Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

By Katrina Spencer · Edited by James Cooper · Last reviewed January 31, 2023

1 Where is the poem set?

A park

A woman's house

A restaurant

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

Music

Motherhood

Domesticity

Religion
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?

Rubinstein

Stravinsky

Mozart

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

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

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

Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Anxious, excited, curious
6 What frightens the children?

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

A dead mouse in a moustrap

Their mother's solemn piano music
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?

The woman's veins

The woman's muscles

The woman's heart

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

Allusion

Metaphor

Enjambment

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

Delight

Enthusiasm

Disgust

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

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

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
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman comforting her children
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

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

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)?

The children

The mother

Rubinstein

The father
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.

Past

Present

Future

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

14

12

10

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

12

10

17

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?

A pot boiling over

A door slamming

Music being played

Children screaming
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

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

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

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"
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 ___.

1960s

1970s

1950s

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

Chatter

Fight

Practice piano

Caper
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?

a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

children caper

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

All women should be mothers.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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