In the Park Quizzes

1 Which of the following literary devices is NOT used in the poem?

Allusion

Simile

Metaphor

Quotation marks to signal dialogue or thought
2 What is the form of the poem?

Free verse

Elegy

Villanelle

Sonnet
3 Which of the following best captures the meaning of "rehearsing" as used in Line 9?

mentally preparing or reciting words one intends to say

practicing a play, piece of music, or other work for later public performance

supervising a performer or group that is practicing

recounting in order (enumerating)
4 The reader can infer that the woman has how many children?

Two

Four

Three

One
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

Melancholy and regretful

Wistful but hopeful

Foreboding and dark

Cheerful and content
6 Which of the following is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?

AABB ABAB ABCABC

ABBA ABBA ABCABC

AABB ABAB ABABAB

AAAB ABBB ABBABB
7 What is the "small balloon" in Line 8?

A thought bubble that the woman imagines rising out of her head

An imagined thought bubble rising out of the former lover's head

A helium balloon that the woman's child holds

A hot-air balloon passing over the park
8 Which of the following is the meaning of "neat" as used in Line 7?

done with or demonstrating skill or efficiency

interesting and fascinating

habitually tidy, well groomed, or well organized

well-groomed and elegant
9 What tense is used in the poem?

Present perfect tense

Past tense

A combination of present and past tense

Present tense
10 From which perspective is the poem narrated?

First-person

Limited or close third-person

A mixture of first- and third-person

Omniscient third-person
11 The final line of the poem concludes with "They have eaten me alive." To whom is the woman speaking?

Her children

The wind

Her former lover

Her husband
12 How many stanzas and lines are in the poem?

The first two stanzas are four lines each and the third stanza is six lines.

Three stanzas of six lines each.

Three stanzas of four lines each.

The first two stanzas are four lines each and the third stanza is seven lines.
13 Which of the following best characterizes the children in the poem?

Quiet and withdrawn

Sweet and calm

Rambunctious and creative

Demanding and irritating
14 Which of the following poetry devices are used in Line 1?

Parataxis

Caesura

End-stopping

All of the above
15 The poem implies that the woman's clothes are ____.

old and unfashionable

bold, but in ill taste

dirty and torn

clean and well-fitting
16 In what year was this poem published?

1975

1980

1961

1955
17 What is the poem's attitude towards traditional, patriarchal society?

Critical and questioning

Skeptical but ultimately accepting

Unquestioning and traditional

Supportive and celebratory
18 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

Gender roles

Identity

Friendship

Motherhood
19 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes the argument this poem makes about gender?

The poem highlights the challenges and emotional burden associated with motherhood.

The poem demonstrates how women feel confined by social stereotypes to act as if motherhood is always enjoyable and rewarding, even when they do not truly feel this way.

The poem suggests that, contrary to the prevailing view in the 1960s, not all women are happy with the duties of motherhood.

The poem advocates for rigid gender roles and suggests that women inherently find joy in motherhood.
20 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?

Australia

The woman's home

A bench next to some dirt

A park
21 "she says to his departing smile" is an example of which of the following?

Caesura

Simile

Metonymy

Alliteration
22 What is enjambment?

A pause near the middle of a line.

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

A break between words within a metrical foot.

The continuation of a sentence across a line break in a poem.
23 What is the meaning of "nursing" as used in Line 12?

The profession or practice of providing care for the sick.

Trying to cure or alleviate an injury.

Breastfeeding a baby.

Slowly drinking.
24 Which of the following details about Gwen Harwood is most relevant to the themes of the poem?

She was awarded the Robert Frost Medal for her poetry in 1977.

She studied music and is a talented pianist.

She is from Australia.

She published many of her poems under a male pseudonym.
25 Which of the following is an example of spoken dialogue in the poem?

"but for the grace of God…”

“Time holds great surprises.”

"she says to his departing smile."

"Two children whine and bicker,"

In the Park

by Gwen Harwood

In the Park Quiz

In the Park Questions and Answers

Study Guide for In the Park