Mrs Midas Quizzes

1 Where is the speaker in the first stanza?

The bedroom

The caravan

The garden

The kitchen
2 What bothers Mrs Midas the most about her husband's wish?

His selfishness

His idiocy

His lack of forethought

His greed
3 Which foods are referenced in the poem?

Pears, corn, cod, steak, and buttermilk.

Apples, trout, bread, hamburgers, and chocolate.

Pears, corn, fast food, trout, and apples.

Hamburgers, french fries, apples, and salmon.
4 Which of the following is an example of personification in the poem?

Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich. (Line 20)

I gazed, entranced, / as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. (Lines 34-35)

we grew Fondante d’Automne – / and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. (Lines 10-11)

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)
5 "Mrs Midas" appears in which of Carol Ann Duffy's collections?

Rapture (2003)

The World's Wife (1999)

Standing Female Nude (1985)

Selling Manhattan (1987)
6 What does Mrs Midas dream about the night after her husband's wish comes true?

Giving birth to a golden child

A bowl of apples

Her husband's embrace

The music of Pan
7 Which best describes Mrs Midas's attitude toward her husband?

Loving and supportive

Angry and mournful

Cold and uncaring

Exasperated but accepting
8 What does "halcyon" mean in Line 41?

A golden, glowing light

A type of gold

A past time that was idyllic and peaceful

Chaotically passionate
9 How many lines does each stanza have?

6

7

5

4
10 Which is an example of simile in the poem?

We’d a caravan in the wilds, in a glade of its own (Lines 49-50)

its little tongue / like a precious latch (Lines 45-46)

But now I feared his honeyed embrace, / the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. (Lines 41-42)

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)
11 Which perspective is the poem told from?

First person

Limited third-person

Omniscient third-person

Second person
12 What does the word "luteous" mean in Line 35?

A faint glow

Yellow tinged with green or brown

Solid gold

A flower stem
13 What does "a beautiful lemon mistake" (Line 57) refer to in the poem?

Midas's footprints

The golden trout in the river

The hare that Midas attempted to touch

The golden table after Midas touched it
14 In which month is the poem set?

October

September

June

August
15 What does Midas do after making his wish?

Enter the house

Ask for wine

Laugh

All of the above
16 Which is an example of alliteration used in the poem?

under the cover of dark (Line 53)

a hare hung from a larch (Line 58)

then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow (Line 5)

its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue (Line 50)
17 Which Greek god is EXPLICITLY referenced in the poem?

Demeter

Zeus

Pan

Dionysus
18 What is an allegory?

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
19 What does the word "caravan" mean in Line 49?

A covered horse-drawn wagon.

A vehicle equipped for living in, typically a trailer towed by a car and used when traveling for recreation.

A group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa.

Any large group of people, typically with vehicles or animals, traveling together in single file.
20 Which of the following describes the relationship between the myth of Midas and the poem "Mrs Midas?"

Mrs Midas is an ironic commentary on the myth.

Mrs Midas is a translation of the myth.

Mrs Midas alludes to the myth, but is actually about the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

Mrs Midas is a creative retelling of the myth through a feminist lens.
21 What does Mrs Midas NOT do in response to Midas's ability to turn everything he touches into gold?

Wear protective gloves before touching him.

Put a chair in front of her bedroom door.

Lock the cat in the cellar.

Demand that he move out.
22 Which of the following animals is NOT referenced in the poem?

Deer

Hare

Trout

Flies
23 Which of the following is NOT alluded to in the poem?

the Bible

the Field of the Cloth of Gold

Miss Macready

the Greek god Pan
24 What "stopped" Mrs Midas "dead" due to memories of her husband (Line 65)?

A bowl of apples

Golden trout

A dream about their baby

Hearing the music of Pan
25 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

greed and masculinity

the trauma of war

mortality

marriage and relationships

Mrs Midas

by Carol Ann Duffy

Mrs Midas Quiz

Mrs Midas Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Mrs Midas