TRB PG Assistant - Arnold - Dover Beach, The Scholar Gypsy, Browning - Andrea del Sarto, Tennyson - Morte D'Arthur, Yeats - Byzantium, Eliot - The Waste Land, Hopkins - The Wreck of the Deutschland, selections from Owen, W H Auden, Stephen Spender Question Bank with Options

1. Stephen Spender's poem 'I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great' is a tribute to:

A) Military leaders

B) Political revolutionaries

C) Artists, thinkers, and individuals of integrity

D) Wealthy industrialists

2. The 'lovely, dark, and deep' woods in Auden's 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' (though not explicitly by Auden, it's a famous poem often discussed in this context) are often interpreted as representing:

A) The beauty of nature

B) The allure of death or oblivion

C) The path to spiritual enlightenment

D) The challenges of a difficult journey

3. W. H. Auden's poem 'In Praise of Limestone' explores:

A) The geological formation of limestone

B) The relationship between landscape, character, and society

C) The historical significance of limestone quarries

D) The economic importance of limestone deposits

4. The 'pious funeral' in 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' refers to:

A) A traditional burial service

B) The sounds of artillery fire and bugles

C) The prayers offered by chaplains

D) The mourning of loved ones

5. Wilfred Owen's poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' contrasts the traditional rituals of mourning with:

A) The sounds and experiences of the battlefield

B) The solace found in religious faith

C) The grief of families at home

D) The political speeches made about the war

6. The 'Deutschland' was carrying:

A) General cargo

B) Passengers and mail

C) German soldiers

D) Religious relics

7. In 'The Wreck of the Deutschland', Hopkins uses the image of the 'storm-shaken' ship to represent:

A) The challenges of maritime exploration

B) The human soul tested by suffering and doubt

C) The power of nature over human endeavors

D) The decline of shipbuilding technology

8. 'The Waste Land' is dedicated to:

A) Ezra Pound

B) Lady Ottoline Morrell

C) Bertrand Russell

D) T. S. Eliot's wife, Vivien

9. Which myth does T.S. Eliot draw upon in 'The Waste Land' to represent spiritual death and rebirth?

A) The myth of Orpheus

B) The myth of Adonis

C) The myth of the Fisher King

D) The myth of Prometheus

10. The 'golden bird' in Yeats's 'Byzantium' symbolizes:

A) Mortality and decay

B) The soul's escape from the body

C) Artistic creation and immortality

D) The natural world

11. The 'holy city of Byzantium' in Yeats's poem represents:

A) A place of earthly power and conquest

B) A symbol of divine presence and eternal beauty

C) A historical site of artistic innovation

D) A refuge from the mundane world

12. The 'passing of Arthur' symbolizes:

A) The eternal nature of leadership

B) The decline of chivalry and the end of an era

C) The triumph of reason over superstition

D) The dawn of a new age of enlightenment

13. In 'Morte D'Arthur', Arthur's final words are a prayer for:

A) Revenge

B) Peace and the healing of the land

C) The safety of his knights

D) The continuation of his kingdom

14. Browning uses the concept of 'God's in his heaven, All's right with the world' in 'Andrea del Sarto' ironically to:

A) Affirm his faith

B) Highlight his own perceived failure and suffering

C) Praise the divine order

D) Suggest the limitations of human understanding

15. What artistic medium does Andrea del Sarto primarily work in?

A) Sculpture

B) Architecture

C) Fresco and oil painting

D) Poetry

16. The 'magic casements, all perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn' in 'Dover Beach' evoke:

A) A sense of scientific wonder

B) A feeling of romantic escapism and mystery

C) The reality of international trade

D) The dangers of seafaring

17. In 'Dover Beach', Arnold contrasts the 'sea of faith' with:

A) The advancing tide of progress

B) The darkling plain

C) The eternal stars

D) The city lights

18. What is the primary message of Spender's 'The Truly Great'?

A) True greatness lies in wealth and power

B) True greatness is found in selfless action and quiet endurance

C) True greatness is achieved through public recognition

D) True greatness is a matter of innate talent

19. Stephen Spender's poem 'The Truly Great' celebrates:

A) Famous historical figures

B) The unsung heroes and ordinary people

C) The achievements of scientists and inventors

D) The power of political leaders

20. The poem 'Musée des Beaux Arts' uses the painting 'The Fall of Icarus' to illustrate:

A) The inevitable triumph of human ambition

B) The indifference of the world to individual suffering

C) The beauty of classical mythology

D) The importance of artistic expression

21. Auden's poem 'Musée des Beaux Arts' draws inspiration from which painter?

A) Leonardo da Vinci

B) Rembrandt

C) Pieter Bruegel the Elder

D) Vincent van Gogh

22. The 'pity of war' is a central theme in the works of which poet?

A) W. B. Yeats

B) T. S. Eliot

C) Wilfred Owen

D) Matthew Arnold

23. Wilfred Owen's poem 'Dulce et Decorum Est' is a critique of:

A) The propaganda that glorifies war

B) The bravery of soldiers in battle

C) The strategic planning of military campaigns

D) The resilience of the human spirit

24. The 'Deutschland' in Hopkins's poem refers to:

A) A country

B) A type of ship

C) A specific German city

D) A historical event

25. What religious or philosophical tradition heavily influences 'The Wreck of the Deutschland'?

A) Buddhism

B) Islam

C) Jesuit theology and Catholic spirituality

D) Norse mythology

26. The 'heap of broken images' in 'The Waste Land' symbolizes:

A) The fragmented nature of modern consciousness and culture

B) The ruins of ancient civilizations

C) The discarded possessions of the wealthy

D) The scattered fragments of a lost manuscript

27. Which of the following phrases from 'The Waste Land' encapsulates the poem's sense of spiritual barrenness?

A) April is the cruellest month

B) Shantih shantih shantih

C) I will show you fear in a handful of dust

D) Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.

