Explore topic-wise MCQs in English Literature .

This section includes 96 Mcqs, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your English Literature knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.

1.

Which of the following traditions was an important influence on Louis Zukofsky’s poetry ?

A. American Romanticism
B. British Neo-Classicism
C. Kabalistic Judaism
D. Taoism
Answer» D. Taoism
Discussion
2.

Which of the following traditions was particularlyimportant in Hart Crane’s modernist poetry ?

A. French Classicism
B. British Romanticism
C. American Romanticism
D. German Romanticism
Answer» D. German Romanticism
Discussion
3.

Which of the following was an important influence on Charles Reznikoff’s shift away from romantic rhetoric ?

A. His study of ancient history
B. His study of law
C. His study of medicine
D. His study of Sanskrit
Answer» C. His study of medicine
Discussion
4.

Which of the following was NOT a prominent theme of American and English modernist poetry ?

A. The search for a new poetic language and the idea that language can be reinvented by poets
B. The quest to describe objects with precision and without emotion
C. The idea that the self is neither unitary nor permanently stable
D. The approval of the norms and values of bourgeois culture
Answer» E.
Discussion
5.

Which of the following writers authored the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est?”

A. Wilfred Owen
B. Siegfried Sassoon
C. Rupert Brooke
D. Rudyard Kipling
Answer» B. Siegfried Sassoon
Discussion
6.

Which of the following writers was among the founders of the Imagist movement ?

A. Salvador Dali
B. Horace Greeley
C. Ezra Pound
D. Rupert Brooke
Answer» D. Rupert Brooke
Discussion
7.

Which of the following writers wrote about trench warfare during the Great War ?

A. Siegfried Sassoon
B. Isaac Rosenberg
C. Wilfred Owen
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
8.

Why was World War II a defining event in the history of the 20th century ?

A. It brought unprecedented destruction and loss of life, thereby putting into question the entirecultural and political legacy of Western civilization.
B. It was followed by Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and by the entrenchment of the Soviet totalitarian system of rule.
C. It was followed by the Cold War, which affected international politics throughout the world.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
9.

Wilfred Owen’s “Anthem for Doomed Youth” begins with the following lines: “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?/ Only the monstrous anger of the guns./ Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle/Can patter out their hasty orisons.” Which of the following statements best describes these lines ?

A. These lines suggest that it was difficult to define patriotism during the Great War, but soldiers who died in battle provided the best example of patr
B. These lines suggest that the Great War lasted much longer than it should have.
C. These lines equate humans with animals, and they anthropomorphize weapons to show a world where there is no place for human values.
D. These lines represent a modern funeral dirge that mimics the rhythm of ancient Greek funeral dirges.
Answer» D. These lines represent a modern funeral dirge that mimics the rhythm of ancient Greek funeral dirges.
Discussion
10.

WorldWar I drastically changed the political and cultural climate in Europe. Which of the following was NOT among the changes brought about by World War I ?

A. Germany was defeated and blamed for causing the war.
B. In the course of World War I, the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia.
C. Successful parliamentary democracies were established throughout the continent and remained stable until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
D. By the end of the 1920s, almost every state that had participated in World War I faced an economic depression and political upheavals.
Answer» D. By the end of the 1920s, almost every state that had participated in World War I faced an economic depression and political upheavals.
Discussion
11.

Yeats’s “Song of Wandering Aengus” ends with the lines: “And pluck till time and times are done/The silver apples of the moon/The golden apples of the sun.” Which of the following is NOT a symbolic meaning of the apples ?

A. They symbolize the return to a lost paradise.
B. They point to alchemical elements, which in turn symbolize the body and the soul.
C. They symbolize the coming apocalypse.
D. They symbolize a fulfilled longing.
Answer» D. They symbolize a fulfilled longing.
Discussion
12.

Which of the following statements does NOT characterize the poet e. e. cummings ?

A. Ivy League educated
B. Active pacifist during both world wars
C. Popularized the use of free verse
D. A private and self-effacing person
Answer» E.
Discussion
13.

Which of the following statements best expresses the difference between how visual images functioned in World War I poetry and Imagist poetry ?

A. There were no significant differences in the functioning of visual images in these two types of poetry.
B. The Imagists relied on visual images to achieve clarity of expression, whereas World War I poets relied on visual images to subtly punctuate their oft
C. The Imagists valued brevity, which could be achieved with precise visual images, whereasWorldWar I poets preferred declamatory statements in their poe
D. WorldWar I poets valued clarity of expression through visual images, whereas Imagists relied on complex expression through emotional visual images.
Answer» C. The Imagists valued brevity, which could be achieved with precise visual images, whereasWorldWar I poets preferred declamatory statements in their poe
Discussion
14.

