To a Mouse Quizzes

To a Mouse Quiz

1 To which historical event does this poem implicitly respond?

The French revolution

The industrial revolution

The Irish potato famine

The American civil war
2 Burns metaphorically compares the components of the mouse's nest to which of the following?

Stones

Furniture

Bones

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

Irish English

Australian English

Scottish 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

Humans and animals will forever be at war

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
5 What is the difference in length between this poem's long and short lines?

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

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 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 Scottish cookie

A rural code of conduct
7 What is the meaning of the word "daimen"?

Demonic

Occasional

Cute

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

A blend of pity and envy

Friendly but uninquisitive tolerance

Uncontrollable fury

Gruff admiration
9 Which line of the poem contains onomatopoeia?

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me!
10 How many lines are in a Burns stanza?

Eight

Four

Three

Six
11 What does the mouse symbolize?

Miserable subsistence

Theft and dishonesty

The value of hard work

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

E

N

K

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

A mouse nest

A small child

An ear of corn

A late fall harvest
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"

Unwilling

Tired

An old-fashioned washing machien

Stream
17 What is this poem's rhyme scheme?

AAABAB

ABABABAB

ABCA

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

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

Sharp

A small mammal

Sleek

Damp
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 feet in a line

Number of stanzas
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 is old and will die before running out of food

He has so much that he won't notice the theft
22 Who is the speaker of this poem?

A mouse

A small child

A farmer

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

By running a plow into it

By stepping on it

By using it as timber

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

A type of plough

Constraint

Rattle

Spoiled
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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