Pilate’s Wife Quizzes

Pilate's Wife Quiz Literary Devices and Themes

1 What is the poem's meter?
Free verse

Iambic pentameter

Iambic tetrameter

Trochaic pentameter
2 To whom does the phrase "The Nazarene" refer?
Jesus

Abraham

Moses

Mary
3 Which is the definition of the word "indolent"?
Musical

Idle

Indecisive

Sweet
4 Which of the following is an instance of simile?
"clutched the bridle of an ass"

"each tough palm was skewered"

"They seized the prophet then and dragged him out"

"like shells from Galilee"
5 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
ABBACDDC

ABABCDECDE

ABAB

It has no consistent rhyme scheme
6 Which theme do the actions of the crowd most clearly relate to?
Art

The role of bystanders

Fatherhood

Gender
7 Which of the following lines displays alliteration?
"Firstly, his hands - a woman's."

"His face? Ugly. Talented."

"rough men shouldering a pathway to the gates."

"The crowd was baying for Barabbas."
8 Who is the poem's speaker?
A female mystic in medieval France

A politician's wife in 1960s California

An unnamed soldier in World War II

The wife of the biblical figure Pontius Pilate
9 Which is the poem's most prominent symbol?
Donkeys

Skulls

Hands

Thorns
10 What is the best description of the speaker's relationship to her maid?
The two do not know one another well, but Duffy hints that they will grow closer over time

The speaker regards her maid maternally, teaching and advising her

The two are faithful companions and friends

The speaker does not trust her maid and keeps her actions secret from her
11 Who is the poem's antagonist?
Pilate

The Emperor

The maid

The speaker
12 Which of the following is a major theme of the poem?
Racism

The destruction of nature

Food

Gender
13 In which poetry collection did this first appear?
The World's Wife

Mean Time

Standing Female Nude

Little Red Cap
14 What is the closest synonym of the word "baying"?
Howling

Weeping

Resting

Gossiping
15 The speaker compares her husband's hands to which of the following?
Books

Twigs

Moths

Mice
16 Which line uses assonance most extensively?
"Their pale, mothy touch made me flinch."

"the Nazarene was crowned with thorns."

"His brown hands touched me."

"I longed for Rome, home, someone else."
17 Which best describes the poem's tone?
Pragmatic

Humorous

Lamenting

Inquisitive
18 In which year was this poem first published?
1999

1978

2012

2005
19 Pilate displays many traits associated with femininity, despite his power as a man. This is an instance of what?
Dramatic Irony

Verbal Irony

Paradox

Situational Irony
20 What is the poem's setting?
First-century Jerusalem

Eighteenth-century India

Fifteenth-century Europe

Twentieth-century Los Angeles
21 What stanza type is used in this poem?
Quatrains

Tercets

Quintains

Sestets
22 Which contains is an example of sibilance?
"bored stiff, disguised"

"His eyes were eyes to die for."

"I woke up, sweating, sexual, terrified."

"Leave him alone."
23 What does the word "Galilee" refer to?
A sea

A silent movie

A type of headdress

A temple in ancient Jerusalem
24 Who is Barabbas?
The man who is pardoned instead of Jesus

The speaker's maid

A priest who leaves the church after a scandal

The speaker's late first husband
25 Which theme is the most prominent in this work?
Class

Childhood and coming of age

Imagination

Desire

Pilate’s Wife Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Pilate’s Wife is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Pilate’s Wife

Pilate's Wife study guide contains a biography of Carol Ann Duffy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Pilate’s Wife…