1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Metaphor Personification Simile Verbal irony 2 What does "foretold" mean? Imagined Threatened Predicted Dreaded 3 Who is the speaker? An omniscient third person The grandmother The grandchild The almanac 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Sestets Quatrains Tercets Sestets and a tercet 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Understatement Metaphor Hyperbole Simile 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Repression Trauma Adventure Care 7 In what month does the poem take place? October December September November 8 Which best describes the sestina as a form? It builds up to a volta, or turn, which takes place after either the eighth or twelfth line It contains two repeated, alternating refrains, which appear at the close of every stanza It consists of couplets with identical end words, which are preceded by a rhymed word It contains repeated concluding words in every line, which shift order from one stanza to the next 9 Which best describes the two characters' dynamic? They are hostile with one another, blaming each other for their shared past They are haunted by a recent tragedy, but discuss that event at length to comfort each other They are both haunted by the same event, but do no openly discuss that event They are blissfully happy, as-yet unaware of the tragedy in their family 10 Which is NOT one of the repeated words in this poem? grandmother stove kettle tears 11 What is an almanac? A family photo album A journal used for recording household expenditures A joke book A type of reference book containing information such as calendars 12 What does "rigid" mean? Ironic Rude Sturdy Inflexible 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Tears Blood The ocean Milk 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABABAB It is unrhymed ABBCDD EFFGEE ABBA CDDC EFFE 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Hard Painful Funny Mysterious 16 What does the child draw? Herself A stove A house The moon 17 When was this poem first published? 1979 1928 1956 1953 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? A volta An aubade An envoi A strophe 19 Where is the poem set? Boston New Orleans The English countryside Its setting is unstated 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? A brand of kitchenware An adjective meaning "amazing" A media company A sect of Christianity 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 5 6 16 7 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "the old grandmother" "September rain falls" "sings on the stove" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? The New Yorker None—it first appeared in book form The Paris Review Harpers 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A house fire A war The death of the child's mother The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed 25 What is an equinox? The hottest night of the year A date on which the night and the day are of the same length The longest day of the year A night on which an eclipse happens
