Departmental Examination

[ernesto thaddeus m. solmerano]

Lit 1N: Literatures of the Philippines

Departmental Examination

Directions: The following questions test your understanding of several literary devices and selections. Read each question carefully and select the best answer choice for each question by blackening the matching oval on your Scantron sheet. May the odds be ever in your favour!

I. Poetry

1. In general, a poem is meant to be:
a. read silently.
b. read aloud.
c. read to others.
d. read in a tranquil setting.
e. read again and again.

2. Which of the following statements about poetry is true?
a. Poetry must have rhyme and a clear rhythm.
b. The language of poetry is usually visual.
c. Poets try to avoid figurative language whenever possible.
d. If a poem is short, it will have only one theme.
e. Poetry is for nerdy people.

3. Which of the following is NOT true of a sonnet?
a. It is always fourteen lines long.
b. It was very important in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
c. It is usually written in iambic pentameter.
d. It is typically printed as if it were one stanza.
e. It is a lyric poem of varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms.

4. Which of the following best describes the rhyme scheme of Fernando M. Maramag’s poem “Moonlight on Manila Bay”?
a. ababbcbccdcdee
b. ababcdcdefefgg
c. abbaabbacdecde
d. abbaabbacdcdcd
e. abbaabbacddcdc

5. In Conrado S. Ramirez’s poem “Love Story”, what sound-effect device is used in lines 1 and 4?
a. rhyme
b. repetition
c. onomatopoeia
d. alliteration
e. anaphora

6. To understand the setting of a poem, a reader has to understand:
a. the poet’s time and place.
b. the speaker’s motivation.
c. the social and political background of the poet.
d. the characters’ time and place.
e. the time and place of the poem’s publication.

7. This line from Luis G. Dato’s poem “Day on the Farm”: “The church bells ring and I hear drops of rain” is an example of a/an:
a. dramatic irony
b. antithesis
c. personification
d. understatement
e. symbol

8. Which of the following best describes free verse?
a. poetry that is no longer bound by copyright restrictions
b. poetry that was part of an oral tradition before it was written down
c. poetry that is closely related to folk songs
d. poetry that has no governing pattern of stress or line length
e. poetry written in two lines with rhyming ends

9. Which of the following lines from Dominador Ilio’s poem “Icarus in Catechism Class” best illustrates irony?
a. “O make us angels all, with dirty feet.”
b. “This walled-in wilderness where the black birds twitter Homilies from the pulpit.”
c. “Soon the minutes will glibly run into decades full of women and sinners”
d. “I want to go home I want to put on my wings.”
e. “O hour of my death, O let the noon bell ring.”

10. The persona of a poem is:
a. the poet herself/himself.
b. a fictional character.
c. the poet’s alter ego.
d. the first person named in the poem.
e. the reader.

11. The speaker is addressing whom/what in the following lines from Edith L. Tiempo’s poem “Lament for the Littlest Fellow”: “The littlest fellow was a marmoset. / He held the bars and blinked his old man's eyes”?
a. the reader
b. the persona herself
c. the marmoset
d. the husband
e. the poet herself

12. Which of the following lines best expresses the setting in Merlie M. Alunan’s poem “Bringing the Dolls”?
a. “Two dolls in rags and tatters”
b. “And so the boat turned seaward”
c. “Her silence should have warned me / she knew her burdens / as I knew mine”
d. “Her own faiths she must keep, not I”
e. “Each tight baggage / I had packed / only for the barest need.”

13. These lines from Angel Rene A. Iturralde’s poem “After Palanan”, “It reminds one of swaying Iscariot - / Suspended from a tree” is an example of a/an:
a. dramatic irony.
b. paradox.
c. antithesis.
d. allusion.
e. juxtaposition

14. In Guillermo Castillo’s poem “I Bring Thee Great Wealth, Giorgianna”, which of the following is NOT a gift offered to Giorgianna by the persona?
a. bird
b. car
c. money
d. engagement ring
e. rose

15. "When my Father comes
Make me one so like His child once eating his white bread in trance
Philomela before she was raped.
I hope by likeness
To make him believe this is the same kind
The chaste face he made
And my blind Lear will walk me out
Without a word
Fearing to pear behind."
Which of the following best describes the tone of these lines from Virginia R. Moreno’s poem “Order for Masks”?
a. sentimental
b. vitriolic
c. sublime
d. ironic
e. regretful

16. The tone of a poem is meant to express:
a. the subject of the poem.
b. what the poet thinks about the subject.
c. an attitude or feeling about the theme.
d. the way the reader feels about the poem.
e. what happens and why it happens.

