The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth: MCQs

    Text of the Poem

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
 
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
 
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?
 
Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

    

    Multiple Choice Questions

        1. Where does the “Solitary Reaper” take place? 

            A France             B Ireland             C Scotland                 D England 

            Correct Ans : C

        2. How will the speaker of “The Solitary Reaper” remember the young girl? 

        A     He will keep a small painting of her with him 

        B     He forgets her the moment she leaves her 

        C     The two will correspond through letters 

        D     He will carry her songs in his heart 

            Correct Ans : D

        3. What is rare about the Solitary Reaper? 

        A     It does not come from Wordsworth’s own experience 

        B     It is about a beautiful girl 

        C     It is broken into four stanzas 

        D     It has a distinct rhyme scheme that Wordsworth used for the first time 

            Correct Ans : A

        4. “Among the farthest Hebrides” Here the poet uses the expression “Farthest Hebrides” for –     A     The most remote villages of reapers

        B     The most remote farms where the reapers harvesting their crops 

        C     The brides that are waiting for the grooms at remote villages 

        D     The most remote group of islands 

            Correct Ans : D

        5. ‘I listened, motionless and still;’- The poet listens ‘motionless and still’ because

        A     He was tired after walking uphill 

        B     The rich melodious voice of the singer holds him spellbound 

        C     He wanted to learn the words and rhythm of the song 

        D     He wanted to take some rest 

            Correct Ans : B