Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?

A park

A restaurant

A concert hall

A woman's house
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?

Religion

Domesticity

Motherhood

Music
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?

Tasty dishes from stale bread

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night
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

A dead mouse in a moustrap

The pot boiling over

A howling wind outside
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?

The woman's heart

The woman's muscles

The woman's fingers

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

Enjambment

Metaphor

Simile

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

Boredom

Disgust

Enthusiasm

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

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

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

A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman practicing music

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman comforting her children
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.

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

The mother

The children

Rubinstein

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

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

do a thorough search in order to locate something

move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.

Present

Future

Past perfect

Past
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?

10

12

14

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?

10

14

12

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

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

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

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

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

Children screaming

Music being played

A door slamming

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"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"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?

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

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

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

1960s

1980s

1970s

1950s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?

Fight

Practice piano

Caper

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

children caper

the soft corpse won't move

a wave of nausea overpowers

then scream and fight
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.

Music is more important than poetry.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

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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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