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Storgy

Quiz — Storgy

TO THE MUSE.

by James Russell Lowell.

Ten questions on craft, meaning, and form. Untimed. Answer every question to submit.

Q01of 10

What is the central structural movement of the poem as a whole?

Q02of 10

In the opening stanza, the phrase 'where thou wast' rather than 'where thou art' establishes which central theme?

Q03of 10

The imagery of 'moss thy skimming foot hath prest' and 'dimples still the water slips / Where thou hast dipt thy finger-tips' functions primarily to:

Q04of 10

The phrase 'Thou lithe, perpetual Escape' (line 24) best exemplifies which poetic technique?

Q05of 10

In lines 27–36, the Muse is compared to an organist playing 'mighty continental stops.' What does this extended musical metaphor primarily convey?

Q06of 10

Which classical or mythological allusion in the fourth major section of the poem signals the Muse's shape-shifting nature?

Q07of 10

The mysterious voice in the poem's final two stanzas advises the speaker to 'Be something better than thy verse.' What does this counsel most directly mean?

Q08of 10

What is the predominant tone of the first four sections (lines 1–64) of the poem?

Q09of 10

In the voice's description, the Muse sits at home spinning (lines 95–123). The spinning wheel metaphor implies all of the following EXCEPT:

Q10of 10

According to the voice in the final stanza, 'Stygian Fate / Unbends to him that knows to wait.' What does 'Stygian Fate' refer to, and how does the allusion function in context?

0 / 10 answered

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