100 Important MCQs on Literary Criticism in English Literature
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100 Multiple Choice Question Answers on Literary Criticism - English Literature
Note: Most of these multiple-choice questions are based on the following works/essays which cover Unit-VIII: Literary Criticism of UGC NET English as well as HPSC Assistant Professor English Recruitment Test -
- Bharata – Theory of Rasa (from Nāṭyaśāstra)
- Anandavardhana – Theory of Dhvani (from Dhvanyāloka)
- Aristotle – Poetics
- Longinus – On the Sublime
- Horace – Ars Poetica
- John Dryden – An Essay of Dramatic Poesy
- William Wordsworth – Preface to Lyrical Ballads
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge – Biographia Literaria
- Matthew Arnold – The Study of Poetry
- Henry James – The Art of Fiction
- Ferdinand de Saussure – Nature of the Linguistic Sign (from Course in General Linguistics)
- T. S. Eliot – Tradition and the Individual Talent
- I. A. Richards – Two Uses of Language
100 English Literature Literary Criticism MCQs
1. According to Aristotle, the most important element of tragedy is:
A) Character
B) Thought
C) Plot
D) Spectacle
Answer: C) Plot
Explanation: Aristotle places the greatest emphasis on plot (mythos) as the soul of tragedy.
2. Which term does Aristotle use for 'purgation of emotions' in tragedy?
A) Hamartia
B) Catharsis
C) Anagnorisis
D) Peripeteia
Answer: B) Catharsis
Explanation: Catharsis refers to the emotional release experienced by the audience of a tragedy.
3. Hamartia in Aristotle's theory refers to:
A) Fate
B) Tragic flaw
C) Catharsis
D) Divine will
Answer: B) Tragic flaw
Explanation: Hamartia is a mistake or error in judgment leading to the hero's downfall.
4. Which of these does Aristotle NOT include in his six parts of tragedy?
A) Melody
B) Spectacle
C) Acting
D) Thought
Answer: C) Acting
Explanation: The six parts are Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Melody, and Spectacle.
5. For Aristotle, the function of tragedy is to achieve:
A) Instruction
B) Fear and pity
C) Amusement
D) Aesthetic pleasure
Answer: B) Fear and pity
Explanation: These emotions are purged through catharsis.
6. According to Aristotle, catharsis in tragedy leads to:
A) Confusion
B) Emotional cleansing
C) Imitation of action
D) Comedy
Answer: B) Emotional cleansing
Explanation: Aristotle believed tragedy purges emotions of pity and fear, resulting in catharsis.
7. In “On the Sublime,” Longinus emphasizes the role of:
A) Technical rules
B) Moral purpose
C) Genius and inspiration
D) Logical argument
Answer: C) Genius and inspiration
Explanation: Longinus regarded sublimity as arising from innate genius and lofty thoughts.
8. Horace’s rule for unity in poetry suggests that a play should:
A) Last five hours
B) Avoid unity
C) Not exceed five acts
D) Contain multiple plots
Answer: C) Not exceed five acts
Explanation: Horace prescribed structural limits for dramatic unity, including five-act division.
9. Dryden’s character Neander represents:
A) French classical ideals
B) The voice of Dryden
C) Renaissance values
D) Plato’s student
Answer: B) The voice of Dryden
Explanation: Neander in Dryden’s essay is a semi-autobiographical figure who argues for English drama.
10. Wordsworth believed the source of poetic emotion should be:
A) Royal patronage
B) Childhood memory
C) Social inequality
D) Tranquil reflection
Answer: D) Tranquil reflection
Explanation: Wordsworth described poetry as “emotion recollected in tranquility.”
11. Coleridge's secondary imagination differs from primary in being:
A) Passive and spontaneous
B) Constructive and artistic
C) Logical and dry
D) Rooted in memory
Answer: B) Constructive and artistic
Explanation: Coleridge’s secondary imagination consciously reshapes the world through creativity.
