Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A concert hall

A restaurant

A park

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

Motherhood

Music

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

Stravinsky

Rubinstein

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

Tasty dishes from stale bread

100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Piano concert tomorrow night
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 howling wind outside

Their mother's solemn piano music

The pot boiling over

A dead mouse in a moustrap
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?
The woman's muscles

The woman's veins

The woman's fingers

The woman's heart
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

Disgust

Delight

Boredom
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one

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
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

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

Beside her on the floor two children chatter

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

The father

The mother

The children
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

do a thorough search in order to locate something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

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

Present

Past perfect

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

14

12

17
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
10

12

14

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"

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

"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 door slamming

A pot boiling over
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"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?
"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

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

"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1980s

1960s

1950s

1970s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Practice piano

Fight

Caper

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

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

a wave of nausea overpowers
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.

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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