To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?
The French revolution

The American civil war

The Irish potato famine

The industrial revolution
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?
Australian English

Irish English

Indian English

Scottish English
4 Which best summarizes the sentence "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men/Gang aft agley"?
It's important to learn from ways of beings different from your own

Having a map is necessary when you're out in the wilderness

It's impossible for anybody to perfectly plan out their life

Humans and animals will forever be at war
5 What is the difference in length between this poem's long and short lines?
The long lines are written in dimeter, the short ones in monometer

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

The long lines are written in octameter, the short ones in tetrameter

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

A rural code of conduct

A type of mist

A Scottish cookie
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?
Cute

Underground

Demonic

Occasional
8 What is the speaker's attitude towards the mouse?
Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance

Uncontrollable fury

Gruff admiration

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

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

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

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

Eight

Three

Six
11 What does the mouse symbolize?
Theft and dishonesty

The value of hard work

Miserable subsistence

The innocence of the natural world
12 What sounds in the phrase "broken nature's social union" produce assonance?
E

O

N

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

A mouse nest

An ear of corn

A late fall harvest
14 At what time of year does this poem take place?
Early summer

Midsummer

Christmas

Late fall
15 What type of poetic foot makes up most of this poem?
Spondees

Iambs

Dactyls

Trochees
16 Define the word "laith"
Tired

Unwilling

An old-fashioned washing machien

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

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

The speaker is slow and tired, while the mouse is quick and nimble

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

Sharp

Damp

Sleek
20 What element of a poem is NOT typically dictated by the guidelines of a Burns stanza?
Number of lines per stanza

Number of stanzas

Number of feet in a line

Rhyme scheme
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?
He is old and will die before running out of food

He is too depressed to eat

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

He has so much that he won't notice the theft
22 Who is the speaker of this poem?
A small child

A cat

A farmer

A mouse
23 How does the speaker destroy the mouse's nest?
By using it as timber

By letting his dog dig it up

By running a plow into it

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

A type of plough

Spoiled

Rattle
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?
Five

Ten

Three

Eight

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