12. Arnold criticized much of modern poetry for lacking:
A) Rhythm
B) Passion
C) High seriousness
D) Satire
Answer: C) High seriousness
Explanation: Arnold valued poetry that exhibited moral and intellectual earnestness.
13. Henry James believed the moral center of a novel lies in:
A) Its author’s beliefs
B) Its theme
C) Its tone
D) The character’s consciousness
Answer: D) The character’s consciousness
Explanation: For James, the depth of character consciousness was key to narrative morality.
14. Saussure’s concept of language is:
A) Static and unchanging
B) A linear set of rules
C) A system of differences
D) Always referential
Answer: C) A system of differences
Explanation: Saussure emphasized that meanings arise from differences, not intrinsic properties.
15. Eliot’s ‘impersonality theory’ holds that:
A) The poet must be emotionally involved
B) The poet’s personality is key
C) Art transcends the poet’s emotions
D) The audience defines meaning
Answer: C) Art transcends the poet’s emotions
Explanation: Eliot believed good poetry is impersonal, not a reflection of the poet’s personality.
16. I.A. Richards' "Two Uses of Language" distinguishes between:
A) Sound and meaning
B) Scientific and emotive
C) Metaphor and simile
D) Fiction and reality
Answer: B) Scientific and emotive
Explanation: Richards separates factual language from that which evokes feelings or attitudes.
17. Rasa theory originates from:
A) Sanskrit poetics
B) Persian rhetoric
C) Buddhist meditation
D) Modern semiotics
Answer: A) Sanskrit poetics
Explanation: Rasa theory is foundational to classical Indian aesthetics and drama theory.
18. Dhvani is best understood as:
A) Literal meaning
B) Direct symbolism
C) Suggestion beyond the literal
D) Allegory
Answer: C) Suggestion beyond the literal
Explanation: Dhvani refers to the aesthetic effect created through suggestion, not direct statement.
19. Coleridge criticized Wordsworth’s poetry for:
A) Being too urban
B) Lacking supernatural elements
C) Failing in meter
D) Being too simple at times
Answer: D) Being too simple at times
Explanation: Though he supported Wordsworth, Coleridge felt some of his diction and subjects were overly plain.
20. Arnold’s concept of “touchstones” involved:
A) Literal comparison
B) Practical criticism
C) Quoting great lines for judging poetry
D) Plagiarism detection
Answer: C) Quoting great lines for judging poetry
Explanation: Arnold proposed testing poetry’s value by comparing it to immortal lines from great works.
21. Henry James’ “The Art of Fiction” argues that:
A) Fiction must teach morality
B) Fiction should entertain
C) Fiction is a serious art
D) Fiction should follow formula
Answer: C) Fiction is a serious art
Explanation: James asserted that the novel is a form of art requiring craftsmanship and freedom.
22. Eliot’s “Tradition” refers to:
A) Blind imitation of the past
B) Rejection of modernity
C) Awareness of past works
D) Emulating classical Latin
Answer: C) Awareness of past works
Explanation: Eliot believed a poet must be aware of the literary tradition and contribute to its evolution.
23. The term “signifier” in Saussurean linguistics refers to:
A) The object in reality
B) The physical sound/image
C) The dictionary definition
D) The metaphor
Answer: B) The physical sound/image
Explanation: Signifier is the form a sign takes, such as a word or sound.
24. Dhvani theory was systematized by:
A) Bharata
B) Kuntaka
C) Anandavardhana
D) Abhinavagupta
Answer: C) Anandavardhana
Explanation: Anandavardhana formalized the theory of Dhvani as central to poetic meaning.
25. I.A. Richards viewed literary criticism as a tool to:
A) Defend nationalism
B) Promote religion
C) Improve mental habits
D) Reduce emotional complexity
Answer: C) Improve mental habits
Explanation: Richards believed criticism helps develop more precise thinking and emotional balance.
26. Aristotle defines tragedy as:
A) A story with a sad ending
B) Imitation of an action with serious magnitude
C) A heroic poem
D) A type of lyric
Answer: B) Imitation of an action with serious magnitude
Explanation: Aristotle’s definition includes plot, diction, and catharsis as central components of tragedy.
27. Eliot criticizes the Romantic view of:
A) Poetry as impersonal
B) Organic unity
C) Poetry as expression of personality
D) Dramatic monologue
Answer: C) Poetry as expression of personality
Explanation: Eliot stressed depersonalization of art, rejecting the Romantic focus on the poet’s feelings.
28. Wordsworth associated poetic inspiration with:
A) Logic and reason
B) Urban life
C) Nature and recollection
D) Classical imitation
Answer: C) Nature and recollection
Explanation: Wordsworth’s romanticism is rooted in personal experiences and communion with nature.
29. Longinus believes sublime style arises from:
A) Detailed realism
B) Figurative language
C) Mathematical precision
D) Historical context
Answer: B) Figurative language
Explanation: He emphasizes rhetorical devices and passionate expression for sublimity.
30. Richards' context theory claims that meaning is shaped by:
A) Syntax
B) Visual imagery
C) The words surrounding a term
D) Literary genre
Answer: C) The words surrounding a term
Explanation: Richards argued that context plays a key role in shaping meaning in communication.
31. According to Horace, the goal of poetry is to:
A) Critique politics
B) Entertain and instruct
C) Promote religious truth
D) Mimic Greek myths
Answer: B) Entertain and instruct
Explanation: Horace emphasized that good poetry should both delight and teach (dulce et utile).
32. In Aristotle’s Poetics, the ideal tragic hero should be:
A) Perfect and godlike
B) Entirely evil
C) Morally flawed yet relatable
D) Without family ties
Answer: C) Morally flawed yet relatable
Explanation: Aristotle suggests a hero with hamartia—an error in judgment—evokes pity and fear.
33. Longinus compares sublimity to:
A) Cold logic
B) A flash of lightning
C) A flowing stream
D) A stable mountain
Answer: B) A flash of lightning
Explanation: He describes sublime moments as sudden and overwhelming, like lightning.
34. In Dhvani theory, the highest form of poetic meaning is:
A) Denotation
B) Connotation
C) Suggestion (Vyangya)
D) Metaphor
Answer: C) Suggestion (Vyangya)
Explanation: Dhvani prioritizes suggested meaning, which transcends literal interpretations.
35. Wordsworth rejected poetic diction that was:
A) Simple and plain
B) Derived from everyday language
C) Artificial and ornate
D) Based on natural description
Answer: C) Artificial and ornate
Explanation: He believed poetry should reflect the real language of men in rustic life.
36. According to Henry James, the quality of a novel depends on:
A) Its length
B) Its moral judgment
C) The amount of plot twists
D) Its execution
Answer: D) Its execution
Explanation: James maintained that what matters is not the subject, but how it is handled.
37. Matthew Arnold emphasized the importance of:
A) National pride
B) Historical documentation
C) Disinterestedness in criticism
D) Commercial success
Answer: C) Disinterestedness in criticism
Explanation: Arnold argued that criticism should be free of bias and personal interest.
38. Coleridge’s primary imagination is described as:
A) Reflective and deliberate
B) Passive and unconscious
C) Supernatural
D) A poetic device
Answer: B) Passive and unconscious
Explanation: He defined primary imagination as the natural human capacity to perceive the world.
39. Richards’ Practical Criticism method focuses on:
A) Authorial biography
B) Cultural context
C) Close reading without external information
D) Reader surveys
Answer: C) Close reading without external information
Explanation: Richards’ method isolates the text to evaluate reader response and interpretation.
40. Eliot’s objective correlative means:
A) A poet's diary
B) A symbolic object
C) A pattern of images and actions that evoke emotion
D) A literary genre
Answer: C) A pattern of images and actions that evoke emotion
Explanation: Eliot argued that emotions in poetry should be expressed through concrete, correlating objects or events.
41. In Indian aesthetics, the ultimate experience of art is termed:
A) Bhava
B) Rasa
C) Kavya
D) Alankara
Answer: B) Rasa
Explanation: Rasa is the emotional flavor or aesthetic experience that art aims to evoke.
