---Advertisement---

The Darkling Thrush literary references & Deep Analysis (Q&A) l WB SLST English 2025 Prep

By Siksakul

Published on:

---Advertisement---

The Darkling Thrush literary references & Deep Analysis: Explore detailed literary references and deep analysis of The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy. Perfect for WB SLST English 2025 prep, this blog covers poem symbolism, themes, Q&A, and critical interpretation to help you excel in SLST English literature exams.

The Darkling Thrush literary references & Deep Analysis

  1. What does the word “darkling” signify in the title?

Ans. “Darkling” suggests growing darkness and symbolizes spiritual and temporal gloom.

  1. What is the setting of the poem?

Ans. The poem is set in a bleak winter evening at the turn of the 20th century.

  1. What does “Century’s corpse outleant” symbolize?

Ans. It symbolizes the death of the 19th century and the decay of its values.

  1. Why does Hardy refer to “cloudy canopy”?

Ans. It metaphorically describes the sky as a church roof, adding to the funereal imagery.

  1. What is the dominant mood of the poem’s beginning?

Ans. The initial mood is one of desolation, barrenness, and spiritual despair.

  1. What role does nature play in the poem?

Ans. Nature reflects the poet’s emotional desolation and philosophical pessimism.

  1. What is the significance of “spectre-grey”?

Ans. “Spectre-grey” suggests ghostliness and death, evoking a lifeless landscape.

  1. Why is the land described as “shrunken hard and dry”?

Ans. It portrays the physical and emotional barrenness of the time.

  1. What does “fervourless” convey about the environment?

Ans. It denotes lack of warmth, vitality, and emotional spirit in nature.

  1. What does the thrush symbolize in the poem?

Ans. The thrush symbolizes unexpected hope, faith, and spiritual renewal.

  1. Why is the thrush described as “aged” and “frail”?

Ans. The bird’s weak appearance contrasts with its powerful and hopeful song.

  1. What is meant by “Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew / And I was unaware”?

Ans. It suggests the poet’s inability to perceive hope which the bird might instinctively feel.

  1. What literary device is used in “The weakening eye of day”?

Ans. Personification – day is described as having a weakening eye.

  1. How is the theme of spiritual crisis presented?

Ans. Through the bleak imagery and the poet’s inability to see hope in the world.

  1. What is Hardy’s attitude toward the turn of the century?

Ans. He views it with skepticism, melancholy, and uncertainty.

  1. Why is the landscape likened to a crypt or grave?

Ans. To intensify the theme of death, decay, and end of an era.

  1. What does the “full-hearted evensong” contrast with?

Ans. It contrasts with the lifeless, silent environment surrounding the bird.

  1. Why does Hardy use archaic terms like “ancient pulse of germ and birth”?

Ans. To evoke the lost connection to nature’s rhythm and vitality.

  1. What kind of poetic structure does Hardy use?

Ans. He uses four octaves of iambic tetrameter and trimeter with alternate rhyme.

  1. What is the tone shift in the poem?

Ans. It shifts from despair to a faint glimmer of hope after the bird’s song.

  1. What is the function of enjambment in the poem?

Ans. It creates a flowing, contemplative rhythm that mirrors the poet’s thoughts.

  1. Why might the thrush’s song be called “ecstatic”?

Ans. It expresses unexplainable joy in a lifeless world, defying the surroundings.

  1. What does Hardy suggest about human perception and faith?

Ans. He implies that faith or hope may exist beyond human understanding.

  1. Why is the poem considered a transitional poem in literature?

Ans. It marks the shift from Victorian optimism to Modernist doubt and disillusionment.

  1. How does Hardy contrast man and bird in the poem?

Ans. Man is rational yet hopeless, while the bird is instinctive yet hopeful.

26. What effect does the phrase “aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small” have on the poem?
Ans. It emphasizes the fragility of the bird, making its hopeful song more striking.

27. How does Hardy use contrast to enhance the poem’s message?
Ans. He contrasts the bleak, lifeless landscape with the thrush’s vibrant song to highlight hope amid despair.

28. What role does sound imagery play in the poem?
Ans: Sound imagery, especially the thrush’s song, introduces life and optimism into an otherwise silent and dead environment.

29. Why is the thrush’s hope described as “some blessed Hope”?
Ans: Because it is mysterious and unknown, possibly spiritual, beyond human understanding.

30. How does the poem reflect Hardy’s views on the social and cultural changes at the turn of the century?
Ans: The poem expresses skepticism and melancholy about progress, suggesting a loss of faith in traditional values and a bleak outlook on the future.


You May Like: 40 MCQs on ‘The Darkling Thrush’ – OMR Sheet Pattern


---Advertisement---

Related Post

SSC CHSL, SLST, WBCS History Special: 100 Questions on German Nazism with Answers | জার্মান নাৎসিবাদ সম্পর্কে ১০০টি প্রশ্ন ও উত্তর

Questions on German Nazism with Answers: সরকারি চাকরির প্রস্তুতিতে ইতিহাস একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয়, বিশেষ করে SSC CHSL, SLST ও WBCS-এর মতো প্রতিযোগিতামূলক পরীক্ষার জন্য। ইতিহাসের মধ্যে জার্মানির নাৎসিবাদ ...

SSC CHSL 2025 Practice Set 3 – Solve Important Questions in GK, English & Reasoning each part 20 questions

SSC CHSL 2025 Practice Set 3: Preparing for the SSC CHSL 2025 exam? Then you’ve landed at the right place! This blog presents a carefully curated SSC CHSL Practice Set ...

📘 SSC CHSL 2025 Practice Set 2 – Solve Important Questions in GK, English & Reasoning

SSC CHSL 2025 Practice Set 2: Preparing for the SSC CHSL 2025 exam? Then you’ve landed at the right place! This blog presents a carefully curated SSC CHSL Practice Set ...

✳️ SSC CHSL, SLST, WBCS History Special: 50 MCQs on World War II and United Nations l দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ ও সম্মিলিত জাতিপুঞ্জ (UN) – ৫০টি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ প্রশ্নোত্তর

50 MCQs on World War II and United Nations: দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধ ও সম্মিলিত জাতিপুঞ্জ (UN) সম্পর্কিত প্রশ্নোত্তর যে কোনো প্রতিযোগিতামূলক পরীক্ষার জন্য অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। বিশেষ করে SSC CHSL, ...

1 thought on “The Darkling Thrush literary references & Deep Analysis (Q&A) l WB SLST English 2025 Prep”

Leave a Comment