Here we have shared Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester / HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers. Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
Set: 1
Q.1 What is the speaker in “Ulysses” longing for?
a) A peaceful and quiet retirement
b) New adventures and experiences
c) The comfort of his family
d) Forgiveness for past mistakes
Answer: b) New adventures and experiences
Q.2 What phrase from the poem best reflects Ulysses’ restless spirit?
a) “Grow old along with me”
b) “Much have I seen and known”
c) “I yearn for the old familiar ways”
d) “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”
Answer: d) “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”
Q.3 What is the significance of the “far-off lands” mentioned in the poem?
a) They represent a lost love.
b) They symbolize the speaker’s regrets.
c) They represent the unknown and the call for continued exploration.
d) They represent the speaker’s yearning for death.
Answer: c) They represent the unknown and the call for continued exploration.
Q.4 What does Ulysses compare himself to when he talks about rusting?
a) A forgotten hero
b) A sword that is not used
c) A ship lost at sea
d) A tree shedding its leaves
Answer: b) A sword that is not used
Q.5 Why does Ulysses feel dissatisfied with ruling Ithaca?
a) He finds the people too intelligent.
b) He believes ruling is boring and unfulfilling.
c) He thinks his son is a better ruler.
d) He enjoys ruling but desires more power.
Answer: b) He believes ruling is boring and unfulfilling.
Q.6 What does Ulysses mean by “Life piled on life”?
a) He wishes to live multiple lives to experience everything.
b) He feels burdened by the weight of life.
c) He regrets the life he has lived.
d) He wants to focus only on his past.
Answer: a) He wishes to live multiple lives to experience everything.
Q.7 What does Ulysses admire about his son, Telemachus?
a) His adventurous spirit
b) His ability to rule with patience and wisdom
c) His love for battle
d) His desire to leave Ithaca
Answer: b) His ability to rule with patience and wisdom
Q.8 What does Ulysses mean by “To follow knowledge like a sinking star”?
a) He wants to pursue wisdom endlessly.
b) He wishes to escape from his past mistakes.
c) He is ready to accept death.
d) He believes knowledge is unreachable.
Answer: a) He wants to pursue wisdom endlessly.
Q.9 How does Ulysses view old age?
a) As a time for peace and rest
b) As a chance to reflect on his past
c) As a time for continued adventure and purpose
d) As a sign of weakness and regret
Answer: c) As a time for continued adventure and purpose
Q.10 What does Ulysses call his fellow mariners?
a) Friends who have suffered with him
b) Brave soldiers of Ithaca
c) The future rulers of his land
d) Strangers who do not understand his desires
Answer: a) Friends who have suffered with him
Q.11 What is the significance of the “Happy Isles” in the poem?
a) They represent Ithaca’s peaceful lands.
b) They symbolize the afterlife or eternal peace.
c) They are a place Ulysses wishes to conquer.
d) They refer to the past battles Ulysses fought.
Answer: b) They symbolize the afterlife or eternal peace.
Q.12 What does Ulysses mean by “Death closes all”?
a) Death is the end, but life should be lived fully before it comes.
b) He fears death and wants to avoid it.
c) Death erases all memories and accomplishments.
d) He believes death is more powerful than human will.
Answer: a) Death is the end, but life should be lived fully before it comes.
Q.13 What does the “arch” in the poem symbolize?
a) The end of Ulysses’ journey
b) A gateway to new experiences and knowledge
c) The burdens of old age
d) The rule of Ithaca
Answer: b) A gateway to new experiences and knowledge
Q.14 What does Ulysses say about his past experiences?
a) They have made him tired and unwilling to continue.
b) They are meaningless now that he is old.
c) They have shaped him and left him longing for more.
d) He regrets many of them.
Answer: c) They have shaped him and left him longing for more.
Q.15 What does Ulysses mean by “Some work of noble note may yet be done”?
a) He still believes he can achieve something great.
b) He wants his son to carry on his legacy.
c) He wishes to rebuild Ithaca.
d) He is unsure about his future.
Answer: a) He still believes he can achieve something great.
Q.16 Why does Ulysses describe his people as a “savage race”?
a) They lack adventure and understanding.
b) They are physically aggressive and violent.
c) They have abandoned him as their king.
d) They refuse to obey his commands.
Answer: a) They lack adventure and understanding.
Q.17 What is Ulysses’ final resolution in the poem?
a) To remain in Ithaca and support his son
b) To set sail once more in search of adventure
c) To retire peacefully with his wife
d) To build a grand palace in Ithaca
Answer: b) To set sail once more in search of adventure
Q.18 What does Ulysses mean by “for my purpose holds / To sail beyond the sunset”?
a) He is determined to continue exploring despite his age.
b) He wants to find a new place to rule.
c) He seeks a peaceful retirement away from Ithaca.
d) He is looking for a hidden treasure.
