ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

LITERATURE QUESTIONS

ENGLISH ROMANTIC POETRY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The poem “London” can be best understood as ____
A
A celebration of the city’s beauty
B
A protest against social inequality
C
An examination of the city’s past
D
An attack on William Wordsworth
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -“London” analyzes and points out cruelty and injustice occurring in the society and criticizes the church and the British monarchy. It articulates the social grievances of marginalized people such as prostitutes and chimney-sweepers who used to be children during that time.

Detailed explanation-2: -Both poets show conflict through their description of people’s thoughts. Ozymandias’ pedestal orders others to ‘look on my work…and despair. ‘ This imperative shows his arrogance and shows that he wanted to use his achievements to instil fear in others, thus increasing his power through conflict.

Detailed explanation-3: -Johnson’s poem taps on the themes of corruption, hypocrisy, and rustic life. According to Thales, there is a lot of corruption in London. The ruffians are roaming on the streets and can rob anyone at any time.

Detailed explanation-4: -The overall theme of “London” is that the city is a dark and miserable place. Words like “hapless, ” “weakness, ” “woe” and “manacles” contribute to that sense of gloom. Even descriptions like “Every blackning Church” and “thro’ midnight streets” quite clearly depict a darkness.

There is 1 question to complete.