The Moon and the Yew Tree Quizzes

The Moon and the Yew Tree Quiz

1 Which of the following best summarizes this poem?

The speaker remembers her dead father as she looks at a yew tree.

The speaker attends Sunday service, where she witnesses the corrupt practices of the church.

The speaker appreciates the beauty of the moon.

The speaker observes the moon and a yew tree in a church graveyard, and feels bewildered and disoriented.
2 In what year was this poem published?

1963

1965

1964

1962
3 In what year was this poem written?

1966

1965

1967

1961
4 Which of the following best describes the form of this poem?

Iambic pentameter, heroic couplets

Iambic pentameter, ABAB rhyme scheme

Free verse, unrhymed and unmetered

Free verse, with some rhymes and lines in pentameter
5 Which of the following is NOT a major theme of this poem?

Death

Parenthood

Religion

War
6 Which of the following does NOT contain an example of alliteration or consonance?

“The moon is my mother”

“grasses unload their griefs”

“face of the effigy”

“blue garments unloose”
7 Which of the following accurately describes the argument this poem makes about religion?

No one should be discriminated against for their religious beliefs.

Religion is a major source of familial conflict and trauma.

Religion is the solution to familial conflict and trauma.

Institutionalized religion can lend itself to performative rather than genuine acts of worship.
8 Which of the following literary elements is NOT featured in this poem?

Allusion

Asyndeton

Personification

Consonance
9 Which of the following takes place in the final line of the poem?

The yew tree is cut down.

The yew tree delivers its message: blackness and silence.

The yew tree points up.

The yew tree is discovered by the speaker.
10 How many lines does this poem contain?

35

28

21

25
11 Which of the following might be read as an understatement in this poem?

"Fumy, spiritous mists inhabit this place"

"She is not sweet like Mary."

"Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection."

"It has a Gothic shape."
12 How many syllables does each line in this poem have?

7

6

8

5
13 Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?

The speaker's imagination of a certain planet

The house in which the speaker lives with her parents

A church graveyard near the speaker's house in broad daylight

A church graveyard near the speaker's house on the night of a full moon, imagined and perceived from the speaker's perspective
14 Which of the following best describes the conflict taking place in the poem?

The speaker's desire for religious freedom vs. institutionalized religion

The mother of the speaker vs. the father of the speaker

The moon vs. the sea it drags like a dark crime

Feelings of disorientation felt in the moonlit graveyard vs. the speaker’s desire for affection and a sense of direction
15 Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

Solemn, cryptic, contemplative, grim

Grateful, loving, pious, sentimental

Nostalgic, affectionate, celebratory, ebullient

Disparaging, critical, scathing, accusatory
16 Which line might be the climax of the poem?

"Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection."

"The eyes lift after it and find the moon."

"Separated from my house by a row of headstones."

"The moon sees nothing of this. She is bald and wild."
17 In which collection was this poem published?

The Bell Jar

Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams

Ariel

The Colossus
18 Which of the following INCORRECTLY describes this poem?

It is set in a specific historical period.

It has four stanzas.

It has an unnamed first-person speaker.

It makes extensive use of Biblical imagery.
19 Which of the following best describes the author?

A Romantic poet of the late nineteenth century

A confessional poet of the mid-twentieth century

A poet and playwright from the Elizabethan era

A modernist who was most active in the early twentieth century
20 Which of the following is NOT an example of rhyme or assonance from this poem?

“spiritous mists inhabit this”

“The moon is my mother”

“blue [...] pews”

“Eight great tongues”
21 "White as a knuckle and terribly upset" is NOT an example of which of the following?

Reference to an idiom

The color motif in this poem

Alliteration

Simile
22 What is the moon doing when it is "quiet / With the O-gape of complete despair"?

It makes a loud, yelling sound.

A giant, gaping hole is drilled through it.

It resembles a human mouth that silently gapes in the shape of the letter "O."

It resembles a human face that is white with grief.
23 "Her blue garments unloose small bats and owls" is NOT an example of which of the following?

Simile

Personification

Religious allusion

Metonymy
24 Which of the following is NOT a motif or symbol found in this poem?

The color red

The yew tree

The moon

The color blue
25 Which of the following accurately describes the book in which this poem was published?

It is Sylvia Plath's second and posthumous poetry collection.

It was written before Sylvia Plath married Ted Hughes.

It is Sylvia Plath's collection of poems, essays, and short stories.

It is Sylvia Plath's first poetry collection.

The Moon and the Yew Tree Questions and Answers

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

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for The Moon and the Yew Tree

The Moon and the Yew Tree study guide contains a biography of Sylvia Plath, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for The Moon and the Yew Tree…