Poppies in October Quizzes

Poppies in October Quiz Poppies in October

1 The word "ignite" means:
To stir

To set on fire

To abolish or stamp out

To stay up late
2 How does this poem's speaker portray urban life?
As crowded and impoverished

As monotonous and corrupted

As overwhelming and competitive

As vibrant and diverse
3 Fill in the blank: "Utterly ____ for"
Unasked

Insulted

Ignored

Longed
4 Which sound creates alliteration in the phrase "forest of frosts"?
O

S

T

F
5 Fill in the blank: "Dulled to a _____ under bowlers"
Blankness

Sleep

Rot

Halt
6 What best describes this speaker's criteria for beauty?
Intensity and immediacy

Multisensory appeal

Usefulness and helpfulness

Prettiness and subtlety
7 Fill in the blank: "Nor the woman in the _____"
Library

Florist's

Ambulance

Office
8 What did poppies come to signify following World War I?
Pacifism

Chemical weapons

Remembrace of dead soldiers

Patriotic volunteerism
9 The "S" sounds in the phrase ""sun-clouds this morning cannot manage such skirts" are an example of which of the following?
Hyperbole

Alliteration

Onomatopoeia

Anaphora
10 What is carbon monoxide?
A medicinal substance

A dangerous invisible gas

A particle used in perfumes

A component of oxygen that we breathe
11 What did poppies generally signify in Ancient Greek culture?
Pleasure, hedonism, and extravagance

Rusticity and simplicity

Sleep, death, and rest

Desire, sex, and compulsiveness
12 How does the speaker view the relationship between death and beauty?
They view beauty as a doomed fight against death

They believe that death is merely a gateway to a beautiful afterlife

They consider death and beauty to be intertwined

They consider death to be the opposite of beauty
13 What do poppies symbolize in this poem?
The tragedy of war

Sleep

Doomed romance

Unexpected natural beauty
14 What do bowler hats metonymically represent in this poem?
An older, Victorian worldview

The culture of the business class

Socialist politics

The academic world
15 Which of the following statements is true regarding Victorian floral symbolism?
Tropical flowers were generally associated with feeling and instinct

Floral symbolism was considered occult and immoral

Flowers were ascribed both positive and negative emotional symbolism

Flower types, but never colors, were considered symbolically loaded
16 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
The poem has no regular rhyme scheme

ABB ABB ABB ABB

ABCC ACBB ABCC

ABBA ABBA ABBA
17 What type of stanzas does "Poppies in October" consist of?
Couplets

Sextets

Quatrains

Tercets
18 Fill in the blank: "That these late _____ should open"
Windows

Hands

Mouths

Doors
19 Who is the speaker of this poem?
A businessman raised on a farm

A young woman from the city

A small child

No identifying information about the speaker is provided
20 How are clouds personified in this poem?
The clouds briefly narrate the poem in their own voice

The clouds are described as looking like chubby children

The speaker addresses the clouds, implying they have consciousness

The speaker suggests that the clouds are attempting to outshine the poppies
21 The description of a woman's heart "blooming" is most explicitly a metaphor for which of the following?
Blood

Hunger

Kindness

Obsession
22 Which of the following statements regarding the symbolism of the lily is correct?
Lilies were often used to symbolize the Virgin Mary and purity

Lilies were often used to symbolize childhood innocence

Lilies were often used to symbolize the souls of the unbaptised

Lilies were often used to symbolize the non-Christian world
23 What does Plath use as a metaphor to describe flowers?
Shoes

Mouths

Spiders

Books
24 Which word best describes the poem's speaker?
Righteous

Perceptive

Impulsive

Ambitious
25 Why is the image of a bleeding woman ironic?
The speaker sarcastically suggests that the woman will survive

It is unexpectedly linked to beautiful natural images

The woman does not know she is bleeding, in an instance of dramatic irony

The image is unexpectedly frightening despite the poem's peaceful setting

Poppies in October Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Poppies in October is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Poppies in October

Poppies in October study guide contains a biography of Sylvia Plath, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Poppies in October…