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1. It is half rich Bulgarian, half cheap Viennese.Where is this line taken from? What is meant by this quoted line? This line is taken from Shaws play, Arms and the Man. The bed chamber of Raina, described in the very beginning of the play, has the costly furniture and also the cheap fashionable articles bought from Vienna, the capital of Austria. There is a strange mixture eastern and western fashion. 2. What argument does Raina give to save the fugitive soldier? Raina in Arms and the Man is full of romantic notions. She is proud as she belongs to the Petkoff family and the Petkoffs are famous for their hospitality. They have a library, the only one in Bulgaria. They go to Bucharest every year for the opera season. She has spent a whole month in Vienna. They are not ignorant country folk. So she will save him from his enemy. 3. What are the heroic qualities in the character of Maurya? If we look at the character of Maurya, we see that she wages a struggle against the sea and emerges sublime. Her heroism emerges in the capacity she shows for suffering and endurance. Finally she rises to the height of tragic heroine when she transcends her personal grief and prays for every soul. 4. I never nicked seven that I did not throw ames-ace three times following.Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean by this? Marlow is the speaker of this quoted line in Goldsmiths play She Stoops to Conquer. Nicked seven and ames-ace, i.e. ambs-ace are the terms related to the game of cards. In the play, Marlow misses the opportunity to seize Miss Hardcastles hand as latters father enters the room. So Marlow considers it as his ill luck and says that he loses in this game of cards. 5. The night has been unruly:Who says this? Describe the night after the speaker. Lennox, one of the noble men in Scotland says this in Shakespeares play, Macbeth. According to Lennox, the chimneys of the house, where he and others had slept, were knocked down by the wind. Lamentations and strange screams were heard in the sky. The owl screeched throughout the night. It was as if the earth was in a fever and there was an earthquake. 6. Throw physic to the dogs; Ill none of it.Who says this line and to whom? Why does the speaker say so? Macbeth says this to the doctor. Macbeth asks the doctor if he has any medicine that could cure the troubles of the mind and brain. When the doctor expresses his inability to cure mental disease, Macbeth claims at the doctor to throw his healing art to the dogs as he would have nothing to do with it.

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7. In what distant deeps or skies/ Burnt the fire of thine eyes?--- Where do these lines occur? Explain this extract. These lines occur in Blakes The Tyger. In this extract, the poet wonders seeing the glaring eyes of the tiger, and enquires the Creator if the tiger soared up to the distant skies or descended to the volcanic depths to obtain the fire of its eyes. The speaker seems to be much impressed by the stupendous creation of the tiger.
8. And

on her dulcimer she playd / Singing on Mount Abora.Who was she? What is dulcimer? Where is Mount Abora? She was a young unmarried Abyssinian woman as mentioned in Coleridges poem, Kubla Khan. Dulcimer is a musical instrument with strings which are struck with hand-held hammers. There is no such mountain as Mount Abora. It is the creation of the poets mind to give the poem a purely romantic touch. 9. Shelley seems to be a prophet in Ode to the West Wind. Discuss. Shelleys revolutionary zeal dreams of a new era free from all sorts of oppression and misery. The winter of misery and sufferings is sure to give way to a spring of peace and prosperity. At the end of the Ode to the West Wind, Shelley strikes this prophetic note to prove himself the worth of it. 10. Thou wast not born for death, immortal bird!Explain. Keats obviously thinks of the nightingales song unchanged in its appeal from age to age. The song of the bird is too beautiful to die. The birds song symbolizes the principle of beauty in all things and thus the thought is of an immortal spirit as contrasted with the mortality of human beings who in each generation admire its beauty. 11. but strong in will/ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.Where do these lines occur? Bring out the essence of these lines. These are the concluding lines of Tennysons Ulysses. Ulysses and his fellow sailors are firmly determined to make new discoveries, to find what they want and never give up the struggle and admit defeat. Their attitude reflects the typical spirit of the Victorian age. 12. Mention the names of the sylphs and their duties in protecting the chastity of Belinda in The Rape of the Lock. Zephyretta is in charge of regulating the wind generated by fan; Brillante earrings; Momentilla watching the time; Crispissa guarding Belindas favourite lock of hair and Ariel himself is in the charge of Belindas lap dog, Shock.

