History Of English Literature – Briefs (2013 – 2020) and Set Sugg

2013

  1. Which poem is considered as the first English epic?
    Ans:     ‘Beowulf’ is considered the first English epic.
  2. What is the masterpiece of Geoffrey Chaucer?
    Ans:     “The Canterbury Tales” is the masterpiece of Geoffrey Chaucer.
  3. What is ‘Humanism’?
    Ans:     Humanism is a system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion.
  4. Who wrote Gorboduc?
    Ans:     Gorboduc was written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  5. When was The Preface to the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ published?
    Ans:     The Preface to the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ was published in 1798.
  6. What kind of movement was the ‘English Renaissance?
    Ans:     The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century.
  7. Who popularized “the comedy of manners”?
    Ans:     William Congreve
  8. Who was known as ‘the father of English Dictionary’?
    Ans:     Samuel Johnson
  9. Who were the metaphysical poets?
    Ans:     The metaphysical poets are – John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, and Richard Crashaw.
  10. What is Victorian conflict?
    Ans:     Victorian conflict refers to the conflicts of morality, technology and industry, faith and doubt, imperialism, and rights of women and ethnic minorities.
  11. When did the Modern Era begin in English literature?
    Ans:     The modern age falls between 1890 and 1960. The modern age is an outcome of the victorian age. At the end of the Victorian age, we trace the beginning of the modern age.
  12. Name the university wits.
    Ans: Lyly, Peele, Kyd, Greene, Lodge, Nashe, and Marlowe. / or,
    The names of the University Wits are – john Lyly, Thomas kids George Peele, Thomas Lodge, Robot Greene, Thomas Nash, and Christopher Marlowe.

2014

  1. What is Black Death?
    Ans:     Black death is a severe epidemic that occurred in Asia and Europe in the 14th and killed an estimated quarter of the population.
  2. What is a morality play?
    Ans:      Morality play is an allegorical drama popular in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, in which the characters personify moral qualities or abstractions and in which moral lessons are taught.
  3. Which age is called the Golden Age of English Literature?
    Ans:     The Elizabethan age was called the golden age of English literature.
  4. Who is called the Poet’s poet?
    Ans:     Spenser was called “the Poet’s Poet”.
  5. Who are called “Cavalier Poets”?
    Ans:     The cavalier poets are Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, Thomas Carew, and Sir John Suckling.
  6. What was the slogan of the French Revolution?
    Ans:     Liberty, Equality, Fraternity was the slogan of the French Revolution.
  7. What is ‘The Oxford Movement’?
    Ans:     It was a movement within the Church of England, originating at Oxford University in 1833, that sought to link the Anglican Church more closely to the Roman Catholic Church.
  8. Who are pre-Raphaelites?
    Ans:     Pre-Raphaelites was a countercultural movement that aimed to reform Victorian art and writing. It originated with the foundation, in 1848, of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) by, among others, the artist’s John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Holman Hunt.
  9. What is the stream of consciousness?
    Ans:     Stream of consciousness is a narrative form in which the author writes in a way that mimics or parallels a character’s internal thoughts.
  10. What is an Absurd Drama?
    Ans:     It is a type of drama that portrays life as bizarre, confusing, and perhaps fundamentally meaningless.
  11. Name two critical essays of T.S Eliot.
    Ans:      “Tradition and the Individual Talent” and “Hamlet and His Problems.”
  12. Name some important poems by T.S Eliot.
    Ans:     The Waste Land, Gerontion, The Hollow Men, The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock.
  13. Name two plays by T.S Eliot.
    Ans:     Murder in the Cathedral, The Family Reunion, and The Cocktail Party, are poetic dramas by Eliot.
  14. What is Puritanism’?
    Ans:     Puritanism refers to the beliefs and practices of people who follow very strict moral and religious rules about the proper way to behave and live.

2015

  1. Why is the year 1066, important in the study of English literary History?
    Ans:     The year 1066 is important in the study of English literary history because it marks the ending of the Old English Period and the beginning of the Middle English Period.
  2. How many tales each pilgrim had to tell in “The Canterbury Tales”?
    Ans:     The owner of the Tabard Inn proposed that each of the pilgrims had to tell four stories, two on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back.
  3. What kind of book is Milton’s ‘Areopagitica”?
    Ans:     John Milton’s Areopagitica is a speech or pamphlet that presents his reasons for opposing the Licensing Order of 1643.
  4. What is Globe Theatre?
    Ans:     The Globe Theater was a theater in London associated with Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company the “Lord Chamberlain’s Men”.
  5. Why is 1798 a landmark in the history of English Literature?
    Ans:     1798 is a landmark in the history of English literature because Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which the year is considered the beginning of the Romantic period.
  6. What is “Drama of Ideas”?
    Ans:     It is a type of drama that deal with controversial social issues in a realistic manner, exposes social ills, and stimulates thought and discussion on the part of the audience.
  7. When did the Restoration take place and who was restored to the English Throne?
    Ans:     Restoration took place in 1660.
  8. Which age is known as Augustan Age in English Literature?
    Ans:     Neo-classical age (1702 – 1745) is known as Augustan Age in English Literature.
  9. Who are called the pioneers of English Novel?
    Ans:     The pioneers of the novel were Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne.
  10. What was the national identity of W.B. Yeats?
    Ans:     W.B Yeats was an Irish poet.
  11. What is Oxford Movement?
    Ans:     It was a movement within the Church of England, originating at Oxford University in 1833, that sought to link the Anglican Church more closely to the Roman Catholic Church.
  12. What are the two cities referred to in the Novel A Tale of Two Cities?
    Ans:     London and Paris.

2016

  1. Who is called the father of English poetry?
    Ans:     Geoffrey Chaucer.
  2. Who wrote Utopia in Latin, since English had no prestige outside England?
    Ans:     Utopia is a work of fiction and political philosophy by Thomas More (1478 – 1535) published in 1576 in Latin.
  3. Which royal dynasty was established in the resolution of the so-called War of the Roses and continued through the reign of Elizabeth I?
    Ans:     The Tudors dynasty.
  4. Name four plays written by William Shakespeare.
    Ans:     The four plays written by William Shakespeare are Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, & Hamlet.
  5. What is Milton’s purpose behind writing “Paradise Lost”?
    Ans:     “To Justify the ways of God to men”.
  6. What is The Pilgrim’s Progress?
    Ans:     The Pilgrim’s Progress is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan.
  7. What is Satire?
    Ans:      Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize the foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule.
  8. Why is Alexander Pope famous in English literature?
    Ans:     Alexander Pope was especially famous for his use of the “heroic couplet” in his poetry.
  9. In which year did French Revolution take place?
    Ans:     May 5, 1789 – Nov 9, 1799
  10. Who defined poetry as a ‘Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’?
    Ans:     William Wordsworth.
  11. What signifies the Victorian Age?
    Ans:     Progress and Unrest signify the Victorian Age.
  12. Who are called the Brontes?
    Ans:     Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are called the Brontes.

2017

  1. Who was Caedmon?
    Ans:     Caedmon is the first known poet of the Anglo-Saxon Period and Bede is the first historian of that period.
  2. What is Waiting for Godot?
    Ans:     Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett.
  3. Write down the names of four metaphysical poets.
    Ans:     John Donne, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan.
  4. What is “comedy of humorous”?
    Ans:     The comedy of humour as conceived by Ben Jonson has its basis on the medieval, medical concept of humour. The Jonsonian comedy of humour has certain typical features which differentiate it from other comedies.
  5. Name the most celebrated writing of Jonathan Swift.
    Ans:     Gulliver’s Travels is the most celebrated writing by Jonathan Swift.
  6. Whose poems make up “Lyrical Ballads”?
    Ans:     Lyrical Ballad is made up of the poems of William Wordsworth and S.T Coleridge.
  7. Who are called the “Lake Poets”?
    Ans:     William Wordsworth, S.T Coleridge, and Robert Southey are called the Lake poets because they lived in the Lake District.
  8. Who was Oliver Cromwell?
    Ans:     Oliver Cromwell was a puritan leader who came into power after the death of Charles-I.
  9. What was the slogan of French Revolution?
    Ans:     The slogan of the French Revolution was “liberty, equality, fraternity”.
  10. Name two of the major literary creations of Edmund Spenser.
    Ans:     The Faerie Queene, The Shepheardes Calender.
  11. What is Pamela?
    Ans:     Pamela is the first American novel written by Samuel Richardson.
  12. Who wrote Robinson Crusoe?
    Ans:     Robinson Crusoe is an English classic written by Daniel Defoe.

2018

  1. When did the Old English Period begin?
    Ans:     The duration of the Old English Period is 450 – 1066.
  2. Who is the first translator of Bible?
    Ans:     Wycliffe is often considered as the first translator of the Bible into English.
  3. What is Black Death?
    Ans:     Black death is a severe epidemic that occurred in Asia and Europe in the 14th and killed an estimated quarter of the population.
  4. Who wrote “Morte d’ Arthur”?
    Ans:     Sir Thomas Malory wrote “Morte d’ Arthur”.
  5. What is Gunpowder plot?
    Ans:     The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt by a group of Catholics to blow up the king and Houses of Parliament.
  6. What is “Canterbury Tales”?
    Ans:     The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.
  7. Which age is known as the age of decadence?
    Ans:     Caroline’s age is known as the age of decadence.
  8. What is Victorian conflict?
    Ans:     Victorian conflict refers to the conflicts of morality, technology and industry, faith and doubt, imperialism, and rights of women and ethnic minorities.
  9. Who popularized the comedies of manners?
    Ans:     William Congreve.
  10. Which historical movement influenced the English Romantic poetry?
    Ans:     French Revolution influenced romantic poetry which took place in 1798.
  11. Who are dominant poets of modern age?
    Ans:     T.S Eliot, W.B Yeats, and W.H Auden are the dominant poets of the modern age.
  12. When did the Oxford Movement begin?
    Ans:     The Oxford movement was a religious movement of the Victorian era. This movement began in 1833 under the leadership of John Henry Cardinal Newman.

2019

  1. What is the masterpiece of Geoffrey Chaucer?
    Ans:     The Canterbury Tales is the masterpiece of Geoffrey Chaucer.
  2. Why is 1798 a landmark in the history of English Literature?
    Ans:     1798 is a landmark in the history of English literature because Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which year is considered the beginning of the Romantic period.
  3. What is the first tragedy of English Literature?
    Ans:     The first English tragedy is “Gorboduc” (1561) written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  4. Which poem is considered as the first English epic?
    Ans:     Beowulf is considered the first English epic. It deals with events of the early 6th century CE and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750.
  5. Name the University Wits.
    Ans:     Lyly, Peele, Kyd, Greene, Lodge, Nashe, and Marlowe.
  6. Who wrote ‘Gorboduc’?
    Ans:     Gorboduc was written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  7. In which year did the glorious revolution occur?
    Ans:     The glorious revolution of occurred took place in 1688 – 1689.
  8. Who is called the Poet’s poet?
    Ans:     Edmund Spenser is called the poet’s poet.
  9. How many tales each pilgrim had to tell in ‘The Canterbury Tales’?
    Ans:     The owner of the Tabard Inn proposed that each of the pilgrims had to tell four stories, two on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back.
  10. What kind of book is Milton’s Areopagitica?
    Ans:     John Milton’s Areopagitica is a speech or pamphlet that presents his reasons for opposing the Licensing Order of 1643.
  11. Who is called the father of English prose?
    Ans:     King Alfred (c. 849) is claimed to be the “father of English prose”.
  12. Write the names of three modern poets.
    Ans:     W.H Auden, D. H. Lawrence, and T.S Eliot.

2020

  1. What type of writing is Beowulf?
    Ans: Beowulf is an epic, heroic poem, considered the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic.
  2. Which play is considered the first English Comedy?
    Ans: Ralph Roister Doister
  3. Who is the writer of “The Spanish Tragedy”?
    Ans: “Thomas Kyd” is the writer of “The Spanish Tragedy”.
  4. Who was the first translator of the Bible into English?
    Ans: John Wycliffe was the first translator of the Bible into English.
  5. When did the Age of Chaucer begin?
    Ans: The approximate duration of the Age of Chaucer is from 1340 to 1400.
  6. Who is called the father of English poetry?
    Ans: Geoffrey Chaucer.
  7. When did the “French Revolution” take place?
    Ans: May 5, 1789 – Nov 9, 1799
  8. What is ‘Reformation’?
    Ans: The reformation is the religious revolution that took place in the Western Church in the 16th century. It is also known as the Protestant Reformation.
  9. Who wrote “The Spectator’’?
    Ans: Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison.
  10. Name two writers of the Augustan Age.
    Ans: Alexander Pope, Edward Young. 
  11. What is meant by ‘Victorian Compromise’?
    Ans: The compromise between religion and science, reason and faith, democracy and aristocracy, and conjugal felicity and married life in the Victorian Era is considered a Victorian compromise. 
  12. What was the nationality of G.B. Shaw?
    Ans:     George Bernard Shaw remained a British subject all his life but took dual British-Irish nationality in 1934.

2021

  1. Name two great Anglo-Saxon poets.
    Ans:     Caedmon and Cynewulf are two great Anglo-Saxon poets.
  2. Who brought French literary ideals and French words into English?
    Ans:     Many French words were brought into English by Normans.
  3. Who is William Caxton?
    Ans:     William Caxton is the first English printer who established printing press in London and printed a series of books.
  4. What is the first tragedy in English literature?
    Ans:     The first English tragedy is Gorboduc (1561) written by Thomas Sackville and Thomas Norton.
  5. When and where was William Shakespeare born?
    Ans:     William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564.
  6. What is ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress”?
    Ans:     The Pilgrim’s Progress is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan.
  7. Who wrote ‘All for Love’?
    Ans:     John Dryden wrote “All for Love”.
  8. Which age is known as Augustan Age in English literature?
    Ans:     Neo-classical age (1702-1745) is known as Augustan Age in English literature.
  9. What is the time-span of the Romantic Age?
    Ans:     The Romantic Age spans from 1798 to 1832.
  10. What is Pantheism?
    Ans:     Pantheism is a belief that God lives in nature or nature is God. Wordsworth’s nature philosophy has something common with Pantheistic philosophy.
  11. Who is called an ‘un-Victorian Poet’ in Victorian literature?
    Ans:     Robert Browning is called an un-Victorian poet in the Victorian age because he does not deal with the crisis of the Victorian age but with universal human drama. He is interested in man-woman relationship of all ages.
  12. Name two English novelists who employed stream of consciousness.
    Ans:     D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf.

