Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A woman's house

A restaurant

A concert hall

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

Music

Motherhood

Domesticity

Religion
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Rubinstein

Stravinsky

Mozart

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

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Tasty dishes from stale bread
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?

The pot boiling over

Their mother's solemn piano music

A howling wind outside

A dead mouse in a moustrap
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?

Allusion

Simile

Metaphor

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

Enthusiasm

Delight

Boredom

Disgust
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 comforting her children

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman practicing music

A woman pushing a stroller
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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?

The children

The mother

Rubinstein

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

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.

Past perfect

Present

Future

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

17

10

14

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

14

12

17

10
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?

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

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

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

"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?

Children screaming

A pot boiling over

Music being played

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

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"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"
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 ___.

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?

Practice piano

Caper

Fight

Chatter
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

children caper

a wave of nausea overpowers
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

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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