Answer: a) He is determined to continue exploring despite his age.
Q.19 How does Ulysses contrast himself with his son, Telemachus?
a) Ulysses is adventurous, while Telemachus is dutiful and patient.
b) Ulysses is strong, while Telemachus is weak.
c) Ulysses is fearful, while Telemachus is brave.
d) Ulysses is wise, while Telemachus is foolish.
Answer: a) Ulysses is adventurous, while Telemachus is dutiful and patient.
Q.20 What is the central theme of Ulysses?
a) The importance of duty over adventure
b) The desire for knowledge and exploration despite aging
c) The fear of death and regret
d) The burden of ruling a kingdom
Answer: b) The desire for knowledge and exploration despite aging
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
Set: 2
Q.1 Who is the speaker of the poem Ulysses?
a) Odysseus
b) Telemachus
c) Achilles
d) Agamemnon
Answer: a) Odysseus
Q.2 What is Ulysses’ position in Ithaca?
a) A warrior
b) A king
c) A sailor
d) A philosopher
Answer: b) A king
Q.3 Who is Ulysses’ wife?
a) Helen
b) Calypso
c) Circe
d) Penelope
Answer: d) Penelope
Q.4 Who is Ulysses’ son mentioned in the poem?
a) Achilles
b) Telemachus
c) Paris
d) Hector
Answer: b) Telemachus
Q.5 Which Greek epic hero does Ulysses hope to meet in the afterlife?
a) Hector
b) Achilles
c) Agamemnon
d) Ajax
Answer: b) Achilles
Q.6 What kind of life does Ulysses compare to rusting?
a) A life of inaction
b) A life of war
c) A life of wisdom
d) A life of sorrow
Answer: a) A life of inaction
Q.7 What natural element does Ulysses frequently mention in the poem?
a) Mountains
b) Sky
c) Sea
d) Forest
Answer: c) Sea
Q.8 What does Ulysses mean by “I am a part of all that I have met”?
a) He has been shaped by his experiences.
b) He owns many lands.
c) He is still haunted by his past.
d) He has lost his identity.
Answer: a) He has been shaped by his experiences.
Q.9 Where did Ulysses fight with his peers?
a) Marathon
b) Thebes
c) Troy
d) Sparta
Answer: c) Troy
Q.10 What celestial object does Ulysses use as a metaphor for knowledge?
a) The sun
b) The moon
c) A sinking star
d) A comet
Answer: c) A sinking star
Q.11 What does Ulysses call his mariners?
a) Old and tired men
b) Strong and brave warriors
c) Souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought
d) Fools who follow him blindly
Answer: c) Souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought
Q.12 What does Ulysses say about death?
a) It closes all
b) It is avoidable
c) It should be feared
d) It is meaningless
Answer: a) It closes all
Q.13 How does Ulysses describe his subjects in Ithaca?
a) Loyal and noble
b) Savage and ignorant
c) Weak and helpless
d) Brave and adventurous
Answer: b) Savage and ignorant
Q.14 What does Ulysses say about Telemachus’ rule?
a) He will make the people mild and useful.
b) He will destroy the kingdom.
c) He will lead them into battle.
d) He will abandon Ithaca.
Answer: a) He will make the people mild and useful.
Q.15 What does Ulysses long to do instead of ruling Ithaca?
a) Rest in peace
b) Go on new adventures
c) Train his son
d) Write his memoirs
Answer: b) Go on new adventures
Q.16 What is the final message of Ulysses?
a) To keep striving despite age and limitations
b) To enjoy life in peace and rest
c) To accept one’s fate without question
d) To pass wisdom to future generations
Answer: a) To keep striving despite age and limitations
Q.17 What phrase shows that Ulysses acknowledges his own aging?
a) “We are not now that strength which in old days…”
b) “Much have I seen and known…”
c) “The long day wanes…”
d) “Push off, and sitting well in order smite…”
Answer: a) “We are not now that strength which in old days…”
Q.18 Which poetic form is Ulysses written in?
a) Sonnet
b) Dramatic monologue
c) Ballad
d) Ode
Answer: b) Dramatic monologue
Q.19 Which poetic device is used in “The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs”?
a) Alliteration
b) Simile
c) Metaphor
d) Personification
Answer: d) Personification
Q.20 What is the meaning of “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”?
