USET Solved paper (English) 2024 (set-D) Q. 51-100
Uttarakhand SET 2024 (English) Set-D (Question 51-100)
Attempt full question paper: USET (English) 2024
51. Which of the following plays is not written by Shakespeare?
(A) Timon of Athens
(B) King John
(C) Dr Faustus
(D) Coriolanus
Timon of Athens- Timon, a generous Athenian nobleman, spends his wealth on his friends. However, when he falls into debt, his friends abandon him. He sends his servants to ask for loans, but all refuse. Enraged, Timon throws a feast, serving stones and boiling water to his guests, and then leaves Athens. In exile, he finds gold and funds Alcibiades, a banished general, to destroy Athens. Despite pleas from his friends, Timon refuses to stop his revenge. Only when his mother, Volumnia, pleads with him, he relents. However, his change of heart comes too late, and he dies in exile.
King John- King John of England faces a challenge from his nephew, Arthur, who is backed by the French King Philip. John refuses to abdicate, leading to war. Despite victories, John's position is unstable due to his conflict with the Church and his order to kill Arthur. The nobles turn against him, and he is poisoned. Meanwhile, John's mother, Queen Eleanor, and his loyal follower, the Bastard, defend John's claim to the throne. In the end, John's son ascends to the throne.
Dr Faustus- Dr. Faustus, a scholar, becomes dissatisfied with traditional knowledge and turns to magic. He makes a pact with the devil Mephastophilis, trading his soul for 24 years of unlimited power and knowledge. Despite warnings and bouts of regret, Faustus indulges in various feats using his new powers. As the end of his pact nears, Faustus contemplates repentance but ultimately accepts his fate. At midnight, devils carry his soul off to hell.
Coriolanus- Coriolanus, a Roman general, earns his title by defeating the Volscians. However, his disdain for the common people leads to his banishment from Rome. In exile, he allies with his enemy, Aufidius, and they plan to attack Rome. As they approach Rome, pleas for mercy from his friends fall on deaf ears. It is only when his mother intervenes that Coriolanus relents. However, this act of mercy leads to his death at the hands of Aufidius.
52. Who was the poet who lived during the periods of Edward II, Richard II and Henry IV?
(A) Shakespeare
(B) Lovelace
(C) Speuser
(D) Thomas Carew
The poet who lived during the periods of Edward II, Richard II, and Henry IV is Geoffrey Chaucer. He was an English poet and author, best known for his work "The Canterbury Tales". He also contributed significantly to public affairs as a courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, and was trusted and aided by three successive kings—Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV. So, none of the options provided in the question are correct.
53. Which poem written in the form of eight syllabled couplets, containing 30,000 lines, relates the history of the world as recorded in the old and new Testaments?
(A) Cursor Mundi
(B) The Owl and the Night
(C) Ozymandias
(D) Livre des Creatures.
Cursor Mundi", also known as the 'Over-runner of the World', is an early 14th-century religious poem written in Northumbrian Middle English. The poem presents an extensive retelling of the history of Christianity, from the creation to doomsday. It is founded on the works of late 12th-century Latin writers who wrote various pseudo-histories made up of hagiographic, legendary, and biblical material. The author of the Cursor Mundi brings all his events under seven periods or “Seven ages of the world”:
1. Creation to the time of Noah
2. Flood to the confusion of tongues
3. Time of Abraham to the death of Saul
4. Reign of David to the Captivity of Judah
5. Parentage of the Virgin Mary to the time of John the Baptist
6. Baptism of Jesus to the Finding of the Cross. This is called "the time of Grace."
7. Day of Doom and the state of the world after Doomsday
The poem is long, composed of almost 30,000 lines. The author is unknown but was likely a cleric from the north of England. The first modern edition of the Cursor Mundi was published in six volumes by the Reverend Richard Morris between 1874 and 1892 in the Early English Text Society series. The poem is one of the texts that provides the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) with over 1,000 new words, i.e., words that were unknown before they appeared for the first time in the Cursor Mundi. It has also provided over 11,000 quotations for the published Dictionary, making it the second most heavily quoted work in OED1/2 after the Bible and the fifth most quoted source altogether.
54. Which writer of the Restoration became the poet Laureate?
(A) Dryden
(B) Congreve
(C) Nicholas Rowe
(D) Bunyan
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary scene of his day, so much so that it came to be known as the Age of Dryden. Dryden was born on August 9, 1631, in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England. He was the eldest of fourteen children born to Erasmus Dryden and wife Mary Pickering. He received his early education in the nearby village of Titchmarsh and later attended Westminster School as a King's Scholar.
