Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A concert hall

A restaurant

A park

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

Music

Motherhood

Religion

Domesticity
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?

Zest and love

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Anxious, excited, curious
6 What frightens the children?

A howling wind outside

The pot boiling over

A dead mouse in a moustrap

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

The woman's fingers

The woman's muscles

The woman's heart

The woman's veins
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:

Delight

Disgust

Boredom

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

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

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

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?

A woman comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot
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

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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

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

The mother

Rubinstein

The father

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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.

Present

Past perfect

Future

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

12

14

10

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

14

17

12

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"

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

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

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

Children screaming

Music being played

A pot boiling over

A door slamming
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

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

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"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."

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

1970s

1980s

1950s

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

Caper

Chatter

Fight

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

children caper

a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move
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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