It's an Masterpiece! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Robert Frost & Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The Road Not Taken" is a well-known poem by Robert Frost, written in 1915. In the opening lines, the speaker stands at a crossroads in a forest during autumn, faced with a choice between two paths. The "yellow wood" suggests the changing season, symbolizing a time of transition or decision in life. The speaker's regret at not being able to "travel both" paths reflects a universal human experience: the inevitability of making choices and the uncertainty about what those choices may bring.

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798, is a narrative poem that tells the tale of a mariner who faces severe consequences after killing an albatross, a bird considered to be a good omen by sailors. The lines "Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink" capture a moment of intense irony and desperation. The mariner and his crew are stranded on a becalmed sea, surrounded by water, but they cannot drink it because it is salty and undrinkable. This imagery emphasizes the severity of their situation and the punishment that follows the mariner's reckless action.

Answer: William Shakespeare & Edgar Allan Poe

"Sonnet 18", one of William Shakespeare's most famous sonnets, begins with the lines "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate." In these lines, the speaker contemplates whether to compare a loved one to a beautiful summer day, only to decide that the beloved is even more lovely and moderate. While a summer day can be fleeting, with rough winds and a short duration, the beloved's beauty is more constant and enduring.

"The Raven", written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1845, is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man grieving the loss of his beloved Lenore. In the lines "And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain / Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before," the speaker describes the eerie atmosphere of his chamber on a dark, stormy night. The rustling curtains create a sense of foreboding and suspense, heightening his anxiety and fear. This moment captures the poem's gothic tone, emphasizing the speaker's emotional turmoil and descent into despair.

Answer: Gwendolyn Brooks & Emily Dickinson

"We Real Cool", written by Gwendolyn Brooks in 1959, is a short but powerful poem that captures the voices of a group of young people who have dropped out of school and are living on the edge. Brooks uses a minimalistic and rhythmic style to convey a sense of rebelliousness and defiance. The repetition of "We" in each line emphasizes their collective identity and unity, while the phrases "lurk late" and "strike straight" suggest both their nighttime activities and a sense of danger or confrontation. The poem explores themes of youth, rebellion, and the consequences of living a life that rejects societal expectations.

"Tell all the truth but tell it slant", written by Emily Dickinson around 1868, is a poem that explores the nature of truth and how it should be communicated. The opening line suggests that while the truth should be fully conveyed, it is often best presented indirectly or gradually, rather than bluntly or all at once. Dickinson argues that truth, like a powerful light, can be overwhelming if not approached carefully, and that people may be more receptive to it when it is softened or presented "slant."

Answer: Edward Lear & Dylan Thomas

"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat", written by Edward Lear in 1871, is a whimsical and playful nonsense poem that tells the story of an unlikely pair - a wise owl and a charming cat - who embark on a journey together in a "beautiful pea-green boat." The starting lines set the scene for their fantastical adventure, blending elements of fantasy and romance as the two creatures sail away, playing a guitar and expressing their love for each other.

"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", written by Dylan Thomas in 1951, is a powerful villanelle that reflects on death and defiance. In the lines "Do not go gentle into that good night, / Rage, rage against the dying of the light," the speaker urges his father - and all people facing death - to resist the end of life with passion and intensity. The "good night" symbolizes death, while the "dying of the light" represents the fading of life. Thomas's repeated plea to "rage" against death reflects a fierce desire to fight against the inevitability of mortality.

Answer: Samuel Taylor Coleridge & John Keats

"Kubla Khan", written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797 and published in 1816, is a fragmentary poem that describes a vision of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan's magnificent palace and its surrounding landscape. The speaker recounts a mystical vision of a woman playing a dulcimer, a stringed musical instrument. This vision represents a moment of creative inspiration, where the speaker yearns to capture the music and the magic of the vision in his poetry.

"Ode on a Grecian Urn", written by John Keats in 1819, is a meditation on the timeless beauty and mystery of a Greek urn, which depicts scenes of life frozen in time. In the lines "O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede / Of marble men and maidens overwrought," Keats addresses the urn as an "Attic shape", referring to its origin in ancient Greece ("Attica") and praises its "fair attitude," or graceful appearance. The urn is adorned with intricate ("overwrought") designs of men and maidens carved in marble, capturing a moment of life that remains eternally beautiful and unchanging.

Answer: Wallace Stevens & T.S. Eliot

"The Emperor of Ice-Cream", written by Wallace Stevens in 1922, is a poem that juxtaposes the vibrancy of life with the finality of death, using rich imagery and enigmatic language. The repeated line "The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream" suggests that, in the face of mortality, the simple pleasures of life, such as ice cream, are the most important and sovereign. The poem is set during a funeral or wake, where a celebration of life and indulgence in earthly pleasures contrasts sharply with the somber reality of death. By calling ice cream - the epitome of a fleeting, sensual delight - the "only emperor," Stevens implies that life's fleeting pleasures should be embraced because they are the only true, tangible experiences we have.

