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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Venus call "heavenly moisture" in line 64?
(a) Adonis's breath.
(b) Her own kisses.
(c) The dew on the flowers.
(d) Adonis's tears.

2. What does Adonis do just before he turns his head away from Venus's kiss?
(a) Winks.
(b) Moans.
(c) Shudders.
(d) Smiles.

3. What color is most prominent in the description of Venus kneeling before Adonis and putting her hand on his cheek?
(a) Purple.
(b) Red.
(c) Blue.
(d) White.

4. To what does the speaker compare Venus finally opening her eyes after her faint?
(a) The sunrise.
(b) A flower blooming.
(c) Lightning.
(d) A leaf unfurling.

5. What does Adonis accuse Venus of in line 53?
(a) Impulsiveness.
(b) Immodesty.
(c) Callousness.
(d) Violence.

6. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of Venus's characterization of Adonis as having a "mermaid's voice" (line 429)?
(a) She is warning him that his voice can be snatched away.
(b) She is alluding to the mythological sirens.
(c) She is dismissing his perspective as too feminine.
(d) She is comparing his voice to the sound of the ocean.

7. Who is the author of the poem's epigraph?
(a) Ovid.
(b) Shakespeare.
(c) Henry Wriothesley.
(d) Euripides.

8. What is Adonis being compared to when the speaker says he is "Like a dive-dapper" (86)?
(a) An osprey.
(b) A swimmer.
(c) A fish.
(d) A duck.

9. What is Venus referring to when she tells Adonis that "The tender spring upon thy tempting lip/ Shows thee unripe" (lines 127-128)?
(a) The residue of her own tears.
(b) The beginnings of a mustache.
(c) Beads of sweat.
(d) The sickly green shade of his skin.

10. What is Adonis planning to do when he is accosted by Venus?
(a) Nap.
(b) Hunt.
(c) Eat lunch.
(d) Pick flowers.

11. In lines 79-84, what bargain does Venus try to strike with Adonis?
(a) She will get off of him if he gives her one voluntary kiss.
(b) She will not tell anyone about it if he will have sex with her.
(c) She will let him explain his feelings if he speaks nicely to her.
(d) She will ask the gods to make him immortal if he will be her partner.

12. Which technique is used in line 218, "And swelling passion doth provoke a pause"?
(a) Alliteration.
(b) Antistrophe.
(c) Parallelism.
(d) Inversion.

13. What technique is used in line 75, "Still is he sullen, still he lours and frets"?
(a) Synecdoche.
(b) Anaphora.
(c) Personification.
(d) Parallelism.

14. When Venus and Adonis are on the ground kissing in lines 547-558, what is Venus being compared to?
(a) A predatory wild animal.
(b) A greedy child at the table.
(c) A soldier on the field of battle.
(d) A destructive storm at sea.

15. What does Adonis mean when he tells Venus that she can stop her tears and flattery, because in his heart, "they make no batt’ry" (line 426).
(a) Her tears and flattery do not spark a fire in his heart.
(b) Her tears and flattery are like an assault and can cause him physical harm.
(c) Her tears and flattery are incapable of sustaining love in any lasting way.
(d) Her tears and flattery cannot break down the walls around his heart.

Short Answer Questions

1. What causes Venus to fall to the ground, unconscious?

2. How does Adonis view romantic love?

3. Which of the poem's motifs is most clearly illustrated by line 41, "Backward she push’d him, as she would be thrust"?

4. What technique is used in line 431, "Melodious discord, heavenly tune, harsh-sounding"?

5. How does Adonis feel after Venus falls unconscious?

(see the answer keys)

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