The Second Coming’ – W.B. Yeats

1. The poem opens with the image of a falcon “Turning and turning in the widening-

1. sky”
2. circle”
3. gyre”
4. vortex”

2. The falcon cannot hear the-

1. whistle
2. call
3. falconer
4. master

3. What happens when “Things fall apart”?

1. The world ends
2. The centre cannot hold
3. A new order begins
4. The poet becomes happy

4. “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” The word ‘mere’ here means-

1. simple
2. only
3. pure and absolute
4. unimportant

5. What is drowned in “the blood-dimmed tide”?

1. The ceremony of innocence
2. The faith of the people
3. The hope for the future
4. The beauty of the world

6. In the chaotic world described, “the best” people-

1. are full of passionate intensity
2. are silent
3. lack all conviction
4. fight for justice

7. In contrast to “the best”, “the worst” people are-

1. full of passionate intensity
2. lacking conviction
3. drowning in the tide
4. falling apart

8. The phrase “The Second Coming” traditionally refers to the return of-

1. a king
2. the poet
3. a monster
4. Jesus Christ

9. The poet sees a vast image out of-

1. the Bible
2. a history book
3. Spiritus Mundi
4. a dream

10. The “shape with lion body and the head of a man” resembles a-

1. Griffin
2. Manticore
3. Sphinx
4. Centaur

11. The gaze of the beast is described as-

1. pitiful and sad
2. blank and pitiless as the sun
3. full of wisdom
4. fierce and angry

12. The beast is “moving its slow thighs” while all about it reel shadows of the-

1. desert birds
2. flying insects
3. frightened people
4. setting sun

13. The “twenty centuries of stony sleep” refers to the period since-

1. the beginning of civilization
2. the birth of Christ
3. the fall of the Roman empire
4. the creation of the pyramids

14. The stony sleep of the beast was vexed to nightmare by a-

1. rocking cradle
2. loud noise
3. bright light
4. terrible storm

15. The “rough beast” is slouching towards _______ to be born.

1. Jerusalem
2. Athens
3. Bethlehem
4. Babylon

16. The “gyre” in the first line is a symbol of-

1. a bird’s flight
2. a vicious circle
3. Yeats’s theory of historical cycles
4. the poet’s confusion

17. The relationship between the falcon and the falconer symbolises the relationship between-

1. man and God/Christ
2. humanity and nature
3. the ruling class and the common people
4. the poet and his muse

18. The overall mood of the poem is-

1. hopeful and optimistic
2. joyful and celebratory
3. apocalyptic and ominous
4. calm and reflective

19. The poem is divided into _______ stanzas.

1. one
2. two
3. three
4. four

20. The “blood-dimmed tide” is a metaphor for-

1. a river in flood
2. the setting sun
3. widespread violence and bloodshed
4. a historical event

21. “The darkness drops again” signifies-

1. the coming of night
2. the poet’s loss of vision
3. the return of an age of ignorance and brutality
4. the end of the world

22. The word “slouches” suggests a movement that is-

1. fast and graceful
2. slow, heavy, and ominous
3. joyful and energetic
4. hesitant and fearful

23. The poem was written in 1919, shortly after-

1. the Second World War
2. the French Revolution
3. the Industrial Revolution
4. the First World War and the Russian Revolution

24. The beast’s birth in Bethlehem is an example of-

1. symbolism
2. metaphor
3. irony
4. all of the above

25. “A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun” is an example of a-

1. metaphor
2. simile
3. personification
4. hyperbole

26. “Spiritus Mundi” is a Latin phrase meaning-

1. Holy Spirit
2. Spirit of the World
3. Evil Spirit
4. Spirit of Time

27. The poem predicts the end of which historical cycle?

1. The Greek cycle
2. The Roman cycle
3. The Christian cycle
4. The Egyptian cycle

28. The ‘indignant desert birds’ are angry because-

1. they are hungry
2. their solitude is disturbed by the beast
3. the sun is too hot
4. a storm is coming

