In the Park Quizzes

1 Which of the following literary devices is NOT used in the poem?

Quotation marks to signal dialogue or thought

Allusion

Metaphor

Simile
2 What is the form of the poem?

Elegy

Sonnet

Villanelle

Free verse
3 Which of the following best captures the meaning of "rehearsing" as used in Line 9?

practicing a play, piece of music, or other work for later public performance

mentally preparing or reciting words one intends to say

recounting in order (enumerating)

supervising a performer or group that is practicing
4 The reader can infer that the woman has how many children?

Two

One

Four

Three
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

Wistful but hopeful

Cheerful and content

Melancholy and regretful

Foreboding and dark
6 Which of the following is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?

AABB ABAB ABCABC

ABBA ABBA ABCABC

AAAB ABBB ABBABB

AABB ABAB ABABAB
7 What is the "small balloon" in Line 8?

A helium balloon that the woman's child holds

A hot-air balloon passing over the park

A thought bubble that the woman imagines rising out of her head

An imagined thought bubble rising out of the former lover's head
8 Which of the following is the meaning of "neat" as used in Line 7?

well-groomed and elegant

done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency

interesting and fascinating

habitually tidy, well groomed, or well organized
9 What tense is used in the poem?

A combination of present and past tense

Present tense

Present perfect tense

Past tense
10 From which perspective is the poem narrated?

First-person

A mixture of first- and third-person

Limited or close third-person

Omniscient third-person
11 The final line of the poem concludes with "They have eaten me alive." To whom is the woman speaking?

Her former lover

Her husband

The wind

Her children
12 How many stanzas and lines are in the poem?

Three stanzas of six lines each.

Three stanzas of four lines each.

The first two stanzas are four lines each and the third stanza is six lines.

The first two stanzas are four lines each and the third stanza is seven lines.
13 Which of the following best characterizes the children in the poem?

Quiet and withdrawn

Sweet and calm

Rambunctious and creative

Demanding and irritating
14 Which of the following poetry devices are used in Line 1?

Parataxis

Caesura

End-stopping

All of the above
15 The poem implies that the woman's clothes are ____.

clean and well-fitting

bold, but in ill taste

dirty and torn

old and unfashionable
16 In what year was this poem published?

1961

1955

1980

1975
17 What is the poem's attitude towards traditional, patriarchal society?

Skeptical but ultimately accepting

Supportive and celebratory

Critical and questioning

Unquestioning and traditional
18 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

Gender roles

Friendship

Motherhood

Identity
19 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the argument this poem makes about gender?

The poem advocates for rigid gender roles and suggests that women inherently find joy in motherhood.

The poem highlights the challenges and emotional burden associated with motherhood.

The poem demonstrates how women feel confined by social stereotypes to act as if motherhood is always enjoyable and rewarding, even when they do not truly feel this way.

The poem suggests that, contrary to the prevailing view in the 1960s, not all women are happy with the duties of motherhood.
20 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?

Australia

A park

The woman's home

A bench next to some dirt
21 "she says to his departing smile" is an example of which of the following?

Caesura

Metonymy

Simile

Alliteration
22 What is enjambment?

A break between words within a metrical foot.

A pause near the middle of a line.

The continuation of a sentence across a line break in a poem.

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
23 What is the meaning of "nursing" as used in Line 12?

The profession or practice of providing care for the sick.

Trying to cure or alleviate an injury.

Slowly drinking.

Breastfeeding a baby.
24 Which of the following details about Gwen Harwood is most relevant to the themes of the poem?

She studied music and is a talented pianist.

She published many of her poems under a male pseudonym.

She was awarded the Robert Frost Medal for her poetry in 1977.

She is from Australia.
25 Which of the following is an example of spoken dialogue in the poem?

"but for the grace of God…”

"she says to his departing smile."

“Time holds great surprises.”

"Two children whine and bicker,"

In the Park

by Gwen Harwood

In the Park Quiz

In the Park Questions and Answers

Study Guide for In the Park