John Keats: Biography, Works, Quotes, and 150 MCQs for Competitive Exams
Posted on June 9, 2025 by [Your Name]
Preparing for UPSC, UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT, CTET, DUET, JNUET, SSC CGL, or State PSC exams? Master John Keats, the Romantic poet of beauty and imagination, with this comprehensive guide! Explore his biography, famous works like Ode to a Nightingale, iconic quotes such as “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and 150 MCQs to ace your English literature prep. Perfect for exam success!

Portrait of John Keats, Romantic poet (Public Domain)
Introduction to John Keats
John Keats (1795–1821) is a cornerstone of Romantic poetry, renowned for his sensuous imagery, exploration of beauty, mortality, and imagination, and timeless lines like “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Despite his short life, his works, including Ode to a Nightingale, Endymion, and Hyperion, are essential for competitive exams like UPSC, UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT, CTET, DUET, JNUET, and SSC CGL. His odes, sonnets, and narrative poems are tested for themes, poetic devices, and historical context. This guide, with all famous works, 11 iconic quotes, and 150 MCQs, equips you to excel in English literature exams.
Biographical Details
- Full Name: John Keats
- Pen Name: None
- Age of Literature: Romantic Era (1798–1837)
- Birth and Death: October 31, 1795 – February 23, 1821
- Birthplace: Moorgate, London, England
- Parents: Thomas Keats and Frances Jennings
- Parents’ Profession: Thomas Keats (livery stable keeper); Frances Jennings (homemaker)
- Spouse: None (engaged to Fanny Brawne)
- Children: None
Born in Moorgate, London, Keats grew up in a modest family. His father, Thomas Keats, managed a livery stable, providing a stable but humble income, while his mother, Frances Jennings, was a homemaker who nurtured her children’s education. The early loss of his parents—his father in a riding accident (1804) and his mother to tuberculosis (1810)—shaped his preoccupation with mortality, as seen in “Do I wake or sleep?” from Ode to a Nightingale. These tragedies are tested in JNUET and DUET. Keats trained as an apothecary-surgeon at Guy’s Hospital but abandoned medicine for poetry, inspired by Spenser, Shakespeare, and Leigh Hunt. His engagement to Fanny Brawne inspired love poems like “Bright Star,” a detail relevant for GATE and NET. Stricken by tuberculosis, Keats died in Rome at 25, a topic for UPSC essays.
Literary Journey
Keats began writing poetry in 1814, inspired by Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. His early work, published under Leigh Hunt’s Cockney School, faced criticism, but his mature poetry (1818–1820) earned acclaim. His iconic line, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” from Endymion, reflects his poetic philosophy.
- First Work: “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” (1816)
- First Published Work: Poems (1817)
- Major Milestone: Endymion (1818)
- Last Completed Work: Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems (1820)
- Last Incomplete Work: Hyperion (1820)
Major Works, Themes, and Famous Quotes
Keats’ poetry is renowned for its sensuous imagery, exploration of beauty, mortality, and imagination, and memorable lines like “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” His works are critical for TGT, PGT, and MA English entrance exams.
- Main Themes:
- Beauty: Celebrated as eternal in Ode on a Grecian Urn.
- Mortality: Grappled with in Ode to a Nightingale.
- Imagination: Embodied in “Negative Capability” and Endymion.
- Nature: Vividly depicted in To Autumn.
- All Famous Works with Themes:
- Poems (1817): Early collection; exploration and admiration (e.g., “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” – discovery).
- Endymion (1818): Narrative poem; love, beauty, and the quest for ideal beauty.
- Ode to a Nightingale (1819): Ode; mortality, escape through imagination.
- Ode on a Grecian Urn (1819): Ode; art’s eternity vs. human transience.
- Ode to Psyche (1819): Ode; myth, inner spirituality, and love.
- Ode on Melancholy (1819): Ode; embracing sadness as part of beauty.
- To Autumn (1819): Ode; nature’s cycles, ripeness, and acceptance.
- The Eve of St. Agnes (1820): Narrative poem; romantic love, medieval enchantment.
- Lamia (1820): Narrative poem; illusion vs. reality, tragic love.
