English Language

Literary Analysis and Poetry

3,923 Questions

Literary analysis and poetry involve understanding structural elements like meter, rhyme schemes, and verse forms. This topic focuses on identifying characteristics of sonnets, haikus, limericks, and free verse. It is essential for English language comprehension in competitive exams and language proficiency tests.

Poetic devices and rhymesSonnets and structureHaiku form and imageryElegies and toneFree verse characteristicsLimerick meter

Literary Analysis and Poetry Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: For the given question, select one entry for each blank from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks to best complete the text.

Division of a work of art into __(i), as a poem into scenes, episodes, similes, sentences, or a picture into single figures and objects, background, foreground, etc. _(ii)_____ the work, as dividing the organism into heart, brain, nerves, muscles and so on, turns the living being into a corpse.

  1. certitude

  2. dogmatism

  3. credence

  4. softness

  5. reassurance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(1) What follow the blank are parts, not groups. Fragmenting the art is the opposite of grouping. (2) United they stand; divided they fall. It is as true of artwork as it is of body organs. You can't divide these into 'Parts'. (3) What follow the blank are parts, not groups. We divide into parts not in areas. (4) The fragmentation completely destroys or annihilates the work. (5) The fragmentation completely destroys; it does not extirpate or root out. (6) The fragmentation completely destroys; it does not 'only disrupt'.

Multiple choice

What figure of speech is used by the author to describe the humming bird?

  1. Metaphor

  2. Antithesis

  3. Simile

  4. Alliteration
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The 'Antithesis' is a contrast or opposition of thought and 'Alliteration' is the repetition of initial sound. There is no hint in the passage of their usage for humming bird. Therefore options (2) & (4) can be ignored. Option (1) 'Metaphor', is used as a figure of speech containing implied comparison e.g. 'curtain of night' or 'all the world's a stage'. No implied comparison has been made for describing humming bird. Hence, even option (1) is incorrect. The line 'Humming bird like tiny jewels' shows the usage of 'Simile'; therefore option (3) is correct.

Multiple choice

Based on the passage, mainstream Japanese poetry of the Heian period can best be described as:

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

The poetic expressiveness and creativity of Japanese women poets of the Manyoshu era is generally regarded as a manifestation of the freedom and relatively high political and economic status women of that era enjoyed. During the Heian period (A.D. 794 - 1185) which followed, Japanese women became increasingly relegated to domestic roles under the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism, which excluded women from the political and economic arenas. Yet, since poetry of the period came to be defined solely as short lyrical poetry, known as Wakas, and became the prevailing means of expressing love, women continued to excel and play a central role in the development of classical Japanese poetry. Moreover, while official Japanese documents were written in Chinese, the phonetic alphabet Kana was used for poetry. Also referred to as Onnamoji (women’s letters”), Kana was not deemed sufficiently sophisticated for use by Japanese men, who continued to write Chinese poetry, increasingly for expressing religious ideas and as an intellectual pastime. Chinese poetry ultimately yielded, then, to waka as the mainstream of Japanese poetry.

  1. philosophical in its concern

  2. an outgrowth of Buddhism and Confucianism

  3. sentimental in nature and lyrical in style

  4. written primarily for a female audience
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage indicates that during the Heian period poetry came to be defined as “lyrical” and became the “prevailing means of expressing love” - that is, for expressing personal sentiment. The passage then indicates, in the final sentence, that this type of poetry (waka) became the mainstream Japanese poetry of that period.

Multiple choice

The author’s primary purpose in the passage is to

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

The poetic expressiveness and creativity of Japanese women poets of the Manyoshu era is generally regarded as a manifestation of the freedom and relatively high political and economic status women of that era enjoyed. During the Heian period (A.D. 794 - 1185) which followed, Japanese women became increasingly relegated to domestic roles under the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism, which excluded women from the political and economic arenas. Yet, since poetry of the period came to be defined solely as short lyrical poetry, known as Wakas, and became the prevailing means of expressing love, women continued to excel and play a central role in the development of classical Japanese poetry. Moreover, while official Japanese documents were written in Chinese, the phonetic alphabet Kana was used for poetry. Also referred to as Onnamoji (women’s letters”), Kana was not deemed sufficiently sophisticated for use by Japanese men, who continued to write Chinese poetry, increasingly for expressing religious ideas and as an intellectual pastime. Chinese poetry ultimately yielded, then, to waka as the mainstream of Japanese poetry.

  1. refute a commonly accepted explanation for the role of women in the development of Japanese poetry

  2. distinguish between the Japanese poetry of one historical period with that of another

  3. tracing the influence of religion on the development of Japanese poetry

  4. providing an explanation for the role of women in the development of Japanese poetry
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Of the four choices, (4) best reflecs the thrust of the passage as a whole, which is as follows: the reason why women played a large role in Japanese poetry prior to the Heian period fails to account the significant role of women in Japanese poetry during that period. The significance of that role is explained by the use of a phonetic alphabet, which only women used for the type of poetry that extended up appealing to the Japanese mainstream more so than other type.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements about Kana finds the least support in the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

The poetic expressiveness and creativity of Japanese women poets of the Manyoshu era is generally regarded as a manifestation of the freedom and relatively high political and economic status women of that era enjoyed. During the Heian period (A.D. 794 - 1185) which followed, Japanese women became increasingly relegated to domestic roles under the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism, which excluded women from the political and economic arenas. Yet, since poetry of the period came to be defined solely as short lyrical poetry, known as Wakas, and became the prevailing means of expressing love, women continued to excel and play a central role in the development of classical Japanese poetry. Moreover, while official Japanese documents were written in Chinese, the phonetic alphabet Kana was used for poetry. Also referred to as Onnamoji (women’s letters”), Kana was not deemed sufficiently sophisticated for use by Japanese men, who continued to write Chinese poetry, increasingly for expressing religious ideas and as an intellectual pastime. Chinese poetry ultimately yielded, then, to waka as the mainstream of Japanese poetry.