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between Georgian poetry and English World War I poetry ?

A. Georgian poetry was modeled on World War I poetry and adapted its insights to postwar realities.
B. Unlike World War I poetry, Georgian poetry was concerned primarily with the effects of urbanization and industrialization.
C. Unlike World War I poetry, Georgian poetry was concerned primarily with women’s rights.
D. World War I poets like Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen adapted the Georgian poetic manner to write about modern subjects; most Georgian poets focus
Answer» E.
Discussion
15.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the role played by Gertrude Stein in American modernism ?

A. Stein was a crucially important figure in the Paris émigré community.
B. Stein was primarily a muse for modernist poets.
C. Stein was a proponent of low modernism.
D. Stein was an opponent of vanguard trends.
Answer» B. Stein was primarily a muse for modernist poets.
Discussion
16.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the last two stanzas of Charles Baudelaire’s symbolist poem “Correspondences” ?

A. They describe the author’s experiences as a young child.
B. They use metaphors with subtle political connotations.
C. They ascribe colors and sounds to scents, relying on a device known as synesthesia.
D. They describe a scene in the countryside, which symbolizes the state of the author’s soul.
Answer» D. They describe a scene in the countryside, which symbolizes the state of the author’s soul.
Discussion
17.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the formal qualities of Langston Hughes’s poem “Life is Fine” ?

A. The diction is much more polysyllabic than monosyllabic.
B. The use of alternating end rhymes and word repetitions enhance the music of the poem and along with its occasional dissonance give it an improvisation
C. It is written in Standard American English for middle-class readers.
D. This poem is structured like a villanelle.
Answer» C. It is written in Standard American English for middle-class readers.
Discussion
18.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the form of Claude McKay’s poem “The Harlem Dancer” ?

A. It is an English sonnet.
B. It is an Italian sonnet.
C. It is a Spenserian sonnet.
D. It is a free verse poem.
Answer» B. It is an Italian sonnet.
Discussion
19.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the difference between World War II poetry and Futurist poetry ?

A. The Futurists apotheosized technology, whereas World War II poets often focused on technology’s destructive powers.
B. The Futurists praised speed, whereas World War II poets often evoked images of nature to describe the human condition.
C. The Futurists privileged the part over the whole, whereas World War II poets did not deal with the problem of modernity and alienation.
D. The Futurists focused on advancements in technology and industry, whereas World War II poets ignored advancements in technology, especially in modern
Answer» B. The Futurists praised speed, whereas World War II poets often evoked images of nature to describe the human condition.
Discussion
20.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the difference between Futurism and Vorticism ?

A. Members of both movements were fascinated by speed and dynamism, but unlike the Futurists, Vorticists did not celebrate technology and industrializati
B. Futurism was a politically-inclined movement, whereas Vorticism was free of all political entanglements.
C. Futurism lasted for several decades, whereas Vorticism was short-lived.
D. Vorticists celebrated technology and industrialization, whereas Futurists explored impending cultural challenges regarding technology and industrializ
Answer» B. Futurism was a politically-inclined movement, whereas Vorticism was free of all political entanglements.
Discussion
21.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the contrast between T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” and the futurist aesthetic project ?

A. “The Waste Land” is primarily concerned with nature, whereas the futurists are most interested in industrial and urban landscapes.
B. “The Waste Land” confronts the fragmentation of modernity by exploring a variety of modes and voices, whereas the futurists do not focus on the fr
C. “The Waste Land” is an ironic exploration of Romantic themes, whereas the futurists incorporate ironic evocations of the classical tradition in th
D. “The Waste Land” focuses on the personal connection between poet and speaker, whereas the futurists focus on an impersonal connection between huma
Answer» C. “The Waste Land” is an ironic exploration of Romantic themes, whereas the futurists incorporate ironic evocations of the classical tradition in th
Discussion
22.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the central questions faced by poetry after the Holocaust ?

A. Is it possible for Romantic themes in poetry to be meaningful after the Holocaust?
B. The horror of the Holocaust was inexpressible; how can poetry speak of what is inexpressible?
C. Is there a relationship between poetry and rationality after the Holocaust?
D. Is there a meaningful relationship between World War I poetry and World War II poetry?
Answer» C. Is there a relationship between poetry and rationality after the Holocaust?
Discussion
23.

