O Captain! My Captain!

1.       Who wrote the poem, O Captain! My Captain!?

a.      Walt Whitman 

2.      In which year was Walt Whitman born and in which year did he  die? 

a.      1819 birth and 1892 death 

3.      Who is referred to as Captain in the poem, O Captain! My  Captain!? 

a.      Abraham Lincoln 

4.      In line I of the poem, our ‘fearful trip’ is a reference to the 

a.      End of Civil War

5.      The ‘captain’ in the poem is also referred to as the ____

a.      Father 

6.      The poet exhorts (urges, encourages) the Captain to ____

a.      Lead the ship in its ‘fearful trip’ 

7.      What does the word voyage mean in the poem, O Captain! My  Captain!? 

a.      A long journey 

8.     What is the tone of the poem, O Captain! My Captain?

a.      Lamentation 

9.      How many stanzas does the poem, O Captain! My Captain contain? 

a.      3 stanzas 

10.  In which Whitman’s work was the poem, O Captain! My Captain first published? 

a.      First edition of Leaves of Grass 

11.   The poem, O Captain! My Captain is _____ in nature.

a.      Symbolic 

12.  What does the poem, O Captain! My Captain describes?

a.      Describes the victory of the union after the end of Civil War

b.      And the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. 

13.  What does ‘ship’ represent in the poem, O Captain! My Captain?

a.      USA 

14.  What does the word ‘fearful trip’ in the first stanza imply the  poem, O Captain! My Captain? 

a.      Dreadful Civil War that came to an end 

15.   ‘The port is near’ means? 

a.      The home is near

16.  In the poem, O Captain! My Captain, what does the given lines  signify: ‘But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red’.

a.      Enthusiasm replaced by Gloom (as The Captain who was to be  hailed by the people for his peerless bravery lays now lifeless)

17.   What technique is exploited in the second stanza in the poem, O  Captain! My Captain? 

a.      Apostrophe – figure of speech used to address someone who is  dead or absent  

18.  Who is called the ‘Dear Father’ in the poem, O Captain! My  Captain? 

a.      Lincoln is considered as the Father of the nation. 

19.  What dual emotions are reflected in the 3^rd stanza in the poem,  O Captain! My Captain? 

a.      Exhilaration of victory (object won Exult of shores) and  lamentation on the death of the Captain (mournful tread)

20. In the line, ‘The ship has weather’d every rack’ , the Ship stands  for ______. 

a.      America (The United States of America USA) 

21.  When was the poem O Captain! My Captain first published?

a.      4^th November 1965 

22. Where was the poem O Captain! My Captain first published?

a.      In a weekly newspaper – New York Saturday Press 

23. What can the readers of the poem O Captain! My Captain relates with? 

a.      The readers can related with the poem’s evocation of joy  eclipsed by grief 

24. Walt Whitman was an adherent and admirer of _______?

a.      Abraham Lincoln

25.  Who was an ardent admirer of Walt Whitman’s free verse?

a.      D.H.Lawrence 

Upagupta

 

 

1.      Who wrote the poem, Upagupta?

a.       Rabindranath Tagore

2.      Who is the Indian multifaceted personality, who is a poet, a dramatist, a short-story writer an educationist, a novelist, a philosopher and a nation builder?

a.       Rabindranath Tagore

3.      In which year was Tagore born and in which year did he die?

a.       Born in the year 1861 and died in the year 1941

4.      Who was Upagupta?

a.       And ancient Indian Ascetic

5.      The poem Upagupta is a fine example of Tagore’s _______.

a.       Lyricism

6.      Where was Upagupta sleeping?/ The woman finds Upagupta ______.

a.       Sleeping on the bare earth

7.      The woman invites Upagupta _____.

a.       To accompany her home.

8.      Upagupta was a disciple of ______.

a.       Buddha

9.      Upagupta’s reply suggests that _____.

a.       He will provide her company when she needs it.

