Analysis of Poems: 'Closer to Home' and 'O Captain! My Captain!'

What is the main idea of “Closer to Home” and “O Captain My Captain” and how are they different?

• Both talk about leadership but show victory and loss differently.

• Both talk about nature but show seasons differently.

• Both talk about friendship but show loyalty differently.

• Both talk about war but show peace differently.

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CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

How does the tone of "Closer to Home" compare to the tone of "O Captain! My Captain!"? What emotions does each evoke?

• "Closer to Home" is joyful, while "O Captain! My Captain!" is sorrowful.

• "Closer to Home" is sorrowful, while "O Captain! My Captain!" is joyful.

• Both have a joyful tone.

• Both have a sorrowful tone.

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CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

What does the "home" symbolize in "Closer to Home," and how does it compare to the symbolism in "O Captain! My Captain!"?

• "Home" symbolizes peace in "Closer to Home," while it symbolizes victory in "O Captain! My Captain!".

• "Home" symbolizes victory in "Closer to Home," while it symbolizes peace in "O Captain! My Captain!".

• "Home" symbolizes loss in both poems.

• "Home" symbolizes leadership in both poems.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

How does repetition convey the speaker’s emotions in both?

• Repetition emphasizes the speaker's joy.

• Repetition emphasizes the speaker's sorrow.

• Repetition emphasizes the speaker's confusion.

• Repetition emphasizes the speaker's anger.

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CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

How does the sense of leadership differ in "Closer to Home" and "O Captain! My Captain!"? What role does leadership play in each?

• Leadership is portrayed as a burden in "Closer to Home" and as a triumph in "O Captain! My Captain!".

• Leadership is portrayed as a triumph in "Closer to Home" and as a burden in "O Captain! My Captain!".

• Leadership is not a theme in either poem.

• Leadership is portrayed as a burden in both poems.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

How do the journeys in "Closer to Home" and "O Captain! My Captain!" reflect victory and loss?

• Both journeys reflect only the theme of victory.

• Both journeys reflect only the theme of loss.

• "Closer to Home" reflects victory, while "O Captain! My Captain!" reflects loss.

• "Closer to Home" reflects loss, while "O Captain! My Captain!" reflects victory.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

"O Captain! My Captain!" was written just after the end of the Civil War.  The speaker's description of a captain who dies most likely refers to

• Walt Whitman
• Abraham Lincoln
• Jefferson Davis
• Robert E. Lee

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CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

What literary devices are used most in "Closer to Home" and "O Captain! My Captain!" to convey their themes?

• Alliteration and onomatopoeia

• Repetition and imagery

• Irony and hyperbole

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7