Higher National Diploma in English

First Year – First Semester (New Syllabus)

English Literature
Model Paper

Section A (Context questions)

Question 1

Identify the following extracts and comment on the relevance of them to a larger context
with special reference to features like techniques, themes and language

(1) Slowly, silently, now the moon

Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers and sees

This extract has been taken from the poem “Silver” by Walter de la Mare. These lines appear at
the beginning of the poem. In this poem, the author describes the beauty of moonlight at night. He
conveys to the readers how the moonlight how the moon travels towards the natural creatures on
the earth such as trees, fruits, house, roofs, windows, dog and its kennel, white doves, harvest
mouse and fish and they become silver due to the silvery moonlight. The theme of the poem is the
enchanting beauty of moonlight. In this poem, the poet has used many poetic devices:
personification (walks the night in her silver shoon), metaphor (silver fruit and silver tree), simile
(like a log), alliteration (casement catch), rhyme scheme (moon – shoon, sees – trees), imageries
(visual imageries), repetition (silver fruit upon silver trees). The tone of the poem is calm and
peaceful and language is simple.
(2) But scientists, who ought to know
Assure us that they must be so….

This extract has been taken from the poem “Microbe” by Hilaire Belloc. These lines appear at the
end of this poem. Microorganisms and their signs are invisible. We are not able to see them though
they are around us. We can see them only by using the microscope. In these lines, the poet is
clearly saying that it is only the scientists who have the proof that these kinds of microbes are
present around us. In this poem, the poet has used many poetic devices such as personification,
paradox, alliteration, assonance etc. The language of the poem is simple. The tone is convincing.

(3)
(1) The doctor promised this as a reward for good behaviour.
Dasi valued the reward so much that he did everything everyone suggested for a whole
week. He was then sent (with a warder) to the main gate
where he stood for a whole hour looking down the road for the coming of his bride .

This extract has been taken from the short story “Dasi, the Bridegroom” by R.K Narayan. Finally,
Dasi was sent to the mental hospital by the police where he requested the doctor to grant permission
to go to the main gate to look for his bride. Dasi is granted permission because of his good
behaviour in the hospital. Dasi was looking for his bride with the hope. In this story, R.K Narayan
tries to convey that how an abnormal person or mentally retarded person is illtreated and used for
people’s own benefits and entertainment. Finally, someone’s entertainment ruins an abnormal
person’s whole life. The themes of this poem are: innocent and mentally retarded people’ feelings
are meant for someone’s entertainment; all human being has a dream. This incident takes place at
the end the story. In this situation, the writer speaks to the readers.
(2) A great loss to me at any rate," answered the Miller; "why, I had as good as given him
my wheelbarrow, and now I really don't know what to do with it. It is very much in my way
at home, and it is in such bad repair that I could not get anything for it if I sold it.

This extract has been taken from the short story “The Devoted Friend” by Oscar Wilde.
In this story, Little Hans tried to be a devoted friend to the Miller all the time. But the Miller
always used him for his own benefits. One day Miller gave his Wheelbarrow to Little Hans. In
return, the Miller assigned many works and the Little Hans did all the works with pleasure in
order to show his faithfulness. Finally, the Little Hans got drowned into a muddy river and died
when he was on his way to take a doctor at a stormy night. The themes of the story are: selfishness,
innocence, trust, friendship and self-importance. This incident takes place at the end of the story.
In this situation, the Miller speaks to himself.

(4) Is it worth while bothering about such trifles? What does it matter! Everybody's
happy here, and here you go. The health of the bride and bridegroom! A march! A
march! The health of the bride and bridegroom!

This extract has been taken from the drama “The Wedding” by Anton Chekov.
Nastasya had given Nunin 25 rubles to invite a General as Chief Guest for the wedding function.
Finally, everyone got to know that the navy officer was not the General. So, Nastasya got angry
and shouted at Nunin that why he cheated her, and asked about the money she gave. Nunin simply
tried to settle the issue saying that everyone including the bride and groom is happy here. So, why
we want to think about trifles. The themes of the drama are: materialistic desire of the society;
unfaithfulness and betrayal of human being in society; marriage has become monetary transaction
(Business transaction); people are hypercritic and corrupted. This incident takes place at the end
of this drama. In this situation, Nunin speaks to Nastasya.
Section B (Prose, Film and Autobiography)

Question 1

Write the summary of the speech ‘I have a dream’ by Martin Luthar King.

