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?
Religion

Music

Domesticity

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

Rubinstein

Stravinsky

Bach
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Anxious, excited, curious

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant
6 What frightens the children?
A howling wind outside

The pot boiling over

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 fingers

The woman's heart

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

Simile

Enjambment

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

Disgust

Enthusiasm

Boredom
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

the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

scream and fight, with a sense of anger
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 practicing music

A woman pushing a stroller
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

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)?
Rubinstein

The mother

The father

The children
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

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

Present

Past perfect

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
10

12

14

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
17

14

12

10
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

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

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

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

Children screaming

A pot boiling over

A door slamming
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?
"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

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

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1950s

1980s

1960s

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

Fight

Caper

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
then scream and fight

children caper

a wave of nausea overpowers

the soft corpse won't move
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

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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