Important Questions For All Chapters – English Class 11
Short Questions with Answers
1. What is the main function of words in a poem?
Answer : Words in a poem are used for meaning, sound, and creating images.
2. What does W.H. Auden’s poem suggest about life and death?
Answer : It suggests the cyclic process of life and death.
3. When did poetry begin in England?
Answer : Poetry began when humans started using language to express emotions.
4. What are The Canterbury Tales known for?
Answer : They are known for describing the people, beliefs, and country of Chaucer’s time.
5. What does Langland urge people to do in The Vision of Piers the Plowman?
Answer : Langland urges people to “learn to love.”
6. What does the word ‘Renaissance’ mean?
Answer : The word ‘Renaissance’ means ‘rebirth.’
7. Who wrote The Faiery Queene?
Answer : Edmund Spenser wrote The Faiery Queene.
8. What is special about Shakespeare’s sonnets?
Answer : They follow a unique structure and rhyme scheme, known as Shakespearean sonnets.
9. What is Milton’s masterpiece?
Answer : Milton’s masterpiece is Paradise Lost.
10. What were the main themes of Romantic poetry?
Answer : Romantic poetry emphasized nature, imagination, and human emotions.
11. What does Wordsworth believe about nature?
Answer : Wordsworth believes nature provides spiritual and creative training.
12. What is Coleridge’s The Ancient Mariner based on?
Answer : It is based on medieval folklore and legend.
13. Who are the Pre-Raphaelites?
Answer : The Pre-Raphaelites were poets inspired by ideals of simplicity, beauty, and truth.
14. What is the Victorian era known for?
Answer : It is known for progress in democracy, science, and technology.
15. What does Browning use dramatic monologue for?
Answer : He uses it to explore thoughts and emotions.
16. What did W.B. Yeats focus on in his poetry?
Answer : Yeats focused on themes like youth, age, and regeneration.
17. What is T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland about?
Answer : It critiques the hollow and materialistic modern civilization.
18. What is Kamala Das known for?
Answer : Kamala Das is known for her bold and bitter portrayal of personal emotions.
19. What inspired Canadian poetry?
Answer : Canadian poetry is inspired by a connection to nature and the agony of colonialism.
20. What do South African poets often write about?
Answer : They often write about justice and the impact of colonialism.
Medium Questions with Answers
1. What is Chaucer’s contribution to English poetry?
Answer : Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales marked the emergence of national literature in England. It humorously portrays various characters and their peculiarities from his time. His works contributed significantly to making English a prominent literary language. Chaucer also moved away from the old English alliteration style.
2. What role did the Renaissance play in English poetry?
Answer : The Renaissance revived ancient Greek learning and inspired intellectual creativity. This movement spread knowledge through printing presses, making classics accessible. It introduced verse forms like sonnets, epic-romance, and lyric poetry. The Renaissance brought humanism and free will into English literature.
3. How did Romantic poets differ from classical poets?
Answer : Romantic poets emphasized nature, human emotions, and imagination over rigid rules. They sought to break free from classical norms and explored individualism. Their works celebrated simplicity, passion, and humanitarian values. This shift marked a liberalizing movement in English poetry.
4. What themes are explored in Milton’s epics?
Answer : Milton’s epics, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, explore divine justice. They portray humanity’s struggles and the relationship between man and God. His works are written in a grand style using complex, abstract words. Milton’s poetry reflects his Puritan beliefs and moral philosophy.
5. What is the significance of the Pre-Raphaelite movement?
Answer : The Pre-Raphaelite poets revived medieval ideals of beauty, simplicity, and truth. They emphasized the pictorial quality of words and themes of love and nature. Inspired by painting, their works focused on sincerity and life’s truth. This movement connected poetry with visual art traditions of earlier eras.
6. How did Romanticism influence Wordsworth and Coleridge?
Answer : Wordsworth highlighted nature as a spiritual guide and celebrated its beauty. Coleridge used medieval folklore and legends to create imaginative poetry. Together, they co-published Lyrical Ballads, which revolutionized English poetry. Their works reflected freedom, emotion, and individualism.
7. What did the Victorian poets focus on?
Answer : Victorian poets addressed the era’s doubts, fears, and conflicts between faith and science. Tennyson’s works often reconciled religious beliefs with scientific discoveries. Browning’s dramatic monologues explored human psychology and emotions. Their poetry provided hope and reassurance during times of change.
8. How did the 20th-century poets respond to modern challenges?
Answer : Poets like T.S. Eliot critiqued materialism and spiritual emptiness in modern life. Eliot’s The Wasteland portrayed disillusionment and the decay of values. Others, like Auden, incorporated social and psychological themes into poetry. This diversity reflected the complex crises of the 20th century.
9. What is the role of Indian poets in English poetry?
Answer : Indian poets like Sarojini Naidu brought cultural identity and patriotism into English poetry. Tagore’s Gitanjali explored spiritual and moral themes. Later poets addressed modern Indian realities with bold and innovative styles. Their works expanded the global scope of English poetry.
10. What makes Caribbean poetry unique?
Answer : Caribbean poetry addresses colonial struggles and cultural heritage. Poets like Derek Walcott use English creatively to express their history. They explore themes of resistance, identity, and liberation. Their works celebrate the richness of Caribbean traditions.
Long Questions with Answers
1. How did the Renaissance shape Elizabethan poetry?
Answer : The Renaissance marked a rebirth of learning and human creativity. It introduced literary forms like sonnets, pastoral poetry, and epic romance. Under Queen Elizabeth, poets like Marlowe, Spenser, and Shakespeare thrived. Shakespeare’s works reflected Renaissance ideals of free will and humanism. This era laid the foundation for modern English literature and artistic expression.
2. What are the major themes in Wordsworth’s poetry?
Answer : Wordsworth emphasizes nature as a source of spiritual growth and emotional solace. His poems reflect simplicity, human emotions, and an appreciation of the natural world. Works like The Prelude highlight the spiritual training nature provides to humans. Wordsworth also celebrates individuality and humanitarian values in his poetry. His contribution made nature central to Romantic literature.
3. What is the significance of T.S. Eliot’s contributions to poetry?
Answer : T.S. Eliot critiqued modern society’s materialism and lack of spiritual depth. The Wasteland and Four Quartets reflect themes of disillusionment and renewal. Eliot used innovative imagery and fragmented structures in his poetry. His works explore both personal and universal human struggles. Eliot is a defining figure in 20th-century modernist literature.
4. Discuss the impact of Romantic Revival on English poetry.
Answer : The Romantic Revival broke from classical norms, emphasizing imagination and emotions. Poets like Shelley, Keats, and Wordsworth celebrated nature and human freedom. Their works reflected democratic ideals and a passion for individualism. Romanticism was influenced by the French Revolution and humanitarian philosophies. It marked a significant shift towards liberal, creative expressions in English poetry.
5. How did Indian poets contribute to English poetry?
Answer : Early Indian poets like Derozio expressed patriotism and cultural pride in English. Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali introduced spiritual depth and universal values. Later poets like Ezekiel and Kamala Das used English to depict modern Indian life. They highlighted personal, social, and cultural themes in their works. Indian poets expanded English poetry’s reach and cultural diversity.
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