Pilate’s Wife Quizzes

Pilate's Wife Quiz Literary Devices and Themes

By Eleanor Stern · Edited by James Cooper · Last reviewed January 19, 2023

1 What is the poem's meter?

Trochaic pentameter

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic pentameter

Free verse
2 To whom does the phrase "The Nazarene" refer?

Jesus

Moses

Abraham

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

Idle

Indecisive

Sweet

Musical
4 Which of the following is an instance of simile?

"like shells from Galilee"

"clutched the bridle of an ass"

"They seized the prophet then and dragged him out"

"each tough palm was skewered"
5 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?

It has no consistent rhyme scheme

ABAB

ABABCDECDE

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

Gender

Art

The role of bystanders

Fatherhood
7 Which of the following lines displays alliteration?

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

"The crowd was baying for Barabbas."

"His face? Ugly. Talented."

"rough men shouldering a pathway to the gates."
8 Who is the poem's speaker?

The wife of the biblical figure Pontius Pilate

A politician's wife in 1960s California

A female mystic in medieval France

An unnamed soldier in World War II
9 Which is the poem's most prominent symbol?

Skulls

Donkeys

Thorns

Hands
10 What is the best description of the speaker's relationship to her maid?

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

The two are faithful companions and friends
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?

Food

The destruction of nature

Gender

Racism
13 In which poetry collection did this first appear?

Mean Time

Little Red Cap

Standing Female Nude

The World's Wife
14 What is the closest synonym of the word "baying"?

Weeping

Resting

Gossiping

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

Books

Mice

Twigs

Moths
16 Which line uses assonance most extensively?

"Their pale, mothy touch made me flinch."

"His brown hands touched me."

"I longed for Rome, home, someone else."

"the Nazarene was crowned with thorns."
17 Which best describes the poem's tone?

Humorous

Inquisitive

Lamenting

Pragmatic
18 In which year was this poem first published?

2005

2012

1978

1999
19 Pilate displays many traits associated with femininity, despite his power as a man. This is an instance of what?

Situational Irony

Paradox

Verbal Irony

Dramatic Irony
20 What is the poem's setting?

First-century Jerusalem

Twentieth-century Los Angeles

Eighteenth-century India

Fifteenth-century Europe
21 What stanza type is used in this poem?

Sestets

Tercets

Quintains

Quatrains
22 Which contains is an example of sibilance?

"bored stiff, disguised"

"His eyes were eyes to die for."

"Leave him alone."

"I woke up, sweating, sexual, terrified."
23 What does the word "Galilee" refer to?

A silent movie

A temple in ancient Jerusalem

A type of headdress

A sea
24 Who is Barabbas?

The speaker's late first husband

A priest who leaves the church after a scandal

The man who is pardoned instead of Jesus

The speaker's maid
25 Which theme is the most prominent in this work?

Childhood and coming of age

Desire

Imagination

Class

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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.

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