1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Verbal irony Simile Metaphor Personification 2 What does "foretold" mean? Threatened Dreaded Imagined Predicted 3 Who is the speaker? The grandchild The almanac An omniscient third person The grandmother 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Tercets Sestets and a tercet Quatrains Sestets 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Simile Understatement Metaphor Hyperbole 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Adventure Trauma Care Repression 7 In what month does the poem take place? October September December November 8 Which best describes the sestina as a form? 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 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 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? kettle stove tears grandmother 11 What is an almanac? A type of reference book containing information such as calendars A joke book A journal used for recording household expenditures A family photo album 12 What does "rigid" mean? Ironic Rude Sturdy Inflexible 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Milk Blood The ocean Tears 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABABAB ABBCDD EFFGEE It is unrhymed ABBA CDDC EFFE 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Mysterious Funny Painful Hard 16 What does the child draw? A stove Herself The moon A house 17 When was this poem first published? 1979 1928 1953 1956 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A strophe An envoi An aubade A volta 19 Where is the poem set? The English countryside Boston New Orleans Its setting is unstated 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? An adjective meaning "amazing" A sect of Christianity A brand of kitchenware A media company 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 5 6 7 16 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? The Paris Review None—it first appeared in book form Harpers The New Yorker 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A house fire A war The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed The death of the child's mother 25 What is an equinox? The longest day of the year A night on which an eclipse happens The hottest night of the year A date on which the night and the day are of the same length
