HIGHER SECONDARY EXAMINATION
English Literature QUestion Paper
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I. Fill in the blanks with suitable answers. Each question carries 1 mark.
a. The companion poem to the The Tyger which is included in the collection Songs of Innocence
is ____________________.
b. The cuckoo is addressed as “O blithe Newcomer”. The meaning of the word ‘blithe’ here is
_________.
c. The character who represents the egoism and pretentiousness of the upper class society in
Katherine Mansfield’s A Cup of Tea is __________________.
d. “The moon was a ghostly galleon.” The figure of speech used here is _________________.
(4×1=4)
II. Answer the questions by choosing the most suitable answers. Each answer carries ½
marks.
5. Which among the following is applicable to the poem My Last Duchess?
a. Dramatic monologue
b. Elegy
c. Devotional song
d. Presence of a listener is implied
e. Laments the death of someone dear
f. Sonnet
g. Psychological in nature (4 x ½ = 2)
General Instructions to Candidates:
· There is a cool-off time of 15 minutes in addition to the writing time of two and a half hours.
· You are neither allowed to write your answers nor to discuss anything with others during the
cool-off time.
· Use the cool-off time to get familiar with the questions and to plan your answers.
· Read the questions carefully before answering.
· All questions are compulsory, and only internal choice is allowed.
· When you select a question, all the sub-questions must be answered from the same question
itself.
· Electronic devices are not allowed inside the examination hall.
6. Which among the following best suits the beggar in the poem I Had Gone A- Begging?
a. miserly
b. wonder-struck
c. generous
d. confused
e. satisfied
f. remorseful
g. undecided
h. cruel (4x ½ =2)
III. Choose the correct answer from the choices given. Each question carries 1 mark.
7. “She forewent the pomp of the alluring pompadour.” What does the underlined word mean?
a. An expensive perfume
b. A hair style
c. A beautiful dress
d. A gold necklace
8. “Americans make perfect husbands,” says the old lady in the story A Canary for One. The
literary device used here is _________________.
a. Personification
b. Irony
c. Satire
d. Imagery
9. Which are the two afflictions that caused the death of Ivanovitch Babilinov?
a. A lavish wife and smoking
b. A miserly wife and smoking
c. A bad wife and smoking
d. A bad wife and alcoholism
10. ____________ is not a legal offence, and it does not excuse assault and battery.
a. Rudeness
b. Dishonesty
c. Discourtesy
d. Disobedience (4×1=4)
IV. Answer the following questions briefly in three or four sentences. Each question carries 2
marks.
11. How did Bess try to save the highway man? Was this action necessary?
12. What are the complaints made by the Duke about his ‘Last Duchess’?
13. “She’s absolutely lovely.” Why did Philip make such a remark about Miss Smith?
14. How do the students express their love for the teacher in Last Day at School? (4×2=8)
V. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of not more than eight sentences. Each
question carries 4 marks.
15. Blake’s The Tyger is a fine lyric which marvels at the supreme artistry of the Almighty who
created both the lamb and the tiger. Justify this statement.
16. What do you think is the theme of Neruda’s celebrated poem If You Forget Me?
17. Llosa states that literature has become a more and more female activity. Substantiate your
views based on Why Literature.
18. Give an account of the boy’s adventurous trip to meet Lincoln in the play When Lincoln
Comes to Pittsburgh.
19. Briefly describe the character of Maxwell in the story The Romance of the Busy Broker.
20. Write a short paragraph on the theme of Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless
Sea. (6×4=24)
VI. Answer any one question from the following questions. Each answer should not exceed a
page. Each question carries 5 marks.
21. How are the crucial phases in the life of an Indian woman depicted in Sarojini Naidu’s Bangle
Sellers?
Or
22. Prepare a short paragraph considering Elegy for Jane as a typical elegy. (1×5=5)
VII. Answer any two of the following. Answer should not exceed a page. Each question
carries 5 marks.
23. Explain the symbolic significance of the scene of wreck in the story A Canary for One.
24. In The Night Train at Deoli, the author juxtaposes dreams with reality. Substantiate.
25. Basheer presents mankind in all its variety in the story The Man. Write a paragraph on the
experience of the narrator and the reactions of the people present at the restaurant on the
basis of this statement. (2×5=10)
VIII. Answer any one of the following in not more than a page. Each question carries 5
marks.
26. Alice Walker’s essay Am I Blue is a powerful reflection on slavery and freedom. Comment.
Or
27. “Good manners are infectious.” Elucidate the statement in the light of the essay On Saying
Please. (5×1=5)
IX. Answer any one of the following questions in not less than 300 words. Each question
carries 8 marks.
28. Prepare a write-up considering Wordsworth’s poem To the Cuckoo as a romantic lyric.
(Hints – elements of Romantic poetry- natural world inspires noble, elevated thoughts- expression
of emotions through lyric- address to the cuckoo)
Or
29. The poem Oppression is a powerful warning to man‘s tendency to suppress his fellow beings
on the basis of caste, creed, colour etc. Express your views on this statement in the form of an
article.
(Theme- condition of Afro- Americans- oppression- protest by the poet- hope for future etc.)
(8×1=8)
X. Answer the following question in not less than 300 words.
30. The plot of The Boy Comes Home is built around the conflict between a youth and an adult.
Justify this statement.
(Hints- Theme- characters- conflict between characters- difference of personality and age- how
the conflict is solved- who is in the right etc.)
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