"To a Mouse" First Read
Quiz by Michael
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- Q1
Who is the ‘speaker’ of this poem?
It is Robert Burns himself
It is the persona of a sensitive, caring ploughman who is very like Burns himself
It is Burns’ brother, who had startled the mouse that day
30s - Q2
What is the general tone of the poem?
Happiness that the little creature has not been harmed
Resentment that a mouse could be happier than a human being
Pessimism at the uncertainty of life and the future
30s - Q3
Why is child-like language used in the opening stanza?
The farmers of that time were uneducated
The poem is very simple and was written for children
The speaker was reassuring the mouse if it were a child
30s - Q4
Why does the speaker call himself thy poor earth-born companion?
Being a farmer, he is always covered in mud and clay, just like the mouse during muddy November weather
They both share a common heritage and live on the land
He was born on the same farm where the mouse has always lived
30s - Q5
What is the turning point in stanza four?
The speaker realizes that the nest has been destroyed
The speaker accepts that life is tough and he must focus on his farm
The mouse has run off and the speaker can do nothing more for it
30s - Q6
How is the speaker’s sense of empathy emphasized in stanza 5?
He describes sleet starting to dribble down on man and mouse
The speaker imagining what the mouse went through went the plough’s blade hit its nest
The speaker is thinking of the hearty meal waiting for him when the mouse has nothing
30s - Q7
Why might the mouse be better off than the speaker?
A mouse can easily create a new home, unlike a human
A mouse needs very little to survive, unlike a human
A human worries about past and future, unlike a mouse
30s