Poetic Lines and Other Works Trivia Quiz

No. 1 in the image shows the first few lines from the poem "Fame is a Bee" by Emily Dickinson. She wrote this in 1865, using the bee as a metaphor for how fleeting the nature of fame is. She also wrote the poem "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" which could be said to describe her, wishing her privacy and yet wanting to connect with like-minded people.

The American poet Emily Dickinson was little known in her lifetime, perhaps more as a gardener. Living a reclusive lifestyle, correspondence was her preferred medium for connecting with people. Of her nearly 1,800 poems, only 10 were published during her lifetime.

The publishing practice at the time was to edit poems to conform to conventional poetic rules. On her death, her correspondence was destroyed as she requested. A family feud prevented publication of her complete works for some 50 years. She is now recognised as a major American poet.

The lines marked '2' come from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", which was a lengthy poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the period 1797-98. He also is said to have written the first part of his narrative poem "Christabel" as well as "Kubla Khan" in this period. These three are arguably his best-known works with "the Ancient Mariner", for example, being responsible for introducing to the English language expressions like the metaphor 'an albatross around one's neck'.

He tended to publish his poems along with those of other poets, such as in the "Lyrical Ballads' in 1798. This included a selection of William Wordsworth's poems and "the Ancient Mariner". According to some this marks the starting point of the English romantic age. The second part of "Christabel" came in 1800; however, the other three planned parts were never written. Similarly, "Kubla Khan" was unfinished.

"An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" by Oliver Goldsmith provides the lines to accompany the '3' on the image. It is not so much an elegy as a comic satire and was originally published within "The Vicar of Wakefield" (1766). The poem describes someone outwardly a well-liked good Christian man who, on being being bitten by a rabid dog, survives and it is the dog that dies. The implication is that the man is the toxic one.

"The Deserted Village" (1770) could be seen as a political and economic commentary on the rural depopulation of the times brought on by the enclosures movement. The common person is seen as praiseworthy, losing out to the corrupting influence of the wealthy. The displaced population exchange their rural idyll for the industrial life of towns and cities, emigration overseas or death. It is a topic Goldsmith had addressed before such as in his 1762 essay "The Revolution in Low Life".

The 18th century Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith wrote novels such as "The Vicar of Wakefield" (1766), plays like the comedy "She Stoops to Conquer" (1773) and poems such as these two. He was frequently in debt and addicted to gambling, however his serious writing attracted the attention of and friendship of fellow writers in The Club (or Literary Club), of which he was a founding member.

Marked '4' on the image, the lines are from "The Waste Land" by T S Eliot. In five sections, "The Waste Land" uses multiple voices, structural complexity and diverse writing styles to reflect on the post-WW1 disillusionment of society (although this was later denied by Eliot). This contrasts with the light-hearted tone of "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" from his collection of whimsical poetry "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (1939).

The early 20th century produced the Modernist, of whom T S Eliot was a prime example. He employed innovative techniques such as stream of consciousness, fragmentation and allusions on themes such as alienation and the meaning of life. The Modernist poetry movement followed on from the Victorian era of formal structure and themes covering morality,

'5' on the image, "Still I Rise" is one of 32 poems in Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry "And Still I Rise" published in 1978. Themes include resilience, defiance and empowerment, and affirmation of identity. "Woman Work" also appears in this volume, addressing celebration of femininity, connection to Nature, and universal experience.

Maya Angelou was an American writer and civil rights activist whose works often reflect themes of resilience, empowerment and the strength of women in adversity. Two of her most celebrated poems, "Still I Rise" and "Woman Work," encapsulate these themes. Best known for her seven autobiographies, she was also a prolific poet.

The lines (at '6') are from the poem "Days" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson reflects on the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. The poem conveys a sense of urgency to embrace life fully, as time is precious and cannot be reclaimed. Emerson's "Snow-Storm" captures the beauty and power of a snowstorm, and how nature can transform the environment dramatically. Both are from "Poems", a collection published in 1847.

American Ralph Waldo Emerson was an essayist, philosopher, and poet. He was a leading light in the Transcendentalist movement of that century. His work spoke of individualism, self-reliance, and the connection between humanity and nature. Readers were encouraged to explore their own thoughts and feelings, and advocated for personal growth and understanding.

The lines for '7' on the image are from "The Dentist and the Crocodile" by Roald Dahl. From the "Dirty Beasts" collection (1983), it is a whimsical poem with a mix of humour and suspense. "Revolting Rhymes" (1982) is a collection of humorous and subversive retellings of six classic fairy tales. Dahl takes well-known stories and adds a darkly comedic twist, turning the traditional narratives on their heads.

British author Roald Dahl (1916-1990) is best known for his children's stories such as "The Gremlins" (1943) and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (1964). His works spanned children's fiction, poetry and screenwriting. Told from the child's perspective, they generally contain humour mixed with darker themes and moral lessons.

"The Road Not Taken" (1915) by Robert Frost provides the lines for the '8' on the image. It explores the theme of choice, reflecting on decisions made and how they shape lives. It uses the description of a diverging road to symbolise life's choices. "Mending Wall", from the "North of Boston" collection (1914), uses the wall to look into human relationships and the role of tradition. It is a complex poem and touches on contradictions in life, boundaries in human society and recurring cycles in seasons, amongst others.

Four times recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Frost was known for his conversational tone, natural imagery and rural settings. Themes touched on included individualism, choices and the human experience.

The lines at '9' on the image are from the poem "If-" by Rudyard Kipling. Published in 1910, it is in the form of paternal advice from a Victorian-era stoic to his son, promoting resilience, integrity and maturity.

Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" (1899) called upon Western nations to take on the responsibility of colonizing and civilizing non-Western peoples. It suggests that this "burden" is noble but fraught with challenges. It was quoted during the US Senate debate in 1899 over whether the US should retain control of the Philippines (it did) and provoked Mark Twain to reply with "To the Person Sitting in Darkness" (1901).

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an British author and poet who wrote celebrating British imperialism and colonialism, with themes of adventure, duty, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in a rapidly changing world.

The lines (marked'10') are from "O Captain! My Captain!", which was written by Walt Whitman in 1865 in commemoration of President Abraham Lincoln following his assassination. It was first published in his "Sequel to Drum-Taps", a collection published in 1865 and inspired by the American Civil War.

19th century poet Whitman is sometimes described as the father of free verse, a style that allows for flexible line breaks, irregular rhythms, and a conversational tone. "Song of Myself", first published as one of twelve untitled poems in the 1885 edition of "Leaves of Grass", is typical of this style. It is a complex poem with unconventional style and includes themes of self-discovery, diversity and democracy.

Ironically, the more conventionally structured poem "O Captain! My Captain!" is one of his better known. It was quoted, for example, as a salute by the character Todd Anderson and fellow classmates to their departing teacher in "Dead Poet's Society" (1989).