British Literature
Section Overview: Detailed explanations for questions from the UGC NET English Dec 2024 Exam regarding British Literature.
Question 1
Match the LIST-I with LIST-II
LIST-I (Poet)
A. Edmund Spenser
B. Philip Sidney
C. Thomas Wyatt
D. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
LIST-II (Poem)
I. "Whose List to Hunt"
II. "So Cruel Prison how could Betide"
III. "The Faerie Queene"
IV. "The Defense of Poesy"
[OPT]
Match the LIST-I with LIST-II
LIST-I (Poet)
A. Edmund Spenser
B. Philip Sidney
C. Thomas Wyatt
D. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
LIST-II (Poem)
I. "Whose List to Hunt"
II. "So Cruel Prison how could Betide"
III. "The Faerie Queene"
IV. "The Defense of Poesy"
[OPT]
Correct Answer: 2
A. Edmund Spenser → The Faerie Queene: A monumental allegorical epic poem written
in praise of Queen Elizabeth I, blending chivalric romance and Christian virtue.
B. Philip Sidney → The Defense of Poesy: A critical prose essay, not a poem, that
defends poetry as a valuable art form against Puritan attacks.
C. Thomas Wyatt → Whose List to Hunt: A famous Petrarchan sonnet, often interpreted
as an allegory about Wyatt's love for Anne Boleyn and her relationship with King Henry VIII.
D. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey → So Cruel Prison how could Betide: A lyric poem
reflecting on his imprisonment in Windsor, marked by personal emotion and courtly restraint.
Detailed Explanation:
This question focuses on English Renaissance poets and their most notable works.A. Edmund Spenser → The Faerie Queene: A monumental allegorical epic poem written
in praise of Queen Elizabeth I, blending chivalric romance and Christian virtue.
B. Philip Sidney → The Defense of Poesy: A critical prose essay, not a poem, that
defends poetry as a valuable art form against Puritan attacks.
C. Thomas Wyatt → Whose List to Hunt: A famous Petrarchan sonnet, often interpreted
as an allegory about Wyatt's love for Anne Boleyn and her relationship with King Henry VIII.
D. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey → So Cruel Prison how could Betide: A lyric poem
reflecting on his imprisonment in Windsor, marked by personal emotion and courtly restraint.
Question 2
Which among the following does not fall in the category of a 'Revenge Tragedy'?
Which among the following does not fall in the category of a 'Revenge Tragedy'?
Correct Answer: 4. Cymbeline
A Revenge Tragedy is a dramatic genre popular in the late Elizabethan and Jacobean eras,
characterized by:
● A central theme of revenge for a wrong or murder
● Violence, madness, ghostly apparitions, and complex plots
● An avenger (often the protagonist) who is torn between moral hesitation and
a desire for justice
Why the Others Fit:
● The Spanish Tragedy (Thomas Kyd) - One of the earliest revenge
tragedies, featuring Hieronymo avenging his son's death.
● The Jew of Malta (Christopher Marlowe) - Though not a pure revenge
tragedy, it centers around betrayal and Barabas' personal revenge, fitting
many elements of the genre.
● Hamlet (William Shakespeare) - The most iconic revenge tragedy, where
Hamlet seeks vengeance for his father's murder.
Why Cymbeline Does Not Fit:
Cymbeline is a romance and historical play by Shakespeare, dealing with forgiveness,
mistaken identity, love, and reconciliation rather than revenge. It lacks the dark tone
and violent retribution typical of revenge tragedies.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 3
Arrange the plays of William Shakespeare in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. The Tempest
B. Love's Labour Lost
C. Twelfth Night
D. Much Ado About Nothing
E. A Midsummer Night's Dreams
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the plays of William Shakespeare in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. The Tempest
B. Love's Labour Lost
C. Twelfth Night
D. Much Ado About Nothing
E. A Midsummer Night's Dreams
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 1. B, E, D, C, A
B. Love's Labour's Lost - c. 1594-1595: One of Shakespeare's early comedies, known
for its clever wordplay and courtly themes.
E. A Midsummer Night's Dream - c. 1595-1596: A romantic fantasy-comedy,
intertwining love, magic, and transformation.
D. Much Ado About Nothing - c. 1598-1599: A witty romantic comedy featuring Beatrice
and Benedick, full of miscommunication and clever banter.
