Poppies in October Quizzes

Poppies in October Quiz Poppies in October

1 The word "ignite" means:

To stir

To stay up late

To abolish or stamp out

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

As crowded and impoverished

As vibrant and diverse

As overwhelming and competitive

As monotonous and corrupted
3 Fill in the blank: "Utterly ____ for"

Insulted

Longed

Ignored

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

O

S

T

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

Sleep

Rot

Blankness

Halt
6 What best describes this speaker's criteria for beauty?

Multisensory appeal

Prettiness and subtlety

Usefulness and helpfulness

Intensity and immediacy
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?

Patriotic volunteerism

Remembrace of dead soldiers

Chemical weapons

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

Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

Anaphora

Hyperbole
10 What is carbon monoxide?

A component of oxygen that we breathe

A medicinal substance

A dangerous invisible gas

A particle used in perfumes
11 What did poppies generally signify in Ancient Greek culture?

Sleep, death, and rest

Desire, sex, and compulsiveness

Rusticity and simplicity

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 consider death and beauty to be intertwined

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

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

Doomed romance

Sleep

Unexpected natural beauty

The tragedy of war
14 What do bowler hats metonymically represent in this poem?

The culture of the business class

An older, Victorian worldview

The academic world

Socialist politics
15 Which of the following statements is true regarding Victorian floral symbolism?

Flowers were ascribed both positive and negative emotional symbolism

Floral symbolism was considered occult and immoral

Tropical flowers were generally associated with feeling and instinct

Flower types, but never colors, were considered symbolically loaded
16 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?

The poem has no regular rhyme scheme

ABB ABB ABB ABB

ABCC ACBB ABCC

ABBA ABBA ABBA
17 What type of stanzas does "Poppies in October" consist of?

Couplets

Sextets

Quatrains

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

Windows

Doors

Mouths

Hands
19 Who is the speaker of this poem?

A small child

A young woman from the city

A businessman raised on a farm

No identifying information about the speaker is provided
20 How are clouds personified in this poem?

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

The clouds briefly narrate the poem in their own voice

The clouds are described as looking like chubby children

The speaker addresses the clouds, implying they have consciousness
21 The description of a woman's heart "blooming" is most explicitly a metaphor for which of the following?

Obsession

Blood

Kindness

Hunger
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 Virgin Mary and purity

Lilies were often used to symbolize the non-Christian world

Lilies were often used to symbolize the souls of the unbaptised
23 What does Plath use as a metaphor to describe flowers?

Books

Shoes

Mouths

Spiders
24 Which word best describes the poem's speaker?

Righteous

Perceptive

Ambitious

Impulsive
25 Why is the image of a bleeding woman ironic?

The speaker sarcastically suggests that the woman will survive

It is unexpectedly linked to beautiful natural images

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

The image is unexpectedly frightening despite the poem's peaceful setting

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