Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A woman's house

A concert hall

A park

A restaurant
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?

Religion

Music

Motherhood

Domesticity
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Mozart

Stravinsky

Bach

Rubinstein
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?

Anxious, excited, curious

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed
6 What frightens the children?

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

Their mother's solemn piano music

A dead mouse in a moustrap
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?

The woman's muscles

The woman's heart

The woman's veins

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

Metaphor

Enjambment

Simile

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

Disgust

Enthusiasm

Delight

Boredom
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

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

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

scream and fight, with a sense of anger
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman comforting her children

A woman practicing music

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?

The father

The children

Rubinstein

The mother
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?

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

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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.

Past

Present

Past perfect

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

14

17

10

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

12

10

14

17
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?

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

"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?

A door slamming

A pot boiling over

Children screaming

Music being played
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

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

"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?

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

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

1950s

1970s

1960s

1980s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?

Chatter

Fight

Caper

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

a wave of nausea overpowers

children caper

then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?

Music is more important than poetry.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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