17. “It was a sacrilege, the neighbors cried, / The way she shattered every mullioned pane / To let a firebrand in.” This passage from Angela C. Manalang-Gloria’s poem “Soledad” is an example of a/an:
a. paradox
b. understatement
c. hyperbole
d. irony
e. oxymoron

18. In talking about poems, diction refers to:
a. the eloquence of the poet.
b. the clarity of expression.
c. the poet’s word choice.
d. the narrator’s accent.
e. the mood or tone of the poem.

19. In Conchitina R. Cruz’s poem “Problem Is”, which of the following lines is an example of a metaphor?
a. “We used to joke / and call our selves typical Filipinos.”
b. “They say poor Filipinos multiply / like rabbits since they have nothing / to do but fuck.”
c. “We were rabbits, / Seeking the other side, bent on / Crossing the pasture.”
d. “You told me not to worry, / that someday the worst / would end, just a couple of right / moves and it would be over.”
e. “Should I have told you then / to hold your tongue, but we had / no room for such words.”

20. In Francisco Arcellana’s poem “Prayer”, to whom does the poet call upon for help?
a. the Muse
b. God
c. the Government
d. the Church
e. Satan

21. In Nick Joaquin’s poem “Six P.M.”, where does the speaker will go after his daytime work?
a. to his family
b. to his drinking buddies
c. to exotic places
d. to a night club
e. to his garden

22. What figures of speech is used in this line from Victorio N. Sugbo’s poem “State of the Nation”: “O how we must live apart / To stay together”?
a. irony
b. symbol
c. paradox
d. allusion
e. metonymy

23. In Jose Ma. Sison’s poem “By Cokkis Lilly Woundis”, which of the following lines that does NOT contain an example of alliteration?
a. “The lean leech emerges from watery birth.”
b. “Blind, blessed, rubbery to lengthen more.”
c. “Its blessing on and whiten flesh metaphysic.”
d. “Its green slimy back and sharp yellow lining.”
e. “By salt, lye, or let it stick and fall!”

24. What is a symbol in literature?
a. a mnemonic device
b. any sensory detail used to describe an object
c. a person, place, or object that simultaneously represents itself and figuratively “stands for” something else
d. a direct comparison between two unlike things with a verbal signal
e. a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature

25. The title of Simeon Dumdum Jr.’s poem “Third World Opera” is:
a. sarcastic
b. symbolic
c. comical
d. incongruous
e. parochial

II. Fiction

26. The setting of a story refers to:
a. the pattern formed by the events.
b. the way the author presents the main character.
c. the background of the main character.
d. the time and place of the story.
e. the locale where the story is published.

27. In Manuel Arguilla’s story “Midsummer”, the local color of the story is:
a. in the Ilocos Region
b. in a Tagalog province
c. somewhere in the Visayas
d. somewhere in Mindanao
e. somewhere in Bicol

28. The person who tells the story is:
a. the main character.
b. the character with the most scenes.
c. the narrator.
d. the author.
e. the antihero

29. The protagonist in a story is:
a. the good guy
b. the bad guy
c. the character with the most scenes
d. the main character
e. the sidekick

30. The antagonist in a story is:
a. the character who suffers the most
b. the character who opposes the protagonist
c. the bad guy
d. the hero
e. the antihero

31. “It was the day of the Christmas program, and Teacher Helen was not feeling well at all.” As the first sentence of a story, this is a part of the:
a. denouement
b. complication
c. rising action
d. exposition
e. explication

32. What is the plot in a work of fiction?
a. The plot is the main idea that the author wants to convey.
b. The plot is the arrangement of the action in a story.
c. The plot is how the story creates mystery.
d. The plot is the most important part any literature.
e. The plot is the attitude that author takes toward the subject and toward the audience in a literary work.

33. In Paz Marquez Benitez’ story “Dead Stars”, with whom is Alfredo in love most?
a. Esperanza
b. Julia
c. Calixta
d. All of these women aforementioned
e. None of these women aforementioned

34. What is the climax of a story?
a. The climax is the point at which the events come to a critical moment.
b. The climax is a struggle between characters.
c. The climax is always the last few sentences of a story.
d. The climax is the author’s moral message.
e. The climax is the moment of final suspense, in which the final outcome of the conflict is in doubt.