C. Twelfth Night - c. 1601-1602: Known for its themes of gender disguise and mistaken
identity, it remains a festive comedy.
A. The Tempest - c. 1610-1611: Considered one of Shakespeare's last plays, it blends
magic, colonial themes, and reconciliation.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 4
"O Sir, content you'.
I follow him to serve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed."
The above lines were spoken by which of the following characters?
"O Sir, content you'.
I follow him to serve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly followed."
The above lines were spoken by which of the following characters?
Correct Answer: 2. Iago
These lines are spoken by Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello (Act I, Scene I). They
reflect Iago's manipulative and deceptive nature, revealing his true motives behind
pretending to loyally serve Othello.
🗣 Iago's meaning:
He is not loyal to Othello out of genuine respect, but to exploit him for personal revenge.
This moment foreshadows his betrayal and manipulation throughout the play.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● Roderigo - A gullible character manipulated by Iago.
● Caliban - A character from The Tempest, not Othello.
● Cassio - Othello's loyal lieutenant, whom Iago tries to destroy.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 5
The first folio of Shakespeare's plays appeared in:
The first folio of Shakespeare's plays appeared in:
Correct Answer: 4. 1623
The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, published in
1623, seven years after his death.
● Compiled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, two of Shakespeare's fellow
actors.
● It contains 36 plays, including major works like:
○ Macbeth
○ Julius Caesar
○ The Tempest
○ Twelfth Night
Without the First Folio, 18 of Shakespeare's plays (such as Macbeth and The Tempest)
might have been lost to history.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 6
Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a:
Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a:
Correct Answer: 2. Romantic Comedy
Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare's most celebrated romantic
comedies, written around 1598-99.
🔹 Features of Romantic Comedy in the Play:
● Themes of love and misunderstanding: Especially between Beatrice and
Benedick, and Hero and Claudio.
● Comic wit and wordplay: Famous for its sharp dialogue and "merry war of wits."
● Mistaken identity and eavesdropping: Classic comic devices that lead to confusion
and eventual resolution.
● Happy ending: The play concludes with marriage and reconciliation, hallmark
traits of romantic comedies.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● TragiComedy - The play contains moments of tension but lacks the serious tone
or tragic resolution of a true tragicomedy.
● Pastoral Play - It is not set in a rustic, pastoral world nor does it follow pastoral
conventions.
● History Play - Unlike Shakespeare's Henry IV or Richard III, this is not based on
historical events or monarchs.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 7
Arrange the following works of Francis Bacon in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. Advancement of Learning
B. De Augmentis Scientiarum
C. Novum Organum
D. The New Atlantis
E. History of Henry VII
[OPT]
Arrange the following works of Francis Bacon in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. Advancement of Learning
B. De Augmentis Scientiarum
C. Novum Organum
D. The New Atlantis
E. History of Henry VII
[OPT]
Correct Answer: 1
1. A. Advancement of Learning - 1605
📘 Bacon argues for empirical and scientific approaches in education and
philosophy.
2. C. Novum Organum - 1620
📘 A foundational text of the scientific method, introducing inductive reasoning.
3. E. History of Henry VII - 1622
📘 A political history showcasing Bacon's literary and historical analysis skills.
4. B. De Augmentis Scientiarum - 1623
📘 A Latin expansion of Advancement of Learning, mapping the branches of
knowledge.
5. D. The New Atlantis - 1626 (published posthumously)
📘 A utopian work describing an ideal society based on knowledge and scientific
inquiry.
Detailed Explanation:
🔹 Chronological Sequence:1. A. Advancement of Learning - 1605
📘 Bacon argues for empirical and scientific approaches in education and
philosophy.
2. C. Novum Organum - 1620
📘 A foundational text of the scientific method, introducing inductive reasoning.
3. E. History of Henry VII - 1622
📘 A political history showcasing Bacon's literary and historical analysis skills.
4. B. De Augmentis Scientiarum - 1623
📘 A Latin expansion of Advancement of Learning, mapping the branches of
knowledge.
5. D. The New Atlantis - 1626 (published posthumously)
📘 A utopian work describing an ideal society based on knowledge and scientific
inquiry.
Question 8
Which of the following is an elegy on John Donne's wife who died in 1617?
Which of the following is an elegy on John Donne's wife who died in 1617?
