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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In which stanza does the speaker make it clear that this event happened some time in the past?
(a) The second.
(b) The third.
(c) The fourth.
(d) The first.

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 25 begins with a dactyl, emphasizing the importance of the content of the reaper's song.
(b) Line 26 has four metrical feet instead of the expected three, creating a feeling of "lingering."
(c) The contraction in line 25 creates a second line of trimeter in this stanza, emphasizing the musicality of the song.
(d) The feminine ending of line 26 emphasizes the idea of something that does not end when it is expected to.

3. Which is the best interpretation of line 6's reference to "a melancholy strain"?
(a) A sad song.
(b) Persistent pain.
(c) Hard work.
(d) A difficult burden.

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

5. Who is the author of "The Solitary Reaper"?
(a) William Wordsworth.
(b) William Blake.
(c) Percy Shelley.
(d) John Keats.

Short Answer Questions

1. What technique is evident in the line "Breaking the silence of the seas" (line 15)?

2. Where are "the farthest Hebrides" (line 16)?

3. Which stanza could be reasonably called the most positive in tone?

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

5. What do all three sentences in the third stanza have in common?

(see the answer key)

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