Exam Based Questions, Edmund Spenser’s Epithalamion

Edmund Spenser’s

Epithalamion

1. "Epithalamion" was written to commemorate whose wedding? (UGC NET 2019, SET)

A) Queen Elizabeth

B) Edmund Spenser’s friend

C) Edmund Spenser’s own wedding

D) Edmund Spenser’s son

Ans: C) Edmund Spenser’s own wedding

2. What classical poetic form does "Epithalamion" follow? (PGTRB 2021)

A) Ballad

B) Elegy

C) Ode

D) Wedding hymn

Ans: D) Wedding hymn

3. How many stanzas does "Epithalamion" have? (UGC NET 2020)

A) 20

B) 24

C) 25

D) 26

Ans: D) 24 (plus 1 envoi, total 24 for hours of the wedding day)

4. Which goddess is invoked at the beginning of "Epithalamion"? (PGTRB 2019)

A) Athena

B) Artemis

C) Calliope

D) Venus

Ans: C) Calliope

5. The poem "Epithalamion" was written in which year? (UGC NET 2018)

A) 1580

B) 1595

C) 1594

D) 1590

Ans: C) 1594

6. Which line best reflects Spenser’s joy and spiritual devotion in "Epithalamion"? (UGC NET 2020)

A) “Let no lamenting cryes, nor outcryes shrill”

B) “Open the temple gates unto my love”

C) “Hark how the cheerful birds do chant their lays”

D) “Behold how goodly my faire love does ly”

Ans: C) “Hark how the cheerful birds do chant their lays”

7. What literary device is predominantly used throughout "Epithalamion"? (PGTRB 2020)

A) Metonymy

B) Allegory

C) Anaphora

D) Apostrophe

Ans: D) Apostrophe

8. "Epithalamion" is written in which meter? (SET 2022)

A) Iambic pentameter

B) Spenserian stanza

C) Blank verse

D) Alexandrine

Ans: A) Iambic pentameter

9. The setting of "Epithalamion" covers what time period? (UGC NET 2021)

A) One year

B) One month

C) One day

D) One week

Ans: C) One day

10. What does the speaker hope will not disturb the bride’s rest? (PGTRB 2021)

A) The birds

B) The wind

C) Nightmares

D) Evil spirits

Ans: D) Evil spirits

11. The speaker calls on whom to sing a hymn in "Epithalamion"? (UGC NET 2020)

A) Muses

B) Virgins

C) Priests

D) Shepherds

Ans: A) Muses

12. Which theme is not dominant in "Epithalamion"? (SET 2021)

A) Divine love

B) Jealousy

C) Fertility

D) Praise of the bride

Ans: B) Jealousy

13. Who is the bride in "Epithalamion"? (PGTRB 2020)

A) Elizabeth Boyle

B) Elizabeth I

C) Mary Tudor

D) Anne More

Ans: A) Elizabeth Boyle

14. Which natural elements are celebrated in "Epithalamion"? (UGC NET 2018)

A) Stars and oceans

B) Birds, flowers, and sunlight

C) Volcanoes and storms

D) Deserts and wind

Ans: B) Birds, flowers, and sunlight

15. Which time of day begins the poem? (PGTRB 2021)

A) Dawn

B) Noon

C) Evening

D) Midnight

Ans: A) Dawn

16. The structure of "Epithalamion" aligns with: (UGC NET 2020)

A) Liturgical calendar

B) Zodiac chart

C) The hours of the wedding day

D) The days of the week

Ans: C) The hours of the wedding day

17. Which ancient wedding ritual is described in "Epithalamion"? (PGTRB 2020)

A) Lighting of candles

B) Sacrifice of animals

C) Singing of the epithalamium

D) Throwing of rice

Ans: C) Singing of the epithalamium

18. The poem ends with a prayer for: (SET 2020)

A) Long life

B) Fertility and prosperity

C) Peace in the kingdom

D) Success in war

Ans: B) Fertility and prosperity

19. "Epithalamion" was published alongside which other work by Spenser? (UGC NET 2019)

A) The Faerie Queene

B) Amoretti

C) The Shepheardes Calender

D) Complaints

Ans: B) Amoretti

20. The bride is compared to: (PGTRB 2018)

A) Diana

B) A dove

C) A nymph

D) The sun

Ans: C) A nymph

21. Which emotion dominates the tone of "Epithalamion"? (UGC NET 2020)

A) Melancholy

B) Joy and reverence

C) Bitterness

D) Indifference

Ans: B) Joy and reverence

22. The speaker asks the sun to: (PGTRB 2020)

A) Shine brightly all day

B) Hasten the wedding ceremony

C) Move slowly to prolong the day

D) Hide behind clouds

Ans: C) Move slowly to prolong the day

23. In "Epithalamion", Spenser blends: (UGC NET 2018)

A) Pagan and Christian elements

B) Classical and Gothic traditions

C) War and peace imagery

D) Past and future visions

Ans: A) Pagan and Christian elements

24. "Epithalamion" belongs to which poetic tradition? (PGTRB 2021)

A) Political satire

B) Wedding poetry

C) Funeral elegy

D) Mock epic

Ans: B) Wedding poetry

25. The envoi (final stanza) contains: (UGC NET 2020)

A) A complaint

B) A farewell

C) A wish for children

D) A rebuke

Ans: C) A wish for children

26. Which bird is used as a symbol of music and harmony? (SET 2021)

A) Peacock

B) Nightingale

C) Lark

D) Dove

Ans: B) Nightingale

27. Spenser’s poetic style in "Epithalamion" is marked by: (UGC NET 2018)

A) Simplicity

B) Classical clarity

C) Ornate and lyrical expression

D) Irony and wit

Ans: C) Ornate and lyrical expression

28. What role do the hours play in "Epithalamion"? (PGTRB 2020)

A) They symbolize aging

B) They reflect emotional change

C) They mark the stages of the wedding day

D) They represent religious rites

Ans: C) They mark the stages of the wedding day

29. The refrain “Blessed night” signifies: (UGC NET 2021)

A) Death and peace

B) Wedding consummation

C) Escape from sorrow

D) Victory in war

Ans: B) Wedding consummation

30. Which poetic figure is frequently used to emphasize devotion? (SET 2020)

A) Hyperbole

B) Simile

C) Irony

D) Paradox

Ans: A) Hyperbole

31. What is the tone of the poem’s conclusion? (PGTRB 2021)

A) Satirical

B) Anxious

C) Hopeful and devout

D) Dark and ambiguous

Ans: C) Hopeful and devout