Rabindranath Tagore – Gitanjali – Exam Based MCQs
1. “Gitanjali” is written by: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Sarojini Naidu
B) Rabindranath Tagore
C) Sri Aurobindo
D) Toru Dutt
Ans: B) Rabindranath Tagore
2. Tagore received the Nobel Prize in Literature mainly for: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) The Home and the World
B) Gitanjali
C) Gora
D) Ghare-Baire
Ans: B) Gitanjali
3. Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in: (UGC NET 2015; SET 2017)
A) 1901
B) 1913
C) 1921
D) 1930
Ans: B) 1913
4. The English “Gitanjali” is best described as: (SET 2016; PGTRB 2019)
A) A literal word-for-word translation of all Bengali poems
B) A selection of prose poems translated/adapted by Tagore
C) A dramatic play
D) A political manifesto
Ans: B) A selection of prose poems translated/adapted by Tagore
5. The title “Gitanjali” literally means: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) Songs of Love
B) Song Offerings
C) Songs of War
D) Songs of the City
Ans: B) Song Offerings
6. The dominant theme of “Gitanjali” is: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2019)
A) Colonial politics
B) Spiritual devotion and union with the Divine
C) Scientific progress
D) Urban satire
Ans: B) Spiritual devotion and union with the Divine
7. The “Gitanjali” poems are commonly written in: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2020)
A) Rhymed couplets only
B) Lyrical / prose-poem like free verse
C) Sonnet form only
D) Epic hexameter
Ans: B) Lyrical / prose-poem like free verse
8. The “Thou” in many poems of “Gitanjali” refers to: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) The British Empire
B) The Divine / God
C) The poet’s teacher only
D) Nature alone
Ans: B) The Divine / God
9. “Gitanjali” is associated with which literary mode? (SET 2018; PGTRB 2021)
A) Satire
B) Mystical lyric
C) Gothic horror
D) Science fiction
Ans: B) Mystical lyric
10. The best-known opening line associated with “Gitanjali” is: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) “Let me not to the marriage of true minds…”
B) “Where the mind is without fear…”
C) “Of man’s first disobedience…”
D) “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun…”
Ans: B) “Where the mind is without fear…”
11. “Where the mind is without fear…” is often treated as: (PGTRB 2018; SET 2020)
A) A war song
B) A prayer for freedom and enlightenment
C) A comic lyric
D) A detective poem
Ans: B) A prayer for freedom and enlightenment
12. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” (English) is mainly: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)
A) Translated by Keats
B) Translated by Tagore himself
C) Written originally in English
D) A joint translation by Eliot and Pound
Ans: B) Translated by Tagore himself
13. The spiritual tradition often linked to Tagore’s “Gitanjali” is: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2019)
A) Bhakti tradition
B) Naturalism
C) Symbolist decadence
D) Epic classicism
Ans: A) Bhakti tradition
14. Tagore is often described as: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2019)
A) “Bard of Avon”
B) “Bard of Bengal”
C) “Lake Poet”
D) “Metaphysical Poet”
Ans: B) “Bard of Bengal”
15. Tagore renounced the knighthood in: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2018; PGTRB 2021)
A) 1913
B) 1919
C) 1925
D) 1905
Ans: B) 1919
16. The tone of “Gitanjali” is predominantly: (SET 2016; PGTRB 2020)
A) Cynical
B) Prayerful and devotional
C) Comic
D) Violent
Ans: B) Prayerful and devotional
17. “Gitanjali” is chiefly a collection of: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Essays
B) Songs/poems
C) Plays
D) Short stories
Ans: B) Songs/poems
18. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” emphasizes the relationship between the: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)
A) King and subject
B) Human soul and the Divine
C) Soldier and nation
D) Scientist and machine
Ans: B) Human soul and the Divine
19. Tagore’s Nobel Prize made him the first: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2021)
A) American Nobel Laureate
B) Asian Nobel Laureate in Literature
C) Australian Nobel Laureate
D) African Nobel Laureate
Ans: B) Asian Nobel Laureate in Literature
20. The style of “Gitanjali” is often marked by: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Heavy satire
B) Simple, lyrical, spiritual diction
C) Complex scientific terms
D) Pure colloquial slang
Ans: B) Simple, lyrical, spiritual diction
21. In “Gitanjali,” the “journey” motif commonly symbolizes: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2020)
A) Trade routes
B) Spiritual quest
C) Military conquest
D) Urban migration
Ans: B) Spiritual quest
22. Tagore’s poetry in “Gitanjali” often blends: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) Myth and devotion
B) Only comedy and satire
C) Detective narrative and realism
D) Pure science and logic
Ans: A) Myth and devotion
23. The “Song Offerings” are addressed to: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2022)
A) The British Crown
B) The Divine beloved
C) A political party
D) A modern city
Ans: B) The Divine beloved
24. The imagery of “light” in “Gitanjali” often suggests: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) War
B) Knowledge / divine presence
C) Hunger
D) Industry
Ans: B) Knowledge / divine presence
25. The voice in “Gitanjali” is often: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2020)
A) A detached critic
B) A seeker / devotee
C) A comic narrator
D) A villain
Ans: B) A seeker / devotee
26. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” belongs mainly to: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2019)
A) Romantic epic
B) Lyric poetry
C) Satirical drama
D) Gothic fiction
Ans: B) Lyric poetry
27. “Gitanjali” frequently expresses the idea of: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2022)
A) Materialism
B) Surrender and humility
