Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A concert hall

A park

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

Religion

Domesticity

Music
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Bach

Rubinstein

Stravinsky

Mozart
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Piano concert tomorrow night

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Anxious, excited, curious
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 muscles

The woman's fingers

The woman's veins

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

Metaphor

Allusion

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

Delight

Enthusiasm

Disgust
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
scream and fight, with a sense of anger

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
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman practicing music

A woman comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot
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

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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 mother

The children

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

do a thorough search in order to locate something
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Future

Present

Past perfect

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
14

10

12

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

17

12

14
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

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

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

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

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"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."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1980s

1950s

1970s

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

Caper

Practice piano

Chatter
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
the soft corpse won't move

a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

children caper
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.

Music is more important than poetry.

All women should be mothers.

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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