To Penshurst MCQs & Summary

Summary:

“To Penshurst” is a country house poem written by Ben Jonson, celebrating the estate of Penshurst Place, the home of the Sidney family. Unlike other grand mansions built for display, Penshurst represents true nobility, hospitality, and virtue. The poem contrasts the artificiality of wealth-driven houses with the natural harmony and generosity found at Penshurst. Jonson praises the land’s abundance, where nature and agriculture thrive, and the estate’s lord, Robert Sidney, is portrayed as a gracious and moral host. The poem reflects themes of idealized rural life, ethical leadership, and the relationship between land, nobility, and virtue.

MCQs:

1. What type of poem is To Penshurst?
   A) Elegy
   B) Epic
   C) Country house poem
   D) Sonnet
   Answer: C) Country house poem
2. Who is the poet addressing in To Penshurst?
   A) Queen Elizabeth I
   B) Robert Sidney and his estate
   C) A lost lover
   D) A fictional nobleman
   Answer: B) Robert Sidney and his estate
3. What makes Penshurst different from other noble houses?
   A) Its extravagant and artificial design
   B) Its simplicity, hospitality, and natural harmony
   C) Its military defenses
   D) Its location near the king’s palace
   Answer: B) Its simplicity, hospitality, and natural harmony

   

4. What theme is central to the poem?
   A) The power of fate
   B) The decay of society
   C) The ideal relationship between land, nobility, and virtue
   D) The dangers of wealth
   Answer: C) The ideal relationship between land, nobility, and virtue
5. What literary device is prominent in the poem?
   A) Allegory
   B) Hyperbole
   C) Personification
   D) Alliteration
   Answer: C) Personification
6. How does Jonson describe the relationship between nature and the estate?
   A) Nature resists the rule of the estate
   B) The estate exploits nature’s resources
   C) Nature and the estate exist in perfect harmony
   D) The estate struggles to control nature
   Answer: C) Nature and the estate exist in perfect harmony
7. How does Jonson depict the lord of Penshurst, Robert Sidney?
   A) As a greedy and powerful ruler
   B) As a generous and virtuous nobleman
   C) As a warrior preparing for battle
   D) As a ruler disconnected from his land
   Answer: B) As a generous and virtuous nobleman
8. What does the poem praise about Penshurst’s hospitality?
   A) It only welcomes the wealthy and powerful
   B) It provides food and shelter to all, including common people
   C) It is a place for secret political gatherings
   D) It refuses entry to strangers
   Answer: B) It provides food and shelter to all, including common people
9. Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?
   A) Satirical and mocking
   B) Nostalgic and mournful
   C) Celebratory and appreciative
   D) Angry and accusatory
   Answer: C) Celebratory and appreciative
10. What contrast does Jonson make between Penshurst and other country houses?
    A) Penshurst is built with modern architecture, while others follow medieval styles
    B) Other houses focus on display and wealth, while Penshurst values virtue and hospitality
    C) Penshurst is larger and more extravagant than any other noble house
    D) Other houses have stronger defenses against enemies
    Answer: B) Other houses focus on display and wealth, while Penshurst values virtue and hospitality