42. Horace believed that a poet must:
A) Write instinctively
B) Avoid reading others
C) Blend natural talent with study
D) Write only for nobles
Answer: C) Blend natural talent with study
Explanation: Horace advocated combining inspiration with disciplined learning.
43. Saussure saw language as:
A) A social product
B) A private creation
C) An artistic tool
D) A divine gift
Answer: A) A social product
Explanation: He emphasized language as a social institution governed by rules and conventions.
44. Dhvani works best when:
A) Meanings are ambiguous
B) Language is highly literal
C) Imagery is realistic
D) The poet is anonymous
Answer: A) Meanings are ambiguous
Explanation: Suggestive power in poetry arises when meanings are open and layered.
45. In “Biographia Literaria,” Coleridge contrasts imagination with:
A) Metaphor
B) Understanding
C) Allegory
D) Diction
Answer: B) Understanding
Explanation: Coleridge distinguished imagination (creative synthesis) from mere understanding (logical analysis).
46. Eliot views tradition as:
A) A fixed canon
B) A burden
C) A dynamic relationship with the past
D) An obstacle to originality
Answer: C) A dynamic relationship with the past
Explanation: He argued that tradition involves both inheritance and innovation.
47. The signified, in Saussure's model, refers to:
A) The physical form
B) The written symbol
C) The concept or meaning
D) The dictionary
Answer: C) The concept or meaning
Explanation: The signified is the mental concept evoked by the signifier.
48. Wordsworth’s view of the poet emphasizes:
A) Detachment
B) Imitation
C) Superior sensitivity
D) Rule-following
Answer: C) Superior sensitivity
Explanation: He described poets as possessing a deeper insight and emotional awareness than average people.
49. Matthew Arnold saw poetry as:
A) Mere entertainment
B) An inferior substitute for religion
C) A criticism of life
D) An emotional escape
Answer: C) A criticism of life
Explanation: Arnold believed poetry should reflect moral and philosophical truths about human experience.
50. In Longinus' view, the sublime in literature:
A) Imitates life accurately
B) Aims for ornate expression
C) Elevates the soul and mind
D) Avoids emotional excess
Answer: C) Elevates the soul and mind
Explanation: Sublimity, for Longinus, inspires awe and transports readers beyond ordinary experience.
51. According to Dryden in 'An Essay of Dramatic Poesy', which form of drama did he defend?
A) Classical drama
B) French drama
C) English drama
D) Greek tragedy
Answer: C) English drama
Explanation: Dryden defended English drama for its variety and liveliness against French classical unities.
52. Wordsworth’s main argument in the 'Preface to Lyrical Ballads' is that poetry should:
A) Follow strict meter
B) Use elevated language
C) Use the language of common men
D) Avoid emotion
Answer: C) Use the language of common men
Explanation: Wordsworth emphasized simplicity and the everyday language of rural people in poetry.
53. In Biographia Literaria, Coleridge distinguishes between:
A) Tragedy and comedy
B) Fancy and imagination
C) Sublime and beautiful
D) Tragic flaw and catharsis
Answer: B) Fancy and imagination
Explanation: Coleridge distinguishes between the mechanical fancy and the creative imagination.
54. Matthew Arnold believed that poetry should:
A) Entertain
B) Teach moral lessons
C) Replace religion
D) Be purely aesthetic
Answer: C) Replace religion
Explanation: Arnold saw poetry as a substitute for religion in modern life.
55. In 'The Art of Fiction', Henry James asserts that:
A) Novels should avoid realism
B) Morality is central to fiction
C) Fiction is a serious art form
D) Fiction must follow classical rules
Answer: C) Fiction is a serious art form
Explanation: James defends fiction as a serious, artistic, and flexible literary form.
56. According to Saussure, the linguistic sign is composed of:
A) Word and object
B) Concept and sound-image
C) Image and symbol
D) Sound and grammar
Answer: B) Concept and sound-image
Explanation: Saussure defined a sign as the union of the 'signified' (concept) and 'signifier' (sound-image).