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13. Courage was mine, and I had mystery; / Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery: Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean by these lines? The stranger in Owens Strange Meeting is the speaker. The stranger has the courage to face realities and he has also the clairvoyance to look beyond the surface of the things. He continues to say that he also has gained wisdom and has the command over any situation. 14. What does Chalice mean? Why has the author referred to it in Araby? Chalice means the cup from which Christ had His last supper. It was the Holy Grail for which the knights of the medieval age undertook hazardous and arduous adventure. The image of the girl in Araby, i.e. Mangans sister, was like the chalice which inspired the authors boyish heart to go through the crowds and noises of the street. 15. Always remember that though nobody likes to be called a slave, it does not follow that slavery is a bad thing.Where does this line occur? What idea is expressed here in this quoted line? This quoted line is taken from Bernard Shaws essay, Freedom.Slavery is not, as a rule, welcomed by anyone. But that does not imply that slavery is always evil thing. In this context, the author shares the view of Aristotle who opines that the law and order and the Government would impossible unless the people obey them. One must make men ignorant idolaters before they will become obedient workers and law abiding citizens.

Second Set for English (H/PG)

1. He is called by thy name, / For he calls himself a lamb.Where are these lines taken from? Briefly comment on these lines. These lines are taken from Blakes The Lamb. These lines convey a tone of Christian theology. Christ is at once God and man and he is called by the name of the lamb as an emblem of his meek and mild nature. 2. These beauteous forms / Through a long absence, have not been to me / As is a landscape to a blind mans eye.Explain the above lines. In these lines from Tintern Abbey, the poet says that the beautiful scenes and objectsthe murmuring Wye, the lonely wooded hills, orchard, the hedge-rows running wild once viewed and enjoyed by himself had never been absent from his mind. They left a lasting impression on the poets mind. 3. Behold! Her bosom, and half her side-- / A sight to dream of, not to tell! Where are these lines taken from? Who is the person referred here? What does the poet mean by a sight to dream of, not to tell? These lines are taken from Coleridges long narrative poem, Christabel. Geraldine, the demon-woman is referred here. The naked breast and a side of Geraldines body were so unearthly that they beggared description. The poet thinks that this sight is like a nightmare seen in a dream and not a matter to describe.

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4. Like an unbodied joy whose race is just began.Who is called an unbodied joy and why? In Shelleys To a Skylark, the skylark is called an unbodied joy. The skylark soars high up in the sky and pours forth a shower of melody. It seems hardly a bird of flesh and blood. To the poets imagination, the bird is a bodiless spirit of joy, a thing of abstract beauty. 5. Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget / What thou among the leaves hast never known,Explain the quoted lines. Here, in the quoted lines from Keatss Ode to a Nightingale, the poet displays his deep desire to escape the sorrows and sufferings of this world. The song of the nightingale reminds the poet of the unhappy state of affairs in the world. But the bird itself is quite unaware of the misery and anxiety of the world. 6. Life piled on life / Were all too little, and of one to me / Little remains:Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean to say? The speaker is Ulysses, the legendary king of Ithaca. Human life is very short and Ulysses has only a few more years to live. He would make the best use of this remnant of life left to him. Even if he would have possessed a number of lives he would not be able to reach the goal of his life. 7. Consider 'The Rape of the Lock' as a mock heroic poem. The Rape of the Lock is an appropriate example of mock-heroic epic in English literature. Here Pope uses an absurd trifling subjectthe theft of Belindas lock of hair, and treats it in a serious manner as it is done in an epic. Naturally it produces a humorous satiric effect. 8. Where can we find two better hemispheres / Without sharp North, without declining WestWhat are referred to as hemispheres? What does the poet mean by sharp North and declining West? The face of each of the lovers has been referred to by the word hemispheres. The expression sharp North means the cold north winds and declining West means the western horizon where the sun declines. It seems to suggest that the physical world and the world created by the lovers are poles apart. 9. Shall I compare thee to a summers day?Explain the quoted line. This is the opening line of Shakespeares Sonnet No. XVIII. Here the question implies that the beauty of the poets friend cannot be best described by comparing it with the beauty of a summers day. Thee in the quoted line refers to the young man, of high birth and beauty, who was the poets friend and patron. 10. But though the whole world turn to coal / Then chiefly livesWhat chiefly lives? What does the poet mean by this expression? What comparison is implicit here? Herbert in his poem Virtue asserts that only soul chiefly lives. By chiefly lives the poet means that the soul lives after death. The implicit comparison suggested here is that the soul is like a seasoned timber which cannot be burnt and changed into coal.

