MCQs On Thomas Gray
1. What is the full name of Thomas Gray?
a) Thomas Johnson Gray
b) Thomas Edward Gray
c) Thomas Christopher Gray
d) Thomas Gray
2. In which century did Thomas Gray live?
a) 16th century
b) 17th century
c) 18th century
d) 19th century
3. Where was Thomas Gray born?
a) London
b) Cambridge
c) Oxford
d) Edinburgh
4. What university did Thomas Gray attend?
a) Oxford
b) Cambridge
c) Harvard
d) Yale
5. Which of the following is Thomas Gray’s most famous poem?
a) Ode to a Nightingale
b) To Autumn
c) Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
d) The Waste Land
6. What year was “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” first published?
a) 1742
b) 1751
c) 1768
d) 1776
7. In which poetic form is “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” written?
a) Sonnet
b) Villanelle
c) Blank verse
d) Haiku
8. Which famous poet was a close friend of Thomas Gray during his college years?
a) William Wordsworth
b) Samuel Taylor Coleridge
c) Alexander Pope
d) John Keats
9. What was the inspiration behind “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Gray’s childhood memories
b) The death of a close friend
c) The French Revolution
d) A visit to a rural churchyard
10. What is the central theme of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Nature’s beauty
b) Death and the transience of life
c) Love and romance
d) Political revolution
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11. Which of the following literary movements influenced Thomas Gray’s work?
a) Romanticism
b) Realism
c) Neoclassicism
d) Symbolism
12. What position did Thomas Gray hold at Cambridge University?
a) Professor of English
b) Poet Laureate
c) Librarian
d) Chancellor
13. What is the famous opening line of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) “I wandered lonely as a cloud”
b) “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
c) “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day”
d) “To be or not to be, that is the question”
14. Which king is mentioned in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) King George II
b) King James I
c) King Henry VIII
d) King Charles I
15. Which musical composition was inspired by Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
b) Mozart’s Requiem
c) Handel’s Messiah
d) Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2
16. What is the title of Thomas Gray’s first published poem?
a) “Ode to a Nightingale”
b) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
c) “On a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
d) “The Bard”
17. In which year did Thomas Gray die?
a) 1765
b) 1771
c) 1776
d) 1781
18. Which literary device is frequently employed in Thomas Gray’s poetry?
a) Alliteration
b) Anaphora
c) Simile
d) Irony
19. What is the significance of the “ivy-mantled tower” in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Symbol of death
b) Symbol of life
c) Symbol of decay
d) Symbol of power
20. What is the name of the river mentioned in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Thames
b) Avon
c) Severn
d) Cam
21. Which of Thomas Gray’s poems is an ode dedicated to his deceased friend Richard West?
a) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
b) “The Progress of Poesy”
c) “Hymn to Adversity”
d) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
22. What is the main subject of “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”?
a) Nature
b) Friendship
c) Youth and innocence
d) Political revolution
23. What literary form did Thomas Gray use for “The Bard”?
a) Epic
b) Sonnet
c) Ballad
d) Ode
24. Which historical event is depicted in “The Bard”?
a) The Battle of Agincourt
b) The Battle of Culloden
c) The American Revolution
d) The Hundred Years’ War
25. What is the meaning of the word “Elegy” in the title “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Celebration
b) Lament
c) Comedy
d) Satire
26. Who is the speaker in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Thomas Gray
b) A common villager
c) The churchyard itself
d) A fictional bard
27. Which literary device is evident in the line “Far from the madding crowd” from “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Simile
b) Alliteration
c) Metaphor
d) Personification
28. In which stanza of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” does Gray express his desire for a humble tomb?
a) The first stanza
b) The last stanza
c) The seventh stanza
d) The ninth stanza
29. What is the role of the “rude forefathers” in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) They are praised for their accomplishments.
b) They are criticized for their ignorance.
c) They serve as symbols of the common people.
d) They are depicted as supernatural beings.
