Matthew Arnold – “The Study of Poetry” – Exam Based MCQs
1. “The Study of Poetry” is an essay by: (UGC NET)
A) T.S. Eliot
B) I.A. Richards
C) Matthew Arnold
D) F.R. Leavis
Ans: C) Matthew Arnold
2. Arnold belongs mainly to the: (SET)
A) Victorian age
B) Metaphysical age
C) Augustan age
D) Modernist age
Ans: A) Victorian age
3. In “The Study of Poetry,” Arnold predicts that in the future poetry will replace: (PGTRB)
A) Science
B) Art
C) Politics
D) Religion and philosophy (as guidance)
Ans: D) Religion and philosophy (as guidance)
4. Arnold’s key idea “high seriousness” is mainly linked with: (UGC NET)
A) Humour and satire
B) The best poetry’s moral and spiritual depth
C) Political propaganda
D) Decorative language only
Ans: B) The best poetry’s moral and spiritual depth
5. Arnold’s method of judging poems using great lines as standards is called: (SET)
A) New Historicism
B) Deconstruction
C) Touchstone method
D) Reader-response method
Ans: C) Touchstone method
6. Arnold warns against judging poetry mainly by: (UGC NET)
A) Historical estimate and personal estimate
B) Rhythm and metre
C) Vocabulary and grammar
D) Printing quality
Ans: A) Historical estimate and personal estimate
7. The “historical estimate” of a poet means valuing the poet because of: (SET)
A) The poet’s salary
B) The poet’s political party
C) The poet’s religion
D) The poet’s importance in literary history, not purely poetic quality
Ans: D) The poet’s importance in literary history, not purely poetic quality
8. The “personal estimate” of poetry refers to judging a poem based on: (PGTRB)
A) Only classical rules
B) One’s personal liking, moods, and associations
C) Scientific method only
D) The poet’s social rank
Ans: B) One’s personal liking, moods, and associations
9. Arnold argues that poetry should be judged mainly by: (UGC NET)
A) Poet’s biography
B) Political usefulness
C) Its inherent poetic quality
D) Popularity among readers
Ans: C) Its inherent poetic quality
10. Arnold considers Homer as an example of: (SET)
A) Great classic poet and touchstone
B) Minor sentimental poet
C) Political satirist
D) Metaphysical poet
Ans: A) Great classic poet and touchstone
11. According to Arnold, the best poetry gives us: (PGTRB)
A) Only entertainment
B) Only facts
C) Only social gossip
D) A “criticism of life”
Ans: D) A “criticism of life”
12. For Arnold, “criticism of life” means: (UGC NET)
A) Harsh complaint about society
B) A deep interpretation of life through truth and seriousness
C) Newspaper-like reporting
D) Mere moral preaching without art
Ans: B) A deep interpretation of life through truth and seriousness
13. Arnold’s “touchstones” are mainly: (SET)
A) Quotations/lines from great poets used as standards
B) Stones used in jewellery
C) Historical documents
D) Political slogans
Ans: A) Quotations/lines from great poets used as standards
14. Arnold’s “touchstone method” aims to prevent: (PGTRB)
A) Reading poetry
B) Writing criticism
C) Mistaken judgments based on fashion and prejudice
D) Studying classics
Ans: C) Mistaken judgments based on fashion and prejudice
15. Arnold’s phrase “the grand style” is associated with: (UGC NET)
A) Cheap ornamentation
B) Political rhetoric
C) Comic writing
D) Noble, elevated, and powerful poetic expression
Ans: D) Noble, elevated, and powerful poetic expression
16. Arnold values poetry because it provides: (SET)
A) Only historical facts
B) Consolation and sustenance for the spirit
C) Mathematical proof
D) Industrial progress
Ans: B) Consolation and sustenance for the spirit
17. Arnold argues that as traditional beliefs weaken, the importance of poetry will: (UGC NET)
A) Increase
B) Disappear
C) Become irrelevant
D) Turn into science
Ans: A) Increase
18. Arnold criticizes the tendency to value poetry because of its: (PGTRB)
A) Beauty
B) Truth
C) Poet’s historical position rather than poetic excellence
D) Seriousness
Ans: C) Poet’s historical position rather than poetic excellence
19. Arnold suggests that to judge a poem we should focus on: (SET)
A) The poet’s private life
B) The poet’s nationality
C) The poet’s political ideology
D) The poem’s best lines and total effect
Ans: D) The poem’s best lines and total effect
20. Arnold’s preferred “touchstone” poets include: (UGC NET)
A) Only contemporary poets
B) Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton (major classics)
C) Only political writers
D) Only romantic poets
Ans: B) Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton (major classics)
21. Arnold believes “excellent” poetry is recognized by: (PGTRB)
A) Its power to inspire and remain memorable
B) The poet’s popularity on social media
C) The length of the poem
D) The number of metaphors
Ans: A) Its power to inspire and remain memorable
22. Arnold famously prefers “the best that is known and thought” — this idea relates to: (SET)
A) Scientific positivism
B) Pure imagination without culture
C) Culture as a standard of excellence
D) Political revolution
Ans: C) Culture as a standard of excellence
23. “The Study of Poetry” originally appears as: (UGC NET)
A) A novel chapter
B) A play prologue
C) A political pamphlet
D) The preface to Arnold’s selection of poems (anthology)
Ans: D) The preface to Arnold’s selection of poems (anthology)
24. Arnold argues that the future will need poetry for: (PGTRB)
A) Building factories
B) Moral and spiritual guidance
C) Military planning
D) Legal decisions
Ans: B) Moral and spiritual guidance
25. According to Arnold, poetry’s superiority is in: (SET)
A) Combining truth and beauty
B) Providing only information
C) Being always humorous
D) Being purely religious doctrine
Ans: A) Combining truth and beauty
