In the Park Quizzes

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

Metaphor

Simile

Quotation marks to signal dialogue or thought

Allusion
2 What is the form of the poem?

Elegy

Villanelle

Sonnet

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

mentally preparing or reciting words one intends to say

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

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?

Melancholy and regretful

Cheerful and content

Wistful but hopeful

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

AAAB ABBB ABBABB

AABB ABAB ABABAB

ABBA ABBA ABCABC

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

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

A hot-air balloon passing over the park

An imagined thought bubble rising out of the former lover's head

A helium balloon that the woman's child holds
8 Which of the following is the meaning of "neat" as used in Line 7?

well-groomed and elegant

interesting and fascinating

habitually tidy, well groomed, or well organized

done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency
9 What tense is used in the poem?

Present tense

A combination of present and past tense

Past tense

Present perfect tense
10 From which perspective is the poem narrated?

Omniscient third-person

A mixture of first- and third-person

Limited or close third-person

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

The wind

Her former lover

Her children

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

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.

Three stanzas of six lines each.

Three stanzas of four lines each.
13 Which of the following best characterizes the children in the poem?

Sweet and calm

Quiet and withdrawn

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 ____.

dirty and torn

bold, but in ill taste

clean and well-fitting

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

1955

1980

1975

1961
17 What is the poem's attitude towards traditional, patriarchal society?

Unquestioning and traditional

Skeptical but ultimately accepting

Critical and questioning

Supportive and celebratory
18 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

Friendship

Motherhood

Identity

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

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

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

The woman's home

A park

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

Metonymy

Simile

Alliteration

Caesura
22 What is enjambment?

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.

A break between words within a metrical foot.
23 What is the meaning of "nursing" as used in Line 12?

Trying to cure or alleviate an injury.

Slowly drinking.

The profession or practice of providing care for the sick.

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

She published many of her poems under a male pseudonym.

She is from Australia.

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

She studied music and is a talented pianist.
25 Which of the following is an example of spoken dialogue in the poem?

"she says to his departing smile."

"Two children whine and bicker,"

"but for the grace of God…”

“Time holds great surprises.”

In the Park

by Gwen Harwood

In the Park Quiz

In the Park Questions and Answers

Study Guide for In the Park