First Set for English (Hons./PG)

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1. Come seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful DayWho is the speaker? Why does the speaker invite the night? The speaker is Macbeth. Macbeth is reluctant to divulge the secret before the deed is done. He fervently invites the night to come fast and close with its scarf of darkness the bright and compassionate eye of the day, so that it may not see and pity the evil deeds done by men on this earth. 2. Two truths are told, / As happy prologue to the swelling act / Of the imperial theme.What are the two truths referred here? What is meant by the swelling act? The three Witches greeted Macbeth as the thane of Glamis, the thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland. Of these three greetings the first two were true for Macbeth till then. These are the two truths referred here. The swelling act refers to the grand event of becoming the king of Scotland as foretold by the Witches. 3. You have a low shop-keeping mindWho says this and about whom? Why does the speaker make this remark? Raina says this about Captain Bluntschli. Bluntschli said that he could not carry the old coat about with him all the time and so he pawned it. He redeemed it the day before yesterday. This provokes Raina to make such a remark about Bluntschli. 4. How would the like of her get a good price for a pig?Who is the speaker and to whom is it spoken? Why does the speaker say so? This is Mauryas appeal to Bartley. Maurya pleads Bartley to stay home. Cathleen, being a mere girl will not be able to get a good price for the pig. The broker will cheat her. But here Mauryas real intention is to keep Bartley away from going to the sea. 5. Its that number is in it.Who is the speaker? What number is spoken of here? What does it signify? Cathleen says this to Nora. The number spoken of here is the number of stitches that Cathleen took to knit the stocking of Michael. This speech of Cathleen signifies that this stocking belongs to Michael. Cathleen and Nora become sure that Michaels dead body has been found in the far north. 6. The disparity of education and fortune, the anger of a parent, and the contempt of my equals, begins to lose their weight;Explain. It is the turning point in Marlows affection for the poor relation of the family whom he does not know to be Miss Hardcastle. Here Marlow seems to be head over ears in love. He is almost prepared to defy social convention, the authority of his father and the sneer of his friends and companions. 7. And on her dulcimer she playd / Singing on Mount Abora.Who was she? What is dulcimer? Where is Mount Abora? She was a young unmarried Abyssinian woman as mentioned in Coleridges poem,

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Kubla Khan. Dulcimer is a musical instrument with strings which are struck with hand-held hammers. There is no such mountain as Mount Abora. It is the creation of the poets mind to give the poem a purely romantic touch. 8. such stuff / Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough / For calling up that spot of joy.Who is the speaker? Who is referred by she? What does the speaker mean by such stuff and spot of joy? The speaker here is the Duke of Ferrara in Brownings poem, My Last Duchess. She refers to the Duchess. Such stuff means the remarks made by the painter, Fra Pandolf, and spot of joy is the smile of the Duchess. 9. Thou dirge of dying yearWhat is dirge? What is here addressed as dirge and why? Dirge is a mournful song. It is especially indicative of a lamentation which often forms the part of a funeral song. Here the west wind is addressed as dirge. Autumn proclaims the end of the year. The poem here imagines the noise of the raging west wind as a dirge that laments the death of the year. 10. When and how was the quietness of Richmond Street disturbed? The calmness of Richmond Street was disturbed when the boys were set free from the Christian Brothers School. When the school was over, the boys played games on the street. The hue and cry of the boys broke the silence of the street.

First Set of English (Pass)

A Set of Model Question & Answer

English (Pass) 1. The Comic Muse, long sick, is now-a-dying!Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean by this line? The speaker is Mr. Woodward in Prologue to 'She Stoops to Conquer'. By this line the speaker portrays the dying condition of the genuine comedy. The sentimental comedy was in vogue in that time and it marked the death of true comedy. 2. I shall be struck up in caricature in all the printshops.Who says this? Why does the speaker say so? Marlow says this in Act-IV of 'She Stoops to Conquer'. When Marlow comes to know that he is staying in the house of Mr. Hardcastle, the former feels morally ashamed for his insolent behavior with Mr. Hardcastle. So he thinks that he will be printed as a fool and

