1 The phrase "her teacup full of dark brown tears" is an example of which of the following? Metaphor Simile Verbal irony Personification 2 What does "foretold" mean? Predicted Imagined Dreaded Threatened 3 Who is the speaker? The grandmother An omniscient third person The almanac The grandchild 4 What kind of stanzas are in this poem? Quatrains Tercets Sestets Sestets and a tercet 5 The word "birdlike" is an instance of what? Simile Hyperbole Understatement Metaphor 6 Which is NOT a major theme of this poem? Adventure Care Repression Trauma 7 In what month does the poem take place? October November September December 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 consists of couplets with identical end words, which are preceded by a rhymed word It builds up to a volta, or turn, which takes place after either the eighth or twelfth line 9 Which best describes the two characters' dynamic? They are hostile with one another, blaming each other for their shared past 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 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 grandmother tears 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? Ironic Sturdy Inflexible Rude 13 To what does Bishop compare the tea in the grandmother's cup? Blood The ocean Tears Milk 14 What is the poem's rhyme scheme? ABBA CDDC EFFE ABBCDD EFFGEE It is unrhymed ABABAB 15 What does the word "inscrutable" mean? Hard Funny Mysterious Painful 16 What does the child draw? Herself The moon A house A stove 17 When was this poem first published? 1979 1928 1956 1953 18 What is the final stanza of a sestina called? An aubade A strophe A volta An envoi 19 Where is the poem set? New Orleans Boston The English countryside Its setting is unstated 20 What does "Marvel" refer to in this poem? A media company A brand of kitchenware A sect of Christianity An adjective meaning "amazing" 21 How many stanzas are in this poem? 7 6 16 5 22 Which of the following contains alliteration? "the old grandmother" "shows it proudly to the grandmother." "sings on the stove" "September rain falls" 23 In which publication did this poem first appear? The Paris Review Harpers None—it first appeared in book form The New Yorker 24 What has traumatized the characters in this poem? A war A house fire The precise nature of the event is hinted at but never revealed The death of the child's mother 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
