50+ MCQs on T.S. Eliot with Answers for UGC NET / SET Prepration
1. What is T.S. Eliot’s full name?
a. Thomas Samuel Eliot
b. Timothy Stuart Eliot
c. Thomas Stearns Eliot
d. Theodore Simon Eliot
2. In which year was T.S. Eliot born?
a. 1888
b. 1890
c. 1892
d. 1894
3. Which poem by T.S. Eliot is known for its famous opening line, “April is the cruellest month”?
a. “The Hollow Men”
b. “The Waste Land”
c. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
d. “Ash Wednesday”
4. What is the central theme of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”?
a. War
b. Love and Desire
c. Modernity and Alienation
d. Nature and Beauty
5. Which literary movement is T.S. Eliot often associated with?
a. Romanticism
b. Modernism
c. Realism
d. Transcendentalism
6. T.S. Eliot converted to which religion later in life?
a. Judaism
b. Hinduism
c. Buddhism
d. Christianity
7. Which work by T.S. Eliot is a play written in verse and draws on the legend of Thomas Becket?
a. “The Waste Land”
b. “The Hollow Men”
c. “Murder in the Cathedral”
d. “Four Quartets”
8. Which of the following is NOT a section in “The Waste Land”?
a. The Fire Sermon
b. The Burial of the DeadMCQs on T.S. Eliot
c. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
d. Death by Water
9. T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” famously ends with the line:
a. “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.”
b. “Do I dare disturb the universe?”
c. “In the room, the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo.”
d. “We are the hollow men, we are the stuffed men.”
10. What is the name of T.S. Eliot’s collection of essays on poetry and criticism?
a. “The Waste Land and Other Poems”
b. “Four Quartets”
c. “Tradition and the Individual Talent”
d. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
11. In “The Waste Land,” which mythological figure is associated with the Fisher King?
a. Apollo
b. Dionysus
c. Tiresias
d. Percival
12. T.S. Eliot was born in which country?
a. United States
b. England
c. Ireland
d. France
13. Which of Eliot’s poems explores the theme of the journey towards spiritual enlightenment?
a. “The Hollow Men”
b. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
c. “Ash Wednesday”
d. “The Waste Land”
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14. What is the significance of the epigraph to “The Waste Land,” which is in Latin and comes from the Satyricon?
a. It refers to the myth of Persephone.
b. It laments the decline of modern civilization.
c. It emphasizes the importance of love.
d. It warns against excessive desire.
15. Which of T.S. Eliot’s poems is often considered a reflection on the disillusionment and trauma of World War I?
a. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
b. “The Waste Land”
c. “The Hollow Men”
d. “Ash Wednesday”
16. What does the “objective correlative” refer to in Eliot’s literary theory?
a. A concrete symbol that objectively represents an emotion.
b. A narrative technique that uses multiple perspectives.
c. A form of rhyme scheme in poetry.
d. A type of dramatic monologue.
17. Which of Eliot’s works features a protagonist who debates whether or not to eat a peach?
a. “The Hollow Men”
b. “The Waste Land”
c. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”MCQs on T.S. Eliot
d. “Ash Wednesday”
18. T.S. Eliot was a member of which literary group that included writers like Ezra Pound?
a. The Bloomsbury Group
b. The Lost Generation
c. The Imagist Movement
d. The Modernist Circle
19. Which of the following is NOT a section in “Four Quartets”?
a. “Burnt Norton”
b. “Little Gidding”
c. “The Burial of the Dead”
d. “East Coker”
20. T.S. Eliot served as the editor of which literary magazine?
a. The Dial
b. The Atlantic MonthlyMCQs on T.S. Eliot
c. The Little Review
d. Poetry Magazine
21. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” what does the yellow fog represent?
a. Time
b. Death
c. Disease
d. Love
22. Which of Eliot’s works is considered a sequel to “The Waste Land” and explores themes of death and redemption?
a. “The Hollow Men”
b. “Ash Wednesday”
c. “Four Quartets”
d. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
23. T.S. Eliot’s play “Murder in the Cathedral” is based on the life of which historical figure?
a. Richard III
b. Thomas Becket
c. Henry VIIIMCQs on T.S. Eliot
d. Elizabeth I
24. Which of the following is a major theme in “The Waste Land”?
a. Romantic love
b. The search for identity
c. The degradation of modern society
d. The beauty of nature
25. T.S. Eliot’s concept of the “dissociation of sensibility” refers to:
a. The separation of reason and emotion in poetry.
b. The blending of myth and reality in literature.
c. The rejection of traditional forms in art.
d. The fusion of music and poetry.
26. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” who is the woman mentioned in the lines “In the room, the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo”?
a. Mrs. Porter
b. Mrs. Ramsay
c. Mrs. Elton
d. Mrs. Dalloway
27. What is the significance of the Tarot cards in “The Waste Land”?
a. They represent the stages of a mystical journey.
b. They symbolize the futility of divination.
c. They depict characters from Eliot’s personal life.
d. They reflect the influence of Surrealism.
28. Which of the following is NOT one of the Quartets in T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets”?
a. “Burnt Norton”
b. “East Coker”
c. “The Waste Land”
d. “Little Gidding”
29. What is the central theme of “The Hollow Men”?
a. The emptiness of modern existence
b. The beauty of nature
c. The complexity of love
d. The brutality of war
30. In “The Waste Land,” what is the significance of the phrase “Shantih shantih shantih”?
a. It represents a call to arms.
b. It signifies the end of the poem and a prayer for peace.
c. It is a reference to ancient Egyptian mythology.
d. It symbolizes the cyclical nature of life.
