Poetry Quiz Questions & Answers

Test Your Poetry Knowledge

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of poetry with this quiz! From the history of poetry to its various forms and genres, this quiz covers it all. Explore the elements of poetry, learn about common forms of poetry, and discover the different genres of poetry. With questions ranging from meter and rhyme to narrative...

Test your knowledge of poetry with this quiz! From the history of poetry to its various forms and genres, this quiz covers it all. Explore the elements of poetry, learn about common forms of poetry, and discover the different genres of poetry. With questions ranging from meter and rhyme to narrative and performance poetry, this quiz will challenge your understanding of this beautiful form of literature. So, whether you're a poet or just a poetry enthusiast, take this quiz and put your knowledge to the test!

1. What is the main difference between narrative and lyric poetry?

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Narrative poetry tells stories of human interest, while lyric poetry portrays the poet's own feelings and perceptions

2. What is the main characteristic of epic poetry?

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It tells the life and works of a heroic or mythological person or group of persons

3. What is the main purpose of satirical poetry?

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To be a powerful vehicle for satire, often written for political purposes

4. What is the main characteristic of verse fable?

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It is a succinct story that features anthropomorphized animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that illustrate a moral lesson

5. What is the main characteristic of dramatic poetry?

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It is drama written in verse to be spoken or sung and appears in varying, sometimes related forms in many cultures

6. What is the main purpose of speculative poetry?

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To deal thematically with subjects that are beyond reality, whether via extrapolation as in science fiction or via weird and horrific themes as in horror fiction

7. What is the main characteristic of light poetry?

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It attempts to be humorous and often features word play, including puns, adventurous rhyme, and heavy alliteration

8. What is the main characteristic of slam poetry?

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It usually occurs before an audience and often features competitive performances

9. What is the main characteristic of performance poetry?

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It may fuse a variety of disciplines in a performance of a text, such as dance, music, and other aspects of performance art

Test Your Knowledge of Poet Laureates

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

How much do you know about Poet Laureates? Test your knowledge with this quiz that covers the history and current status of Poet Laureate positions around the world, including the United States. Discover interesting facts about the laureate tradition and learn about notable past and present Poet Lau...

How much do you know about Poet Laureates? Test your knowledge with this quiz that covers the history and current status of Poet Laureate positions around the world, including the United States. Discover interesting facts about the laureate tradition and learn about notable past and present Poet Laureates. From state appointments to national titles, this quiz has it all. Challenge yourself and see how much you know about this esteemed position in the world of poetry!

1. Who were the first poets to be crowned poets laureate after the classical age?

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Albertino Mussato and Francesco Petrarca

2. When was the royal office of Poet Laureate in England established?

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1668

3. Which organization can also confer the position of Poet Laureate?

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The Poetry Foundation

4. How many national governments continue the poet laureate tradition?

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Over a dozen

5. Who is the current Poet Laureate of the United States?

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Ada Limón

6. Who was the first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States?

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Amanda Gorman

7. Which American states do not currently have a state Poet Laureate position?

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Massachusetts and Pennsylvania

8. Who was the first Poet Laureate of Minnesota?

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Robert Bly

9. Who is the current Poet Laureate of Wyoming?

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Eugene Gagliano

Test your knowledge on the Metaphysical Poets of 17th-century England

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

How well do you know the Metaphysical Poets? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on the 17th-century English poets who used inventive language, scientific discoveries, and Baroque conceits to explore moral and religious questions. Learn about the influence of Platonic love and Neo-Platonic concept...

How well do you know the Metaphysical Poets? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on the 17th-century English poets who used inventive language, scientific discoveries, and Baroque conceits to explore moral and religious questions. Learn about the influence of Platonic love and Neo-Platonic concepts in their poetry, and discover the literary legacy of John Donne, Edward Herbert, Abraham Cowley, and others. Challenge yourself with questions on their unique style and contributions to English literature.

