Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A park

A restaurant

A concert hall

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

Motherhood

Domesticity

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

Bach

Mozart

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

Zest and love

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

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

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant

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

Their mother's solemn piano music

The pot boiling over

A dead mouse in a moustrap
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?
Enjambment

Allusion

Simile

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

Disgust

Boredom

Delight
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

scream and fight, with a sense of anger
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman comforting her children

A woman practicing music

A woman pushing a stroller
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The father

The children

Rubinstein

The mother
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

Future

Present

Past perfect
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
12

10

17

14
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
17

12

14

10
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"

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

"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"
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?
"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

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

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1970s

1950s

1980s

1960s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Chatter

Fight

Practice piano

Caper
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move

children caper
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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