper's song so sad? Be sure to support your claims with textual evidence.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you evaluate how characteristic the language of "The Solitary Reaper" is as an example of Wordsworth's style. Research the elements of style considered typical of Wordsworth's writing and use evidence from this research as well as quoted evidence from the poem itself to support your ideas. Cite all sources in MLA format.

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