Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A woman's house

A concert hall

A restaurant

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

Motherhood

Music

Domesticity

Religion
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Mozart

Bach

Rubinstein

Stravinsky
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?

Zest and love

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Piano concert tomorrow night

Tasty dishes from stale bread
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?

Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Anxious, excited, curious

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed
6 What frightens the children?

Their mother's solemn piano music

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

A dead mouse in a moustrap
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?

The woman's muscles

The woman's fingers

The woman's veins

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

Metaphor

Allusion

Enjambment

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

Disgust

Enthusiasm

Boredom

Delight
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

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 comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

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?

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

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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 mother

The children

Rubinstein
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

do a thorough search in order to locate something

move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something

clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.

Present

Past perfect

Past

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

17

14

10

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

12

17

14

10
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?

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

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

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

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

A pot boiling over

Children screaming

Music being played

A door slamming
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?

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

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

1950s

1970s

1980s

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

Practice piano

Caper

Chatter

Fight
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

then scream and fight

a wave of nausea overpowers

children caper

the soft corpse won't move
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?

All women should be mothers.

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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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