Mrs Midas Quizzes

1 Where is the speaker in the first stanza?

The kitchen

The caravan

The garden

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

His lack of forethought

His idiocy

His greed

His selfishness
3 Which foods are referenced in the poem?

Apples, trout, bread, hamburgers, and chocolate.

Hamburgers, french fries, apples, and salmon.

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

Pears, corn, cod, steak, and buttermilk.
4 Which of the following is an example of personification in the poem?

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)

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)
5 "Mrs Midas" appears in which of Carol Ann Duffy's collections?

Standing Female Nude (1985)

The World's Wife (1999)

Rapture (2003)

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

The music of Pan

A bowl of apples

Her husband's embrace

Giving birth to a golden child
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 past time that was idyllic and peaceful

Chaotically passionate

A golden, glowing light

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

7

6

5

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

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

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

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

We’d a caravan in the wilds, in a glade of its own (Lines 49-50)
11 Which perspective is the poem told from?

Omniscient third-person

Limited third-person

First person

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

Yellow tinged with green or brown

A faint glow

A flower stem

Solid gold
13 What does "a beautiful lemon mistake" (Line 57) refer to in the poem?

The hare that Midas attempted to touch

The golden table after Midas touched it

The golden trout in the river

Midas's footprints
14 In which month is the poem set?

September

June

October

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?

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)

a hare hung from a larch (Line 58)
17 Which Greek god is EXPLICITLY referenced in the poem?

Demeter

Dionysus

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 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.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
19 What does the word "caravan" mean in Line 49?

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

A covered horse-drawn wagon.

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

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 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 an ironic commentary on the myth.

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?

Lock the cat in the cellar.

Wear protective gloves before touching him.

Put a chair in front of her bedroom door.

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

Flies

Deer

Trout

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

the Field of the Cloth of Gold

Miss Macready

the Greek god Pan

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

A bowl of apples

Hearing the music of Pan

Golden trout

A dream about their baby
25 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

the trauma of war

mortality

marriage and relationships

greed and masculinity

Mrs Midas

by Carol Ann Duffy

Mrs Midas Quiz

Mrs Midas Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Mrs Midas