‘I Have a Dream’ is one of the greatest speeches in American history. Delivered by Martin Luther
King, Jr in Washington in 1963, the speech is a powerful rallying cry for racial equality and against
apartheid. In this rally, 210,000 black American including men, women, and children gathered at
the Washington Monument in August 1963. This was a peaceful speech for unity and equality.
The primary reasons behind this speech were: there was huge segregation between black American
and white Americans; apartheid was so high; fundamental rights of blacks were violated; equal
rights were not given; education and job opportunities were refused to blacks; black children were
not allowed to study with white children. The Nigro Americans led their life under the domination
of White Americans.

In Martin Luther King’s speech ‘I have a dream’, he pointed out some dreams that he had which
strongly emphasized the equality, peace and unity. He emphasized his dreams as follow: one day
this nation will rise up and live out the meaning of its creed. All men are created equal. He
emphasized that he had a dream that one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of slave owners
will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. He further said that he had a dream
that one day his four little children live in a nation where they will not be judged by their color of
skin but the content of character. He mentioned another dream that one day, little black boys and
little white girls in Alabama will be able to join hands as sisters and brothers.

All the dreams that he pointed out in his speech were about racial equality, equal rights, expression
of love irrespective of colour, peace and unity. Their peaceful protect continues until the black
Americans are free from the white dominators.
Question 2

Discuss the summary of the film ‘The kid’ by Charlie Chaplin.

An impoverished woman exits a charity hospital with a newborn she conceived with a struggling
artist. Because she is poor and the baby's father has no interest in raising the child, the woman
abandons the infant with a note instructing whoever finds him to take care of him. After spotting
an expensive car parked nearby, she leaves the baby in the back seat. Unfortunately, before the
owner of the car returns, the vehicle is stolen, complete with the abandoned baby.

When the car thieves discover the child, they are shocked and leave him on the side of the street,
where he is found by The Tramp, played by Charlie Chaplin. At first, The Tramp wants nothing
to do with the child, and tries to pass him off to someone else, but he eventually softens.
Meanwhile, the child's mother has begun to feel guilty and changed her mind about giving away
the baby, but is upset to find the car where she put the child is gone.

Five years later, the child has become The Tramp's partner in crime, which usually involves
scamming their neighbors. The child's mother has become a big star and is now very wealthy.
When The Kid falls ill and a doctor comes to treat him, it comes out that The Tramp is not his real
father. The Tramp shows the doctor the handwritten note the child's mother left pinned to him, but
the doctor takes it and hands it to the authorities, who decide that The Kid needs to be taken to an
orphanage. After a fight and an elaborate chase, The Tramp gets The Kid back and the two become
fugitives. At the same time, John's mother, still unaware of his identity, comes back to the hospital
to ask how the sick little boy is doing. The doctor explains that he is missing and shows her the
note The Tramp gave him, which, of course, she recognizes.
On the run, The Tramp and John spend the night in a cheap boarding house, but the manager has
seen the posters advertising a reward for any information that leads to the recovery of the missing
child, and he takes John to the police station while The Tramp is asleep. When The Tramp wakes
up, he panics, unable to find the little boy. He returns home, where the door is locked, and takes a
nap outside, dreaming of his neighborhood becoming filled with angels and demons. His sleep is
interrupted when the police officer abruptly wakes him, taking him to a mansion where the front
door is flung open. The film ends with The Kid and his mother welcoming The Tramp into the
house.
Question 3

Discuss the summary of the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai.

Malala yousafzai was born on 12th of July 1997 to a Pashtun family in Swat Valley, Pakistan. She
is a Pakistani female education activist and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014, awarded when
she was 17. She is the world's youngest Nobel Prize winner, and the second Pakistani and the first
Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize. She is known for human rights advocacy, especially the
education of women and children in her native homeland, Swat, where the Pakistani Taliban have
at times banned girls from attending school. She grew up in and around school, as her father's
lifelong dream had been to found a school. Thus, Malala valued education from an extremely
young age. Two brothers followed her.

