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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. 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) Modern political events.
(b) Love and romance.
(c) Ordinary, everyday troubles.
(d) The beauty of the Highlands.

2. Where are "the farthest Hebrides" (line 16)?
(a) Scotland.
(b) Australia.
(c) Russia.
(d) Chile.

3. What is the meaning of the word "lay" in the line "Or is it some more humble lay" (line 21)?
(a) A reclining position.
(b) Tune or song.
(c) A plan or pattern.
(d) A narrative poem written in couplets.

4. In the fourth stanza, when the speaker finally places himself in the scene, what is it clear he is there to do?
(a) He is delivering supplies.
(b) He is there to confess his love for the woman.
(c) He is working on a farm.
(d) He is out walking.

5. What technique is used in phrases like "the Vale profound" (line 7) and "A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard" (line 13)?
(a) Simile.
(b) Inversion.
(c) Imagery.
(d) Symbolism.

Short Answer Questions

1. The characterization of the woman as a "Highland Lass" indicates that she is a young woman from what area?

2. What do the metaphors in lines 9-12 and 13-16 have in common?

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

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

5. Which is the best interpretation of line 6's reference to "a melancholy strain"?

(see the answer key)

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