57. Saussure emphasized that language is a system of:
A) Signs
B) Symbols
C) Images
D) Objects
Answer: A) Signs
Explanation: He viewed language as a structured system of interrelated signs.
58. T.S. Eliot’s idea of tradition involves:
A) Rejecting the past
B) Repeating old forms
C) A historical sense
D) Following one’s emotions
Answer: C) A historical sense
Explanation: Eliot emphasized that tradition requires a historical consciousness of past literature.
59. In 'Tradition and the Individual Talent', Eliot compares the poet to:
A) A prophet
B) A philosopher
C) A catalyst
D) A critic
Answer: C) A catalyst
Explanation: Eliot describes the poet as a catalyst who brings together emotions and feelings into poetry.
60. I.A. Richards in 'Two Uses of Language' distinguishes between:
A) Sign and symbol
B) Imagination and reason
C) Emotive and referential language
D) Poetry and prose
Answer: C) Emotive and referential language
Explanation: Richards analyzed how language can be used to express emotion or refer to objects and facts.
61. Bharata's Natyashastra introduces the concept of Rasa, which means:
A) Structure
B) Emotion
C) Plot
D) Hero
Answer: B) Emotion
Explanation: Rasa refers to the aesthetic flavor or emotional essence experienced by the audience.
62. The Dhvani theory was primarily developed by:
A) Bharata
B) Abhinavagupta
C) Anandavardhana
D) Mammata
Answer: C) Anandavardhana
Explanation: Anandavardhana introduced the Dhvani theory, which emphasizes suggestion as the soul of poetry.
63. Which of the following is not one of the nine Rasas?
A) Shringara
B) Hasya
C) Bhakti
D) Veera
Answer: C) Bhakti
Explanation: Bhakti (devotion) is not one of the traditional nine Rasas listed in Natyashastra.
64. Longinus associates the Sublime with:
A) Grammar rules
B) Figurative language
C) Spiritual upliftment
D) Pleasure
Answer: C) Spiritual upliftment
Explanation: Longinus emphasizes that true sublimity transports the soul and evokes awe.
65. Horace’s Ars Poetica mainly serves as a guide for:
A) Drama criticism
B) Epic composition
C) Literary decorum
D) Tragedy writing
Answer: C) Literary decorum
Explanation: Horace emphasized proportion, unity, and decorum in poetry and drama.
66. Dryden’s An Essay of Dramatic Poesy is in the form of:
A) Narrative
B) Dialogue
C) Monologue
D) Treatise
Answer: B) Dialogue
Explanation: The essay takes the form of a dialogue among four characters debating drama.
67. Wordsworth defined poetry as:
A) A moral discourse
B) A spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings
C) A set of rhythmic lines
D) A philosophical argument
Answer: B) A spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings
Explanation: Wordsworth famously defined poetry in terms of emotion recollected in tranquility.
68. Coleridge saw the imagination as:
A) A passive faculty
B) A mechanical process
C) A vital and synthetic power
D) A poetic limitation
Answer: C) A vital and synthetic power
Explanation: Coleridge distinguished the creative imagination as an active, shaping force.
69. According to Matthew Arnold, the best poetry is a:
A) Criticism of life
B) Form of entertainment
C) Moral sermon
D) Historical record
Answer: A) Criticism of life
Explanation: Arnold described poetry as ‘a criticism of life’ guided by high seriousness.
70. Henry James emphasized that fiction must:
A) Imitate classical forms
B) Offer moral instruction
C) Be judged by how it is written
D) Avoid emotional expression
Answer: C) Be judged by how it is written
Explanation: James advocated for artistic freedom in fiction and stressed craftsmanship.
71. Saussure insisted that language is a:
A) Natural phenomenon
B) Fixed code
C) Social institution
D) Cognitive illusion
Answer: C) Social institution
Explanation: Language, for Saussure, is a system agreed upon by a speech community.
