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🇮🇳 ICSE Class 10 · subject
ICSE Class 10 English Syllabus
The English syllabus for ICSE Class 10 in full: 3 chapters and 12 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 English flashcards with answers.
English syllabus: all 3 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Treasure Trove of Short Stories
2 topics- The Lumber Room
- The Letter
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Merchant of Venice
5 topics- Act 1
- Act 2
- Act 3
- Act 4
- Act 5
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A Collection of Poems
5 topics- The Frog and the Nightingale
- Mirror
- Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments
- Ode to a Nightingale
- The Patriot
ICSE Class 10 English flashcards — 51 questions with answers
Who wrote the short story 'The Lumber Room'?
Saki (the pen name of H. H. Munro).
In 'The Lumber Room', what trick does Nicholas use to prove the aunt wrong about the frog?
He deliberately puts a frog into his bread-and-milk, then proves it is there, showing the aunt knows fewer things than she claims.
As punishment in 'The Lumber Room', where are the other children taken, and why does the trip fail?
They are taken to Jagborough sands as a treat (to exclude Nicholas), but it fails because the tide is high and Bobby's boots are too tight, ruining the outing.
What forbidden place does Nicholas explore in 'The Lumber Room', and what does he most admire there?
He sneaks into the lumber-room and most admires a large framed tapestry showing a hunter who has shot a stag, with wolves approaching.
How does Nicholas get the aunt 'trapped' in 'The Lumber Room'?
The aunt falls into the rain-water tank in the gooseberry garden; when she calls for help, Nicholas pretends he thinks she is the Evil One tempting him, and refuses to fetch the ladder.
What is the central theme/moral of 'The Lumber Room'?
The triumph of a child's imagination and intelligence over rigid, unimaginative adult authority and unfair discipline.
Who is the author of the short story 'The Letter'?
Dhumketu (the pen name of Gaurishankar Govardhanram Joshi), a Gujarati writer.
Who is the protagonist of 'The Letter' and what does he wait for every day?
Ali, an old former hunter (shikari), who goes daily to the post office waiting for a letter from his daughter Miriam.
In 'The Letter', what change had come over Ali after his daughter left?
The once-keen hunter lost interest in hunting; loneliness made him understand the pain he had caused animals, and he longed only for his daughter's letter.
How is the postmaster's attitude transformed at the end of 'The Letter'?
After his own daughter falls ill and he experiences a father's anxiety, he understands Ali's suffering and feels deep remorse for having mocked and ignored him.
What is the irony at the close of 'The Letter'?
Ali dies before his daughter's letter arrives; the letter finally comes the very day the postmaster, now sympathetic, waits to hand it over himself.
In Merchant of Venice Act 1, why is Antonio described as sad at the play's opening?
Antonio says he does not know the cause of his sadness; his friends suggest it is worry over his merchant ships or being in love, but he denies both.
In Act 1, why does Bassanio need money, and what does Antonio do?
Bassanio wants money to woo the wealthy heiress Portia; Antonio has no ready cash (it is tied up in ships), so he agrees to borrow on his credit from a moneylender.
What are the terms of the bond agreed in Merchant of Venice Act 1?
Shylock lends Antonio 3000 ducats for three months; if unpaid, Shylock may cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh from near his heart.
In Act 1, what reasons does Shylock give for hating Antonio?
Antonio is a Christian, lends money without interest (lowering rates), and has publicly insulted and spat on Shylock for his usury.
What is the condition of Portia's father's will in Merchant of Venice Act 1?
Suitors must choose among three caskets of gold, silver, and lead; the one who picks the casket containing Portia's portrait wins her hand.
In Merchant of Venice Act 2, what does the Prince of Morocco choose and what is inside?
Morocco chooses the gold casket; inside is a skull (death's head) with a scroll: 'All that glisters is not gold.'
In Act 2, what does the Prince of Arragon choose and find?
Arragon chooses the silver casket; inside is a portrait of a blinking idiot/fool, reproving him for believing he deserves Portia.
In Merchant of Venice Act 2, how does Jessica escape, and what does she take?
Jessica, Shylock's daughter, disguises herself as a boy/page, elopes with Lorenzo, and takes gold and jewels (including a turquoise ring) from her father.
In Act 2, what role does Launcelot Gobbo play?
Launcelot is Shylock's clownish servant who decides to leave Shylock and become Bassanio's servant; he provides comic relief.
Show the other 31 English flashcards
In Merchant of Venice Act 3, what reaction does Shylock have on learning of Jessica's flight and Antonio's losses?
He grieves over his lost ducats and daughter but rejoices that Antonio's ships are wrecked, vowing to enforce the bond and take his pound of flesh.
Quote and explain Shylock's famous 'Hath not a Jew eyes' speech in Act 3.
Shylock argues a Jew has the same senses, feelings, and humanity as a Christian ('If you prick us, do we not bleed?'), justifying revenge as a lesson learned from Christians.
In Merchant of Venice Act 3, which casket does Bassanio choose, and why is he right?
Bassanio chooses the lead casket, reasoning that outward show deceives; it contains Portia's portrait, winning him her hand.
In Act 3, what does Portia give Bassanio, and what does she ask in return?
She gives him a ring and makes him swear never to part with it, saying losing it would mean the ruin of his love.
In Merchant of Venice Act 3, what plan do Portia and Nerissa form?
