CAPE Lits in English (Multiple Choice

Activity) Poetry Edition

Instructions: Read the poem below and answer items 1-15 on the basis of what is stated and
implied.

The Castaways

The vivid grass with visible delight

Springing triumphant from the pregnant earth,
The butterflies, and sparrows in brief flight
Dancing and chirping for the season’s birth,
5 The dandelions and rare daffodils
That touch the deep-stirred heart with hands of gold,
The thrushes sending forth their joyous trills,-
Not these, not these did I at first behold!
But seated on the benches daubed with green,
10 The castaways of life, a few asleep,
Some withered women desolate and mean,
And over all, life's shadows dark and deep.
Moaning I turned away, for misery
I have the strength to bear but not to see.

Claude McKay

NOTE: This poem is in the public domain.

1. The purpose of lines 1-7 is to

a. give examples of the flowers that the poet knows.
b. showcase the splendor of the natural environment.
c. challenge the reader to visualize what is being described.
d. provide details of scenes the poet would have preferred to see.

2. The word "thrushes" (line 7) MOST likely means

a. birds
b. singers
c. musicians
d. musical instruments

3. All of the following lines use personification EXCEPT

a. “vivid grass with visible delight” (line 1)
b. “pregnant earth” (line 2)
c. “that touched the deep-stirred heart with hands of gold” (line 6)
d. “But seated on the benches daubed with green” (line 9)

4. The poet repeats the phrase “not these” in line 8 of the poem to
a. draw the readers’ attention to these words.
b. emphasize his disappointment at not seeing these wonders of nature.
c. communicate his disgust at being prohibited from seeing these things.
d. pretend that he had not seen any of these sights.

5. The word ‘desolate (line 11) means

a. hungry
b. lonely
c. forsaken
d. annoyed

6. The phrase ‘life’s shadow’ (line 12) is an example of

a. personification
 b. metaphor
c. contrast
d. alliteration

7. In which line of the poem is a contrast first introduced?

a. “Springing triumphant from the pregnant earth” (line 2)
b. “Not these, not these did I at first behold!” (line 8)
c. “But seated on the benches daubed with green” (line 9)
d. “Moaning I turned away, for misery…” (line 13)

8. Which types of imagery are most prominent in the poem?

a. Auditory and olfactory
b. Visual and tactile
c. Auditory and visual
d. Olfactory and tactile

9. The women are described as the ‘castaways of life’ because

a. They are stranded on an island and feel overwhelmed by despair.
b. They are lost far from home and nobody wants to offer them any
transportation.
c. They have been ostracized by society because of their unforgivable actions.
d. They have been marginalized by society and nobody cares about their
well-being.

10. The overall theme that the poem explores is

a. the magnificence of nature.
b. the impact of birds on humans.
c. the abandonment of the less fortunate.
d. the effects of physical abuse on women.

11. The expression ‘and over all life’s shadow dark and deep’ (line 12) is used to
a. indicate that darkness has overshadowed the women’s location.
b. suggest that the women are filled with fear by what is in the shadows.
c. show how scary the challenges of life have been to these women.
d. symbolize that life has been quite difficult and hopeless for these women.

12. The description of the women in lines 10-12 is meant to

a. show that life has had a devastating effect on these women.
b. criticize the women for neglecting their physical appearance.
c. highlight that these women are very old and miserable.
d. show how heartless the poet is for turning away.

13. The last two lines of the poem reveal that

a. the poet scorns the state of the women.
b. the poet is a coward who does not want to be confronted by reality.
c. the poet is unable to deal with the emotional trauma of what he sees.
d. the poet loses physically weak whenever he sees misery.

14. What is the form of the poem?

a. Elegy
b. Sonnet
c. Dramatic monologue
d. Narrative

15. What the poet’s overall tone in lines 8-14?

a. Disgusted
b. Indifferent
c. Fascinated
d. Despairing