Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A concert hall

A park

A woman's house
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?
Motherhood

Domesticity

Religion

Music
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Bach

Rubinstein

Mozart

Stravinsky
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant

Anxious, excited, curious

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative
6 What frightens the children?
A dead mouse in a moustrap

A howling wind outside

The pot boiling over

Their mother's solemn piano music
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?
The woman's heart

The woman's veins

The woman's muscles

The woman's fingers
8 Which of the following literary devices is NOT used in the poem?
Simile

Enjambment

Allusion

Metaphor
9 It is implied that Rubenstein reacted to the woman's performance with:
Delight

Disgust

Boredom

Enthusiasm
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman pushing a stroller

A woman comforting her children

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman practicing music
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Beside her on the floor two children chatter

When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid.

Zest and love / drain out with soapy water as she scours

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The father

Rubinstein

The children

The mother
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?
do a thorough search in order to locate something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent

move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Future

Past

Past perfect

Present
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
12

17

10

14
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

12

17

14
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"

"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
Children screaming

A door slamming

Music being played

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"to no one now if she plays well or not."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1960s

1980s

1950s

1970s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Caper

Fight

Chatter

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
children caper

a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
Music is more important than poetry.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

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Study Guide for Suburban Sonnet

Suburban Sonnet study guide contains a biography of Gwen Harwood, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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