1 What collection was "Basket of Figs" published in? Like a Beggar The Human Line Indigo Mules of Love 2 When was this poem (and the collection it comes from) published? 2001 2013 1998 2002 3 What kind of relationship is portrayed in "Basket of Figs"? A loving lesbian relationship A mother and daughter relationship A loving heterosexual relationship A relationship between friends 4 What award did the collection as a whole receive? Lambda Literary Award honoring the book as an important LGBTQ work The National Book Award Lambda Literary Award honoring the book as an important Jewish work Griffin Poetry Prize 5 From whose perspective is the poem written? Omniscient divine voice First-person speaker addressing her lover in the second-person Third-person speaker addressing her lover in the third-person Third-person speaker addressing her friend in the second-person 6 Describe the form and meter. Three quatrains and two tercets written in free verse. Two quatrains and three tercets written in blank verse. Two quatrains and three tercets written in free verse. Three quatrains and two tercets written in iambic pentameter. 7 What is a quatrain? A refrain A line that gets repeated throughout the poem A stanza with three lines A stanza with four lines 8 Which food item is not a metaphor for the lover's pain? Milk and honey Pomegranate seed Warm eggs Basket of figs 9 Which material is not a metaphor for the lover's pain? Silk sashes A flower vase Gold jewelry Fine rugs 10 What is burlap? A smooth material made in a factory The way a baby burps after eating Coarse canvas woven from jute, hemp, or a similar fiber, used especially for sacking A smooth natural material made from fibers 11 Which is an example of alliteration? spill your wine intricate embroidery basket of figs silk sashes 12 What is alliteration? A beautiful image Repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together in a sentence or verse Figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them Repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession 13 What is the tone of the poem? Firm, Tender, Loving, Erotic Passionate, Direct, Controlling Angry, Disillusioned Pensive, Calm, Loving 14 What is the implication of the lines "the hem stitched the way you were taught, / pricking just a thread, almost invisible"? The speaker makes detailed and intricate embroidery. The speaker tries to hide her pain from her lover. Other people forced the speaker's lover to learn how to sew as a child. The lover had a hand in creating her pain, and she seeks to hide her pain from the world by making it "almost invisible." 15 Which sense is NOT engaged by "cinnamon / and cloves"? Auditory Visual Olfactory Gustatory 16 What does the olfactory sense refer to? Taste Hearing Smell Sight 17 Which line is best characterized as erotic? "That hard nugget of pain, I would suck it," "Spread / it out like fine rugs" "I would lift it // tenderly" "Unclasp it like jewels" 18 Which of the following best characterizes the speaker? A woman exploring her sexuality A middle-aged woman coming to terms with aging A domineering partner who manipulates her lover by writing about her lover's pain A confident authority figure who is capable of providing stability and love for her partner 19 Which of the following is not a symbol in the poem? The mouth Food Clothing and jewelry Persimmon pit 20 Which of the following is not a theme in the poem? Unconditional Love Community Love Vulnerability and Surrender Sensual Celebration 21 What acts does the line about the "hard nugget of pain" imply? Touching and Sex Reflecting and Acting Eating and Talking Eating and Sex 22 What does the mention of animal behavior in the final stanza do in the poem? It suggests that the speaker is following her natural instincts to care for her partner. It portrays the speaker and her partner as cats. It evokes the animal-like instinct in the speaker to consume her partner. There is no mention of animals in the poem. 23 Finish this quote: "Unclasp it like jewels, the gold___" matching your eyes still hot from my body / still hot from your body melting into your skin 24 Why does the speaker tell her partner to empty a basket of figs? The speaker wants her partner not to waste food. The speaker wants her partner to eat more fruits and vegetables. The speaker wants her partner to lose weight. The speaker wants her lover to relish the sweetness of life. 25 Why might the speaker tell her partner to spill her wine? The speaker wants her partner to embarrass herself. The speaker doesn't want her partner to drink a whole glass. The speaker doesn't want her partner to act perfectly polite all the time. The speaker wants her partner to drink less.
