Mrs Midas Quizzes

1 Where is the speaker in the first stanza?

The caravan

The kitchen

The garden

The bedroom
2 What bothers Mrs Midas the most about her husband's wish?

His lack of forethought

His selfishness

His idiocy

His greed
3 Which foods are referenced in the poem?

Hamburgers, french fries, apples, and salmon.

Pears, corn, fast food, trout, and apples.

Apples, trout, bread, hamburgers, and chocolate.

Pears, corn, cod, steak, and buttermilk.
4 Which of the following is an example of personification in the poem?

Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich. (Line 20)

I gazed, entranced, / as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. (Lines 34-35)

we grew Fondante d’Automne – / and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. (Lines 10-11)

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)
5 "Mrs Midas" appears in which of Carol Ann Duffy's collections?

Rapture (2003)

Standing Female Nude (1985)

The World's Wife (1999)

Selling Manhattan (1987)
6 What does Mrs Midas dream about the night after her husband's wish comes true?

A bowl of apples

Her husband's embrace

The music of Pan

Giving birth to a golden child
7 Which best describes Mrs Midas's attitude toward her husband?

Loving and supportive

Exasperated but accepting

Cold and uncaring

Angry and mournful
8 What does "halcyon" mean in Line 41?

A type of gold

A golden, glowing light

A past time that was idyllic and peaceful

Chaotically passionate
9 How many lines does each stanza have?

7

4

5

6
10 Which is an example of simile in the poem?

its little tongue / like a precious latch (Lines 45-46)

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)

But now I feared his honeyed embrace, / the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. (Lines 41-42)

We’d a caravan in the wilds, in a glade of its own (Lines 49-50)
11 Which perspective is the poem told from?

Second person

First person

Limited third-person

Omniscient third-person
12 What does the word "luteous" mean in Line 35?

A faint glow

Yellow tinged with green or brown

A flower stem

Solid gold
13 What does "a beautiful lemon mistake" (Line 57) refer to in the poem?

The hare that Midas attempted to touch

Midas's footprints

The golden trout in the river

The golden table after Midas touched it
14 In which month is the poem set?

October

June

August

September
15 What does Midas do after making his wish?

Laugh

Enter the house

Ask for wine

All of the above
16 Which is an example of alliteration used in the poem?

its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue (Line 50)

a hare hung from a larch (Line 58)

then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow (Line 5)

under the cover of dark (Line 53)
17 Which Greek god is EXPLICITLY referenced in the poem?

Zeus

Pan

Dionysus

Demeter
18 What is an allegory?

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
19 What does the word "caravan" mean in Line 49?

A group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa.

A vehicle equipped for living in, typically a trailer towed by a car and used when traveling for recreation.

Any large group of people, typically with vehicles or animals, traveling together in single file.

A covered horse-drawn wagon.
20 Which of the following describes the relationship between the myth of Midas and the poem "Mrs Midas?"

Mrs Midas is an ironic commentary on the myth.

Mrs Midas is a creative retelling of the myth through a feminist lens.

Mrs Midas is a translation of the myth.

Mrs Midas alludes to the myth, but is actually about the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
21 What does Mrs Midas NOT do in response to Midas's ability to turn everything he touches into gold?

Demand that he move out.

Put a chair in front of her bedroom door.

Lock the cat in the cellar.

Wear protective gloves before touching him.
22 Which of the following animals is NOT referenced in the poem?

Flies

Hare

Trout

Deer
23 Which of the following is NOT alluded to in the poem?

Miss Macready

the Greek god Pan

the Bible

the Field of the Cloth of Gold
24 What "stopped" Mrs Midas "dead" due to memories of her husband (Line 65)?

Hearing the music of Pan

Golden trout

A bowl of apples

A dream about their baby
25 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?

marriage and relationships

the trauma of war

mortality

greed and masculinity

Mrs Midas

by Carol Ann Duffy

Mrs Midas Quiz

Mrs Midas Questions and Answers

Study Guide for Mrs Midas