10.  The seasons described in the poem are ______.

a.       Monsoon and spring

11.  Which months are described in the poem, Upagupta?

a.       August and April

12.  In the poem Upagupta, the August sky is said to be ____.

a.       Murky (dark and gloomy)

13.  Which city is described in the poem, Upagupta?

a.       Mathura

14.  What were the people of the city celebrating, as in the poem, Upagupta?

a.       The festival of flower / the onset of spring

15.  Who was the woman who met Upagupta?

a.       She was a beautiful dancer

16.  When does Upagupta arrive again in the city of Mathura?

a.       Evening of a day in April / during Spring season

17.  What was the dancing girl wearing when she met Upagupta?

a.       Pale blue mantle starred with jewels.

18.  Why did the dancer girl tremble?

a.       Due to sudden flash of Lightening/ feared unknown danger

19.  What does the word ‘pestilence’ mean?

a.       A fatal epidemic disease

20.  What does the word ‘contagion’ mean?

a.       A disease that spreads by close contact

21.  The woman had been removed from the town because ______.

a.       She was suffering from a contagious disease

22.  What did the ascetic do when he found the woman affected with ‘poisonous contagion’?

a.       He sat by her side,

b.      He took her head on his knees,

c.       He moistened her lips with water and

d.      Smeared her body with sandal balm.

23.  Who woke Upagupta up?

a.       A dancer girl with a lamp in her hand

24.  What sound did wake Upagupta up?

a.       The tinkling sound with anklets of the dancer girl

25.  Tagore in the poem, Upagupta talks about what notes as floating in the warm spring air from afar?

a.       Gay notes of a flute

26.  Where were the citizens of Mathura gone?

a.       To the woods for the festival of flowers

27.  Where did Upagupta find the contagion woman?

a.       She was lying at his feet in the shadow of the mongo grove

28.  With what disease was the woman suffering when Upagupta came?

a.       She was suffering with small- pox

29.  What did the villagers do with the women when she caught contagion?

a.       She was hurriedly removed from the town

30.  What was the reply of the aesthetic in the end?

a.       He said, “the time has at last come to visit you and I am here”.

31.  Why did Upagupta turn down the offer of the girl?

a.       Because he was not drawn to sensual pleasure.

32.  What does the word ‘mantle’ mean as stated in the poem,Upagupta?

a.       A covering of a specific sort

33.  What does the word ‘rampart mean as stated in the poem, Upagupta?

a.       A defensive or protective barrier

SYNONYM and ANTONYM

            2. Synonyms and Antonyms 

Synonyms: same in meaning

Antonyms: opposite in meaning

 