Correct Answer: 3. "Holy Sonnet 17"
John Donne (1572-1631), the metaphysical poet, wrote a series of Holy Sonnets that
explore themes of death, divine judgment, and spiritual struggle.
🔹 About Holy Sonnet 17
● Written after the death of Donne's wife, Anne More, in 1617.
● The poem is a deeply personal elegy, expressing grief, mourning, and a yearning for
divine reunion.
● Donne refers to her as "my best piece of love," indicating profound emotional loss.
"Since she whom I loved hath paid her last debt..."
🔸 Why Others Are Incorrect:
● 1. Death be not Proud - A meditation on the nature of death, not about his wife.
● 2. Thou Hast Made Me - A plea for spiritual strength, not an elegy.
● 4. At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners - About the Last Judgment, not
personal mourning.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 9
Which of the following is not a character in William Congreve's The Way of the World?
[OPT]
Which of the following is not a character in William Congreve's The Way of the World?
[OPT]
Correct Answer: 4
Written by William Congreve, this is a Restoration comedy that satirizes love, marriage, and
social conventions.
🔹 Characters in the Play:
● Mirabell - The clever and charming male protagonist.
● Fainall - A deceitful antagonist married to Lady Wishfort's daughter.
● Witwoud & Petulant - Fops representing social satire.
● Lady Wishfort, Millamant, Waitwell, Foible - Other notable characters.
● Note: "Wainwell" may be a misprint or mistaken for "Waitwell", a servant character.
🔸 Peachum ❌
● Peachum is not a character in The Way of the World.
● He appears in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728), where he is a criminal gang
leader.
Detailed Explanation:
🔹 The Way of the World (1700)Written by William Congreve, this is a Restoration comedy that satirizes love, marriage, and
social conventions.
🔹 Characters in the Play:
● Mirabell - The clever and charming male protagonist.
● Fainall - A deceitful antagonist married to Lady Wishfort's daughter.
● Witwoud & Petulant - Fops representing social satire.
● Lady Wishfort, Millamant, Waitwell, Foible - Other notable characters.
● Note: "Wainwell" may be a misprint or mistaken for "Waitwell", a servant character.
🔸 Peachum ❌
● Peachum is not a character in The Way of the World.
● He appears in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728), where he is a criminal gang
leader.
Question 10
Who among the following is credited with ending the system of patronage with his "Letter to
Lord Chesterfield"?
[OPT]
Who among the following is credited with ending the system of patronage with his "Letter to
Lord Chesterfield"?
[OPT]
Correct Answer: 2
symbolic rejection of literary patronage.
● Johnson wrote this letter after Lord Chesterfield, who had previously ignored him,
tried to claim credit for supporting Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language.
● Johnson's scathing reply emphasized self-respect, independence, and the
dignity of authorship, marking a turning point in the decline of aristocratic
patronage of writers.
🔹 Famous Excerpt:
"Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the
water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help?"
This letter helped establish the idea that writers should rely on their merit and readers-
not patrons-for support.
Detailed Explanation:
Samuel Johnson's "Letter to Lord Chesterfield" (1755) is regarded as a powerful andsymbolic rejection of literary patronage.
● Johnson wrote this letter after Lord Chesterfield, who had previously ignored him,
tried to claim credit for supporting Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language.
● Johnson's scathing reply emphasized self-respect, independence, and the
dignity of authorship, marking a turning point in the decline of aristocratic
patronage of writers.
🔹 Famous Excerpt:
"Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the
water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help?"
This letter helped establish the idea that writers should rely on their merit and readers-
not patrons-for support.
Question 11
The famous short poem "Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" appears in which one of
the following Eighteenth-Century novels?
The famous short poem "Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" appears in which one of
the following Eighteenth-Century novels?
Correct Answer: 3. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
The humorous and ironic poem "Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" is embedded in Oliver
Goldsmith's novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766).
● The poem reflects Goldsmith's satirical tone and explores themes of misplaced trust
and moral irony.
● It narrates how a man known for virtue is bitten by a mad dog, but ironically, the
man dies and the dog survives - a reversal that mocks false appearances of
morality.
Famous lines:
"The dog it was that died."
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● Roderick Random - A picaresque novel by Smollett, with no connection to this
poem.
● Tristram Shandy - Experimental and humorous, but the poem is not included.