1. What is the main characteristic of Metaphysical poetry?

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Inventive use of conceits

2. Who coined the term 'Metaphysical poets'?

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Samuel Johnson

3. What was Samuel Johnson's opinion of Metaphysical poetry?

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He disapproved of it

4. Which 20th-century writer helped to establish the importance of the Metaphysical school?

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T.S. Eliot

5. What is the main difference between Metaphysical poetry and the poetry of their antecedents?

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Use of poetic diction and conventions

6. Which poets used Platonic love as a theme in their poetry?

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Edward Herbert and Abraham Cowley

7. Which concept played an important part in the poetry of Henry Vaughan and Thomas Traherne?

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Neo-Platonic concepts

8. Which writer emulated the Metaphysical poetic approach?

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John Milton

9. What was the impact of the Metaphysical poets on 18th-century poetry?

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Their work was imitated

How well do you know Romantic poetry?

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of Romantic poetry and its characteristics with this informative quiz! From the origins of the movement to its prominent figures and defining features such as the emphasis on emotion, imagination, and nature, this quiz covers it all. Explore the impact of Romanticism on different...

Test your knowledge of Romantic poetry and its characteristics with this informative quiz! From the origins of the movement to its prominent figures and defining features such as the emphasis on emotion, imagination, and nature, this quiz covers it all. Explore the impact of Romanticism on different cultures and literary traditions from Spain to Russia to the United States. Whether you're a literature buff or just curious about this important artistic and intellectual movement, this quiz is sure to challenge and educate you.

1. What is Romantic poetry characterized by?

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Emotions, imagination, and nature

2. Who are some of the most well-known Romantic poets?

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William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats

3. What is the Sublime in Romantic poetry?

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Language and description that excites thoughts and emotions beyond ordinary experience

4. Which country had German Romanticism as the dominant intellectual movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?

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Germany

5. Who is considered the most important Romantic poet in Spain?

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Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

6. What was the Swedish Romantic period known as?

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The Golden Age

7. What is Transcendentalism?

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A philosophical movement rooted in Romanticism and influenced by Indian religions

8. Who is regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the US?

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Edgar Allan Poe

9. Which of the following is NOT associated with Romanticism in poetry?

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Realism

Sonnet Savvy

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of the sonnet form with our quiz! From its origins in Sicily to its revival by the Romantics, this poetic form has a rich and fascinating history. Explore the different variations of sonnets in various languages, from Italian to Welsh to Urdu. With questions ranging from structur...

Test your knowledge of the sonnet form with our quiz! From its origins in Sicily to its revival by the Romantics, this poetic form has a rich and fascinating history. Explore the different variations of sonnets in various languages, from Italian to Welsh to Urdu. With questions ranging from structure to notable poets, this quiz will challenge your understanding of the sonnet and its place in literature. Whether you're a seasoned poet or a curious reader, take this quiz to discover how much you really know

1. What is the origin of the word 'sonnet'?

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Italian

2. What is the typical rhyme scheme and structure of a sonnet?

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14 lines with a pair of quatrains followed by a pair of tercets

3. What is the structure of a typical Italian sonnet?

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10 lines with an octave followed by a sestet

4. What is the ABBA ABBA pattern?

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A rhyming pattern for Petrarchan sonnets

5. Which English poets are credited with pioneering the sonnet form in English?

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Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

6. What is the Shakespearean measure for a sonnet?

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3 alternately rhymed quatrains terminating in a final couplet

7. Which Romantic poet wrote over 500 sonnets?

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William Wordsworth

8. What is the name of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's autobiographical sonnet cycle?

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Sonnets from the Portuguese

9. Which African American poets wrote sonnets, with some winning prizes for their volumes?

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Paul Laurence Dunbar and Claude McKay

How much do you know about Haiku poetry?

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Test your knowledge of the traditional Japanese poetry form, Haiku, with this quiz! Learn about the origins of haiku, its structure, and the key concepts such as kigo and kireji. Discover the different forms of Japanese poetry related to haiku and the notable figures who contributed to its developme...