Briefs From Set Sugg

Early and Middle English Period

  1. What is the period of old English literature? Or, What is the duration of Old English?
    Ans:     The duration of the Old English Period is 450-1066.
  2. What is the earliest literary work of the Old English Period?
    Ans: Beowulf is the earliest literary work of the Old English Period.
  3. When was Beowulf composed?
    Ans:     Beowulf was perhaps composed during the 9th century A. D. by someone whose name is not known.
  4. Give the names of two Anglo-Saxon poems.
    Ans:     Beowulf and The Dream of the Rood are the finest examples of Anglo-Saxon poems.
  5. Mention two popular Ballads of Middle English period.
    Ans:     “Sir Patrick Spens,” and “The Twa Corbies,” are two popular Ballads of Middle English period.
  6. What is “Wife’s Lamentation”?
    Ans:     Wife’s Lamentation is an elegy beside the Wanderer, and The Sea Farer.
  7. What is “Husband’s Message”?
    Ans:     Husband’s Message is an elegy beside the Wanderer, and The Sea Farer.
  8. Who was Cynewulf?
    Ans:     Cynewulf was an important Christian poet of Anglo-Saxon religious poetry.
  9. Who was the pioneer of Anglo-Saxon prose writers?
    Ans:     King Alfred was the pioneer of Anglo-Saxon prose writers.
  10. What is The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
    Ans.     The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is the oldest documents of English prose by king Alfred. It is a record of the deaths of king at the beginning of Caesar and the installation of Bishop.
  11. Who is Cynewulf?
    Ans.     Cynewulf is the greatest of the Anglo-Saxon poets.
  12. Who was Alfred? What was his contribution to old English literature?
    Ans.     King Alfred the great was the king of Wessex. And he is recognized as the father of old English prose.
  13. Which group of Middle English Romances is called ‘Matter of Britain’?
    Ans.     Matter of Britain retales to the group of Romances of King Arthur and his Round table sir Tristren, Arthur and Merlin, Sir Gawain and the Green knight are the finest of this group.
  14. Why is the year 1066 important in the study of English literary History?
    Ans.     The year 1066 is important in the study of English literary history because it marks the ending of Old English Period and the beginning of Middle English Period.
  15. Name two Old-English elegies.
    Ans.     The Wanderer and The Ruin are two Old-English elegies.
  16. Who was Caedmon?
    Ans.     Caedmon is the first known poet of Anglo-Saxon Period and Bede is the first historian of that period.
  17. When did the Old English Period begin? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     The duration of Old English Period is 450-1066.
  18. What is Black Death? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     Black death is a severe epidemic that occurred in Asia and Europe in the 14th and killed an estimated quarter of the population.
  19. Which poem is considered as the first English epic? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     Beowulf is considered as the first English epic. It deals with events of the early 6th century CE and is believed to have been composed between 700 and 750.
  20. What type of writing in Beowulf? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     Beowulf a long narrative poem is considered as the first English epic.

The Age of Chaucer

  1. Where was Chaucer buried?
    Ans.     Geoffrey Chaucer was buried in ‘Poets’ Cottner’, Westminster Abbey, London, England.
  2. Who is Chaucer?
    Ans.     Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) is called the of English poetry. He is the first great English poet. “The Canterbury Tales” is his original work and it is English through and through. He is the first rational English poet.
  3. Name some contemporary poets of Chaucer.
    Ans.     William Langland and John Gower are contemporary poets of Chaucer.
  4. What is Hundred Years’ War?
    Ans.     The name the Hundred Years’ War has been used by historians since the beginning of the nineteenth century to describe the long conflict that pitted the kings and kingdoms of France and England against each other from 1337 to 1453.
  5. How many pilgrims were going to Canterbury Church?
    Ans. Chaucer’s long poem The Canterbury Tales follows the journey of a group of pilgrims, 31 including Chaucer himself, from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to St Thomas à Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral.
  6. What is the name of the Inn where the pilgrims took rest?
    Ans.     The Tabard Inn.
  7. Who is called the earliest of the great moderns?
    Ans.     Chaucer is called the earliest of the great moderns.
  8. Who were Troilus and Criseyde?
    Ans.     Troilus and Criseyde were the two lovers of the poem “Troilus and Criseyde” by Chaucer.
  9. What is Troilus and Criseyde?
    Ans.     Troilus and Criseyde is a poem by Chaucer which re-tells in Middle English the tragic story of the lovers Croulus and Criseyde.
  10. What is Confessio Amantis?
    Ans.     Confessio Amantis is the last important work of John Gower. It was written in 1383-84, in English.
  11. What is “Piers the Plowman”?
    Ans.     “Piers the Plowman” is a Middle English allegorical narrative poem by William Langland.
  12. Who is Thomas Malory?
    Ans.     Sir Thomas Malory is the author of the greatest English work of the 15th century. It is Morte d’ Arther, a collection of the Arthurian romances told in simple and vivid prose.
  13. Who is William Langland? Mention one of his poems?
    Ans.     William Langland is one of the contemporaries of Chaucer. His most important work is Piers Plowman. It is an allegorical writing.
  14. Who is John Mandeville? Why is he famous for?
    Ans.     John Mandeville was a famous prose writer during the Age of Chaucer. He is famous for his book The Travels of Sir John Mandeville.
  15. Who is William Caxton? Why is he famous for?
    Ans.     William Caxton is the first English printer who established a printing press in London and printed a series of books. This constitutes an interesting landmark in the literary growth of England.
  16. What is a morality play?
    Ans.     Morality play is an allegorical drama popular in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, in which the characters personify moral qualities or abstractions and in which moral lessons are taught.
  17. How many tales each pilgrim had to tell in “The Canterbury Tales’? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     The owner of the Tabard Inn proposed that each of the pilgrims had to tell four stories, two on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back.
  18. Who wrote Piers Plowman?
    Ans.     Piers Plowman is written by William Langland.
  19. Why is the year 1066 important in the study of English Literary History? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     The year 1066 is important in the study of English literary history because it marks the ending of Old English Period and the beginning of Middle English Period.
  20. What is Miracle play?
    Ans.     Miracle play is a medieval drama based on episodes from the life of a saint or martyr.
  21. Who wrote Morte d’ Arther? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     Sir Thomas Malory wrote Morte d’ Arthur.
  22. What is “Canterbury Tales”? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.
  23. What is the masterpiece of Geoffrey Chaucer?
    Ans.     The Canterbury Tales is the masterpiece of Chaucer.
  24. How many tales each pilgrim had to tell in ‘The Canterbury Tales’? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     The original intent was that each pilgrim was to tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back.
  25. Who was the first translator of the Bible into English? [NU. 2020]
    Ans: John Wycliffe is the first person to translate the Holy Bible into English language.
  26. When did the Age of Chaucer begin? [NU. 2020]
    Ans: The age of Chaucer begin in 1340.

