Kerala SET Paper 2 Mock Test - 4 (English) - KTET MCQ

The correct answer is 'The transience of human life'.

 Key Points

• Tennyson's "Break, Break, Break" is a meditation on the transience of human life and the inevitability of death.
• The speaker reflects on the death of his beloved and the realization that all things must eventually pass away.
• The poem is full of images of the sea, which is a symbol of the vastness and mystery of life and death.
• Tennyson's "Break, Break, Break" also explores the themes of grief and longing.
• The speaker's repeated use of the word "break" emphasizes the sense of fragmentation and loss.
• The poem is written in a simple, yet evocative style, which contributes to its emotional impact.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 4'.

Additional Information

• The poem is also known for its use of assonance and alliteration, which create a sense of rhythm and flow. 

The correct answer is School Master and Toxophillus.

Key Points

• Roger Ascham (1515-1568) was one of the most renowned early humanists.
• He was Queen Elizabeth's tutor.
• He is best known for his enlightened book on education, The Schoolmaster.
• In an early work on the love of archery, Toxophilus, Ascham has some wise comments on wit which is similar to the lover characters of Shakespeare.

Therefore the correct answer is Option 4.

Additional Information

• Thomas Elyot was born before 1490 and died in 1546. Some works written by him are:  
  • The Boke named the Governour (1531)
  • Of the Knowledge which maketh a Wise Man (1533).
• The Boke named the Governour is considered to be the first educational treatise in English. 

In book 11 of Paradise Lost, God sends Michael to banish Adam and Eve from paradise and tell them about the future of mankind. In Book 12 Michael told that they will have access to many signs of God’s presence and show Adam the visions of future of Mankind furthermore the coming of Christ as Redeemer of Mankind.

The foreknowledge of future consoles them and they take each other’s hands, and make their way through Eden.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift is both a satire on human nature and a parody or the "travelers' tales" literary sub-genre, It is Swift's best known full-length work, and a classic of English literature. The reasons for the book's classic status is that it can be seen as many things to many different people. Broadly. the hook has three themes: I. a satirical view of the state of European government, and of petty differences between religions, 2. an inquiry into whether men are inherently corrupt or whether they become corrupted, 3 a restatement of older "anciente versus moderns" controversy previously addressed by Swift in The Battle of the Books. 

Each part is the reverse of the receding part - Gulliver is big/small/wise/ignorant, the countries are complex/simple/scientific/natural, forms of government are worse/better than England's. Gulliver's view between parts contrasts with its other coinciding part - Gulliver sees the tiny Lilliputians as being vicious and unscrupulous, and then the king of Brobdingnag sees Europe in exactly the same light. Gulliver sees the Laputians as unreasonable, and Gulliver's Houyhnhnm master sees humanity as equally so. No form of government is ideal-The simplistic Brobdingnagians enjoy public executions and have streets infested with beggars, the honest and upright Houyhnhnms who have no word for lying are happy to suppress the true nature of Gulliver as a Yahoo and are equally unconcerned about his reaction to being expelled. Specific individuals may be good even where the race is bad-Gulliver finds a friend in each of his travels and, despite Gulliver's rejection and horror toward all Yahoos, he is treated very well by the Portuguese captain, Dom Pedro, who returns him to England at the end of the novel.

The correct answer is 'It disregards the intricate structure and unity of the poem.'

Key Points

• Cleanth Brooks, a prominent figure in the New Criticism movement, argues against the simplification of poetry through paraphrase, highlighting how this practice can miss the inherent complexity of poetic works.
• He asserts that a poem's meaning cannot be divorced from its form; the structure, rhythm, imagery, and word choice all contribute to its overall significance and emotional impact.
• Paraphrasing a poem into prose, according to Brooks, strips it of its poetic qualities and unity, reducing a multifaceted work to a mere summary of its content.
• Brooks emphasizes the integral unity of form and content within poetry, arguing that the unique arrangement of words and the specific choices made by the poet are essential to the poem's meaning.
• He suggests that the act of paraphrasing fails to capture the nuances and subtleties that give a poem its depth and resonance, effectively flattening the rich texture of the original work.
• For Brooks, the beauty and power of poetry lie in its ability to convey complex ideas and emotions in an inseparable blend of content and form, a quality that paraphrasing inherently undermines.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Option 1: Incorrect because Brooks's argument centers not on the author's intention but on how paraphrasing fails to capture the poem's formal qualities.
• Option 3: Incorrect as Brooks does not limit his critique to aesthetic aspects; he focuses on the structural and interpretative aspects of poetry.
• Option 4: Incorrect because Brooks believes paraphrasing diminishes, rather than enhances, understanding by ignoring the poem's formal complexity.

