UPSC Mains ENGLISH-LITERATURE-PAPER-I 2013
22 Questions • 400 Marks • With Detailed Model Answers
1
10 Marks150 Wordshard
The influence of Machiavelli on the drama of Renaissance. England.
LiteratureHistoryPolitical Science
2
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium
The impact of the French Revolution on the English Romantic poets.
LiteratureHistoryPolitical Science
3
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium
The feminist consciousness in the Victorian novel.
LiteratureSociologyGender Studies
4
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium
The role of the Fool in King Lear.
LiteratureDramaShakespeare
5
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium
Tennyson's use of natural phenomena to reflect human thoughts and feelings in In Memoriam.
LiteraturePoetryVictorian Literature
6
25 Marks400 Wordshard
Would you agree with the view that The Tempest is more concerned with the problems of old age than with the experiences of the young? Give reasons for your answer.
LiteratureDramaShakespeare
7
25 Marks400 Wordshard
The interest in the Metaphysical poetry of the early 17th century was revived in the early 20th century. What features of the Metaphysical poetry appealed to the modern mind ? Discuss with particular reference to the poems of Donne.
LiteraturePoetryLiterary History
8
25 Marks400 Wordshard
The description of Adam and Eve betrays Milton's patriarchal and misogynistic attitude.' Discuss with reference to Book IV of Paradise Lost.
LiteraturePoetryGender Studies
9
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
The polished exterior of The Rape of the Lock barely conceals a rapacious and predatory society.' Discuss.
LiteraturePoetrySatire
10
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
Bring out the complexities in Shakespeare's presentation of the theme of madness in King Lear.
LiteratureDramaShakespeare
11
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
Wordsworth's poetry brings out his belief that nature is conscious and shows the influence of nature on man.' Discuss with illustrations from the poems you have read.
LiteraturePoetryRomanticism
12
10 Marks60 Wordseasy
Examine the imagery of the second stanza.
LiteraturePoetryLiterary Criticism
13
10 Marks60 Wordseasy
What do the lovers imply when they say 'so must it always be'?
LiteraturePoetryLiterary Criticism
14
10 Marks60 Wordsmedium
What is meant by saying that the toad (in stanza 5) 'dreams away the past'?
LiteraturePoetrySymbolism
15
10 Marks60 Wordsmedium
What is implied by the line 'No gate is fast, no door is fast'?
LiteraturePoetrySymbolism
16
10 Marks60 Wordsmedium
Consider the implications of the title 'Vanity'.
LiteratureLiterary CriticismSymbolism
17
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
Though Tom's heart is in the right place, his instincts are not always in his control.' Do you agree? Justify your answer with illustrations from Tom Jones.
LiteratureNovelCharacter Study
18
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
In a sense Book II of Gulliver's Travels is a reversal of Book I.' Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
LiteratureSatireNovel
19
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
Show what part is played by the other characters in bringing about the changes in Darcy and Elizabeth which lead to their final reconciliation in Pride and Prejudice.
LiteratureNovelCharacter Study
20
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
In Hard Times Dickens makes moral comments on the industrialization of society. Can you find instances to show how he incorporates such comments into a realistic narrative?
LiteratureNovelSocial History
21
25 Marks400 Wordshard
Discuss the role of society in the shaping of individual life and destiny in The Mill on the Floss and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
LiteratureNovelSociology
22
25 Marks400 Wordsmedium
Consider Twain's handling of the 'outlaw figure' in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
LiteratureNovelAmerican Literature