5.16.F - Lesson: "Song of the Chattahoochee" by Sidney Lanier

Question 1

The historical context of “Song of the Chattahoochee” is _______________.
the midst of the Civil War
post-World War II Georgia
reconstruction of the South after the Civil War
reconstruction of the North after the Civil War

Answer 1

reconstruction of the South after the Civil War

Question 2

The Chattahoochee River, Hall County, and Habersham County are all places in Tennessee.
True
False

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Personification is a literary device in which an inanimate thing is given human attributes. In this poem, what natural element is personified?
The “little reeds” (line 18)
All of these
The Chattahoochee River
The “rushes” (line 13)

Answer 3

All of these

Question 4

The poem repeats the phrases “the hills of Habersham” and “the valleys of Hall” at the beginning and end of each stanza. This type of repetition is called a _________.
parallelism
refrain
repeat
refresh

Answer 4

refrain

Question 5

Which of the following lines is an example of internal rhyme?
“The laving laurel turned my tide”
“Split at the rock and together again”
“And the lordly main from beyond the plain”
“High o’er the hills of Habersham”

Answer 5

“And the lordly main from beyond the plain”

Question 6

Which of the following lines is an example of consonance?
“Split at the rock and together again”
“Fair tales of shade, the poplar tall”
“High o’er the hills of Habersham”
“And the lordly main from beyond the plain”

Answer 6

“High o’er the hills of Habersham”

Question 7

The poem is written from the point of view (perspective) of __________.
the valleys of Hall
Lanier
the hills of Habersham
the river

Answer 7

the river

Question 8

Read the poem out loud. How does the sound, rhythm, and rhyme scheme of the poem mimic the subject and speaker of this poem: a river?

Explain your answer in 3–5 sentences.

Answer 8

Your Answer:
The constant rhythm of the poem is like a river in constant motion. The rhyme scheme appears complex, like a river’s movement. Alliteration, repeating constants, reminds you of the river as the water flows over rocks.

Question 9

Read the following stanza carefully. If you don’t know some of the words, you may look them up.

“But oh, not the hills of Habersham,
And oh, not the valleys of Hall
Avail: I am fain for to water the plain.
Downward the voices of Duty call—
Downward, to toil and be mixed with the main,
The dry fields burn, and the mills are to turn,
And a myriad flowers mortally yearn,
And the lordly main from beyond the plain
Calls o’er the hills of Habersham,
Calls through the valleys of Hall.”

In 3–5 sentences, explain what you think this stanza means. What is the river trying to communicate to the riverbed plants that are trying to slow the river down? What is the river’s purpose?

Answer 9

Your Answer:
The river is saying it has a purpose to fulfill. It must water the land and turn water mills on the river. The river also says it has a final destination, which is the ocean.