1. What is the title of the famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning?
A. The Love Letters
B. Sonnet 18
C. How Do I Love Thee?
D. Sonnet 43
Answer: How Do I Love Thee? (C)
The poem ‘Sonnet 43’ is also commonly known as ‘How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways’.
2. Which American poet was influenced by Elizabeth Barrett Browning?
A. Emily Dickinson
B. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
C. Edgar Allan Poe
D. Walt Whitman
Answer: Emily Dickinson (A)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry had a significant impact on many American poets, including Emily Dickinson.
3. Why did Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband have to marry secretly?
A. Because of their different social status
B. Because of their age difference
C. Because of her father’s disapproval
D. Because of their religious differences
Answer: Because of her father’s disapproval (C)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s father did not approve of her marriage to Robert Browning, leading to a secret wedding.
4. Where did Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband move to after their marriage?
A. Spain
B. Germany
C. Italy
D. France
Answer: Italy (C)
After their marriage, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning moved to Italy, where they continued to write and support each other’s work.
5. At what age did Elizabeth Barrett Browning die?
A. 55
B. 45
C. 50
D. 60
Answer: 55 (A)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning died at the age of 55 in Italy.
6. What is the central theme of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. Love and devotion
B. The importance of fame
C. The struggle for women’s rights
D. The power of nature
Answer: Love and devotion (A)
The poem explores the speaker’s deep and abiding love for her beloved.
7. What literary device does Elizabeth Barrett Browning employ in ‘Sonnet 43’ to describe her love?
A. Alliteration
B. Hyperbole
C. Metaphor
D. Personification
Answer: Metaphor (C)
The poem uses figurative language to make nature-based comparisons to depict her love.
8. To whom is the speaker of ‘Sonnet 43’ likely addressing?
A. A close friend
B. Her husband, Robert Browning
C. Her father
D. A stranger she met on the street
Answer: Her husband, Robert Browning (B)
The poem is a love poem, and the speaker addresses her lover, likely her husband Robert Browning.
9. What is the tone of ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. Indifferent
B. Melancholic
C. Sarcastic
D. Passionate
Answer: Passionate (D)
The poem expresses the speaker’s deep and passionate love for her beloved.
10. What does the speaker hope to achieve in ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. To express her gratitude to her lover
B. To convince her lover of her worth
C. To list all the reasons why she loves her lover
D. To pray for God’s blessing to love her lover even after death
Answer: To list all the reasons why she loves her lover (C)
The speaker tells her lover just how deeply her love goes, and she also tells him how she loves him.
11. What is notable about Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s achievement as a poet?
A. She never gained recognition for her poetry
B. She was a renowned poet who achieved acclaim in her lifetime
C. She was the first female poet to gain acclaim
D. She only wrote one famous poem
Answer: She was a renowned poet who achieved acclaim in her lifetime (B)
She is a renowned Victorian poet who managed to achieve acclaim in her lifetime.
12. What is the significance of ‘Sonnet 43’ in the English language?
A. It is a rare example of a sonnet
B. It is a poem that has been forgotten over time
C. It is a poem that only appeals to a specific audience
D. It is one of the most famous and recognizable poems in the English language
Answer: It is one of the most famous and recognizable poems in the English language (D)
It is easily one of the most famous and recognizable poems in the English language.
13. What is the speaker’s desire in ‘Sonnet 43’ beyond her mortal life?
A. To have her poem widely published
B. To be remembered as a great poet
C. To love her lover even after death
D. To have her love for her lover forgotten
Answer: To love her lover even after death (C)
She hopes God will grant her the ability to love him even after she has passed.
14. What is the main purpose of the poem ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. To express the speaker’s grief about death
B. To describe the speaker’s daily life
C. To praise the beauty of nature
D. To proclaim the speaker’s unending passion for her beloved
Answer: To proclaim the speaker’s unending passion for her beloved (D)
The speaker is proclaiming her love for her beloved in the poem.
