Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A park

A woman's house

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

Religion

Domesticity

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

Mozart

Bach

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

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Piano concert tomorrow night

Zest and love
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Anxious, excited, curious

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant
6 What frightens the children?
Their mother's solemn piano music

A dead mouse in a moustrap

A howling wind outside

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

The woman's muscles

The woman's heart

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:
Boredom

Enthusiasm

Delight

Disgust
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 pushing a stroller

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman practicing music

A woman comforting her children
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Zest and love / drain out with soapy water as she scours

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.
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?
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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

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

Present

Future

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
10

17

14

12
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?
"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

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

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

"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
A door slamming

Music being played

Children screaming

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"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"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"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 ___.
1960s

1950s

1980s

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

Fight

Practice piano

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

then scream and fight

children caper

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.

All women should be mothers.

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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