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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Venus "sings extemporally a woeful ditty," what is the best definition for "extemporally" in this context (line 836)?
(a) Without preparation or prior thought.
(b) At great length.
(c) With self-pity that is almost comical.
(d) Displaying great emotion.

2. What technique is used in line 645, "Grew I not faint, and fell I not downright"?
(a) Anadiplosis.
(b) Parallelism.
(c) Chiasmus.
(d) Antistrophe.

3. What is the most logical definition of "tushes" in the context of line 617, "Whose tushes never sheath’d he whetteth still"?
(a) Tusks.
(b) Hooves.
(c) Knives.
(d) Touches.

4. What technique is used in line 720, "'In night,' quoth she, 'desire sees best of all.'"?
(a) Apostrophe.
(b) Allusion.
(c) Hyperbole.
(d) Epigram.

5. What technique is used in lines 819 and 820, "Till the wild waves will have him seen no more,/ Whose ridges with the meeting clouds contend"?
(a) Alliteration.
(b) Paradox.
(c) Innuendo.
(d) Onomatopoeia.

6. What does Venus say will die with Adonis?
(a) Chaos.
(b) Love.
(c) Death.
(d) Beauty.

7. Which technique is used in line 1151, "It shall be raging mad, and silly mild"?
(a) Juxtaposition.
(b) Verbal irony.
(c) Oxymoron.
(d) Paradox.

8. What do Venus's descriptions of the rabbit, fox, and deer have in common?
(a) They stress how fast and clever these animals are.
(b) They stress the timid and retiring nature of these animals.
(c) They stress that all three yield delicious meat and useful skins.
(d) They stress how numerous and easily spotted these creatures are.

9. Besides being goddess of the moon and the hunt, what significant power was Cynthia believed to possess?
(a) The power to increase crop yields.
(b) The power to cause sudden illness and death.
(c) The power to control the weather.
(d) The power to cause memory loss and hallucinations.

10. What is Venus compared to when she hears the sound of the hunting dogs baying?
(a) A lamp brighter than the sun himself.
(b) A soldier deserting the battlefield.
(c) A doe rushing to feed her fawn.
(d) Someone who sees a poisonous snake.

11. Who is the "flap-mouth’d mourner" referred to in line 920?
(a) A hunter.
(b) Venus.
(c) The boar.
(d) A dog.

12. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of Venus's motives as she describes hunting a rabbit?
(a) She intends to make it sound as exciting as hunting a boar.
(b) She intends to shame Adonis into choosing to hunt rabbit instead of boar.
(c) She intends to illustrate how knowledgeable she is about hunting.
(d) She intends to show Adonis how sympathetic she is toward prey animals.

13. Which is the most logical interpretation of the phase "her sight dazzling" when Venus is looking at Adonis's body in line 1064?
(a) Venus's vision has begun to blur and swim.
(b) Venus's eyes still mislead her into thinking lust is love.
(c) Venus finds Adonis beautiful even in death.
(d) Venus's eyes seem to glitter like jewels.

14. What does line 972 compare to "many clouds consulting for foul weather"?
(a) The events leading to Adonis's death.
(b) The years Venus will live without Adonis.
(c) The howling dogs.
(d) Venus's emotions.

15. What does Venus tell Adonis is usually unlike her?
(a) Physically restraining someone.
(b) Fainting from fear.
(c) Lecturing someone.
(d) Making a pass at a stranger.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Venus know that the dogs are barking at a boar, bear, or lion?

2. What technique is used in line 640, "They that thrive well, take counsel of their friends"?

3. What critique does the speaker offer of Venus's song?

4. When Venus suddenly has hope that Adonis is alive, who is the "rash suspect" that she "doth extenuate" (line 1009)?

5. What does Venus tell Adonis will be the cause of him tripping and falling?

(see the answer keys)

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