Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? MCQs and Summary

Summary:

Thomas Hardy’s poem Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? is a darkly ironic and satirical piece exploring themes of death, remembrance, and the indifference of the living. The poem is written as a dialogue between a deceased woman and an unknown grave-digger. The woman initially hopes that someone dear—perhaps a loved one or a relative—is tending to her grave out of remembrance and devotion. However, as the poem progresses, she realizes that neither her kin nor her former lover cares for her memory.

In a twist of irony, the “digger” turns out to be a dog, but rather than mourning her, the dog is merely burying a bone, having completely forgotten its former owner. The poem ends with a stark realization: after death, people move on, and the dead are soon forgotten. Hardy uses humor and irony to deliver a poignant message about human mortality and the fleeting nature of relationships.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote the poem Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave?
   a) Robert Frost
   b) Wilfred Owen
   c) Thomas Hardy
   d) W.B. Yeats
   Answer: c) Thomas Hardy
2. What is the main theme of the poem?
   a) Eternal love and remembrance
   b) The indifference of the living toward the dead
   c) The beauty of nature
   d) The pain of war
   Answer: b) The indifference of the living toward the dead
3. Who does the speaker initially think is digging on her grave?
   a) Her former lover
   b) A stranger
   c) A gardener
   d) A spirit
   Answer: a) Her former lover

   

4. What is the final revelation in the poem?
   a) The speaker’s family is honoring her memory
   b) Her lover still mourns her deeply
   c) A dog is digging on the grave, but only to bury a bone
   d) The dead can communicate with the living
   Answer: c) A dog is digging on the grave, but only to bury a bone
5. What tone does Hardy use in the poem?
   a) Romantic and hopeful
   b) Humorous and ironic
   c) Tragic and sentimental
   d) Angry and bitter
   Answer: b) Humorous and ironic
6. Which poetic device is most prominent in the poem?
   a) Simile
   b) Rhetorical questions
   c) Irony
   d) Hyperbole
   Answer: c) Irony
7. How does the speaker feel upon realizing who is digging on her grave?
   a) Comforted
   b) Heartbroken
   c) Angry
   d) Indifferent
   Answer: b) Heartbroken
8. What is the dog’s response when the speaker asks why it is digging on the grave?
   a) It is trying to revive her
   b) It is mourning her loss
   c) It is burying a bone and forgot she was buried there
   d) It is making a shelter for itself
   Answer: c) It is burying a bone and forgot she was buried there
9. What is the significance of the dog in the poem?
   a) It represents loyalty even after death
   b) It symbolizes forgetfulness and the insignificance of the dead
   c) It shows how animals mourn their owners
   d) It acts as a guardian of the grave
   Answer: b) It symbolizes forgetfulness and the insignificance of the dead
10. What literary form does Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? take?
    a) Sonnet
    b) Ballad
    c) Dramatic monologue
    d) Free verse
    Answer: c) Dramatic monologue
11. What does the speaker assume about her lover’s feelings?
    a) He has married someone else but still misses her
    b) He comes to her grave every day to mourn
    c) He remembers her with deep sorrow
    d) He has moved on and does not care
    Answer: d) He has moved on and does not care
12. What message does Hardy convey about human relationships in this poem?
    a) Love lasts beyond death
    b) People quickly forget the dead
    c) The dead can communicate with the living
    d) Pets are more loyal than humans
    Answer: b) People quickly forget the dead
13. What type of rhyme scheme does the poem follow?
    a) ABAB
    b) AABB
    c) ABCD
    d) Free verse
    Answer: a) ABAB
14. What does the speaker’s realization about the dog suggest about memory and death?
    a) That true love never fades
    b) That even loyal companions eventually forget
    c) That humans and animals both grieve deeply
    d) That death strengthens relationships
    Answer: b) That even loyal companions eventually forget
15. What is ironic about the dog’s actions in the poem?
    a) It mourns the speaker in a deeply emotional way
    b) It digs up the grave to remember its owner
    c) It digs the grave only to bury a bone, showing it has forgotten her
    d) It protects the grave from others
    Answer: c) It digs the grave only to bury a bone, showing it has forgotten her