Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A restaurant

A woman's house

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

Religion

Domesticity

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

Bach

Stravinsky

Rubinstein
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

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Anxious, excited, curious
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 muscles

The woman's fingers

The woman's heart

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

Metaphor

Simile

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

Delight

Disgust

Enthusiasm
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

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
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman comforting her children

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 children

Rubinstein

The mother

The father
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.
Present

Past

Future

Past perfect
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
14

10

17

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
14

10

17

12
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?
"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"

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

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"
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,"

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1960s

1970s

1980s

1950s
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?
a wave of nausea overpowers

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

children caper
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.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

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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