To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?

The American civil war

The industrial revolution

The Irish potato famine

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

Bones

Stones

Furniture

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

Australian English

Irish English

Scottish English

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

Humans and animals will forever be at war

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

It's impossible for anybody to perfectly plan out their life

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

A rural code of conduct

A type of mist

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

Underground

Demonic

Occasional

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

A blend of pity and envy

Uncontrollable fury

Gruff admiration

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?

Four

Eight

Six

Three
11 What does the mouse symbolize?

Theft and dishonesty

Miserable subsistence

The value of hard work

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

N

O

K

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

An ear of corn

A late fall harvest

A mouse nest

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

Christmas

Midsummer

Early summer

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

Trochees

Iambs

Dactyls

Spondees
16 Define the word "laith"

An old-fashioned washing machien

Unwilling

Tired

Stream
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?

ABCA

ABABABAB

AAABAB

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

The mouse has a family, while the speaker is alone

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 speaker is slow and tired, while the mouse is quick and nimble
19 What is the definition of the word "sleeket"?

A small mammal

Damp

Sleek

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

Rhyme scheme

Number of lines per stanza

Number of stanzas

Number of feet in a line
21 Why is the speaker unconcerned about the mouse stealing food?

He is too depressed to eat

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

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

He is old and will die before running out of food
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 letting his dog dig it up

By using it as timber

By running a plow into it

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

Spoiled

Rattle

Constraint

A type of plough
25 How many stanzas make up this poem?

Eight

Five

Ten

Three

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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