The Second Coming MCQ
The Second Coming
William Butler Yeats [1865-1939]
MCQ – 1 Mark
70 Important Questions
Unit – I
1. The poet of the poem ‘The Second Coming’ is
(A) P B Shelley
(B) John Keats
(C) W B Yeats
(D) William Blake.
2. The poet wrote the poem ‘The Second Coming’ on the background of
(A) World War I
(B) World War II
(D) Cold War of Europe.
3. The title ‘The Second Coming’ got its reference from
(A) Hindu mythology
(B) socialistic theory
(C) Epicurean philosophy
(D) Biblical theology.
4. In Biblical view ‘The Second Coming’ refers to the coming of
(A) Moses
(B) Jesus Christ
(C) John the Baptist
(D) Abraham.
5. After the World War I the atmosphere of the whole world became
(A) orderly
(B) moderate
(C) tumultuous
(D) calm and quiet.
6. The falcon cannot hear
(A) the Sphinx
(B) the gyre
(C) Spiritus Mundi
(D) the falconer.
7. Here in the poem ‘gyre’ symbolically presents
(A) fate
(B) Christianity
(C) progress of time
(D) movement of earth.
8. “Turning and turning…..” As a result of this
(A) the spiral is widening
(B) things fall apart
(C) the centre cannot hold
(D) all of these.
9. As a result of the rapid motion, the things
(A) are lost
(B) are dishevelled
(C) are invisible
(D) fall apart.
10. The thing loosed upon the world is
(A) innocence
(B) mere anarchy
(C) passionate intensity
(D) conviction.
11. According to the poet, the tide which dims the vision is
(A) tide of smoke
(B) tide of sea water
(C) tide of blood
(D) tide of anarchy.
12. The ceremony which is drowned is
(A) ceremony of blood
(B) ceremony of faith
(C) ceremony of innocence
(D) ceremony of joy.
13. _______ lack conviction.
(A) The best
(B) The worst
(C) The Christ
(D) The beast.
14. The best lack
(A) passionate intensity
(B) ceremony of innocence
(C) conviction
(D) courage.
15. The worst are full of
(A) innocence
(B) conviction
(C) passionate intensity
(D) anarchy.
16. According to the poet, ________ is at hand.
(A) The First Coming
(B) The Second Coming
(C) The First World War
(D) The Second World War
17. “Hardly are those words out” ____________ are referred to as ‘those words’.
(A) Spiritus Mundi
(B) passionate intensity
(C) blood-dimmed tide
(D) The Second Coming
18. As soon as the words ‘The Second Coming’ are uttered, _________ troubles the sight of the speaker.
(A) mere anarchy
(B) the ceremony of innocence
(C) the blood-dimmed tide
(D) a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
19. The vast image is seen in
(A) a deep blue sea
(B) sands of the desert
(C) a green forest
(D) the firmament.
20. The body of the beast-like image is that of a
(A) lion
(B) tiger
(C) man
(D) dragon.
Unit – II
21. The head of the beast-like image is that of a
(A) lion
(B) tiger
(C) man
(D) dragon.
22. “…..while all about it /Reel shadows…” The ‘shadows’ are of
(A) Sphinx
(B) phantoms
(C) lions
(D) desert birds.
23. Twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare by
(A) a rocking cradle
(B) rough beast
(C) sound sleep
(D) passionate intensity.
24. The beast slouches towards
(A) sands of desert
(B) Spiritus Mundi
(C) moving shadows
(D) Bethlehem.
25. The social condition Yeats described in his poem ‘The Second Coming’ is
(A) developing
(B) transforming towards positivity
(C) same
(D) breaking down.
26. ‘The Second Coming’ is filled with imageries suggesting
(A) a return to religious faith
(B) peace and prosperity
(C) chaos and disorder
(D) a utopia.
27. ‘The Second Coming’ is a/an
(A) ballad
(B) sonnet
(C) allegorical poem
(D) romantic poem.
28. W. B. Yeats’s poem ‘The Second Coming’ allegorically presents the time
(A) during the First World War
(B) after the First World War
(C) during the Second World War
(D) after the Second World War.
29. The poet W. B. Yeats wrote the poem ‘The Second Coming’ in
(A) 1918
(B) 1919
(C) 1920
(D) 1921.
30. For the first time the poem ‘The Second Coming’ was published in
(A) The Modern Poetry
(B) Songs and Sonnets
(C) The Dial
(D) Modern Poetry Collection.
31. Later the poem ‘The Second Coming’ was published again and included in
(A) Lyrical Ballads
(B) Songs of Experience
(C) Songs and Sonnets
(D) Michael Robartes and the Dancer.
32. The poet wrote his poem ‘The Second Coming’ in
(A) iambic pentameter
(B) rhyming couplet
(C) free verse
(D) triplet rhyme.
33. The first stanza of the poem captures
(A) political unrest
(B) violence
(C) moral decay
(D) all of these.
34. It is believed that the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth is to
(A) campaign his doctrine
(B) strengthen the mental condition of humanity
(C) be victorious over evil forces
(D) save humanity from sin.
35. The expression ‘widening gyre’ refers to
(A) a wide place
(B) a big circle
(C) a spiral
(D) a certain place which is getting wider day by day.
36. The ‘gyre’ is expanding in
(A) inward direction
(B) outward direction
(C) all sides
(D) getting contracted day by day.
