To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?

The industrial revolution

The American civil war

The Irish potato famine

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

Walls

Stones

Bones

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

Scottish English

Indian English

Irish 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

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

Humans and animals will forever be at war

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 bag used by farmers

A type of mist

A rural code of conduct

A Scottish cookie
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?

Demonic

Occasional

Underground

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

Gruff admiration

Uncontrollable fury

A blend of pity and envy

Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance
9 Which line of the poem contains onomatopoeia?

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

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

Till crash! the cruel coulter past
10 How many lines are in a Burns stanza?

Three

Four

Six

Eight
11 What does the mouse symbolize?

The value of hard work

Miserable subsistence

The innocence of the natural world

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

K

N

O

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

An ear of corn

A mouse nest

A late fall harvest

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

Christmas

Early summer

Midsummer

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

Spondees

Iambs

Dactyls

Trochees
16 Define the word "laith"

An old-fashioned washing machien

Unwilling

Tired

Stream
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?

ABABABAB

AAABAB

AABABAB

ABCA
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 has a family, while the speaker is alone

The mouse doesn't have to work and lives off of theft
19 What is the definition of the word "sleeket"?

Damp

A small mammal

Sharp

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

Rhyme scheme

Number of stanzas

Number of feet in a line

Number of lines per stanza
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?

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

A mouse

A farmer

A cat

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

By using it as timber

By stepping on it

By running a plow into it

By letting his dog dig it up
24 What is the definition of the word "brattle"?

Rattle

Constraint

A type of plough

Spoiled
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?

Eight

Three

Ten

Five

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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