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Quiz — Storgy

L'ENVOI.

by James Russell Lowell.

Ten questions on craft, meaning, and form. Untimed. Answer every question to submit.

Q01of 10

To whom is 'L'Envoi' directly addressed throughout the poem?

Q02of 10

In the opening stanza, the speaker describes his early poems as 'Young buds plucked hastily.' This image is best understood as:

Q03of 10

What is the central argument Lowell makes about the proper subject matter for American poetry?

Q04of 10

Lowell invokes the classical myth of 'young Leander and his Hero' primarily to:

Q05of 10

The image of 'angel-wings / Close-clipped, to hop about from perch to perch / In paltry cages of dead men's dead thoughts' is an example of which poetic technique?

Q06of 10

What is the tone of the lines 'Who speaks the truth stabs Falsehood to the heart, / And his mere word makes despots tremble more / Than ever Brutus with his dagger could'?

Q07of 10

In lines 69–80, Lowell alludes to the statue of Memnon at Thebes. What function does this allusion serve in the poem?

Q08of 10

The speaker attributes 'the instinctive wisdom of a woman's heart' to his beloved. What broader thematic purpose does this characterization serve?

Q09of 10

Which line most directly states the poem's claim about the relationship between national identity and the soul?

Q10of 10

In the poem's closing stanza, the speaker confesses he has been 'most false' to himself and 'most true' to his beloved. What does this paradox suggest about the speaker's self-understanding?

0 / 10 answered

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