1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Personification Simile Verbal irony Metaphor 2 What does "foretold" mean? Dreaded Predicted Imagined Threatened 3 Who is the speaker? An omniscient third person The almanac The grandchild The grandmother 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Sestets Quatrains Tercets Sestets and a tercet 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Understatement Metaphor Hyperbole Simile 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Repression Adventure Care Trauma 7 In what month does the poem take place? November December October September 8 Which best describes the sestina as a form? It consists of couplets with identical end words, which are preceded by a rhymed word It contains two repeated, alternating refrains, which appear at the close of every stanza It contains repeated concluding words in every line, which shift order from one stanza to the next It builds up to a volta, or turn, which takes place after either the eighth or twelfth line 9 Which best describes the two characters' dynamic? They are both haunted by the same event, but do no openly discuss that event They are blissfully happy, as-yet unaware of the tragedy in their family They are haunted by a recent tragedy, but discuss that event at length to comfort each other They are hostile with one another, blaming each other for their shared past 10 Which is NOT one of the repeated words in this poem? grandmother kettle stove tears 11 What is an almanac? A family photo album A joke book A type of reference book containing information such as calendars A journal used for recording household expenditures 12 What does "rigid" mean? Sturdy Rude Inflexible Ironic 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Milk The ocean Tears Blood 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABBCDD EFFGEE ABBA CDDC EFFE ABABAB It is unrhymed 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Hard Funny Mysterious Painful 16 What does the child draw? The moon A stove Herself A house 17 When was this poem first published? 1928 1953 1956 1979 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A strophe An aubade An envoi A volta 19 Where is the poem set? The English countryside Its setting is unstated Boston New Orleans 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? A media company A sect of Christianity A brand of kitchenware An adjective meaning "amazing" 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 16 6 7 5 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "the old grandmother" "sings on the stove" "September rain falls" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? The Paris Review The New Yorker None—it first appeared in book form Harpers 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A war A house fire The death of the child's mother The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed 25 What is an equinox? A night on which an eclipse happens A date on which the night and the day are of the same length The longest day of the year The hottest night of the year
