Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A woman's house

A concert hall

A restaurant

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

Motherhood

Domesticity

Religion

Music
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Stravinsky

Rubinstein

Mozart

Bach
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?

Tasty dishes from stale bread

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?

Anxious, excited, curious

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed
6 What frightens the children?

Their mother's solemn piano music

A howling wind outside

A dead mouse in a moustrap

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

The woman's veins

The woman's heart

The woman's fingers

The woman's muscles
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

Disgust

Enthusiasm

Delight
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

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
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?

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?

Rubinstein

The father

The children

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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

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

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

Past

Present

Future

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

12

17

10

14
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?

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

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

"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 pot boiling over

Music being played

A door slamming

Children screaming
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

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

"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."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"to no one now if she plays well or not."
22 The poem was published in the ___.

1950s

1980s

1970s

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

Chatter

Caper

Fight

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

then scream and fight

a wave of nausea overpowers

children caper

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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