At Westminster School, Dryden received a predominantly classical education under the celebrated Richard Busby. In 1650, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in 1654. Dryden's career spanned from 1659 to 1700. His first published poem was an elegy on the death of his schoolmate Henry, Lord Hastings from smallpox. In 1668, he was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
Dryden is known for his notable works such as “Absalom and Achitophel”, “Annus Mirabilis”, “Astraea Redux”, “Aureng-Zebe”, “Fables Ancient and Modern”, “King Arthur”, “Mac Flecknoe”, “Marriage à-la-Mode”, “Of Dramatic Poesie, an Essay”, “Religio Laici; or A Layman’s Faith”, “Secret Love, or the Maiden Queen”, “The Conquest of Granada of the Spaniards”, “The Hind and the Panther”, “The Indian Emperour”, “The Indian Queen”, “The Medall”, and “The Wild Gallant”. Dryden passed away on May 1, 1700, in London. Dryden's influence on the literary world of Restoration England was so profound that Romantic writer Sir Walter Scott called him "Glorious John".
55. Which of the following was a left wing poet?
(A) T.S. Eliot
(B) W.H. Auden
(C) W.B. Yeats
(D) Philip Larkin
W.H. Auden is known to have been a left-wing poet. He achieved early fame in the 1930s as a hero of the left during the Great Depression. He was part of a group of poets including Cecil Day-Lewis, Louis MacNeice, and Stephen Spender, who were known for their shared, though not identical, left-wing views. Left-wing poets often use their work to express political views, particularly those related to social justice, equality, and the critique of power structures.
56. Arrange the following in the chronological order:
Darwin's On the Origin of Species
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Wordsworth's Preface to lyrical Ballads
Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry
(A) 2341
(B) 3421
(C) 2431
(D) 1243
The publication dates of the works are as follows:
1. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: 1387-1400
2. Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: 1765
3. Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads: 1800
4. Darwin's On the Origin of Species: 1859
57. "This foot once planted on the goal,
This-glory garland round my soul,
Could I descry such?"
These lines occur in the poem:
(A) "Ulysses"
(B) "The Scholar Gipsy"
(C) "The Last Ride Together"
(D) "Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock"
"The Last Ride Together" is a dramatic monologue by Robert Browning, first published in his 1855 collection "Men and Women". The poem revolves around the last encounter of two lovers. The speaker, disappointed in love, asks his beloved to go on one final ride with him. This could be on horseback or perhaps in a carriage. As they ride, he reflects on life, its imperfections, and its failings. He realizes that life rarely lives up to one's dreams. However, he also acknowledges that these failings might leave people something to hope for from heaven. The poem explores themes of heartbreak, imperfection, and hope. It uses symbolism, imagery, and poetic devices to convey the intensity and joy of love, which the speaker suggests brings us closer to heaven. Despite the disillusionments and unfulfilled hopes, the speaker cherishes this last ride as a memorable moment.
58. In Chaucer's The General Prologue, who makes the remark "My wit is short, ye may well understand"?
(A) The Prioress
(B) The Monk
(C) The Franklin
(D) The Narrator
The quote "My wit is short, ye may well understand" is from the conclusion of the General Prologue in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". This statement is part of a larger passage where the Narrator is asking for the reader's patience and understanding. He acknowledges that he may not perfectly capture the exact words, manners, and behaviors of the characters he's describing. He also admits that he may not place the characters in their proper social ranks or degrees.
59. Match the poems with their poets
Poets Poems
1. Milton a. To Autumn
2. Dry den b. Daffodils
3. Wordsworth c. Annus Mirabilis
4. Keats d. Lycidas
(A) 1-b; 2-c; 3-a; 4-d
(B) I-d; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a
(C) 1-d; 2-c; 3-a; 4-b
(D) 1-a; 2-b; 3-d; 4-c
60. The following are the first lines of well-known works. Match the lines with the works.
Lines Works
1. Hence loathed Melancholy a. To Autumn
2. Strange fits of passion have I known b. Rabbi Ben Ezra
3. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. c. Lucy
4. Grow old along with me d. L'allegro
(A) 1-b; 2-c; 3-a; 4-d
(B) 1-d; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a
(C) 1-d; 2-c; 3-a; 4-b
(D) 1-a; 2-b; 3-d; 4-c
1. "Hence loathed Melancholy" from L'Allegro by John Milton. The poem was first published in various collections.
2. "Strange fits of passion have I known" from Lucy by William Wordsworth. The poem was written during Wordsworth's stay in Germany in 1798. It was first published in the second edition of "Lyrical Ballads" in 1800.
3. "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" from To Autumn by John Keats. The poem was written on September 19, 1819. It was first published in 1820.
4. "Grow old along with me" from Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning.
61. Consider the following statements about Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and identify the correct choice.
1. The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Samuel Burns.
2. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London.
3. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as they travel.
