In the Park Quizzes

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

Quotation marks to signal dialogue or thought

Metaphor

Allusion

Simile
2 What is the form of the poem?

Villanelle

Sonnet

Elegy

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

supervising a performer or group that is practicing

recounting in order (enumerating)

mentally preparing or reciting words one intends to say
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

Foreboding and dark

Wistful but hopeful

Cheerful and content
6 Which of the following is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?

AAAB ABBB ABBABB

AABB ABAB ABCABC

ABBA ABBA ABCABC

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

A helium balloon that the woman's child holds

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

A hot-air balloon passing over the park

A thought bubble that the woman imagines rising out of her head
8 Which of the following is the meaning of "neat" as used in Line 7?

habitually tidy, well groomed, or well organized

done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency

well-groomed and elegant

interesting and fascinating
9 What tense is used in the poem?

A combination of present and past tense

Present tense

Past tense

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

Omniscient third-person

First-person

Limited or close third-person

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

Her husband

The wind

Her children

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

Three stanzas of six 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.

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

Rambunctious and creative

Demanding and irritating

Sweet and calm

Quiet and withdrawn
14 Which of the following poetry devices are used in Line 1?

Caesura

End-stopping

Parataxis

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

dirty and torn

old and unfashionable

clean and well-fitting

bold, but in ill taste
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

Supportive and celebratory

Critical and questioning
18 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

Gender roles

Identity

Friendship

Motherhood
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 suggests that, contrary to the prevailing view in the 1960s, not all women are happy with the duties of motherhood.

The poem advocates for rigid gender roles and suggests that women inherently find joy in motherhood.
20 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?

A bench next to some dirt

A park

Australia

The woman's home
21 "she says to his departing smile" is an example of which of the following?

Simile

Caesura

Alliteration

Metonymy
22 What is enjambment?

A pause near the middle of a line.

A break between words within a metrical foot.

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

The continuation of a sentence across a line break in a poem.
23 What is the meaning of "nursing" as used in Line 12?

Slowly drinking.

Breastfeeding a baby.

Trying to cure or alleviate an injury.

The profession or practice of providing care for the sick.
24 Which of the following details about Gwen Harwood is most relevant to the themes of the poem?

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

She published many of her poems under a male pseudonym.

She studied music and is a talented pianist.

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

"but for the grace of God…”

"Two children whine and bicker,"

"she says to his departing smile."

“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