Read the quotation from "Song of Myself."You will hardly know who I am or what I mean, But I shall be good health to you nevertheless, And filter and fibre your blood.Why does Whitman use such a simple phrase as “who I am or what I mean”?
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself."I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. Which statement best explains why Whitman chose the phrase “every atom” for the last line?
Read the excerpt from "The Weary Blues."He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues!Swaying to and fro on his rickety stoolHe played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. Sweet Blues!Coming from a black man's soul. O Blues! In a deep song voice with a melancholy toneI heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan— "Ain't got nobody in all this world, Ain't got nobody but ma self.I’s gwine to quit ma frownin' And put ma troubles on the shelf."What is the effect of repeating the phrase “piano moan” in the poem?
How do the images of travel in part 46 of "Song of Myself" contribute to the poem’s theme?
The speaker’s tone in "Harlem" is best described as
Which statement best describes the way the sections in the excerpt from "Song of Myself" are constructed?
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself."It is not far, it is within reach,Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.Shoulder your duds dear son, and I will mine, and let us hasten forth,Wonderful cities and free nations we shall fetch as we go.In this quotation, the first stanza has a different style from the second section. What does this suggest about Whitman’s overall style in the poem?
What is one difference in the themes of "Harlem" and "The Weary Blues"?
Read the excerpt from "The Weary Blues."He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues!Swaying to and fro on his rickety stoolHe played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. Sweet Blues!Coming from a black man's soul. O Blues! The phrases “O Blues!” and “Sweet Blues!” are examples of
Read this line from "Harlem." Or does it explode?Read this line from "The Weary Blues."Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.What sense do both of these lines rely on?
In what way are the lines of "The Weary Blues" similar to the lyrics of a blues song?
The sections of "Song of Myself" approach one subject from several different angles. How does this technique reflect the main theme of the poem?
Which statement best describes the theme of "Song of Myself"?
Read the descriptions of rhyme schemes below.Free verse: poetry that does not use a consistent rhyme schemeIambic pentameter: a poetic rhyme scheme in which each rhyming line has ten syllablesBlank verse: poetry that uses unrhymed iambic pentameterRhyming couplets: a series of two consecutive lines that rhyme in a poemBased on the descriptions, what rhyme scheme does the poem "Harlem" use?
What is the most likely reason the author chose a free verse structure for "Song of Myself"?
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself."I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun, I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.How do the words “eddies” and “drift” affect the tone of the second line?
Read the line from "Song of Myself."For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. What is the effect of the word “atom” in this line and later in the poem?
Which of the following statements best describes the effect of the long lines in "Song of Myself"?
Read the first stanza of "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls."THE TIDE rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveller hastens toward the town, And the tide rises, the tide falls.Which statement best describes the theme of this stanza?
How is the theme of "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" revealed in the poem?
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