Ode to the West Wind MCQs & Summary

Summary:

Ode to the West Wind is one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s most famous poems, written in 1819 and published in 1820. It is an ode celebrating the power of the West Wind as a force of change and renewal. The poem is divided into five cantos, each consisting of 14 lines, and follows the terza rima rhyme scheme.

Shelley personifies the West Wind as a mighty and uncontrollable force that can bring both destruction and rebirth. He describes its impact on the earth, sky, and sea, showing its ability to clear away the old and make way for the new. The poet sees himself as weak and struggling, wishing that the West Wind could inspire him to create powerful poetry that would influence the world.

The poem ends with the hopeful question: “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” suggesting that no matter how dark or difficult times may seem, renewal and change are always possible. This final line symbolizes hope, transformation, and the continuous cycle of life.

MCQs:

1. Who is the poet of Ode to the West Wind?
   a) William Wordsworth
   b) John Keats
   c) Percy Bysshe Shelley
   d) Lord Byron
   Answer: c) Percy Bysshe Shelley
2. In which year was Ode to the West Wind written?
   a) 1815
   b) 1819
   c) 1821
   d) 1825
   Answer: b) 1819
3. What poetic form is used in Ode to the West Wind?
   a) Sonnet
   b) Blank verse
   c) Ode
   d) Ballad
   Answer: c) Ode

   

4. What is the main theme of the poem?
   a) Love and beauty
   b) The power of nature and change
   c) Death and suffering
   d) War and heroism
   Answer: b) The power of nature and change
5. What is the rhyme scheme of Ode to the West Wind?
   a) ABAB
   b) AABB
   c) Terza rima (ABA BCB CDC…)
   d) Free verse
   Answer: c) Terza rima (ABA BCB CDC…)
6. What does the West Wind symbolize in the poem?
   a) The power of kings
   b) Death and rebirth
   c) Eternal suffering
   d) Religious devotion
   Answer: b) Death and rebirth
7. How many cantos (sections) are there in Ode to the West Wind?
   a) 3
   b) 4
   c) 5
   d) 6
   Answer: c) 5
8. What is the famous closing line of the poem?
   a) “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”
   b) “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
   c) “O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being”
   d) “I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!”
   Answer: b) “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
9. What literary device is frequently used in the poem?
   a) Simile
   b) Personification
   c) Alliteration
   d) Onomatopoeia
   Answer: b) Personification
10. What does the poet wish for in the final section of the poem?
    a) To be free like the wind
    b) To be buried under the sea
    c) To inspire people like the wind
    d) To return to his homeland
    Answer: c) To inspire people like the wind