The Emperor of Ice Cream Quizzes

The Emperor of Ice Cream Quiz

1 Who makes the ice cream?

the roller of big cigars

the speaker

the mother

the newspaper boys
2 Which is NOT an adjective you could apply to the cigar man, based on the poem's description of him?

strong

masculine

arrogant

capable
3 What do the boys bring to the house?

flowers

desserts

bed sheets

funeral clothes
4 What are the wenches doing?

complaining

taking care of the boys

hanging around

wrapping up the body
5 How are the ice cream curds described?

unwanted

lustful

surprising

delicious
6 What object in the poem is NOT made to seem old?

the dresser

the ice cream

the woman

the newspapers
7 What is embroidered on the sheet used to cover the body?

hearts

flowers

leaves

birds
8 What is the woman’s dresser lacking?

its top drawer

a hand-held mirror

three glass knobs

two cigars
9 How would you describe the woman’s dresser?

cheap

stained

new

ornate
10 What is the problem with the embroidered sheet?

it is too short

it is fraying

it is ugly

it is transparent
11 What part of the woman’s body might remain visible?

her closed eyes

her horny feet

her stringy hair

her wrinkled hands
12 What would that exposed body part tell us about the dead woman?

she is old and rich

she is cold and silent

she is unpopular and alone

she is stiff and heavy
13 What kind of light does the speaker ask for in the penultimate line?

the lit candles

the lamp beam

the sunlight through the window

the kitchen light
14 What is the central contrast of the poem?

fun versus sadness

life versus death

masculine versus feminine

peace versus anger
15 Which of the following is NOT a way you could describe the tone of the poem?

sexual

vengeful

whimsical

declarative
16 What type of sentence makes up the majority of the poem?

explanatory

interrogative

interjection

imperative
17 Which formal device does Stevens use sparingly at the end of each stanza?

meter

rhyme

allusion

alliteration
18 What might the speaker mean by “Let be be finale of seem”?

Let happiness only exist because of material things

Let death be the end of imagination

Let all your poems only deal with simple topics

Let pure reality replace artifice and illusion
19 Which of the following does ice cream NOT represent in the poem?

desire

maturity

vivacity

pleasure
20 What do ice cream and death have in common?

they are rare

they are cold

they are desirable

they are inevitable
21 In this poem, Stevens primarily uses ________ details.

scientific

auditory

natural

physical
22 What is the spatial or temporal relationship of the two stanzas?

they occur in different seasons

they occur in different rooms

they occur in different cities

they are two separate memories
23 Where does the poem most likely take place?

Maine

India

Florida

Italy
24 According to the poem, which of the following is NOT a good descriptor for human life?

pristinely organized

mundane

energetic

sexual
25 Why did Stevens count this poem as his favorite?

it is extremely personal

it references the most Classical poets

it is gaudy like poetry itself

it has a very complex meter

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The Emperor of Ice Cream study guide contains a biography of Robert Louis Stevenson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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