NTA UGC NET/JRF Exam. December 2022 ENGLISH (Shift-I)

Above these lines have been taken from a poem Absalom and Achitophel composed by John Dryden. Dryden's famous Restoration satire Absalom and Achitophel (1681) is one of the key seventeenth-century texts that demand a political reading. John Dryden was a brilliant satirist in the Neo-classical period. His Absalom and Achitophel is regarded as not simply a satire but a poem as Dryden himself calls it a poem. The central theme is : temptation, sin, fall and punishment. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Deserted Village is written by Oliver Goldsmith, published in 1770. It is a work of social commentary and condemns rural depopulation and the pursuit of excessive wealth. The poem is written in heroic couplets, and describes the decline of a village and the emigration of many of its residents to America. The Deserted Village is a pastoral elegy by Goldsmith. The central image of this 430 line poem is titular village of Auburn, the declining boyhood home of the narrator. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Tribute to Papa is a book of poems written by Indian famous poet Mamta Kalia. It is a challenging poem in which Mamta tries to compel the readers to understand the hardships of being a woman that society wants her to be. In this poem she portrays men dominance over women in all matters of life. Throughout the world, fathers are considered to be the head of their family. However, only a handful of people truly understand the vital role of father plays in the family. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

The poem To Ariel is not written by Sylvia Plath, while three other poems Lady Lazarus, Ariel and Daddy are written by Sylvia Plath. Lady Lazarus is a poem by Sylvia Plath, originally included in Ariel, which was published in 1965. Poem Daddy published posthumously in (1965) the collection Ariel. One of Plath's most famous poems, Daddy was completed during a brief prolific period of writing before her suicide in February, 1963.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Robert Burns was born in Scotland, Alloway on January 25, 1759. He was the first child of William and Agnes Burne's seven children. His father, a tenant farmer Robert Burns was educated at home. Burns also attended one year of mathematics schooling in 1765. He attended an adventure school established by his father and John Murdock. His father died in bankruptcy in 1784. At the age of fifteen, Burns fell in love and, shortly thereafter he wrote his first poem. His famous works are - Halloween (1556) The Banks O' Doon, John Anderson, My Jo, To a Louse, Holy Willie's Prayer, A Red Red Rose etc.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Demogorgon is a character who personifies necessity in P.B. Shelley's Prometheus Unbound. The Demogorgon in Prometheus Unbound is a spirit of the under vorld, associated with the realm of night or the world of the dead in Pagan Mythology. He represents an eternal force in nature which cannot change the course of history but is privy to some secrets of destiny and fate. When confronted by Panthea and Asia, who have been led to the underworld by a dream, the Demogorgon reveals that Jupiter, although he reigns supreme over earth and heaven, is still subject to the spirit of love, whom '"everything in the universe is subject to"

Samuel Pepys, commented after watching the performance of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever saw in my life. Although Samuel Pepys admits that it had "some good dancing and some handsome women, which all my pleasure". Hence option (b) is correct answer.

Ben Jonson, (Benjamin Jonson) a playwright, lyric poet and literary critic wrote the play Epicoene or Silent Woman. Epicoene, or the Silent Woman, commonly referred to now simply as Epicene, is a comedy by early modern English playwright Ben Jonson. It was originally performed in 1609 by The Blackfriars' children but did not become popular until many year, later in the 1660s after the restoration of the English monarchy when Charles II assumed the crown. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Abhijnanasakuntalam is a drama by famous Indian author Kalidas, written about 5th century CE that is generally considered to be the greatest Indian literary work of any period. Abhijnanasakuntalam makes use of the following four languages : Sanskrit, Shauraseni, Maharashtri and Magdhi. In Sanskrit it's known as The Recognition of Shakuntala. Shakuntala is an Indian play that had numerous translations throughout the time because it is in the Sanskrit language. Love is the main theme of Shakuntalam. Abhijnanasakuntalam is a drama that contains the narrative of well-built and true love of Indian king Dushyanta and Shakuntala. Hence, option (d) is correct answer.

In the given options, option (a) John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, Shelagh Delaney and John Arden is the correct combination of playwrights who contributed to the movement called Kitchen Sinks Drama.
• Kitchen Sink Drama is the name given to plays that depict the daily struggles of ordinary working-class people.
• Drama in this category often deal with social issues, such as poor living conditions, lack of employment, poverty, and turbulent relationships.
• Kitchen Sink Drama was a British cultural movement in art and literature. • John Osborne, Arnold Wesker and Shelagh Delaney are some of the prominent writers.
Hence option (a) is the correct answer.