"Cavalry Crossing a Ford" by Walt Whitman Flashcards
1
Q
diction
A
- whitman uses textually rich, but accessible diction that creates a common, yet beautiful scene
- evidence: betwixt, serpentine, silvery river, splashing, loitering, a picture, guidon
2
Q
structure
A
- structure is varied, but most of the lines are enjambed and snake back and forth
- assume that the author made diction and structure choices on purpose
- we assume he did this to show what the cavalry looked like as they slithered across the river – like a snake
3
Q
theme ex.
A
- identity
- whitman shows a group of men who afar off seem as one group, one face in a military column; however, the closer the group gets, the more they look less like a group and more like individual people
- the closer we get to people, the more human they become
4
Q
diction
A
- “gaily” shows how the flags are fluttering freely in the wind
- “illustration” because it shows just one moment in time and doesn’t tell a real story
- accessible diction
- “illustration” because it has no story
5
Q
“they take a serpentine course.. hark to the musical clank”
A
enjambment
6
Q
the speaker in this poem, structurally, seems to be __________ the action
A
far away from
7
Q
how does the speaker describe men in this poem
A
brown-faced
8
Q
the course traveled by the cavalry
A
serpentine
9
Q
word choice
A
diction
10
Q
this poem is best described as
A
a description of a moment in time
11
Q
language
A
accessible