C) Revenge
D) Political satire
Ans: B) Surrender and humility
28. Tagore’s vision in “Gitanjali” is often called: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)
A) Purely pessimistic
B) Humanistic-spiritual
C) Purely nihilistic
D) Only comic
Ans: B) Humanistic-spiritual
29. The English “Gitanjali” is best known in world literature because it: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Won the Booker Prize
B) Brought Tagore international recognition and the Nobel Prize
C) Started Modernism
D) Is a war epic
Ans: B) Brought Tagore international recognition and the Nobel Prize
30. The poem “Where the mind is without fear…” is often linked with the idea of: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2021)
A) A prayer for national and spiritual freedom
B) A love lyric to a human beloved
C) A comic song
D) A detective story
Ans: A) A prayer for national and spiritual freedom
31. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” uses nature imagery mainly to: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Describe technology
B) Suggest spiritual meaning and divine presence
C) Mock religion
D) Celebrate war
Ans: B) Suggest spiritual meaning and divine presence
32. “Gitanjali” is most often categorized under: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Devotional lyric
B) Detective fiction
C) Gothic drama
D) Political satire
Ans: A) Devotional lyric
33. The speaker in “Gitanjali” often offers: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2022)
A) Weapons
B) Songs and prayers
C) Scientific theories
D) Legal arguments
Ans: B) Songs and prayers
34. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” reflects a blend of: (UGC NET 2018; SET 2020)
A) Mysticism and humanism
B) Only naturalism
C) Only satire
D) Only decadence
Ans: A) Mysticism and humanism
35. Tagore’s language in “Gitanjali” is known for: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Obscure technical terms
B) Simplicity, musicality, and spiritual intensity
C) Pure slang
D) Only dramatic dialogue
Ans: B) Simplicity, musicality, and spiritual intensity
36. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” frequently explores: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2019)
A) Greed and ambition
B) Love, devotion, surrender, and divine communion
C) Detective puzzles
D) War strategy
Ans: B) Love, devotion, surrender, and divine communion
37. The English “Gitanjali” is often described as: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2022)
A) A collection of spiritual prose poems
B) A realist novel
C) A modern drama
D) A satire on society
Ans: A) A collection of spiritual prose poems
38. Tagore’s fame in the West was boosted after “Gitanjali” was introduced by: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018)
A) W. B. Yeats
B) T. S. Eliot
C) Ezra Pound
D) Virginia Woolf
Ans: A) W. B. Yeats
39. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” is most closely associated with: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Devotional mysticism
B) Gothic horror
C) Naturalist pessimism
D) Political propaganda
Ans: A) Devotional mysticism
40. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” is significant in Indian English literature because it: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2021)
A) Is the first Indian detective book
B) Brought Indian poetry global recognition
C) Rejected all spirituality
D) Is only political satire
Ans: B) Brought Indian poetry global recognition
41. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” often portrays God as: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2020)
A) A distant ruler only
B) A compassionate, intimate presence
C) Only an enemy
D) Only nature without spirit
Ans: B) A compassionate, intimate presence
42. The repeated motif of “offering” in “Gitanjali” suggests: (SET 2018; PGTRB 2020)
A) Commercial trade
B) Devotion and surrender
C) Political satire
D) War planning
Ans: B) Devotion and surrender
43. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” reflects which blend of cultures? (UGC NET 2018; SET 2019)
A) Greek and Roman only
B) Indian spiritual tradition with universal humanism
C) Only French symbolism
D) Only Victorian realism
Ans: B) Indian spiritual tradition with universal humanism
44. The overall mood of “Gitanjali” can best be described as: (SET 2017; PGTRB 2022)
A) Mocking
B) Serene and contemplative
C) Violent
D) Cynical
Ans: B) Serene and contemplative
45. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” is best known for its: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2021)
A) Gothic plots
B) Spiritual lyricism
C) Detective narration
D) Political cartoons
Ans: B) Spiritual lyricism
46. Tagore’s English “Gitanjali” contains: (UGC NET 2019; SET 2021)
A) Only rhymed sonnets
B) Mainly prose-poem like lyrics
C) Only epic hexameter
D) Only dramatic dialogue
Ans: B) Mainly prose-poem like lyrics
47. The universal appeal of “Gitanjali” is often linked to its: (SET 2019; PGTRB 2020)
A) Local dialect jokes
B) Spiritual-humanist message
C) Political propaganda
D) Scientific detail
Ans: B) Spiritual-humanist message
48. Tagore is also associated with the songs that became: (UGC NET 2017; SET 2020; PGTRB 2022)
A) National anthems of India and Bangladesh
B) War marches of Europe
C) American jazz standards
D) Irish folk songs
Ans: A) National anthems of India and Bangladesh
49. Tagore’s “Gitanjali” is primarily concerned with: (UGC NET 2016; SET 2018; PGTRB 2022)
A) Industrial growth
B) Inner spiritual experience
C) War and conquest
D) Detective mystery
Ans: B) Inner spiritual experience
50. Overall, “Gitanjali” is best described as: (UGC NET 2020; SET 2021; PGTRB 2022)
A) A satirical novel
B) A collection of devotional lyrics / song offerings
C) A detective story collection
D) A scientific treatise
Ans: B) A collection of devotional lyrics / song offerings
Let me know your doubts