Reformation Age

  1. What is Protestantism?
    Ans.     Protestantism is the system of beliefs and teachings of the Protestants. In 1517 Martin Luther protested against the unprincipled and flippant practices that were disgracing religion. The Protestant demanded the independence of the Church.
  2. Who was Cromwell?
    Ans.     Cromwell was a ruthless and unscrupulous politician. He has been deeply influenced by Machiavelli’s The Prince. Cromwell was appointed Lord Chancellor in place of Wolsey.
  3. Who is Anne Boleyn?
    Ans.     Anne Boleyn is the last wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I.
  4. What does “The Authorized Version of the Bible” mean?
    Ans.     The Authorized Version of The Bible or King James’ Version was the translation of The Bible – The Old Testament and The New Testament. It was published in 1611.
  5. When was “The Authorized Version of the Bible” published?
    Ans.     The Authorized Version of the Bible was published in 1611. It is a grand achievement of Elizabethan literature.
  6. Why is Tyndale famous for?
    Ans.     William Tyndale is famous for his Translation of the Bible in 1522. He was the most important member of a group of scholars known as “The Cambridge Reformers”.
  7. Why is Coverdale famous for?
    Ans.     Coverdale was famous as a Translator of the Bible.
  8. Why did the parliament-pass a number of acts?
    Ans.     The Parliament passed a number of acts to confirm England’s breach with Rome.
  9. What is Catholicism?
    Ans.     Catholicism refers to the faith, system, and practice of the Catholic Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.
  10. Who is Martin Luther King?
    Ans.     Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German revolutionist. The teachings of Martin Luther resulted in a religious revolt (1517). It transformed the Reformation from merely an attack on the abuses of the church into an attack on the church itself.
  11. Who was Martin Luther?
    Ans.     Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German revolutionist. The teachings of Martin Luther resulted in a religious revolt (1517). It transformed the Reformation from merely an attack on the abuses of the church into an attack on the church itself.
  12. Which royal dynasty was established in the resolution of the so-called War of the Roses and continued through the reign of Elizabeth I? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     The Tudors
  13. What is Gunpowder plot? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt by a group of Catholics to blow up the king and the Houses of Parliament.
  14. What is Reformation? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     The Reformation is the religious revolution that took place in the Western Church in the 16th century. It is also known as the Protestant Reformation.

Renaissance: Elizabethan, Jacobean and Puritan Age

  1. What is Paradise Lost?
    Ans.     The Paradise Lost is a great epic written by John Milton. It is regarded as the first great modern epic and Milton remains the first and the greatest modern epic poet in English.
  2. Who was the father of Queen Elizabethan I?
    Ans.     Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII by his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
  3. What is renaissance?
    Ans.     The Renaissance implies a sort of rebirth, rather resurgence. It was related to a general cultural renewal in Western Europe in the 15th century. The Renaissance spread from Italy to France, Spain rather late to England.
  4. Name some tragedies by Shakespeare.
    Ans.     Shakespeare wrote a number of tragedies. Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth are called the four great tragedies of Shakespeare. Julius Caeser, Timon of Athens etc are also Shakespeare’s tragedies.
  5. Name some comedies by Shakespeare.
    Ans.     Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies. Some of them are – A Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night etc.
  6. What do you mean by “Tragi-comedy”?.
    Ans.     “Tragi-comedy” is the mingling of the seriousness of tragedy and the pleasantry of comedy. It is both tragedy and comedy, padded together into one new form.
  7. Name some tragi-comedies/problem plays/historical plays by Shakespeare.
    Ans.     Among the Shakespearean tragi-comedies – Much Ado About Nothing, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Merchant Of Venice, Measure for Measure are most remarkable.
  8. Name some Jacobean dramatists and their works.
    Ans.     Jacobean dramatists are John Webster, Ben Jonson, Middleton etc. And their major works are – The Duchess of Malfi, The Alchemist and Women Beware Women.
  9. Name some contemporary Shakespearean dramatists.
    Ans.     Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, John Webster are the contemporaries of Shakespeare.
  10. Who is called the child of renaissance and reformation.
    Ans.     Edmund Spenser has been called “the child of both the Renaissance and Reformation”.
  11. Why is Bacon’s prose style significant?
    Ans.     Francis Bacon’s greatness lies in his prose style. His prose especially the essays are distinctive and become a classic not for their subject matter but for their unique style. The hallmarks of his writings are: (a) use of short and sharp statements (b) use of logical sequence (c) contraction and expansion of ideas (d) images from day to day life (e) use of Latin and Greek expressions.
  12. What is Utopia?
    Ans.     Utopia is the most important work of Sir Thomas More. The meaning of ‘Utopia’ is “No place or nowhere.” The book is famous because it outlines an imaginary ideal condition of society.
  13. What is arcadianism and eupheism? / Euphes and Arcadia”?
    Ans.     Arcadia and Euphues are the books that bear the embryo of English novel.
  14. Give the names of two decadent dramatists and their works.
    Ans.     John Fordand James Shirley are considered as so called decadent dramatists and their works are Tis Pity She’s a Whore and The Lady of Pleasure.
  15. When was the authorized version of the Bible published?
    Ans.     The Authorized Version of the Bible published in 1611.
  16. Who is called the Dark Lady? Why is the Dark Lady important in Shakespeare’s Sonnet?
    Ans.     This Dark Lady may be Mary Fitton, one of Queen Elizabeth’s maids of honour or the poet Emilia Lanier.
  17. Who was the father of Stuart Dynasty?
    Ans.     King James I of England was the father of Stuart Dynasty.
  18. Who is the fairy queen in the epic “The Faerie Queene”?
    Ans.     Queen Elizabeth of England is the fairy queen in the epic “The Faerie Queene”.
  19. What is Tottel’s Miscellany?
    Ans.     The first collection of a number of Elizabethan sonnets and songs was made, printed and published by one Richard Tottel, a printer, under the title Songs and Sonnets 1557. The volume is popularly known as Tottel’s Miscellany, and contains sonnets from Wyatt and Surrey and a number of poems from other poets.
  20. Who is Sir Philip Sidney?
    Ans.     Sir Philip Sidney was one of the most prolific writers of the Elizabethan period. His finest achievement in poetry was Astrophel and Stella. His chief literary adventure in prose was Arcadia.
  21. What is Arcadia?
    Ans.     Arcadia was Sidney’s chief literary adventure. It is completed in 1580. It is a typical example of Elizabethan romance, based on pastoralism.
  22. Why is John Webster famous for?
    Ans.     John Webster is considered the greatest post-Shakespearean dramatist. He was gifted with both dramatic craftsmanship and poetical excellence. His two great tragedies are The White Devil and The Tragedie of the Duchess of Malfi.
  23. Who is Holinshed?
    Ans.     Raphael Holinshed was the writer of Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland. It is in fact, a compilation of English, Scottish and Irish history from a variety of earlier sources.
  24. Why are the Jacobean plays called decadent plays?
    Ans.     The Jacobean plays are called decadent plays because there was a moral degradation and decline in drama. There was an absence of moral standards and a disregard of moral values in the plays of this period.
  25. What is Religio Medici?
    Ans.     Religio Medici is a prose work of Sir Thomas Browne. It is a confession of his own personal and religious creed. It is in essence, a mystical acceptance of Christianity. Religio Medici means the religion of a physician.
  26. What do you mean by metaphysical poetry?
    Ans.     The poems of the post Elizabethan poets are classed as metaphysical poetry. Metaphysical poetry begins early in the Jacobean age in the later period of Shakespearean age. Donne is called the leader of Metaphysical School of poetry.
  27. What do you mean by a conceit?
    Ans.     Conceit is an instrument by which metaphysical poets reveal their wit. It expresses their learning and witticism, because of the learning and witticism, because of the use of conceit, metaphysical poetry becomes dramatic.
  28. Who is the founder of the Metaphysical School of poetry?
    Ans.     John Donne is well-known as the founder of the Metaphysical School of English poetry. His poetry bears the originality of true metaphysical poet and his influence on subsequent poets.
  29. What is Humanism?
    Ans.     Humanism is a system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion.
  30. Who wrote Gorboduc? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     Gorboduc was written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  31. What kind of movement of ‘English Renaissance’?
    Ans.     The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century.
  32. Who were the metaphysical poets?
    Ans.     John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, Thomas Carew and were metaphysical poets.
  33. Who was known as the father of English Dictionary?
    Ans.     Samuel Johnson.
  34. Name the university wits?
    Ans.     Lyly, Peele, Kyd, Greene, Lodge, Nashe and Marlowe.
  35. Which age is called the Golden Age of English literature?
    Ans.     Elizabethan Age is called the Golden age of English literature.
  36. What is Puritanism?
    Ans.     Puritanism refers to the beliefs and practices of people who follow very strict moral and religious rules about the proper way to behave and live.
  37. Who are called “Cavalier Poets”?
    Ans.     Cavalier Poets is a group of English poets of the 17th century, who supported King Charles I during the English Civil War. They were called Cavaliers because of their loyalty to Charles I (1625-49) during the English Civil Wars, as opposed to Roundheads, who supported Parliament.
  38. What is Globe Theatre? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company the “Lord Chamberlain’s Men.”
  39. What is the literal meaning of the Renaissance?
    Ans.     rebirth
  40. Where does the name “Jacobean” derive from?
    Ans.     The word “Jacobean” is derived from Modern Latin Jacobaeus from Jacobus, the Latin form of the English name James, the name of King James VI of Scotland, who was also King James I of England.
  41. What is Milton’s purpose behind writing “Paradise Lost”? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     “To justify the ways of God to men”
  42. Who wrote Utopia in Latin, since English had no prestige outside England? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     Utopia is a work of fiction and political philosophy by Thomas More (1478-1535) published in 1516 in Latin.
  43. Write down the names of four metaphysical poets. [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, Andrew Marvell.
  44. What is “comedy of humorous”? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     The comedy of humour as conceived by Ben Jonson has its basis on the medieval, medical concept of humour. The Jonsonian comedy of humour has certain typical features which differentiate it from other comedies.
  45. Name two of the major literary creations of Edmund Spenser. [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     The Faerie Queene, The Shepheardes Calender.
  46. What is the first tragedy of English Literature?
    Ans.     The first English tragedy is Gorboduc (1561) written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  47. Who write ‘Gorboduc’?
    Ans.     Gorboduc is written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville.
  48. Name the University Wits.
    Ans.     The University Wits are – John Lyly, Thomas Kyd, George Peele, Thomas Lodge, Robert Greene, Thomas Nash and Christopher Marlowe.
  49. In which year did the glorious revolution occur? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     1688-1689
  50. What kind of book is Milton’s Areopagitica? [NU. 2015, 2019]
    Ans.     John Milton’s Areopagitica is a speech or pamphlet that presents his reasons for opposing the Licensing Order of 1643.
  51. Who is called the father of English prose? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     King Alfred (c. 849) is claimed to be the “father of English prose”.
  52. Who is called the Poet’s poet? [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     Edmund Spenser is called the poet’s poet.
  53. Which play is considered the first English Comedy? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     Ralph Roister Doister is considered the first English comedy.
  54. Who is the writer of ‘The Spanish Tragedy’? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     Thomas Kyd is the writer of The Spanish Tragedy.
  55. When did the French Revolution take place? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     French Revolution took place in 1789.

