To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?
The American civil war

The industrial revolution

The French revolution

The Irish potato famine
2 Burns metaphorically compares the components of the mouse's nest to which of the following?
Bones

Furniture

Stones

Walls
3 Which dialect of English does this poem's speaker use?
Indian English

Scottish English

Irish English

Australian English
4 Which best summarizes the sentence "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men/Gang aft agley"?
Having a map is necessary when you're out in the wilderness

It's important to learn from ways of beings different from your own

Humans and animals will forever be at war

It's impossible for anybody to perfectly plan out their life
5 What is the difference in length between this poem's long and short lines?
The long lines are written in octameter, the short ones in tetrameter

The long lines are written in dimeter, the short ones in monometer

The long lines are written in pentameter, the short ones in monometer

The long lines are written in tetrameter, the short ones in dimeter
6 What is the meaning of the word "cranreuch"?
A bag used by farmers

A type of mist

A Scottish cookie

A rural code of conduct
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?
Underground

Cute

Demonic

Occasional
8 What is the speaker's attitude towards the mouse?
Uncontrollable fury

Gruff admiration

Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance

A blend of pity and envy
9 Which line of the poem contains onomatopoeia?
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me!

Till crash! the cruel coulter past
10 How many lines are in a Burns stanza?
Four

Six

Eight

Three
11 What does the mouse symbolize?
The value of hard work

Theft and dishonesty

The innocence of the natural world

Miserable subsistence
12 What sounds in the phrase "broken nature's social union" produce assonance?
N

E

K

O
13 What is the definition of the word "icker"?
A small child

A late fall harvest

A mouse nest

An ear of corn
14 At what time of year does this poem take place?
Midsummer

Late fall

Early summer

Christmas
15 What type of poetic foot makes up most of this poem?
Iambs

Spondees

Trochees

Dactyls
16 Define the word "laith"
Unwilling

Stream

Tired

An old-fashioned washing machien
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?
AAABAB

AABABAB

ABABABAB

ABCA
18 Why does the speaker express a longing to be like the mouse?
The speaker is slow and tired, while the mouse is quick and nimble

The mouse doesn't have to work and lives off of theft

The mouse doesn't have the emotional burden of thinking about the past or the future

The mouse has a family, while the speaker is alone
19 What is the definition of the word "sleeket"?
Sleek

A small mammal

Sharp

Damp
20 What element of a poem is NOT typically dictated by the guidelines of a Burns stanza?
Rhyme scheme

Number of stanzas

Number of lines per stanza

Number of feet in a line
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?
He has so much that he won't notice the theft

He is old and will die before running out of food

He believes that the life of a mouse is worth more than the life of a human

He is too depressed to eat
22 Who is the speaker of this poem?
A mouse

A cat

A small child

A farmer
23 How does the speaker destroy the mouse's nest?
By running a plow into it

By using it as timber

By letting his dog dig it up

By stepping on it
24 What is the definition of the word "brattle"?
Rattle

Spoiled

Constraint

A type of plough
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?
Eight

Five

Three

Ten

Study Guide for To a Mouse

To a Mouse study guide contains a biography of Robert Burns, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for To a Mouse…

To a Mouse

by Robert Burns

To a Mouse Quiz

To a Mouse Questions and Answers

Study Guide for To a Mouse

Lesson Plan for To a Mouse