29. The phrase “passionate intensity” suggests-

1. deep love
2. artistic creativity
3. fanatical, violent conviction
4. calm determination

30. The final question of the poem is rhetorical, expressing the poet’s-

1. curiosity and hope
2. certainty and horror
3. doubt and confusion
4. joy and excitement

31. The “widening gyre” suggests that things are-

1. coming closer to the centre
2. moving in a perfect circle
3. spiralling out of control
4. stopping completely

32. The “ceremony of innocence” could refer to-

1. a child’s birthday party
2. traditional customs and rituals that uphold purity
3. a religious service
4. a legal trial

33. “Surely some revelation is at hand”. The tone is-

1. hopeful
2. sarcastic
3. fearful
4. joyful

34. The “rocking cradle” is a symbol of-

1. the beast’s childhood
2. the beginning of the Christian era
3. the poet’s own childhood
4. a peaceful home

35. The poem uses imagery drawn from-

1. Christianity and mythology
2. history and politics
3. personal experience and visions
4. all of the above

36. The central idea of the poem is-

1. the beauty of nature
2. the collapse of civilization and the birth of a new, brutal age
3. a personal reflection on ageing
4. a celebration of war

37. What is moving its slow thighs?

1. The falcon
2. A desert animal
3. The shape from Spiritus Mundi
4. The tide

38. The poem can be considered a work of-

1. Romanticism
2. Classicism
3. Modernism
4. Victorianism

39. The poem ends with a-

1. statement
2. prayer
3. question
4. command

40. The phrase “The best lack all conviction” suggests a crisis of-

1. economy
2. leadership and morality
3. art and culture
4. education

41. The beast is a symbol of-

1. the Antichrist and a new, savage order
2. the poet’s inner fears
3. the power of nature
4. ancient wisdom

42. The setting of the second stanza is-

1. a bustling city
2. the poet’s room
3. a vast desert
4. the sky

43. The phrase “Things fall apart” has become a famous expression for-

1. personal failure
2. social and moral collapse
3. mechanical breakdown
4. a good beginning

44. The poem contrasts the Christian era with a coming era of-

1. logic and reason
2. peace and harmony
3. paganism and brutality
4. technological advancement

45. The poet’s vision is “troubling” because it is-

1. unclear and blurry
2. beautiful and overwhelming
3. frightening and monstrous
4. sad and pathetic

46. What has been “loosed upon the world”?

1. A great flood
2. A terrible beast
3. Mere anarchy
4. A new religion

47. The “twenty centuries” can be identified as the-

1. Age of Reason
2. Middle Ages
3. Christian Era
4. Modern Age

48. The poem’s title “The Second Coming” is ultimately-

1. literal
2. hopeful
3. ironic
4. humorous

49. The image of the falcon losing contact with the falconer is a powerful metaphor for-

1. loss of communication
2. disobedience
3. chaos and the breakdown of order
4. freedom

50. The poem suggests that history is-

1. linear and always progressing
2. random and meaningless
3. cyclical and repetitive
4. static and unchanging

1. Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. Things fall apart and the centre cannot hold.
2. When things fall apart, the centre cannot hold.
3. Things fall apart, so the centre cannot hold.
4. The centre cannot hold because things fall apart.

2. The best lack all conviction. The worst are full of passionate intensity. (Join using ‘while’)

1. The best lack all conviction and the worst are full of passionate intensity.
2. The best lack all conviction, but the worst are full of passionate intensity.
3. The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.
4. Because the best lack conviction, the worst are full.

3. A shape has a lion body and the head of a man. It troubles my sight. (Join using ‘which’)

1. A shape, which has a lion body and the head of a man, troubles my sight.
2. A shape with a lion body and the head of a man troubles my sight. (Simple)
3. A shape has a lion body and it troubles my sight.
4. Because a shape has a lion body, it troubles my sight.

