The Ballad of John Henry

Read these lines from the selection.

"But Captain, just you stand aside------

It's nothing but my hammer catching wind, Lord, Lord,

It's nothing but my hammer catching wind."

Why does the speaker use the metaphor of John Henry's hammer "catching wind?"

• to call to mind a cooling breeze

• to give the reader a mental image of the hammer

• to suggest the pace of John Henry's hammer

• to help the reader imagine the coolness of the metal hammer

Which stanza best illustrates the idea that beating the steel drill has always been John Henry's destiny?

• stanza 1

• stanza 2

• stanza 3

• stanza 4

Read this stanza from the selection.

"John Henry said to his shaker,

'Shaker boy, you better start to pray,

'Cause if my twelve-pound hammer miss that little piece of steel,

Tomorrow'll be your burying day, Lord, Lord,

Tomorrow'll be your burying day."

Based on the stanza, what does the word "shaker" mean?

• a container used for holding loose items

• a person whose job is to hold a tool

• a machine that drives steel nails

• a person who is shivering uncontrollably

What is an important theme of the selection?

• People should not try to do work that can be done by machines.

• The human spirit is stronger than any machine.

• Inner strength is more important than outer strength.

• Remarkable people are unaware of the qualities that make them great.

John Henry twice mentions a connection between his hammer and his death before he competes against the steam drill. What effect does this have on the reader?

• It confuses the reader, because the reader does not know whether John Henry's word is trustworthy or not.

• It lessens the suspense for the reader by revealing that John Henry chooses to die.

• It annoys the reader, because the reader thinks John Henry should have been able to avoid his death.

• It gives the reader an anxious feeling by making John Henry's downfall seem fated from the beginning.

What does the phrase "mighty high and fine" imply in the lines below?

"The man that invented the steam drill,

He figured he was mighty high and fine,

But John Henry sunk the steel down fourteen feet."

• The inventor of the steam drill thinks his own skills are superior.

• John Henry admires the strength of the person who invented the steam drill.

• The inventor of the steam drill thinks of himself as handsome.

• John Henry believes the person who invited the steam drill is too sensitive.