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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. In line 17, what kind of a person is described by the word "haughtiness"?
(a) Sneaky and dishonest.
(b) Arrogant and proud.
(c) Mean-spirited and petty.
(d) Strange and eccentric.

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

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

4. Which technique is frequently used at the beginnings of stanzas?
(a) Onomatopoeia.
(b) Rhetorical question.
(c) Internal rhyme.
(d) Cacophony.

5. What technique does the first line of the poem, "You may write me down in history," introduce?
(a) Catalog.
(b) Verbal irony.
(c) Allegory.
(d) Apostrophe.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. Where does the speaker say she obtained her gifts?

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

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

5. What is the primary quality that the speaker's stanza eight description of a body of water is intended to convey?

(see the answer key)

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