Question 1 (3 points)

Question

Use the passage below to answer questions 1-4

“Old Ironsides” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

1. Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;--
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.



Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;--
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!



Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!

1. Which of the following images does not support the idea that this ship is a symbol of America’s strength?

Question 1 options:

"Her thunders shook the mighty deep"

"knelt the vanquished foe"

"The meteor of ocean air"

"Nail to the mast her holy flag"

Question 2 (3 points)
Based on the context of the poem, which of the following best defines the word vanquished? (stanza 2)

Question 2 options:

determined

lonesome

victorious

defeated

Question 3 (3 points)
“When winds were hurrying o’er the flood” is an example of which type of figurative language?

Question 3 options:

Metaphor

Personification

Simile

Hyperbole

Question 4 (3 points)
Read the final stanza again. What message is Holmes giving about “Old Ironsides” in this part of the poem?

Question 4 options:

The ship deserves to end its days at sea in a battle or on a mission, for it has earned a heroic end.

The ship has a proud history, even though it was destroyed in battle.

The ship needs to be repaired and renovated before it can take to the sea again.

The ship is old and ragged, and it is time destroy it and use it for firewood.

Question 5 (3 points)
Use the passage below to answer questions 5-8.

“The Village Blacksmith” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.


His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.


Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.


And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.


He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.


It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.


Toiling,--rejoicing,--sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.


Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.
22. “And the muscles of his brawny arms… Are strong as iron bands” is an example of which type of figurative language?

Question 5 options:

Simile

Personification

Metaphor

Hyperbole

Question 6 (3 points)
The blacksmith is given a variety of character traits. Which of the following character traits is not supported by evidence in the poem?

Question 6 options:

Physically strong

Mean-spirited

Hard-working

Sentimental

Question 7 (3 points)
Based on the context of the poem, which of the following best defines the word repose? (stanza 7)

Question 7 options:

wealth

hard work

sensitivity

rest

Question 8 (3 points)
Which of the following statements best paraphrases the final stanza of the poem?

Question 8 options:

The blacksmith is someone we can learn from, who shows that our fortunes are found through hard work.

The blacksmith works too much, and his life is passing him by.

It is unrealistic to think that other citizens can obtain the same fortunes as the blacksmith.

The blacksmith is strong and this makes him a bit intimidating.

Question 9 (3 points)
Which of the following best describes the style of "Old Ironsides"?

Question 9 options:

It is complex and difficult to understand

It is similar to that of many European poems

It is experimental and modern.

It is distinctive, innovative, and uniquely American

Question 10 (3 points)
What did the USS Constitution represent to Oliver Wendell Holmes and many of the poem's readers?

Question 10 options:

the weakness and timidity of the new government

the nation's history and strength

the foresight and leadership of Holmes

the tyranny and menace of England

Question 11 (3 points)
In "Old Ironsides" when Holmes refers to the ship as the "eagle of the sea" in the poem's second stanza, he is __________.

Question 11 options:

symbolically associating Old Ironsides with the strength of the United States

figuratively describing the wings painted on the hull of Old Ironsides

literally suggesting that Old Ironsides is able to fly through the air like an eagle

using hyperbole to poke fun at those who celebrate warships
Question 12 (3 points)
In the first stanza of "The Village Blacksmith," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow highlights the central figure's __________.

Question 12 options:

physical strength

sense of humor

great intelligence

unending curiosity

Question 13 (3 points)
The description of the blacksmith wiping the tears from his eyes after thinking about his late wife shows that he may be physically strong, but he is __________.

Question 13 options:

bitter and disillusioned

fundamentally flawed

sensitive and caring

discouraged by the actions of the government

Question 14 (3 points)
As a figure in America's national mythology, the blacksmith and the village in this poem represent __________. Choose the BEST answer.

Question 14 options:

the vast American landscape and the sense of possibility that characterizes America

The lack of growth of the country from a nation of towns to a nation of cities

the strong military history of the United States and the country's love of liberty

many core American values and the typical early nineteenth-century American community
Question 15 (3 points)
For what does Longfellow thank the blacksmith in the poem's final stanza?

Question 15 options:

Longfellow thanks the blacksmith for being so pious and attending church regularly.

Longfellow thanks the blacksmith for living an exemplary life.

Longfellow thanks the blacksmith for being so courageous and serving his country.


Longfellow thanks the blacksmith for raising his children well.

Answer 1

Here are the answers to the questions based on the passages provided:

Question 1: Which of the following images does not support the idea that this ship is a symbol of America’s strength?

• Answer: "The harpies of the shore shall pluck"

Question 2: Based on the context of the poem, which of the following best defines the word vanquished?

• Answer: defeated

Question 3: “When winds were hurrying o’er the flood” is an example of which type of figurative language?

• Answer: Personification

Question 4: Read the final stanza again. What message is Holmes giving about “Old Ironsides” in this part of the poem?

• Answer: The ship deserves to end its days at sea in a battle or on a mission, for it has earned a heroic end.

Question 5: “And the muscles of his brawny arms… Are strong as iron bands” is an example of which type of figurative language?

• Answer: Simile

Question 6: The blacksmith is given a variety of character traits. Which of the following character traits is not supported by evidence in the poem?

• Answer: Mean-spirited

Question 7: Based on the context of the poem, which of the following best defines the word repose?

• Answer: rest

Question 8: Which of the following statements best paraphrases the final stanza of the poem?

• Answer: The blacksmith is someone we can learn from, who shows that our fortunes are found through hard work.

Question 9: Which of the following best describes the style of "Old Ironsides"?

• Answer: It is distinctive, innovative, and uniquely American

Question 10: What did the USS Constitution represent to Oliver Wendell Holmes and many of the poem's readers?

• Answer: the nation's history and strength

Question 11: In "Old Ironsides" when Holmes refers to the ship as the "eagle of the sea" in the poem's second stanza, he is __________.

• Answer: symbolically associating Old Ironsides with the strength of the United States

Question 12: In the first stanza of "The Village Blacksmith," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow highlights the central figure's __________.

• Answer: physical strength

Question 13: The description of the blacksmith wiping the tears from his eyes after thinking about his late wife shows that he may be physically strong, but he is __________.

• Answer: sensitive and caring

Question 14: As a figure in America's national mythology, the blacksmith and the village in this poem represent __________. Choose the BEST answer.

• Answer: many core American values and the typical early nineteenth-century American community

Question 15: For what does Longfellow thank the blacksmith in the poem's final stanza?

• Answer: Longfellow thanks the blacksmith for living an exemplary life.

Feel free to ask if you need further clarification or assistance!