The Leash Quizzes

The Leash Quiz

1 The sky "swallows only ______ in each of us"
the deadly water

the fearful

the unsayable

the hatred
2 Why is the river poisoned?
A coal mine

Chemical warfare

Acid rain

An oil spill
3 What image is used to describe the crowd attacked by gunfire?
Holding hands

Waving candles

Singing together

Kneeling and praying
4 The speaker asks, "how can you not fear _____"
survival

humanity

this life

the bombs
5 What "comes back belly up"?
Miners

The dog

Fish

The river
6 What does "the wound closing" sound like?
A creaking old barn

A speeding pickup truck

A rusted-over garage door

A crackling fire
7 What command does the speaker have for the audience, and her dog?
"Stay alive"

"Don't die"

"Keep singing"

"Walk with me"
8 What is the "cold corpse" in the poem?
The river

The speaker

Winter

Time
9 "The truth is: ______"
I hear it

What's left?

I don't know

We are all begging
10 We are "begging for _____ from the speeding passage of time"
love

summer

life

joy
11 Which of the following animals does NOT appear in the poem?
Fish

Dog

Horse

Birds
12 What does "a crepitating crater of hatred" refer to?
The sky

The barrel of a gun

The well

The country
13 Where does the dog walk when she is being obedient?
On the grass

The speaker's heels

The speaker's front

In the street
14 What unrealistic hope for her dog does the speaker express?
That she will survive forever

That she will always walk politely

That she can understand the speaker's words

That she would survive a car accident
15 What does the speaker say "we are always hurtling our bodies toward"?
The hope that will sustain us

The next roaring thing

The thing that will obliterate us

The dry creek bottom
16 How many stanzas does this poem have?
Thirty-three

One

Two

Twenty-four
17 Which of the following positions did Ada Limón take up in 2022?
Professor Emerita

Editor-in-chief of Poetry Magazine

Librarian of Congress

U.S. Poet Laureate
18 What is the name of the book containing "The Leash"?
The Carrying

Bright Dead Things

The Hurting Kind

Lucky Wreck
19 During which decade was this poem published?
2020s

1990s

2000s

2010s
20 Where was "The Leash" initially published?
PBS

The Slowdown

Poem-a-Day from the Academy of American Poets

The Kenyon Review
21 What prestigious prize did "The Leash" win in 2018?
The Hugo Award

The Pushcart Prize

The T.S. Eliot Prize

The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
22 What is Ada Limón's day job?
She is a horse-racing executive

She is a politician

She is a high school teacher

She is a full-time poet
23 Why does Ada Limón think poetry is the right place to handle intense political topics?
Because it doesn't have to provide a tidy answer

Because it is so widely read on the internet

Because it is always very personal

Because it is not a money-making art form
24 Why does Ada Limón think people are reading more poetry in recent years?
Because poetry is complex, not one-dimensional

Because poetry is one-dimensional, not complex

Because poetry is easily translated

Because poetry is always hopeful
25 Bonus question: what is the name of Limón's dog?
Laura

Luca

Buttercup

Lily Bean

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Study Guide for The Leash

The Leash study guide contains a biography of Ada Limón, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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