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We have prepared for you multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on “Hearty Garlands” by S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza to drill you on your understanding of the poem. There are a total of 40 objective questions. Share your answers in the comment section. The answers to the questions are in the next page of this post.
Multiple Choice Questions on “Hearty Garlands”
1. Who is the author of the poem “Hearty Garlands”?
A. S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza
B. Gabriel Okara
C. Niyi Osundare
D. Syl Cheney-Coker
2. What type of poem is “Hearty Garlands”?
A. An elegy mourning the death of a loved one
B. A poem of protest against injustice
C. A birthday tribute to an elderly person
D. A love poem addressed to a romantic partner
3. The poem is addressed to a person who has reached the age of:
A. Seventy-five
B. Ninety
C. Eighty
D. Eighty-five
4. The title “Hearty Garlands” most directly suggests:
A. A warm and sincere celebration or tribute
B. A garden of flowers
C. Funeral wreaths
D. A military decoration
5. In the poem, the word “garlands” is used as a metaphor for:
A. Physical flowers placed on a grave
B. Warm wishes and blessings extended in celebration
C. A golden crown for a king
D. A necklace worn at a party
6. The phrase “life’s whole process blooms into stark beauty” makes use of which literary device?
A. Simile
B. Onomatopoeia
C. Metaphor
D. Alliteration
7. What does “life’s whole process blooms into stark beauty” suggest about old age?
A. That old age is ugly and frightening
B. That life is over and finished
C. That failure is unavoidable in life
D. That a well-lived life reveals its full beauty at its closing stage
8. “Failures give no trite, crippling regrets” implies that for this celebrant:
A. His achievements are so rich that past failures no longer haunt him
B. He has never failed at anything
C. He is bitter about past failures
D. He has simply forgotten his failures
9. The word “trite” in “no trite, crippling regrets” means:
A. Deep and profound
B. Overused and therefore lacking in genuine significance
C. Painful and emotional
D. Surprising and unexpected
10. “Green-eyed envy” is an example of which literary device?
A. Onomatopoeia
B. Apostrophe
C. Transferred epithet
D. Simile
11. “Green-eyed envy” most likely refers to:
A. The celebrant’s own jealousy of younger people
B. A medical condition affecting the celebrant
C. A character in a fairy tale
D. People jealous of the celebrant’s achievements and longevity
12. The word “benign” in “benign Felicitation” means:
A. Kindly and gentle
B. Aggressive and hostile
C. Forced and insincere
D. Loud and boisterous
13. The phrase “exclusively couched for you” means:
A. Sent privately through a courier
B. Written carelessly and quickly
C. Specially composed and reserved only for the celebrant
D. Borrowed from another poem
14. “By us who won’t be left out of today’s joy” reveals that the speaker:
A. Is reluctant to celebrate
B. Was not invited to the celebration
C. Is celebrating from a distant country
D. Is eager and determined to partake in the celebration
15. The celebrant is referred to as “you wondrous mentor of rogues like us.” The word “rogues” is used here in what sense?
A. Playfully and affectionately to describe the speaker and friends as mischievous but lovable
B. As a harsh insult to the speaker and companions
C. As a description of criminals
D. In a context of deep shame and guilt
16. The phrase “wondrous mentor” suggests that the celebrant:
A. Was a difficult and strict teacher
B. Was a remarkable guide and role model to others
C. Refused to teach or guide anyone
D. Was a mentor to only one person
17. “Age eighty-five is life’s smiley, cloudless dawn” makes use of which literary device?
