Danse Russe Quizzes

Danse Russe Quiz

1 When was the poem published?

1916

1921

1912

1962
2 What is the tone of the poem?

Comic and bitter

Somber and reflective

Lighthearted and joyous

Angry and satirical
3 When does the poem take place?

At sunrise

At dusk

At sunset

At midnight
4 Who is NOT asleep as the poem begins?

The speaker

The speaker's wife

The speaker's nanny

The speaker's baby
5 What literary movement was Williams associated with?

Dadaism

Imagism

Futurism

Romanticism
6 What is the nanny's name in the poem?

Flossie

Cassie

Katrina

Kathleen
7 What is the speaker dancing in front of?

His dresser

His window

His mirror

His nightstand
8 Which composer wrote the music for the ballet referenced in the poem's title?

Debussy

Britten

Stravinsky

Tchaikovsky
9 What is the poem's main theme?

Ballet

Grief

Marriage

Self-reflection
10 How many stanzas are in the poem?

Two

Four

Seven

Fourteen
11 Which ballet is referenced in the title of the poem?

The Nutcracker

Rite of Spring

Orpheus

Swan Lake
12 What type of stanza is the poem's final section?

A couplet

A monostitch

An octave

A sestet
13 What figure is Williams comparing the speaker to with the allusion in the title?

The Nutcracker

A Russian villager

Clara

The Mouse King
14 Which of the following lines contains alliteration?

"and the sun is a flame-white disc"

"against the yellow drawn shades,—"

"and singing softly to myself:"

"waving my shirt round my head"
15 What is the setting of the poem?

A marina

A suburban house

A doctor's office

A cabin in the woods
16 What is the form of the poem?

Villanelle

Haiku

Free verse

Sonnet
17 Why is the speaker in such a state of elation?

Because he just came into a large fortune

Because he loves to dance

Because he enjoys sunrises

Because he is unencumbered by his domestic responsibilities
18 What is the speaker wearing?

A tuxedo

A jumpsuit

Nothing

A plaid shirt
19 What sweets do the Russians bring with them in The Nutcracker?

Coffee

Candy canes

Turkish delight

Chocolate
20 What does the speaker describe himself as at the end of the poem?

A witty conversationalist

A brilliant comedian

A jovial intelligence

A happy genius
21 Which of the following lines does NOT contain alliteration?

"and singing softly to myself"

"before my mirror"

"Who shall say I am not"

"and the sun is a flame-white disc"
22 What is the genre of the poem?

War poetry

Victorian poetry

Pastoral poetry

Imagist poetry
23 What is the speaker NOT doing?

Dancing

Waving his shirt around his head

Breaking his window

Singing
24 What does the word "silken" mean in the poem?

Relating to moths

Harsh

Wispy

Soft or delicate
25 What poet had a lasting impact on Williams?

Walt Whitman

Elizabeth Lowell

Tony Hoagland

Emily Dickinson

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Study Guide for Danse Russe

Danse Russe study guide contains a biography of William Carlos Williams, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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