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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. As people walk down the street, their ________ convey more than their words ever could, according to Whitman.

2. For how many years in Manhattan has Whitman watched the parades of soldiers through the city?

3. Who is in the curious trio with Whitman? This trio includes his _________ and his body, and himself.

4. Even those, Whitman says, that know unrequited ________ can sleep, as do prisoners.

5. Whitman asks in his poems who may have learned the ______________ of the lessons that he has to teach.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the poem "Passage to India" have to share about this country and about its progress in the world?

2. To what are the tides of the ocean compared to in life, according to the poems of Whitman?

3. Why is it sad when one of the birds in a couple dies and the other one does not know it?

4. Why does the young man ring the ocean bell when he is steering the boat during the treacherous weather?

5. What does Whitman point out happens no matter how many advancements science has made?

6. What does a muse beckon Whitman to do in the beginning of these poems in this section?

7. To whom does Whitman appear to give his spirit to, though this person is never mentioned by name in a poem?

8. What is the lesson of the ebb of the ocean, according to the poem of Whitman?

9. What does Whitman ask the soul to do in the poems about addressing the idea of mortality?

10. How is the plowman used in reference and as a metaphor for death in Whitman's poem?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Whitman talks about how his body is affected with it is in the presence of another person, which is understandable and relate-able.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman expresses the idea that his body is affected by others?

Part 2: Can someone's body is affected without having anyone else around?

Part 3: Do you think that you are more or less affected on a body level when someone else is present?

Essay Topic 2

Whitman's writing seems to be filled with wonder and awe at the world and all of its inhabitants.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman is so in awe of the world?

Part 2: How do you feel about the world and about the creatures within it?

Part 3: Do you think that you can cultivate awe and wonder in the world? Or is it inherent?

Essay Topic 3

People are not always what they seem, according to Whitman, and few would disagree.

Part 1: Why do you think Whitman wanted to be clear that no one is what they seem?

Part 2: Do you think you would tell a lover or friend that you are not what you appear?

Part 3: How would you react if someone told you that not all is what it seems to be?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 686 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample