Paper: English Poetry: Romantic to Victorian
Level: Master Degree 2nd Semester Examination 2013
Full Marks: 80
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1. Short Answers (within 50 words each)
(a) Which river does Wordsworth refer to in his poem ‘Tintern Abbey’?
👉 Wordsworth refers to the River Wye in his poem ‘Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey’. The poet revisits the banks of the Wye after five years and reflects on nature’s healing power and his deep spiritual connection with it.
(b) State two of the major themes of ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
👉 Two major themes are:
- Sin and Redemption – The Mariner’s killing of the albatross brings punishment and spiritual suffering.
- Love and Reverence for Nature – True peace comes from love for all God’s creatures.
(c) Define an image with suitable examples.
👉 An image is a word or phrase that appeals to our senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).
Example: “A host of golden daffodils” (Wordsworth) creates a vivid visual image of flowers dancing in the breeze.
(d) State two characteristic traits of Matthew Arnold as a Victorian poet.
👉 1. Moral seriousness – Arnold’s poems express deep concern for faith and morality.
2. Melancholy tone – His works, like ‘Dover Beach’, show sadness over the loss of faith and spiritual certainty.
(e) What is a dramatic monologue?
👉 A dramatic monologue is a poem in which a single speaker reveals his thoughts and feelings to a silent listener.
Example: Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’.
(f) Mention two characteristics of Renaissance Art.
👉 1. Humanism – Focus on human beauty, emotions, and individualism.
2. Realism and Perspective – Use of light, shadow, and depth to make paintings lifelike.
2. Short Essay Answers (100–150 words each)
(a) How does Arnold view the idea of culture?
👉 Arnold, in his essay ‘Culture and Anarchy’, views culture as the pursuit of human perfection. For him, culture means knowing “the best that has been thought and said.” It is not luxury but a means to balance human life through sweetness and light. Arnold believes culture develops when people combine curiosity with moral and intellectual refinement. He sees it as a way to counter materialism and restore faith and harmony in a divided society.
(b) State the important themes of ‘Ode to the West Wind’.
👉 The main themes are power of nature, death and rebirth, and the poet’s desire for renewal. The West Wind represents both destruction and preservation—it scatters dead leaves (death) but also spreads seeds for new life (rebirth). Shelley uses the wind as a symbol of his poetic inspiration and wishes to spread his revolutionary ideas through it.
(c) Discuss the significance of ‘Lucy Poems’.
👉 Wordsworth’s ‘Lucy Poems’ express his deep love and admiration for a mysterious girl named Lucy, who symbolizes purity and beauty in nature. Her death represents the inevitable loss that comes with human life. These poems combine personal emotion with nature’s calmness and simplicity, revealing Wordsworth’s belief that nature and human emotion are deeply connected.
(d) Comment on Coleridge’s poetic style in ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
👉 Coleridge’s poetic style combines supernatural elements with realistic imagery. His use of musical rhythm, old ballad form, and vivid descriptions creates a mysterious and haunting atmosphere. Through powerful symbols like the albatross and the sea, he explores guilt, punishment, and redemption. His language is simple yet highly imaginative, giving the poem a dreamlike quality.
(e) Discuss the use of imagery in ‘Ode to Autumn’.
👉 Keats uses rich sensory imagery to celebrate the beauty of autumn. He appeals to the senses of sight (“mellow fruitfulness”), sound (“wailful choir the small gnats mourn”), and touch (“soft-dying day”). The poem personifies autumn as a reaper and a gleaner, showing harmony between nature and human life. The imagery conveys both abundance and the gentle sadness of time passing.
3. Explain with Reference to Context (200–250 words each)
(a) “Five years have past, five summers…” — (Tintern Abbey)
👉 These opening lines show Wordsworth’s return to the banks of the River Wye after five years. The poet recalls the peaceful landscape that has remained in his memory. The repetition of “five” emphasizes the long passage of time. He now experiences deeper spiritual joy and maturity, realizing that nature is not just a source of pleasure but a moral and spiritual guide. The “soft inland murmur” of the waters symbolizes calmness and inner peace. This passage marks the beginning of the poet’s reflection on how nature shapes human thought and character.
(b) “Farewell, farewell! but this I tell…” — (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
👉 These lines come at the end of Coleridge’s poem. The Ancient Mariner tells the Wedding Guest that true prayer and love must include all of God’s creatures. His moral lesson—“He prayeth well who loveth well”—expresses his spiritual realization after suffering. The lines convey the theme of universal love, repentance, and the sanctity of all living things. The repetition of “farewell” reflects both parting and wisdom gained from experience.