4. Henry, host of the Tillard, serves as master of ceremonies for the contest.
5. Most of the pilgrims are introduced by vivid brief sketches in the "General Prologue."
(A) 1, 3 and 5 are correct
(B) 2, 3 and 5 are correct
(C) 2, 4 and 5 are correct
(D) 3,4 and 5 are correct
1. The framing device for the collection of stories is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, not Samuel Burns. So, this statement is incorrect.
2. The 30 pilgrims who undertake the journey gather at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, across the Thames from London. This statement is correct.
3. They agree to engage in a storytelling contest as they travel. This statement is correct.
4. Harry Bailly, host of the Tabard, serves as master of ceremonies for the contest, not Henry, host of the Tillard. So, this statement is incorrect.
5. Most of the pilgrims are introduced by vivid brief sketches in the "General Prologue". This statement is correct.
62. Which is considered the Long Loved mistress rhyme"?
(A) The heroic royal
(B) Free verse
(C) The rhyme royal
(D) Sprung rhyme
The term "Long Loved mistress rhyme" is a reference to a line from the prologue of "Aureng-Zebe, or The Great Mogul" by John Dryden. In this prologue, Dryden writes, "Grows weary of his long-loved mistress, Rhyme." This suggests that the poet is growing tired of the constraints of rhymed verse.
63. Who was the first Poet Laureate of England?
(A) Alexander Pope
(B) Ben Jonson
(C) William Wordsworth
(D) Lord Tennyson
The first Poet Laureate of England was John Dryden, who was appointed in 1668. However, the tradition of a poet acting in service to a British sovereign is a long one, but the origins of the modern post can be traced to Ben Jonson, who was granted a pension by James I in 1616. However, he was not officially recognized as a Poet Laureate.
64. Match the following works with their writers
(a) The Parliament of Fowles (i) Geoffrey Chaucer
(b) Ship of Fools (ii) John Lydgate
(c) Dance of Seven Deadly Sins. (iii) Alexander BankLony
d) The Temple of Glass (iv) William Dunbar
(A) (a) - (iii), (b) - (i), (c) - (ii), (d) - (iv)
(B) (a) - (i), (b) - (ii, (c) - (ii), (d) - (iv)
(C) (a) - (iv), (b) - (i), (c) - (iii, (d) - (i)
(D) (a) - (i), (b) - (iii), (c) - (iv), (d) - (ii)
65. In a sequence of English poets, if Blake comes before Wordsworth, and Coleridge comes before Byron, who is the first poet in the sequence?
(A) Coleridge
(B) Wordsworth
(C) Blake
(D) Byron
1. William Blake (1757-1827): Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. He was born on 28 November 1757 in Soho, London. Despite being largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and visual arts.
2. William Wordsworth (1770-1850): Wordsworth was a major Romantic poet, born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. He is especially known for "Lyrical Ballads" (1798), which he wrote with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
3. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834): Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian. He was born on 21 October 1772 in Ottery St Mary, Devon, England. Along with Wordsworth, he was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets.
4. George Gordon Byron (1788-1824): Known as Lord Byron, he was an English poet and peer, born on 22 January 1788 in London, England. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement and is regarded as among the greatest of English poets.
In which period did the Romantic literary movement flourish?
(A) 16th century
(B) 17th century
(C) 18th century
(D) 19th century
The Romantic literary movement flourished in the late 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century
67. Who is considered the father of English literature who wrote "The Canterbury Tales"?
(A) Geoffrey Chaucer
(B) William Langland
(C) John Gower
(D) Thomas Malory
"The Canterbury Tales" was written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's magnum opus. The poem is famous for several reasons:
1. Variety of Stories: The poem is a collection of 24 stories, presented as part of a storytelling contest by a group of pilgrims traveling together from London to Canterbury. The stories cover a wide range of genres, including religious legend, courtly romance, racy fabliau, saint’s life, allegorical tale, beast fable, medieval sermon, and alchemical account.
2. Depiction of Medieval Society: The poem provides a vivid depiction of the different social classes of the 14th century, as well as the clothing worn, pastimes enjoyed, and language/expressions used.
3. Use of Vernacular English: The poem played a significant role in popularizing the English vernacular in mainstream literature, as opposed to French, Italian, or Latin.
Literary Significance: The Canterbury Tales is revered as one of the most important works in English literature. It offers remarkable examples of short narratives in verse, plus two expositions in prose.
Read more about The Age of Chaucer
68. Who is the author of the novel "The God of Small Things," which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997?
(A) Arundhati Roy
(B) Salman Rushdie
(C) Vikram Seth
(D) Jhumpa Lahiri
"The God of Small Things" is a novel by Arundhati Roy that explores the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" prevalent in 1960s Kerala, India. The novel is a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards during the period of 1969 to 1993.
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