Pilate’s Wife Quizzes

Pilate's Wife Quiz Literary Devices and Themes

1 What is the poem's meter?
Trochaic pentameter

Free verse

Iambic pentameter

Iambic tetrameter
2 To whom does the phrase "The Nazarene" refer?
Moses

Jesus

Abraham

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

Sweet

Musical

Idle
4 Which of the following is an instance of simile?
"like shells from Galilee"

"each tough palm was skewered"

"They seized the prophet then and dragged him out"

"clutched the bridle of an ass"
5 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
ABABCDECDE

ABAB

It has no consistent rhyme scheme

ABBACDDC
6 Which theme do the actions of the crowd most clearly relate to?
Fatherhood

The role of bystanders

Gender

Art
7 Which of the following lines displays alliteration?
"The crowd was baying for Barabbas."

"rough men shouldering a pathway to the gates."

"Firstly, his hands - a woman's."

"His face? Ugly. Talented."
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

Thorns

Skulls

Hands
10 What is the best description of the speaker's relationship to her maid?
The two are faithful companions and friends

The speaker does not trust her maid and keeps her actions secret from her

The speaker regards her maid maternally, teaching and advising her

The two do not know one another well, but Duffy hints that they will grow closer over time
11 Who is the poem's antagonist?
The maid

The speaker

The Emperor

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

Food

The destruction of nature

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

Mean Time

Little Red Cap

Standing Female Nude
14 What is the closest synonym of the word "baying"?
Resting

Weeping

Howling

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

Twigs

Moths

Books
16 Which line uses assonance most extensively?
"I longed for Rome, home, someone else."

"the Nazarene was crowned with thorns."

"Their pale, mothy touch made me flinch."

"His brown hands touched me."
17 Which best describes the poem's tone?
Inquisitive

Pragmatic

Lamenting

Humorous
18 In which year was this poem first published?
2005

1978

1999

2012
19 Pilate displays many traits associated with femininity, despite his power as a man. This is an instance of what?
Dramatic Irony

Verbal Irony

Situational Irony

Paradox
20 What is the poem's setting?
Fifteenth-century Europe

Eighteenth-century India

First-century Jerusalem

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

Quatrains

Sestets

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

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

"His eyes were eyes to die for."

"Leave him alone."
23 What does the word "Galilee" refer to?
A type of headdress

A sea

A temple in ancient Jerusalem

A silent movie
24 Who is Barabbas?
The speaker's late first husband

A priest who leaves the church after a scandal

The speaker's maid

The man who is pardoned instead of Jesus
25 Which theme is the most prominent in this work?
Desire

Imagination

Childhood and coming of age

Class

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…