The Leash Quizzes

The Leash Quiz

By Rebecca Bedell · Edited by James Cooper · Last reviewed October 02, 2022

1 The sky "swallows only ______ in each of us"

the unsayable

the deadly water

the fearful

the hatred
2 Why is the river poisoned?

An oil spill

Chemical warfare

A coal mine

Acid rain
3 What image is used to describe the crowd attacked by gunfire?

Singing together

Waving candles

Holding hands

Kneeling and praying
4 The speaker asks, "how can you not fear _____"

the bombs

survival

humanity

this life
5 What "comes back belly up"?

The river

Miners

Fish

The dog
6 What does "the wound closing" sound like?

A crackling fire

A creaking old barn

A speeding pickup truck

A rusted-over garage door
7 What command does the speaker have for the audience, and her dog?

"Don't die"

"Walk with me"

"Keep singing"

"Stay alive"
8 What is the "cold corpse" in the poem?

Winter

The river

The speaker

Time
9 "The truth is: ______"

We are all begging

I don't know

I hear it

What's left?
10 We are "begging for _____ from the speeding passage of time"

life

joy

summer

love
11 Which of the following animals does NOT appear in the poem?

Horse

Dog

Birds

Fish
12 What does "a crepitating crater of hatred" refer to?

The country

The sky

The barrel of a gun

The well
13 Where does the dog walk when she is being obedient?

The speaker's heels

In the street

The speaker's front

On the grass
14 What unrealistic hope for her dog does the speaker express?

That she will survive forever

That she can understand the speaker's words

That she will always walk politely

That she would survive a car accident
15 What does the speaker say "we are always hurtling our bodies toward"?

The dry creek bottom

The thing that will obliterate us

The hope that will sustain us

The next roaring thing
16 How many stanzas does this poem have?

Thirty-three

One

Two

Twenty-four
17 Which of the following positions did Ada Limón take up in 2022?

Professor Emerita

Editor-in-chief of Poetry Magazine

Librarian of Congress

U.S. Poet Laureate
18 What is the name of the book containing "The Leash"?

The Hurting Kind

Bright Dead Things

Lucky Wreck

The Carrying
19 During which decade was this poem published?

2000s

2010s

2020s

1990s
20 Where was "The Leash" initially published?

The Slowdown

PBS

The Kenyon Review

Poem-a-Day from the Academy of American Poets
21 What prestigious prize did "The Leash" win in 2018?

The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

The Hugo Award

The Pushcart Prize

The T.S. Eliot Prize
22 What is Ada Limón's day job?

She is a high school teacher

She is a full-time poet

She is a horse-racing executive

She is a politician
23 Why does Ada Limón think poetry is the right place to handle intense political topics?

Because it is so widely read on the internet

Because it is always very personal

Because it doesn't have to provide a tidy answer

Because it is not a money-making art form
24 Why does Ada Limón think people are reading more poetry in recent years?

Because poetry is complex, not one-dimensional

Because poetry is one-dimensional, not complex

Because poetry is easily translated

Because poetry is always hopeful
25 Bonus question: what is the name of Limón's dog?

Buttercup

Lily Bean

Luca

Laura

The Leash Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Leash is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for The Leash

The Leash study guide contains a biography of Ada Limón, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Leash…