26. Arnold criticizes the “Charlatanism” in poetry mainly as: (UGC NET)
A) Too much truth
B) Too much seriousness
C) Too much simplicity
D) False poetry that imitates greatness without real substance
Ans: D) False poetry that imitates greatness without real substance
27. For Arnold, “high seriousness” comes from: (PGTRB)
A) Only complex vocabulary
B) Matter and manner (truth + style)
C) Political debate
D) Excessive ornamentation
Ans: B) Matter and manner (truth + style)
28. Arnold believes that poetry should not be valued as a substitute for: (SET)
A) Entertainment
B) Science experiments
C) Religion’s dogma, but as spiritual support beyond dogma
D) Grammar rules
Ans: C) Religion’s dogma, but as spiritual support beyond dogma
29. Arnold’s critical ideal is often described as: (UGC NET)
A) Disinterestedness and objectivity
B) Extreme personal bias
C) Only political interpretation
D) Pure biography
Ans: A) Disinterestedness and objectivity
30. Arnold’s “touchstone” test mainly checks: (PGTRB)
A) The poet’s income
B) The poem’s political message
C) The poem’s length
D) Whether a poem matches the quality of the best poetry
Ans: D) Whether a poem matches the quality of the best poetry
31. Arnold’s essay supports the idea that poetry is: (SET)
A) Less important than science always
B) A central human need and guide
C) Only children’s pastime
D) Purely political propaganda
Ans: B) A central human need and guide
32. Arnold thinks the best poetry is marked by: (UGC NET)
A) Complex puzzles only
B) Random images
C) Truth, seriousness, and excellence of style
D) Pure comedy
Ans: C) Truth, seriousness, and excellence of style
33. Arnold praises classical writers mainly because of their: (PGTRB)
A) Excellence and permanent standards
B) Nationalism only
C) Political propaganda
D) Anti-religious themes only
Ans: A) Excellence and permanent standards
34. Arnold believes some famous poets are overvalued because of: (SET)
A) Their best lines
B) Their seriousness
C) Their universal truth
D) Historical and personal estimates
Ans: D) Historical and personal estimates
35. In Arnold’s view, poetry is most reliable when it is: (UGC NET)
A) Only sentimental
B) Sincere and true to life
C) Only political
D) Only experimental
Ans: B) Sincere and true to life
36. Arnold’s criticism is best described as: (PGTRB)
A) Postcolonial criticism
B) Feminist criticism
C) Victorian moral and cultural criticism
D) Psychoanalytic criticism
Ans: C) Victorian moral and cultural criticism
37. Arnold’s “touchstone” method suggests we compare poems with: (SET)
A) The best lines of the greatest poets
B) Newspaper editorials
C) Political speeches
D) Popular songs only
Ans: A) The best lines of the greatest poets
38. Arnold’s “high seriousness” is not mainly about: (UGC NET)
A) Truth
B) Moral depth
C) Noble style
D) Mere ornament and prettiness
Ans: D) Mere ornament and prettiness
39. Arnold’s essay is important because it shapes: (PGTRB)
A) Medieval theology
B) Modern standards of evaluating poetry
C) Scientific method
D) Political law
Ans: B) Modern standards of evaluating poetry
40. Arnold believes a great poet’s lines should be: (SET)
A) Always obscure
B) Only humorous
C) Memorable, noble, and true
D) Only descriptive
Ans: C) Memorable, noble, and true
41. Arnold’s “the best poetry” is closest to the idea of: (UGC NET)
A) Permanent classics
B) Temporary trends
C) Market popularity
D) Political usefulness only
Ans: A) Permanent classics
42. Arnold says we should “turn to poetry” because it will provide: (PGTRB)
A) Industry profit
B) Military victory
C) Political power
D) Delight and wisdom (spiritual support)
Ans: D) Delight and wisdom (spiritual support)
43. Arnold’s central critical principle is to judge poetry by: (SET)
A) The poet’s personal life
B) The poem’s excellence and truth
C) Political message
D) The number of readers
Ans: B) The poem’s excellence and truth
44. Arnold’s essay is often linked with the idea that poetry has: (UGC NET)
A) No moral function
B) Only political function
C) A moral and cultural function
D) Only entertainment value
Ans: C) A moral and cultural function
45. Arnold believes “the best poetry” should be a: (PGTRB)
A) Source of ethical and emotional nourishment
B) Tool for party politics
C) Manual of science
D) Report of history
Ans: A) Source of ethical and emotional nourishment
46. Arnold’s warning against “personal estimate” suggests critics should be: (SET)
A) Highly emotional
B) Always nationalistic
C) Only traditional
D) Impartial and disciplined
Ans: D) Impartial and disciplined
47. Arnold’s “touchstones” help establish: (UGC NET)
A) Political ideologies
B) Standards of poetic excellence
C) Scientific laws
D) Legal rules
Ans: B) Standards of poetic excellence
48. Arnold’s “criticisms of life” emphasizes: (PGTRB)
A) Only nature description
B) Only imagination
C) Life interpreted with truth and seriousness
D) Only romance
Ans: C) Life interpreted with truth and seriousness
49. Arnold’s idea of “grand style” is most closely linked with: (SET)
A) Cheap ornament
B) Popular slang
C) Scientific vocabulary
D) Homer and great classical poets’ elevated expression
Ans: D) Homer and great classical poets’ elevated expression
50. Which statement best fits Arnold’s argument in “The Study of Poetry”? (UGC NET)
A) Poetry will increasingly guide human life as old beliefs decline
B) Poetry should be judged only by the poet’s biography
C) Poetry is mainly political propaganda
D) Poetry is inferior to philosophy always
Ans: A) Poetry will increasingly guide human life as old beliefs decline
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