To Autumn by John Keats

Lines 1-11 characterize autumn as a

• fickle god of vegetation

• natural force created to satisfy human needs

• period of over-ripeness and decay

• time of preparation for winter months

• benevolent agent of earthly abundance

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In line 3, “Conspiring” refers to

• a plot between the farmer and nature

• a figurative alliance between autumn and the sun

• the combined efforts of the sun and the moon

• the secret influence of a pagan deity

• the literal interactions of the sun and the earth

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In lines 8-11 (“to set . . . cells”), the bees are presented as

• intimidated by the hard work awaiting them

• uncomfortably hot and crowded in their hives

• needing rest after their summer labors

• rejoicing in their overflow of honey

• incapable of appreciating seasonal changes

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In the text, the repetition of the “m” sound in line 11 is suggestive of the

• satisfied hum of the bees

• stifling atmosphere of summer

• numbing effect of a bee sting

• monotony of the bees’ days

• dripping of honey spilling over

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In line 12, the word “store” most likely refers to

• a warehouse containing a cider press

• a business selling the autumn's harvest

• an accumulation of nature’s bounty

• an imperceptibly slow passage of time

• an abundant supply of seeds for future years

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In context, “winnowing” (line 15) is best understood to mean

• diluting

• cooling

• sifting

• penetrating

• invigorating

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The speaker’s answer to the questions posed in line 23 expresses mainly

• pained yearning for the carefree joys of spring

• persistent denial of the realities of time and death

• full recognition of the muted beauties of autumn

• youthful exaggeration of nature’s rugged beauty

• sardonic amusement at autumn’s inharmonious sounds

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The poem’s three stanzas suggest autumn’s

• typical morning, midday, and evening activities

• cycle of birth, death, and rebirth

• periods of sowing, reaping, and feasting

• phases of maturity, harvest, and surcease

• rhythms of work, indulgence, and atonement

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The poem is notable for its sustained use of

• parody

• personification

• allegory

• Biblical allusion

• classical allusion

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In the poem, the speaker presents

• a nostalgic longing for autumn’s arrival

• a discredited fantasy of an ideal world

• a mournful elegy for a ravaged landscape

• an appreciative catalog of autumn’s attributes

• a romantic celebration of rural life

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