PPSC Lecturer Test English (Subject Specialist Portion) Syllabus

What is the one-word substitution for 'a government run by the wealthy'?

Plutocracy.

What is the one-word substitution for 'a place where birds are kept'?

Aviary.

What does the foreign phrase 'status quo' (Latin) mean?

The existing state of affairs; the current situation as it is.

What does the foreign phrase 'carpe diem' (Latin) mean?

'Seize the day' — make the most of the present moment.

What does the French phrase 'coup de grace' mean?

A final, decisive blow or action that ends something (literally 'blow of mercy').

Which two periods make up Old English literature, and what is its most famous epic?

Old English (Anglo-Saxon, c. 450-1066). Its most famous epic is 'Beowulf'.

Who is considered the father of English poetry, and what is his major Middle English work?

Geoffrey Chaucer, author of 'The Canterbury Tales' (written in Middle English).

What major event/development shaped the Renaissance period in English literature?

The revival of classical Greek and Roman learning, humanism, and the introduction of the printing press by William Caxton (1476).

Name three major dramatists of the Elizabethan Age.

William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson.

Who introduced the sonnet to English literature, and which sonnet form did Shakespeare popularize?

Sir Thomas Wyatt introduced the sonnet; Shakespeare popularized the English (Shakespearean) sonnet with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

What were the defining characteristics of the Romantic Period (1798-1837)?

Emphasis on emotion, imagination, nature, individualism, and the supernatural, reacting against Neoclassical rationalism. It began with Wordsworth and Coleridge's 'Lyrical Ballads' (1798).

Name the so-called 'first generation' Romantic poets.

William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey (the Lake Poets).

Who are considered the major poets of the Victorian Age?

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Matthew Arnold.

What is the dramatic monologue, and which Victorian poet is famous for it?

A poem in which a single speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing character; Robert Browning is famous for it (e.g., 'My Last Duchess').

What is the key literary technique pioneered by Modernist writers like Joyce and Woolf?

Stream of consciousness — a narrative method depicting the continuous flow of a character's thoughts and feelings.

Name two landmark Modernist works published in 1922.

T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' and James Joyce's 'Ulysses'.

What are the main features of Postmodern literature?

Metafiction, fragmentation, intertextuality, irony, pastiche, unreliable narration, and skepticism toward grand narratives.

Define 'iambic pentameter'.

A line of verse with five iambic feet, each foot being an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (da-DUM x 5), totaling ten syllables.

Define the poetic devices 'simile' and 'metaphor' and state the difference.

A simile compares two things using 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor states one thing is another directly, without 'like' or 'as'.

What is 'alliteration'? Give an example.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely placed words. Example: 'Peter Piper picked a peck.'

What is an 'ode' and what is a 'sonnet'?

An ode is a lyrical poem addressing and praising a subject, usually elevated in tone; a sonnet is a 14-line poem, typically in iambic pentameter, with a fixed rhyme scheme.

According to Aristotle, what is 'catharsis' in tragedy?

The purging or cleansing of the emotions of pity and fear in the audience, produced by witnessing a tragedy.

What is 'hamartia' in classical tragedy?

The tragic flaw or error of judgment in the protagonist that leads to their downfall.

Name the three Greek unities prescribed for classical drama.

Unity of Action, Unity of Time, and Unity of Place.

What is the difference between a 'novel' and a 'short story'?

A novel is a long fictional narrative with complex plot and multiple characters; a short story is a brief prose narrative focusing on a single incident, character, or effect.

What is an epistolary novel? Give an example.

A novel written as a series of documents, usually letters or diary entries. Example: Samuel Richardson's 'Pamela' or Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'.

Who is regarded as the father of the English novel, and name one of his works.

Daniel Defoe (often cited), author of 'Robinson Crusoe' (1719); Henry Fielding and Samuel Richardson are also credited as pioneers.

What is the difference between a formal essay and an informal (personal) essay?

A formal essay is objective, serious, and structured in tone; an informal/personal essay is subjective, conversational, and reflects the writer's personality. Francis Bacon wrote formal essays; Charles Lamb wrote personal ones.

Who is regarded as the father of the English essay?

Francis Bacon, whose 'Essays' were first published in 1597.

In Plato's view, why did he object to poetry in 'The Republic'?

Plato argued that poetry is mere imitation (mimesis) of the physical world (itself a copy of ideal Forms), making it twice removed from truth, and that it excites the emotions rather than reason.