Pilate’s Wife Quizzes

Pilate's Wife Quiz Literary Devices and Themes

1 What is the poem's meter?

Iambic tetrameter

Trochaic pentameter

Iambic pentameter

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

Jesus

Mary

Moses

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

Sweet

Musical

Idle

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

"like shells from Galilee"

"They seized the prophet then and dragged him out"

"each tough palm was skewered"

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

ABABCDECDE

ABBACDDC

ABAB

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

Fatherhood

The role of bystanders

Art

Gender
7 Which of the following lines displays alliteration?

"The crowd was baying for Barabbas."

"His face? Ugly. Talented."

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

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

The wife of the biblical figure Pontius Pilate

An unnamed soldier in World War II

A politician's wife in 1960s California

A female mystic in medieval France
9 Which is the poem's most prominent symbol?

Skulls

Donkeys

Hands

Thorns
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 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
11 Who is the poem's antagonist?

The speaker

The maid

The Emperor

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

Food

Gender

Racism

The destruction of nature
13 In which poetry collection did this first appear?

Standing Female Nude

Little Red Cap

The World's Wife

Mean Time
14 What is the closest synonym of the word "baying"?

Weeping

Howling

Resting

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

Books

Twigs

Mice

Moths
16 Which line uses assonance most extensively?

"His brown hands touched me."

"Their pale, mothy touch made me flinch."

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

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

Humorous

Inquisitive

Pragmatic

Lamenting
18 In which year was this poem first published?

2005

1999

2012

1978
19 Pilate displays many traits associated with femininity, despite his power as a man. This is an instance of what?

Situational Irony

Dramatic Irony

Paradox

Verbal Irony
20 What is the poem's setting?

First-century Jerusalem

Fifteenth-century Europe

Eighteenth-century India

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

Quatrains

Quintains

Tercets

Sestets
22 Which contains is an example of sibilance?

"His eyes were eyes to die for."

"bored stiff, disguised"

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

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

A silent movie

A temple in ancient Jerusalem

A sea

A type of headdress
24 Who is Barabbas?

The speaker's maid

The man who is pardoned instead of Jesus

The speaker's late first husband

A priest who leaves the church after a scandal
25 Which theme is the most prominent in this work?

Imagination

Desire

Class

Childhood and coming of age

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…