1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Verbal irony Metaphor Personification Simile 2 What does "foretold" mean? Threatened Imagined Predicted Dreaded 3 Who is the speaker? The grandchild An omniscient third person The grandmother The almanac 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Tercets Sestets Quatrains Sestets and a tercet 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Metaphor Simile Understatement Hyperbole 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Repression Adventure Trauma Care 7 In what month does the poem take place? September November December October 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 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 It contains two repeated, alternating refrains, which appear at the close of every stanza 9 Which best describes the two characters' dynamic? They are haunted by a recent tragedy, but discuss that event at length to comfort each other 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 10 Which is NOT one of the repeated words in this poem? tears stove grandmother kettle 11 What is an almanac? A joke book A type of reference book containing information such as calendars A journal used for recording household expenditures A family photo album 12 What does "rigid" mean? Rude Sturdy Ironic Inflexible 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Blood Tears The ocean Milk 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABBA CDDC EFFE ABABAB It is unrhymed ABBCDD EFFGEE 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Painful Funny Hard Mysterious 16 What does the child draw? Herself A house A stove The moon 17 When was this poem first published? 1953 1956 1979 1928 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? An aubade A strophe A volta An envoi 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? A brand of kitchenware An adjective meaning "amazing" A sect of Christianity A media company 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 6 16 5 7 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "sings on the stove" "September rain falls" "the old grandmother" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? Harpers The Paris Review None—it first appeared in book form The New Yorker 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? The death of the child's mother A house fire The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed A war 25 What is an equinox? 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 A night on which an eclipse happens
