Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A park

A restaurant

A concert hall

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

Motherhood

Music

Domesticity

Religion
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Rubinstein

Mozart

Stravinsky

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

Zest and love

Tasty dishes from stale bread

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

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

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Anxious, excited, curious

Calm, ebullient, observant

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed
6 What frightens the children?

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

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 veins

The woman's heart

The woman's muscles

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

Simile

Enjambment

Metaphor

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

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 comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

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

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

clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.

Future

Past perfect

Present

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

10

12

14

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

17

12

14

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

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

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

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

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?

Music being played

A door slamming

Children screaming

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

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

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

"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,"

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

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

1960s

1980s

1950s

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

Fight

Practice piano

Caper

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?

All women should be mothers.

Music is more important than poetry.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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