Examination Questions on “Stone” by Wilfred Wilson and “She walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

QUESTION 1-10 Is based on “Stone” by Wilfred Wilson while 11-20 is based on Lord Byron’s “She walks in beauty”

 

1. Which figure of speech is most clearly illustrated in the line, “A woman, turned to stone”?
A. Hyperbole suggesting extreme exaggeration
B. Extended metaphor indicating emotional petrification
C. Metonymy replacing the woman with the stone
D. Irony contrasting her grief with the stonecutter’s craft

 

2. In the description of the quarry accident (“A flash, a shock, / A rumbling fall”), which poetic device is dominant?
A. Synaesthesia blending sensory impressions
B. Onomatopoeia echoing the violence of the blast
C. Ellipsis showing the narrator’s hesitation
D. Assonance softening the sound of the explosion

 

3. The repeated question, “And will you cut a stone for him?”, primarily serves to convey what?
A. Her steady acceptance of her lover’s death
B. Her gradual emotional recovery
C. A grief so deep that language collapses into repetition
D. Community pressure to honour burial customs

 

4. The line, “And every stroke my chisel cut, / Death cut still deeper in her heart”, suggests that:
A. The narrator intensifies her grief intentionally
B. The carving process continually reopens her emotional wound
C. Death envies her devotion to her lover
D. The stonecutter fears replacing her memories with the stone

 

5. The description of her as “still and white, / And like a ghost she came” functions mainly to:
A. Symbolise the purity of her love
B. Foreshadow her transformation into a supernatural being
C. Blur the line between the living and the emotionally dead
D. Elevate her into a guardian spirit of grief

 

6. The phrase “Those eyes that sucked the breath from me” implies that her gaze:
A. Possessed a beauty that mesmerised him
B. Contained a sorrow so intense it emotionally drained him
C. Expressed anger directed at the narrator
D. Was cunning and predatory

 

7. In the poem, the stone functions symbolically as:
A. Only the physical gravestone
B. A representation of industrial labour alone
C. Both the literal grave marker and the emotional paralysis caused by grief
D. A sign of the narrator’s artisanal pride

 

8. Gibson’s use of plain, direct diction reflects Georgian poetic style because it:
A. Avoids emotional impact on the reader
B. Mirrors the stark, unembellished reality of working-class tragedy
C. Creates detachment between characters and reader
D. Imitates the tone of classical elegy

 

9. The expression “Three days, three nights, / She did not stir” most strongly conveys:
A. A ritualistic vigil for the dead
B. Symbolic echoing of biblical resurrection
C. A suspended, frozen sense of time caused by severe grief
D. An attempt to communicate with ghosts

 

10. The closing line, “Next night I laboured late, alone, / To cut her name upon the stone”, is structurally powerful because:
A. It reveals a hidden romance between narrator and woman
B. It shows that such deaths are recurring in the community
C. It completes the poem’s circular stone imagery and emphasises the inevitability of death
D. It suggests the woman staged her disappearance

 

11. Which figure of speech is most strongly exemplified in the line, “She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies”?

A. Paradox
B. Simile
C. Metonymy
D. Apostrophe

 

12. In the poem, what does the “tender light / Which heaven to gaudy day denies” primarily suggest about the woman’s beauty?

A. It is harsh and overpowering, like midday sun.
B. It is divinely bestowed, gentle, and absent from ordinary brightness.
C. It is artificial, produced by lamps or candles.
D. It is unstable and fades quickly with daylight.

 

13. The phrase “one shade the more, one ray the less” conveys the idea that the woman’s beauty is—

A. A fragile balance where even the slightest alteration would disrupt its harmony.
B. Dependent solely on artificial lighting and shadowing.
C. Rooted in her extravagant clothing rather than her natural appearance.
D. Created by contrasting colors that intentionally clash.

14. Which literary device is at work in the line, “·

thoughts serenely sweet express / How pure, how dear their dwelling-place”?

A. Synecdoche, because “thoughts” refers to all inner emotions.
B. Personification, because thoughts are described as capable of expressing sweetness.
C. Oxymoron, because serenity contradicts sweetness.
D. Litotes, because purity is suggested through understatement.

 

15. What deeper meaning does the poet imply by describing her hair as a “raven tress” that “waves” with “nameless grace”?

A. That her beauty is ominous and threatening.
B. That her dark hair contributes to the poem’s night imagery and symbolizes mysterious elegance.
C. That she intentionally dyed her hair to fit social expectations.
D. That her hair resembles the plumage of a raven in texture and gloom.

 

16. Which interpretation best resolves the contrast between “dark and bright” meeting in her aspect and her eyes?

A. It reflects the conflict between her moral flaws and her outward purity.
B. It suggests a supernatural duality that makes her appear otherworldly.
C. It symbolizes a harmonious blending of opposing qualities, mirroring physical and inner beauty.
D. It implies that she is undecided between sadness and joy.

 

17. In the final stanza, the lines “The smiles that win, the tints that glow” primarily function to—

A. Emphasize her manipulative charm over unsuspecting admirers.
B. Portray her as a figure who is unaware of her own attractiveness.
C. Reveal how her serene goodness radiates outward in subtle expressions.
D. Suggest that her external appearance changes dramatically with mood.

 

18. Which figure of speech is present in “A mind at peace with all below”?

A. Hyperbole, overstating her tranquility.
B. Metaphor, equating her mental state to universal harmony.
C. Euphemism, replacing harsher truths with softer phrasing.
D. Irony, implying that she hides inner turmoil.

 

19. The poem’s sustained comparison between the woman and night imagery serves primarily to—

A. Mock superficial standards of beauty in aristocratic society.
B. Elevate her beauty by associating it with natural calmness and celestial purity.
C. Emphasize the dangers of darkness and mystery.
D. Suggest that her beauty is fleeting, like passing night clouds.

 

20. Complete the implied meaning:

The poem presents the woman’s beauty as “innocent” mainly because
A. She is oblivious to the admiration she receives from Byron.
B. Her beauty is depicted as unadorned and morally pure rather than sensual or ostentatious.
C. Byron idealizes her to defy the social scandals surrounding him at the time.
D. Her physical features appear youthful and childlike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

1.     B

2.     B

3.     C

4.     B

5.     C

6.     B

7.     C

8.     B

9.     C

10.  C

11.  B

12.  B

13.   A

14.  B

15.  B

16.  C

17.  C

18.  B

19.  B

20.  B