4. I know something. Twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare. (Join using a noun clause)

1. I know the thing that vexed twenty centuries of sleep.
2. I know that twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed to nightmare.
3. I know about the vexing of twenty centuries of sleep.
4. I know how twenty centuries of sleep were vexed.

5. A beast slouches towards Bethlehem. It will be born there. (Join with an adverbial clause)

1. A beast slouches towards Bethlehem, where it will be born.
2. A beast that will be born in Bethlehem slouches towards it.
3. A slouching beast will be born in Bethlehem.
4. A beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born there. (Simple)

6. The falcon cannot hear the falconer. (Change the voice)

1. The falconer is not heard by the falcon.
2. The falconer cannot be heard by the falcon.
3. The falconer was not heard by the falcon.
4. Let the falconer not be heard by the falcon.

7. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (Change to Active Voice)

1. Something looses mere anarchy upon the world.
2. The world looses mere anarchy upon itself.
3. Anarchy has been loosed upon the world.
4. The system looses mere anarchy upon the world.

8. A vast image troubles my sight. (Change the voice)

1. My sight is troubled by a vast image.
2. My sight was troubled by a vast image.
3. My sight has been troubled by a vast image.
4. Let my sight be troubled by a vast image.

9. A rocking cradle vexed twenty centuries of stony sleep. (Change the voice)

1. Twenty centuries of stony sleep is vexed by a rocking cradle.
2. Twenty centuries of stony sleep have been vexed by a rocking cradle.
3. Twenty centuries of stony sleep were being vexed by a rocking cradle.
4. Twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed by a rocking cradle.

10. The darkness drops again. (Change the voice)

1. Again the darkness is dropped.
2. Darkness is dropped again by something.
3. Let the darkness be dropped again.
4. This sentence cannot be changed into passive voice.

11. Turning and turning ___ the widening gyre.

1. on
2. at
3. in
4. into

12. Mere anarchy is loosed ___ the world.

1. on
2. upon
3. in
4. over

13. The best lack ___ all conviction.

1. of
2. in
3. with
4. (no preposition needed)

14. A vast image ___ of Spiritus Mundi troubles my sight.

1. in
2. from
3. out
4. with

15. The beast slouches ___ Bethlehem to be born.

1. at
2. in
3. towards
4. into

16. The worst are fuller of passionate intensity than the best. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. The best are not as full of passionate intensity as the worst.
2. The worst are the most full of passionate intensity.
3. The best are very intense.
4. The worst are very intense.

17. No other beast is as rough as this one. (Change to Superlative Degree)

1. This beast is rougher than any other beast.
2. This is the roughest beast.
3. This beast is very rough.
4. This is one of the roughest beasts.

18. This is the roughest beast. (Change to Comparative Degree)

1. This beast is very rough.
2. No other beast is as rough as this.
3. This beast is rougher than any other beast.
4. This beast is one of the rougher beasts.

19. The gyre is wider than before. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. Before, the gyre was not so wide as it is now.
2. The gyre is the widest.
3. The gyre is very wide.
4. No other gyre is as wide as this.
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উত্তর দেখাও
সঠিক উত্তর: (a) Before, the gyre was not so wide as it is now.
ব্যাখ্যা: তুলনার অর্থটি বজায় রেখে ‘not so…as’ ব্যবহার করা হয়েছে।

20. The worst are the most passionate. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. The worst are more passionate than the best.
2. The best are not as passionate as the worst.
3. No other people are as passionate as the worst.
4. The worst are very passionate.

21. The gyre is widening. (Use the noun form of ‘widening’)

1. The gyre has width.
2. The gyre shows a process of widening.
3. The width of the gyre is increasing.
4. The gyre widens.

22. The best lack all conviction. (Use the verb form of ‘conviction’)

1. The best are not convinced of anything.
2. The best cannot convince others.
3. The best are unconvincing.
4. The best convict no one.

