UNIT II: PREFACE TO THE LYRICAL BALLADS- WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:

1. For Wordsworth the function of poetry is to give

a) joy
b) happiness
c) catharsis
d) pleasure
2. To Wordsworth, poetry is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, emotions
recollected in
a) images
b) tranquility
c) simple life
d) sensation
3. Wordworth’s poet is a man speaking to
a) everyone
b) his readers
c) men
d) nature
4. The function of poetry is both to instruct and delight, but for Wordsworth it is to give
a) exaltation
b) pleasure
c) dictation
d) purgation
5. The dominant theme of Wordsworth’s preface is
a) poetic diction
b) poetic argument
c) poetic criticism
d) poetic license
6. Wordsworth’s preface declares the dawn of
a) English Romantic Movement
b) British Romantic Movement
c) European Romantic Movement
d) Anglo-saxon Romantic Movement
7. Wordsworth’s preface can be seen as a forceful plea for simplicity both in
a) idea and feeling
b) sentiment an d exposition
c) expression and elucidation
 d) theme and treatment
8. Wordsworth was primarily
a) a critic
b) a poet
c) an essayist
d) a philosopher
9. The Preface to the Lyrical Ballads was published in

a) 1798
b) 1799
c) 1800
d) 1801
10. The Principal object in the Lyrical Ballads was to choose incidents and situations from
a) urban life
b) agrarian life
c) common life
d) genteel life
11. Poems of value are produced by a man who possess more than usual organic
sensibility and had also thought
a) in tranquility
b) long and deep
c) passionately
d) calmly
12. In the Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth's purpose was to imitate and adopt the very
language of
a) the neoclassics
b) metre
c) men
d) the classics
13. Which of the following is not true?
a) Lyrical Ballads marked the beginning of the Romantic Age
b) Wordsworth believed that simple language creates better poems than complicated
language
c) Nature is a savage force that needs to be conquered by technology
d) Lyrical Ballads received mixed reviews when it was originally published in1798
14. In what ways is the Lyrical Ballads different from much of the poetry that was popular
when it was published?
a) It features poems that focus on nature and rural community
b) It calls for rigid poetic forms
c) It sought for poems that are more complicated
d) It sought to stimulate the reasoning mind rather than produce an emotional
response
15. Wordsworth justifies the use of metre and denounces the ____________ of the Neo-
Classical poets for their artificiality.
 a) verse
b) rhyme
c) poetic diction
d) tradition
16. Wordsworth quoted ____________ who said, “Poetry is the most philosophical of all
writings”.
a) Aristotle
b) Horace
c) Homer
d) Virgil

17. An Appendix on Poetic Diction was added to the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads
in_____.
a) 1800
b) 1798
c) 1805
d) 1802

18. According to Wordsworth the understanding of the reader must necessarily be in some
degree…
(a) Enlightened
(b) Disheartened
(c) Motivated
(d) Contentment
19. Wordsworth said that Poetry is the image of
(a) Man and Science
(b) Man and Society
(c) Man and Nature
(d) Nature and Science
20. According to Wordsworth Poetry is the first and last of all…
(a) Wisdom
(b) Truth
(c) Inspiration
(d) Knowledge
21. Wordsworth gives much importance to the ________ of poetry

a) Fancy
b) Language
c) Feelings
d) Imagination
22. Who comments, “the end of writing is to instruct, The end of poetry is to instruct by
pleasing”
a) Shakespeare
b) Arnold
 c) Dr. Johnson
d) None of the above
23. The only difference between the language of Prose and the language of Poetry
is_________
a) Use of Rhythm
b) Use of Words
c) Use of feelings
d) Use of Metre
24. According to Wordsworth ____________ is not essential to poetry
a) Metre
b) Imagination
c) Talent
d) Rhyme
25. A primary function of poetry according to Wordsworth is to give ___________ for his
readers
a) Knowledge
b) Pleasure
c) Idea
d) Truth