Test your knowledge of the traditional Japanese poetry form, Haiku, with this quiz! Learn about the origins of haiku, its structure, and the key concepts such as kigo and kireji. Discover the different forms of Japanese poetry related to haiku and the notable figures who contributed to its development. Challenge yourself with questions on the history and development of haiku poetry in different languages, including its introduction to the Western world. Put your knowledge to the test and see how much you know about

1. What is the traditional pattern of phonetic units in a Japanese haiku?

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5-7-5

2. What is a kireji in a Japanese haiku?

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A cutting word

3. What is a kigo in a Japanese haiku?

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A seasonal reference

4. Who gave haiku its current name at the end of the 19th century?

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Shiki

5. What is haibun?

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A combination of prose and haiku

6. Who is considered the first noteworthy American minority writer to produce haiku?

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Richard Wright

7. What is haiga?

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A style of Japanese painting based on haikai aesthetics

8. Who popularized his views on haiku by verse columns and essays in newspapers?

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Shiki

9. What is tanka?

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A type of Japanese poetry related to haiku

Limerick Form and History Quiz

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

Think you know the history and structure of limericks? Test your knowledge with our Limerick Form and History quiz! From the strict rhyme scheme to the origins of the name, this quiz will challenge your understanding of this humorous and often-rude form of poetry. Get ready to flex your poetic muscl...

Think you know the history and structure of limericks? Test your knowledge with our Limerick Form and History quiz! From the strict rhyme scheme to the origins of the name, this quiz will challenge your understanding of this humorous and often-rude form of poetry. Get ready to flex your poetic muscles and discover new insights into the world of limericks.

1. What is the rhyme scheme of a limerick?

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AABBA

2. What is the standard form of a limerick?

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A stanza of five lines

3. What is the meter of a limerick?

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Anapestic trimeter

4. What is the origin of the name 'Limerick'?

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It is derived from a form of nonsense verse parlour game

5. What did Gershon Legman believe about the true limerick as a folk form?

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It is always obscene

6. What is the traditional subject matter of the first line of a limerick?

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A person and a place

7. What is a common feature of the stress in the first line of a limerick?

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It is often distorted from ordinary speech stress

8. What is the internal rhyme, alliteration, or assonance in a limerick?

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It is always present

9. Who popularized the limerick form in the 19th century?

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Edward Lear

Test Your Knowledge of Imagism with Our Quiz!

9 multiple choice quiz questions with answers

How much do you know about Imagism? Test your knowledge of this influential early-20th-century poetry movement with our quiz. From its origins to its impact on modern poetry, this quiz will challenge your understanding of Imagism's key figures, principles, and techniques. Whether you're a student of...

How much do you know about Imagism? Test your knowledge of this influential early-20th-century poetry movement with our quiz. From its origins to its impact on modern poetry, this quiz will challenge your understanding of Imagism's key figures, principles, and techniques. Whether you're a student of literature or a lover of poetry, this quiz is a great way to deepen your knowledge of this important literary movement. So, sharpen your pencils and get ready to explore the world of Imagism!

1. What is Imagism?

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A poetry movement emphasizing precision of imagery and clear language

2. What did Imagists reject?

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Sentiment and discursiveness of Romantic and Victorian poetry

3. What was the first organized modernist literary movement in the English language?

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Imagism

4. Who were some of the prominent modernist figures that were part of the Imagist movement?

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Ezra Pound, H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Amy Lowell, Ford Madox Ford, William Carlos Williams, F. S. Flint, and T. E. Hulme

5. What was the first use of the term 'Imagist'?

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In an appendix note in Pound's book Ripostes (1912)

6. What were some of the influences on the Imagist movement?

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Japanese and French poetry, as well as contemporary developments in avant-garde art, especially Cubism

7. Who were the Objectivist poets?

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Poets who came to prominence in the 1930s and were influenced by Imagism

8. What was Louis Zukofsky's approach to writing poetry?

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He insisted on writing with the things as they exist

9. Which modern poets were influenced by Imagism's emphasis on Chinese and Japanese poetry?

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Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsberg