1 Which of the following does NOT characterize Thomas Hardy's writing? Disillusionment Country folkways The difficulties of life The optimistic view that God will save humanity 2 What does "Wessex" refer to? Hardy's fictional literary landscape Ancient Southwestern England Hardy's town of origin Current day South England 3 When was Wessex Poems and Other Verses published? 1900 1879 1898 1912 4 Which writer has NOT named Hardy as an influence? Robert Frost Philip Larkin W.H. Auden George Eliot 5 What does the title "Neutral Tones" refer to? The speaker's true sense of passivity The speaker's preference for a muted palette The ex-lover's quiet and thoughtful nature The neutral imagery and mood in the poem 6 Which best characterizes the speaker? After breaking up with his ex-partner, the speaker maintains a facade of passivity that does not quite manage to conceal his bitterness. The speaker suffered more than his partner as a result of the relationship. The speaker is finally able to heal from his past relationship and embark on a new one. The speaker has read Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven." 7 What is true about the speaker's partner? She has blue eyes. She left a devastating impression on the speaker as a result of the break-up. She suffered more than the speaker did. She refers to Thomas Hardy's first wife. 8 Define "rove." (noun) a grouping of ash trees (verb) attempt to plant in starving sod (verb) travel constantly without a fixed destination; wander (noun) a secret place in a forest 9 What could be another word for "ominous"? threatening auspicious lucky futuristic 10 In which season is the poem set? Winter Summer Spring Unspecified 11 Which is NOT a theme in the poem? The Facade of Neutrality Love, Loss, and Disillusionment The Optimism of Love The Persistence of Memories 12 What does God do to the white sun in the first stanza? chides curses conceals casts 13 What does God do to the white sun in the fourth stanza? chides celebrates hides curses 14 What does the starving sod represent? The speaker is starving as a result of the break-up. The ground of the speaker's relationship to his ex is sterile, as is the speaker's capacity for new love. The lower-class people of Wessex suffered more than the upper-class. Humans don't know how to farm efficiently. 15 What does winter symbolize in the poem? Cycles, rest, and family Death, hibernation, and endings Slowness, tidiness, and introspection Cookies, Santa, and celebration 16 What is revealed in the first line? The speaker's angry bitterness The ex-lover's smile The setting and the facade of neutrality The ending of the relationship 17 Define "keen." (adjective) neutral (adjective) disengenuous (adjective) sharp and well-defined (noun) a heartfelt cry 18 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABCD AABB The poem does not rhyme ABBA 19 What is the rhyme scheme reminiscent of? The poetry of Alfred Tennyson None The first octave of Petrarchan sonnets The final quatrain of Shakespearean sonnets 20 What does the speaker compare his ex-partner's bitter grin to? A raven arriving at one's doorstep An ominous bird taking flight A crow coming home to roost A blackbird singing in a tree 21 What is the speaker's final perspective on love? Love is incorrect, unjust, and immoral. Love requires great sacrifice in order to receive its rewards. Love is capable of harm, but one must choose to risk one's heart. Love is cruel but it pays off. 22 What is polysyndeton? A literary device in which one word refers in part to another The bleak despair that demonstrates the speaker's outlook The purposeful repetition of conjunctions in close succession for emphasis A kind of metaphor 23 Which is not a symbol in the poem? Winter The yellow sun The ex-partner's smile The white sun 24 Which is NOT a simile in the poem? "And the sun was white, as though chidden of God" "Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove / Over tedious riddles of years ago" "And a grin of bitterness swept thereby / Like an ominous bird a-wing" "The change was like the knell" 25 Which best describes Hardy's religious views? Spiritualistic Agnostic, but complexly so Evangelical Christian Devout atheist who refuses to discuss God