Suburban Sonnet Quizzes

Suburban Sonnet Quiz

1 Where is the poem set?
A restaurant

A woman's house

A park

A concert hall
2 Which of the following is NOT a major theme or motif in the poem?
Motherhood

Religion

Music

Domesticity
3 Who did the woman perform her music for?
Bach

Mozart

Stravinsky

Rubinstein
4 What does the magazine paper that the woman used to wrap the mouse say?
100 delicious recipes for the holidays

Tasty dishes from stale bread

Zest and love

Piano concert tomorrow night
5 Which of the following best describes the tone of the speaker?
Nostalgic, affectionate, contemplative

Calm, ebullient, observant

Resigned, exhausted, overwhelmed

Anxious, excited, curious
6 What frightens the children?
A howling wind outside

The pot boiling over

A dead mouse in a moustrap

Their mother's solemn piano music
7 What does the speaker expressly say "aches" in the poem?
The woman's heart

The woman's muscles

The woman's fingers

The woman's veins
8 Which of the following literary devices is NOT used in the poem?
Simile

Enjambment

Metaphor

Allusion
9 It is implied that Rubenstein reacted to the woman's performance with:
Enthusiasm

Boredom

Disgust

Delight
10 As used in Line 10, what does the word "caper" mean?
scream and fight, with a sense of anger

the pickled flower bud of a prickly southern European shrub, used to flavor food

skip or dance about in a lively or playful way

a sleeveless cloak, typically a short one
11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the poem?
A woman cleaning burned milk from a pot

A woman pushing a stroller

A woman comforting her children

A woman practicing music
12 Which of the following is the clearest example of metaphor used in the poem?
Beside her on the floor two children chatter

Once she played / for Rubinstein, who yawned.

Zest and love / drain out with soapy water as she scours

When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid.
13 Who "yawned" in the poem (line 10)?
The children

The mother

Rubinstein

The father
14 As used in Line 8, what does the word "scour" mean?
do a thorough search in order to locate something

move rapidly in a particular direction, especially in search or pursuit of someone or something

dig through something to obtain what is hidden underneath

clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent
15 The poem is predominantly written in the ____ tense.
Past

Present

Past perfect

Future
16 How many lines does a traditional sonnet contain?
10

14

17

12
17 How many lines does this poem contain?
12

10

17

14
18 Which of the following is an example of a slant rhyme used in the poem?
"though it can matter / ...two children chatter"

"she plays well or not / ...She hushes them. A pot"

"a wave of nausea overpowers / ... as she scours"

"The children caper / ...They seem afraid"
19 Which of the following sounds does NOT occur in the poem?
A pot boiling over

Children screaming

A door slamming

Music being played
20 Which of the following is an example of enjambment?
"if she plays well or not. / Beside her"

"As she rushes to the stove / too late"

"they seem afraid. / She comforts them"

"where a mouse lies dead. / When the soft corpse won't move"
21 Which of the following is an example of caesura?
"Beside her on the floor two children chatter,"

"to no one now if she plays well or not."

"featuring: Tasty dishes from stale bread."

"When the soft corpse won't move they seem afraid."
22 The poem was published in the ___.
1970s

1960s

1980s

1950s
23 Which of the following do the children NOT do in the poem?
Chatter

Caper

Fight

Practice piano
24 Which of the following is an example of alliteration?
a wave of nausea overpowers

the soft corpse won't move

then scream and fight

children caper
25 Which of the following statements would Gwen Harwood be most likely to agree with?
All women should be mothers.

Women should have the freedom to pursue their creative passions.

Music is more important than poetry.

Children should be firmly punished for screaming and fighting.

Suburban Sonnet Questions and Answers

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

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for Suburban Sonnet

Suburban Sonnet study guide contains a biography of Gwen Harwood, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for Suburban Sonnet…