Language & Literature

Poetry Tone Quiz: Analyze Mood and Figurative Language

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This poetry tone quiz helps you analyze tone, mood, and figurative language in short lines from classic poems. Build close-reading skills here, then deepen practice with the figures of speech quiz, review mood tone and meter, or check your knowledge with a quick poetry quiz.

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1In William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", the phrase "lonely as a cloud" exemplifies which type of figurative language?
2In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven", the repeated refrain "Nevermore" most strongly contributes to which mood?
3In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death", which tone best describes the speaker's attitude toward death?
4In Sylvia Plath's "Mirror," the mirror speaking in the first person is an example of which figurative device?
5What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"?
6What tone pervades Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"?
7In Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" introduces the poem's central use of which literary device?
8Which figurative device does Langston Hughes use in "Harlem" to compare a postponed dream to various objects (e.g., "raisin in the sun")?
9In Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind," the poet addresses the wind directly, calling on it to "lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!" This literary technique is known as what?
10What type of irony is most evident in Robert Browning's dramatic monologue "My Last Duchess," where the Duke speaks proudly of his late wife's portrait?
11In William Blake's "The Tyger," what is the effect of the repetition of "Tyger! Tyger! burning bright" on the poem's tone?
12In Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus," the lines "I am your opus, / I am your valuable" convey which tone?
13In Pablo Neruda's "Tonight I Can Write (The Saddest Lines)," what dominant mood is conveyed by the speaker's reflection on love and loss?
14In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker observes "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." Which figurative device is used here?
15In John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn," the phrase "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter" exemplifies which paradox?
16The opening line of T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" states "April is the cruellest month." This line is an example of what literary device?
17In Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias," the inscription "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" is chiefly ironic because:
18In Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnet 43," the enumeration "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height" primarily emphasizes what?
19In William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey," which theme is most reinforced by the poet's use of nature imagery?
20Wallace Stevens's "The Emperor of Ice-Cream" ends with "Let the lamp affix its beam." What does this final line symbolically suggest?
21In Robert Frost's "Mending Wall," the speaker notes "Good fences make good neighbors." This line illustrates what poetic element?
22In Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise," what does the simile "You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I'll rise" convey about the speaker?
23In Emily Dickinson's "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died - ," what is the fly's intrusion most likely symbolizing?
24Gerard Manley Hopkins's poem "Pied Beauty" is renowned for its use of which distinctive poetic technique that contributes to its musicality?
Learning Goals

Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Tone and Mood -

    Analyze classic poems in this poetry analysis quiz to accurately recognize tone and mood and understand their influence on overall meaning.

  2. Analyze Figurative Language -

    Spot and interpret similes, metaphors, and personification to enhance your skills in the figurative language quiz.

  3. Interpret Poetic Devices -

    Examine elements like rhyme, meter, imagery, and symbolism to deepen your poetry interpretation and critical reading abilities.

  4. Differentiate Literal and Figurative Meaning -

    Distinguish between a poem's literal content and its figurative layers, improving your performance on any literary analysis quiz.

  5. Apply Analytical Strategies -

    Utilize structured approaches to break down complex verses, preparing you for tone and mood quiz challenges.

  6. Evaluate Emotional Impact -

    Assess how tone and imagery evoke emotions, sharpening your ability to articulate interpretive insights.

  7. Enhance Critical Reading -

    Sharpen your attentive reading techniques to uncover nuanced meanings and excel in poetry analysis and literary analysis quizzes.

Study Guide

Cheat Sheet

  1. Distinguishing Tone vs. Mood -

    Tone reflects the poet's attitude (e.g., ironic, earnest) while mood captures the reader's emotional response; remembering "Tone Talks, Mood Moves" can help you differentiate them (source: Purdue OWL). For example, Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" employs a reassuring tone that creates a reflective mood. Practice by annotating adjectives in the voice for tone and sensory descriptions for mood.

  2. Key Figurative Language Devices -

    A quick mnemonic "SPICE" (Simile, Personification, Irony, Comparison/Metaphor, Exaggeration/Hyperbole) helps recall key figurative devices as outlined by the Poetry Foundation. Spot phrases like "cold hands" (personification) or "as bright as the sun" (simile) to deepen your interpretation. Create flashcards with device name, definition, and poem sample for fast recall.

  3. Analyzing Imagery & Sensory Details -

    Imagery engages the five senses to paint vivid pictures; according to the University of Cambridge Literature Department, marking sensory words (visual, auditory, tactile) reveals how poems evoke atmosphere. For instance, Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale" uses "embalmed darkness" to blend scent and sight. When quizzing yourself, categorize imagery by sense to trace its contribution to tone and mood.

  4. Understanding Meter & Rhythm -

    Understanding meter - such as iambic pentameter's "da-DUM" five-foot pattern - lets you scan lines and detect shifts in pace, as taught by Oxford University's English Faculty. Reading aloud with a soft clap on stressed syllables uncovers rhythmic variations and emphasis. Use the "clap-and-count" formula: clap on each stressed syllable, count to five, and see if the line aligns.

  5. Decoding Symbolism & Theme -

    Symbols are concrete images or objects that represent abstract ideas; the Poetry Foundation highlights how Frost's "The Road Not Taken" uses diverging paths to symbolize life choices. Identifying repeating symbols across stanzas can unlock a poem's core theme and message. Practice by listing symbols in each stanza and writing one-sentence thematic summaries to reinforce your analysis.

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Updated Feb 21, 2026