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