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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 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.

2. Which of the following most clearly communicates the speaker's admiration for the reaper's singing ability?
(a) The repeated use of exclamation points.
(b) The poem's nature imagery.
(c) The poem's elevated diction.
(d) The metaphors in the second stanza.

3. From context, what is is likely meaning of "single" in line 1, "Behold her, single in the field"?
(a) Honest.
(b) Simple.
(c) Alone.
(d) Unmarried.

4. In the lines "Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow / For old, unhappy, far-off things," what does "plaintive numbers" refer to (lines 18-19)?
(a) The reaper's personal experience.
(b) Time and history.
(c) The song.
(d) The reaper's tears.

5. What is the stanzaic form of "The Solitary Reaper"?
(a) Octet.
(b) Octave.
(c) Ballade.
(d) Ottava rima.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where in the Highlands is the field where the woman is standing?

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

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

4. What is the young woman doing in the field?

5. What technique is used in phrases like "the Vale profound" (line 7) and "A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard" (line 13)?

(see the answer key)

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