Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A park

A restaurant

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

Religion

Music

Domesticity
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?
Zest and love

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant

Anxious, excited, curious
6 What frightens the children?
A dead mouse in a moustrap

Their mother's solemn piano music

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside
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?
Metaphor

Enjambment

Allusion

Simile
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?
a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

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 practicing music

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman comforting her children
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.

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The mother

Rubinstein

The children

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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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

Future

Past

Past perfect
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
12

14

17

10
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
17

14

10

12
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

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

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

"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

A pot boiling over

Music being played

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

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1950s

1980s

1960s

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

Practice piano

Fight

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?
All women should be mothers.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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