Name: Answer Key
.
Unit Test: Poetry
English 3202
Ms. Effie Parsons
Time: 60 minutes
This exam consists of selected response questions (multiple choice, true / false, matching,
completion) and constructed response questions (short answer / essay). Please carefully
read the two poems: “Because I could not stop for Death” and “Do not go gentle into that
good night” (last page of test) and answer the following questions.
Part 1: Selected Response

Multiple Choice (1 point each): Please circle the correct answer.
1. In the poem, “Because I could not stop for Death”, the lines, “For only Gossamer,
my Gown / My Tippet – only Tulle” is an example of what literary device?
a) Allegory
b) Alliteration
c) Analogy
d) Assonance
2. In the poem, “Do Not go Gentle into the Night”, the line “Grave men, near death,
who see with blinding sight” is an example of what literary device?
a) Contradiction
b) Oxymoron
c) Paradox
d) Parallelism
3. In the poem” Do Not go Gentle into the Night”, what is the poet referring to the
line “A Swelling of the Ground” ?
a) A Hill
b) Abandoned House
c) Family Home
d) Her Grave

True / False (1 point each): Please circle the correct answer.
1. In both poems, the “sun” is a symbol of death: True / False
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2. In Do not go gentle into that good night”, the line “Blind eyes could blaze like
meteors and be gay” is an example is simile: True / False
3. The lines “We passed the Setting Sun – / Or rather – He passed us” in “Because I
could not stop death” is an example of personification: True / False

Completion (1 mark for each blank space): Please complete the sentences
below by writing the correct answer in the blank spaces.
1. “Because I Could not stop for death” if written from a first
perspective.
person
2. “Do not go gentle into that Good night” is written from both a first
second
person perspective
and
3. In “Do not go gentle into that good night”, the poet is speaking directly
to his father
.

Matching (1 mark for each correct match): Please match the definition in the
left column to the correct term in the right column. Write the correlating
answer in the space provided.
A three-line stanza : 1
A six-line stanza : 3
A four-line stanza : 5
1. Tercet
2. Octave
3. Sestet
4. Couplet
5. Quatrain
Part B: Constructed Response

Short Answer (5 points each): Please carefully read the following questions
and write your answer in the space provided. Please use evidence from the
texts to support your answer. Students will be marked on quality of answer,
use of evidence, and grammar.
1. What is the refrain(s) in “Do not go gentle into that good night”? What are two
reasons that the use of this refrain(s) adds to the poet’s overall theme?
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Refrains: 1. Rage, rage against the dying of the light
2. Do not go gentle into that good night
- Creates emphasis on the poet’s intention / message (not to die easily)
- Creates rhythm
2. How does the mood created in “Because I could not stop for Death” change
throughout the course of the poem? Include 3 points where the mood changes.
- Poem begins peacefully / speaker is peaceful with Death
- Transitions into images of coldness / darkness
- Poem ends with describing death as eternity (never ending)
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3. Write a short description of the protagonist of each poem. Please include at least 3
qualities of each protagonist, supported with textual evidence.
Because I could not stop for Death: (example points- student may present others)
- Protagonist is already dead (not known until last stanza)
- Protagonist is very calm / peaceful with death
- Protagonist is remembering her journey to death
- Protagonist visits her gravesite
- Has been deceased for centuries – feels like an eternity
Do not go gentle into that good night:
- Protagonist is speaking to his father who is elderly (not known until
last stanza)
- Does not want his father (or anyone) to give up on life easily
- Scared of impending / definite death

Essay Questions (10 points each): Please carefully read the questions below
and write your answer in the space provided. Please use evidence from the
texts to support your answer (if required). Students will be marked on
quality of answer, use of evidence, and grammar.
1. How does the speaker’s attitude towards death differ between these two
poems? Use 3 differences for each poem. Provide evidence from the poems to
support your opinion.
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2. In a short poem (10-12 lines) write a poem as if you were writing a personal
letter to death. Within this poem, please use a minimum of 5 poetic devices
learned in class. Underline and label where these devices are used.
1. Because I could not stop for Death: (example points- student may present others)
- Creates a peaceful image of death / dying
- Refers to death as “peaceful”
- Death is personified as a gentleman (ex: driving in a carriage)
- Reflects the change from life -> death -> afterlife
2. Do not go gentle into that good night:
- Creates a frightened vision of death / dying
- Dying is something that should be fought against – do not die
peacefully
- “Darkness” is used to reference death
- “Good men” are those that fight against death
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Creative Writing Piece: Students will be graded on use of literary terms /
writing required length / use of the theme “death”
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