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Quiz about Poems About Birds
Quiz about Poems About Birds

Poems About Birds Trivia Quiz


A quiz which is based on some of my favourite poems about birds. I will ask you to name the poet in the majority of questions and name the bird in a couple. Most, but not all, of the poets are British; have fun.

A multiple-choice quiz by Mutchisman. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
Mutchisman
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
289,063
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
485
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Here is a stanza from a very famous poem.
No clues for this one, simply identify the species of bird missing from the quote.

""Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?"
Quoth the ___, "Nevermore.""
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!
Bird thou never wert -
That from Heaven or near it
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art."

Which Romantic poet descibes the skylark in such a wonderful manner?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Here is the opening to a poem about a kestrel although that is not the title.
Which poet splendidly captures the essence of this fantastic little falcon?

"I CAUGHT this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,-the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!"
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "It was the Rainbow gave thee birth,
And left thee all her lovely hues;
And, as her mother's name was Tears,
So runs it in my blood to choose
For haunts the lonely pools, and keep
In company with trees that weep."

Which poet describes "The Kingfisher" in such an imaginative and beautiful way?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which British Poet-Laureate is describing a hawk with these words?

"I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.

The convenience of the high trees!
The air's buoyancy and the sun's ray
Are of advantage to me;
And the earth's face upward for my inspection."
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Robert Browning's poem "Home Thoughts From Abroad" mentions several bird species in its verses including whitethroat, swallow and thrush.
Which species is missing from this quotation?

"Oh, to be in England
Now that April's there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the ___ sings on the orchard bough
In England-now!"
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The unmistakably beautiful song of the nightingale has inspired many a creative mind but this ode uses the song to contrast mortality and immortality.
Which poet was feeling very vulnerable?

"Darkling I listen; and, for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain,
While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad
In such an ecstasy!
Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain-
To thy high requiem become a sod."
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons
Shudders hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his master's gate
Predicts the ruin of the state."

This is part of a poem written by a poet who had no formal education.
Who is the angry man?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. ""God save thee, ancient Mariner:
From the fiends, that plague thee thus! -
Why look'st thou so?" - "With my cross-bow
I shot the Albatross.""


This is just one stanza from an epic poem. Quite a few clues in there; who wrote it?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Here is a oft-repeated limerick:

"A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican.
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the helican."

I used to think it was probably written by that well-known poet A Nony Mouse but I was wrong; it does have an author. Which of these people gets the credit?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Here is a stanza from a very famous poem. No clues for this one, simply identify the species of bird missing from the quote. ""Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?" Quoth the ___, "Nevermore.""

Answer: Raven

The raven (Corvus corax) is a large species of crow often used in literature to symbolise impending doom. The poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was first published in 1845 and is a narrative poem about an desolate unnamed lover's descent into a kind of madness.
Such a famous piece of work has often been parodied, none more so than in "The Simpsons" where Bart is less than impressed with the poem and recites it as, "Quoth the raven, "Eat my shorts!"".
2. "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert - That from Heaven or near it Pourest thy full heart In profuse strains of unpremeditated art." Which Romantic poet descibes the skylark in such a wonderful manner?

Answer: Percy Bysshe Shelley

These are the opening lines of "Ode to a Skylark" by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822). Several Romantic poets viewed birds as metaphors for artistic freedom and the beautiful song of the skylark (Alauda arvensis) which is sung whilst the bird is on the wing and not from a perch could be regarded as the most liberated of all.
3. Here is the opening to a poem about a kestrel although that is not the title. Which poet splendidly captures the essence of this fantastic little falcon? "I CAUGHT this morning morning's minion, king- dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing, As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding Stirred for a bird,-the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!"

Answer: Gerard Manley Hopkins

Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) was a Victorian poet whose powerful use of imagery and challenging rhythmic patterns divided opinions in his day and indeed in present times. A devout Christian he dedicated this work "The Windhover" to "Christ Our Lord".

The windhover is a marvellous nickname for the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) whose amazing ability to hang in the air searching for prey is something to behold.
4. "It was the Rainbow gave thee birth, And left thee all her lovely hues; And, as her mother's name was Tears, So runs it in my blood to choose For haunts the lonely pools, and keep In company with trees that weep." Which poet describes "The Kingfisher" in such an imaginative and beautiful way?

