The Moon and the Yew Tree Quizzes

The Moon and the Yew Tree Quiz

1 Which of the following best summarizes this poem?
The speaker appreciates the beauty of the moon.

The speaker observes the moon and a yew tree in a church graveyard, and feels bewildered and disoriented.

The speaker remembers her dead father as she looks at a yew tree.

The speaker attends Sunday service, where she witnesses the corrupt practices of the church.
2 In what year was this poem published?
1962

1963

1965

1964
3 In what year was this poem written?
1965

1961

1966

1967
4 Which of the following best describes the form of this poem?
Free verse, with some rhymes and lines in pentameter

Free verse, unrhymed and unmetered

Iambic pentameter, heroic couplets

Iambic pentameter, ABAB rhyme scheme
5 Which of the following is NOT a major theme of this poem?
Death

Parenthood

War

Religion
6 Which of the following does NOT contain an example of alliteration or consonance?
“grasses unload their griefs”

“face of the effigy”

“blue garments unloose”

“The moon is my mother”
7 Which of the following accurately describes the argument this poem makes about religion?
No one should be discriminated against for their religious beliefs.

Religion is a major source of familial conflict and trauma.

Institutionalized religion can lend itself to performative rather than genuine acts of worship.

Religion is the solution to familial conflict and trauma.
8 Which of the following literary elements is NOT featured in this poem?
Consonance

Asyndeton

Allusion

Personification
9 Which of the following takes place in the final line of the poem?
The yew tree points up.

The yew tree is discovered by the speaker.

The yew tree is cut down.

The yew tree delivers its message: blackness and silence.
10 How many lines does this poem contain?
35

28

21

25
11 Which of the following might be read as an understatement in this poem?
"Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection."

"She is not sweet like Mary."

"Fumy, spiritous mists inhabit this place"

"It has a Gothic shape."
12 How many syllables does each line in this poem have?
5

6

8

7
13 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?
The house in which the speaker lives with her parents

A church graveyard near the speaker's house on the night of a full moon, imagined and perceived from the speaker's perspective

A church graveyard near the speaker's house in broad daylight

The speaker's imagination of a certain planet
14 Which of the following best describes the conflict taking place in the poem?
The moon vs. the sea it drags like a dark crime

Feelings of disorientation felt in the moonlit graveyard vs. the speaker’s desire for affection and a sense of direction

The mother of the speaker vs. the father of the speaker

The speaker's desire for religious freedom vs. institutionalized religion
15 Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?
Disparaging, critical, scathing, accusatory

Nostalgic, affectionate, celebratory, ebullient

Grateful, loving, pious, sentimental

Solemn, cryptic, contemplative, grim
16 Which line might be the climax of the poem?
"The eyes lift after it and find the moon."

"Separated from my house by a row of headstones."

"Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection."

"The moon sees nothing of this. She is bald and wild."
17 In which collection was this poem published?
The Colossus

Ariel

Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams

The Bell Jar
18 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes this poem?
It makes extensive use of Biblical imagery.

It has four stanzas.

It has an unnamed first-person speaker.

It is set in a specific historical period.
19 Which of the following best describes the author?
A poet and playwright from the Elizabethan era

A modernist who was most active in the early twentieth century

A confessional poet of the mid-twentieth century

A Romantic poet of the late nineteenth century
20 Which of the following is NOT an example of rhyme or assonance from this poem?
“Eight great tongues”

“spiritous mists inhabit this”

“blue [...] pews”

“The moon is my mother”
21 "White as a knuckle and terribly upset" is NOT an example of which of the following?
Reference to an idiom

Simile

The color motif in this poem

Alliteration
22 What is the moon doing when it is "quiet / With the O-gape of complete despair"?
It resembles a human face that is white with grief.

It makes a loud, yelling sound.

It resembles a human mouth that silently gapes in the shape of the letter "O."

A giant, gaping hole is drilled through it.
23 "Her blue garments unloose small bats and owls" is NOT an example of which of the following?
Religious allusion

Personification

Simile

Metonymy
24 Which of the following is NOT a motif or symbol found in this poem?
The yew tree

The color red

The moon

The color blue
25 Which of the following accurately describes the book in which this poem was published?
It was written before Sylvia Plath married Ted Hughes.

It is Sylvia Plath's collection of poems, essays, and short stories.

It is Sylvia Plath's second and posthumous poetry collection.

It is Sylvia Plath's first poetry collection.

The Moon and the Yew Tree Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Moon and the Yew Tree is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for The Moon and the Yew Tree

The Moon and the Yew Tree study guide contains a biography of Sylvia Plath, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Moon and the Yew Tree…