Poetry Trivia Questions
In case you missed them, here are the past five Columbia Granger's World of Poetry trivia questions of the day.
March 7
Question:
Whose famous last words were "My vocabulary did this to me"?
Answer
Jack Spicer. Dying from the effects of alcoholism, he reputedly said this to Robin Blaser, adding, "Your love will let you go on."
March 6
Question:
Whose famous last words were "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do"?
Answer
Oscar Wilde, according to some sources. One wonders about its veracity given his deathbed conversion back to Catholicism; a priest remained with him during his last hours. Another deathbed quote attributed to Wilde; having asked for a glass of champagne, he said: "Alas, I am dying beyond my means."
March 5
Question:
On what true story did Christina Rossetti base her poem "The Convent Threshold"?
Answer
The story of Abelard and Heloïse.
March 4
Question:
What poets are most closely associated with the poetry movement simply called "The Movement"?
Answer
Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, and Thom Gunn among others.
March 3
Question:
Where do the Cavalier poets get their name?
Answer
"Cavalier" was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War, in contrast to the puritan "Roundheads." The Cavalier poets, particularly Thomas Carew, Robert Herrick, and Richard Lovelace, favored the "plain style" approach to verse.