31. Which literary figure heavily influenced T.S. Eliot’s poetic style?
a. William Wordsworth
b. John Keats
c. Dante Alighieri
d. William Shakespeare
32. In “Four Quartets,” what does Eliot describe as the “still point of the turning world”?
a. The center of the Earth
b. The axis of timeMCQs on T.S. Eliot
c. The human soul
d. The heart of a storm
33. What is the central theme of “Ash Wednesday”?
a. The transience of life
b. The search for spiritual renewal
c. The horrors of war
d. The beauty of nature
34. T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is often considered a precursor to which literary movement?
a. Romanticism
b. Surrealism
c. Modernism
d. Postmodernism
35. In “The Waste Land,” what does the term “Unreal City” refer to?
a. London
b. Paris
c. New York
d. Rome
36. What is the central message of “Four Quartets” regarding time and existence?
a. Time is linear and unchanging.
b. Time is cyclical and eternal.
c. Time is an illusion.
d. Time is irrelevant to human experience.
37. Which poet had a significant influence on T.S. Eliot’s use of myth and symbolism?
a. John Milton
b. W.B. Yeats
c. Emily Dickinson
d. Langston Hughes
38. T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” is often considered a response to which other literary work?
a. “Paradise Lost” by John Milton
b. “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri
c. “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer
d. “The Iliad” by Homer
39. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” what does the speaker compare himself to?
a. A cat
b. A patient etherized upon a table
c. A caged bird
d. A lonely cloud
40. What does the phrase “April is the cruellest month” suggest in “The Waste Land”?
a. The harshness of winter
b. The renewal of life and growth
c. The despair of war
d. The monotony of everyday life
41. Which of Eliot’s works is characterized by its exploration of Christian themes and imagery?
a. “The Waste Land”
b. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
c. “Ash Wednesday”
d. “The Hollow Men”
42. T.S. Eliot received the Nobel Prize in Literature in which year?
a. 1948
b. 1953
c. 1962
d. 1971
43. What is the meaning of the title “The Waste Land”?
a. A barren and desolate landscape
b. A prosperous and fertile land
c. A war-torn battlefield
d. A sacred and untouched wilderness
44. In “The Hollow Men,” what is the significance of the line “Shape without form, shade without colour”?
a. It represents the emptiness of existence.
b. It describes a beautiful landscape.
c. It symbolizes the complexity of love.
d. It reflects the chaos of war.MCQs on T.S. Eliot
45. T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets” is often considered a reflection on:
a. The seasons of the year
b. The stages of human life
c. The elements of nature
d. The four classical elements (earth, air, fire, water)
46. In “The Waste Land,” what is the name of the character associated with the Fisher King myth?
a. Tiresias
b. Phlebas the Phoenician
c. Madame Sosostris
d. Marie
47. T.S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” emphasizes the importance of:
a. Originality in poetry
b. Tradition and continuity in literary creation
c. Experimentation and avant-garde techniques
d. The rejection of past influences
48. What is the significance of the “fire sermon” in “The Waste Land”?
a. It symbolizes the destructive power of passion and desire.
b. It represents a call to action against social injustice.
c. It describes a literal fire that consumes the landscape.
d. It is a reference to ancient religious rituals.
49. In “Four Quartets,” what does Eliot describe as “the door we never opened”?
a. The door to knowledge
b. The door to the past
c. The door to spiritual enlightenment
d. The door to human understanding
50. T.S. Eliot’s poetic style is often characterized by:
a. Clarity and simplicity
b. Dense and allusive language
c. Romantic idealismMCQs on T.S. Eliot
d. Rhyming couplets and strict meter
Answer
1. c. Thomas Stearns Eliot
2. a. 1888
3. b. “The Waste Land”MCQs on T.S. Eliot
4. c. Modernity and Alienation
5. b. Modernism
6. d. ChristianityMCQs on T.S. Eliot
7. c. “Murder in the Cathedral”
8. c. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
9. a. “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.”
10. c. “Tradition and the Individual Talent”
11. b. Dionysus
12. b. England
13. c. “Ash Wednesday”
14. b. It laments the decline of modern civilization.
15. b. “The Waste Land”
16. a. A concrete symbol that objectively represents an emotion.
17. c. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
18. c. The Imagist Movement
19. c. “The Waste Land”
20. a. The Dial
21. a. Time
22. c. “Four Quartets”
23. b. Thomas Becket
24. c. The degradation of modern society
25. a. The separation of reason and emotion in poetry.
26. a. Mrs. Porter
27. a. They represent the stages of a mystical journey.
28. c. “The Waste Land”
29. a. The emptiness of modern existence
30. b. It signifies the end of the poem and a prayer for peace.
31. c. Dante Alighieri
32. c. The human soul
33. b. The search for spiritual renewal
34. c. Modernism
35. a. London
36. b. Time is cyclical and eternal.
37. c. Emily Dickinson
38. b. “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri
39. b. A patient etherized upon a table
40. c. The despair of war
41. c. “Ash Wednesday”
42. b. 1953
43. a. A barren and desolate landscape
44. a. It represents the emptiness of existence.
45. b. The stages of human life
46. b. Phlebas the Phoenician
47. b. Tradition and continuity in literary creation
48. a. It symbolizes the destructive power of passion and desire.
49. c. The door to spiritual enlightenment
50. b. Dense and allusive language