1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Metaphor Simile Verbal irony Personification 2 What does "foretold" mean? Imagined Threatened Predicted Dreaded 3 Who is the speaker? The almanac An omniscient third person The grandchild The grandmother 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Quatrains Tercets Sestets and a tercet Sestets 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Understatement Metaphor Hyperbole Simile 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Adventure Care Trauma Repression 7 In what month does the poem take place? December October September November 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 hostile with one another, blaming each other for their shared past They are haunted by a recent tragedy, but discuss that event at length to comfort each other 10 Which is NOT one of the repeated words in this poem? kettle tears grandmother stove 11 What is an almanac? A family photo album A joke book A journal used for recording household expenditures A type of reference book containing information such as calendars 12 What does "rigid" mean? Sturdy Rude Ironic Inflexible 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? The ocean Milk Blood Tears 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABABAB ABBA CDDC EFFE ABBCDD EFFGEE It is unrhymed 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Funny Mysterious Hard Painful 16 What does the child draw? Herself A stove The moon A house 17 When was this poem first published? 1979 1953 1956 1928 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A strophe An aubade A volta An envoi 19 Where is the poem set? Its setting is unstated Boston The English countryside New Orleans 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? An adjective meaning "amazing" A media company A brand of kitchenware A sect of Christianity 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 6 7 16 5 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "September rain falls" "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "the old grandmother" "sings on the stove" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? Harpers The New Yorker The Paris Review None—it first appeared in book form 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A house fire The death of the child's mother A war The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed 25 What is an equinox? A date on which the night and the day are of the same length The hottest night of the year The longest day of the year A night on which an eclipse happens
