Which description best fits Death in “Because I could not stop for Death—”? A. a courteous friend

1. One similarity between “Because I could not stop for Death—” and “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” is that the speakers • A. are both dead • B. have lost their sight • C. think death is violent • D. are surrounded by family • A

2. Which description best fits Death in “Because I could not stop for Death—”? • A. a courteous friend • B. a talkative tour guide • C. a brooding master • D. an elderly relative • A

3. The description in lines 5–8 of “Because I could not stop for Death—” suggests a view of death as • A. tiring • B. exciting • C. tragic • D. peaceful • D

4. The speakers in “Because I could not stop for Death—” and “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” are both • A. taking a journey with Death • B. recalling their own deaths • C. waiting for God to come • D. watching events from their lives • B

5. Reread lines 9–12 of “Because I could not stop for Death—.” The images in these lines most likely represent the • A. progression of life from childhood to death • B. complexity of small children’s games • C. amount of sunlight a crop needs to grow • D. speaker’s affection for the countryside • A

6. The speaker expresses the differences of Americans in “I Hear America Singing” by describing • A. types of workers • B. cultural traditions • C. positions in society • D. work tools • A

7. One common element in these poems is the poet’s attention to the details of • A. democracy • B. everyday life • C. civil war • D. young people • B

8. One message of “Beat! Beat! Drums!” is the • A. need for sacrifice in wartime • B. opportunity for heroic deeds • C. value of finding truth • D. importance of equality • A

9. In “Beat! Beat! Drums!” the speaker tells the drums and bugles to be louder to drown out the • A. mother’s entreaties • B. father’s warnings • C. cries of the dead • D. sounds of joy • A

10. In “I Hear America Singing,” Whitman celebrates the individual qualities of the workers by • A. making some stand and some sit • B. assigning different rewards to each • C. ascribing to each his or her own song • D. bringing them together at day’s end • C

11. Whitman achieves rhythm in lines 25–30 of “Song of Myself” by • A. describing the grass as “curling” • B. cataloging who the speaker loved • C. repeating “It may be” in some lines • D. using “I” and “you” in rhymes • C

12. The speaker most clearly uses an affectionate tone toward women in “I Hear America Singing” when he or she • A. describes a working wife as young • B. says that a mother’s singing is delicious • C. mentions a girl sewing or washing • D. states that their songs are the most beautiful • B

13. In “Song of Myself,” the speaker says that the grass is an equalizer of people because it • A. needs many caretakers for it to flourish • B. forces people to live together harmoniously • C. brings children and parents together • D. receives all groups of people the same • D

14. In “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” what does the spider do that makes it seem more like a human? • A. searches for a connection to a tree • B. finds the perfect place to spin a web • C. worries about falling off the high ridge • D. decides how to explore its surroundings • D

15. In “Song of Myself,” the speaker explains the belief that life and death are • A. continuous and mutually nourishing • B. experienced by birds and humans • C. natural occurrences in the world • D. quickly imposed upon people • A

16. What is the speaker most proud of in part 52of “Song of Myself ”? • A. white locks in the warmth of the sun • B. patience when waiting for the reader • C. ability to see the beauty in nature • D. untamed and untranslatable nature • D

17. What is the function of the sound of the drums and bugles in the third stanza of “Beat! Beat! Drums!”? • A. Mothers use the sound to keep children safe. • B. The sound drowns out any argument against war. • C. It tells the dead that it is time to be buried. • D. The sound alerts listeners that it is time to pray. • B

18. “Beat! Beat! Drums!” expresses the idea that war is • A. the only way to bring peace to a country • B. the responsibility only of young, strong men • C. more important than anyone’s work or happiness • D. best left to those who have no other work to do • C

19. In these poems, what does Whitman express a belief in? • A. the importance of individuality • B. a necessity for education • C. a need to achieve enlightenment • D. the significance of familial ties • A

20. What characteristic of free verse do you find in lines 14–15 in “Song of Myself ”? • A. parallelism • B. everyday speech • C. cataloging • D. repetition • B

21. In part 6 of “Song of Myself,” the speaker sees the grass as • A. an equalizer of people • B. a way to count the years • C. an eternal beauty • D. a language translator • A

22. What is the tone of line 8 in “I Hear America Singing”? • A. confused • B. indifferent • C. amused • D. affectionate • D

23. In “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” the speaker is similar to the spider because he or she • A. stands on a promontory • B. wants to spin a web • C. is looking for a connection • D. is launching filament • C

24. The poet achieves rhythm in lines 38–39 of “Song of Myself ” through • A. meter • B. cataloging • C. repetition • D. traditional form • C