Table of Contents
- Question 1: "The Phoenix and the Turtle"
- Question 2: Identifying John Donne's Poems
- Question 3: Lines from Andrew Marvell
- Question 4: "A Red Red Rose"
- Question 5: Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"
- Question 6: Pandemic Fiction "The Last Man"
- Question 7: Chronology of Thomas Carlyle
- Question 8: Chronology of Feminist/Women's Texts
- Question 9: Critiques of Walter Scott
- Question 10: Match Work to Character
Question 1
Who composed the poem "The Phoenix and the Turtle"?
"The Phoenix and the Turtle" is an allegorical elegy about the death of ideal love by William Shakespeare. It was published in 1601 as a supplement to a long poem by Robert Chester, titled Love's Martyr.
During the theatre closures (1593-1594), Shakespeare also turned to publishing narrative poems like "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece," dedicating them to the Earl of Southampton.
Other Options:
William Cowper was a precursor to the Romantic movement, known for The Task and "The Castaway".
William Blake and Robert Burns belong to the later Romantic tradition.
Question 2
Name the poet who has composed the following poems:
A. "A Hymn to God the Father"
B. "Elegy on Mistress Bulstrode"
C. "Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness"
D. "A Valediction of Weeping"
Choose the correct option from the below:
All the listed poems are works of the preeminent metaphysical poet, John Donne.
- "A Hymn to God the Father": A divine poem where Donne inquires of God's willingness to pardon original and continuous sins.
- "Elegy on Mistress Bulstrode": Written to honor Cecily Bulstrode, a courtier associated with Donne's patron, the Countess of Bedford.
- "Hymn to God my God, in my Sickness": A religious piece showcasing Donne contemplating his mortality, likely written on his deathbed (1630) or during a severe fever (1623).
- "A Valediction of Weeping": A magnificent exploration of a relationship facing separation, showcasing Donne's mastery in crafting conceits.
Question 3
“My love is of a birth as rare
As, tis, for object, strange and high;
It was begotten by despair
Upon impossibility.” (Andrew Marvell)
Name the poem from which these lines have been taken.
These are the opening lines of Andrew Marvell's metaphysical poem "The Definition of Love."
The poem is a perfect example of metaphysical conceit, exploring a love that is perfect and parallel but, due to Fate, can never intersect or physically meet. It contrasts beautifully with his carpe diem poem, "To His Coy Mistress."
Question 4
Who has composed “A Red Red Rose"?
"A Red, Red Rose" is a famous 1794 song in Scots crafted by the Scottish national poet Robert Burns.
Burns is renowned for his contributions to the Scots language and preserving Scottish folk songs. Other notable works include "Auld Lang Syne," "To a Mouse," and "Tam o' Shanter."
Question 5
In which year "She Walks in Beauty", a poem by Lord Byron, was composed?
"She Walks in Beauty" is a renowned short lyrical poem penned by Lord Byron in 1814 (and published in 1815 in Hebrew Melodies).
The poem's inspiration was Anne Beatrix Wilmot, the wife of Byron's first cousin. Byron was captivated by her beauty (she was wearing a black mourning dress with spangles) at a social gathering in London on June 11, 1814, and composed the poem the following morning.
Question 6
Who is the author of the pandemic fiction The Last Man?
Mary Shelley's The Last Man (1826) is an apocalyptic, dystopian novel that imagines a late 21st-century Europe devastated by a global bubonic plague pandemic.
The narrative weaves in allegorical references to her late husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend Lord Byron, both of whom had passed away prior to the novel's release.
(Note: Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote "Love in the Time of Cholera," and Jose Saramago wrote "Blindness"—both dealing with epidemics but not titled "The Last Man".)
Question 7
Choose the correct order of publication of Thomas Carlyle's works:
A. History of the French Revolution
B. Signs of the Time
C. Chartism
D. Occasional Discourse on the Nigger Question
E. Heros and Hero Worship
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
The correct chronological sequence of Thomas Carlyle's works is:
- (B) Signs of the Times (1829)
- (A) The French Revolution: A History (1837)
- (C) Chartism (1840)
- (E) On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1841)
- (D) Occasional Discourse on the Negro Question (1849)
Question 8
Arrange the following texts chronologically on the basis of the date of publication:
A. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
B. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
C. Maria by Mary Wollstonecraft
D. The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer
E. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
The correct timeline for these landmark texts is:
- (C) Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman (1798): Mary Wollstonecraft's unfinished novel published posthumously.
- (A) Frankenstein (1818): Mary Shelley's iconic Gothic science-fiction novel.
- (E) The Return of the Soldier (1918): Rebecca West's debut novel addressing WW1 shell shock.
- (B) A Room of One's Own (1929): Virginia Woolf's seminal feminist essay.
- (D) The Female Eunuch (1970): Germaine Greer's major text in the feminist movement.
Question 9
Which of the following is not included in the positive evils of Scott as a novelist?
Option 4 is not a critique (a "positive evil") of Sir Walter Scott's writing. Conversely, critics often point out that his prose style was expansive but occasionally lacked rhythmic and melodic finesse due to his speed.
Scott's rapid pace of writing (1), his chaotic financial strategies leading to overproduction to pay off debts (2), and the hasty, improvised construction of his plots (3) are all well-documented historical criticisms of his massive literary output.
Question 10
Match List I with List II
| List I (Work) | List II (Character) |
|---|---|
| A. Charles Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit | I. Abraham Durbeyfield |
| B. G.B. Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma | II. Harry |
| C. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles | III. Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonnington |
| D. T.S. Eliot's The Family Reunion | IV. Mrs Gamp |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
A. Martin Chuzzlewit (IV): Mrs. Sarah Gamp is a famous, darkly humorous, and alcoholic midwife/nurse character in Dickens' novel.
B. The Doctor's Dilemma (III): Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonnington is an upper-class, pompous doctor in G.B. Shaw's satirical play.
C. Tess of the d'Urbervilles (I): John/Abraham Durbeyfield is the father of Tess in Hardy's tragic novel, whose discovery of his noble lineage triggers the plot.
D. The Family Reunion (II): Harry, Lord Monchensey, is the guilt-ridden protagonist of T.S. Eliot's verse play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote "The Phoenix and the Turtle"?
William Shakespeare wrote it. It is an allegorical poem about the death of ideal love, published in 1601 as a supplement to Robert Chester's Love's Martyr.
What is the chronological order of Mary Wollstonecraft's and Mary Shelley's major works?
Mary Wollstonecraft's Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman was published posthumously in 1798. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, published Frankenstein in 1818 and The Last Man in 1826.
Who is Mrs. Gamp in literary history?
Sarah Gamp is a notorious character from Charles Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit. She is an alcoholic, gossiping nurse and midwife who became a popular stereotype for the unprofessional medical care of the Victorian era.
What is the theme of Andrew Marvell's "The Definition of Love"?
It is a metaphysical poem dealing with the concept of a perfect, ideal love that is "parallel" but can never intersect or be physically realized due to the intervention of Fate.
