Piano

Question 1

What is the main theme explored in D.H. Lawrence’s poem ‘Piano’?

Answer 1

Nostalgia and memory

The poem reflects on the impact of childhood memories on the adult speaker.

Question 2

In which year was the poem ‘Piano’ published?

Answer 2

1913

Question 3

Who is the speaker in the poem ‘Piano’?

Answer 3

The poet himself

Question 4

What emotion does the speaker experience upon hearing the woman sing?

Answer 4

Overwhelming nostalgia

Question 5

What literary device is used to create a soothing atmosphere in the first line of ‘Piano’?

Answer 5

Sibilance

Question 6

Fill in the blank: The phrase ‘in the dusk’ suggests a shift between the present light into a _______.

Answer 6

past memory

Question 7

What does the word ‘vista’ imply about the speaker’s memories?

Answer 7

They are pleasant

Question 8

What structure does the poem ‘Piano’ consist of?

Answer 8

Three four-line stanzas or quatrains

Question 9

What is the significance of enjambment in the poem?

Answer 9

It reflects the speaker’s memories slowly overwhelming him

Question 10

True or False: The poem ‘Piano’ is a lyric poem that has a musical quality.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

How does Lawrence use personification in ‘Piano’?

Answer 11

He personifies the speaker’s heart as it ‘weeps’ to convey deep longing

Question 12

What does the phrase ‘insidious mastery of song’ suggest?

Answer 12

Music has the power to control emotions

Question 13

Fill in the blank: The speaker feels his ‘manhood is cast down in the flood of _______.

Answer 13

remembrance

Question 14

What does the simile ‘I weep like a child for the past’ imply?

Answer 14

The speaker cannot return to childhood despite his longing

Question 15

What does the use of caesura in the poem signify?

Answer 15

It slows the pace and mirrors the speaker’s reflective tone

Question 16

What emotion does the word ‘clamour’ convey in the final stanza?

Answer 16

Pointlessness of the current music

Question 17

What does the phrase ‘tinkling piano our guide’ suggest about music’s role?

Answer 17

It links the past with the present

Question 18

What does the contrast between ‘winter outside’ and ‘cosy parlour’ represent?

Answer 18

The comfort and safety of childhood memories

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The poem uses _______ to reflect the speaker’s struggle to suppress their memory.

Answer 19

irregular meter

Question 20

What does the phrase ‘softly, in the dusk’ create in the poem?

Answer 20

A calming atmosphere

Question 21

What is the effect of using alliteration in the first two lines?

Answer 21

Creates a soothing sound

Question 22

What is suggested by the speaker’s yearning to experience ‘Sunday evenings’ again?

Answer 22

A deep sorrow for lost childhood

Question 23

What does the metaphor ‘flood of remembrance’ signify?

Answer 23

Overwhelming emotions related to memories

Question 24

True or False: The poem reflects on the speaker’s indifference towards his childhood.

Answer 24

False

Question 25

What modernist approach is reflected in the poem 'Piano'?

Answer 25

Stream of consciousness writing style

Question 26

What does the term 'appassionato' mean in the context of the poem?

Answer 26

Performing with great emotion and passion

Question 27

What is the primary focus of the analysis when comparing poems?

Answer 27

Understanding how writers create literary effects through imagery, language choice, tone, and structure

Question 28

What theme is emphasized in the comparison of 'Piano' and 'Remember'?

Answer 28

The theme of memory

Question 29

From whose perspective is 'Piano' written?

Answer 29

An adult remembering his childhood

Question 30

From whose perspective is 'Half-past Two' written?

Answer 30

A child recounting a memory

Question 31

How does the symbolism of dusk function in 'Piano'?

Answer 31

It reflects the speaker’s thoughts moving from the present back to the past

Question 32

What does the clock symbolize in 'Half-past Two'?

Answer 32

Power, knowledge, and the distinction between childlike innocence and adulthood

Question 33

What literary device is used in 'Piano' to convey the speaker's pain?

Answer 33

Personification

Question 34

What is the structure of 'Piano'?

Answer 34

Three quatrains with two rhyming couplets per stanza

Question 35

What type of verse does 'Half-past Two' follow?

Answer 35

Free verse made up of 11 three-line stanzas (tercets)

Question 36

What does the child in 'Half-past Two' fear?

Answer 36

Being forgotten about

Question 37

What is the tone of 'Piano' regarding childhood memories?

Answer 37

Positive and nostalgic

Question 38

What is the tone of 'Half-past Two' regarding childhood?

Answer 38

Fearful and innocent

Question 39

What does the speaker in 'Remember' ask their loved one to do?

Answer 39

To remember them after they have passed away

Question 40

What is the structure of 'Remember'?

Answer 40

A Petrarchan sonnet

Question 41

What does caesura do in both 'Piano' and 'Remember'?

Answer 41

Slows down the pace to focus on key aspects of memory

Question 42

In 'Piano', how does the speaker view memories?

Answer 42

As painful and something that should not resurface

Question 43

In 'Remember', how does the speaker view memories?

Answer 43

As something to be cherished

Question 44

Fill in the blank: 'Half-past Two' uses _______ to highlight the child's innocence.

Answer 44

Language reflecting the child's perspective

Question 45

True or False: Both 'Piano' and 'Remember' explore themes of nostalgia and memory through loss.

Answer 45

True

Question 46

What literary technique is used in 'Piano' to convey the speaker's nostalgia?

Answer 46

Alliteration and sibilance

Question 47

What is the significance of the line “Better by far you should forget and smile” in 'Remember'?

Answer 47

Emphasizes the speaker’s desire for their lover to not feel guilty if they forget

Question 48

What is the emotional impact of the speaker weeping in 'Piano'?

Answer 48

Reflects deep nostalgia and grief over childhood

Question 49

What does the phrase 'Gettinguptime' signify in 'Half-past Two'?

Answer 49

The child's inability to understand time