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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through The Solitary Reaper.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What technique is evident in the poem's opening line, "Behold her, single in the field" (line 1)?
(a) Allusion.
(b) Apology.
(c) Analogy.
(d) Apostrophe.

2. What is subtly appropriate about the meter in lines 25 and 26, "Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang / As if her song could have no ending"?
(a) Line 26 has four metrical feet instead of the expected three, creating a feeling of "lingering."
(b) The contraction in line 25 creates a second line of trimeter in this stanza, emphasizing the musicality of the song.
(c) The feminine ending of line 26 emphasizes the idea of something that does not end when it is expected to.
(d) Line 25 begins with a dactyl, emphasizing the importance of the content of the reaper's song.

3. What is the "sickle" in line 28?
(a) A mark dyed into wool to track sheep.
(b) A tied sheaf of grain.
(c) A sharp cutting tool.
(d) A handle used to pull a cart.

4. What technique is evident in the line "Breaking the silence of the seas" (line 15)?
(a) Sibilance.
(b) Aphorismus.
(c) Synesthesia.
(d) Onomatopoeia.

5. Besides that the reaper may be singing about some terrible moment in history, what else does the speaker guess she might be singing about?
(a) Love and romance.
(b) Ordinary, everyday troubles.
(c) Modern political events.
(d) The beauty of the Highlands.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does line 3, "Reaping and singing by herself," interrupt the poem's dominant metrical pattern?

2. In the second stanza, to whom is the nightingale depicted singing?

3. Which of the following most clearly communicates the speaker's admiration for the reaper's singing ability?

4. What technique is used in the line "A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard" (line 13)?

5. In the fourth stanza, when the speaker finally places himself in the scene, what is it clear he is there to do?

(see the answer key)

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