28. Yeats's 'Byzantium' contrasts with his earlier poem 'Sailing to Byzantium' by:

A) Focusing on the earthly realm rather than the spiritual

B) Emphasizing the process of aging and decay

C) Celebrating the immortal nature of art and the spirit

D) Depicting the world of the living as superior to the afterlife

29. The 'sensual music' and the 'dying animal' in Yeats's 'Byzantium' represent:

A) The eternal cycle of life and death

B) The limitations of the physical world

C) The transformative power of art

D) The beauty of nature

30. What is the significance of the 'dying king' in Tennyson's poem?

A) Represents the end of an era and the loss of ideals

B) Symbolizes the triumph of good over evil

C) Highlights the cyclical nature of life and death

D) Emphasizes the importance of military strength

31. The final line of 'Morte D'Arthur' describes the king's departure to:

A) Exile

B) Heaven

C) Avalon

D) A mythical kingdom

32. What is Lucrezia's role in Andrea del Sarto's artistic and personal life?

A) She is his muse and inspiration

B) She distracts him from his art and causes him to compromise his ideals

C) She manages his finances and career

D) She is a devoted wife who supports his ambitions

33. Andrea del Sarto is referred to by Browning as:

A) The Happy Painter

B) The Perfect Painter

C) The Faultless Painter

D) The Divine Painter

34. What does the Scholar Gypsy's choice represent in Arnold's poem?

A) A rejection of societal norms and intellectual pursuits for a life of freedom

B) A commitment to scholarly research and academic advancement

C) A tragic destiny and inability to find peace

D) A quest for spiritual enlightenment through asceticism

35. In 'Dover Beach', Arnold uses the metaphor of the 'eternal note of sadness' to describe:

A) The sound of the waves

B) The human condition

C) The absence of God

D) The loss of love

36. What historical event significantly influenced the poetry of Stephen Spender?

A) The French Revolution

B) The Industrial Revolution

C) The Spanish Civil War

D) The American Civil War

37. Stephen Spender's poetry often explores the theme of:

A) Social injustice and the plight of the working class

B) The beauty of nature and pastoral life

C) The abstract nature of philosophical thought

D) The intricacies of courtly love

38. What is the tone of W. H. Auden's famous poem 'September 1, 1939'?

A) Optimistic and hopeful

B) Melancholy and fearful

C) Angry and accusatory

D) Detached and analytical

39. In W. H. Auden's poetry, what is a recurring motif?

A) The beauty of the English countryside

B) The anxiety and uncertainty of modern life

C) The romantic ideals of chivalry

D) The joy of artistic creation

40. Which of the following is a common theme in Wilfred Owen's war poems?

A) Heroism and sacrifice

B) The futility and horror of war

C) The camaraderie among soldiers

D) The strategic brilliance of military leaders

41. Wilfred Owen's poetry is primarily concerned with:

A) The glories of war and patriotism

B) The psychological impact of war on soldiers

C) The political causes of World War I

D) The historical context of trench warfare

42. Hopkins's distinctive poetic style, characterized by compressed language and unusual word order, is known as:

A) Stream of consciousness

B) Sprung rhythm

C) Imagism

D) Symbolism

43. What is the primary subject of Gerard Manley Hopkins's 'The Wreck of the Deutschland'?

A) A personal love affair

B) A naval battle

C) A maritime disaster

D) A spiritual awakening

44. Which mythical figure's quest is alluded to in 'The Waste Land'?

A) Odysseus

B) Aeneas

C) The Fisher King

D) Perseus

45. T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' is characterized by its:

A) Linear narrative and optimistic outlook

B) Fragmented structure and exploration of cultural decay

C) Simple language and focus on individual experience

D) Celebration of traditional values and institutions

46. What form of art is central to the imagery of 'Byzantium'?

A) Sculpture

B) Mosaic

C) Fresco

D) Architecture

47. In W.B. Yeats's 'Byzantium', the city is presented as a symbol of:

A) Mortal decay and earthly struggles

B) Spiritual transcendence and artistic permanence

C) Political power and imperial grandeur

D) The fleeting nature of human memory

48. What is the setting for the concluding part of Tennyson's 'Morte D'Arthur'?

A) Camelot

B) Tintagel

C) The battlefield of Camlann

D) Avalon

49. Alfred Lord Tennyson's 'Morte D'Arthur' is based on which legendary figure?

A) Lancelot

B) Galahad

C) King Arthur

D) Tristan

50. What is the mythological figure that Andrea del Sarto compares himself unfavorably to in the poem?

A) Apollo

B) Daedalus

C) Pygmalion

D) Zeus

Arnold - Dover Beach, The Scholar Gypsy, Browning - Andrea del Sarto, Tennyson - Morte D'Arthur, Yeats - Byzantium, Eliot - The Waste Land, Hopkins - The Wreck of the Deutschland, selections from Owen, W H Auden, Stephen Spender - Question Bank