Poppies in October Quizzes

Poppies in October Quiz Poppies in October

1 The word "ignite" means:
To abolish or stamp out

To stay up late

To stir

To set on fire
2 How does this poem's speaker portray urban life?
As vibrant and diverse

As monotonous and corrupted

As crowded and impoverished

As overwhelming and competitive
3 Fill in the blank: "Utterly ____ for"
Ignored

Insulted

Unasked

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

T

O

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

Rot

Sleep

Halt
6 What best describes this speaker's criteria for beauty?
Usefulness and helpfulness

Prettiness and subtlety

Intensity and immediacy

Multisensory appeal
7 Fill in the blank: "Nor the woman in the _____"
Florist's

Office

Library

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

Chemical weapons

Patriotic volunteerism

Remembrace of dead soldiers
9 The "S" sounds in the phrase ""sun-clouds this morning cannot manage such skirts" are an example of which of the following?
Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

Hyperbole

Anaphora
10 What is carbon monoxide?
A component of oxygen that we breathe

A medicinal substance

A particle used in perfumes

A dangerous invisible gas
11 What did poppies generally signify in Ancient Greek culture?
Desire, sex, and compulsiveness

Sleep, death, and rest

Pleasure, hedonism, and extravagance

Rusticity and simplicity
12 How does the speaker view the relationship between death and beauty?
They consider death to be the opposite of beauty

They view beauty as a doomed fight against death

They consider death and beauty to be intertwined

They believe that death is merely a gateway to a beautiful afterlife
13 What do poppies symbolize in this poem?
Sleep

Doomed romance

Unexpected natural beauty

The tragedy of war
14 What do bowler hats metonymically represent in this poem?
An older, Victorian worldview

Socialist politics

The culture of the business class

The academic world
15 Which of the following statements is true regarding Victorian floral symbolism?
Floral symbolism was considered occult and immoral

Tropical flowers were generally associated with feeling and instinct

Flower types, but never colors, were considered symbolically loaded

Flowers were ascribed both positive and negative emotional symbolism
16 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
ABCC ACBB ABCC

The poem has no regular rhyme scheme

ABBA ABBA ABBA

ABB ABB ABB ABB
17 What type of stanzas does "Poppies in October" consist of?
Quatrains

Sextets

Couplets

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

Doors

Windows

Hands
19 Who is the speaker of this poem?
A young woman from the city

A businessman raised on a farm

No identifying information about the speaker is provided

A small child
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 suggests that the clouds are attempting to outshine the poppies

The speaker addresses the clouds, implying they have consciousness
21 The description of a woman's heart "blooming" is most explicitly a metaphor for which of the following?
Obsession

Kindness

Hunger

Blood
22 Which of the following statements regarding the symbolism of the lily is correct?
Lilies were often used to symbolize the non-Christian world

Lilies were often used to symbolize the Virgin Mary and purity

Lilies were often used to symbolize the souls of the unbaptised

Lilies were often used to symbolize childhood innocence
23 What does Plath use as a metaphor to describe flowers?
Books

Spiders

Shoes

Mouths
24 Which word best describes the poem's speaker?
Perceptive

Ambitious

Impulsive

Righteous
25 Why is the image of a bleeding woman ironic?
The woman does not know she is bleeding, in an instance of dramatic irony

It is unexpectedly linked to beautiful natural images

The speaker sarcastically suggests that the woman will survive

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…