Casey at the Bat - Comprehension Questions

What is the crowd in Mudville watching?

• a TV show

• a play

• a movie

• a game

What is the climax of this poem?

• when Jimmy and Flynn get to second and third base (lines 13-16)

• when Casey stepped up to bat (lines 21-24)

• when Casey lets the first ball pass without swinging at it (lines 29-32)

• when Casey is taking a swing at the third ball (lines 45-48)

The people watching the baseball game felt that Casey could help the Mudville team win the game. Which lines from the poem best support this conclusion?

• lines 1-4

• lines 5-8

• lines 13-16

• lines 29-32

How does Casey probably feel when he first steps up to bat?

• confident

• shy

• sleepy

• worried

What is the main idea of this poem?

• The people of Mudville think that Casey will lose the baseball game for his team, and Casey does lose the game.

• The people of Mudville think that Casey will lose the baseball game for his team, but Casey wins the game instead.

• The people of Mudville are sure that Casey will win the baseball game for his team, and Casey does win the game.

• The people of Mudville are sure that Casey will win the baseball game for his team, but Casey loses the game instead.

In the first half of the poem, the poet uses many similar phrases like "Casey at the bat" (line 8, line 24), "Casey getting to the bat" (line 12), and "Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat" (line 20). Why might the poet have used such similar phrases over and over?

• to show the reader that Casey is a very good baseball player

• to suggest that the people watching the game do not want Casey to bat

• to hint that Casey often bats during baseball games

• to make the reader get excited about Casey coming to bat

In the second of these stanzas, the poet uses verbs in a different tense from all of the previous stanzas. How does the verb tense change between the previous stanzas and this second stanza?

• The previous stanzas were in past tense, and this stanza is in present tense.

• The previous stanzas were in present tense, and this stanza is in past tense.

• The previous stanzas were in future tense, and this stanza is in present tense.

• The previous stanzas were in present tense, and this stanza is in future tense.

Why is there no joy in Mudville at the very end of the poem?

• Because the game was canceled.

• Because Casey struck out.

• Because it started raining.

• Because the team won.

Describe how the people watching the game feel when Casey is at the bat. Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

• The crowd is excited and hopeful.

• The crowd is indifferent and bored.

• The crowd is angry and disappointed.

• The crowd is confused and uncertain.

How does this poem create a feeling of suspense? Use evidence from the poem to support your answer.

• By using vivid imagery and foreshadowing

• By describing a peaceful and calm setting

• By focusing on a character's internal thoughts

• By providing a clear and predictable outcome