(c) “O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s beauty…” — (Ode to the West Wind)
👉 Shelley personifies the West Wind as a mighty, divine force of nature that both destroys and preserves. The imagery of dead leaves as “ghosts from an enchanter fleeing” shows the cleansing power of the wind. The poet admires its energy and wishes that his own spirit could rise like the wind to spread his ideas and bring renewal to mankind. The colors “yellow, black, pale, and hectic red” symbolize both decay and the promise of regeneration.
(d) “Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain…” — (Dover Beach)
👉 These lines reflect Arnold’s deep pessimism and loss of faith in the modern world. The “darkling plain” symbolizes confusion, conflict, and spiritual darkness. The poet compares human existence to a battlefield where “ignorant armies clash by night,” meaning people fight blindly without purpose or guidance. This passage sums up Arnold’s view of the Victorian age as one of doubt, spiritual decay, and lost harmony.
(e) “For summer has o’er-brimmed their clammy cells…” — (To Autumn)
👉 Keats here describes bees filling their honeycombs to the brim, symbolizing the abundance and fulfillment of autumn. The poet uses rich imagery to present the season as mature, fruitful, and complete. Autumn is portrayed as a time of satisfaction before the decline of winter. This passage reveals Keats’s central theme—beauty, transience, and the natural cycle of growth and decay.
(d) Attempt a critical appreciation of ‘To Autumn’.
👉 ‘To Autumn’ is one of Keats’s most perfect odes, celebrating the season of maturity and plenty. The poem personifies Autumn as a calm, beautiful woman engaged in rural activities. Keats uses vivid imagery and musical language to express the richness of life. However, beneath the beauty lies the awareness of time and the coming of winter, symbolizing life’s transience. The poem captures Keats’s philosophy of accepting beauty and death as natural parts of existence.
(e) How does Lippi’s painting mark a transition from Medieval to Renaissance painting?
👉 In Browning’s poem ‘Fra Lippo Lippi’, the artist speaks about his desire to paint life as it truly is. Unlike Medieval art, which focused on religious symbols, Lippi paints real human forms with emotion and vitality. This marks the Renaissance spirit of humanism and realism. Browning shows sympathy with Lippi’s view, supporting the idea that art should express both body and soul, celebrating earthly beauty as divine creation.
(f) How does Arnold integrate the theme of loss of faith with the theme of love in ‘Dover Beach’?
👉 In ‘Dover Beach’, Arnold contrasts the beauty of nature with the spiritual emptiness of the modern world. The “Sea of Faith” has withdrawn, leaving humanity in confusion. Yet, he turns to love as the only source of hope and truth. His appeal to his beloved—“Ah, love, let us be true”—shows that love can offer comfort and meaning amid uncertainty.
4. Long Answers (300–400 words each)
(a) In ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ Coleridge expresses his concern for moral and spiritual values. Discuss.
👉 Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ is a moral and spiritual allegory. The Mariner’s senseless killing of the albatross represents sin against nature and God. His subsequent suffering—thirst, isolation, and guilt—reflects divine punishment. Through repentance and prayer, he regains spiritual peace. The poem teaches that all forms of life are sacred and interconnected. Coleridge blends the supernatural with moral symbolism to show the path from sin to redemption. The Mariner’s final message—“He prayeth well who loveth well”—expresses the central Christian belief in universal love. Thus, the poem moves from crime to punishment and finally to moral salvation.
(b) Write a critical note on the autobiographical elements of ‘Tintern Abbey’.
👉 ‘Tintern Abbey’ reflects Wordsworth’s personal experiences and emotional growth. The poem records his return to the Wye Valley after five years. It expresses his early delight in nature’s beauty and his later understanding of its spiritual power. Wordsworth contrasts his youthful excitement with mature reflection, showing how nature shapes moral and intellectual development. The mention of his sister Dorothy also shows his love for family and faith in nature’s lasting influence. The poem is both a recollection and a confession, making it deeply autobiographical.
(c) Discuss the major thematic concerns of ‘Ode to the West Wind’.
👉 Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’ explores themes of power, transformation, freedom, and poetic inspiration. The West Wind symbolizes a mighty natural force that destroys decay and spreads renewal. Shelley identifies with the wind, praying to be its “lyre,” to spread his thoughts across the world. The poem expresses both personal despair and political hope for human regeneration. Through its vivid imagery and rhythmic flow, Shelley presents nature as a divine power that renews both the earth and the human spirit. The final line—“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”—ends the poem with faith in rebirth and change.
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