Mrs Midas Quizzes

Mrs Midas Quiz

1 Where is the speaker in the first stanza?
The caravan

The kitchen

The bedroom

The garden
2 What bothers Mrs Midas the most about her husband's wish?
His idiocy

His lack of forethought

His selfishness

His greed
3 Which foods are referenced in the poem?
Pears, corn, cod, steak, and buttermilk.

Hamburgers, french fries, apples, and salmon.

Apples, trout, bread, hamburgers, and chocolate.

Pears, corn, fast food, trout, and apples.
4 Which of the following is an example of personification in the poem?
I gazed, entranced, / as the blue flame played on its luteous stem. (Lines 34-35)

Within seconds he was spitting out the teeth of the rich. (Line 20)

we grew Fondante d’Automne – / and it sat in his palm, like a lightbulb. (Lines 10-11)

The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)
5 "Mrs Midas" appears in which of Carol Ann Duffy's collections?
Rapture (2003)

Standing Female Nude (1985)

Selling Manhattan (1987)

The World's Wife (1999)
6 What does Mrs Midas dream about the night after her husband's wish comes true?
The music of Pan

A bowl of apples

Giving birth to a golden child

Her husband's embrace
7 Which best describes Mrs Midas's attitude toward her husband?
Exasperated but accepting

Cold and uncaring

Angry and mournful

Loving and supportive
8 What does "halcyon" mean in Line 41?
A type of gold

A golden, glowing light

Chaotically passionate

A past time that was idyllic and peaceful
9 How many lines does each stanza have?
5

4

6

7
10 Which is an example of simile in the poem?
The kitchen filled with the smell of itself, relaxed, its steamy breath / gently blanching the windows (Lines 2 - 3)

But now I feared his honeyed embrace, / the kiss that would turn my lips to a work of art. (Lines 41-42)

its little tongue / like a precious latch (Lines 45-46)

We’d a caravan in the wilds, in a glade of its own (Lines 49-50)
11 Which perspective is the poem told from?
Limited third-person

First person

Omniscient third-person

Second person
12 What does the word "luteous" mean in Line 35?
A flower stem

Solid gold

Yellow tinged with green or brown

A faint glow
13 What does "a beautiful lemon mistake" (Line 57) refer to in the poem?
The golden trout in the river

The hare that Midas attempted to touch

The golden table after Midas touched it

Midas's footprints
14 In which month is the poem set?
September

October

August

June
15 What does Midas do after making his wish?
Laugh

Enter the house

Ask for wine

All of the above
16 Which is an example of alliteration used in the poem?
then with my fingers wiped the other’s glass like a brow (Line 5)

its perfect ore limbs, its little tongue (Line 50)

under the cover of dark (Line 53)

a hare hung from a larch (Line 58)
17 Which Greek god is EXPLICITLY referenced in the poem?
Dionysus

Pan

Demeter

Zeus
18 What is an allegory?
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
19 What does the word "caravan" mean in Line 49?
A group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa.

A vehicle equipped for living in, typically a trailer towed by a car and used when traveling for recreation.

A covered horse-drawn wagon.

Any large group of people, typically with vehicles or animals, traveling together in single file.
20 Which of the following describes the relationship between the myth of Midas and the poem "Mrs Midas?"
Mrs Midas is an ironic commentary on the myth.

Mrs Midas is a translation of the myth.

Mrs Midas is a creative retelling of the myth through a feminist lens.

Mrs Midas alludes to the myth, but is actually about the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
21 What does Mrs Midas NOT do in response to Midas's ability to turn everything he touches into gold?
Lock the cat in the cellar.

Put a chair in front of her bedroom door.

Wear protective gloves before touching him.

Demand that he move out.
22 Which of the following animals is NOT referenced in the poem?
Trout

Flies

Hare

Deer
23 Which of the following is NOT alluded to in the poem?
the Bible

the Greek god Pan

Miss Macready

the Field of the Cloth of Gold
24 What "stopped" Mrs Midas "dead" due to memories of her husband (Line 65)?
A dream about their baby

A bowl of apples

Hearing the music of Pan

Golden trout
25 Which of the following is NOT a theme in the poem?
marriage and relationships

the trauma of war

greed and masculinity

mortality

Mrs Midas Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Mrs Midas is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Mrs Midas

Mrs Midas study guide contains a biography of Carol Ann Duffy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Mrs Midas…