15. What is the rhyme scheme of ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. AAAA BBBB CCCC DDDD
B. ABBA ABBA CDCD CD
C. AABB CCDD EEFF GG
D. ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Answer: ABBA ABBA CDCD CD (B)
The poem follows the traditional rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet.
16. What is the implication of the speaker’s desire to love her beloved even after death?
A. Her love is neither spiritual nor romantic
B. Her love is only spiritual and not romantic
C. Her love is both spiritual and romantic
D. Her love is only romantic and not spiritual
Answer: Her love is both spiritual and romantic (C)
The speaker’s desire to love her beloved even after death suggests that her love is both spiritual and romantic.
17. What is the significance of the poem’s structure and form?
A. It is a poem with no rhyme or meter
B. It is a traditional sonnet with a fixed rhyme scheme
C. It is a narrative poem with multiple characters
D. It is a free verse poem
Answer: It is a traditional sonnet with a fixed rhyme scheme (B)
The poem is classified as a sonnet because it contains fourteen lines of poetry and has a fixed rhyme scheme.
18. What is the effect of the literary device imagery in the poem?
A. It creates a sense of anger
B. It creates images that appeal to or activate the reader’s senses
C. It creates a sense of confusion
D. It creates a sense of sadness
Answer: It creates images that appeal to or activate the reader’s senses (B)
Imagery is one of the most impactful literary devices that a poet can use to create images that appeal to or activate the reader’s senses.
19. What is the meter of the poem ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. Trochaic tetrameter
B. Iambic pentameter
C. Iambic hexameter
D. Dactylic hexameter
Answer: Iambic pentameter (B)
The poem follows the traditional meter of a sonnet, which is iambic pentameter.
20. What is the primary theme of death in the poem?
A. It is a symbol of the end of love
B. It is a symbol of the length and durability of the relationship
C. It is a symbol of the beginning of love
D. It is a symbol of the speaker’s fear
Answer: It is a symbol of the length and durability of the relationship (B)
Death comes into the poem as the speaker talks about the length and durability of their relationship.
21. What is the literary device used in the poem to compare two things?
A. Alliteration
B. Metaphor
C. Simile
D. Personification
Answer: Simile (C)
The poem uses simile to compare two things.
22. What is the tone of the poem ‘Sonnet 43’?
A. Angry and aggressive
B. Sad and melancholic
C. Indifferent and neutral
D. Passionate and loving
Answer: Passionate and loving (D)
The tone of the poem is passionate and loving as the speaker proclaims her love for her beloved.
23. What is the effect of the poem’s structure on the reader?
A. It creates a sense of boredom
B. It creates a sense of confusion
C. It creates a sense of anticipation and expectation
D. It creates a sense of surprise
Answer: It creates a sense of anticipation and expectation (C)
The poem’s structure creates a sense of anticipation and expectation as it follows the traditional rhyme scheme of a sonnet.
24. What does the speaker’s love for her husband compare to in terms of depth and breadth?
A. The extent of everyday life
B. The passage of time
C. The boundaries of the human soul
D. The limits of human sight
Answer: The boundaries of the human soul (C)
The speaker describes her love as infinite and boundless.
25. What literary device does Barrett Browning use in line 2 to convey the idea of ongoing love?
A. Personification
B. Alliteration
C. Consonance
D. Metaphor
Answer: Consonance (C)
The repetition of the ‘th’ sound gives the line movement, signifying ongoing love.
26. What is the significance of the speaker’s love in everyday life?
A. It is as essential as basic necessities of life
B. It is only in quiet moments
C. It is only a romantic gesture
D. It is only in grand moments
Answer: It is as essential as basic necessities of life (A)
The speaker loves her husband in ordinary, everyday life, as much as she needs other basic necessities.
27. What is the central idea of the last thirteen lines of the poem?
A. To express the speaker’s regret
B. To show the speaker’s gratitude
C. To explore the speaker’s past
D. To describe the speaker’s love for her husband
Answer: To describe the speaker’s love for her husband (D)
The speaker describes just how much she loves her husband in the last thirteen lines of the poem.
