1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Simile Metaphor Verbal irony Personification 2 What does "foretold" mean? Threatened Predicted Imagined Dreaded 3 Who is the speaker? The grandchild The grandmother An omniscient third person The almanac 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Sestets Sestets and a tercet Tercets Quatrains 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Metaphor Understatement Simile Hyperbole 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Care Trauma Adventure Repression 7 In what month does the poem take place? December September October November 8 Which best describes the sestina as a form? It builds up to a volta, or turn, which takes place after either the eighth or twelfth line It contains repeated concluding words in every line, which shift order from one stanza to the next It contains two repeated, alternating refrains, which appear at the close of every stanza It consists of couplets with identical end words, which are preceded by a rhymed word 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 haunted by a recent tragedy, but discuss that event at length to comfort each other 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 10 Which is NOT one of the repeated words in this poem? grandmother kettle stove tears 11 What is an almanac? A journal used for recording household expenditures A type of reference book containing information such as calendars A family photo album A joke book 12 What does "rigid" mean? Sturdy Inflexible Ironic Rude 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Milk Tears Blood The ocean 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABBA CDDC EFFE ABABAB It is unrhymed ABBCDD EFFGEE 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Hard Mysterious Funny Painful 16 What does the child draw? A house A stove Herself The moon 17 When was this poem first published? 1928 1979 1953 1956 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A volta An envoi A strophe An aubade 19 Where is the poem set? Boston Its setting is unstated 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 16 7 5 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "September rain falls" "the old grandmother" "sings on the stove" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? None—it first appeared in book form The Paris Review The New Yorker Harpers 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A house fire A war 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 The longest day of the year A date on which the night and the day are of the same length The hottest night of the year
