Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A restaurant

A park

A woman's house
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?
Motherhood

Religion

Music

Domesticity
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Rubinstein

Bach

Stravinsky

Mozart
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
Tasty dishes from stale bread

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Anxious, excited, curious

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Calm, ebullient, observant
6 What frightens the children?
The pot boiling over

Their mother's solemn piano music

A dead mouse in a moustrap

A howling wind outside
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?
The woman's fingers

The woman's veins

The woman's muscles

The woman's heart
8 Which of the following literary devices is NOT used in the poem?
Simile

Metaphor

Allusion

Enjambment
9 It is implied that Rubenstein reacted to the woman's performance with:
Disgust

Enthusiasm

Boredom

Delight
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
scream and fight, with a sense of anger

the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman comforting her children

A woman practicing music

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Zest and love / drain out with soapy water as she scours

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The mother

Rubinstein

The father

The children
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?
dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent

move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something

do a thorough search in order to locate something
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Present

Past perfect

Past

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
14

12

10

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

17

14

12
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"

"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
Children screaming

Music being played

A door slamming

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"

"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1980s

1970s

1950s

1960s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Caper

Practice piano

Chatter

Fight
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
children caper

a wave of nausea overpowers

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

All women should be mothers.

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Study Guide for Suburban Sonnet

Suburban Sonnet study guide contains a biography of Gwen Harwood, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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