ASSESSMENT OF POETRY SECTION

MAX MARKS 30. MAX TIME 1 hr

I. Choose the correct option. (20X1/4=5 Marks)

1. Which of these best describes the tone of John Keats in his poem?

a. nostalgic

b. generous

c. passionate

d. Contemplative

2. “I wonder how I should like you to come to me

And offer to put me gently out of my pain.”

The tone of the poem by the end, as depicted by the given lines is

a. frustrated.

b. commanding.

c. Introspective.

d. emotional.

3.On the basis of the extract, pick the opinion that is NOT TRUE about
the theme of the poem.
a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4

4.Pick the option that matches the words/phrases with the literary
device.
Word/ phrase Literary device

1. simple sheep A. imagery

2. gloomy days B. metaphor

3. bower quiet C. symbolism

D. transferred epithet

a. 1-C, 2-D, 3-B

b. 1-B, 2-A, 3-D

c. 1-D, 2-B, 3-C

d. 1-C, 2-A, 3-B

5.Choose the option that does NOT reflect what the tigers represent in
the poem:

a. Aunt Jennifer’s undying hopes

b. Aunt Jennifer’s failing marriage

c. Aunt Jennifer’s artistic merit

d. Aunt Jennifer’s frustrations

6.Pick the statement that contradicts the idea of beauty as expressed by

the poet.

a. People are beautiful not in looks but just in what they are.

b. Beautiful people have known suffering, struggle, and loss.

c. We must think of all the beauty that is left around us and be happy.

d. We must dwell on the beauty in life and be inspired by it.

7.Pick the quote that matches best with—

‘And such too is the grandeur of the dooms we have imagined for the
mighty dead.’

a. In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the
rustle of a wing.

b. When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the
paths of men.

c. Endings are not always bad, most times they’re just beginnings in disguise.

d. Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death
but once.

8.Pick the option that refers to what ‘an endless fountain of immortal
drink’ suggests.

1. inspirational deeds of great men

2. a ceaseless series of dreams
3. an infinite source of strength
4. an elixir of life for the upliftment of the soul
 5. an eternal source of delight
6. a boundless gift of love

a. 1, 4, and 5

b. 2, 3, and 5

c. 1, 2, and 6

d. 2, 4, and 6

9. Choose the option that correctly paraphrases the given lines

“I can’t help owning the great relief it would be

To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.”

a. The poet wants to kill the impoverished people.

b. The poet feels that death is better than living such a miserable life.

c. The poet wants to eliminate poverty from society.

d. The poet states that it is important that these people become rich.

10. Pick the option that pairs the TRUE statements based on the extract,
from the list below.

1. The bushes with fragrant flowers lift the human spirit and bring
joy.
2. Death is inevitable and everyone faces it no matter how powerful.
3. Immortality is achieved by man when he drinks the nectar of joy.
4. Legendary heroes and their heroic deeds instill inspiration in us.

a. 1 and 2

b. 2 and 4

c. 1 and 4

d. 2 and 3

11. Pick the option that uses the same literary device as the ‘mighty
dead’.
a. sleepless nights

b. deafening silence

c. glaring lights

d. time is a thief

12. Read the statements given below. Choose the option that accurately
describes the given statements.

● Statement I - The poem is a manifesto against the institution of

marriage.
● Statement II - Aunt Jennifer represents all women artists.
● Statement III – The poem embodies an alternative for women to
express their repressed desires through art.

a. Statement I is True, Statement II is False, and Statement III cannot be

inferred.

b. Statements I and III are False, Statement II cannot be inferred.

c. Statements I and II are True, Statement III cannot be inferred.

d. Statement I is False, Statement II cannot be inferred, Statement III is

True.

13. The literary device used by the poet in the following lines is
______________.

An endless fountain of immortal drink,

Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

a. personification.

b. allegory.

c. imagery.

d. synecdoche.
14. Based on your reading of the poem, choose the option that correctly
lays out the difference between the city dwellers and the countryside
people.

City dwellers Countryside people

1. • unaware • casual • greedy • concerned

2. • indifferent • grumpy • suffering • disappointed

3. • short-tempered • materialistic • optimistic • savage

4. • stressed • dismissing • protesting • objectionable

a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4

15. It is clear that the speaker in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers has an attitude
of ______ towards her.

a. empathy

b. wonder

c. sympathy

d. gratitude

16. Choose the option that correctly matches the idioms given in
Column A with their meanings in Column B

Column A Column B

1. On the face of the earth (i) In existence

2. What on earth (ii) To do all possible to accomplish something

3. Move heaven and earth (iii) To express surprise or shock

4. The salt of the earth (iv) To be good and worthy

a. 1 – (i); 2 – (iv); 3 – (iii); 4 – (ii)

b. 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)

c. 1 – (ii); 2 – (i); 3 – (iv); 4 – (iii)

d. 1 – (iv); 2 – (ii); 3 – (iii); 4 – (i

17. Which of the following does NOT represent the contrast between
Aunt Jennifer and the tigers?

a. uncertainty and confidence

b. terror and fearlessness

c. fiefdom and freedom

d. authority and autonomy

18. Read the statements given below carefully. Choose the option that
best describes these statements, with reference to the poem.