● The Castle of Otranto - A Gothic novel by Horace Walpole, unrelated in tone or
content.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 12
Who among the following illustrated the works of Thomas Gray and Robert Blair?
Who among the following illustrated the works of Thomas Gray and Robert Blair?
Correct Answer: 2. William Blake
William Blake (1757-1827) was not only a poet and visionary artist, but also a renowned
illustrator who created visual interpretations of both biblical texts and literary works.
● He illustrated Thomas Gray's poems, including Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard, with detailed engravings that reflected his mystical and symbolic style.
● He also illustrated Robert Blair's The Grave with a powerful and dramatic series of
gothic and spiritual-themed designs, commissioned in 1805.
🔹 Why the others are incorrect:
● Thomas Percy - Known for compiling Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, but not an
illustrator.
● Robert Burns - A Scottish poet, not known for visual art.
● William Cowper - A poet associated with the pre-Romantics, not an illustrator either.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 13
Arrange the following in the chronological order of their year of publication:
A. "The Tyger"
B. "The Solitary Reaper"
C. "Adonais"
D. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
E. "Ode to Autumn"
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following in the chronological order of their year of publication:
A. "The Tyger"
B. "The Solitary Reaper"
C. "Adonais"
D. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
E. "Ode to Autumn"
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 3. A, D, B, E, C
🔹 Chronological Order:
1. A. The Tyger - 1794
✍️ By William Blake, from Songs of Experience, famous for its symbolic imagery
and rhythmic intensity.
2. D. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - 1798
✍️ By Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key poem in Lyrical Ballads, known for its
supernatural theme and moral message.
3. B. The Solitary Reaper - 1807
✍️ By William Wordsworth, part of Poems in Two Volumes, celebrating simple
rural life and deep emotion.
4. E. Ode to Autumn - 1819
✍️ By John Keats, one of the most celebrated odes, known for its rich imagery and
seasonal symbolism.
5. C. Adonais - 1821
✍️ By P. B. Shelley, an elegy mourning the death of John Keats, rich in classical
and philosophical allusions.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 14
Which of the following poems uses 'terza rima'?
Which of the following poems uses 'terza rima'?
Correct Answer: 2. P. B. Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind"
🔹 Shelley's Ode to the West Wind:
● Composed in five cantos, each with four tercets and a couplet.
● The rhyme scheme follows terza rima, a structure Shelley adopted from Dante
Alighieri, the form's originator in The Divine Comedy.
● The form mirrors the wind's continuous movement, aligning perfectly with the
poem's theme of natural force and transformation.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● Keats' Ode to a Nightingale - Written in ten-line stanzas, not terza rima.
● Wordsworth's The Solitary Reaper - Uses quatrains with alternating rhyme.
● Tennyson's Ulysses - Written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter).
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 15
Which among the following novels is not written by Mary Shelley?
Which among the following novels is not written by Mary Shelley?
Correct Answer: 1. The Lost Woman
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) is best known as the author of Frankenstein (1818), one of the
foundational texts of science fiction and Gothic literature. She also wrote other notable
works like The Last Man (1826), a dystopian novel.
🔹 Books written by Mary Shelley:
● Frankenstein - A tale of scientific ambition and horror, introducing the iconic figure
of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation.
● The Last Man - A post-apocalyptic novel about a future plague that destroys
humanity.
● Valperga, Mathilda, Lodore, and Faulkner - All are lesser-known novels by Mary
Shelley.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 16
From the statements given below, what is true about the 'Gothic Novel'?
A. It appeared in 14th Century American Literature.
B. It often uses the medieval form of architecture as setting.
C. It is a form of baroque art.
D. It represents a style of mosaic and fresco wall painting.
E. It aims at evoking chilling terror by exploiting mystery and a variety of horrors.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
From the statements given below, what is true about the 'Gothic Novel'?
A. It appeared in 14th Century American Literature.
B. It often uses the medieval form of architecture as setting.
C. It is a form of baroque art.
D. It represents a style of mosaic and fresco wall painting.
E. It aims at evoking chilling terror by exploiting mystery and a variety of horrors.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 4. B and E only
The Gothic novel emerged as a literary genre in 18th-century England, not in 14th-century
America. It is known for blending romance, horror, and the supernatural, often set in dark,
mysterious locations such as castles, abbeys, or ruins-evoking medieval Gothic
architecture.
