Poppies in October Quizzes

Poppies in October Quiz Poppies in October

1 The word "ignite" means:

To stay up late

To abolish or stamp out

To set on fire

To stir
2 How does this poem's speaker portray urban life?

As crowded and impoverished

As vibrant and diverse

As overwhelming and competitive

As monotonous and corrupted
3 Fill in the blank: "Utterly ____ for"

Ignored

Insulted

Unasked

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

O

F

T

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

Sleep

Rot

Halt

Blankness
6 What best describes this speaker's criteria for beauty?

Intensity and immediacy

Multisensory appeal

Prettiness and subtlety

Usefulness and helpfulness
7 Fill in the blank: "Nor the woman in the _____"

Office

Ambulance

Library

Florist's
8 What did poppies come to signify following World War I?

Patriotic volunteerism

Chemical weapons

Pacifism

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

Anaphora

Alliteration

Hyperbole
10 What is carbon monoxide?

A dangerous invisible gas

A particle used in perfumes

A component of oxygen that we breathe

A medicinal substance
11 What did poppies generally signify in Ancient Greek culture?

Rusticity and simplicity

Pleasure, hedonism, and extravagance

Sleep, death, and rest

Desire, sex, and compulsiveness
12 How does the speaker view the relationship between death and beauty?

They consider death to be the opposite of beauty

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

They consider death and beauty to be intertwined

They view beauty as a doomed fight against death
13 What do poppies symbolize in this poem?

Sleep

The tragedy of war

Doomed romance

Unexpected natural beauty
14 What do bowler hats metonymically represent in this poem?

The culture of the business class

The academic world

An older, Victorian worldview

Socialist politics
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?

Tercets

Quatrains

Couplets

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

Doors

Hands

Mouths

Windows
19 Who is the speaker of this poem?

No identifying information about the speaker is provided

A businessman raised on a farm

A young woman from the city

A small child
20 How are clouds personified in this poem?

The speaker suggests that the clouds are attempting to outshine the poppies

The speaker addresses the clouds, implying they have consciousness

The clouds briefly narrate the poem in their own voice

The clouds are described as looking like chubby children
21 The description of a woman's heart "blooming" is most explicitly a metaphor for which of the following?

Blood

Hunger

Obsession

Kindness
22 Which of the following statements regarding the symbolism of the lily is correct?

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 Virgin Mary and purity

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

Spiders

Books

Shoes

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

Ambitious

Righteous

Impulsive

Perceptive
25 Why is the image of a bleeding woman ironic?

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

The speaker sarcastically suggests that the woman will survive

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