The Power of Music – MCQs
- Who is Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
a) A famous classical musician
b) A bad singer whose loud, terrible voice causes chaos everywhere
c) A music teacher
d) A famous composer - When does the poet hear the hums of Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
a) In winter
b) In spring
c) In summer
d) In autumn - How far can Bhisma Lochan Sharma's voice be heard?
a) Only in Delhi
b) Only in Burma (Myanmar)
c) From Delhi down to Burma
d) Only in the local area - What do the people do when they hear Bhisma's singing?
a) Clap and cheer
b) Dance and celebrate
c) Are dazed, retire amazed, get trampled in panic and languish pale and sickly
d) Listen peacefully - What happens to the bullock-carts and horses?
a) They move faster
b) They line the roadside peacefully
c) The bullock-carts are overturned and horses line the roadside in shock
d) They disappear - How do the animals react to Bhisma's singing?
a) They ignore it completely
b) They whine, stare with feet in air, and wonder quite confounded
c) They sing along
d) They applaud - What do the fishes do to escape the singing?
a) They jump out of the water
b) They swim faster
c) They dive below the lake in frantic search for silence
d) They stay where they are - What happens to the trees?
a) They grow stronger
b) They collapse and shake; the crash can be heard a mile away
c) They sway gently
d) They remain unaffected - What happens to the birds in the sky?
a) They fly higher
b) They turn turtle (flip upside down) while winging
c) They sing with Bhisma
d) They ignore the sound - What does "the welkin weeps" mean?
a) The rain falls
b) The sky cries because of Bhisma's screeching voice
c) The clouds gather
d) The wind blows - What happens to the mighty mansions?
a) They are renovated
b) They stand firm
c) They tumble (collapse) down
d) They grow taller - What does people's response to Bhisma show?
a) They like his singing
b) They desperately plead with him to stop singing, even saying "we're near our end"
c) They want him to sing more
d) They ignore him - Who finally stops Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
a) The people
b) The animals
c) A billy goat, described as a sagacious fellow
d) A musician - What does the billy goat do to stop Bhisma?
a) Covers his ears
b) Charges straight at him with his horns lowered
c) Asks him politely to stop
d) Calls the police - "The strains of song are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence" suggests:
a) The music becomes more beautiful
b) The billy goat's force completely scatters and disrupts Bhisma's singing
c) Bhisma sings even more loudly
d) Everyone starts dancing - What is the "golden gift of silence"?
a) A musical instrument
b) The peace and relief everyone feels when Bhisma finally stops singing
c) A precious object
d) A musical composition - What is the primary theme of the poem?
a) The beauty of music
b) The transformative power of good music contrasted with the chaos caused by bad music; silence as golden
c) How to become a singer
d) The history of music - The poem uses which literary device prominently?
a) Metaphor and personification (sky weeps, trees collapse) and hyperbole (exaggeration)
b) Simile only
c) Alliteration only
d) Onomatopoeia only - What is the poet's attitude toward Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
a) Respectful and admiring
b) Humorous and satirical; mocking his terrible singing
c) Compassionate and sympathetic
d) Neutral and detached - The poem is written in what form?
a) Free verse
b) Sonnet
c) Rhyming couplets and quatrains with regular rhyme scheme
d) Haiku - What does the poem suggest about the power of music?
a) Music is always beautiful and uplifting
b) Music has transformative power - good music enchants and uplifts, but terrible music can cause chaos
c) Music has no effect on people
d) Only classical music is powerful - The billy goat's action represents:
a) Weakness and cowardice
b) Courage, wisdom and the necessity of brave action to restore peace when words fail
c) Cruelty and violence
d) Foolishness
Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-c, 4-c, 5-c, 6-b, 7-c, 8-b, 9-b, 10-b, 11-c, 12-b, 13-c, 14-b, 15-b, 16-b, 17-b, 18-a, 19-b, 20-c, 21-b, 22-b.