Restoration Period

  1. When did the Restoration take place and who was restored to English Throne? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     Restoration took place in 1660.
  2. Which age is known as Augustan Age in English Literature?
    Ans.     Neo-classical age (1702-1745) is known as Augustan Age in English literature.
  3. Why is 18th century English literature called Augustan age?
    Ans.     18 century English literature called Augustan age because writers at this time greatly admired their Roman counterparts, imitated their works and frequently drew parallels between contemporary world and the age of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 AD-BC 14).
  4. What is comedy of manners?
    Ans.     Comedy of manners is used as a synonym of Restoration comedy. It refers to the English comedies written and performed in the Restoration period from 1660 to 1710.
  5. Name some writers of comedy of manners, restoration comedy, restoration diary.
    Ans.     William Congreve, John Vanbrugh, George Etherege, William Wycherley etc.
  6. Name the political parties of the restoration period.
    Ans.     Two political parties – the Whig and the Tory.
  7. What is lampoon?
    Ans.     Lampoon is a kind of personal satire where one is individually satirised.
  8. What is the time of English restoration?
    Ans.     The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660.
  9. Who was restored and who was beheaded during the restoration period?
    Ans.     Charles II was restored and his father Charles I was beheaded.
  10. What type of writing is Gulliver’s Travels?
    Ans.     Gulliver’s Travels is an adventure story involving several voyages of Lemuel Gulliver written by Jonathan Swift.
  11. Name the voyages of Gulliver’s in the book “Gulliver’s Travels”.
    Ans.
    • A Voyage to Lilliput
    • A Voyage to Brobdingnag
    • A Voyage to Laputa
    • A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms
  12. What is the difference between lampoon and satire?
    Ans.     Satire is a literary work which exposes human vices and follies in order to correct them, while lampoon is a personal satire in prose or verse ridiculing a person, or institution; a work of literary work, art, or the like.
  13. What does Mac Flecknoe mean?
    Ans.     Mac Flecknoe is a mock heroic poem in which Dryden makes a literary criticism of literary personalities and their work. It is a lampoon on Thomas Shadwell, a dull writer of Dryden’s time.
  14. What is subtitle of the play “All for Love”?
    Ans.     The subtitle of the play “All for Love” is The World Well Lost.
  15. Who was the first Stuart king?
    Ans.     James I was the first Stuart king.
  16. Why the comedy of restoration age is called the Comedy of Manners?
    Ans.     The comedy of restoration age reflects the manner, adulterous relationship between men and women, love and marriage of the upper class people of that time in order to ridicule. So the comedy is called the comedy of manners.
  17. Who was the representative poet of the puritan age?
    Ans.     John Milton was the representative poet of the puritan age. He embodies the spirit of Puritanism in toto.
  18. Why is the restoration age called the age of Dryden?
    Ans.     Dryden in his writings reflects all the characteristics of restoration period. The social, political and religious. Scenario of the age is focused in his works. So the age is named after Dryden.
  19. Who popularized ‘the comedy of manners’? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     William Congreve.
  20. What is satire? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule.
  21. What is The Pilgrim’s Progress?
    Ans.     The Pilgrim’s Progress is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan.
  22. Name the most celebrated writing of Jonathan Swift. [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     Gulliver’s Travels is the most celebrated writing of Jonathan Swift.
  23. Who was Oliver Cromwell? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     Oliver Cromwell was a puritan leader who came in to the power after the death of Charles 1.
  24. Which age is known as the age of decadence? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     Caroline age is known as the age of decadence.
  25. Who popularized the comedies of manners?
    Ans.     William Congreve.

