AP Literature - The Sonnet Ballad

Who wrote the poem "The Sonnet Ballad"?

• Gwendolyn Bennett

• Gwendolyn Womack

• Gwendolyn Osborn

• Gwendolyn Brooks

Coquettish as used in the poem most nearly means

• serious

• temperate

• provocative

• deadly

Answer explanation

Coquettish is describing Death, which is personified as being alluring. The adjectives "impudent," "strange," and "possessive" all suggest that Death is captivating and charming, such that even "a hard man hesitate[s]"

How does the lover address her mother?

• With passivity and apathy

• With sadness about her circumstance

• With intense guilt

• With overwhelming excitement

The perspective of the speaker is that of

• an outside observer

• an disillusioned lover

• a curious thinker

• a disgruntled rioter

The main themes in "The Sonnet-Ballad" include

• Romance

• Death

• Sadness

• The joy of living on the moon

Which of the following scenarios is most similar to the experience of the speaker in the poem "The Sonnet-Ballad"?

• A classmate tearfully watches his/her friend leave for boarding school

• An elderly citizen struggles to find a place to live

• A parent harshly rebukes their child

• A member of Congress delivers a eulogy for a war veteran

What is a literary technique used in "The Sonnet-Ballad"?

• Onomatopoeia

• Personification

• Anachronism

• Anthropomorphism

What lines are repeated in the poem, if any?

• Lines 14, 1, and 2

• Lines 1 and 13

• No lines are repeated

• Lines 1 and 14

What do you think the empty heart-cup symbolizes?

Draw your own visual representation of the poem!