  1. It was based on the sound of the Japanese language.

  2. It was used primarily by Japanese women.

  3. It was used for Japanese poetry but not for Japanese prose.

  4. It was considered inappropriate for austere subject matter.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage neither states nor implies that Kana was used exclusively for poetry, and not for prose.

Multiple choice

Sonnet is a poem of

  1. 14 lines

  2. 20 lines

  3. 25 lines

  4. 50 lines
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A sonnet is a poetic form that originated in Italy and is traditionally composed of 14 lines, typically following a specific rhyme scheme.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, one complete pair of words or phrases and one term of another pair are given. Complete the second pair by choosing the correct term from the given choices.

Doggerel: Poet: ____: Novelist

  1. Caricature

  2. Parody

  3. Potboiler

  4. Tragedy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The relationship is defined by the type of low-quality or characteristic work produced by a professional. A poet might write doggerel, and a novelist might write a potboiler.

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [1] with the most appropriate option:
Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].

  1. Who it was

  2. Who is it

  3. Who you are

  4. Who are you
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A poet asked the rain who he was (1). The rain answered that he was the "poem of the earth"(2). The poet again asked the rain why has the rain come to earth (here)(3). The rain replied that it has come to beautify "its origins" (the earth)(4). It further told that it (rain) had come to give life to "unborn seeds" (5).

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [4] with the most appropriate option.

  1. To beautify its origin

  2. To beautify my origin

  3. It had come to beautify its origin

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Rain: "To beautify my origin."

As the given sentence in the direct speech is an incomplete answer, we will give a complete answer in the indirect speech. 
For example:
Mom: "What are you doing?" - Mom asked what he was doing. 
Raj: "Studying." - Raj answered that he was studying.
Option A - 'To beautify its origin' can't be used as it is similar to the direct speech. We have to write the complete answer in the indirect speech. Thus option A is incorrect. 
Option B - 'To beautify my origin' can't be used as it is used in the direct speech. Thus option B is incorrect. 
Option C - 'It had come to beautify its origin' can be used here as it answers the question completely in the past perfect tense. The question was in the present perfect tense, hence the answer should be in the past perfect tense. Thus option C is the correct answer. 
Option D is incorrect as option C is the correct answer. 
'The rain replied that it had come to beautify its origin.'

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [5] with the most appropriate option.

  1. It also wanted to give life to unborn seeds

  2. It also wants to give life to unborn seeds

  3. I also want to give life to unborn seeds

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Rain: "I also want to give life to unborn seeds."

As the given sentence in the direct speech is in the simple present tense, we will change it to simple past tense in the indirect speech.
Option B - 'It also wants to give life to unborn seeds' is in the simple present tense. Thus option B is incorrect.
Option C - 'I also want to give life to unborn seeds' is the direct speech and can't be used in the indirect speech. Thus option C is incorrect.
Option A - 'It also wanted to give life unborn seeds' can be used here as 'I' is changed to 'it' according to the subject 'rain'. And, the sentence is formed in the simple past tense in the indirect speech. Thus option A is the correct answer.
Option D - Option D is incorrect as option A is the correct answer.
'It further told that it also wanted to give life unborn seeds.'

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english

Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _______[1][21]. The rain answered that __[2][22]. The poet again asked it ____[3][23]. The rain replied that __[4][24]. It further told that ______[5][25].


Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank [2] with the most appropriate option.

  1. It has been the poem of the earth

  2. It was the poem of the earth

  3. I was the poem of the earth

  4. I am the poem of the earth
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."

As the given sentence is in the simple present tense, we will change it to simple past tense in the indirect speech. 
Option A - 'It has been the poem of the earth' is in present perfect tense. Thus option A is incorrect. 
Oprion C - 'I was the poem of the earth' is incorrect as 'I' can't be used in the indirect speech. We need another pronoun according to the subject 'rain'. Thus option C is incorrect. 
Option D - 'I am the poem of the earth' can't be used here as it is the direct speech. We can only use the same tense when the speech is a universal truth. Thus option D is incorrect. 
Option B - 'It was the poem of the earth' can be used here as 'I' is changed to 'it' and the sentence is in the simple past tense. Thus option B is the correct answer. 
'The rain answered that it was the poem of the earth.'

Multiple choice theme, main idea and purpose of a passage reading comprehension english
Poet: "Who art thou?"
Rain: "I am the poem of the earth."
Poet: "Why have you come here?"
Rain: "To beautify my origin. I also want to give life to unborn seeds."
A poet asked the rain _____(1)_____. The rain answered that ____(2)____. The poet again asked it _____(3)_____. The rain replied that ____(4)____. It further told that ____(5)_____.

Read the following dialogue between the poet and the rain, and fill in the blank (4) with the most appropriate option.

  1. Why has it come here

  2. Why had it come here

  3. Why it had come there

  4. Why have you come there
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A poet asked the rain who he was (1). The rain answered that he was the "poem of the earth"(2). The poet again asked the rain why has the rain come to earth (here)(3). The rain replied that it has come to beautify "its origins" (the earth)(4). It further told that it (rain) had come to give life to "unborn seeds" (5).