To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?

The French revolution

The American civil war

The Irish potato famine

The industrial revolution
2 Burns metaphorically compares the components of the mouse's nest to which of the following?

Stones

Bones

Walls

Furniture
3 Which dialect of English does this poem's speaker use?

Scottish English

Irish English

Indian English

Australian English
4 Which best summarizes the sentence "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men/Gang aft agley"?

Having a map is necessary when you're out in the wilderness

Humans and animals will forever be at war

It's important to learn from ways of beings different from your own

It's impossible for anybody to perfectly plan out their life
5 What is the difference in length between this poem's long and short lines?

The long lines are written in pentameter, the short ones in monometer

The long lines are written in dimeter, the short ones in monometer

The long lines are written in octameter, the short ones in tetrameter

The long lines are written in tetrameter, the short ones in dimeter
6 What is the meaning of the word "cranreuch"?

A rural code of conduct

A Scottish cookie

A type of mist

A bag used by farmers
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?

Occasional

Cute

Underground

Demonic
8 What is the speaker's attitude towards the mouse?

Gruff admiration

Uncontrollable fury

Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance

A blend of pity and envy
9 Which line of the poem contains onomatopoeia?

Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me!

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
10 How many lines are in a Burns stanza?

Six

Four

Eight

Three
11 What does the mouse symbolize?

Miserable subsistence

The value of hard work

The innocence of the natural world

Theft and dishonesty
12 What sounds in the phrase "broken nature's social union" produce assonance?

O

E

K

N
13 What is the definition of the word "icker"?

A late fall harvest

A mouse nest

An ear of corn

A small child
14 At what time of year does this poem take place?

Midsummer

Late fall

Early summer

Christmas
15 What type of poetic foot makes up most of this poem?

Iambs

Dactyls

Spondees

Trochees
16 Define the word "laith"

Tired

An old-fashioned washing machien

Unwilling

Stream
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?

AABABAB

AAABAB

ABCA

ABABABAB
18 Why does the speaker express a longing to be like the mouse?

The speaker is slow and tired, while the mouse is quick and nimble

The mouse doesn't have the emotional burden of thinking about the past or the future

The mouse doesn't have to work and lives off of theft

The mouse has a family, while the speaker is alone
19 What is the definition of the word "sleeket"?

Sleek

A small mammal

Damp

Sharp
20 What element of a poem is NOT typically dictated by the guidelines of a Burns stanza?

Number of feet in a line

Number of lines per stanza

Number of stanzas

Rhyme scheme
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?

He has so much that he won't notice the theft

He is too depressed to eat

He believes that the life of a mouse is worth more than the life of a human

He is old and will die before running out of food
22 Who is the speaker of this poem?

A farmer

A cat

A mouse

A small child
23 How does the speaker destroy the mouse's nest?

By letting his dog dig it up

By running a plow into it

By using it as timber

By stepping on it
24 What is the definition of the word "brattle"?

Spoiled

A type of plough

Constraint

Rattle
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?

Three

Five

Eight

Ten

Study Guide for To a Mouse

To a Mouse study guide contains a biography of Robert Burns, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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To a Mouse

by Robert Burns

To a Mouse Quiz

To a Mouse Questions and Answers

Study Guide for To a Mouse

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