- Isabella, or The Pot of Basil (1820): Narrative poem; tragic love, greed, and loss.
- Hyperion (1820, unfinished): Epic; mythological struggle, human ambition.
- La Belle Dame sans Merci (1819): Ballad; love, enchantment, and betrayal.
- Bright Star (1819): Sonnet; love, longing, and permanence.
- When I Have Fears (1818): Sonnet; mortality, unfulfilled ambitions.
- On the Grasshopper and Cricket (1816): Sonnet; nature’s eternal poetry.
- Famous Quotes for Exams:
- “A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” – Endymion (NET, TGT)
- “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” – Ode on a Grecian Urn (UPSC, NET)
- “Do I wake or sleep?” – Ode to a Nightingale (SET, DUET)
- “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” – To Autumn (CTET, PGT)
- “Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art.” – Bright Star (JNUET, GATE)
- “When I have fears that I may cease to be / Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain.” – When I Have Fears (NET, TGT)
- “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter.” – Ode on a Grecian Urn (SET, UPSC)
- “Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget / What thou among the leaves hast never known.” – Ode to a Nightingale (NET, PGT)
- “She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die.” – Ode on Melancholy (JNUET, SET)
- “Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold.” – “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” (DUET, TGT)
- “The poetry of earth is never dead.” – “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” (CTET, NET)
- Work That Brought Fame: 1820 volume, especially the 1819 odes.
Keats’ “negative capability”—embracing uncertainty without rational resolution—is a key concept for NET and GATE. His odes are analyzed for imagery and structure in CTET pedagogy.
Awards and Recognition
Keats received no awards in his lifetime but gained posthumous acclaim:
- Posthumous Fame: Hailed as a Romantic giant by Victorians.
- Commemorations: Keats-Shelley Memorial House in Rome.
- Academic Legacy: Global curricula (DUET, JNUET).
Key Facts for Competitive Exams
Tested in UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT, CTET, UPSC, DUET, JNUET, SSC CGL:
- Cockney School: Associated with Leigh Hunt (NET).
- Negative Capability: Defined in 1817 letter (GATE).
- 1819 Odes: Career pinnacle (SET).
- Tuberculosis: Shaped mortality themes (UPSC).
- Fanny Brawne: Inspired “Bright Star” (JNUET).
- Poetic Style: Sensuous imagery (GATE).
- Influences: Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton (NET).
Critical Analysis and Lesser-Known Works
Keats’ “negative capability” is central to NET and JNUET, reflecting his embrace of ambiguity, as in “Do I wake or sleep?” Lesser-known works like Isabella explore tragic love, tested in SET. His rivalry with critics from Blackwood’s Magazine is a topic for GATE. Keats’ letters, articulating his poetic philosophy, are analyzed in DUET.
Historical Context and Modern Relevance
Keats wrote during the Romantic era, opposing Enlightenment rationalism with lines like “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter.” His focus on beauty countered industrialization, a context for UPSC and NET. His influence on Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites is studied in DUET. Today, his nature imagery aligns with eco-criticism (JNUET), and his odes are used in CTET for teaching poetic devices.
150 MCQs for Competitive Exams
Test your knowledge with these 150 MCQs, designed for UPSC, UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT, CTET, DUET, JNUET, SSC CGL:
- What is John Keats’ full name?
A) John William Keats B) John Keats C) John Thomas Keats D) John Edward Keats
Answer: B) John Keats
Explanation: Basic fact for SSC CGL. - In which literary era did Keats write?
A) Victorian B) Romantic C) Renaissance D) Modern
Answer: B) Romantic
Explanation: Romantic Era for NET. - Where was Keats born?
A) London B) Oxford C) Cambridge D) Hampstead
Answer: A) London
Explanation: Moorgate for TGT. - Who was Keats’ fiancée?
A) Fanny Brawne B) Mary Shelley C) Dorothy Wordsworth D) Isabella Jones
Answer: A) Fanny Brawne
Explanation: Inspired “Bright Star” for DUET. - When did Keats begin writing poetry?
A) 1814 B) 1817 C) 1820 D) 1821
Answer: A) 1814
Explanation: Spenser’s influence for SET. - Who was Keats’ father?
