Ode on Indolence MCQs & Summary

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

Summary:

John Keats’ Ode on Indolence explores the poet’s struggle between ambition and relaxation. The poem begins with a dreamlike vision where three ghostly figures—Love, Ambition, and Poetry—pass before the poet like images on an ancient urn. At first, he is tempted to follow them, but he ultimately chooses to remain in his state of indolence (laziness), rejecting worldly desires and the burdens of passion. The poem reflects Keats’ inner conflict about whether to engage in life’s pursuits or stay in a peaceful, detached state. The tone is meditative and melancholic, highlighting the fleeting nature of ambition and desire.

MCQs:

1. What is the central theme of Ode on Indolence?

1. The power of imagination
2. The conflict between ambition and relaxation
3. The beauty of nature
4. The passage of time
   Answer: 2) The conflict between ambition and relaxation

2. How many figures appear in Keats’ vision?

1. Two
2. Three
3. Four
4. Five
   Answer: 2) Three

3. Which three figures appear in the poem?

1. Love, Ambition, and Poetry
2. Time, Fate, and Death
3. Beauty, Truth, and Joy
4. Night, Day, and Memory
   Answer: 1) Love, Ambition, and Poetry

4. How does Keats feel about the three figures at the end of the poem?

1. He asks them to stay forever
2. He chooses to let them go
3. He tries to capture them in poetry
4. He follows them eagerly
   Answer: 2) He chooses to let them go

5. What poetic form is Ode on Indolence written in?

1. Sonnet
2. Elegy
3. Ode
4. Ballad
   Answer: 3) Ode

6. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

1. ABAB CDE CDE
2. ABABAB CDE CDE
3. AABBCC DDEEFF
4. ABCABC DEFDEF
   Answer: 2) ABABAB CDE CDE

7. What does Keats compare the figures to in the poem?

1. Shadows in the night
2. Figures on an urn
3. Birds in the sky
4. Waves in the ocean
   Answer: 2) Figures on an urn

8. What is the tone of the poem?

1. Joyful and uplifting
2. Dreamy and melancholic
3. Angry and critical
4. Philosophical and hopeful
   Answer: 2) Dreamy and melancholic

9. What inspired Ode on Indolence?

1. A personal dream or vision
2. A historical event
3. A Greek myth
4. A political issue
   Answer: 1) A personal dream or vision

10. What does Keats ultimately choose at the end of the poem?

1. To follow Love
2. To embrace Ambition
3. To remain in indolence
4. To devote himself to Poetry
   Answer: 3) To remain in indolence

MCQs & Summary of Some Famous Poems of John Keats

1. Ode to a Nightingale MCQs & Summary
2. Ode on a Grecian Urn MCQs & Summary
3. Ode to Autumn MCQs & Summary
4. Ode on Melancholy MCQs &  Summary
5. Ode to Psyche MCQs & Summary
6. Ode on Indolence MCQs & Summary
7. La Belle Dame sans Merci MCQs & Summary
8. Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art MCQs & Summary
9. When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be MCQs & Summary
10. The Eve of St. Agnes MCQs & Summary
11. Lamia by John Keats MCQs & Summary
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