Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A restaurant

A woman's house

A park
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?
Religion

Music

Motherhood

Domesticity
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Stravinsky

Rubinstein

Bach

Mozart
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant

Anxious, excited, curious
6 What frightens the children?
A howling wind outside

A dead mouse in a moustrap

The pot boiling over

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

The woman's heart

The woman's muscles

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

Simile

Metaphor

Allusion
9 It is implied that Rubenstein reacted to the woman's performance with:
Disgust

Delight

Enthusiasm

Boredom
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

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
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music

A woman comforting her children

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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

Zest and love / drain out with soapy water as she scours
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
Rubinstein

The father

The mother

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

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

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Past perfect

Past

Present

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

17

14

10
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

14

12

17
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"

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

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
A door slamming

A pot boiling over

Children screaming

Music being played
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"

"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Fight

Caper

Chatter

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
the soft corpse won't move

children caper

then scream and fight

a wave of nausea overpowers
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

Music is more important than poetry.

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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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