Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A woman's house

A park

A concert hall

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?

Rubinstein

Stravinsky

Mozart

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

Piano concert tomorrow night

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Tasty dishes from stale bread
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Anxious, excited, curious

Calm, ebullient, observant

Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative
6 What frightens the children?

A dead mouse in a moustrap

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside

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

The woman's fingers

The woman's heart

The woman's veins

The woman's muscles
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:

Enthusiasm

Boredom

Delight

Disgust
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 comforting her children

A woman pushing a stroller

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?

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

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

Rubinstein

The mother

The children

The father
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

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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

Future

Present

Past perfect

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

17

12

10

14
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

10

14

17

12
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?

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

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

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

"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?

Children screaming

A door slamming

A pot boiling over

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"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

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

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"
22 The poem was published in the ___.

1980s

1950s

1960s

1970s
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

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

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.

All women should be mothers.

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

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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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