Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A restaurant

A woman's house

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

Motherhood

Domesticity

Music
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?
Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Tasty dishes from stale bread
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Calm, ebullient, observant

Anxious, excited, curious

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative
6 What frightens the children?
Their mother's solemn piano music

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

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?
Enjambment

Allusion

Metaphor

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

Boredom

Disgust

Delight
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

scream and fight, with a sense of anger

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman practicing music
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
Rubinstein

The father

The children

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

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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Present

Future

Past

Past perfect
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
14

12

10

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
17

10

12

14
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

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

"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?
Music being played

Children screaming

A pot boiling over

A door slamming
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

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

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

Practice piano

Caper

Fight
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

a wave of nausea overpowers

children caper
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
All women should be mothers.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

Music is more important than poetry.

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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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