Despite Taliban ordered that girls should stay home, Malala continued to go to school. Malala and
her father participated in interviews during which they spoke out about the repressive, violent
situation in Swat. Fazlullah decided that girls under eleven can return to school, and Malala
continued her schooling even though she's past the age limit.

Malala's family lived in fear as the army and the Taliban continued to battle, and the situation in
Swat worsens. On 9 October 2012, while on a bus in Swat District after taking an exam, Yousafzai
and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman. Yousafzai was hit in the head with a bullet
and remained unconscious. Her condition later improved enough for her to be transferred to the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK. The attempt on her life sparked an international
outpouring of support for her. After her recovery, Yousafzai became a prominent activist for the
right to education. Based in Birmingham, she co-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit
organization, with Shiza Shahid.

In 2013, she co-authored I Am Malala, an international best seller. In 2012, she received Pakistan's
first National Youth Peace Prize and the 2013 Sakharov Prize. In 2014, she was the co-recipient
of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, with Kailash Satyarthi of India. Aged 17 at the time, she was the
youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner. In 2015, she was the subject of the Oscar-shortlisted
documentary He Named Me Malala. The 2013, 2014 and 2015 issues of Time magazine featured
her as one of the most influential people globally. In 2017 she was awarded honorary Canadian
citizenship and became the youngest person to address the House of Commons of Canada.
Yousafzai completed her secondary school education at Edgartown High School, Birmingham in
England from 2013 to 2017. From there she won a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and
undertook three years of study for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and
Economics. She graduated in 2020.
Section C (Poetry)

Question 1

Write a critical appreciation of the poem ‘The Sea’ by James Reeves.

The Sea" is a short lyric poem written by James Reeves. The poem 'The sea' is a metaphorical
poem. Here, the poet establishes a comparison between the sea and a dog. James Reeves uses
metaphor to show the comparison and he makes a comparison between two things that are
unrelated, but shares some common characteristics. The main theme of the poem is the power of
nature and comparison of the sea to a dog.

The poem begins by comparing the sea to a hungry dog. The poet describes the color of the sea to
the color of a grey dog. The word 'big' reveals the vastness of the sea and how dangerous it tends
to be. The crashing of the waves is compared to how a dog gnashes its jaws. The sound emitted by
the sea, is compared to a dog moaning. During stormy nights, the sea is compared to a dog that
shakes off its wetness to show how it too crashes over the cliffs sloppily, making it wet in the
process. The howling of the sea also is compared to the howling of a dog.

The months of May and June signify calm weather, when even the grass is quiet. Here, the sea is
like a content dog, silently laying its head between his paws. Now it is blissfully lazy and quiet.
Thus, the poem compares the sea with a dog. It details on the various moods of the sea, how it can
both be raging and calm at different times just like a dog would, making way for an interesting
perception.
In this poem, the poet has used several poetic devices to give vivid picture to the readers. The
poetic devices include: metaphor (the sea denotes the dog), imageries (visual imageries: giant and
grey, auditory imageries: the rumbling, tumbling stones), personification (‘He’ personifies the
sea), symbol (grey sea symbolizes the colour of the dog), Onomatopoeia (Rumbling, tumbling),
alliteration (giant and Grey), assonance (rumbling, tumbling). This is a short, lyric poem divided
into three stanzas of varying length. The first stanza consists of nine lines with the rhyme scheme
pattern of a bb cc ddd c. The second stanza consists of five lines with the rhyme scheme pattern of
f ghhg. The third stanza consists of six lines with the rhyme scheme pattern of iii c jj.
Question 2

Critically analyze the poem ‘Meeting at Night’ by Robert Browning.

Meeting at night is a poem by Victorian poet Robert Browning. It is a two-stanza poem that is
separated into sets of six lines. The poem contains a consistent and structured rhyming pattern of
*abccba deffed. Robert Browning was an English poet and play writer. Meeting at night is a
famous love poem. the lover in the poem overcomes all the obstacles to meet his lady love.

