“My Days Among the Dead are Past”

My days among the Dead are past; Around me I behold, Where’er these casual eyes are cast, The mighty mind of old; My never-failing friends are they, With whom I converse day by day. With them I take delight in weal, And seek relief in woe; And while I understand and feel. How much to them I owe, My cheeks have often been bedew’d. With tears of thoughtful gratitude. My thoughts are with the Dead, with them. I live in long-past years, Their virtues love, their faults condemn, Partake their hopes and fears, And from their lessons seek and find Instruction with a humble mind. My hopes are with the Dead, soon. My place with them will be, And I with them shall travel on Through all Futurity; Yet leaving here a name, I trust, That will not perish in the dust.

1.) Part A: Which sentence states the theme of the poem?

A. Reflex on one’s life often results in deep sadness.
B. True friendship is found in books rather than people
C. Literature can offer companionship and guidance.
D. Leaving behind a legacy of fame is high achievement.

A. The speaker accepts the grim fact that his life is nearly over, and he hopes to leave behind a legacy as impactful as the noted authors he has studied.

B. The speaker recognizes the profound importance books have had on his life, and he hopes to be able to read every volume in his library before he passes.

C. The speaker has led a lonely life isolated within his own library, yet he does not regret the valuable time he has spent reading and thinking.

D. The speaker desires to become as famous as the authors of the books he cherishes, but he has run out of time to produce anything noteworthy.

4. How is the theme developed throughout the poem?

A. through the use of exaggeration

B. through the description of the setting

C. through the speaker’s internal dialogue

D. through the speaker’s conflict with other writers

5. What do lines 7-12 reveal about the speaker?

A. The speaker has lived a difficult life.

B. The speaker understands deep philosophical ideas.

C. The speaker acknowledges the sources of his wisdom.

D. The speaker turns to books in good times and in bad.

6. What does the reader understand about the speaker that the speaker does not understand about himself?

A. The speaker wishes to devote his life to study, which the reader recognizes as a lofty ambition.

B. The speaker does not want to be forgotten, which he ultimately accomplishes through the reader accessing the published poem.

C. The speaker wishes to live his life through the lens of literature, which the reader understands is not possible.

D. The speaker does not want to look back on his life with regret, with which the reader can eventually sympathize.