Answer: W H Davies

Welsh born poet William Henry Davies (1871-1940) spent several years in North America where he travelled around as a hobo. His memoirs "Autobiography of a Super-Tramp" about his experiences in The States and Canada was published in 1908 to critical acclaim (not least from George Bernard Shaw who wrote a preface for the book). Several volumes of poems followed including this wonderful short poem about beauty and vanity.
The lines;
"I also love a quiet place
That's green, away from all mankind;
A lonely pool, and let a tree
Sigh with her bosom over me."
Have always struck a particular resonance with me.
5. Which British Poet-Laureate is describing a hawk with these words? "I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed. Inaction, no falsifying dream Between my hooked head and hooked feet: Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat. The convenience of the high trees! The air's buoyancy and the sun's ray Are of advantage to me; And the earth's face upward for my inspection."

Answer: Ted Hughes

These are the opening two verses from "Hawk Roosting" by Ted Hughes (1930-1998). Hughes became Poet Laureate in 1984 following the refusal of the position by Philip Larkin.
There are not many species of hawk found in Britain (there are several falcons) so I'm guessing that the bird in question is the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) which is far more common than its much larger cousin the goshawk (Accipiter gentilis).
6. Robert Browning's poem "Home Thoughts From Abroad" mentions several bird species in its verses including whitethroat, swallow and thrush. Which species is missing from this quotation? "Oh, to be in England Now that April's there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the ___ sings on the orchard bough In England-now!"

Answer: Chaffinch

Robert Browning (1812-1899) was in Italy when he wrote "Home Thoughts From Abroad". His vision of a capricious April is in stark contrast to T S Eliot's opening line in "The Waste Land"; "April is the cruellest month...".
The chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) is one of the commonest birds in Britain and its splendid song (which consists of a vibrant trill down the scale followed by longer notes and a flourish at the end) is indeed typical of a Spring day in England.
The robin (Erithacus rubecula) is many people's favourite garden bird but some think that its song has a rather melancholy tone.
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) has no real song to speak of and I put the dodo in for a joke.
7. The unmistakably beautiful song of the nightingale has inspired many a creative mind but this ode uses the song to contrast mortality and immortality. Which poet was feeling very vulnerable? "Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain- To thy high requiem become a sod."

Answer: John Keats

John Keats (1795-1821) wrote "Ode to a Nightingale" in 1819 not long after his brother Tom had died. Keats explores the theme of mortality in this poem; it is one of the trilogy of works which represent his theory of negative capability.
The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a summer visitor to southern parts of England and Wales. It is much easier to hear than see as it invariably sings its beautiful song from deep cover.
8. "A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage. A dove-house fill'd with doves and pigeons Shudders hell thro' all its regions. A dog starv'd at his master's gate Predicts the ruin of the state." This is part of a poem written by a poet who had no formal education. Who is the angry man?

Answer: William Blake

The lines are taken from William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence". In Blake's time (1757-1827), and for many years after, the capture of wild birds to keep in cages was commonplace. Thankfully these days it is illegal to do so in Britain.
9. ""God save thee, ancient Mariner: From the fiends, that plague thee thus! - Why look'st thou so?" - "With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross."" This is just one stanza from an epic poem. Quite a few clues in there; who wrote it?

Answer: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A pivotal verse from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834). The poem was first published in "Lyrical Ballads" the joint volume of verse that Coleridge and Wordsworth had published in 1798.
The albatross appears to bring a hapless ship good luck but when the ancient mariner shoots the bird, their luck changes quickly. Various interpretations have been expounded about the poem, usually regarding the themes of sin, punishment and redemption.
There are several species of albatross; although taxonomists argue as to exactly how many there are it is usually put at twenty-one. All are great sea wanderers primarily in southern oceans.
10. Here is a oft-repeated limerick: "A wonderful bird is the pelican, His bill will hold more than his belican. He can take in his beak Food enough for a week, But I'm damned if I see how the helican." I used to think it was probably written by that well-known poet A Nony Mouse but I was wrong; it does have an author. Which of these people gets the credit?

Answer: Dixon Lanier Merritt

Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879-1972) was an American writer of comic verse and prose. "The Pelican" is sometimes erroneously attributed to another excellent American writer of comic verse, Ogden Nash (1902-1971).
Edward Lear( 1812-1888) wrote dozens of limericks, some good, some bad but most of them indifferent.
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898,) wrote many famous nonsense poems and parodies including "Jabberwocky" and "You Are Old, Father William".
Pelicans are large fish-eating birds with that enormous pouch of skin hanging under their beaks. Various species are found in all continents (except Antarctica) mostly in tropical and sub-tropical climates. They are rarely seen in Britain; most sightings are probably escapes from wildfowl collections.
Source: Author Mutchisman

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