Dr. Prinsky

English 1102

Second Quiz on Chapter 15 ("Character and Setting: Who, What, Where, and When in Poetry") of RJ7

Directions: As on previous quizzes.

1. According to Roberts and Jacobs, a second main character in poems and poetry is the: (a) antagonist (b) protagonist (c) foil (d) listener

2. As explained by Roberts and Jacobs, the character referred to in question 1, above, is to be considered: (a) inside the poem (b) a sympathetic person (c) strictly symbolic (d) hostile to the speaker

3. As pointed out by Roberts and Jacobs, a key part of speech with regard to this character referred to in questions 1-2, above, is the: (a) preposition (b) adjective (c) pronoun (d) adverb (e) conjunction

Ben Jonson’s Poem “Drink to Me, Only, with Thine Eyes”

4. Ben Jonson's "Drink to Me, Only, with Thine Eyes," as indicated both in the poem and by Roberts' and Jacobs' questions and comments, deals with: (a) the pleasures of alcohol (b) rejection in love (c) benefits of friendship (d) preservation of a marriage

5. As indicated by Prinsky’s Notes and Questions (PNQ), Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” could be said to focus on what component of the poem’s subject referred to in the immediately preceding question: (a) self-control (b) sincerity (c) sacrifice (d) strategy

6. Stanza 2 in Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” is notable for: (a) reversal of strict chronological order of the implied story (b) emphasis on alcohol’s facilitating poetic inspiration (c) adherence to strict chronological order of the implied story (d) use of classical allusion (see Ch. 21/”Symbolism and Allusion” and Ch. 22/”Myths” in RJ7)

7. Part of the reason for the speaker’s placement of stanza 2 in its subordinate position in Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” (rather positioning it as stanza 1) is to: (a) suggest the topsy-turvy nature of addiction (b) de-emphasize his image as a loser (c) elevate the aristocracy over commoners (d) preserve chronological order in the implied story

8. With reference to kinds of imagery (see Ch. 16/”Imagery” in RJ7), the speaker in Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” uses all of the following kinds except which one in the first stanza to compliment his intended sweetheart: (a) gustatory (taste) (b) visual (sight) (c) olfactory (smell) (d) tactile (touch)

9. With reference to kinds of imagery (see Ch. 16/”Imagery” in RJ7), the speaker in Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” introduces into the poem which one of the following kinds to compliment his intended sweetheart: (a) gustatory (taste) (b) visual (sight) (c) olfactory (smell) (d) tactile (touch)

10. With reference to kinds of imagery (see Ch. 16/”Imagery” in RJ7), the speaker in Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” omits the main kind of imagery (of the five kinds referring to the five senses) that he does in complimenting his intended sweetheart, throughout the entire poem, because: (a) she has never communicated with him verbally, either orally or in writing (b) the sweetheart’s skin has never been visible, since covered by elaborate clothing (c) she has only kissed the speaker once, fleetingly (d) the speaker has not been close enough to see the sweetheart’s eye color

11. The adverb “only” in the first line of Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only” — as indicated in discussion of this adverb in all composition handbooks, including SFHW — is notoriously susceptible to being misplaced or to “squinting” (being ambiguous in what it modifies); the speaker uses this possibility of ambiguity to suggest that his intended sweetheart should not only focus her attention on him alone but also that: (a) like him, she must be a connoisseur of fine wines (b) just her eyes are intoxicatingly alluring (c) neither he nor she should be considered an actual alcoholic (d) he is not a one-time seducer, trying to get her drunk

12. While R&J annotate one of the meanings of the word “pledge” (line 2) used by the speaker in Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only,” another meaning that the speaker would want to convey (an important concern by women, long ago but not today, about possible male romantic partners) is: (a) generosity (b) sensitivity (c) volubility (d) fidelity

13. In the last two lines of the first stanza of Ben Jonson’s poem “Drink to Me, Only,” the speaker uses which one of the following figures of speech (see Ch. 17/”Figures of Speech” in RJ7): (a) understatement (b) simile (c) hyperbole (d) paradox

14. An answer to the second part of question #3 by R&J on the poem, besides the speaker’s attempt to impress his intended sweetheart, would be the speaker’s: (a) salving his wounded self-esteem (b) evident fearfulness about the sweetheart’s scholastic learning (c) acknowledgment of the importance of classical mythology (d) concern about the sweetheart’s inferiority feelings

Robert Browning’s Poem “My Last Duchess”

15. As pointed out by Roberts and Jacobs in mid-chapter material, a special kind of poem involving two main characters, and exemplified by Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess," is the: (a) sonnet (b) terza rima (c) dramatic monologue (d) villanelle

16. As pointed out by Roberts and Jacobs in mid-chapter material, one aspect of setting used to bring out qualities of the speaker of Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is: (a) light vs. dark (b) art (c) heat vs. cold (d) musical ability

17. In Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess," the word countenance (line 7) means: (a) numbering (b) face (c) disturbance (d) royalty

18. In the speaker’s reference to “my favor at her breast” (line 25) Read the in Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess," the word favor means: (a) goodwill or kindly attitude (b) something done because of kindly attitude (c) a small gift (d) popularity or high regard