Tamburlaine the Great is a play in two parts by Christopher Marlowe. It is loosely based on the life of the Central Asian emperor, Timur. Written in 1587 or 1588, the play is a milestone in Elizabethan public drama; it marks a turning away from the clumsy language and loose plotting of the earlier Tudor dramatists, and a new interest in fresh and vivid language, memorable action, and intellectual complexity. Along with Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy, it may be considered the first popular success of London's public stage.

Whispers of Immortality” is a poem by one of the most remarkable poet and critic of Modern Age. Eliot took three characters from real life and compare their contrasting outlook towards life and tried to interpretate the essence of Immortality. In the first section, he took John Webster, Jacobean Dramatist and his extremely pessimistic and negative outlook for life and said Webster was much possessed with death, and saw the skull beneath the skin Webster can’t seem to see the beauty of skin but always finds the negativity.

” The second character highlighted by Eliot is John Donne, a great metaphysical poet. Eliot describe him as an “expert beyond experience, “. He knew the anguish of the marrow/The ague of the skeleton. ” Donne presented to be symbolic of someone who has seen the world and that nothing exciting left any longer.

Note: The title of poem “Whispers of Immortality” is a feeble parody of William Wordsworth’s title of the poem, Intimations of Mortality.

The correct answer is William Wordsworth: 'An Essay on Man'. Key Points

• An Essay on Man is a poem published by Alexander Pope in 1733–1734.
• It was dedicated to Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke.
• It is an affirmative poem of faith.

          Thus, 'option 1' is the correct answer.​ Additional Information

• "Tradition and the Individual Talent" is an essay written by poet and literary critic T. S. Eliot.
• The Biographia Literaria is a critical autobiography by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published in 1817 in two volumes. 
• 'A Study of Poetry' is a critical essay by Matthew Arnold. 

The correct answer is A-iv, B-iii, C-ii, D-v, E-i.

Important Points

 Let's look at the different writers and their works:

• Desire in Language is a book by Julia Kristeva.
  • It contends that the relationship between language and society is crucial to understanding the construction of meaning through literary narratives.
  • She argues that the metaphysical premises upon which language rests are essential in exposing the signifying process—the subject matter of semiotics.
•  Can the Subaltern Speak? is a book by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. In this essay, he argues that the abolition of the Hindu rite of Sati in India by the British ”has been generally understood as a case of ”White men saving brown women from brown men''.
• This Sex Which Is Not One is a book by Luce Irigaray. Here she elaborates on some of the major themes of Speculum of the Other Woman.
• Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity is a book by the philosopher Judith Butler, in which the author argues that gender is a kind of improvised performance.
• The Laugh of the Medusa is an essay by French feminist critic Hélène Cixous. Originally written in French as "Le Rire de la Méduse" in 1975, was translated into English by Paula Cohen and Keith Cohen in 1976.

The correct answer is the year 1667.

Key Points

• In the 1667 version of Paradise Lost, the poem was divided into ten books. However, in the 1674 edition, the text was reorganized into twelve books.
• Paradise Lost is an epic poem that has 12 books, with more than 10,500 lines.
• Written in blank verse, telling the biblical tale of the Fall of Mankind.
• the moment when Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
• God banished them from the Garden of Eden forever.
• Paradice lost is written by John Milton.

Therefore the correct answer is Option 1.

• Jacques Derrida, a French philosopher best known for developing the groundbreaking theory of deconstruction. Derrida was known and appraised worldwide for his views and America is not an exception.

• Geoffrey Hartman, Paul de Man, J. Hills Miller were literary critics, theorists, and philosophers of literature and influenced by Jacques Derrida’s philosophy of deconstruction.

• These theorists were affiliated with Yale University (America) in the late 1970s and some of the theorists of Yale School. These three theorists and Harold Bloom considered to be prominent literary critics and American disciples of Derrida as well.

The correct answer is 'An aesthetic quality that evokes a feeling of grandeur and awe.'