He undertakes a long hard journey through the grey sea. then he walks a mile on the sea-scented
beach and crosses three fields. At last, he reaches his destination, a farmhouse where his sweetheart
lives. he tapes the window. the lady love who was eagerly waiting for him, responds to him by
scratching a match. Finally, they meet and enjoy the pleasure of meeting. The beating of their
passionate hearts suppresses their voice. In this poem, the poet is full of imagery and symbols.
these images and symbols describe the landscapes of his journey. he uses many visual images. they
are gray sea, long black land, yellow moon, fiery ringlets, slushy sand, blue spurt of a lighted
match. In this line, the poet utilizes olfactory imagery too. then a mile of warm sea-scented beach.
and he uses auditory imagery also. Tap the pane, *sharp scratch, *hearts beating. these are the
auditory imagery of this poem.

And the poet uses many symbols in this poem. The night is the symbol of thrilling romance. The
yellow half-moon, the startled waves, and fiery ringlets represent the poet's passion, fear, and
growing excitement. The warm sea scented beach indicates a sense of hope and prospect. the *tap
at the window pane and the quick sharp*scratch* suggest the excitement and eagerness of the two
lovers meeting at night. The *blue spurt of a lighted match culmination of the lover's journey and
the joy and excitement of the meeting. and he uses enjambment in lines 3 & 4, a caesura in lines
9&10, anaphora 2nd&3rd lines, and the 10th &11th lines too. The narrator imagines the waves to
rise from sleep and leap in fiery ringlets. here he uses personification.

The themes of the meeting at night are true love and perseverance, man and nature too. the narrator
begins poem on a boat on a night with very little moonlight. he is not bothered by this. the goal is
to reach the farmhouse. the final line is two hearts beating each to each which indicates the
accomplishment of their desires. only the love both feel for the other matters in the otherwise dark
world. it is revealed in the tone of the poem too.
This poem also shows the dichotomy between the beauty of art and the action of life. we cannot
enjoy both natures and go on with life at the same time. it is either one or the other. In my point of
view, love is daring and thrilling and one cannot be a lover if he is not ready to go through any
consequences of loving. When we realize that love is worth all the effort, no greater power can
overcome the passion of love that one feels in their heart.
Question 3

Discuss the poetic devices used in the poem ‘Silver’ by Walter de la Mare to describe the
moon.

The poem "Silver" was written by the English author Walter de la Mare and published in his 1913
book of children's poems, Peacock Pie. The poem personifies the moon as a female presence who
walks through the night, bathing objects and creatures in her beautiful "silver" glow. The poem
thus testifies to the enchanting power of nature and nighttime. In this poem, the poet has used many
poetic devices to give the readers a vivid picture to the readers. This poem consists of one stanza.
It is a fourteen-line sonnet that follows a rhyming pattern of aabbccddeeffgg.

The moon travels through the night slowly and silently, wearing silver shoes. As she looks around
in different directions, she sees silver fruit hanging from silver trees. Here the poet has used both
visual imageries and personification. As concerning personification’, it has been used as follows.
for instance: walks the night in her silver shoon ' refers to the moon as a female wearing silver
shoes walking through the night influencing all in her path. As concerning imageries, visual
imageries have been used as follow, for instance: slowly, silently, now the moon; silver fruit upon
silver trees
Under silvery thatched rooftops, each window catches the moonlight in turn. Here, the poet has
used ‘alliteration’, for instance: casement catch.

A dog sleeps soundly in his kennel, his paws glinting with silvery moonlight. Here, the poet has
used simile as follow, for instance: the poet has used ‘simile’, for instance: like a log. In their dark
little shelter, white-breasted doves sleep, their feathers also bathed in silver light. A harvest mouse
scuttles past, its claws and eyes shining like silver. Fish rest in the silvery stream, their scales
shining next to silver reeds.
Question 4

Write a critical appreciation of the poem The Microbe by Hilaire Belloc.

The poem "Microbe" is written by Hilaire Belloc. He used to write comic poems for the children,
and he also used to write on current topics that were related to his generation. The title of the poem
talks about some microorganisms and their signs.

The poet is saying that the microbes are very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. You
need a microscope to see the microorganisms, and some people have a positive attitude towards
using a microscope to see them because if you don’t see anything, will you believe? It is there as
NO microbes you can see them but they are present on your hands in your palms & surroundings.
So that is what we always told to wash our hands always as there are microorganisms around us.
So, the poet is talking about the invisible microorganisms that are present in the environment. also,
that was an era not like today but yet it is been experimented by a microscope.

