Think you’ve got your head wrapped around The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner? Put your knowledge to
the test. Good luck — the Stickman is counting on you!
Q. In line 1, "the State" refers to…
a nation/government
Tennessee
an island
a TV show
Q. In line 2, the speaker is "hunched" in the "belly" of…
the nightmare fighters
the bomber
a pig
the beast
Q. The "turret" in the poem functions metaphorically as…
a womb
the earth
a snowball
Elvis
Q. In a literal reading, what is the "wet fur" in line 2?
There's a wet monkey in the turret.
The fleece lining of the gunner's jacket is soaked with sweat.
The gunner happened to be a really hairy guy.
All of the above—it was a really crowded turret.
Q. The image of the gunner "hunched in" the bomber's "belly" brings to mind the image of…
riding in the back seat of your friend's VW bug
riding in the front seat of your friend's VW bug
flying coach
a fetus in the womb