Synonyms List 

1. Almost - nearly 

2. Animated - lively 

3. Anyway - besides 

4. Apparent - Obvious 

5. Appreciable - Considerable 

6. Ardor - Passion 

7. Big - Large 

8. Blank - Empty 

9. Broad - Wide 

10. Callous - Cruel 

11. Campaign - Movement/Agitation 

12. Cancel - Call Off 

13. Capture - Catch/Nab 

14. Center - Middle 

15. Chaste - Pure/Virtuous/plain 

16. Cheat - Deceive 

17. Clever - Intelligent/Smart 

18. Clown - Buffoon/Jester 

19. Cold - Chilly 

20. Compare - Liken 

21. Haste - Hurry 

22. High - Tall 

23. House - Residence/Home 

24. Huge - Enormous 

25. Idle - Lazy 

26. Intelligent - Clever 

27. Lad - Boy 

28. Lass - Girl

29. Lazy - Indolent 

30. Little - Small 

31. Love - Affection

32. Loving - Fond 

33. Loyal - Faithful 

34. Mad - Insane/Angry

35. Mingle - Mix 

36. Neglect - Ignore 

37. New - Novel 

38. Obscene - Vulgar 

39. Old - Ancient 

40. Omit - Delete/Exclude/Drop

41. Correct - Right/Exclude/Drop

42. Cunning - Right/Accurate/Exact

43. Dangerous - Risky 

44. Dash - Sprint 

45. Daybreak - Dawn 

46. Deceptive – Misleading

 47. Decrease - Lessen 

48. Decree - Rule/Command

49. Defend - Protect/Support

50. Delight - Enjoyment/Pleasure

51. Dirty - Unclean/Filthy

52. Dreadful - Terrible/Frightening

53. Eager - Keen 

54. Earth - Soils 

55. Eatable - Edible 

56. Equity - Fairness 

57. Especially - Particularly

58. Essential - Fundamental

59. Faith - Belief 

60. False - Untrue 

61. Fertile - Fruitful 

62. Foe - Enemy 

63. Fraud - Cheat 

64. Freedom - Liberty

65. Gather - Collect 

66. Gay - Cheerful 

67. Glad - Happy 

68. Gloomy - Dejected/Dark/Cheerless 

69. Grief - Sorrow 

70. Happy - Joyous 

71. Hard - Difficult 

72. Oral - Verbal 

73. Plain - Simple/Clear/Obvious 

74. Polite - Courteous 

75. Poor - Destitute 

76. Praise - Acclaim 

77. Quick - Rapid/Fast 

78. Rare - Scarce 

79. Ready - Alert 

80. Real - Genuine 

81. Refuse - Decline/Reject 

82. Remote - Distant 

83. Rich - Wealthy 

84. Right - Correct/Appropriate/Exact

85. Rude - Impolite 

86. Sad - Unhappy 

87. Safe - Secure 

88. Shatter - Break/Burst 

89. Shut - Close 

90. Sick - Ill 

91. Sleepy - Drowsy 

92. Slim - Slender 

93. Small - Tiny/Meagre 

94. Suspect - Doubt 

95. Tell - Say 

96. Thin - Lean 

97. Usual - Normal 

98. Vacant - Empty 

99. Weak - Feeble 

100. Wonder - Amazement

Antonyms List 

1. Absence x Presence 

2. Accept x Refuse 

3. Accurate x Inaccurate 

4. Active x Inactive/Passive 

5. Adequate x Inadequate 

6. Advantage x Disadvantage 

7. Agree x Disagree 

8. Alive x Dead 

9. Always x Never 

10. Ancient x Modern 

11. Answer x Question/Query 

12. Appear x Disappear 

13. Arrival x Departure 

14. Backward x Forward/Onward 

15. Beautiful x Ugly 

16. Beginning x Ending 

17. Bend x Straighten 

18. Brave x Cowardly 

19. Busy x Idle 

20. Capable x Incapable 

21. Captivity x Freedom/Liberty 

22. Close x Distant 

23. Compulsory x Optional 

24. Conscious x Unconscious 

25. Correct x Incorrect 

26. Crowded x Uncrowded/Empty 

27. Cruel x Kind 

28. Glad x Sad 

29. Good x Bad 

30. Grateful x Ungrateful 

31. Hairy x Hairless 

32. Happy x Unhappy 

33. Hard x Soft/Easy 

34. Hate x Love

35. Healthy x Unhealthy

36. Heavy x Light

37. Holy x Unholy

38. Honest x Dishonest

39. Host x Guest

40. Innocent x Guilty

41. Interesting x Uninteresting

42. Justice x Injustice

43. Large x Small

44. Leader x Follower

45. Life x Death

46. Like x Dislike/Unlike

47. Loyal x Disloyal

48. Mad x Sane

49. Major x Minor

50. Near x Far/Distant

51. New x Old 

52. Night x Day

53. Noisy x Quiet

54. North x South

55. Obedient x Disobedient

56. Dark x Bright

57. Decrease x Increase

58. Definite x Indefinite

59. Demand x Supply

60. Despair x Hope

61. Destroy x Build

62. Disappear x Appear

63. Discourage x Encourage

64. Disease x health

65. Down x Up 

66. Dry x Wet

67. Early x Late

68. East x West

69. Easy x Difficult

70. Ebb x Flow

71. Economies x Waste

72. Empty x Full/Crowded

73. Encourage x Discourage 

74. Enemy x Friend