Our poet does not belong to the 21st century; he was talking about his era, and at that time
everybody was confused. What to believe and what not to believe Because science was just
beginning, and scientists were just beginning to experiment. Under the microscope, you can clearly
view the microbe, and here, the poet is describing how it looks. It has a jointed tongue that lies
beneath the row of teeth. It has seven tails and lots of lovely pink and purple spots on it. There are
some patterns, like bands.

His eyes are green. but we can’t see these organisms from our naked eyes as around us. You can
only see the unique microbe with the help of a microscope. But here we can see how invisible the
microbe is, and it is true that they are present around us. So, it is a kind of paradox, so here the
literary device of personification is used, as the poet has given human qualities to an organism. He
is addressing the microorganism with pronoun His are used for human. He is giving the human
quality to a microorganism that we have not even seen. He has used the device of personification.

So here the poet is clearly saying that it is only the scientists who have the proof that these kinds
of microbes are present around us. Here the generation was written is not so modern as the poet.
So much doubtfully and not believing the microbe. Today’s generation studies microbes in science
books. So let us not doubt something we have never seen. So, we should never doubt. It is funny,
as he has added humor to the poem.
Section D (Short story)

Question 1

Innocent and mentally retarded people become victims of a society where human feelings
are meant for entertainment. Discuss referring to the story “Dasi, the Bridegroom by R.K.
Narayan.

"Dasi the Bridegroom" is one of the stories from the book, "An Astrologers day and other stories”,
a collection of the short stories written by R.K.Narayan. It is a tragic - comic story of a retarded
man who falls prey to the prank of his neighbors is driven to complete madness. "Dasi the bridge
rooms" was set in his fictional semi - Urban south Indian town in the mid - 20th century, called
Malagudi.

The protagonist Dasi who was a mentally retarded person. His speech was not clear. His age ‘might
be anything between twenty and fifty. He was brought up the owner of the house where he lived.
He served the family in his own way, he drew water from the well, chopped wood and dug the
garden. In return he was given food and protection. He never seemed to long for anything or
interfere in anybody’s business; never spoke to others except when spoken to. But it was not true
about other people living in Malgudi. The children, hawkers and passerby always cracked joke on
him. He seemed to be an instrument of fun for them.

The Mantapam was a group of old men who gathered in the front porch of the house. ‘They were
ever ready on the lookout for some excitement. To them, Dasi was a source of great joy’. They
always taunt him asking him when his bride will come. Dasi was infused the desire for a beautiful
wife and family.

One day a film star from Madras called Bamini Bai with her mother arrived in Malgudi. Soon the
old men knew all about her, the old men in Mantappam informed Dasi that the famous celebrity
had arrived in town to marry him. He believed their words and visited Bamini house to ask for get
married. He was slapped by her and the police arrested him. All these happened as the old men
used him as victim for their entertainment. Here, the writer describes how his innocence and
inability is misused by the society. Following the incident, the next day, the children of the
elementary school again tried to crack joke on his condition. On hearing this, Dasi became
aggressive and reacted violently. Again, he was arrested by the police and finally, he was sent to
the mental hospital.

In conclusion, R.K Narayan conveys to the readers how an innocent and mentally retarded person
like ‘Dasi’ is used as victim of the society where their feelings are meant for fun. Though Dasi
was retarded but he too had some dreams to be fulfilled. However, his feelings, desire, expectations
and longings were not respected.
Question 2

(2) Critically analyze the nature of the two main characters in the story “The Devoted
Friend” by the Oscar Wilde.

The Devoted Friend’ is one of the fairy tales for children written by the Irish author Oscar Wilde
"The Devoted Friend" is about a Miller named Hugh, who professes to be devoted to his friend
Hans, but in actual fact he uses Hans and insists on his performing endless favours for him without
Hugh giving anything back in return.

