To an Unborn Pauper Child MCQs and Summary

Summary:

Thomas Hardy’s poem To an Unborn Pauper Child is a reflection on the struggles and hardships faced by those born into poverty. The poem is addressed to an unborn child who is destined to live a difficult life due to their socio-economic status. Hardy questions whether it is better for the child to be born into suffering or to remain unborn and free from life’s inevitable miseries. The poem carries a melancholic and pessimistic tone, highlighting themes of fate, social inequality, and human suffering. Through vivid imagery and rhetorical questioning, Hardy critiques the rigid class system and the harsh realities of life for the poor.

MCQs:

1. Who wrote the poem To an Unborn Pauper Child?
   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) The beauty of childhood
   b) The struggles of the poor and social injustice
   c) The excitement of new life
   d) The power of love
   Answer: b) The struggles of the poor and social injustice
3. To whom is the poem addressed?
   a) A young boy working in a factory
   b) An unborn child
   c) A dying old man
   d) A wealthy businessman
   Answer: b) An unborn child

   

4. What does the speaker question in the poem?
   a) Whether life is fair to all
   b) Whether the child should be born into a life of suffering
   c) Whether the world will change for the better
   d) Whether people can escape their fate
   Answer: b) Whether the child should be born into a life of suffering
5. What literary device does Hardy use frequently in this poem?
   a) Hyperbole
   b) Metaphor
   c) Rhetorical questions
   d) Personification
   Answer: c) Rhetorical questions
6. What does the word “pauper” in the title refer to?
   a) A wealthy person
   b) A poor and destitute individual
   c) A powerful ruler
   d) A middle-class worker
   Answer: b) A poor and destitute individual
7. What kind of tone does the poem have?
   a) Optimistic and joyful
   b) Dark and hopeless
   c) Playful and humorous
   d) Reflective and melancholic
   Answer: d) Reflective and melancholic
8. Which societal issue does Hardy criticize in the poem?
   a) The importance of education
   b) Social inequality and poverty
   c) War and violence
   d) The dangers of technology
   Answer: b) Social inequality and poverty
9. What does the speaker suggest about fate?
   a) Fate is unpredictable and can be changed
   b) Fate is cruel and unchangeable for the poor
   c) Fate only affects the rich
   d) Fate is controlled by the individual
   Answer: b) Fate is cruel and unchangeable for the poor
10. What does the speaker imply about the child’s future?
    a) The child will have endless opportunities
    b) The child will suffer due to social class and poverty
    c) The child will live a joyful life
    d) The child will escape poverty easily
    Answer: b) The child will suffer due to social class and poverty
11. What does Hardy’s poem reveal about his views on society?
    a) He believes everyone has equal opportunities
    b) He criticizes the rigid class structure and lack of social mobility
    c) He supports the existing social hierarchy
    d) He believes the poor are responsible for their situation
    Answer: b) He criticizes the rigid class structure and lack of social mobility
12. What poetic form does To an Unborn Pauper Child follow?
    a) Sonnet
    b) Free verse
    c) Ballad
    d) Dramatic monologue
    Answer: d) Dramatic monologue
13. Which of the following best describes the poem’s message?
    a) Life is beautiful no matter the circumstances
    b) It is better not to be born than to suffer in poverty
    c) Hard work can help anyone escape poverty
    d) Money is not important in life
    Answer: b) It is better not to be born than to suffer in poverty
14. Which of the following emotions does Hardy evoke in the reader?
    a) Joy and excitement
    b) Sympathy and sadness
    c) Fear and anger
    d) Hope and confidence
    Answer: b) Sympathy and sadness
15. What does Hardy suggest about the possibility of changing one’s social status?
    a) It is easy for the poor to rise in society
    b) It is almost impossible to escape poverty
    c) Social mobility is a myth
    d) Everyone can succeed with determination
    Answer: b) It is almost impossible to escape poverty