🔹 Correct Statements:
● B. Correct - Gothic novels frequently feature medieval architecture such as
gloomy castles, crypts, and abbeys as atmospheric settings.
● E. Correct - They are designed to evoke fear and suspense through elements like
ghosts, curses, madness, and mystery.
🔸 Incorrect Statements:
● A. Incorrect - The Gothic novel genre began in 18th-century Britain, not 14th-
century America.
● C. Incorrect - Though both Gothic and Baroque are artistic, Gothic fiction is not a
form of Baroque art.
● D. Incorrect - Mosaic and fresco wall painting belong to visual art traditions, not
literary genres.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 17
Which of the following is a Dramatic Monologue?
Which of the following is a Dramatic Monologue?
Correct Answer: 3. Andrea del Sarto"
Dramatic Monologue is a poetic form where a single speaker addresses a silent
listener, revealing their character, emotions, and situation, often unintentionally exposing
deeper truths.
🔹 Correct Match:
● Andrea del Sarto - Written by Robert Browning, this poem is a classic dramatic
monologue where the Renaissance painter Andrea speaks to his wife, revealing
his inner conflict, artistic limitations, and personal regrets.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● The Canonization - By John Donne, a metaphysical poem, but not a dramatic
monologue.
● Tintern Abbey - By William Wordsworth, it's a lyrical meditation, not directed at a
listener in the dramatic sense.
The Flea - Another metaphysical poem by Donne, in the form of persuasive argument, not a
formal dramatic monologue.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 18
Which among the following is the last novel of George Eliot?
Which among the following is the last novel of George Eliot?
Correct Answer: 2. Daniel Deronda
George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans) was a major Victorian novelist known for her
deep psychological insight and social realism.
● Daniel Deronda, published in 1876, is her final novel.
● It explores themes of Jewish identity, mysticism, and Zionism, marking a shift
from her usual English provincial settings.
● The novel presents dual narratives: the spiritual journey of Daniel Deronda and the
tragic domestic life of Gwendolen Harleth.
🔸 Publication Order for Context:
● Adam Bede - 1859
● The Mill on the Floss - 1860
● Silas Marner - 1861
● Middlemarch - 1871-72
● Daniel Deronda - 1876
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 19
Arrange the following novels of D. H. Lawrence in chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. Women in Love
B. The White Peacock
C. Sons and Lovers
D. The Rainbow
E. The Trespasser
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following novels of D. H. Lawrence in chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. Women in Love
B. The White Peacock
C. Sons and Lovers
D. The Rainbow
E. The Trespasser
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 3. B, E, C, D, A
🔹 Chronological Order with Publication Years:
1. B. The White Peacock - 1911
📘 Lawrence's first novel, focusing on the conflict between nature and civilization.
2. E. The Trespasser - 1912
📘 A novel based on a real-life affair involving one of Lawrence's friends; explores
themes of love and betrayal.
3. C. Sons and Lovers - 1913
📘 His semiautobiographical masterpiece, exploring psychological realism and
the Oedipal complex.
4. D. The Rainbow - 1915
📘 Focuses on three generations of a Nottinghamshire family, especially the
role of women and emotional rebellion.
5. A. Women in Love - 1920
📘 Sequel to The Rainbow, a deep exploration of intimacy, power, and gender
relations in modern society.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 20
Who amongst the following was not a member of the Bloomsbury Group?
Who amongst the following was not a member of the Bloomsbury Group?
Correct Answer: 4. W. B. Yeats
The Bloomsbury Group was a loosely connected circle of British writers, artists, and
intellectuals active in the early 20th century, primarily associated with Bloomsbury,
London.
Core Members Included:
● Virginia Woolf - Novelist and feminist
● E. M. Forster - Novelist (A Passage to India)
● Lytton Strachey - Biographer and critit
● Vanessa Bell - Painter (Virginia Woolf's sister)
● John Maynard Keynes - Economist
They shared progressive views on art, literature, sexuality, feminism, and pacifism. Most
male members were linked to Cambridge University, while many women were from King's
College London.
