Poppies in October Quizzes

Poppies in October Quiz Poppies in October

1 The word "ignite" means:
To stay up late

To stir

To abolish or stamp out

To set on fire
2 How does this poem's speaker portray urban life?
As crowded and impoverished

As overwhelming and competitive

As monotonous and corrupted

As vibrant and diverse
3 Fill in the blank: "Utterly ____ for"
Ignored

Unasked

Insulted

Longed
4 Which sound creates alliteration in the phrase "forest of frosts"?
T

S

O

F
5 Fill in the blank: "Dulled to a _____ under bowlers"
Blankness

Rot

Halt

Sleep
6 What best describes this speaker's criteria for beauty?
Intensity and immediacy

Prettiness and subtlety

Multisensory appeal

Usefulness and helpfulness
7 Fill in the blank: "Nor the woman in the _____"
Office

Ambulance

Library

Florist's
8 What did poppies come to signify following World War I?
Pacifism

Remembrace of dead soldiers

Patriotic volunteerism

Chemical weapons
9 The "S" sounds in the phrase ""sun-clouds this morning cannot manage such skirts" are an example of which of the following?
Alliteration

Anaphora

Hyperbole

Onomatopoeia
10 What is carbon monoxide?
A dangerous invisible gas

A particle used in perfumes

A component of oxygen that we breathe

A medicinal substance
11 What did poppies generally signify in Ancient Greek culture?
Sleep, death, and rest

Rusticity and simplicity

Desire, sex, and compulsiveness

Pleasure, hedonism, and extravagance
12 How does the speaker view the relationship between death and beauty?
They consider death to be the opposite of beauty

They believe that death is merely a gateway to a beautiful afterlife

They consider death and beauty to be intertwined

They view beauty as a doomed fight against death
13 What do poppies symbolize in this poem?
The tragedy of war

Sleep

Doomed romance

Unexpected natural beauty
14 What do bowler hats metonymically represent in this poem?
An older, Victorian worldview

Socialist politics

The academic world

The culture of the business class
15 Which of the following statements is true regarding Victorian floral symbolism?
Tropical flowers were generally associated with feeling and instinct

Flower types, but never colors, were considered symbolically loaded

Flowers were ascribed both positive and negative emotional symbolism

Floral symbolism was considered occult and immoral
16 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
ABBA ABBA ABBA

ABCC ACBB ABCC

ABB ABB ABB ABB

The poem has no regular rhyme scheme
17 What type of stanzas does "Poppies in October" consist of?
Sextets

Tercets

Quatrains

Couplets
18 Fill in the blank: "That these late _____ should open"
Hands

Doors

Mouths

Windows
19 Who is the speaker of this poem?
A young woman from the city

A businessman raised on a farm

No identifying information about the speaker is provided

A small child
20 How are clouds personified in this poem?
The speaker addresses the clouds, implying they have consciousness

The clouds briefly narrate the poem in their own voice

The speaker suggests that the clouds are attempting to outshine the poppies

The clouds are described as looking like chubby children
21 The description of a woman's heart "blooming" is most explicitly a metaphor for which of the following?
Obsession

Hunger

Blood

Kindness
22 Which of the following statements regarding the symbolism of the lily is correct?
Lilies were often used to symbolize childhood innocence

Lilies were often used to symbolize the non-Christian world

Lilies were often used to symbolize the souls of the unbaptised

Lilies were often used to symbolize the Virgin Mary and purity
23 What does Plath use as a metaphor to describe flowers?
Shoes

Spiders

Mouths

Books
24 Which word best describes the poem's speaker?
Impulsive

Perceptive

Ambitious

Righteous
25 Why is the image of a bleeding woman ironic?
The image is unexpectedly frightening despite the poem's peaceful setting

The woman does not know she is bleeding, in an instance of dramatic irony

The speaker sarcastically suggests that the woman will survive

It is unexpectedly linked to beautiful natural images

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