Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A concert hall

A woman's house

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

Religion

Motherhood

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

Rubinstein

Bach

Stravinsky
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
Piano concert tomorrow night

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

100 delicious recipes for the holidays
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Anxious, excited, curious

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed
6 What frightens the children?
A howling wind outside

The pot boiling over

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 heart

The woman's muscles

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

Simile

Allusion

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

Enthusiasm

Boredom

Disgust
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

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 cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman practicing music

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.

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The father

The children

The mother

Rubinstein
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?
move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something

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

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.
Past

Future

Present

Past perfect
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
10

14

17

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

17

12

14
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"

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

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

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

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

Chatter

Fight

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight

the soft corpse won't move

children caper
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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