Though W. B. Yeats was a towering literary figure of the same era, he was not associated
with the Bloomsbury Group. Yeats was more closely aligned with the Irish Literary Revival
and movements involving mysticism and nationalism. His associations were with figures
like J. M. Synge, Lady Gregory, and Maud Gonne-not the Cambridge-based Bloomsbury
circle.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 21
Arrange the following poems by W. B. Yeats in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. "Adam's Curse"
B. "Among School Children"
C. "The Second Coming"
D. " The Wild Swans at Coole"
E. "Under Ben Bulben"
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following poems by W. B. Yeats in the chronological order of their year of
publication:
A. "Adam's Curse"
B. "Among School Children"
C. "The Second Coming"
D. " The Wild Swans at Coole"
E. "Under Ben Bulben"
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 4. A, D, C, B, E
The question tests your understanding of the chronological development of Yeats'
poetry, which spans from the Romantic and Symbolist influences of his early years to
the mystical and modernist tones of his later works.
🔹 Chronological Order with Years:
1. A. Adam's Curse - 1903
📖 A reflection on love, labor, and poetic creation, marking Yeats' transition from
romanticism to realism.
2. D. The Wild Swans at Coole - 1917
📖 A poignant meditation on aging, change, and beauty.
3. C. The Second Coming - 1919 (published 1920)
📖 One of Yeats' most famous prophetic poems, exploring chaos and historical
cycles.
4. B. Among School Children - 1927 (published 1928)
📖 A philosophical exploration of youth, aging, and identity, prompted by a school
visit.
5. E. Under Ben Bulben - 1938
📖 One of Yeats' final poems, ending with the famous epitaph:
"Cast a cold eye / On life, on death / Horseman, pass by!"
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 22
From which poem are the following lines extracted?
"Once more the storm is hauling and half hid
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid,
My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle.
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill."
From which poem are the following lines extracted?
"Once more the storm is hauling and half hid
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid,
My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle.
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill."
Correct Answer: 3. "A Prayer for My Daughter"
These lines are from W. B. Yeats' poem A Prayer for My Daughter (1919, published 1921).
● The poem was written shortly after World War I, during a violent storm,
symbolizing political and personal uncertainty.
● Yeats writes about his newborn daughter, Anne, expressing his hopes and fears
for her future in a chaotic world.
● The imagery of the storm and sleeping child reflects the contrast between
innocence and turbulent reality.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
● The Second Coming - Known for its apocalyptic imagery ("Things fall apart; the
centre cannot hold").
● The Cold Heaven - Deals with spiritual revelation and sudden emotional shifts.
● Among School Children - A philosophical meditation on aging, innocence, and
identity.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 23
Which of the following novelists did not employ "Stream of Consciousness"
technique?
Which of the following novelists did not employ "Stream of Consciousness"
technique?
Correct Answer: 4. Graham Greene
The stream of consciousness technique is a literary method that attempts to depict the
flow of thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the human mind-often in a non-linear or
fragmented narrative style.
🔹 Writers Known for Stream of Consciousness:
● Virginia Woolf - Used the technique in Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and The
Waves to explore inner consciousness.
● James Joyce - A master of the form; Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young
Man are classic examples.
● Dorothy Richardson - Credited with pioneering the technique in her multi-volume
novel series Pilgrimage.
🔸 Why Graham Greene is Incorrect:
● Graham Greene is known for novels with political, moral, and religious themes,
such as The Power and the Glory and The Heart of the Matter.
● His narrative style is clear, linear, and realist, not stream-of-consciousness.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 24
Which of the following is not correctly matched?
Which of the following is not correctly matched?
Correct Answer: 4. John Updike: "The Swan"
🔹 Correctly Matched:
● Seamus Heaney - "Digging"
✅ One of his most famous poems, reflecting on ancestry, memory, and the
poet's craft, contrasting digging with a spade and with a pen.
● Audre Lorde - "Coal"
✅ A powerful poem expressing Black identity, voice, and transformation, from
her debut poetry collection Coal (1976).
● Dom Moraes - "Kanheri Caves"
✅ A contemplative poem referencing the historic Buddhist site in Mumbai,
exploring themes of time, silence, and spiritual decay.
🔸 Incorrect Match:
● John Updike - "The Swan" ❌
While John Updike was a novelist, short story writer, and poet, "The Swan" is
not a well-known or verifiable poem by him. This attribution is incorrect in
academic or literary contexts.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 25
Under whose presidency was PEN (an international association of Poets, Playwrights,
Editors, Essayists, and Novelists) founded by Mrs. Dawson-Scott in 1921?
