Song of the Mud/Dulce et Decorum Est

Which of the following are characteristics of the mud in the poem “The Song of the Mud”? Choose three options.

• a. It covers the soldiers.

• b. It slides down a mountain.

• c. It swallows the dead without leaving a mark of their passing

• d. It clogs the machinery of war and causes it to break down.

• f. It causes nations to go to war over territory

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In “The Song of the Mud,” what is the speaker’s attitude toward war?

• a. She believes it is a necessary evil that must be endured.

• b. She thinks it is something to celebrate by singing about it.

• c. She condemns it as a wasteful slaughter of people.

• d. She supports the war effort and thinks it is a heroic opportunity.

In “Dulce et Decorum Est,” what wartime memory haunts the speaker’s dreams?

• a. the bloody feet of comrades who had lost their boots

• b. the exhausting and mindless march through sludge

• c. the sound of artillery shells exploding nearby

• d. the death of a comrade during a gas attack

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Which is the best restatement of these lines from “Dulce et Decorum Est”?

The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est

Pro patria mori. (lines 27–28)

• a. It is a lie to say that war and death are never necessary.

• b. It is a lie to say that it is sweet and glorious to die for your country.

• c. It is a lie to say that death always finds the innocent in war.

• d. It is a lie to say that fighting for one’s country cannot be honorable.

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Which of the following would most likely be described as an impertinent person in a soldier’s life?

• a. an angry commanding officer

• b. an inexperienced fellow soldier

• c. a disrespectful soldier lower in rank

• d. an enemy soldier caught running away

In which of the following circumstances would something found on a battlefield most likely be described as putrid?

• a. if it was badly wounded

• b. if it was rotting and decayed

• c. if it was left behind by the enemy

• d. if it was a nonfunctioning piece of equipment

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In “The Song of the Mud,” why does the speaker call mud “the disguise of the war zone” (line 50)?

• a. The mud makes it hard to move the heavy guns.

• b. The mud makes fighting difficult for the soldiers

• c. The mud covers over the death and destruction of war.

• d. The mud coats the soldiers so they can hide from the enemy.

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If a situation can correctly be described as vile, which of the following must be true?

• a. It would make you feel disgusted.

• b. It would lead you to seek out similar situations.

• c. It would be a moment you would forever cherish.

• d. It would involve a relationship that would confuse you.

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“In “The Song of the Mud,” what is the most significant aspect of war represented by the mud?

• a. the physical discomfort of war

• b. the brutal cruelty of people during war

• c. the power of war to strip individuals of value

• d. nature’s reaction to and protest against war

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“Dulce et Decorum Est” can be divided into two halves. How does the first half (lines 1–14) differ most clearly from the second half (lines 15–28)?

• a. In the first half, the speaker claims that soldiers stay on the front lines for too long; in the second half, he urges more men to join the army to support their brothers in arms.

• b. In the first half, the speaker describes a gas attack; in the second half, the speaker uses the event to try to convince readers that war should not be glorified.

• c. In the first half, the speaker condemns war as brutal and unnecessary; in the second half, the speaker tells why it is considered honorable by so many.

• d. In the first half, the speaker tells what is horrible about war; in the second half, the speaker tells why the soldiers must be brave to endure it

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