Neoclassical Age

  1. What do you know by neo-classicism?
    Ans.     The period in English literary history extending from 1660 to 1789 and covering the ages of Dryden, Pope and Dr. Johnson is variously called the Classical Age or the Neo-classical Age or the Pseudo-Classical Age.
  2. Which age is called the “Neo-classical Age” in English literature?
    Ans.     The Neo-classical Age in English literature begins from the Restoration period and extends to the eighteenth century literature dominated by Pope. Doctor Jonson etc.
  3. Which age is called the pseudo-classical Age?
    Ans.     The period in English literary history extending from 1660 to 1789 and covering the Ages of Dryden, Pope and Dr. Johnson is variously called the classical, or the Neo-classical age or the pseudo-classical Age.
  4. What is “Heroic couplet”?
    Ans.     The heroic couplet means the lines of iambic pentametre which rhyme in pairs: aa, bb, cc and so on. The objective ‘heroic’ was applied in the later 17th century because of the use of such couplets in epic or heroic poems, and in heroic dramas.
  5. What is “Absalom and Achitophel”?
    Ans.     Absalom and Achitophel is a political satire. It is Dryden’s campaign against the anti-royalist Whig leader in the guise of a diverting satire. The main butt of his political denunciation was Lord Shaftsbury, an eminent Whig leader and schemer.
  6. What kind of satire is “Mac Flecknoe”?
    Ans.     MacFlecknoe is a mock-heroic satire. Here Thomas Shadwell is sarcastically characterized as the lord of the realm of the ‘nonsense absolute’. Dryden’s diction and use of heroic couplets have added grandeur to this satire.
  7. What is “The Rape of the Lock”?
    Ans.     The Rape of the Lock is a great mock-epic of five cantos by Alexander Pope. It is a great satire, and possesses the true genius of satirical literature.
  8. Who is Sir Roger de Coverley?
    Ans.     Sir Roger de Coverley forms the chief interest of the essays of Addison and is presented graphically with all his human qualities and human deformities.
  9. What is The Coverley Papers?
    Ans.     The Coverley Papers is a collection of essays selected from 18th century daily called The Spectator. The selection is named after Sir Roger de Coverley who appeared in The Spectator on many occasions.
  10. What is “The Citizen of the World”?
    Ans.     The Citizen of the World is a collection of letters composed Goldsmith. It deserves a high commendation. His easy and natural style and simple wisdom, good humour and humanitarian outlook are found combined here. It gives him a high place in the history of English prose literature.
  11. What is Hudibras?
    Ans.     Hudibras is a comical epic by Samuel Butler. It is a mock-heroic poem, presenting the pretensions and hypocricies mainly of the Presbyteri.
  12. Which age is called the age of satire? Who are the prominent satirist of the period?
    Ans.     The 18th century or the classical period is called the age of satire. John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Dr. Johnson, Addison and Steele are the prominent satirist of the period.
  13. Who is Sir Roger de Coverley?
    Ans.     Sir Roger de Coverley forms the chief interest of the essays of Addison and is presented graphically with all his human qualities and human deformities.
  14. What is The Tatler?
    Ans.     The Tatler was published by Steele from 1709 and Addison was his chief aid. The essays published in The Tatler were appreciated by the readers and they continued with increasing vigour. These essays were regarded as piece of literature.
  15. Who is Daniel Defoe?
    Ans.     Of the great makers of English prose, Daniel Defoe stands out as an outstanding figure in the history of English literature. Although he wrote a number of periodical essays and religious works, he became immortalized by writing an excellent adventure tale — Robinson Crusoe in 1719.
  16. What is Robinson Crusoe?
    Ans.     Robinson Crusoe is an English classic written by Daniel Defoe. Sometimes it is claimed as the first English novel. It is written in a simple and Vigorous style.
  17. Who is called the ‘father of English novel?
    Ans.     Samuel Richardson.
  18. What do you mean by a picaresque novel?
    Ans.     The word ‘picaresque’ comes from the Spanish word ‘Picaro’ which means a cunning trickster or rogue. A picaresque novel means a novel which describes the adventures of a rogue in the course of a journey on which he goes. A picaresque novel may be described as a romance of roguery.
  19. What is Comic epic in prose?
    Ans.     According to Henry Fielding comic romance is different from a comedy as an epic different from a tragedy. He refers to his comic romance as a “comic-epic poem in prose”.
  20. What is an ‘epistolary novel’? Mention the title of such a novel.
    Ans.     Epistolary novel is one which the narrative is in the form of letters. Richardson’s Pamela, Clarissa Harlowe are epistolary novels.
  21. What do you mean by the term ‘Gothic Novel?
    Ans.     The Gothic novel or the novel of terror is the peculiar product of the later 18th century. It was a conscious protest against the rational realistic creed of the earlier novelists.
  22. Name any two graveyard poets of the 18th century.
    Ans.     Thomas Parnell, Robert Blair and Edward Young were much attracted to death and gloomy Scenery. Gray’s Elegy Written in, Country Churchyard also belongs to this group.
  23. Who are called the pioneers of English Novel? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     The pioneers of the novel were Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne.
  24. Why is Alexander Pope famous in English literature? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     Alexander Pope was especially famous for his use of the “heroic couplet” in his poetry.
  25. What is Pamela? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     Pamela is the first American novel written by Samuel Richardson.
  26. Who wrote Robinson Crusoe? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     Robinson Crusoe is an English classic written by Daniel Defoe.
  27. Who wrote The Spectator? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     The Spectator is a periodical published in London by the essayists Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison.
  28. Name two writers of the Augustan Age. [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift are the two writers of the Augustan Age.

