EXTEND – Song of the Open Road #647823 - Prove ed esercizi Zanichelli

STEP 2 Digging deeper

Read the statements and choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

1 The 'open road' functions primarily as ________.
2 The dismissal of 'libraries' and 'querulous criticisms' expresses a rejection of ________.
3 The parenthetical section about 'old delicious burdens' complicates the idea of freedom by showing that ________.
4 The catalogue of people and situations ________.
5 The order of the stanzas suggests a progression ________.

Extend

Completamento chiuso

STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: democracy and form

Read the text which discusses the relationship between Whitman's democratic ideals and his verse. Decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

PROMPTS:
- Refer to the box 'His Life' in 'All about Walt Whitman' in your textbook to trace Whitman's democratic ideals.
- Refer to STEP 4 and the boxes 'Key term' and 'Themes' in 'All about Walt Whitman' in your textbook. Link Whitman's poetic form with his democratic views.
- Refer to the box 'Key date' in 'All about Walt Whitman' in your textbook to draw a connection between Whitman's notion of poetry and a living organism that continually grows.

A:

According to the text, Whitman compares traditional rhyme and meter to elitist forms of government.

B:

The comparison with Milton suggests that both poets connect poetic form to broader ideas of liberty.

C:

Whitman completely rejects rhythm in poetry because he believes that it limits freedom.

D:

In the text, poetic form is presented as something that should develop naturally rather than follow artificial patterns.

E:

The author connects poetic freedom with the democratic right to express oneself.

Extend

Vero o falso

STEP 1 Read the poem and find out more about freedom and democracy

Match each stanza of the poem to its correct paraphrase. Write the correct letters (A-G) in the gaps.

1 First stanza ________
2 Second stanza ________
3 Third stanza ________
4 Fourth stanza ________
5 Fifth stanza ________
6 Sixth stanza ________
7 Seventh stanza ________

A The speaker celebrates universal acceptance and equality among people.
B The speaker values nature and rejects the desire for something beyond earthly life.
C The open road represents freedom, energy, and health.
D The speaker recognises that reality contains unseen spiritual dimensions.
E The speaker rejects dependence on luck, criticism, and social complaints.
F The speaker presents everyday human experiences as equally meaningful and accepted.
G Despite his freedom, the speaker remains emotionally connected to humanity.

Extend

Completamento aperto

STEP 3 Find out more about Transcendentalism

Read the text and complete it with the words given.

Whitman expresses Transcendentalist ideas through the journey on the open road. The self is presented as ________: the speaker rejects external authority and relies on personal ________ as the main source of meaning.
At the same time, the road becomes a space where the speaker can be ________ with nature and other individuals, ________ of profession or social status. This ________ vision reinforces the fact that ________ and uniqueness ________ rather than being opposite ideas.

Extend

Posizionamento

STEP 4 Focus on style

'Song of the Open Road' is written in free verse. Read the statements and select the ones that correctly explain the effect of this choice.

A:

It creates a rhythm that resembles natural speech and thought.

B:

It allows the poem to avoid any internal organisation or coherence.

C:

It reflects the unpredictability and openness of the experience of being on the open road.

D:

It creates multiple enjambments.

E:

It supports the idea of freedom from traditional poetic rules.

F:

It mimics movement and travel.

Extend

Scelta multipla