WorksheetsQuiz: My Friend Walt Whitman by Mary Oliver
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 9mins
Q1: Which structure does the author use to organize the essay?
A compare-and-contrast structure, in which she shows how her writing and Whitman's poetry differ
A chronological structure, in which she describes how she came to appreciate Whitman's poetry
A problem-and-solution structure, in which she explains how reading Whitman's poetry helped her
A sequential structure, in which she outlines the steps she took to learn how to read Whitman's poetry
Q2: How does paragraph 3 of the selection contribute to the structure of the essay?
It shows how the author's connection to Whitman's poetry grew stronger.
It helps explain the author's decision to write her own poetry in high school.
It establishes the reasons for the author's choice to skip school to read poetry.
It suggests how the author's reaction to her uncle's death led her to Whitman's poetry.
Q3: Read the following sentence from paragraph 3 of the selection: The boy from Romania moved away; Whitman shone on in the twilight of my room, which was growing busy with books, and notebooks, and muddy boots, and my grandfather's old Underwood typewriter. What can the reader infer about the author from this sentence?
After her neighbor left, the author began reading Whitman's poetry to help her deal with the loss of a friendship.
The author often would read Whitman's poetry as a way to not deal with completing her schoolwork.
The author found that she could escape from her current situation at home by reading Whitman's poetry.
As the author grew up, she read Whitman's poetry to learn how to write her own poetry.
Q4: Read the following dictionary entry. palpable \păl'pә-bәl\ adj 1. evident 2. intense, as of a feeling 3. perceived by the senses 4. capable of being touched Which definition most closely matches the meaning of palpable as used in the poem quoted at the end of paragraph 4?
Definition 1
Definition 2
Definition 3
Definition 4
Q 5: Read the sentence from paragraph 5:
In those years, truth was elusive—as was my own faith that I could recognize and
contain it. Which two statements show how the author’s choice of language in this quotation helps to shape the reader’s perception?
By describing the idea of truth as unclear, the author indicates the challenge of finding it.
By stating that truth was always present, the author shows how she found it difficult to trust herself.
By noting how truth was readily available, the author expresses how poetry helped her gain acceptance.
By observing that truth was intangible, the author reveals her thoughtfulness in learning to perceive it.
By implying that truth was sneaky, the author communicates her need to always be on guard.
Q6: Read the phrase from paragraph 5: Whitman kept me from the swamps of a worse uncertainty The author most likely uses a metaphor in this phrase to -
describe how lonely she was after the death of her uncle
emphasize how directionless she felt during high school
illustrate how sad her parents were when she skipped school
show how reading poetry taught her to express her feelings
Q 7: Read the sentence from paragraph 5. The oracular tenderness with which he viewed the world-its roughness, its differences, the stars, the spider-nothing was outside the range of his interest. Which phrase best describes the purpose for which the author uses informal language in this sentence?
To add emphasis to particular reasons why she likes Whitman's poetry
To keep minimal attention on particular traits found in Whitman's poetry
To connect ideas that she believes are related to each other in Whitman's poetry
To create a list that combines the themes found in much of Whitman's poetry
Q 9: To explain her growing appreciation for Whitman's poetry, the author -
illustrates how her past poetry borrowed from Whitman's themes
gives a brief history of how Whitman's life is reflected in his poetry
describes the similarities found throughout much of Whitman's poetry
states reasons why Whitman's poetry style resonated with her at the time
Q 10. The author includes quotes from Whitman's poetry to -
show how specific aspects of Whitman's poetry describe her own feelings
illustrate how Whitman's poetry still resonates throughout her own writings
demonstrate that Whitman's poetry should be required reading for all students
suggest that Whitman's poetry continues to be timeless in its meaning
Q 12. According to the author, how did Whitman's poetry help her when she was growing up?
His poems gave her a release from her solitary and lonely life.
Through his poems, Whitman first became a friend and later served as a teacher.
His poems made her feel safe in a world that felt very dangerous.
Through the characters in his poems, Whitman gave her the family she never had.
Q 13. Which two quotations from the selection best support the answer to Part A?
I never met any of my friends, of course, in a usual way-they were strangers, and lived only in their writings. (paragraph 2)
[My] response was to start out for school every morning but to turn most mornings into the woods instead, with a knapsack of books. Always Whitman's was among them. (paragraph 4)
Thus Whitman's poems stood before me like a model of delivery when I began to write poems myself. (paragraph 5)
And his faith-that kept my spirit buoyant surely, though his faith was without a name that I ever heard of. (paragraph 5)
But first and foremost, I learned from Whitman that the poem is a temple-or a green field-a place to enter, and in which to feel. (paragraph 6)
Q8: Read the following quote from paragraph 6: "But first and foremost, I learned from Whitman that the poem is a temple-or a green field-a place to enter, and in which to feel. Only in a secondary way is it an intellectual thing . . . ." How does this idea relate to the author's understanding of not only Whitman's poetry, but all poetry?