Key Points

• Longinus's concept of the Sublime refers to an aesthetic quality in literature and other arts that inspires deep emotion, particularly awe or wonder.
• It surpasses ordinary speech to touch the audience or readers on a profound level.
• The Sublime can be achieved through powerful use of language, grand ideas, profound thoughts, or by evoking intense emotions.
• This concept is not just about beauty, but about an overwhelming greatness that challenges and elevates the human spirit.
• Longinus believed that experiencing the Sublime could lead to a moment of transcendence, where the audience or reader feels elevated beyond their ordinary experiences.

There are four dialects of old English: Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish, and West Saxon. Thus, “Irish” is the odd one out. Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic (Gaelic) language that originated in Ireland and has been historically spoken by the Irish people.

The Grammar-Translation method, also known as the classical method of Language Teaching, is one of the oldest or traditional methods of teaching English. In this method, the excessive importance given to accuracy and competence in written rather than oral language. The emphasis is mainly on translation of English words, phrases, and passages into and from the mother tongue of a learner.

It does not help in achieving fluency in target language as little or no attention is given to pronunciation. It never help the learner to achieve competency in appropriateness of language according to situation as there is no activities of using target language in real life situation in this method.

This line was written by Tennyson in his poem "Milton" composed in 1863.

The correct answer is The Importance of Being Earnest

Key Points

• The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde.
• It was first performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London.
• First performed on 14 February 1895, it was published in the same year.
• Performance is a central theme in The Importance of Being Earnest. Both of Wilde's main characters, Jack and Algernon, lead double lives, which means that they are each pretending to be someone they are not, or performing.

Therefore the correct answer is Option 4.

Additional Information

• Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and social critic.
  • He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the
  • His novels include  The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems is a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798 and generally considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature.The immediate effect on critics was modest, but it became and remains a landmark, changing the course of English literature and poetry.

French postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) is considered to be one of the most intellectual figures of the present age. Philosophy, social theory, and an idiosyncratic cultural metaphysics are a few of his fields of study.
His best-known works include 'Simulacra and Simulation' (1981), 'America' (1986), and 'The Gulf War Did Not Take Place' (1991). In the 1991 work, Baudrillard points out that he fails to see the actual political stakes and reasons for the Vietnam war, as well as the significance of the struggles between capitalist and communist blocs. He argues that it was a media spectacle and not a genuine war.

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov primarily known as Maxim Gorky (Russian: Макси́м Го́рький), was a Russian and Soviet writer, ... Gorky's most famous works were The Lower Depths (1902), Twenty-six Men and a Girl ... For a significant part of his life, he was exiled from Russia and later the Soviet Union.

The correct answer is 'A sonnet sequence that delves into the unrequited love between Astrophel and Stella.'

Key Points

• "Astrophel and Stella" is a sonnet sequence written by Sir Philip Sidney, a prominent figure of the Elizabethan era.
• The sequence is composed of 108 sonnets and 11 songs, exploring the deep and often unrequited love that Astrophel holds for Stella.
• It is widely considered one of the finest Elizabethan sonnet sequences and marks a significant contribution to English literature.
• The sonnets detail Astrophel's admiration, love, and passion for Stella, touching upon themes of desire, beauty, and the struggles of unrequited love.
• Sidney uses the Petrarchan sonnet form but innovates within the structure, making his work stand out for its emotional depth and literary craftsmanship.
• "Astrophel and Stella" reflects Sidney's mastery in poetry and has influenced countless poets since its publication in the late 16th century.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• Option 1 inaccurately describes it as a pastoral comedy, which is not aligned with its form or themes.
• Option 3 and 4 misrepresent the content, suggesting it to be either a narrative or epic poem with focuses not present in Sidney's work.

The correct answer is 'The material conditions of society shape cultural phenomena.'

Key Points

• Cultural Materialism, coined by Raymond Williams, posits that the material conditions and economic structures of society play a crucial role in shaping cultural phenomena.
• Williams emphasized the interconnectedness of culture, economics, and social structures.
• Cultural Materialism challenges idealistic views that detach culture from its material and social context.
• According to Williams, understanding the material conditions helps unravel the meanings embedded in cultural practices and expressions.
• Cultural Materialism has influenced the study of literature, media, and popular culture by emphasizing the relationship between culture and socioeconomic factors.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1.'

Additional Information

• Option 2: Cultural Materialism does not assert that cultural artifacts have inherent value regardless of societal context.
• Option 3: Cultural Materialism does not emphasize that culture is primarily shaped by intellectual elites.
• Option 4: Cultural Materialism does not prioritize the spiritual and emotional aspects of culture as paramount.