A) Thomas Keats B) John Keats C) Edward Keats D) William Keats
Answer: A) Thomas Keats
Explanation: Livery stable keeper for JNUET. - What was Keats’ mother’s profession?
A) Teacher B) Homemaker C) Nurse D) Poet
Answer: B) Homemaker
Explanation: Frances Jennings for DUET. - Where did Keats train as an apothecary?
A) Oxford B) London C) Cambridge D) Edinburgh
Answer: B) London
Explanation: Guy’s Hospital for NET. - What caused Keats’ death?
A) Cancer B) Tuberculosis C) Heart Disease D) Accident
Answer: B) Tuberculosis
Explanation: Shaped mortality themes for UPSC. - How old was Keats when he died?
A) 25 B) 30 C) 35 D) 40
Answer: A) 25
Explanation: Early death for JNUET. - In which year was Keats born?
A) 1785 B) 1795 C) 1805 D) 1815
Answer: B) 1795
Explanation: Basic fact for SSC CGL. - When did Keats die?
A) 1817 B) 1821 C) 1825 D) 1830
Answer: B) 1821
Explanation: Key date for TGT. - What was Keats’ father’s profession?
A) Lawyer B) Livery Stable Keeper C) Doctor D) Teacher
Answer: B) Livery Stable Keeper
Explanation: Thomas Keats for SET. - Who influenced Keats’ early poetry?
A) Wordsworth B) Spenser C) Milton D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Literary influences for NET. - Which group was Keats associated with?
A) Lake Poets B) Cockney School C) War Poets D) Metaphysical Poets
Answer: B) Cockney School
Explanation: Leigh Hunt’s circle for GATE. - Where did Keats die?
A) London B) Rome C) Paris D) Hampstead
Answer: B) Rome
Explanation: Tuberculosis treatment for DUET. - Who was Keats’ mentor?
A) Shelley B) Wordsworth C) Leigh Hunt D) Coleridge
Answer: C) Leigh Hunt
Explanation: Early influence for NET. - What was Keats’ original profession?
A) Lawyer B) Apothecary C) Teacher D) Journalist
Answer: B) Apothecary
Explanation: Abandoned for poetry for SET. - Who inspired Keats’ love poems?
A) Fanny Brawne B) Dorothy Wordsworth C) Mary Shelley D) Isabella Jones
Answer: A) Fanny Brawne
Explanation: “Bright Star” for JNUET. - Which poet was Keats’ contemporary?
A) Shakespeare B) Shelley C) Milton D) Donne
Answer: B) Shelley
Explanation: Romantic peer for NET. - What was Keats’ mother’s name?
A) Frances Jennings B) Fanny Brawne C) Mary Keats D) Isabella Keats
Answer: A) Frances Jennings
Explanation: Homemaker for DUET. - In which year did Keats’ father die?
A) 1804 B) 1810 C) 1814 D) 1818
Answer: A) 1804
Explanation: Riding accident for JNUET. - What was the cause of Keats’ mother’s death?
A) Cancer B) Tuberculosis C) Accident D) Heart Disease
Answer: B) Tuberculosis
Explanation: Influenced mortality themes for UPSC. - Where did Keats live during his productive years?
A) Hampstead B) Oxford C) Cambridge D) Paris
Answer: A) Hampstead
Explanation: Wrote odes there for NET. - Who published Keats’ early poems?
A) Leigh Hunt B) Shelley C) Wordsworth D) Coleridge
Answer: A) Leigh Hunt
Explanation: Cockney School for SET. - What inspired Keats’ medical training?
A) Family tradition B) Financial need C) Personal interest D) Social status
Answer: B) Financial need
Explanation: After parents’ death for DUET. - Which sibling’s illness affected Keats?
A) Brother Tom B) Brother George C) Sister Fanny D) None
Answer: A) Brother Tom
Explanation: Tuberculosis for JNUET. - What was Keats’ relationship with Shelley?
A) Rival B) Friend C) Mentor D) Critic
Answer: B) Friend
Explanation: Literary exchange for NET. - Where did Keats write most of his 1819 odes?
A) London B) Hampstead C) Rome D) Winchester
Answer: B) Hampstead
Explanation: Key location for SET. - What was Keats’ nationality?