They decide to disguise themselves as men (a lawyer and his clerk) and travel to Venice to help save Antonio in the trial.
In Merchant of Venice Act 4 (the trial scene), how does Portia (as Balthazar) first appeal to Shylock?
With the 'quality of mercy' speech, urging Shylock to show mercy, which 'is not strained' and 'droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.'
In Act 4, how does Portia legally defeat Shylock's bond?
She rules he may take exactly a pound of flesh but no blood (the bond mentions no blood) and not a jot more or less, making it impossible to execute.
In Merchant of Venice Act 4, what penalty does Shylock face under the Venetian alien law?
For plotting against a citizen's life, half his wealth goes to Antonio and half to the state, and his life is at the Duke's mercy.
In Act 4, what mercy is finally shown to Shylock?
His life is spared; the state's half is reduced to a fine, Antonio takes his half in trust for Lorenzo and Jessica, and Shylock must become a Christian.
In Merchant of Venice Act 4, how do the disguised Portia and Nerissa obtain the rings?
As the lawyer and clerk, they ask Bassanio and Gratiano for their rings as payment; the men reluctantly give them up, breaking their vows.
What is the setting and main resolution of Merchant of Venice Act 5?
Set at Belmont in moonlight; the wives reveal they were the lawyer and clerk, the ring 'quarrel' is resolved, and news arrives that Antonio's ships have safely returned.
In Act 5, what good news does Portia bring Antonio?
She gives him a letter showing that three of his argosies (merchant ships) have unexpectedly arrived safely in harbour, restoring his fortune.
Who wrote the poem 'The Frog and the Nightingale'?
Vikram Seth.
What is the main moral/theme of 'The Frog and the Nightingale'?
It warns against blind trust and lack of self-confidence; the naive Nightingale, manipulated by the cunning Frog, loses her individuality and dies.
In 'The Frog and the Nightingale', how does the Frog exploit the Nightingale?
He poses as a music teacher, demands a fee, overtrains her with harsh practice until she loses her natural voice and confidence, leading to her death.
What happens to the Nightingale at the end of 'The Frog and the Nightingale'?
Forced to sing repeatedly to please crowds, she bursts a vein from over-strain and dies, leaving the Frog to sing 'unrivalled' once more.
Who is the author of the poem 'Mirror', and from whose point of view is it written?
Sylvia Plath; the poem is written from the point of view of the mirror itself (and later a lake).
What does the mirror claim about itself in the poem 'Mirror'?
It is 'silver and exact,' has no preconceptions, is not cruel only truthful, and reflects whatever it sees 'unmisted by love or dislike.'
What is the central theme of Sylvia Plath's 'Mirror'?
The conflict between appearance and reality, and a woman's anxiety about ageing and the loss of youth and beauty over time.
Explain the closing image of 'Mirror': 'a terrible fish.'
As the woman ages, her lost young self has 'drowned'; her aged face rises in the lake-mirror 'like a terrible fish,' symbolising the dread of growing old and death.
Who wrote 'Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments' (Sonnet 55)?
William Shakespeare.
What is the central theme of Sonnet 55, 'Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments'?
The immortalising power of poetry; the poet's verse will outlast marble statues and gilded monuments, preserving the friend's memory until Judgement Day.
In Sonnet 55, what will destroy monuments but not the poet's verse?
War, time, 'wasteful war,' 'broils' (conflicts), and the 'sluttish' (untidy) passage of time will ruin statues and stone, but the living poem will survive.
Who wrote 'Ode to a Nightingale'?
John Keats.
What does the nightingale's song represent for the speaker in 'Ode to a Nightingale'?
Eternal, immortal beauty, joy, and an escape from the pain, suffering, and mortality of human life.
In 'Ode to a Nightingale', how does Keats wish to escape with the bird, and through what means?
He longs to fade away and join the nightingale, first wishing for wine, then choosing 'the viewless wings of Poesy' (imagination) to escape reality.
What famous paradox does Keats state about the nightingale in the ode?
'Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!'—the bird's song is eternal, heard by ancient emperors and even the biblical Ruth, unlike mortal man.
What word breaks the speaker's reverie in 'Ode to a Nightingale', and how does it end?
The word 'forlorn' tolls him back to his 'sole self'; the bird flies away and he questions whether the experience was 'a vision, or a waking dream.'
Who wrote the poem 'The Patriot', and in what form is it written?
Robert Browning; it is a dramatic monologue subtitled 'An Old Story.'
What is the contrast at the heart of Browning's 'The Patriot'?
The fickleness of public favour: a year ago the patriot was welcomed with roses and cheering crowds; now the same people lead him to execution amid scorn.
How does the patriot in Browning's poem console himself as he goes to his death?
He believes that although men have failed and punished him, he is now safer in God's hands and trusts God will reward him in the afterlife (''Tis God shall repay').
ICSE Class 10 English FAQ
What is in the ICSE Class 10 English syllabus?
ICSE Class 10 English is split into 3 chapters: Treasure Trove of Short Stories, Merchant of Venice and A Collection of Poems. Together they contain 12 topics.
How many chapters are in ICSE Class 10 English?
3 chapters, containing 12 topics. The largest chapter is Merchant of Venice, with 5 topics.
Are there flashcards for ICSE Class 10 English?
Yes — a 51-card English deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.