Romantic Age

  1. What is romanticism?
    Ans.     Romanticism is a literary movement/ism against the rigid rules of classical and neoclassical literature and a return to the literary ideals of the Elizabeths.
  2. What is Ballad?
    Ans.     Ballad is a poem based on folk tradition. It tells a simple story that appeals to the emotion of wander and fear. It uses fashion or archaic words. It teaches a lesson.
  3. What is “Lyrical Ballads’?
    Ans.     “Lyrical Ballads” is a book of poems that contains 19 poems by Wordsworth and Coleridge. Romantic age begins with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798.
  4. Why is the romantic age called an age of “The return to nature”?
    Ans.     Romantic Age is called the age of the return to nature because the poets of the age dealt with the nature and rejected 18th century poetry of social criticism.
  5. Name some French philosophers who influenced the Romantics.
    Ans.     French philosophers Godwin and Rosseau influenced the Romantics.
  6. What is Hyperion?
    Ans.     ‘Hyperion’ is a long narrative poem or epic by John Keats.
  7. What kind of poem is “The Prelude”?
    Ans.     The prelude is the most important autobiographical poem of Wordsworth. It records the earliest experiences of his childhood life.
  8. Who accompanied Wordsworth in his visit to Tintern Abbey?
    Ans.     Dorothy is the sister of Wordsworth. She accompanied Wordsworth in his visit to Tintern Abbey.
  9. Who is called the precursor of romantic poetry?
    Ans.     William Blake is regarded as the precursor of romantic poetry.
  10. What is “Adonais”?
    Ans.     “Adonais” is an elegy by Shelley dedicated to John Keats.
  11. What is the duration of Romantic age?
    Ans.     The duration of Romantic Age is from 1798 to 1832.
  12. Why is the romantic age called the revival of English romanticism Or second renaissance?
    Ans.     The romantic age is in fact the second age of Elizabethan renaissance or romanticism. The characteristics of Elizabethan romanticism revived in the age of Wordsworth and his followers. Imagination, love for beauty, melancholic feeling, pantheism, etc. are both a revival and a revolt-revival of the Elizabethan and the revolt against classicism.
  13. Who are called lake district poets?
    Ans.     Wordsworth and Coleridge are called the lake district poets because the are born and brought up in Lake District.
  14. What is Pantheism?
    Ans.     Pantheism is a belief that God lives in nature or nature is God. Wordsworth’s nature philosophy has something common with Pantheistic philosophy.
  15. What is the full title of Wordsworth’s poem “Tintern Abbey”?
    Ans.     The full title of Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” is “Lines Composed a Few Above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye, During a tour July 13, 1798.”
  16. Why is Wordsworth called a poet of nature?
    Ans.     Wordsworth is called a poet of nature because nature or natural objects are the subject matter of his poetry. He believed that God exists in all objects of nature. He spiritualised nature.
  17. What is the popular title of Coleridge as a poet?
    Ans.     Coleridge is well known as a poet of supernatural because of his dealing with supernatural things in poetry.
  18. Why is Coleridge called a poet of “Willing suspension of disbelief”?
    Ans.     Coleridge uses supernatural elements in his poetry so skilfully that we suspend ourselves into believing the unbelievable while we go through his poems. So he is called a poet of willing suspension of disbelief since he presents supernatural to be natural.
  19. Who is called a poet of dream?
    Ans.     S.T. Coleridge is called a poet of dream because of the dream-like quality in his poem.
  20. Who is “Kubla Khan”?
    Ans.     Kubla Khan was the grandson of great conqueror Cenghiz Khan, a Chinese ruler. He was a mighty oriental ruler. “Kubla Khan” is a romantic poem by Coleridge. It is a fragmentary poem based on dream.
  21. What is “Biographia-literaria” ?
    Ans.     “Biographia-literatia” is a critical work by S.T Coleridge.
  22. Who was the youngest of the romantic poets?
    Ans.     John Keats was the youngest of the romantic poets.
  23. What is Endimion?
    Ans.     “Endimion” is a poem written by John Keats in 1818. The poem is based on myth. Coleridge turns it in to a story of love.
  24. What is Hyperion?
    Ans.     “Hyperion” is a long narrative poem by Keats in which he took up the epic theme of primeval struggle between older generation of gods such as Saturn and Hyperion and the younger divinities such as Zeus and Apollo.
  25. Why is Keats called as sensuous poet?
    Ans.     Keats describes the nature so beautifully that his description appeals to our five senses. So he is called a sensuous poet.
  26. Why is Keats called an escapist?
    Ans.     Keats was troubled by the pain, fever and cruelty of life. He I was not able to find out happiness throughout the world. So he tried to ignore the world and took shelter in the world of imagination the world of nightingale. For this reason, he is called an escapist.
  27. What is the meaning of Keats phrase “negative capability”.
    Ans.     Negative capability means that the poet has no individuality of his own. He becomes one with the thing that he describes. Keats looses himself into an object of beauty he adores.
  28. Why was Shelley expelled from the university?
    Ans.     He was expelled from the university because of his publishing a pamphlet named “The Necessity of Atheism”.
  29. Why is Shelley called mythmaker?
    Ans.     Shelley in his poem appears as a mythmaker because he gives life and personality to natural phenomenon whatever he describes.
  30. Why is Shelley called a revolutionary poet?
    Ans.     Shelley is called a revolutionary poet because of his revolutionary zeal in his poem. He wants to reform the society by his poetic power.
  31. Who is a Byronic hero? / What are the characteristics of Byronic hero?
    Ans.     A Byronic hero is a gloomy but glamorous figure. He is proud and often alone. He goes through adventure to forget his past and sense of guilt.
  32. When was The Preface to the Lyrical Ballads published?
    Ans.     In 1798
  33. Who defined poetry as “Spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     William Wordsworth.
  34. What is Preface to Lyrical Ballads?
    Ans.     Preface to Lyrical Ballads is an essay, composed by William Wordsworth, for the second edition of the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads.
  35. Whose poems make up Lyrical Ballads? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     Lyrical Ballad is made up the poems of William Wordsworth and S.T. Coleridge.
  36. Who are called the “Lake Poets”? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     William Wordsworth, S.T. Coleridge, and Robert Southey are called the Lake poets because they lived in the Lake District.
  37. What was the slogan of French Revolution? [NU. 2017]
    Ans.     The slogan of the French Revolution was “liberty, equality, fraternity”.
  38. Which historical movement influenced the English Romantic poetry? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     French Revolution influenced romantic poetry which took place in 1798.
  39. Why is 1798 a landmark in the history of English Literature?
    Ans.     1768 is a landmark in the history of English literature because Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads in 1798, for which the year is considered the beginning of the Romantic period.

Victorian Age

  1. What is the duration of Victorian age?
    Ans.     Victorian age falls in between 1830 and 1880. Queen Victoria was the queen of great Britain. She ruled over the British isles. Under her dynamic leadership, English society developed. She was a great patron of art and literature.
  2. Who was the major poets of Victorian age?
    Ans.     The major Victorian poets are Lord Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, E.B. Browning, Matthew Arnold because they have reflected the spirits of the. Victorian era in their works.
  3. Why is Victorian age called an age of faith and doubt?
    Ans.     Victorian age witnessed the conflict between science and religion. There was controversy between different political ideologies. It was an age of diverse doctrines. The authors of the age reflected the tendencies of the age in their works and try to bring about reconciliation between these controversial ideas of the age. Hence, the age is known as the age of faith and doubt.
  4. What is ‘‘The Oxford Movement” ?
    Ans.     It was a movement within the Church of England, originating at Oxford University in 1833, that sought to link the Anglican Church more closely to the Roman Catholic Church.
  5. Who was the leader of Oxford Movement?
    Ans.     John Henry Cardinal Newman was the founder of: “Oxford Movement”. He tried to establish the supremacy of Catholicism and bring about a new life to Anglican Church.
  6. What is pre-Raphaelitism? Or Who are pre-Raphaelites?
    Ans.     Pre-Raphaelitism was a countercultural movement that aimed to reform Victorian art and writing. It originated with the foundation, in 1848, of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) by, among others, the artists John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Holman Hunt.
  7. What is “Locksley Hall”?
    Ans.     “Locksley Hall” is a poem written by Alfred Tennyson in 1835 and published in his 1842 volume of Poems.
  8. Who wrote “Pride and Prejudice”? What does “Pride and prejudice” refer to?
    Ans.     Jane Austen wrote “Pride and Prejudice.” Darcy was Prideful because he doesn’t think Elizabeth it pretty enough for him and Elizabeth was Prejudice because she judged Darcy based on Wickham’s lies and her own opinions.
  9. Who is called the poet of ‘Victorian compromise’?
    Ans.     Tennyson is called the poet of ‘Victorian compromise’.
  10. What is “Sohrab and Rustom”?
    Ans.     Matthew Arnold wrote “Sohrab and Rustom”. It is an epic poem. The theme of the poem is filial love of Sohrab for his unknown mighty father Rustom.
  11. What is the book “Heroes and Hero Worship” about?
    Ans.     Thomas Carlyle is the author of “Heroes and Hero Worship”. The book comprises six lectures delivered by Carlyle on “Heroes and Hero worship”. The theme of his lecture is about the great man of history. Carlyle presents his own conception of hero. In fact, it is considered as an outstanding prose work of Vietorian Literature.
  12. Who is the author of the book “The Origin of Species”? When was it published?
    Ans.     Charles Darwin is the author of “The Origin of Species”. The book deals with the evolution of mankind. It created controversy regarding the origin of mankind. It questioned the Biblical concept of mankind. It was published on 24 November 1859.
  13. What is meant by ‘naughty nineties’ in the Victorian age?
    Ans. English literature of the last decade of 19th century is referred to as naughty nineties. Because it was characterised by a revolt against the tendencies of the early decade of Victorian era.
  14. Who is called an ‘un-Victorian poet’ in Victorian literature?
    Ans.     Robert Browning is called an unvictorian poet in the Victorian age because he does not deal with the crisis of the Victorian age but with universal human drama. He is interested in man-woman relationship of all ages.
  15. What is a dramatic monologue?
    Ans.     Dramatic monologue is a kind of poem in which a speaker speaks about his crisis to an audience real or imaginary. In a monologue, one speaker speaks not only about himself but he speaks on behalf of all other characters and describes every incident that takes place.
  16. What is meant by “Victorianism”?
    Ans.     “Victorianism” is a term often used with reference to the Victorian age. The term ‘Victorian’ means precisely Victorian poets who praised the spirit of progress of the age. They were concerned with their age and not with other ages. Therefore, “Victorianism” refers to the rapidly changing characteristics of Victorian literature.
  17. Whose poetry is termed as a “criticism of life” in Victorian literature?
    Ans.     Arnold’s poetry is called a “criticism of life”. Arnold in his poetry tried to reflect the religiouslessness of the Victorian people. He laments for the “sea of faith”. He makes an intellectual criticism of Victorian life and society.
  18. What was the pen name of E.B. Browning?
    Ans.     Portuguese was the pen name given to E.B. Browning by her husband, Browning. Her sonnets from the “Portuguese” were the best known love poems during her time.
  19. Who are called the sages of Victorian age?
    Ans.     The Victorian thinkers are the sages of Victorian age. The great thinkers of this age are Arnold, Carlyle, Newman, Ruskin, Darwin. These thinkers adequately expressed their views on Victorian life and society.
  20. Why is the Victorian age called an age of the triuph for Novel?
    Ans.     Victorian age is an age for the success and development of English novel. The social factors like industrial revolution, conflict between science and religion, Political, religious, scientific ideas influenced the Victorian age. Freedom of woman was another factor that needed narrative expression. As a result, novel as a form of literature developed during the Victorian age.
  21. What is “Drama of Ideas”? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     It is a type of drama that deal with controversial social issues in a realistic manner, to expose social ills, and to stimulate thought and discussion on the part of the audience.
  22. What was the national identity of W.B. Yeats? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     W.B. Yeats was an Irish poet.
  23. What are the two cities referred to in the Novel A Tale of Two Cities? [NU. 2015]
    Ans.     London and Paris
  24. Who are called the Brontes? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     Charlotte, Emily and Anne are called the Brontes.
  25. What signifies the Victorian Age? [NU. 2016]
    Ans.     Progress and Unrest signify the Victorian Age.
  26. What is Victorian conflict? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     Victorian conflict refers to the conflicts of morality, technology and industry, faith and doubt, imperialism, and rights of women and ethnic minorities.
  27. When did the Oxford Movement begin? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     The Oxford movement was a religious movement of the Victorian era. This movement began in 1833 under the leadership of John Henry Carninal Newman.