35. “Youth must triumph... now. Love must triumph... now. Afterwards... it will be life.” This passage from Jose Garcia Villa’s story “Footnote to Youth”, uses which of the following elements of fiction?
a. dialogue
b. symbolism
c. theme
d. point of view
e. denouement

36. In a work with an omniscient point of view,
a. the reader can know the thoughts of all the characters.
b. the reader knows the thoughts of only one character.
c. the author and the narrator are the same person.
d. the narrator actively participates in the action of the story.
e. the narrator passively participates in the action of the story.

37. “It is ten to eleven. Mrs. Vera Perez is very late, the morning almost gone. The hours tumble into the next, the days dissolve into other days. I am not sure what day it is today. Only that we have to cook my chicken and prepare for the next cooking demonstration at the mall in North EDSA. Tomorrow, we test Lasagna Verde with Béchamel Sauce. The day after that, Pork Barbecue in Hoisin Sauce.” This passage from Alessandra G.L. Gonzales’s story “Breathe”, uses which of the following points of view?
a. first-person
b. third-person omniscient
c. third-person limited consciousness
d. second-person
e. third-person objective

38. Minor characters are necessary in a story because:
a. they aid the main character.
b. they help shape our interpretation of the main character.
c. they add color to the story.
d. they offer interesting commentary on the story.
e. they represent a major threat or obstacle to the main character by their very existence.

39. In Estrella D. Alfon’s story “Magnificence”, the passage “There was nothing to fear, for the man was always so gentle, so kind” is an example of a/an:
a. symbol
b. foreshadowing
c. flashback
d. irony
e. motif

40. What is the conflict in a story?
a. Conflict is the twist or surprise in a storyline.
b. Conflict arises when a reader expects an event to happen and the opposite occurs.
c. Conflict is the codified gestures in which the author tells the story.
d. Conflict is a struggle of some kind within the story.
e. Conflict is a result of some misunderstanding between the author and the audience.

III. Drama

41. Which of the following is NOT part of the set of a play?
a. the objects used on the stage
b. the design
c. the decoration
d. the scenery
e. the props

42. Comic relief is:
a. a light moment in a serious play.
b. the resolution of the conflict in a comedy.
c. the intermission.
d. the verbal mistakes made by an actor.
e. the protagonist’s rationale for taking an action.

43. The conflict in a typical dramatic plot progresses through which of the following stages?
a. introduction of characters, development of characters, resolution of conflict
b. introduction, climax, resolution
c. identification of the conflict, protagonist’s part in the conflict, antagonist’s reaction, resolution
d. exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion
e. beginning, middle, end

44. Which of the following is a major characteristic of tragedy?
a. Most of the characters die.
b. The play is about conflict.
c. The protagonist moves from happiness to misery.
d. The protagonist is the one most affected by the conflict.
e. There is no real enlightenment even in defeat, and in most instances the protagonist does win his battle.

45. The theme of a play is:
a. clearly described by one of the characters.
b. described in the directions from the playwright to the director.
c. the result of the tone of the play.
d. inferred by the viewer from the action.
e. explained by the director at the end of the play

46. _________________ is when the action of a play takes a surprising turn, often the opposite of what the characters expect to happen.
a. Coincidence
b. Dramatic irony
c. Situational complexity
d. Theatrical inversion
e. Verbal irony

47. Which of the following is a major characteristic of comedy?
a. No character is injured.
b. The action resolves in favor of the protagonist.
c. The antagonist is defeated.
d. The audience laughs.
e. The play must concern a serious subject.

48. In terms of drama, character refers to:
a. the actor
b. the moral structure of a person
c. a fictional person who is part of a play
d. the director’s interpretation of the play
e. an off-stage character

49. Farces are plays that are:
a. full of broad humor and physical antics.
b. plays within plays.
c. biting social commentaries.
d. tragedies with a light side.
e. episodic and the most exciting incidents possible are brought into the play.

50. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true?
a. A tragic hero is a basically evil character who causes suffering to others.
b. A tragic hero is basically evil but has one or two redeeming qualities.
c. A tragic hero is basically good or noble but has a weakness or limitation.
d. A tragic hero is a completely good character who rescues a society from danger.
e. A tragic hero wins his battle at the end of the play.