37. Here ‘falcon’ is the symbol
(A) anarchy
(B) lawfulness
(C) authority
(D) order or control.
38. ‘Falconer’ represents
(A) order
(B) authority
(C) lawlessness
(D) violence.
39. The expression ‘falcon cannot hear the falconer’ suggests
(A) lack of wisdom
(B) lack of patience
(C) breakdown of communication
(D) centralization of power.
40. The ‘falcon’ and ‘falconer’ is used to show the relationship between
(A) friend and enemy
(B) society and people
(C) controller and the controlled
(D) man and nature.
Unit – III
41. The society being broken down, everywhere there prevails
(A) order
(B) chaos
(C) peace
(D) corruption.
42. The expression ‘centre cannot hold’ indicates
(A) loss of a centralized figure
(B) loss of stability and order
(C) loss of civic sense
(D) loss of Jesus Christ.
43. Mere ________ is loosed upon the world.
(A) justice
(B) anarchy
(C) democracy
(D) foolishness.
44. The use of the word ‘mere’ before ‘anarchy’ indicates
(A) absolute lawlessness
(B) absolute freedom
(C) absolute wisdom
(D) absolute order and peace.
45. Through the expression ‘the ceremony of innocence is drowned’ the view of the poet that is exposed is
(A) optimistic
(B) disagreement
(C) ceremonial
(D) apocalyptic.
46. The people who lack conviction is
(A) good
(B) bad
(C) old
(D) young.
47. In the time of turmoil the people who feel passionate are
(A) good
(B) bad
(C) indifferent
(D) uninterested.
48. The first stanza of the poem depicts
(A) complete freedom
(B) total development
(C) cosmic development
(D) total chaos.
49. Repetition of the word ‘surely’ shows the poet’s
(A) desperate attitude for a change
(B) faith on humanity
(C) indifferent attitude
(D) stoicism.
50. There is the reference of Jesus Christ’s second coming to earth in
(A) The Book of Nature
(B) The Book of Salvation
(C) The Book of Revelation
(D) The Book of John.
51. The image of ‘Spiritus Mundi’ is
(A) tiny
(B) very big
(C) absurd
(D) broken.
52. The expression ‘Spiritus Mundi’ can roughly be said as
(A) a world spirit
(B) a collection of memories
(C) some recollection of spirit
(D) the energetic spirits.
53. To the poet the emergence of the vast image of ‘Spiritus Mundi’ is
(A) benevolent
(B) attractive
(C) troubling
(D) soothing.
54. The poet’s reference of ‘desert’ indicates
(A) hope
(B) crowded place
(C) complete desolation
(D) overwhelming situation.
55. The shape of the lion body with human head has a close similarity with
(A) a dragon
(B) a dinosaur
(C) a Gorilla
(D) Sphinx.
56. The appearance of the gigantic creature is
(A) merciless
(B) kind-hearted
(C) faithful
(D) friendly.
57. The gaze of the gigantic creature
(A) blank and fearful
(B) kind and blank
(C) timid and kind
(D) merciless and blank.
58. The movement of the gigantic creature is
(A) slow
(B) fast
(C) majestic
(D) superfast.
59. In the poem ‘The Second Coming’ the ‘desert birds’ are
(A) satisfied
(B) inspiring
(C) indignant
(D) lively.
60. According to the poet, the thing which is going to drop again is
(A) peace and prosperity
(B) enjoyment
(C) superstition
(D) darkness.
Unit – IV
61. Yeats says that the time span of the ‘stony sleep’ of the world is
(A) two hundred years
(B) twenty two years
(C) two thousand years
(D) two years.
62. In ‘The Second Coming’ the ‘desert birds’ are
(A) seagulls
(B) falcons
(C) vultures
(D) crows.
63. In ‘rocking cradle’ the cradle is rocking due to
(A) a violent storm
(B) windfall
(C) without any reason
(D) political upheaval.
64. The ‘stony sleep’ in ‘The Second Coming’ had ultimately become
(A) more deep sleep
(B) nightmare
(C) reverie
(D) light sleep.
65. The believers of Apocalyptic vision think that
(A) the society is developing gradually
(B) the society is coming to an end
(C) the society has become stagnant
(D) the society is nearly at its peak of development.
66. The central theme of the poem ‘The Second Coming’ is
(A) romantic love
(B) biblical teaching
(C) social upheaval and chaos
(D) religious enrichment.
67. In ‘The Second Coming’ ____________ are used as a symbol of chaos.
(A) eagle and parrot
(B) Sphinx and lion
(C) seagull and eagle
(D) falcon and falconer.
68. The phrase ‘the blood-dimmed tide’ indicates the emotion of
(A) excitement
(B) happiness
(C) fear
(D) hope.
69. According to the poet, ___________ is ‘slouching towards Bethlehem to be born?’
(A) new area of peace
(B) resurrection of Jesus Christ
(C) rebirth of civilization
(D) Anti-Christ.
70. In ‘The Second Coming’ the phrase ‘rough beast’ refers to
(A) a lion
(B) the narrator
(C) the Anti-Christ
(D) the Sphinx.
WBCHSE Sample Questions
1. What is the symbol of the “rough beast” as mentioned in the poem?
a) A monster
b) A saviour
c) A revolution
d) An apocalypse
2. “Things fall apart”… This suggests
a) All things are centralized
b) Everything is defused
c) All things are bound together
d) All things are shattered on the ground