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his picture will be sold in every shop. 3. If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to the other thing. Who says this? Why is gratitude akin to the other thing? Captain Bluntschli says this in Act-III of 'Arms and the Man'. According to Captain Bluntschli, gratitude is akin to the other thing, i.e. hatred. He hates gratitude, for gratitude springs out of a sense of inferiority and is kindred to hatred. 4. She will never marry you.Who says this and to whom? Who is referred to by she? How is the speaker so confident in the assertion? Louka says this to Sergius in 'Arms and the Man'. Raina is referred to by she. Louka is quite intelligent and has the instinct to know things correctly. So she thinks that Raina will not marry Sergius. 5. What punishment did the court of justice give to Falder and why? Falder was sentenced to penal servitude for three years. The court of justicethe judge and the jurydid not agree with the argument of Falders defence counsel, Hector Frome. Falders forgery by altering the cheque and his relation with a married woman, Ruth were immoral in its eyes. Hence Falder was unanimously found guilty. 6. What impression of Cokeson do you get from Galsworthys play, 'Justice'? Cokeson is the managing clerk in a solicitors office. He is honest and devoted to his duty. He is a devout puritan, plain, disciplined and lawabiding by nature. But he is rather meek in his protests and not of an assertive type. 7. How is the bicycle related to the story, 'The Ox'? The bicycle of Mrs. Thurlow became an integral part of her life. We cannot think of Mrs. Thurlow or the story itself without the presence of the bicycle. She used to move around a lot with the bicycle and would go up and down with it. It was, as if, the cart of ox-like Mrs. Thurlow. 8. What do you know about Mrs. Field of Lambs essay, 'Dream Children: A Reverie'?
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Mrs. Field was a woman of pleasing personality. She was very much respected by others. She was a religious person and knew much of the Bible by heart. She was also very popular in her area. 9. Rectify the following sentences:-i) She, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard. ii) I have ordered for the newly published book. i) Her, who had been the apple of his eye, he now began to disregard. ii) I have ordered the newly published book. 10. Rewrite the following sentences using suitable prepositions in the blanks:-i) She produced evidence to bear ____ the charge. ii) The old car gives ____ smoke. iii) He has run ____ debt. iv) Over-work is telling ____ his health. i) She produces evidence to bear out the charge. ii) The old car gives off smoke. iii) He has run into debt. iv) Over-work is telling upon his health.
Syllabus for English (Hons./PG) Poetry Sidney : Loving in Truth Spenser : One day I wrote her name Shakespeare : Shall I compare thee. John Donne : The Good Marrow George Herbert : Virtue Alexander Pope : The Rape of the Lock (Cantos I & II) Blake : The Tyger; The Lamb William Wordsworth : Tintern Abbey Samuel Taylor Coleridge : Christabel; Kubla Khan P. B. Shelley : Ode to the West Wind; to a Skylark John Keats : Ode to a Nightingale; To Autumn Alfred Tennyson : Ulysses Robert Browing : My last Duchess W.B. Yeats : The Wild Swans at Coole Wilfred Owen : Strange Meeting T.S. Eliot : Hollow Men Drama Shakespeare : Macbeth Goldsmith : She Stoops to Conquer George Bernard Shaw : Arms and the Man J. M. Synge : Riders To the sea

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Novel Jane Austen : Pride and Prejudice Charles Dickens : David Copperfield Short Story and Essay A. Short Story Joseph Conard : The Lagoon James Joyce : Araby Somerset Maugham : The Lotos Eater Katherine Mansfield : The Fly B. Essay Charles Lamb : Dream Children: A Reverie; The Superannuated Man G.B. Shaw : Freedom Francis Bacon : of Studies Grammar and Usage Common Errors Subject Verb Agreement; Tenses; Active and Passive Voice, Articles, Prepositions, Adverbs, Adjective Sentence Forms Simple Compound, Complex, Relative Clauses Joining and Splitting of Sentences Narration Direct and Indirect Composition A single paragraph of about 50-60 words to be written on a given topic Literary Devices: Rhetoric and Prosody

Dear Candidates, Present time is really tough for the ordinary graduate or Master's degree holders to get a suitable job. But don't give up hope. School teaching jobs in West Bengal is still not out of reach. Here I host this blog to extend a helping hand to those who are planning to appear in forthcoming SSC Examination in English (H/PG) and English (P). I shall try to present model questions with answers, topic discussion, tips in my blog. It will be a great pleasure to me if you get a help from this effort of mine. With best regards,-Mr.Pinaki Ghosh