A. Onomatopoeia
B. Simile
C. Alliteration
D. Metaphor
18. Describing age eighty-five as a “cloudless dawn” suggests that:
A. The celebrant’s advanced age is a bright, unblemished beginning
B. Old age is frightening and uncertain
C. The celebrant prefers morning to evening
D. Life at eighty-five is dull and uneventful
19. “The gainful twilight of fulfilled dreams” uses the word “twilight” to suggest:
A. Darkness and despair
B. A closing phase of life that is still rich with the rewards of well-spent years
C. The beginning of a new life
D. The literal time of day at which the poem is written
20. “Hope now nods in contented concert with spent desires” means:
A. Hope has abandoned the celebrant entirely
B. Hope and desire are in conflict with each other
C. Hope and desire are now in peaceful, satisfied agreement after a life well lived
D. The celebrant’s desires are still unmet
21. The word “concert” in line 16 means:
A. A musical performance
B. A disagreement
C. A competition
D. Harmony
22. “Now restful Hope neither nags nor raves nor rants” suggests that:
A. At this stage of life, Hope is calm and at peace, no longer driven by urgent longing
B. Hope has become angry in old age
C. Hope is still restless and agitated
D. The celebrant has given up hope entirely
23. The literary device used in “nags nor raves nor rants” is:
A. Simile
B. Alliteration
C. Assonance
D. Onomatopoeia
24. “Your heart sits on garlanded satis shores”. The word “satis” most likely refers to:
A. Sadness
B. Satire
C. Satisfaction
D. Silence
25. “Looking out to sea for health delivering vessels” suggests that the celebrant:
A. Is a fisherman by profession
B. Is planning a sea voyage
C. Is mourning those lost at sea
D. Still looks forward to and hopes for good health in the years ahead
26. The phrase “subdued heights of your lofty conquered toils” suggests:
A. The celebrant achieved great things through hard work and effort
B. The celebrant failed in most of his endeavours
C. The celebrant refused to work hard in his youth
D. The celebrant’s work was trivial
27. “Shake your own hands like iroko agama” is an example of which literary device?
A. Hyperbole
B. Personification
C. Simile
D. Apostrophe
28. The “iroko” in the simile “shake your own hands like iroko agama” refers to:
A. A small shrub found in West Africa
B. A species of fish found in the Niger Delta
C. An African musical instrument
D. A towering African hardwood tree
29. An “agama” is:
A. A species of lizard common in West Africa
B. A type of bird
C. A traditional African dance
D. A type of drum
30. The image of the “iroko agama” shaking its own hands suggests:
A. The celebrant should remain humble and silent
B. The celebrant is justified in self-congratulation
C. The celebrant should shake hands only with others, not himself
D. The celebrant’s hands are weak and trembling
31. “March on, old boy, do, and clinch yonder untamed gain” reveals the poet’s wish that the celebrant:
A. Stop working and rest permanently
B. Look back on the past with regret
C. Continue striving and achieving, even at eighty-five
D. Retire quietly and abandon all ambitions
32. The phrase “yonder untamed gain” suggests:
A. Something already achieved
B. A financial gain from the past
C. A loss that cannot be recovered
D. An achievement still ahead
33. “For yon lies mop-up work and higher tasks still” implies that the poet believes:
A. There remains meaningful work still to be accomplished
B. The celebrant’s life’s work is completely done
C. The celebrant is too old to do any more work
D. Mop-up work is trivial and beneath the celebrant
34. The word “yon” is a poetic term meaning:
A. Yesterday
B. Over there
C. Long ago
D. Below
35. “Then must you hear trumpet sound / that to a guru must blow solo musical bravo” suggests:
A. The celebrant plays a musical instrument
B. The celebrant attends trumpet concerts
C. A celebratory fanfare befitting a master will be sounded in his honour when his work is complete
D. Music is being used to mourn the celebrant
36. The word “guru” in the poem means:
A. A novice
B. A political leader
C. A young student
D. An expert
37. “Reclining in reminiscing and fondling a lingering smile” portrays the celebrant as:
A. Peacefully reflecting on the pleasant memories of a life well lived
B. Restless and dissatisfied with life
C. Asleep and dreaming
D. Regretful about his past choices
38. “Could you a certain style of locomotion all your own recall?” is an example of which literary device?
A. Alliteration
B. Onomatopoeia
C. A rhetorical question
D. Simile
39. What is the dominant tone of “Hearty Garlands”?
A. Mournful and elegiac
B. Angry and critical
C. Detached and indifferent
D. Celebratory and affectionate
40. The overall message of “Hearty Garlands” is best stated as:
A. A life of achievement deserves joyful celebration
B. Old age is a time of suffering and regret
C. People should retire and stop working after the age of eighty
D. Envy and rivalry are unavoidable aspects of life
Answers on the next page.
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