28. What is the tone of the lines ‘I love thee to the level of every day’s / Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light’?
A. Dramatic and intense
B. Simple and lovely
C. Complex and abstract
D. Formal and grand
Answer: Simple and lovely (B)
These lines are particularly lovely in their simplicity, conveying the speaker’s love in everyday life.
29. What is the significance of the speaker’s love in the poem?
A. It is an ordinary experience
B. It is infinite and boundless
C. It is an abstract concept
D. It is a temporary feeling
Answer: It is infinite and boundless (B)
The speaker describes her love as infinite and boundless, reaching as far as her soul can reach.
30. How does the speaker’s love for her husband compare to the ends of being and ideal grace?
A. It is unrelated to the ends of being and ideal grace
B. It is equal to the ends of being and ideal grace
C. It is less than the ends of being and ideal grace
D. It is beyond the ends of being and ideal grace
Answer: It is equal to the ends of being and ideal grace (B)
The speaker describes her love as reaching as far as the ends of being and ideal grace.
31. What is the primary way the speaker expresses her love in the poem?
A. Through metaphors and similes
B. Through grand gestures
C. Through descriptive language
D. Through direct statements
Answer: Through direct statements (D)
The speaker directly states her love for her husband, using phrases like ‘I love thee to the depth…’ and ‘I love thee to the level…’ .
32. What does the speaker’s love for her husband compare to in terms of its purity?
A. The pursuit of wealth and material gain
B. The desire for power and influence
C. The pursuit of right and the rejection of praise
D. The need for recognition and admiration
Answer: The pursuit of right and the rejection of praise (C)
The speaker compares her love to the pursuit of right and the rejection of praise, highlighting its purity and selflessness.
33. What is the speaker’s attitude towards her love for her husband?
A. She is ambivalent and unsure about it
B. She wants to be praised and acknowledged for it
C. She sees it as a natural and necessary part of her life
D. She wants to keep it hidden and private
Answer: She sees it as a natural and necessary part of her life (C)
The speaker sees her love as a natural and necessary part of her life, just like good and just men strive to do what is right.
34. What is the significance of the speaker’s reference to ‘old griefs’?
A. It symbolizes the speaker’s longing for her childhood
B. It represents the speaker’s lost loved ones
C. It shows the speaker’s passion for her husband is equal to her hatred for certain things
D. It highlights the speaker’s past sufferings
Answer: It shows the speaker’s passion for her husband is equal to her hatred for certain things (C)
The speaker’s reference to ‘old griefs’ shows that her passion for her husband is equal to her hatred for certain things, highlighting the depth of her love.
35. What is the significance of the speaker’s comparison of her love to ‘the faith of a child’?
A. It shows the speaker’s love is innocent and pure
B. It symbolizes the speaker’s fear of the unknown
C. It represents the speaker’s desire to return to her childhood
D. It highlights the speaker’s lack of faith in her husband
Answer: It shows the speaker’s love is innocent and pure (A)
The speaker’s comparison of her love to ‘the faith of a child’ highlights the innocence and purity of her love.
36. What is the significance of the speaker’s reference to ‘lost saints’?
A. It represents the speaker’s lost faith in her husband
B. It shows the speaker’s lack of faith in religion
C. It highlights the speaker’s desire to return to her childhood
D. It symbolizes the speaker’s past loved ones
Answer: It symbolizes the speaker’s past loved ones (D)
The speaker’s reference to ‘lost saints’ symbolizes the speaker’s past loved ones, highlighting the transfer of her love to her husband.
37. What is the tone of the lines ‘I love thee with the breath, / Smiles, tears, of all my life…’?
A. Intimate and personal
B. Melancholic and introspective
C. Joyful and celebratory
D. Detached and objective
Answer: Intimate and personal (A)
The tone of the lines is intimate and personal, highlighting the speaker’s deep emotional connection with her husband.
