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 idiocy

His selfishness

His lack of forethought

His greed
3 Which foods are referenced in the poem?

Pears, corn, cod, steak, and buttermilk.

Hamburgers, french fries, apples, and salmon.

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

Apples, trout, bread, hamburgers, and chocolate.
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?

Selling Manhattan (1987)

Standing Female Nude (1985)

The World's Wife (1999)

Rapture (2003)
6 What does Mrs Midas dream about the night after her husband's wish comes true?

A bowl of apples

The music of Pan

Her husband's embrace

Giving birth to a golden child
7 Which best describes Mrs Midas's attitude toward her husband?

Angry and mournful

Cold and uncaring

Exasperated but accepting

Loving and supportive
8 What does "halcyon" mean in Line 41?

A golden, glowing light

A past time that was idyllic and peaceful

Chaotically passionate

A type of gold
9 How many lines does each stanza have?

7

5

4

6
10 Which is an example of simile in the poem?

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

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)

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

But now I feared his honeyed embrace, / the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. (Lines 41-42)
11 Which perspective is the poem told from?

Omniscient third-person

Second person

First person

Limited third-person
12 What does the word "luteous" mean in Line 35?

Yellow tinged with green or brown

Solid gold

A flower stem

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

The golden table after Midas touched it

Midas's footprints

The golden trout in the river

The hare that Midas attempted to touch
14 In which month is the poem set?

June

October

September

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?

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)

under the cover of dark (Line 53)
17 Which Greek god is EXPLICITLY referenced in the poem?

Dionysus

Demeter

Zeus

Pan
18 What is an allegory?

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

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

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.
19 What does the word "caravan" mean in Line 49?

Any large group of people, typically with vehicles or animals, traveling together in single file.

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.

A covered horse-drawn wagon.
20 Which of the following describes the relationship between the myth of Midas and the poem "Mrs Midas?"

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.

Mrs Midas is a translation of the myth.

Mrs Midas is an ironic commentary on the myth.
21 What does Mrs Midas NOT do in response to Midas's ability to turn everything he touches into gold?

Put a chair in front of her bedroom door.

Lock the cat in the cellar.

Demand that he move out.

Wear protective gloves before touching him.
22 Which of the following animals is NOT referenced in the poem?

Deer

Flies

Trout

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

the Bible

the Greek god Pan

the Field of the Cloth of Gold

Miss Macready
24 What "stopped" Mrs Midas "dead" due to memories of her husband (Line 65)?

A dream about their baby

Golden trout

Hearing the music of Pan

A bowl of apples
25 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

the trauma of war

greed and masculinity

mortality

marriage and relationships

Mrs Midas

by Carol Ann Duffy

Mrs Midas Quiz

Mrs Midas Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Mrs Midas