Truth (Chaucer poem) Quizzes

Truth (Chaucer poem) "Truth"

1 Which work is Geoffrey Chaucer best known for?

On the Consolation of Philosophy

The Canterbury Tales

Truth

The Revelations of Divine Love
2 In what sense is "Truth" uncharacteristic of Chaucer's work?

It does not employ any wordplay or figurative language

It is written in verse

It is sincere and religious

It is written for a courtly audience
3 Which line most specifically suggests the specific audience of "Truth"?

Rule well yourself, who others advise here

Therefore, La Vache, cease your old wretchedness

Let your thing suffice, though it be small

Here’s not your home, here is but wilderness
4 What is the original language of "Truth"?

French

Old English

Middle English

German
5 What is the tone of the first stanza?

Frustrated, even angry

Cynical, ironic

Urgent, almost panicked

Measured and rational
6 Which literary device does Chaucer most extensively employ in the first stanza?

Parallel sentence structure

Alliteration

Figurative language

Allusion
7 Which of the following best describes the irony of the first stanza?

Sir Philip thinks he is such a good person, but he is actually selfish and judgmental

He who seeks good things on earth will only make his life worse

The speaker gives good advice but does not follow it

Sir Philip wants to rule others, but cannot even rule himself
8 Which of the following BEST expresses the meaning of "the crooked" in line 8?

Wealthy people

Misled people

Dishonest people

People with crooked spines
9 Who is "her who wobbles like a ball"?

A fat woman

The heavens

Philip's lover

The earth
10 Which of the following BEST expresses the meaning of "busyness" in line 10?

Difficult but necessary labor

Domestic work

Having a great deal to do

Work for the sake of work
11 What does the metaphor "kicking at an awl" imply about trying to make the world a better place?

The world will not affect you, nor you it

The world will injure you if you try to fight against it

To change the world, you must also take on risk

The world is delicate and you must not be violent with it
12 Which literary device does NOT appear in the second stanza?

Apostrophe

Metaphor

Alliteration

Simile
13 Fill in the blank: The line "control yourself, who would control your peer" casts self-control and power as:

Both impossible

Mutually dependent

Mutually exclusive

Both necessary
14 What does the crockery represent in line 22?

Wealth

The speaker

The world

Sir Philip
15 Which of the following is NOT a similarity between stanza one and stanza two?

Both discuss similar things

Both use parallel sentence structure

Both use figurative language

Both employ a similar tone
16 Which of the following is most similar to the relationship between the speaker and the addressee?

Lover and beloved

Enemies seeking to destroy each other

Friends on equal terms

King and counsellor
17 What does the speaker mean when he tells his addressee to "know your country"?

Don't delude yourself into forgetting the flaws of your country

Remember that your real home is heaven

Don't forget your family when you become powerful

Don't forget English customs and values on your travels
18 What does the speaker mean when he tells the addressee to "hold the high way"

Don't get lost on your travels

Don't try to change the world, just go along with everyone else

Retain control of the actions of those in your realm

Conform your actions to Christian religious law
19 Which of the following did NOT influence "Truth"?

De contemptu mundi by Bernard of Cluny

The Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich

On the Misery of the Human Condition by Pope Innocent III

On the Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
20 Which of the following BEST describes the role of "contemptus mundi" in late medieval culture

Increasingly influential idea

Fringe concept

Widely held belief

Universally accepted dogma
21 Which of the following contains a pun on the name "la Vache"?

Here’s not your home, here is but wilderness

Beware therefore of kicking at an awl

Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beast, out of your stall!

Let your thing suffice, though it be small
22 What is the rhyme scheme of "Truth"?

ababbcc

ababaaa

abababb

abcabca
23 What is the "envoy"?

An addendum added by another poet to summarize the poem

A concluding stanza that summarizes the poem and identifies its addressee

A messenger who arrives and interrupts the speaker

A satirical conclusion that undermines the preceding stanzas
24 Which line of the final stanza is slightly at odds with the preceding stanzas?

And truth shall deliver you, have no fear

For yourself, and others, for heavenly cheer

To the world cease now to be in thrall

Cry Him mercy, that out of his high goodness
25 How does the depiction of God change over the course of the poem?

The poem urges an increasingly intimate relationship with God

The poem increasingly emphasizes God's power over Philip

God becomes less and less important as Philip moves away from the true path

God is equally important throughout

Truth (Chaucer poem) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Truth (Chaucer poem) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Truth (Chaucer poem)

Truth (Chaucer poem) study guide contains a biography of Geoffrey Chaucer, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Truth (Chaucer poem)…