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