Name/#: ______

The Wreck of the , a poem by Benjamin Peck Keith (1856- 1927)

Out of she swung with the stream, A poem of iron and steel, A sea dream. And thousands on shore, watched her steaming away: The largest, and grandest of all ships that day.

And the thousand on board, did security feel, For no eye saw death, as he stood at the wheel; Directing her course to the echoless shore, Her first and last haven of nevermore.

She was the last, best work of men, And on her first voyage was speeding—when: Out of the darkness, Out of the night, Loomed an ominous form of ghostly white.

“Twas a towering mountain of ice-gigantic, As ever was seen on the North Atlantic. She struck, with a shiver from stem to stern: And was rapidly sinking—All soon did learn.

Then Captain Smith, her commander brave, Thought not one moment, his own life to save, But stood on the bridge, calling out to the crew: “Remember your country, Be British, be true.

And England, and Ireland, and Scotland, And Wales, Proved there to the World: Their valor Ne’er fails, “The ,” Was their cry, And every one of the Crew, stood by.

And the boats were lowered and sent away, That cut off all hope, save eternity, And, The Titanic sank from sight, ‘neath the Sea While her band played, Nearer My God to Thee.

Was There ever a scene so awfully grand? As that sinking ship, with her playing band. All glory to Smith, and the Titanic’s men, They bring Trafalgar’s heroes to memory again

And that heart thrilling tale of the Alamo, And the last grand-charge at Waterloo, And that charge of “The Light Brigade” as well, And Jim Bludso’s act on “The Prairie Belle.”

And with these down the corridors of all time, The Titanic’s story shall sound sublime, For never was courage more noble and true, Than was shown on that night, by The Titanic’s Crew. Name/#: ______

1. Number the stanzas.

2. What is the title of the poem? ______

3. Who is the author of the poem? ______

4. What does “she/her” refer to in stanzas 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, & 8? ______

5. Personification is giving human qualities to animals or objects. Underline examples of personification in stanzas 1, 2, and 4.

6. A metaphor is when one thing is said to be another. Find a metaphor in stanza 1:

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7. Stanza 2, Line 1, “And the thousand on board, did security feel,” explain what this line means.

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8. What is being described in stanza 3, line 4, “Loomed an ominous form of ghostly white.” ?

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______Name/#: ______Titanic Enrichment: Allusion Due: September 24 ($50)

The Wreck of the Titanic, a poem by Benjamin Peck Keith (1856- 1927)

Definition of Allusion

Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.

Examples of Allusion in Everyday Speech

The use of allusions is not confined to literature alone. Their occurrence is fairly common in our daily speech. Look at some common examples of allusions in everyday life:

• “Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet, in “Romeo and Juliet”. • The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s box of crimes. – This is an allusion to one of Greek Mythology’s origin myth, “Pandora’s box”. • “This place is like a Garden of Eden.” –This is a biblical allusion to the “garden of God” in the Book of Genesis. • “Hey! Guess who the new Newton of our school is?” – “Newton”, means a genius student, alludes to a famous scientist Isaac Newton.

What four historical events or famous poems are referred to in stanza 9?

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2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

Enrichment: Choose one event to summarize and then explain how that event connects to Titanic. Use your own paper or type your response.