a) To fight against enemies
b) To continue seeking knowledge and adventure without giving up
c) To enjoy a peaceful life in Ithaca
d) To accept old age and retire
Answer: b) To continue seeking knowledge and adventure without giving up
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
Set: 3
(1) The form of the poem is:
a. Epilogue
b. Dialogue
c. Dramatic monologue
Ans: Dramatic monologue
(2) The poem is a typical dramatic monologue common in the:
a. Later Victorian era
b. Earlier Victorian era
c. Romantic period
d. Restoration period
Ans: Later Victorian era
(3) Which one of the following is a feature of a dramatic monologue?
a. It is a poem in which we have the words of a single speaker who is clearly not the poet himself.
b. There is an audience, usually silent, as well as a setting.
c. The protagonist faces a crisis. In the course of the poem, he reacts to the crisis and, by his reaction, reveals the basic traits of his personality.
d. All of the above
Ans: All of the above
(4) Ulysses’ kingdom Ithaca represents:
a. Human actions
b. Tyranny
c. Sea voyage
d. Limitation of human action
Ans: Limitation of human action
(5) Ulysses’ final voyage towards the unknown region represents:
a. Beginning of a new era of human action
b. Death
c. Human expectations
d. Limitation of human action
Ans: Death
(6) “And this grey spirit yearning in desire”… Here “this grey spirit” refers to:
a. Ulysses himself
b. Death
c. Limitation of human action
d. None of the above
Ans: Ulysses himself
(7) Ulysses is the hero of Homer’s epic:
a. Iliad
b. Odyssey
c. Both
d. None
Ans: Odyssey
(8) Ulysses is the Roman name of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus.
a. True
b. False
Ans: True
(9) Ulysses, the king of Ithaca, is the son of:
a. Telemachus
b. Laertes
c. None of them
Ans: Laertes
(10) Ithaca was a barren and rocky island in the:
a. Iranian Sea
b. Arabian Sea
c. Ionian Sea
d. Aral Sea
Ans: Ionian Sea
(11) Telemachus was the … of Ulysses.
a. Father
b. Lieutenant
c. Navigator
d. Son
Ans: Son
(12) ‘Hyades’ is a Greek word that means:
a. Pioneers
b. Rainers
c. Signs of an imminent storm
d. Natural calamities
Ans: Rainers
(13) ‘Hyades’ is a constellation of … stars.
a. Three
b. Five
c. Seven
d. Nine
Ans: Seven
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
(14) The main theme of Ulysses is:
a. The conflict between duty and adventure
b. The beauty of nature
c. The importance of family life
d. The dangers of the sea
Ans: The conflict between duty and adventure
(15) Ulysses calls his mariners:
a. Cowards
b. Free souls
c. Gods
d. Tyrants
Ans: Free souls
(16) Ulysses wants to leave Ithaca because:
a. He is tired of ruling
b. He wants to meet his son
c. He wants to explore new lands
d. He fears war
Ans: He wants to explore new lands
(17) What does Ulysses say about old age?
a. It is weak and useless
b. It still has the power to strive and seek
c. It should rest peacefully
d. It should avoid adventure
Ans: It still has the power to strive and seek
(18) “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” expresses:
a. Ulysses’ resignation
b. Ulysses’ determination
c. Ulysses’ sorrow
d. Ulysses’ regret
Ans: Ulysses’ determination
(19) The poem Ulysses is written in:
a. Free verse
b. Blank verse
c. Rhymed couplets
d. Sonnet form
Ans: Blank verse
(20) The poem Ulysses is addressed to:
a. The people of Ithaca
b. Telemachus
c. Ulysses’ sailors
d. Himself
Ans: Ulysses’ sailors
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
Set: 4
(1) Ulysses is a poem written by:
a) William Wordsworth
b) Robert Browning
c) Alfred Lord Tennyson
d) John Keats
Ans: c) Alfred Lord Tennyson
(2) The poem Ulysses was written in:
a) 1815
b) 1825
c) 1833
d) 1842
Ans: c) 1833
(3) The poem was published in:
a) 1835
b) 1842
c) 1850
d) 1864
Ans: b) 1842
(4) Ulysses is written in:
a) Rhymed couplets
b) Free verse
c) Blank verse
d) Sonnet form
Ans: c) Blank verse
(5) The poem Ulysses is a:
a) Narrative poem
b) Lyric poem
c) Dramatic monologue
d) Epic poem
Ans: c) Dramatic monologue
(6) The main theme of the poem is:
a) The beauty of nature
b) Search for knowledge and adventure
c) The importance of family life
d) The power of destiny
Ans: b) Search for knowledge and adventure
(7) Ulysses is the Roman name of which Greek hero?
