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A Poetry Calendar Trivia Quiz

A series of poet and poetry related questions to take you through the year.

A multiple-choice quiz by rosc. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
rosc

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
200,629

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
328

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. On January 4th 1965, T.S. Eliot died. Which Renaissance artist is discussed by women in his poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock'? Hint

Raphael

Titian

Leonardo da Vinci

Michelangelo

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Question 2 of 10

2. On February 16th 1751, Thomas Gray published his 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard'. Which line from the poem did Thomas Hardy steal as a title for a novel? Hint

Two on a tower

Under the greenwood tree

Far from the madding crowd

The return of the native

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Question 3 of 10

3. A.E. Housman was born on March 26th 1859. In which county? Hint

Worcestershire

Herefordshire

Shropshire

Staffordshire

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Question 4 of 10

4. The greatest English poet of them all, William Shakespeare, apparently died on his birthday in 1616. Which day in April was that? Hint

April 17th

April 27th

April 29th

April 23rd

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Question 5 of 10

5. On June 10th 1864, Lewis Carroll wrote a letter to a friend asking for help in choosing a title for a book he had written. Which of these did Carroll NOT suggest as a possibility? Hint

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Alice's Activities

Alice Among the Elves

Alice in Wonderland

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Question 6 of 10

6. On July 24th 1916, which war poet was surprised to read his own obituary in "The Times"? Hint

Robert Graves

Siegfried Sassoon

Wilfrid Owen

T.S. Eliot

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Question 7 of 10

7. On September 3rd, 1802, William Wordsworth completed one of his most famous sonnets which began, 'Earth has not anything to show more fair'. Where did he write this poem? Hint

Wandering by Lake Windermere

At home in Dove Cottage

In the grounds of Tintern Abbey

Upon Westminster Bridge

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Question 8 of 10

8. Geoffrey Chaucer, the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey, died on October 25th, 1400. Which is the real "Canterbury Tale"? Hint

The Reeve's Tale

The Alderman's Tale

The Nun's Tale

The Priest's Tale

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which seventeenth century metaphysical poet was elected Dean of St Paul's cathedral in November 1621? Hint

Henry Vaughan

George Herbert

John Donne

Andrew Marvell

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Question 10 of 10

10. Shelley married his second wife, Mary, on December 30th 1816 after his first wife committed suicide. Can you complete this line from 'Ozymandias'? 'I met a traveller from...' Hint

a distant land

a foreign land

an antique land

a faraway land

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On January 4th 1965, T.S. Eliot died. Which Renaissance artist is discussed by women in his poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock'?

Answer: Michelangelo

'In the room the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo.' T.S. Eliot's work was very diverse ranging from 'The Waste Land' and 'The Hollow Men' through to 'Macavity the Mystery Cat' and 'The Journey of the Magi'.

2. On February 16th 1751, Thomas Gray published his 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard'. Which line from the poem did Thomas Hardy steal as a title for a novel?

Answer: Far from the madding crowd

'Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.'

3. A.E. Housman was born on March 26th 1859. In which county?

Answer: Worcestershire

He was not, in fact, a Shropshire lad at all! For Housman, Shropshire, just over the border from his native Worcestershire, was a half-imaginary land, the 'land of lost content' and of 'blue-remembered hills'.

4. The greatest English poet of them all, William Shakespeare, apparently died on his birthday in 1616. Which day in April was that?

Answer: April 23rd

April 23rd is a bad day for poets - William Wordsworth and Rupert Brooke also died on this day!

5. On June 10th 1864, Lewis Carroll wrote a letter to a friend asking for help in choosing a title for a book he had written. Which of these did Carroll NOT suggest as a possibility?

Answer: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and the sequel, 'Alice Through the Looking-glass' contain some wonderful nonsense poetry including 'Jabberwocky' and 'Will you, won't you?'

6. On July 24th 1916, which war poet was surprised to read his own obituary in "The Times"?

Answer: Robert Graves

Robert Graves went on to reach the age of 90, dying eventually in 1985! Wilfrid Owen was killed just seven days before the Armistice was signed in 1918 aged 25. Sassoon survived the war, dying in 1967, as did Eliot, who died in 1965.
Graves wrote the wonderfully titled poem 'Bitter thoughts on receiving a slice of Cordelia's wedding cake'!

7. On September 3rd, 1802, William Wordsworth completed one of his most famous sonnets which began, 'Earth has not anything to show more fair'. Where did he write this poem?

Answer: Upon Westminster Bridge

The sonnet is entitled 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge' so we have to believe him!

8. Geoffrey Chaucer, the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey, died on October 25th, 1400. Which is the real "Canterbury Tale"?

Answer: The Reeve's Tale

He did write 'The Second Nun's Tale' and 'The Nun's Priest's Tale' - sorry if you got caught out! A reeve was a local official, like a sheriff.

9. Which seventeenth century metaphysical poet was elected Dean of St Paul's cathedral in November 1621?

Answer: John Donne

Donne wrote some of the most beautiful love poetry in the English language including, 'The Sun's Rising', 'The Good-Morrow' and 'On His Mistress Going to Bed'.

10. Shelley married his second wife, Mary, on December 30th 1816 after his first wife committed suicide. Can you complete this line from 'Ozymandias'? 'I met a traveller from...'

Answer: an antique land

'Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone...' Possibly the only good poem Shelley wrote.

All the biographical data for this quiz was taken from 'Poem for the Day' edited by Nicholas Albery and published in London by Chatto and Windus.

Source: Author rosc

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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