Miniver Cheevy Quizzes

1 What collection was this poem originally published in?

Richard Cory

The Town Down The River

Captain Craig

The Torrent and the Night Before
2 When was The Town Down The River published?

1910

1909

1904

1903
3 Who is the author of "Miniver Cheevy?"

Edgar Arlington Robinson

Edgar Allen Poe

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Edward Arlington Robinson
4 Which best describes the character of Miniver Cheevy?

A history buff

A dreamer who is laughed at by society

A troubled but comic character who wishes he had been born in a different era

A time traveler
5 Who did Robinson dedicate The Town Down The River to?

Theodore Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Kermit Roosevelt
6 Which real figure is said to have been the inspiration for the character of Cheevy?

Edwin Arlington Robinson

Edgar Allen Poe

William Faulkner

An anonymous man from the town where the poet grew up
7 What is the source of Cheevy's troubles?

He has trouble making friends

He wishes he had the money to buy khakis

He feels he is an anachronism

He wants to collect antiques
8 What does "scorn" mean?

(adjective) to show contempt, derision, or great dislike to someone or something

(noun) to make a concerted or violent attack on

(noun) contempt, derision, or great dislike of someone or something

(verb) to make a concerted or violent attack on
9 Which era does Cheevy specifically long for?

His longing for the past is not confined to one time period or place

Medieval times

Classical times

The Renaissance
10 What about the past does Cheevy most long for?

To have known great historical figures

The chance to become king

The perception of greatness: the opportunity for heroism and renown

The fashion: medieval armor
11 Though the setting is not explicitly specified, many scholars have placed this poem in:

Head Tide, Maine

Tilbury Town

Scholars have not identified the setting of the poem

Tilnbury Town
12 What genre of literature became popular during Robinson's era?

Medieval-style romance

Romantic fiction

Poetry

Classical literature
13 Who is the speaker or narrator?

Cheevy himself

Unidentified third-person narrator telling Cheevy's story

A colleague

A friend at the bar
14 What is the dominant meter?

The first and third lines of each stanza are written in iambic tetrameter

Iambic pentameter

None; the poem is written in free verse

The second and fourth lines of each stanza are written in iambic tetrameter
15 Which is an example of alliteration?

"And Art, a vagrant" (Line 16

"He mourned Romance, now on the town" (Line 15)

"Miniver loved the days of old" (Line 5)

"...he assailed the seasons" (Line 2)
16 Which best defines the tone of the poem?

Neutral, Naïve

Melancholic, Lingering, Sad

Celebratory, Poignant, Peaceful

Ironic, Pessimistic, Parodic
17 What is personified in the poem?

Dissatisfaction

History and Chivalry

Books and Drinks

Romance and Art
18 Who are the Medici?

Italian-American gangsters

The pope during Robinson's times

A powerful Italian bourgeois family that ruled Florence and later Tuscany for most of the period between 1434 and 1737

Italian Renaissance artists
19 Which ancient societies does Cheevy dream of?

Thebes and Camelot

Atlantis and Mount Olympus

Mesopotamia and Carthage

The Garden of Eden and the Islands of the Blessed
20 What is significant about the phrase "the ripe renown?"

It evokes a ripe piece of fruit. Fruit is delicious and healthy, the way fame is good for a person.

The poet uses alliteration with the repeating "r" sound.

It evokes the body odor that occurs when soldiers wore iron clothing or khaki suits.

It evokes a ripe piece of fruit. However, fruit can become overripe and spoil, a fact that is consistent with the way ancient civilizations fell.
21 What is revealed at the end of the poem?

Cheevy drinks to drown his sorrows. He uses alcohol to cope with his physically taxing labor.

Cheevy drinks to drown his sorrows. Being at the bar helps Cheevy make friends.

Cheevy drinks to drown his sorrows. The alcohol helps him feel better.

Cheevy drinks to drown his sorrows. His dreams are self delusions.
22 What does the poem satirize?

Cheevy, the poet, and the literary tastes of the period

The poet

The literary tastes of the period

Cheevy
23 What does a khaki suit symbolize?

Hard work, participation in society, and specifically the military

The job Cheevy hates

A terrible sense of fashion

The British military
24 What is a motif in the poem?

The pleasures of reading

Thebes and Camelot

Alcoholism

Unattainable glory
25 What does it mean to be "on the town?"

Having fun in the city, or having an adulterous affair

Working in the city, or looking for a significant other

Having fun in the city, or enjoying a date with a loved one

Working in the city, or having a splendid affair

Miniver Cheevy

by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Miniver Cheevy Quiz

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