72. For Saussure, meaning in language arises from:
A) Literal reference
B) Historical change
C) Differences between signs
D) Cultural myths
Answer: C) Differences between signs
Explanation: Saussure held that linguistic signs derive meaning from relational differences.
73. Eliot’s doctrine of impersonality suggests:
A) The poet should express personal feelings
B) Poetry must reflect biography
C) Emotion must be detached
D) Art must shock the audience
Answer: C) Emotion must be detached
Explanation: Eliot argued that poetry is not the expression of personality, but an escape from it.
74. In 'Tradition and the Individual Talent', Eliot compares the poet’s mind to:
A) A sculpture
B) A mirror
C) A catalyst
D) A sponge
Answer: C) A catalyst
Explanation: The poet’s mind is a catalyst that unites feelings and ideas into a new compound.
75. I.A. Richards believed poetry could:
A) Be irrational
B) Disrupt social norms
C) Harmonize our impulses
D) Replace science
Answer: C) Harmonize our impulses
Explanation: Richards saw poetry as a tool to integrate and harmonize human responses.
76. In 'Practical Criticism', Richards emphasized:
A) The author’s intention
B) Reader response
C) Close reading without bias
D) Historical context
Answer: C) Close reading without bias
Explanation: Richards pioneered practical criticism, focusing on textual analysis over biography.
77. Which aesthetic concept from Indian poetics deals with suggestion as the essence of poetry?
A) Rasa
B) Alankara
C) Dhvani
D) Vakrokti
Answer: C) Dhvani
Explanation: Dhvani refers to suggestion or implied meaning, considered the soul of poetry by Anandavardhana.
78. The theory of Rasa includes how many principal emotional states?
A) Seven
B) Eight
C) Nine
D) Ten
Answer: C) Nine
Explanation: The Natyashastra describes nine Rasas including love, humor, heroism, and others.
79. Which literary figure is associated with the phrase 'Make it new'?
A) T.S. Eliot
B) Ezra Pound
C) F.R. Leavis
D) Cleanth Brooks
Answer: B) Ezra Pound
Explanation: Though not on the original list, Pound’s slogan encapsulates a modernist ethos relevant to Eliot’s circle.
80. The 'Objective Correlative' is a concept proposed by:
A) Richards
B) Arnold
C) Eliot
D) Coleridge
Answer: C) Eliot
Explanation: Eliot introduced the concept to explain how emotion in art should be evoked through a set of objects or situations.
81. In I.A. Richards' view, the main function of criticism is:
A) To judge literary quality
B) To reveal the author’s intent
C) To improve communication and understanding
D) To categorize texts
Answer: C) To improve communication and understanding
Explanation: Richards believed criticism helps clarify meanings and improve the reader’s mental integration.
82. According to Longinus, sublimity in literature arises from:
A) Personal emotion
B) Skillful plotting
C) Noble thoughts and strong emotions
D) Classical references
Answer: C) Noble thoughts and strong emotions
Explanation: Longinus linked sublimity to elevated thoughts and passionate expression.
83. Horace advises poets to:
A) Avoid mythological subjects
B) Aim to instruct and delight
C) Focus only on form
D) Ignore audience response
Answer: B) Aim to instruct and delight
Explanation: Horace’s famous dictum for poets is to instruct and entertain simultaneously.
84. For Dryden, the best drama:
A) Should imitate French models
B) Combines wit with naturalness
C) Must follow classical unities strictly
D) Should avoid rhyme
Answer: B) Combines wit with naturalness
Explanation: Dryden appreciated a balance of natural dialogue and intellectual wit in English drama.
85. Wordsworth’s rejection of poetic diction was part of his:
A) Classical influence
B) Political agenda
C) Romantic emphasis on simplicity
D) Scientific training
Answer: C) Romantic emphasis on simplicity
Explanation: Wordsworth promoted the use of everyday language to make poetry accessible and sincere.
86. Coleridge's distinction between primary and secondary imagination involves:
A) Passive and active creation
B) Music and painting
C) Memory and inspiration
D) Thought and feeling
Answer: A) Passive and active creation
Explanation: The primary imagination is universal and passive; the secondary is conscious and artistic.