75. Fail x Succeed

76. False x True

77. Far x Near

78. Feeble x Study/Strong

79. Fit x Unfit

80. Friendly x Unfriendly

81. Odd x Even

82. Out x In 

83. Parent x Child

84. Past x Present

85. Patient x Impatient

86. Peace x War

87. Permanent x Temporary

88. Please x Displease

89. Plentiful x Scarce

90. Poetry x Prose

91. Polite x Impolite/Rude

92. Possible x Impossible

93. Poverty x Wealth

94. Powerful x Feeble/Weak

95. Private x Public

96. Satisfactory x Unsatisfactory

97. Scatter x Collect

98. Security x Insecurity

99. Serious x Trivial

100. Tight x Loose

101. Tiny x Large/Big

102. Wax x Wane

103. Wisdom x Folly

104. Within x Without

Exercise 

Q1. Match the synonyms in the two columns – 

ANSWER 

No.	A	B
1.	Abate	Lessen
2.	Yearly	Annual
3.	Meticulous	Careful
4.	Appear	Seem
5.	Lucid	Clear
6.	Broad	Wide
7.	Elementary	Basic
8.	Futile	Useless
9.	Mandatory	Compulsory
10.	Wreck	Destroy

 

Q2. Complete the sentence using words that mean the same as those  in brackets. 

1. She _____ (rarely) plays the violin now. 

She seldom (rarely) plays the violin now. 

2. It was a ____ (hazardous) journey, and we were lucky to have  escaped. 

It was a risky/ dangerous/ unsafe (hazardous) journey, and we were  lucky to have escaped. 

3. I had to be away from the office because of ______ (pressing) personal  work. 

        I had to be away from the office because of urgent (pressing) personal  work.

4. The bus slowed down at the ____ (junction). 

The bus slowed down at the crossroad (junction). 

5. We ____ (craved) for a cold drink after the long walk in the heat. 

We desired (craved) for a cold drink after the long walk in the heat. 

6. I want some ____ (beautiful) flowers in the vase. 

I want some lovely (beautiful) flowers in the vase. 

7. Play _____ (intelligently) that is the only way to defeat this team. Play logically (intelligently) that is the only way to defeat this team. 

8. Sudhakar is a _____ (hardworking) employee. 

Sudhakar is a reliable (hardworking) employee. 

9. The crowd got very ____ (agitated) as they saw the home team lost  the match. 

The crowd got very restless (agitated) as they saw the home team lost  the match. 

10. The water in this pond is very _____ (dirty). 

The water in this pond is very muddy (dirty). 

Q3. In each set, tick the word that is the closet antonym of the word  on the left 

1. Diffident - shy x confident

2. Extempore - unprepared x well prepared

3. Consent - permit x forbid 

4. Amicable – friendly x unfriendly

5. Ambiguity- confusion x clarity 

6. Subside- moderate x increase

7. Transient – temporary x permanent

8. Refute - negate x accept 

9. Paucity - scarcity x abundance

10. Dormant – latent (inactive) x active

Q4. Write the antonyms of the following. 

1. Rise x fall 

2. Increase x decrease  

3. Smile x frown 

4. Arrive x depart 

5. Negate x accept 

6. Sadness x happiness 

7. Full x empty 

8. Timid x bold 

9. Confident x timid 

10. Success x failure 

11. Strict x lenient 

12. Host x guest 

Q5. Write synonyms of the following. 

1. Abominable - terrible, dreadful

2. Abroad - overseas 

3. Admit - confess, disclose

4. Antiquated - old-fashioned, outdated

5. Astute - smart, judicious

6. Attire - dress, costume, outfit

7. Blank - empty, vacant, gap

8. Brave - daring, fearless

9. Choosy - fussy, picky 

10. Confine - restrict, detain, limit
11. Contemporary - modern, present, fashionable

12. Copious - abundant, plentiful, ample

13. Dubious - doubtful, uncertain, unsure

14. Effortless - easy, painless, natural

15. Enquire - ask, search, probe

16. Acquire - obtain, attain 

17. Impact - effect, impression

18. Lethal - deadly, harmful, destructive

19. Magnificent - superb, outstanding, stunning

20. Miniscule - tiny, minute, little

21. Native - local, resident 

22. Necessary - essential, needed, required

23. Phenomenal - remarkable, unique, impressive

24. Rash - hasty, impulsive, careless

25. Surplus - extra, excess 

26. Tricky - complicated, difficult, complex

27. Trivial - unimportant, insignificant, petty