Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A woman's house

A concert hall

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

Music

Motherhood

Religion
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Mozart

Stravinsky

Bach

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

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Calm, ebullient, observant

Anxious, excited, curious

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative
6 What frightens the children?
A howling wind outside

Their mother's solemn piano music

A dead mouse in a moustrap

The pot boiling over
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?
The woman's fingers

The woman's muscles

The woman's veins

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

Metaphor

Allusion

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

Delight

Disgust

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

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman comforting her children

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The children

Rubinstein

The father

The mother
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?
clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent

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
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Present

Past perfect

Past

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
14

10

12

17
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?
"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"

"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"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
A door slamming

Children screaming

A pot boiling over

Music being played
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

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

"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1970s

1980s

1950s

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

Chatter

Fight

Caper
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move

children caper

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.

All women should be mothers.

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

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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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