MCQs on Ash Wednesday by T.S. Eliot

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: February 11, 2025

1. In which year was Ash Wednesday first published?
(A) 1927
(B) 1930
(C) 1935
(D) 1940

Answer: (B) 1930


2. Ash Wednesday is significant in T.S. Eliot’s career because it marks his:
(A) Shift towards atheism
(B) Conversion to Anglicanism
(C) Break from poetry
(D) Interest in romanticism

Answer: (B) Conversion to Anglicanism


3. The title Ash Wednesday refers to:
(A) A biblical story
(B) A Christian observance marking repentance
(C) A pagan ritual
(D) A festival in Italy

Answer: (B) A Christian observance marking repentance


4. The opening lines of Ash Wednesday express:
(A) Despair and renunciation
(B) Political criticism
(C) Romantic longing
(D) Celebration of nature

Answer: (A) Despair and renunciation


5. Which of the following themes is central to Ash Wednesday?
(A) The search for spiritual renewal
(B) The horrors of war
(C) Romantic love
(D) The power of nature

Answer: (A) The search for spiritual renewal


6. The repeated phrase “Because I do not hope to turn again” signifies:
(A) The speaker’s rejection of material life
(B) The speaker’s desire to return to the past
(C) A longing for adventure
(D) A commentary on modern society

Answer: (A) The speaker’s rejection of material life


7. Ash Wednesday is written in:
(A) Free verse
(B) Blank verse
(C) Sonnet form
(D) A mixture of different poetic forms

Answer: (D) A mixture of different poetic forms


8. The poem contains references to which religious figure?
(A) Buddha
(B) The Virgin Mary
(C) Martin Luther
(D) Muhammad

Answer: (B) The Virgin Mary


9. The structure of Ash Wednesday consists of how many sections?
(A) Three
(B) Four
(C) Five
(D) Six

Answer: (D) Six


10. What does the poem contrast?
(A) Youth and old age
(B) Spiritual despair and salvation
(C) Love and betrayal
(D) War and peace

Answer: (B) Spiritual despair and salvation


11. The imagery of the “bones” in Ash Wednesday symbolizes:
(A) Mortality and spiritual emptiness
(B) Strength and resilience
(C) The beauty of nature
(D) The chaos of war

Answer: (A) Mortality and spiritual emptiness


12. Eliot’s Ash Wednesday is often compared to which of his other works for its religious focus?
(A) The Waste Land
(B) The Hollow Men
(C) Four Quartets
(D) The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Answer: (C) Four Quartets


13. Which literary technique is frequently used in Ash Wednesday?
(A) Dramatic monologue
(B) Stream of consciousness
(C) Symbolism and religious imagery
(D) Satire

Answer: (C) Symbolism and religious imagery


14. The poem’s tone can be best described as:
(A) Satirical and mocking
(B) Hopeful yet sorrowful
(C) Angry and rebellious
(D) Joyful and celebratory

Answer: (B) Hopeful yet sorrowful


15. The poem’s central journey represents:
(A) A literal voyage across the sea
(B) The poet’s search for artistic inspiration
(C) A spiritual ascent towards faith
(D) The decline of Western civilization

Answer: (C) A spiritual ascent towards faith

MCQs from famous poems of T.S Eliot

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  2. MCQs – The Waste Land
  3. MCQs – The Hollow Men
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