87. Arnold saw poetry as a substitute for:
A) Entertainment
B) Religious faith
C) Political theory
D) Historical study
Answer: B) Religious faith
Explanation: Arnold believed poetry could take the place of religion in modern life through its moral and emotional guidance.
88. Henry James’s ideal novel is:
A) Preachy
B) Highly plotted
C) Character-driven and realistic
D) Experimental in form
Answer: C) Character-driven and realistic
Explanation: James favored psychological depth and realism over formulaic plotting.
89. Saussure’s concept of the linguistic sign involves:
A) Sound and script
B) Signifier and signified
C) Word and image
D) Writing and speech
Answer: B) Signifier and signified
Explanation: Saussure’s model shows how meaning arises from the relationship between a sound/image (signifier) and concept (signified).
90. Eliot believed that the past:
A) Hinders creative originality
B) Must be ignored
C) Must be transformed by the present
D) Exists outside time
Answer: C) Must be transformed by the present
Explanation: In "Tradition and the Individual Talent," Eliot argued for a dynamic interaction between past and present art.
91. The 'affective fallacy' is a term coined to criticize:
A) Emotional poetry
B) Overemphasis on reader’s response
C) Psychological criticism
D) Marxist interpretation
Answer: B) Overemphasis on reader’s response
Explanation: The affective fallacy warns against judging a text based solely on its emotional effects on the reader.
92. Which Indian thinker expanded on the Rasa theory?
A) Kuntaka
B) Anandavardhana
C) Abhinavagupta
D) Vishwanatha
Answer: C) Abhinavagupta
Explanation: Abhinavagupta enriched Bharata’s Rasa theory with psychological and spiritual dimensions.
93. Longinus believed that sublime writing can:
A) Bore readers
B) Persuade by logic
C) Elevate the soul
D) Follow strict rules
Answer: C) Elevate the soul
Explanation: Sublimity, according to Longinus, inspires awe and elevates both writer and audience.
94. According to Coleridge, the imagination reconciles:
A) Nature and art
B) Reason and passion
C) Opposing or discordant qualities
D) Sound and sense
Answer: C) Opposing or discordant qualities
Explanation: Coleridge praised imagination for uniting conflicting elements into harmonious wholes.
95. Eliot's criticism often centers on:
A) The poet’s life
B) Moral value
C) Poetic structure and tradition
D) Plot development
Answer: C) Poetic structure and tradition
Explanation: Eliot emphasized structural rigor and continuity with literary tradition in poetry.
96. Wordsworth considered the language of poetry to be:
A) Lofty and elevated
B) Artificial
C) Like the language of common men
D) Latinized
Answer: C) Like the language of common men
Explanation: Wordsworth rejected ornate diction in favor of ordinary, rustic speech.
97. For Henry James, the role of the novelist is to:
A) Entertain the masses
B) Educate children
C) Capture the complexities of experience
D) Moralize
Answer: C) Capture the complexities of experience
Explanation: James sought to reflect the nuanced, often ambiguous nature of human consciousness in fiction.
98. Richards introduced the concept of 'semantic noise' to mean:
A) Loud sounds
B) Grammatical error
C) Miscommunication due to emotional bias
D) Technical jargon
Answer: C) Miscommunication due to emotional bias
Explanation: Richards explored how emotions or assumptions can distort understanding in communication.
99. In Indian aesthetics, 'bhava' refers to:
A) Fixed meaning
B) Structural unity
C) Emotive state or feeling
D) Literary device
Answer: C) Emotive state or feeling
Explanation: Bhava is the psychological state that evokes Rasa in the audience.
100. The “touchstone method” in criticism was proposed by:
A) I.A. Richards
B) T.S. Eliot
C) Matthew Arnold
D) Henry James
Answer: C) Matthew Arnold
Explanation: Arnold suggested comparing poems to ‘touchstones’—passages from great poetry—to evaluate their worth.
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