26. Poetry is “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” according to

a) Arnold
b) T. S Eliot
c) Johnson
d) Wordsworth

27. Wordsworth chosen the various aspects of __________

a) Royal and rich life

b) War and peace life
c) Humble and Rustic life
d) Nature and poets life
28. The Poetic Composition take place in ______ stages
a) Four
b) Eight
c) Two
d) Six
29. “Poetry is emotions recollected in tranquility”. Who has defined poetry in these
words?
a) Shelley
b) Matthew Arnold
c) S. T. Coleridge
d) Wordsworth
30. Rustic life is more noble and permanent because they are connected with the objects
of_______
a) Real life
b) Truth
c) Nature
d) Fancy

31. Wordsworth remarks that Poetry and Painting are

a) Sisters
b) Siblings
c) Brother
d) Children
32. Wordsworth states, “Poetry sheds no tears such as Angels weep, but natural and
a) earthly tears”
b) childish tears”
c) human tears”
d) mournful tears”
33. Wordsworth believes that a poet is,
a) “a man speaking to poets”
b) “a man speaking to men”
c) “a man speaking to human”
d) “a man speaking to God”
34. Wordsworth feels that Poetry is the image of
a) human beings and nature
b) men and women
c) God and human
d) man and nature
35. The language of every good poem can in no respect differ from that of good __.

a) Drama
b) Prose
c) Novel
d) Tragi- comedy
36. Wordsworth said the poet should use the __ for removing what would otherwise be
painful or disgusting in the passion.
a) Principal of selection
b) Metrical composition
c) Personification of abstract ideas
d) Real language of men
37. Who said that poetry is the most philosophic of all writing?
a) William Wordsworth
b) William Shakespeare
c) Aristotle
d) Matthew Arnold
38. In what ways is Lyrical Ballads different from much of the poetry that was popular
when it was published?
a) It calls for even more strict and rigid poetic forms
b) It features poems that focus on nature and rural communities
c) It contains poems that are more complicated and academic in tone.
d) It sought to stimulate the reader’s reasoning mind.
39. According to Wordsworth, poetic diction has
a) Rules
b) No rules
c) Rustic language
d) Simple language
40. According to Wordsworth, prose and poetry differs by
a) Style
b) Emotion
c) Preface
d) Metre

KEY:

1. D
2. B
3. C
4. b
5. A
6. A
7. D
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. B
12. C
13. C
14. A
15. C
16. A
17. D
18. A
19. C
20. D
21. B
22. C
23. D
24. A
25. B
26. D
27. C
28. A
29. D
30. C
31. A
32. C
33. A
34. D
35. B
36. A
37. C
38. B
39. B
40. D

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS:

1. The 1802 ______ written by Wordsworth is considered the standard text.

2. For Wordsworth, the function of poetry was to________.
3. All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful_________.
4. Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, it is the impassioned
expression which is in the countenance of all ______
5. The style and manner of the best poetry their special character, their accent, is
given by their diction and, even yet more by their __________.
6. Poetry is the first and last of all ______ - it is immortal as the heart of man.
7. Wordsworth states that there is no essential difference between the language
of ________ and the language of poetry.
8. Wordsworth said that every poem has a worthy _____.
9. Wordsworth “Preface to the Lyrical Ballads” was published in ________
10. In Wordsworth’s poems __________ are most important then action and
situation
11. Wordsworth justifies the use of metre and condemns the use of _________
12. According to Wordsworth, poetic composition takes place in _______ stages
13. ___________ poetic diction was famous in Wordsworth's age
14. The aim of poetry, according to Wordsworth is to afford_________
15. In Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth preferred to use a ‘selection of language really
used by ______’.
16. ‘The language of every good poem can in no respect differ from that of good
__.
17. Wordsworth said the poet should use the principal of ____ for removing what
would otherwise be painful or disgusting in the passion.
18. _________ said that poetry is the most philosophic of all writing
19. Wordsworth says that “Poetry is _______ recollected in tranquillity”.
20. Rustic life is more noble and permanent because they are connected with the
objects of_______

KEY:

1. preface
2. instruct
3. feelings
4. science
5. movement
6. knowledge
7. prose
8. Purpose
9. 1800
10. Feelings
11. Poetic diction
12. Four stages
13. Artificial
14. Pleasure
15. Men
16. Prose
17. Selection
18. Aristotle
19. Emotions
20. Nature