College Board SAT Reading Practice -📜 Cracking the Code of SAT Poetry: What Is Walt Whitman Really Saying?

Poetry passages on the SAT can leave even the best readers scratching their heads—especially when they come from literary legends like Walt Whitman. But don't worry: you're not being tested on your ability to appreciate poetry, you're being tested on your ability to understand structure, tone, and meaning.

In this breakdown, for our College Board SAT Reading Practice, we’ll take a close look at a classic SAT-style poetry question based on Whitman’s 1860 poem “Calamus 24.” You'll learn how to spot the speaker’s purpose, identify the passage’s structure, and steer clear of tempting wrong answers.

---

The following text is from Walt Whitman’s 1860 poem “Calamus 24.”

I HEAR it is charged against me that I seek to

destroy institutions;

But really I am neither for nor against

institutions

(What indeed have I in common with them?—

Or what with the destruction of them?),

Only I will establish in the Mannahatta

[Manhattan] and in every city of These States,

inland and seaboard,

And in the fields and woods, and above every

keel [ship] little or large, that dents the water,

Without edifices, or rules, or trustees, or any

argument,

The institution of the dear love of comrades..

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) The speaker questions an increasingly prevalent attitude, then summarizes his worldview.

B) The speaker regrets his isolation from others, then predicts a profound change in society.

C) The speaker concedes his personal shortcomings, then boasts of his many achievements.

D) The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.

Ready to see how you did?

Answer A

Choice A is incorrect. While the speaker does address an opinion of him that he believes to be untrue, he doesn’t indicate that this attitude has become increasingly prevalent. The speaker also concludes by explaining his goal for the future rather than his current worldview.

Answer B

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray the speaker as isolated or regretful, and the speaker gestures toward a hope for societal change but doesn’t offer an explicit prediction that it will happen.

Answer C

Choice C is incorrect because the speaker addresses a criticism of him that he believes to be false; he doesn’t admit any personal shortcomings. Moreover, the speaker concludes by stating a goal he has rather than showcasing his achievements.

Answer D

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The speaker begins by stating that he has heard that others are accusing him of seeking to destroy institutions. The speaker then addresses this criticism by stating that he is “neither for nor against institutions.” Instead, the speaker states that his ultimate goal is to instill “the institution of the dear love of comrades” everywhere in the country. Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as an address of criticism followed by an announcement of a grand ambition.

Too easy? Check our other posts for more examples.