38. What is the effect of the speaker’s use of similes in the poem?
A. It creates a sense of uncertainty and doubt
B. It makes the poem more abstract and vague
C. It creates a sense of distance and detachment
D. It highlights the speaker’s emotional intensity
Answer: It highlights the speaker’s emotional intensity (D)
The speaker’s use of similes creates a sense of emotional intensity, highlighting the depth and breadth of her love.
39. What is the significance of the speaker’s love being ‘freely’ given?
A. It emphasizes the speaker’s love is selfless and unconditional
B. It represents the speaker’s love is shallow and superficial
C. It shows the speaker’s love is conditional and dependent
D. It highlights the speaker’s reluctance to love
Answer: It emphasizes the speaker’s love is selfless and unconditional (A)
The speaker’s love being ‘freely’ given emphasizes its selfless and unconditional nature, highlighting the purity of her love.
40. What is the effect of the speaker’s use of religious motifs in the poem?
A. It highlights the speaker’s piety and devotion
B. It emphasizes the speaker’s love is sacred and holy
C. It creates a sense of moral ambiguity and uncertainty
D. It creates a sense of irreverence and blasphemy
Answer: It emphasizes the speaker’s love is sacred and holy (B)
The speaker’s use of religious motifs emphasizes the sacred and holy nature of her love, highlighting its depth and significance.
41. What is the significance of the speaker’s declaration of love in the poem?
A. It emphasizes the speaker’s devotion and commitment to her husband
B. It highlights the speaker’s selfishness and ego
C. It represents the speaker’s desire to manipulate and control her husband
D. It shows the speaker’s love is shallow and superficial
Answer: It emphasizes the speaker’s devotion and commitment to her husband (A)
The speaker’s declaration of love emphasizes her devotion and commitment to her husband, highlighting the depth and sincerity of her emotions.
42. What is the central idea of the poem’s final line?
A. The speaker’s love will change after death.
B. The speaker’s love will be stronger after death.
C. The speaker’s love will fade away after death.
D. The speaker’s love will remain the same after death.
Answer: The speaker’s love will be stronger after death. (B)
The poem’s final line emphasizes the speaker’s enduring love.
43. What is the significance of the title ‘Sonnets From the Portuguese’?
A. It is the title of a famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
B. It is a nickname given to Elizabeth Barrett Browning by her husband.
C. It reflects the speaker’s nationality.
D. It is a reference to Robert Browning’s favorite language.
Answer: It is a nickname given to Elizabeth Barrett Browning by her husband. (B)
The title ‘Sonnets From the Portuguese’ is a nickname given to Elizabeth Barrett Browning by her husband.
44. What is the primary characteristic of the speaker’s love in the poem?
A. It is temporary and fleeting.
B. It is lukewarm and indifferent.
C. It is strong and enduring, even in the face of death.
D. It is conditional and dependent on circumstances.
Answer: It is strong and enduring, even in the face of death. (C)
The speaker’s love is characterized as strong and enduring, even in the face of death.
45. What is the nature of the relationship between Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband?
A. They were colleagues who collaborated on poetry.
B. They were a married couple who supported each other’s writing.
C. They were acquaintances who shared a love for literature.
D. They were friends who exchanged letters about poetry.
Answer: They were a married couple who supported each other’s writing. (B)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband were a married couple who supported each other’s writing.
46. What is the significance of the poem’s historical background?
A. It is a biographical account of the couple’s life.
B. It provides a romanticized version of the couple’s relationship.
C. It offers a historical context for the poem’s themes and motifs.
D. It is a reflection of the couple’s troubled marriage.
Answer: It offers a historical context for the poem’s themes and motifs. (C)
The poem’s historical background provides a historical context for the poem’s themes and motifs.
47. What is the tone of the poem’s final line?
A. Melancholic and sorrowful.
B. Resigned and despairing.
C. Romantic and passionate.
D. Hopeful and optimistic.
Answer: Hopeful and optimistic. (D)
The poem’s final line conveys a tone of hope and optimism.
