Poetry is a particular kind of literature unlike any other. It uses certain qualities of language, such as rhythm and rhyme, to create beautiful works which awake emotion in their readers. It has its origins in ancient epic verses, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which were memorised by storytellers who recounted them to an audience. The repetitive, rhyming tales in verse form were easily remembered and passed down through generations before finally being written down. Contemporary poetry has come a long way since those first steps 3,000 years ago!
Poetry has made such a large contribution to English literature that we have devoted four quizzes to the subject. In this, the first, you are asked to recall some much-loved verses. Have a go and see how well you know the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, William Longfellow, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth and many other fine wordsmiths!
1.
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In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, what bird does the mariner shoot? |
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[ ] |
An albatross |
[ ] |
A penguin |
[ ] |
A raven |
[ ] |
A seagull |
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2.
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Which flowers inspired William Wordsworth's poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud? |
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[ ] |
Crocuses |
[ ] |
Daffodils |
[ ] |
Snowdrops |
[ ] |
Tulips |
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3.
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In the Edward Lear poem, which instrument does the Owl play while serenading the Pussy Cat? |
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[ ] |
A banjo |
[ ] |
A guitar |
[ ] |
A mandolin |
[ ] |
A violin |
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4.
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In the Robert Browning poem The Pied Piper of Hamelin, which colours make up the Piper's costume? |
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[ ] |
Blue and Yellow |
[ ] |
Green and Yellow |
[ ] |
Red and Yellow |
[ ] |
Red and Green |
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5.
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Who wrote the nonsense poem Jabberwocky? |
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[ ] |
Lewis Carroll |
[ ] |
Edward Lear |
[ ] |
Ogden Nash |
[ ] |
Spike Milligan |
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6.
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How many lines are there in a standard sonnet? |
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[ ] |
12 |
[ ] |
14 |
[ ] |
16 |
[ ] |
18 |
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7.
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In the Longfellow poem The Song of Hiawatha, what is the name of the title character's lover? |
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[ ] |
Minnehaha |
[ ] |
Minnehehe |
[ ] |
Minnehihi |
[ ] |
Minnehoho |
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8.
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Who wrote the 1892 poem Gunga Din? |
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[ ] |
AE Houseman |
[ ] |
Rudyard Kipling |
[ ] |
Alfred, Lord Tennyson |
[ ] |
Walt Whitman |
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9.
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Which animal does Robert Burns describe in a poem as a "Wee sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie"? |
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[ ] |
A cat |
[ ] |
A dog |
[ ] |
A rabbit |
[ ] |
A mouse |
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10.
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Which John Keats poem begins with the line: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness"? |
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[ ] |
To Spring |
[ ] |
To Summer |
[ ] |
To Autumn |
[ ] |
To Winter |
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1.
|
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, what bird does the mariner shoot? |
|
[x] |
An albatross |
[ ] |
A penguin |
[ ] |
A raven |
[ ] |
A seagull |
|
|
2.
|
Which flowers inspired William Wordsworth's poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud? |
|
[ ] |
Crocuses |
[x] |
Daffodils |
[ ] |
Snowdrops |
[ ] |
Tulips |
|
|
3.
|
In the Edward Lear poem, which instrument does the Owl play while serenading the Pussy Cat? |
|
[ ] |
A banjo |
[x] |
A guitar |
[ ] |
A mandolin |
[ ] |
A violin |
|
|
4.
|
In the Robert Browning poem The Pied Piper of Hamelin, which colours make up the Piper's costume? |
|
[ ] |
Blue and Yellow |
[ ] |
Green and Yellow |
[x] |
Red and Yellow |
[ ] |
Red and Green |
|
|
5.
|
Who wrote the nonsense poem Jabberwocky? |
|
[x] |
Lewis Carroll |
[ ] |
Edward Lear |
[ ] |
Ogden Nash |
[ ] |
Spike Milligan |
|
|
6.
|
How many lines are there in a standard sonnet? |
|
[ ] |
12 |
[x] |
14 |
[ ] |
16 |
[ ] |
18 |
|
|
7.
|
In the Longfellow poem The Song of Hiawatha, what is the name of the title character's lover? |
|
[x] |
Minnehaha |
[ ] |
Minnehehe |
[ ] |
Minnehihi |
[ ] |
Minnehoho |
|
|
8.
|
Who wrote the 1892 poem Gunga Din? |
|
[ ] |
AE Houseman |
[x] |
Rudyard Kipling |
[ ] |
Alfred, Lord Tennyson |
[ ] |
Walt Whitman |
|
|
9.
|
Which animal does Robert Burns describe in a poem as a "Wee sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie"? |
|
[ ] |
A cat |
[ ] |
A dog |
[ ] |
A rabbit |
[x] |
A mouse |
|
|
10.
|
Which John Keats poem begins with the line: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness"? |
|
[ ] |
To Spring |
[ ] |
To Summer |
[x] |
To Autumn |
[ ] |
To Winter |
|
|