23. The worst are full of passionate intensity. (Use the adverb form of ‘passionate’)

1. The worst are intensely passionate.
2. The worst act passionately with intensity.
3. The worst have a passion and an intensity.
4. The passion of the worst is intense.

24. The ceremony of innocence is drowned. (Use the adjective form of ‘innocence’)

1. The innocent ceremony is drowned.
2. The ceremony which is innocent is drowned.
3. The drowning of the innocent ceremony is seen.
4. The ceremony is not innocent anymore.

25. The darkness drops again. (Use the noun form of ‘drops’)

1. There is a drop of darkness again.
2. The dropping of darkness is seen again.
3. Darkness is in a dropping state.
4. Darkness makes a drop again.

26. (Complex) The falcon is turning. It cannot hear the falconer.

1. The turning falcon cannot hear the falconer. (Simple)
2. The falcon which is turning cannot hear the falconer.
3. The falcon is turning and cannot hear the falconer. (Compound)
4. As the falcon is turning, it cannot hear the falconer.

27. (Voice) A gaze vexed the sleep.

1. The sleep was vexed by a gaze.
2. The sleep is vexed by a gaze.
3. The sleep has been vexed by a gaze.
4. Let the sleep be vexed by a gaze.

28. (Preposition) The beast has a gaze blank and pitiless ___ the sun.

1. like
2. of
3. as
4. with

29. (Degree) The tide is very blood-dimmed. (Change to Comparative)

1. The tide is more blood-dimmed than before.
2. No other tide is as blood-dimmed as this.
3. This is the most blood-dimmed tide.
4. This sentence cannot be changed without an object of comparison.

30. (Parts of Speech) The tide is blood-dimmed. (Use the noun form of ‘dimmed’)

1. The tide has a dimness of blood.
2. The blood dims the tide.
3. The dim tide has blood.
4. The tide is dim with blood.

31. (Complex) A revelation is at hand. I am sure.

1. I am sure that a revelation is at hand.
2. A revelation is at hand and I am sure.
3. I am sure of the revelation at hand.
4. Being sure, a revelation is at hand.

32. (Voice) What rough beast slouches towards Bethlehem?

1. By what rough beast is Bethlehem being slouched towards?
2. Towards Bethlehem what rough beast is slouched?
3. This sentence is difficult to change into a meaningful passive voice.
4. Bethlehem is slouched towards by what rough beast?

33. (Preposition) Twenty centuries of stony sleep were vexed ___ nightmare.

1. with
2. by
3. to
4. into

34. (Degree) The best are the least intense. (Change to Positive)

1. The best are not as intense as the worst.
2. The worst are more intense than the best.
3. No one is as un-intense as the best.
4. The best are very un-intense.

35. (Parts of Speech) Anarchy is loosed. (Use the adjective form of ‘anarchy’)

1. The situation is anarchic.
2. The anarchic situation is loosed.
3. There is an anarchic loosening.
4. There is anarchy.

36. (Complex) A beast has its hour. The hour has come round at last.

1. A beast has its hour which has come round at last.
2. A beast’s hour, coming round at last, is here.
3. A beast has its hour, and it has come round at last.
4. The hour has come round at last for a beast.

37. (Voice) Let me see the vision.

1. Let the vision be seen by me.
2. The vision may be seen by me.
3. I should see the vision.
4. The vision is seen by me.

38. (Preposition) He is full ___ passionate intensity.

1. with
2. of
3. in
4. by

39. (Degree) The gaze is very pitiless. (Change to Comparative)

1. The gaze is more pitiless than a stone.
2. The gaze is more pitiless.
3. The gaze is the most pitiless.
4. Cannot be changed without a clear object of comparison.

40. (Parts of Speech) The desert birds are indignant. (Use the noun form of ‘indignant’)

1. The desert birds show indignation.
2. The desert birds are in indignation.
3. The desert birds feel indignation.
4. All of the above.