Modern Age

  1. When does the modern age begin?
    Ans.     Modern age falls in between 1890 and 1960. Modern age is an outcome of Victorian age. At the end of Victorian age we trace the beginning of modern age.
  2. What do you understand by modernism?
    Ans.     Modernism refers to the doctrine or ‘isms’ of modern age. The literature of modern age reflects new tendencies and changes in society, politics, technology, science and religion. In other words, the new isms of 20th century such as realism, naturalism, feminism, existentialism, transcendentalism, surrealism etc are known as isms of modern age.
  3. What is Boer war? When does it begin?
    Ans.     Boer war took place between 1899 and 1902. It brought is about a change in imperialism. The imperial power realised the ate need for the reformation of social problem. It brought about a reawakening of social consciousness.
  4. Who are called Georgian poets?
    Ans.     The important poets of the Georgian era are – Robert Brooke, Edmund Blundel, Walter Delamare. However, the poem of Eliot’s The Waste Land puts an end to Georgian poetry. Georgian poetry shows a nostalgia for countryside, Eliot’s poetry shows a nostalgia for city life.
  5. Whose drama is called the “drama of ideas”?
    Ans.     George Bernard Shaw’s dramas are categorised as drama of ideas.
  6. Give the names of two modern novelists/poets dramatists.
    Ans.     Modern age produced a host of novelists. The prominent novelists are E.M. Foster, Joseph Conrad, D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce.
  7. Who is Maud Conne?
    Ans.     Maud Gonne was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with the poet William Butler Yeats.
  8. Name some important poems by T.S. Eliot.
    Ans.     The Waste Land, Gerontion, The Hollow Men, The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock.
  9. Name two Irish poets/Irish dramatists.
    Ans.     William Morrison, W.B. Yeats.
  10. Name two plays by T.S Eliot?
    Ans.     Murder in the Cathedral, The Family Reunion, The Cocktail Party, are poetic dramas of Eliot.
  11. What picture of a modern man do you find in Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”?
    Ans.     “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, is a poem by American-British poet T. S. Eliot. The poem, is a dramaticinterior monologue of an urban man, stricken with feelings of isolation and an incapability for decisive action that is said to epitomize frustration and impotence of the modern individual. Prufrock” has become one of the most recognised voices in modern literature.
  12. What are the different stages or phases in Yeats’s poetic career?
    Ans.     The poetic career of Yeats can be roughly classified into four distinct phases such as The Celtic Twilight Period, The Intermediary Period, the Complex Later Period, and The Last Phase.
  13. Who is the author of “A Passage to India”?
    Ans.     A Passage to India was written by E.M. Forster.
  14. Name the different parts of “A Passage to India”?
    Ans.     The three parts are Mosque, Caves, and Temple.
  15. What is “Abbey Theatre”? Or, Who is founder of “Abbey Theatre?
    Ans.     The Abbey Theatre also known as the National Theatre of Ireland was founded by Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn and W.B. Yeats.
  16. What is “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”?
    Ans.     Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Laurence is a unique non- fictional prose of the late 20th century.
  17. What does Eliot mean by objective co-relative?
    Ans.     He believes, there must be a balance between facts and imagination in the composition of poetry. Eliot advocates that emotion must be justified by fact. This is known as theory of objective correlative. That is, subjective feeling of the poet/author must be justified by objective fact.
  18. What is Imagist Movement?
    Ans.     Imagist movement is a movement of 20th century literature. Modern English poetry is influenced by imagist movement. Ezra pound was the leader of imagist movement which included other poets like T. E. Hulme, Hidadoo Little, John Flecher. The poet of this group used images to create an atmosphere which symbols and language failed to convey. Imagist movement is a reaction against excessive romanticism. Imagist movement brought about the quality of accuracy, definiteness and straightforward. description. It used free verse.
  19. What does ‘Feminism’ mean?
    Ans.     Feminism is a 20th century movement for the freedom of women. Feminism asserts freedom for women that women must have political freedom, intellectual freedom, social freedom, religious freedom. A woman should not be treated important only emotionally, she is an equal partner in social reformation. Therefore, faminism is a movement that deals with the life of average women, their problems, their hopes, dreams and expectation. In short, it is called “Women Lib”.
  20. What is stream of consciousness?
    Ans.     Stream of consciousness is a narrative form in which the author writes in a way that mimics or parallels a character’s internal thoughts.
  21. What is an Absurd Drama?
    Ans.     It is a type of drama that portrays life as bizarre, confusing, and perhaps fundamentally meaningless.
  22. Name three playwrights of the twentieth century.
    Ans.     T.S. Eliot, John Osborne and Harold Pinter
  23. What is Wating for Godor? [NU. 2017]
    Ans    . Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett.
  24. Who are dominant poets of modern age? [NU. 2018]
    Ans.     T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Auden are the dominant poets of modern age.
  25. Write the names of three modern poets. [NU. 2019]
    Ans.     W.H. Auden, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot.
  26. What was the nationality of G.B Shaw? [NU. 2020]
    Ans:     G.B Shaw was an Irish playwright.