19. In Browning's "My Last Duchess," the word officious (line 27) means: (a) meanly spiteful (b) extremely loyal (c) overly obliging (d) ambitious for rule

20. In Browning's "My Last Duchess," the word munificence (line 49) means: (a) urban (b) walled-up (c) traveling (d) lavish

21. Decades of attempting to teach Browning’s “My Last Duchess” have shown that students have difficulty understanding several of the “journalist’s questions” or “5 w’s and h” (who, what, when, where, why, how) with regard to the poem. For example, based the poem’s first line, the poem’s speaker (= who, in the 5 w’s and h) is: (a) Robert Browning (b) a Duke (c) Fra Pandolf (line 3) (d) a Duchess (e) a Count

22. The speaker of the poem is directly talking with whom (based on lines 7-13 and 47-54) (= who, in the 5 w’s and h): (a) a personal friend of the speaker (b) the ambassador or envoy of a Count (c) the woman whose portrait the speaker discusses (d) a Count with a beautiful daughter (e) a low-level servant of a Count

23. Based on the poem’s epigraph (something that appears just above or just under the title), the poem and characters are all located in which country (= where, in the 5 w’s and h): (a) Italy (b) France (c) Germany (d) Spain (e) Austria

24. The conversation between the speaker and listener is taking place where (= where, of the 5 w’s and h): (a) a lavish ballroom (b) a private library (c) a private upstairs room (d) a smoking room (e) a private downstairs office

25. The primary matter of interest for the conversation between the speaker and listener in the poem (why the listener has traveled to converse with the speaker; = what, of the 5 w’s and h) is revealed mainly in lines: (a) 1-13 (b) 13-43 (c) 43-47 (d) 48-53 (e) 53-56

26. In what appears to be a digression by the speaker, the speaker is actually transmitting an oblique or subtle message (as usual, in matters of diplomacy) to all of the following except which one (= what, of the 5 w’s and h): (a) the Count’s servant (b) the woman in the portrait (c) the Count (d) the Count’s daughter

27. The message referred to in the immediately preceding question could be summarized as: (a) ”if you flirt, you’re under dirt” (b) “in art, women can look very smart” (c) “since your position is base, remember your place” (d) “our ranks are the same, so there’s no blame”

28. Only the second (or later) time reading the poem do the speaker’s words about the painting “Looking as if she were alive” (line 2; cf. lines 46-47) taking on a meaning beyond “look how realistic is the painting,” which is: (a) money is needed to support great artists (b) art eternalizes beauty (c) misbehavior is fatal (d) great love may lead to obsessive mourning

29. The possible symbolism of the last piece of art noted by the speaker (lines 55-57) has the subtle symbolism, in line with the message that the speaker wants to convey to several people: (a) stay natural (b) stay on task (c) stay free (d) stay in line

30. As discussed in the sample essay on Browning's "My Last Duchess," the Duke could be summed up as: (a) loving (b) timid (c) wasteful (d) monstrous

William Blake’s Poem “London”

31. The urban setting of William Blake’s poem “London” represents a contrast to the setting of: (a) “Sir Patrick Spens” (b) “Western Wind” (c) “Bonny George Campbell” (d) Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” (e) all of the foregoing

32. The speaker’s attitude toward the city in Blake’s poem “London” is: (a) favorable (b) unfavorable (c) both favorable and unfavorable (d) neutral

33. The structural function of the stanza of Blake’s “London” — what the stanza does in comparison or contrast to the remaining stanzas — is best indicated by which one of the following words used in the stanza: (a) “I” (b) “Thames” (c) “every” (d) “weakness”

34. Blake’s “London” oscillates throughout, especially in every stanza after the first, between: (a) city and countryside (b) native and foreigner (c) optimism and pessimism (d) adult and child

35. The repetition of the word “mark” (line 3) and “marks” (line 4) is superior as word choice (Ch. 14/”Words” of RJ7) to “note” and “signs” (cf. “[I] note in every face I meet/ [Signs] of weakness, [signs] of woe”) because of the word’s connoting: (a) damage (b) noticing (c) target (d) measuring

36. The word “every” is tellingly repeated how many times in Blake’s poem “London”: (a) two (b) three (c) four (d) five (e) six

37. The figure of speech metonymy (see Ch. 17/”Figures of Speech” of RJ7) is used with reference to the first building mentioned in stanza 3 to symbolize or represent which social institution: (a) the military (b) the clergy (c) the monarchy or government (d) the universities (e) the press

38. The figure of speech metonymy (see Ch. 17/”Figures of Speech” of RJ7) is used with reference to the second building mentioned in stanza 3 to symbolize or represent which social institution: (a) the military (b) the clergy (c) the monarchy or government (d) the universities (e) the press

39. Stanza 4 is climactic by focusing on: (a) the very basis of society (b) the suffering of the young (c) the upper class (d) adult and child

40. In William Blake's "London," the word manacles (line 8) means: (a) handcuffs (b) small men (c) boat-clinging shellfish (d) wonders

41. In William Blake's "London," the word appalls (line 10) means: (a) show approval for (b) turn pale or shock (c) put on apparel (d) fill a container or pail

42. In William Blake's "London," the word hapless (11) means: (a) pessimistic (b) unfortunate (c) weak (d) indivisible