The Waste Land

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1. The poem is dedicated to which poet and friend of TS Eliot? Answer: (Two Words)

2. The opening line of the poem, "April is the cruellest month", is an allusion to a quote from which English poet? John Milton William Shakespeare Geoffrey Chaucer Philip Sidney

3. The passage in "What The Thunder Said" that begins "Who is the third who walks always beside you?" was inspired by which event, according to Eliot in his notes? A hallucination Eliot's wife had during childbirth A recurring nightmare that Eliot had An account of an explorer's expedition in Antarctica The religious concept of the Holy Trinity

4. There are a lot of Shakespearean allusions in the poem, including the line, "Good night ladies, good night sweet ladies". Which Shakespearean play is this taken from? Othello Antony And Cleopatra The Taming of The Shrew Hamlet

5. There are also lots of classical allusions in the poem. What is the name of the character who is both male and female? Philomel Tiresias Phlebas Hieronymo

6. Which mythological character, referred to in the poem, became a nightingale when she was raped and her tongue cut out? Phlebas Philomel Hieronymo Tiresias

7. Eliot mentions a Queen of England and her lover, Leicester, in "The Fire Sermon". Which Queen is this? Elizabeth II Victoria Elizabeth I Mary I

8. The section of the poem "The Fire Sermon" takes its name from an important text in which religion? Christianity Islam Judaism Buddhism

9. In "The Burial Of The Dead" one of the characters is a tarot card reader. Which card is picked first? The Hanged Man The Wheel The Lady Of The Rocks The Drowned Sailor

10. In "What The Thunder Said" a fragment of a children's rhyme is mentioned. Which rhyme? Frere Jacques London Bridge Is Falling Down Pease Pudding Hot Ring-A-Ring Of Roses