UPSC Mains ENGLISH-LITERATURE-PAPER-I 2020

The Jacobean Drama

The English Novel in 18th Century

The Salient Features of Neo-classical Poetry

The Precursors of Romantic Poetry

The Victorian Society and Thought

Discuss the ways in which King Lear explores the theme of power.

Which elements of the epic form does Milton include in Paradise Lost to align it with epics from earlier eras?

Critically evaluate Pope's The Rape of the Lock as a social satire.

Account for the contemporary relevance of Wordsworth's poetry with special reference to the prescribed poems.

The metaphysical conceit helps John Donne in fusing both profane and divine love into one great whole. Illustrate.

In Paradise Lost, how does Milton succeed in making Satan a sympathetic character while at the same time condemning his actions?

How does Ibsen externalize inner problems by using effective symbols in A Doll's House? Give a reasoned answer.

How do images of darkness and light work throughout Tennyson's In Memoriam to represent grief, death, knowledge and life? How are they developed by the poet throughout the poem?

Discuss The Tempest as an allegory of European discovery and colonization.

I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan's poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.

The word 'balance' occurs many times in the poem. What is its significance and what does it contribute to the whole meaning?

What is the effect of the contrasts in the poem?

Does the mood of the poem change at any point? If so, what is the contribution of these changes to the poem as a whole?

The poem is about coming to a decision. Trace various stages of this decision by examining the changes in mood and argument.

Identify the metre of the poem. How does it suggest repetition and progression?

Tom Jones is the story of the protagonist's journey from innocence, via experience, to wisdom. Elaborate the statement with events from the novel.

How does Swift address the 'ancients versus moderns' controversy in Gulliver's Travels?

Pride and Prejudice opens up with the ironic narrative voice and it is the one the reader hears throughout the novel. Illustrate.

Comment on the significance of the epigraph "In their death they were not divided". How does George Eliot portray the relationship of the siblings in The Mill on the Floss?

Hard Times is built on the opposition between fact and fancy--a contrast which gives it both tension and unity. Elaborate.

What attitudes to marriage can be discerned in Jane Austen's account of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins, and Lydia Bennet and Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice?

"A sound heart is a surer guide than an ill-trained conscience." How far is this comment applicable in the context of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

Discuss Hard Times as a critique of industrial society.

Hardy subtitled Tess of the d'Urbervilles as 'A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented' to express his rejection of the conventional heroine of Victorian fiction. Substantiate your answer with reference to the novel.