a) Achilles
b) Agamemnon
c) Odysseus
d) Hector
Ans: c) Odysseus
(8) Ulysses is the legendary king of:
a) Troy
b) Ithaca
c) Athens
d) Sparta
Ans: b) Ithaca
(9) Tennyson wrote Ulysses after the death of his close friend:
a) Robert Browning
b) Percy Bysshe Shelley
c) Arthur Henry Hallam
d) William Blake
Ans: c) Arthur Henry Hallam
(10) “It little profits that an idle king” – What does ‘idle king’ mean?
a) A lazy and inactive king
b) A just and noble king
c) A wise ruler
d) A cruel king
Ans: a) A lazy and inactive king
(11) “By this still hearth, among these barren crags,” – What does ‘hearth’ symbolize?
a) Warmth and fire
b) Home and domestic life
c) Adventure and excitement
d) Political power
Ans: b) Home and domestic life
(12) The phrase “still hearth” suggests:
a) A lively home
b) A place of adventure
c) A dull and unadventurous life
d) A battlefield
Ans: c) A dull and unadventurous life
(13) “I will drink Life to the lees” – What is life compared to?
a) A cup of tea
b) A cup of wine
c) A cup of water
d) A cup of honey
Ans: b) A cup of wine
(14) The phrase “hungry heart” refers to:
a) A desire for food
b) A craving for adventure and knowledge
c) A heart filled with sadness
d) A heart suffering from disease
Ans: b) A craving for adventure and knowledge
(15) “Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole” – Who is the ‘aged wife’?
a) Helen
b) Andromache
c) Penelope
d) Clytemnestra
Ans: c) Penelope
(16) “Unequal laws unto a savage race” – The ‘savage race’ refers to:
a) The people of Troy
b) The people of Ithaca
c) The Greeks
d) The Spartans
Ans: b) The people of Ithaca
(17) The Greek word ‘Hyades’ means:
a) Messengers of storm
b) Angels
c) The Rainers
d) Stars of fire
Ans: c) The Rainers
(18) “Vext the dim sea” – What does ‘vext’ mean?
a) Made stormy or turbulent
b) Made calm
c) Made clear
d) Made bright
Ans: a) Made stormy or turbulent
(19) In “I am become a name,” Ulysses means that:
a) He has lost his identity
b) He is famous for his adventures
c) He is forgotten by history
d) He is searching for a new name
Ans: b) He is famous for his adventures
(20) What is Ulysses’ final resolution in the poem?
a) To retire and rest
b) To rule Ithaca wisely
c) To set out on new adventures
d) To spend time with his family
Ans: c) To set out on new adventures
Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester
HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
Summary of Ulysses
(1) Ulysses, the king of Ithaca, reflects on his life and expresses his dissatisfaction with ruling a kingdom passively.
(2) He finds no joy in governing “a savage race that hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.”
(3) He believes that mere existence is not enough—”To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use”—and longs for adventure.
(4) Ulysses declares, “I cannot rest from travel”, showing his restless spirit and desire to keep exploring.
(5) He recalls his past experiences, having traveled extensively and fought in the Trojan War alongside his peers.
(6) He describes how he has “drunk delight of battle” and experienced different cultures, governments, and climates.
(7) He believes that all experience is like an arch that reveals new opportunities, urging him to continue his journey.
(8) He compares his pursuit of knowledge to “a sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought.”
(9) Acknowledging his old age, Ulysses admits that “much is taken, much abides”—he is weaker than before but still determined.
(10) He expresses his frustration that life is short and every moment should be spent in meaningful action.
(11) He contrasts himself with his son, Telemachus, who he considers “blameless” and well-suited for ruling Ithaca with patience and wisdom.
(12) Ulysses praises Telemachus for his “slow prudence”, which will help civilize the people of Ithaca.
(13) Unlike Ulysses, who craves adventure, Telemachus is content with his “common duties” and devotion to his household gods.
(14) Ulysses, however, refuses to settle for a peaceful old age and urges his mariners to join him for one last great voyage.
(15) He acknowledges that death is inevitable—”Death closes all”—but believes noble work can still be done before the end.
(16) He calls his old companions—his fellow sailors—”Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me.”
(17) Even though they are old and their bodies are weak, they are still “strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
(18) He invites them to “sail beyond the sunset”, embracing the unknown and seeking new experiences until death.
(19) He hopes to reach the “Happy Isles”, a mythical paradise, and meet the great warrior Achilles once more.
(20) The poem ends with an uplifting and determined tone, reinforcing the theme of perseverance and the relentless pursuit of adventure.
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Ulysses Poem MCQ Question Answer Class 12 English 3rd Semester / HS English Third Semester Ulysses MCQ Questions and Answers