Which of the following statements best characterizes Randall Jarrell’s 1945 poem “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” ?

A. The poem contrasts the image of a child in its mother’s womb with cruel devaluation of human life in wartime.
B. The poem praises those technological achievements which protect human life in wartime.
C. The poem uses images of the apocalypse to criticize the cruelty of war.
D. The poem presents the war as a natural part of the perennial cycles of human history.
Answer» B. The poem praises those technological achievements which protect human life in wartime.
Discussion
24.

Which of the following statements best characterizes Langston Hughes’s poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” ?

A. It is a meditation on the alienation of the modern person from nature.
B. It is a meditation on the cultural isolation of African Americans in New England.
C. It is a meditation on the communal and historical aspects of individual identity.
D. It is a meditation on the poet’s personal experience of assimilation.
Answer» D. It is a meditation on the poet’s personal experience of assimilation.
Discussion
25.

Which of the following statements best characterizes Georgia Douglass Johnson’s poem “Black Woman” ?

A. This poem focuses primarily on the different experiences of black and white women.
B. This poem describes the relationship between a black woman and her child.
C. This poem is a conversation between a black woman and a child who is not yet born.
D. The poem is a conversation between a black woman and her ancestors.
Answer» D. The poem is a conversation between a black woman and her ancestors.
Discussion
26.

Which of the following statements best characterizes Ezra Pound’s poem “Hugh Selwyn Mauberley” ?

A. It is primarily a narrative poem.
B. It uses iambic pentameter to achieve tonal fluidity.
C. It undermines the idea of a single lyrical voice by using diverse cultural symbols and numerous phrases in various languages.
D. Its intensity derives from the combination of modern subject matter and alexandrine couplets.
Answer» D. Its intensity derives from the combination of modern subject matter and alexandrine couplets.
Discussion
27.

Which of the following statements best characterizes American World War II poems ?

A. They tend to use traditional rhyme schemes and rhythms, and they avoid free verse.
B. They tend to use metaphors and avoid direct descriptive statements.
C. They tend to use classical imagery while rejecting romantic tropes.
D. They tend to be narrative and confront the reader with stark wartime realities.
Answer» E.
Discussion
28.

Which of the following statements accurately compares Rupert Brooke’s “The Soldier” and Siegfried Sassoon’s “The Rear Guard” ?

A. Both poems praise Britain’s military power and its imperial ambitions.
B. Both poems describe Britain’s civilizing mission in the world.
C. Both poems seek to respond to the harsh political and military realities of their day.
D. Both poems romanticize war and glorify the life of the soldier.
Answer» D. Both poems romanticize war and glorify the life of the soldier.
Discussion
29.

Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the relationship between Italian Futurism and its historical context ?

A. The Italian Futurists were fascinated by the age of electric and chemical power, and they praised the beauty of automobiles.
B. The Italian Futurists lived within a quickly changing social world, and they praised speed.
C. Marinetti and other Italian Futurists supported Mussolini’s fascism.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
30.

Which of the following statements accurately characterizes Marianne Moore’s poem “A Grave ?”

A. It juxtaposes human consciousness against the sea.
B. It uses alliteration and iambic pentameter.
C. It has a subtle formal structure, even though it does not use rhyme.
D. Both A and C
Answer» E.
Discussion
31.

Which of the following political themes was explored by American Objectivist poets ?

A. Slavery
B. American attitudes toward Jews and Israel
C. Capitalism and social inequalities
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
32.

Which of the following poets would most likely be categorized as a late-Victorian poet ?

A. John Milton
B. Alfred Tennyson
C. Allen Ginsberg
D. Amy Lowell
Answer» C. Allen Ginsberg
Discussion
33.

Which of the following poets would most likely be categorized as a modernist poet ?

A. William Carlos Williams
B. John Greenleaf Whittier
C. George Herbert
D. Robert Browning
Answer» B. John Greenleaf Whittier
Discussion
34.

Which of the following poets wrote about World War II ?

A. Rupert Brooke
B. Rudyard Kipling
C. Karl Shapiro
D. Hart Crane
Answer» D. Hart Crane
Discussion
35.

Which of the following poets did NOTwrite about his experiences in World War II ?

A. Wilfred Owen
B. Keith Douglas
C. Randall Jarrell
D. Karl Shapiro
Answer» B. Keith Douglas
Discussion
36.

Which of the following phrases best describes the central goal of Imagist poets ?

