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? Dreaded Threatened Predicted Imagined 3 Who is the speaker? An omniscient third person The grandmother The almanac The grandchild 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Tercets Quatrains 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? Repression Care Adventure Trauma 7 In what month does the poem take place? December September November 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 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 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 blissfully happy, as-yet unaware of the tragedy in their family They are both haunted by the same event, but do no openly discuss that event 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? kettle stove tears grandmother 11 What is an almanac? A family photo album A type of reference book containing information such as calendars A journal used for recording household expenditures A joke book 12 What does "rigid" mean? Inflexible Rude Sturdy Ironic 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Blood The ocean Tears Milk 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABBA CDDC EFFE It is unrhymed ABABAB ABBCDD EFFGEE 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Painful Hard Mysterious Funny 16 What does the child draw? The moon A house A stove Herself 17 When was this poem first published? 1928 1953 1956 1979 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A volta A strophe An envoi An aubade 19 Where is the poem set? Its setting is unstated New Orleans Boston The English countryside 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? A sect of Christianity A brand of kitchenware An adjective meaning "amazing" A media company 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 6 7 16 5 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "the old grandmother" "September rain falls" "sings on the stove" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? The Paris Review None—it first appeared in book form Harpers The New Yorker 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A war The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed A house fire The death of the child's mother 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