Options:
(1) John Galsworthy
(2) T.S. Eliot
(3) W.B. Yeats
(4) Ezra Pound
Under whose presidency was PEN (an international association of Poets, Playwrights,
Editors, Essayists, and Novelists) founded by Mrs. Dawson-Scott in 1921?
Options:
(1) John Galsworthy
(2) T.S. Eliot
(3) W.B. Yeats
(4) Ezra Pound
Correct Answer: (1) John Galsworthy
Explanation (World Literature - Literary Organizations):
✔ PEN International was founded in 1921 in London by Catherine Amy Dawson-Scott, a
British poet and peace activist.
● The organization was formed to promote intellectual cooperation and freedom of
expression among writers worldwide.
● John Galsworthy, the British novelist and Nobel laureate, served as its first
president and helped shape PEN's foundational values, including human rights,
literary freedom, and anti-censorship.
✘ T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, and Ezra Pound were contemporaries, but none held the
founding presidency of PEN.
QUESTION 26
Which of these is a correct combination of the works by Doris Lessing and
their respective themes?
A. The Golden Notebook deals with Johor travelling to Rhonda
B. The Good Terrorist is about a doomed love affair.
C. Shikasta is about a planet cut off due to the advanced influence of civilisation.
D. Alfred and Emily explore the life of her parents
E. The Grass is Singing draws from her experiences in Africa.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
1. B, A and D only
2. A, B and E only
3. C, D and E only
4. E, B and A only
5. DROP
CORRECT EXPLANATIONS:
The Golden Notebook is the story of writer Anna Wulf, the four notebooks in
which she records her life and attempts to tie them together in a fifth, gold-coloured
notebook.
The Good Terrorist is a 1985 political novel by the British novelist Doris Lessing.
The book's protagonist is the naïve drifter Alice, who squats with a group of
radicals in London and is drawn into their terrorist activities. Alice fell in love with
him, only to become frustrated by his aloofness and burgeoning
homosexuality.
Re: Colonised Planet 5, Shikasta (often shortened to Shikasta) is a 1979 science
fiction novel by Doris Lessing and is the first book in her five-book Canopus in Argos
series. Shikasta is the history of the planet Shikasta (whose inhabitants call it
Earth) under the influence of three galactic empires, Canopus, Sirius, and their
mutual enemy, Puttiora.
Alfred and Emily is a book by Doris Lessing in a new hybrid form. Part fiction,
part notebook, part memoir, it was first published in 2008. The book is based on the
lives of Lessing's parents. Part one is a novella, a fictional portrait of how her
parents' lives might have been without the interruption of the First World War.
Part two is a retelling of how her parents' lives developed.
Published in 1950, The Grass Is Singing is the first novel by the British author Doris
Lessing. It takes place in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in southern
Africa, during the 1940s and deals with the racial politics between whites and
blacks in that country (which was then a British Colony). It follows an
emotionally immature woman's hasty marriage to an unsuccessful farmer, her
ensuing mental deterioration, her murder, and the colonial British society's reactions
to it.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.
Question 27
Arrange the following in chronological order of their year of publication:
A. Fraser's Magazine
B. The Spectator
C. The Westminster Review
D. The Quarterly Review
E. Edinburg Review
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following in chronological order of their year of publication:
A. Fraser's Magazine
B. The Spectator
C. The Westminster Review
D. The Quarterly Review
E. Edinburg Review
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Correct Answer: 3. E, D, C, B, A
🔹 Chronological Order with Years:
1. E. Edinburgh Review - 1802
○ A prominent Whig political and literary journal.
2. D. The Quarterly Review - 1809
○ Founded by the Tories in response to the Edinburgh Review.
3. C. The Westminster Review - 1824
○ Founded by Jeremy Bentham, representing radical and utilitarian
perspectives.
4. B. The Spectator - 1828 (Modern version relevant here)
○ While Addison and Steele's original Spectator dates to 1711, the modern
political journal by this name began in 1828.
5. A. Fraser's Magazine - 1830
○ Known for its conservative stance and contributions from writers like Carlyle
and Thackeray.
Detailed Explanation:
No detailed explanation provided.