The Emperor of Ice Cream Quizzes

The Emperor of Ice Cream Quiz

1 Who makes the ice cream?
the speaker

the newspaper boys

the mother

the roller of big cigars
2 Which is NOT an adjective you could apply to the cigar man, based on the poem's description of him?
arrogant

strong

masculine

capable
3 What do the boys bring to the house?
desserts

flowers

bed sheets

funeral clothes
4 What are the wenches doing?
wrapping up the body

hanging around

taking care of the boys

complaining
5 How are the ice cream curds described?
delicious

lustful

unwanted

surprising
6 What object in the poem is NOT made to seem old?
the woman

the dresser

the newspapers

the ice cream
7 What is embroidered on the sheet used to cover the body?
birds

hearts

leaves

flowers
8 What is the woman’s dresser lacking?
its top drawer

three glass knobs

two cigars

a hand-held mirror
9 How would you describe the woman’s dresser?
ornate

stained

cheap

new
10 What is the problem with the embroidered sheet?
it is fraying

it is ugly

it is transparent

it is too short
11 What part of the woman’s body might remain visible?
her closed eyes

her stringy hair

her horny feet

her wrinkled hands
12 What would that exposed body part tell us about the dead woman?
she is unpopular and alone

she is cold and silent

she is stiff and heavy

she is old and rich
13 What kind of light does the speaker ask for in the penultimate line?
the kitchen light

the sunlight through the window

the lit candles

the lamp beam
14 What is the central contrast of the poem?
life versus death

fun versus sadness

peace versus anger

masculine versus feminine
15 Which of the following is NOT a way you could describe the tone of the poem?
sexual

vengeful

whimsical

declarative
16 What type of sentence makes up the majority of the poem?
interjection

explanatory

imperative

interrogative
17 Which formal device does Stevens use sparingly at the end of each stanza?
allusion

meter

rhyme

alliteration
18 What might the speaker mean by “Let be be finale of seem”?
Let death be the end of imagination

Let pure reality replace artifice and illusion

Let happiness only exist because of material things

Let all your poems only deal with simple topics
19 Which of the following does ice cream NOT represent in the poem?
pleasure

vivacity

maturity

desire
20 What do ice cream and death have in common?
they are desirable

they are rare

they are inevitable

they are cold
21 In this poem, Stevens primarily uses ________ details.
auditory

physical

natural

scientific
22 What is the spatial or temporal relationship of the two stanzas?
they occur in different seasons

they occur in different cities

they are two separate memories

they occur in different rooms
23 Where does the poem most likely take place?
India

Florida

Italy

Maine
24 According to the poem, which of the following is NOT a good descriptor for human life?
mundane

pristinely organized

energetic

sexual
25 Why did Stevens count this poem as his favorite?
it has a very complex meter

it is extremely personal

it references the most Classical poets

it is gaudy like poetry itself

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The Emperor of Ice Cream study guide contains a biography of Robert Louis Stevenson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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