To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?
The Irish potato famine

The American civil war

The French revolution

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?
Irish English

Scottish English

Australian English

Indian English
4 Which best summarizes the sentence "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men/Gang aft agley"?
It's impossible for anybody to perfectly plan out their life

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

Humans and animals will forever be at war

Having a map is necessary when you're out in the wilderness
5 What is the difference in length between this poem's long and short lines?
The long lines are written in dimeter, the short ones in monometer

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

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

The long lines are written in octameter, the short ones in tetrameter
6 What is the meaning of the word "cranreuch"?
A rural code of conduct

A bag used by farmers

A Scottish cookie

A type of mist
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?
Occasional

Cute

Demonic

Underground
8 What is the speaker's attitude towards the mouse?
Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance

A blend of pity and envy

Uncontrollable fury

Gruff admiration
9 Which line of the poem contains onomatopoeia?
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

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

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

Six

Eight

Four
11 What does the mouse symbolize?
The value of hard work

Miserable subsistence

Theft and dishonesty

The innocence of the natural world
12 What sounds in the phrase "broken nature's social union" produce assonance?
N

K

O

E
13 What is the definition of the word "icker"?
An ear of corn

A late fall harvest

A small child

A mouse nest
14 At what time of year does this poem take place?
Late fall

Early summer

Christmas

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

Spondees

Dactyls

Iambs
16 Define the word "laith"
Unwilling

Tired

Stream

An old-fashioned washing machien
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?
AABABAB

ABABABAB

ABCA

AAABAB
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"?
Sharp

Sleek

Damp

A small mammal
20 What element of a poem is NOT typically dictated by the guidelines of a Burns stanza?
Number of lines per stanza

Number of stanzas

Rhyme scheme

Number of feet in a line
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?
He has so much that he won't notice the theft

He is old and will die before running out of food

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 cat

A farmer

A small child
23 How does the speaker destroy the mouse's nest?
By running a plow into it

By letting his dog dig it up

By using it as timber

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

Constraint

Spoiled

Rattle
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?
Eight

Ten

Three

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

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