A. “Emotional power achieved through suggestive visual images”
B. “Exploration of philosophical paradoxes through visual images”
C. “Clarity of expression through the use of precise visual images”
D. “Inclusion of natural objects as symbols”
Answer» D. “Inclusion of natural objects as symbols”
Discussion
37.

Which of the following natural forces “speaks” in the culminating passage of T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” ?

A. An avalanche
B. Rapids
C. The west wind
D. Thunder
Answer» E.
Discussion
38.

Which of the following literary devices is most prominent in Gertrude Stein’s poem “New” ?

A. Assonance and word repetition
B. Simile
C. Metaphor and allusion
D. Circumlocution
Answer» B. Simile
Discussion
39.

Which of the following literary devices are present in Langston Hughes’s poem “Ku Klux” ?

A. Irony
B. Allegory
C. Oxymoron
D. Alliteration
Answer» B. Allegory
Discussion
40.

Which of the following images in Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “Eternity” undermines the idea that eternity is something fixed and permanent ?

A. The image of a sentinel
B. The image of the sun reflected on the sea
C. The image of a quest for knowledge
D. The image of satiny embers
Answer» C. The image of a quest for knowledge
Discussion
41.

Which of the following figures is the author of the 1909 “Futurist Manifesto” ?

A. Umberto Boccioni
B. Filippo Marinetti
C. Vladimir Mayakovsky
D. Aleksander Wat
Answer» C. Vladimir Mayakovsky
Discussion
42.

Which of the following features of Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” make it classifiable as a Victorian poem ?

A. It has a regular rhyme scheme (aa/bb/cc/dd…), which is sustained throughout the poem.
B. It is primarily a narrative poem.
C. It is concerned with conventional 19thcentury relations between a man and a woman.
D. All of these answers
Answer» E.
Discussion
43.

Which of the following events increased the appeal of communism among American intellectuals both black and white in the years between 1918 and 1939 ?

A. The Great Depression
B. Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939
C. The Russian Civil War
D. World War I
Answer» B. Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939
Discussion
44.

Which of the following does Professor Hammer identify as one of the most important goals of Imagist poetry ?

A. The privileging of image over sound
B. The privileging of rhythm over meaning
C. The privileging of individual detail over the larger pattern
D. The privileging of colors over textures
Answer» D. The privileging of colors over textures
Discussion
45.

Which of the following descriptors does NOT apply to the features of French Symbolist poetry that influenced other modernist poetry ?

A. French Symbolist poetry is full of exaggerated metaphors.
B. French Symbolist poetry has narrative clarity.
C. French Symbolist poetry is shocking.
D. French Symbolist poetry is formally experimental.
Answer» C. French Symbolist poetry is shocking.
Discussion
46.

Which of the following descriptions does NOT pertain to the Imagists ?

A. Total freedom in choosing the subject
B. Striving for concentrated expression and imagery
C. Reliance on the language of common speech
D. Creative reliance on conventional poetic forms
Answer» E.
Discussion
47.

Which of the following best describes theidea of the symbol among French Symbolist poets ?

A. A symbol is an image that conveys powerful emotional states.
B. A symbol is an emblem of the actual world endowed with supernatural meanings.
C. A symbol is a metaphor that allows the poet to capture complex social realities.
D. A symbol is a description of past realities.
Answer» C. A symbol is a metaphor that allows the poet to capture complex social realities.
Discussion
48.

Which of the following best describes the types of imagery used in Louis Zukofsky’s poem, “A: Seventh Movement: There Are Different Techniques” ?

A. Historic and contemporary imagery
B. Kabalistic imagery
C. Nationalist imagery
D. Everyday imagery
Answer» B. Kabalistic imagery
Discussion
49.

Which of the following best describes the reasons why World War I had a profound impact on modern poetry ?

A. The devastation wrought by World War I was so enormous that it put Europe’s cultural and political norms and values into question.
B. The mechanized killing, which took place on a massive scale during World War I, made it necessary to reflect about the effects of technological progre
C. World War I was the first global conflict where the distinction between combatants and civilians was erased, and this had a devastating effect on the
D. Both A and B
Answer» E.
Discussion
50.

Which of the following best characterizes T.S. Eliot’s concept of the “objective correlative” ?

A. The objective correlative refers to the correlation between the poem’s formal structure and its meaning.
B. The objective correlative refers to the correlation between the poem’s formal structure and its rhetorical aim.
C. The objective correlative refers to the correlation between the poem’s theme and its objective historical context.
D. The objective correlative refers to a set of objects, situations, or events which necessarily produce a particular emotion.
Answer» E.
Discussion