"The King and the Beggar-maid" is a 16th-century broadside ballad that tells the story of an African king, Cophetua, and his love for the beggar Penelophon (Shakespearean Zenelophon). The story has been widely referenced and King Cophetua has become a byword for "a man who falls in love with a woman instantly and proposes marriage immediately"

• These lines have been given from one of “the best-known and best-loved poems in the English, Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”.
• The poet states that proud, ambitious, beautiful, grand or rich people should not make fun of the poor people in the churchyard because everyone waits for the unavoidable hour (death). Everybody whether famous or not, rich or poor, all of those paths lead only to the GRAVE.

The correct answer is 'Ladislaw'.

Key Points

• "Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life" (1871-72) is a novel by Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the penname of George Eliot.
• In the end of novel "Middlemarch", Dorothea marries Will Ladislaw.

Therefore, Option 3 is the correct answer. 
Additional Information

• Casaubon is Dorothea's first husband. It is after the elderly Reverend Casaubon dies that she marries Will. 
• Tertius Lydgate is a doctor who marries Rosamond Vincy.
• Fred Vincy is Rosamund's brother. 

“Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.”

John Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel

The correct answer is 'The proliferation of digital and internet-based communication'.

Key Points

• A.C. Baugh identifies the proliferation of digital and internet-based communication as a significant contemporary trend impacting the English language.
• This trend includes the rapid spread of information and the creation of new forms of communication, such as social media, texting, and email, which have introduced new vocabulary, acronyms, and abbreviations to the language.
• The digital age has also influenced the speed at which language evolves, allowing new words and phrases to gain popularity and become widely adopted in a shorter period.
• Furthermore, online platforms have facilitated the blending of languages and dialects, encouraging linguistic creativity and the democratization of language use.
• Digital communication has impacted not only vocabulary but also writing styles, making informal, concise, and direct communication more prevalent.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Additional Information

• The rise of regional dialects (Option 1) is ongoing but not as distinctly impactful as digital communication on contemporary language evolution.
• The resurgence of ancient languages (Option 3) interests scholars but does not significantly impact the evolution of modern English.
• The decline of bilingualism (Option 4) contradicts global trends towards increased multilingualism, particularly in contexts of globalization and international communication.

The correct answer is 'Its capacity to generate an infinite number of sentences from a finite set of rules.'

Key Points

• Chomsky introduced the concept of generative grammar to explain how humans are able to comprehend and produce language. It fundamentally changed the understanding of linguistic structures and their acquisition.
• A core principle of generative grammar is the idea that a relatively small set of rules or principles can account for the ability to produce and understand an infinite array of sentences, including those that the speaker has never previously encountered.
• This concept supports the idea of a universal grammar underlying all human languages, suggesting an innate linguistic capability that is part of the human genetic endowment.
• Generative grammar is concerned with the underlying competence that allows for this creative aspect of language use rather than performance or the actual usage of language in specific instances.
• Chomsky's approach focuses on deep structures that govern sentence formation and surface structures that emerge from transformations applied to these deep structures, showing how complex sentences can be systematically analyzed and understood.
• The theory provides a powerful framework for understanding how language operates at a cognitive level, offering insights into the processes behind language acquisition and use.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 3'.

Additional Information

• Option 1: Incorrect because generative grammar is not primarily concerned with predicting language use in social contexts, focusing instead on innate linguistic structures.
• Option 2: Incorrect as it simplifies the concept, overlooking the generative aspect of producing limitless expressions, not just sentence structure analysis.
• Option 4: Incorrect because Chomsky's generative grammar is more concerned with the innate capacity for language rather than prescriptive rules of grammar in writing.

The correct answer is 'The process of explaining or clarifying a text, making it comprehensible to readers'.

Key Points

• Exposition in literary criticism is concerned with explaining, clarifying, and elucidating a text so that it can be better understood by readers.
• This might involve explaining complex or obscure parts of a text, clarifying the text's themes or arguments, or elucidating its form and structure.
• Exposition often involves a careful and detailed analysis of the text, providing readers with the necessary tools to engage with and understand it.
• While judgment, interpretation, and contextualization are all essential aspects of literary criticism, they do not specifically refer to the function of exposition.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

a-3,b-1,c-4, d-2

1. The theme of the poem is about saying goodbye which is not easy even though one might want to leave.
2. The poem has a different perspective from the poem of Donne but revolves around the theme of valediction or farewell.
3. Here the speaker does not dominate the addressee but tell them to no longer mourn for the domination of the means of expression by males.