30. Which of the following is NOT a recurring theme in Thomas Gray’s poetry?
a) Nature
b) Death
c) Love and romance
d) Reflection on life
31. What is the meaning of the term “threnody,”
often associated with Gray’s “Elegy”?
a) A joyful celebration
b) A mournful poem or song
c) A humorous satire
d) A religious hymn
32. What is the primary emotion conveyed in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Joy
b) Anger
c) Sorrow
d) Indifference
33. Which of Gray’s works was written in response to the death of his friend Richard West?
a) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
b) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
c) “The Progress of Poesy”
d) “Hymn to Adversity”
34. In “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College,” what aspect of childhood does Gray idealize?
a) Innocence
b) Knowledge
c) Rebellion
d) Ambition
35. What does the “unhonored village” symbolize in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) A forgotten place
b) A prosperous town
c) A famous city
d) A royal palace
36. What literary period is Thomas Gray associated with?
a) Renaissance
b) Enlightenment
c) Romanticism
d) Victorian
37. Which poet greatly admired Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” and considered it a masterpiece?
a) William Wordsworth
b) John Keats
c) Samuel Taylor Coleridge
d) Percy Bysshe Shelley
38. What is the significance of the “storied urn” mentioned in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) It symbolizes fame and recognition.
b) It represents death and decay.
c) It is a religious relic.
d) It is a metaphor for life’s journey.
39. What does the “ivy-mantled tow’r” symbolize in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) Spiritual enlightenment
b) Decay and neglect
c) Political power
d) Literary achievement
40. Which of Thomas Gray’s works was written in Latin?
a) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
b) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
c) “The Progress of Poesy”
d) “Hymn to Adversity”
41. What literary form is “The Progress of Poesy”?
a) Ode
b) Sonnet
c) Epic
d) Ballad
42. What is the subtitle of “The Bard”?
a) “A Pindaric Ode”
b) “An Elegy”
c) “A Pastoral Poem”
d) “A Satirical Epistle”
43. Which of Gray’s works is a meditation on the transitory nature of human fame?
a) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
b) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
c) “The Progress of Poesy”
d) “Hymn to Adversity”
44. What is the meaning of the term “elegy” in the context of Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) A mournful poem
b) A celebratory ode
c) A satirical work
d) A pastoral idyll
45. What is the main theme of “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”?
a) Nature’s beauty
b) The transience of life
c) The joys of childhood
d) Political revolution
46. Which literary device is frequently used in the description of nature in Gray’s poetry?
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Irony
47. What is the role of the “gray plodders” in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) They represent wisdom and experience.
b) They symbolize the monotony of life.
c) They are praised for their ambition.
d) They are depicted as supernatural beings.
48. Which poet was a significant influence on Thomas Gray’s poetic style?
a) John Milton
b) John Donne
c) Alexander Pope
d) William Wordsworth
49. What is the significance of the “glebe” in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”?
a) It represents a place of worship.
b) It symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
c) It signifies the earth and labor.
d) It is a metaphor for love and friendship.
50. In “The Bard,” what fate befalls the bard at the end of the poem?
a) He is celebrated and honored.
b) He is exiled and forgotten.
c) He is crowned and becomes a king.
d) He is killed in battle.
Answer
1. d) Thomas Gray
2. c) 18th century
3. b) Cambridge
4. b) Cambridge
5. c) Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
6. b) 1751
7. c) Blank verse
8. a) William Wordsworth
9. d) A visit to a rural churchyard
10. b) Death and the transience of life
11. c) Neoclassicism
12. c) Librarian
13. c) “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day”
14. c) King Henry VIII
15. b) Mozart’s Requiem
16. c) “On a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
17. a) 1765
18. b) Anaphora
19. c) Symbol of decay
20. d) Cam
21. a) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
22. c) Youth and innocence
23. a) Epic
24. b) The Battle of Culloden
25. b) Lament
26. d) A fictional bard
27. a) Simile
28. b) The last stanza
29. c) They serve as symbols of the common people.
30. c) Love and romance
31. b) A mournful poem or song
32. c) Sorrow
33. b) “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
34. a) Innocence
35. a) A forgotten place
36. b) Enlightenment
37. a) William Wordsworth
38. a) It symbolizes fame and recognition.
39. b) Decay and neglect
40. c) “The Progress of Poesy”
41. a) Ode
42. a) “A Pindaric Ode”
43. a) “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
44. a) A mournful poem
45. c) The joys of childhood
46. c) Personification
47. b) They symbolize the monotony of life.
48. c) Alexander Pope
49. c) It signifies the earth and labor.
50. b) He is exiled and forgotten.