"The Hollow Men", written by T.S. Eliot in 1925, is a poem that explores themes of emptiness, disillusionment, and the loss of meaning in the modern world. The famous closing lines, "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper," suggest a bleak vision of humanity's future. Rather than ending in dramatic destruction or explosive conflict ("a bang"), Eliot envisions a more quiet, anticlimactic end - a "whimper" that signifies defeat, impotence, and a lack of purpose. The poem describes "hollow men", figures who are spiritually empty and lack direction or conviction, reflecting Eliot's concerns about the moral and cultural decay he perceived in post-World War I society.

Answer: Allan Ginsberg & John Donne

"A Supermarket in California", written by Allen Ginsberg in 1955, is a free-verse poem that imagines the poet walking through a modern supermarket while conversing with the ghost of Walt Whitman, a 19th-century American poet and one of Ginsberg's literary heroes. Ginsberg addresses Whitman directly throughout the poem, asking where they - symbolically representing America - are headed in a society that seems increasingly materialistic and disconnected from the values Whitman once celebrated, like freedom, individualism, and a deep connection to nature. As two LGBT poets, Ginsberg has also included an undercurrent of sexual attraction throughout, something perhaps studied much more in today's society than when the poem was written in the 1950s.

"The Flea", written by John Donne in the late 16th century, is a metaphysical poem that uses a flea as a surprising and unconventional metaphor to persuade a woman to engage in a romantic relationship. In the lines "This flea is you and I, and this / Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is," the speaker argues that, because a flea has bitten both him and the woman, their blood is now mingled inside the flea's body. He creatively suggests that this mingling of blood is like a symbolic union, or even a marriage, without any sin or shame. The speaker uses this argument to diminish the significance of her reluctance, attempting to make light of her concerns about losing her virginity.

Answer: Sylvia Plath & William Carlos Williams

"Poppies in October", written by Sylvia Plath in 1962, is a vivid and emotionally charged poem that explores themes of beauty, suffering, and the complexity of life. Plath creates a striking image of a woman in an ambulance, whose "red heart" seems to bloom like a flower through her coat. This image contrasts the vibrant, unexpected beauty of the poppies with the stark reality of human suffering. The "red heart" symbolizes both life and vulnerability, standing out against the surrounding scene and drawing attention to the fragility of existence.

"The Red Wheelbarrow," written by William Carlos Williams in 1923, is a short but highly influential poem that exemplifies the Imagist movement's focus on clear, direct imagery and simple language. Williams presents a vivid, concrete image of a red wheelbarrow, wet and shining with rain, emphasizing its color and texture. The poem's minimalist style captures a moment of stillness and contemplation, where an ordinary object - a wheelbarrow - becomes extraordinary through close observation. By saying that "so much depends upon" the wheelbarrow, Williams suggests that even the smallest, most mundane details of life can hold profound meaning.

Answer: Theodore Roethke & Percy Bysshe Shelley

"My Papa's Waltz", written by Theodore Roethke in 1942, is a poem that captures a complex and ambiguous moment between a father and his son. The speaker, a grown man recalling his childhood, describes the strong smell of alcohol on his father's breath as they engage in a rough, playful dance or "waltz." This imagery sets a conflicting tone, suggesting both a sense of unease and affection. The poem is often interpreted in different ways - some readers see it as a tender, though imperfect, memory of a father-son bond, while others perceive it as hinting at a more troubling dynamic involving roughness and possible violence.

"Ozymandias", written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1818, is a sonnet that reflects on the impermanence of human power and the inevitable decline of all empires. The speaker comes across the ruins of a massive statue of Ozymandias, an ancient king who once boasted of his might and greatness. Despite the king's proud claims of enduring power, the statue now lies in ruins in an empty desert, with only fragments remaining to testify to his once-mighty reign. These lines highlight the poem's central theme: that no matter how powerful or grand a ruler may seem, time ultimately reduces all human achievements to dust.

Answer: Alfred Tennyson & William Wordsworth

"The Charge of the Light Brigade," written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1854, is a poem that commemorates a famous, but ill-fated, military charge during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. The lines "Forward, the Light Brigade! / Was there a man dismayed?" capture the moment when the brigade receives the order to advance into battle, despite the near-certain danger ahead.

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," (sometimes titled "Daffodils") was written by William Wordsworth in 1804, and is one of the most famous poems of the Romantic era. In the lines "When all at once I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils," the speaker describes a moment when his solitary wandering is suddenly interrupted by the sight of a field filled with vibrant daffodils. The "crowd" of daffodils appears lively and joyful, as if they are dancing in the breeze. This imagery captures the poem's theme of finding unexpected beauty and emotional solace in nature.