The Harlot’s House MCQs and Summary

Summary:

“The Harlot’s House” is a poem by Oscar Wilde, published in 1885. It is a dark and haunting depiction of a brothel, symbolizing moral decay, lost love, and the artificial nature of pleasure.

The poem describes a couple walking past a house of prostitution at night. The house is filled with mechanical, ghostly figures dancing, emphasizing the lifeless, soulless nature of those inside. The imagery of the poem suggests that these people are trapped in a world of empty pleasures and moral corruption.

Wilde contrasts the artificiality of the harlot’s house with the sincerity of real love. The speaker’s companion, a woman, is eventually drawn into the house, leaving him behind, which symbolizes how people can be tempted by sinful pleasures and abandon true love.

The poem critiques Victorian society’s hidden hypocrisy, where outward morality coexists with secret indulgences in vice. It also reflects Wilde’s decadent aestheticism, showing the dark side of human desires.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote The Harlot’s House?
   A) Lord Byron
   B) Oscar Wilde
   C) John Keats
   D) William Blake
   Answer: B) Oscar Wilde
2. When was The Harlot’s House published?
   A) 1875
   B) 1885
   C) 1895
   D) 1905
   Answer: B) 1885
3. What is the main theme of the poem?
   A) Love and romance
   B) Death and war
   C) Moral decay and artificial pleasure
   D) Heroism and sacrifice
   Answer: C) Moral decay and artificial pleasure

   

4. What does the “harlot’s house” symbolize?
   A) A place of joy and celebration
   B) The hypocrisy and corruption of society
   C) A religious sanctuary
   D) A fairy tale castle
   Answer: B) The hypocrisy and corruption of society
5. How does the poem describe the people inside the harlot’s house?
   A) As joyful and lively
   B) As ghostly, mechanical, and lifeless
   C) As kind and generous
   D) As soldiers preparing for war
   Answer: B) As ghostly, mechanical, and lifeless
6. What literary technique is prominently used in the poem?
   A) Allegory
   B) Simile
   C) Metaphor
   D) All of the above
   Answer: D) All of the above
7. What happens to the speaker’s female companion in the poem?
   A) She runs away in fear
   B) She is drawn into the harlot’s house
   C) She attacks the speaker
   D) She calls the police
   Answer: B) She is drawn into the harlot’s house
8. How does Wilde depict the dancers inside the house?
   A) As joyful and vibrant
   B) As soulless and mechanical puppets
   C) As angry and violent
   D) As angels of love
   Answer: B) As soulless and mechanical puppets
9. What does the speaker feel at the end of the poem?
   A) Happiness and joy
   B) Relief and satisfaction
   C) Sorrow and despair
   D) Anger and revenge
   Answer: C) Sorrow and despair
10. What is the tone of the poem?
    A) Playful and humorous
    B) Dark and eerie
    C) Optimistic and hopeful
    D) Romantic and cheerful
    Answer: B) Dark and eerie