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Melville's Poetry Trivia Quiz

My third Melville quiz is about his poetry, not as well-known as his other works, but as memorable.

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
46,380

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
238

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Name Melville's collection of Civil War poetry. Hint

Battle-Pieces

War Is Kind

War Poems

For The Union Dead

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who was the English artist who made the marine painting Melville based a poem on? Hint

Turner

Lawrence

Gainsborough

Reynolds

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Question 3 of 10

3. In what poem did Melville say 'All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys'? Hint

Ball's Bluff

The March Into Virginia

Malvern Hill

Gettysburg

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Question 4 of 10

4. What ships made up the 'Stone Fleet' Melville wrote about? Hint

clippers

frigates

warships

whalers

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Question 5 of 10

5. Who did Melville call 'the meteor of the war'? Hint

Abraham Lincoln

Ulysses S. Grant

John Brown

Robert E. Lee

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Question 6 of 10

6. What part of the old sailing ships did Melville write about? Hint

Bowsprit

Figure-Head

Yardarm

Harpoon

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Question 7 of 10

7. What did a ship smash itself against in a Melville poem? Hint

another ship

whale

iceberg

coral reef

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Question 8 of 10

8. What short poem did Melville pen about the aftermath of a shipwreck at sea? Hint

Far Off-Shore

The Raft

The Wreck

The Quick and The Dead

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Question 9 of 10

9. What poem did Melville base on an old sea chantey? Hint

Tom Deadlight

Jack Roy

John Marr

To Ned

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Question 10 of 10

10. Name the title of the elegy Melville is thought to have wrote on his friend and fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hint

Monody

Requiem

Elegy

Ave atque Vale

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Name Melville's collection of Civil War poetry.

Answer: Battle-Pieces

Melville published 'Pieces' after war's end. 'War Is Kind' was by Stephen Crane, 'For The Union Dead' by Robert Lowell (who adapted Melville's 'Benito Cereno' for the stage.)

2. Who was the English artist who made the marine painting Melville based a poem on?

Answer: Turner

J. M. W. Turner is renowned for his marine {scenes;} his 'The Fighting Temeraire', about one of Nelson's warships towed out to be scrapped, was seen by Melville, who wrote a poem on it and included it in 'Battle-Pieces'.

3. In what poem did Melville say 'All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys'?

Answer: The March Into Virginia

About the War's first battle, a horrible rout for the North. Melville's line is among his most quoted.

4. What ships made up the 'Stone Fleet' Melville wrote about?

Answer: whalers

Ex-whaleman Melville had an affinity for these old whalers, now filled with heavy stone and scuttled in Charleston harbor to block it. Without success, though...'A failure, and complete was you old Stone Fleet'.

5. Who did Melville call 'the meteor of the war'?

Answer: John Brown

The first poem in Melville's book, 'The Portent' is about abolitionist John Brown, whose raid on Harper's Ferry and hanging helped to set off the Civil War.

6. What part of the old sailing ships did Melville write about?

Answer: Figure-Head

Figureheads were almost de rigueur on the old sailing {ships;} Melvill'e poem tells of an old figurehead sunk in the sea, of a married couple now separated by time and the elements.

7. What did a ship smash itself against in a Melville poem?

Answer: iceberg

In 'The Berg' Melville tells of a dream he had of a ship smashing itself into an iceberg (long before the 'Titanic').

8. What short poem did Melville pen about the aftermath of a shipwreck at sea?

Answer: Far Off-Shore

Melville's eight-line poem about a raft with 'None upon the lashed spars lying, Quick or dead' is one of his best and most powerful.

9. What poem did Melville base on an old sea chantey?

Answer: Tom Deadlight

Melville based 'Tom Deadlight' on the old chantey 'Spanish Ladies', which also appeared in 'Moby Dick'.

10. Name the title of the elegy Melville is thought to have wrote on his friend and fellow writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Answer: Monody

'Monody' has long been considered to be about the death of Hawthorne.

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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