● Statement I – The poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ calls for change as much in the
individual as human society at large.
● Statement II – The poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ implies that individual change
will lead to bigger societal change.
● Statement III – Neruda believes that when people come together as a
community, they will be able to bring a transformation in each person.

a. Statement I is True, Statement II is False, and Statement III cannot be

inferred.

b. Statement I and II cannot be inferred, Statement III is True.

c. Statement I is True, Statements II and III cannot be inferred.

d. Statement I cannot be inferred, Statement II cannot be inferred,

Statement III is False.

19.Choose the correct option out of the ones given below.

a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4

20. Choose the option that appropriately describes the relationship

between the two statements given below.

Statement 1: The poet knows her mother has aged.

Statement 2: The poet feels the pain of separation.

a. Beginning – Ending

b. Cause–Effect

c. Question – Answer

d. Introduction – Conclusion
II. Read the following extract and answer the following questions (1/2 X
10=5 Marks)

A. The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,

Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs that N turned wrong and S turned wrong…

i. The polished traffic in particular refers to the

a. sophisticated city dwellers in their vehicles.

b. shiny cars that the poet sees on the road.

c. extremely affluent people living in the neighborhood.

d. civilized manner in which traffic is coordinated.

ii. ‘The urban and educated people have their minds ahead.’ Choose the
option suggesting the correct meaning behind this line.

1. The people are well-educated and knowledgeable about the 2. The people are concentrating on the road that is ahead in
condition of the poor. order to drive safely.

3. The people are preoccupied only with the thoughts of their 4. The people are focused on their goal of bettering the
lives and nothing else. country.

a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4
iii. What do the urban rich feel about the S and N signs that have been
painted wrong?

a. Tolerant

b. Amused

c. Sympathetic

d. Annoyed

iv. The passers-by find the sign artless but the landscape ___________.

a. animated

b. aesthetic

c. amusing

d. ancient

v. Identify the poetic device in ‘Polished traffic’.

B. Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,

Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
I. Based on the extract, complete the following analogy:

have heard: alliteration:: _____: oxymoron.

ii. Which of these best indicates the phrase 'mid-forest brake'?

a. hidden pond

b. mass of shrubs

c. canopy of trees

d. sparkling stream

iii. According to the extract, which of these brings joy to human life?
 1. shady trees
2. delightful drinks
3. fragrant flowers
4. changing seasons
5. enchanting stories

a. (1) and (3)

b. (3) and (5)

c. (1), (4), and (5)

d. (2), (3), and (4)

iv. Complete the given sentence appropriately. When the poet mentions
'an endless fountain of immortal drink', he refers to __________.

v. Based on the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the
two statements given below.

1. Beautiful things are blessings from the divine.

2. Beauty is an outcome of imagination.

a. Only (1) can be inferred from the extract.

b. Only (2) can be inferred from the extract.

c. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.

d. Neither (1) nor (2) can be inferred from the extract.

III. Answer the following questions: (2X5=10 Marks)

A. Read the given quote. In your opinion, what silence does the poem
‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ break?

Every poem breaks a silence that had to be overcome. – Adrienne Rich

B. In a world that is constantly running after ‘more’ and chasing the

next new thing, would it be fair to think of Neruda’s call as merely a
fanciful idea?
 C. 'A smile does not always indicate happiness.' Does My Mother at
Sixty-Six reflect this statement? Justify your response with an
example from the poem.
D. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there
can be life under apparent stillness?
E. The poet does not directly mention the fear of her mother’s death
and yet she is successfully able to convey the same through
different poetic techniques. Discuss.

IV. Answer the following questions: (5X2=10M)

A. ‘Their mother sighed.

Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at
the incongruity of the delicate bow which fastened her apron
strings.’The prose selection, Going Places includes this telling
comment about Sophie’s mother.In Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, we are
told that –‘The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s Hand.’ Imagine a conversation
between Sophie’s mother and Aunt Jennifer. Create this exchange
with reference to the two extracts given above.You may begin the
conversation like this …Sophie’s mother: Your embroidery is so
beautiful. Do you love tigers?
B. Imagine a car stops and actually buys from the roadside stand.
Keeping in mind the reaction you think the peasants would have,
write a diary entry as the farmer describing not only your
immediate experience but also your after-thoughts on being able
to earn “city money”.

You may begin this way:

Wednesday, 2nd March XX 9 PM

We had an unexpectedly good day today!..