Hans is the protagonist in the story. He is an innocent, good-natured peasant who believes himself
to be the Miller’s best friend. He is a peasant belonging to the working class—he lives in a tiny
cottage and spends all his time working in his garden, growing beautiful flowers that he can sell at
the market. Hans is generous and naïve: he works tirelessly for the Miller and fails to realize that
his so-called best friend is exploiting him. Wilde also shows Hans is also very eager to learn: “So
little Hans worked away for the Miller, and the Miller said all kinds of beautiful things about
friendship, which Hans took down in a notebook, and used to read over at night, for he was a very
good scholar.” This innocence and eagerness renders Hans as a childlike figure. Hans does not
change over the course of the fairytale and dies as innocent as he was at the beginning of the story.
Through Hans’s story, Wilde demonstrates the dangers of being too innocent in a less-than-
innocent world. Hans receives neither reward for his good nature nor justice for the exploitation
he experienced under the Miller, making his death all the more tragic.

The Miller is the antagonist in the story. He is a rich, exploitative merchant who manipulates Hans
into performing labor in the name of friendship. The Miller is an incredibly wealthy ma “he had a
hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six milch cows, and a large flock of woolly
sheep”—but he doesn’t share his wealth with his so-called friend. While little Hans suffers through
the winter with very little to eat, the Miller stays in his comfortable home with his wife and son,
with a pinewood fire and plenty of food and drink.

The Miller not only freely takes flowers and produce from Hans’s Garden, but also requests Hans
to perform difficult chores for him throughout the story. And though he offers Hans a broken
wheelbarrow—openly applauding himself for his generosity—this object never manifests in the
story. The Miller’s requests grow more and more unreasonable as the story progresses, showing
there is no limit to how much he is willing to exploit little Hans. The Miller’s final request is for
Hans to fetch the doctor for the Miller’s son during a storm in the middle of the night. Despite the
already preposterous nature of this request, the Miller refuses to give Hans his lantern for guidance
during the storm, indirectly causing Hans’s death.

The story suggests that friendship is a noble and respectable bond based on bilateral love and
cooperation. Mutual interest is the essence of true friendship.
Section E (Drama)

Question 1

Analyze the themes of the drama ‘The Wedding’ by Anton Chekov.

The drama ‘The Wedding’ by Anton Chekov is a social satire, wrong values of the society such as
the marriage as some kind of a business transaction without mutual understanding, the struggle to
maintain the truth, the uneducated working class etc. The setting of this drama is a wedding hall
in a restaurant. In this wedding, Dashenka, the daughter of the Nastasya Timofeyevna and Zhigalov
was proposed to Aplombov. In this drama, the following themes are discussed. They are analyzed
as follow.

1. Marriage has become monetary transaction

In this drama, we can see the greediness of people towards money. In our society, marriage has
become a business transaction. They search for profit in a marriage through the dowry. Here,
Aplombov asked for objects of domestic importance and two lottery ticket from Nastasya as
dowry. It shows marriage has become a business transition.

2. Unfaithfulness and betrayal of human being in society.

The whole society is corrupted because of unfaithfulness and betrayal. Throughout the story,
people show unfaithfulness and breaking promises. In this drama, Nastasya promised to Aplombov
give two lottery ticket, but Aplombov found those tickets are in pawn. Here, Nastasya breaks the
promise given to Aplombov. So, Nastasya tried to cheat Aplombov. Moreover, Nastasya promised
and agreed that a General was to be here for supper. But he brought just a retired Navy Officer
instead of a General. Here, Nunin breaks the promise Nastasya. Most of the characters in the drama
express their betrayal and unfaithfulness.

3. People are hypercritic and corrupted.

Aplombov searched for profit in his marriage. Because of that, he wanted get the expected dowry.
When he found that tickets are in pawn, he became upset and he wanted get back the negotiated
lottery tickets. He said “I don’t want your tickets but on principle and I don’t allow myself to be
done by anybody.”
 4. Majority is swindlers.

Nunin and Nastasya are swindlers. Nastasya promised to give two lottery tickets for Aplombov
but, she didn’t give. She pawned that ticket without Aplombove permission and also, she promised
and agreed that a general was to be there to supper. But he wasn’t there, she said “That isn’t my
fault. It is Andrey Andreyevitch’s fault. She arranged a fake General with Nunin help….

Based on the analysis of the themes of this drama, it is obvious that the whole society is corrupted;
people are towards money; people are hypocritic; Majority are swindlers.