A) British B) French C) Irish D) Scottish
Answer: A) British
Explanation: Basic fact for SSC CGL. - What was Keats’ first published work?
A) Endymion B) Poems C) Hyperion D) Ode to a Nightingale
Answer: B) Poems
Explanation: 1817 collection for NET. - Which work established Keats’ fame?
A) Endymion B) 1820 Volume C) Hyperion D) Poems
Answer: B) 1820 Volume
Explanation: Includes odes for UPSC. - What is the theme of Endymion?
A) War B) Love and Beauty C) Nature D) Death
Answer: B) Love and Beauty
Explanation: “A thing of beauty” for SET. - Which poem is known for vivid nature imagery?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) To Autumn C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Hyperion
Answer: B) To Autumn
Explanation: “Season of mists” for CTET. - Which poem is part of the 1819 odes?
A) Ode on a Grecian Urn B) Endymion C) Hyperion D) Isabella
Answer: A) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: “Beauty is truth” for TGT. - What is the full title of “Ode to a Nightingale”?
A) Ode on a Nightingale B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Nightingale Ode D) Song of the Nightingale
Answer: B) Ode to a Nightingale
Explanation: “Do I wake or sleep?” for NET. - Which poem explores art’s eternity?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Ode on a Grecian Urn C) To Autumn D) Endymion
Answer: B) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: Iconic for DUET. - Which poem is a romantic narrative?
A) The Eve of St. Agnes B) To Autumn C) Hyperion D) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Answer: A) The Eve of St. Agnes
Explanation: Medieval love for PGT. - What is the theme of “To Autumn”?
A) Love B) Nature’s Cycles C) War D) Death
Answer: B) Nature’s Cycles
Explanation: “Mellow fruitfulness” for CTET. - Which work is an unfinished epic?
A) Endymion B) Hyperion C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Ode to a Nightingale
Answer: B) Hyperion
Explanation: Mythological for SET. - In which year was Endymion published?
A) 1817 B) 1818 C) 1819 D) 1820
Answer: B) 1818
Explanation: “A thing of beauty” for NET. - Which poem is a ballad?
A) La Belle Dame sans Merci B) Ode to a Nightingale C) To Autumn D) Endymion
Answer: A) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Explanation: Enchantment for PGT. - What is the theme of “Ode to a Nightingale”?
A) Love B) Mortality C) War D) Religion
Answer: B) Mortality
Explanation: “Do I wake or sleep?” for TGT. - Which poem begins “My heart aches”?
A) Ode on a Grecian Urn B) Ode to a Nightingale C) To Autumn D) Endymion
Answer: B) Ode to a Nightingale
Explanation: Iconic line for NET. - What is the theme of “Isabella”?
A) Nature B) Tragic Love C) War D) Childhood
Answer: B) Tragic Love
Explanation: Lesser-known for SET. - Which poem was inspired by a Grecian artifact?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Ode on a Grecian Urn C) To Autumn D) Hyperion
Answer: B) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: “Heard melodies” for DUET. - What is the theme of “Ode to Psyche”?
A) Myth and Spirituality B) Nature C) War D) Death
Answer: A) Myth and Spirituality
Explanation: 1819 ode for NET. - Which poem explores a knight’s enchantment?
A) La Belle Dame sans Merci B) The Eve of St. Agnes C) Endymion D) Hyperion
Answer: A) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Explanation: Ballad for PGT. - What is the setting of The Eve of St. Agnes?
A) Medieval Castle B) Countryside C) London D) Rome
Answer: A) Medieval Castle
Explanation: Romantic setting for SET. - Which poem was written in 1819?
A) Endymion B) Ode on Melancholy C) Poems D) Hyperion
Answer: B) Ode on Melancholy
Explanation: Sadness theme for NET. - What is the theme of “When I Have Fears”?
A) Love B) Mortality C) Nature D) Beauty
Answer: B) Mortality
Explanation: “Before my pen” for TGT. - Which poem is a mythological epic?
A) Endymion B) Hyperion C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) To Autumn
Answer: B) Hyperion
Explanation: Unfinished for SET. - Which poem is in the 1820 volume?
A) Endymion B) Lamia C) Poems D) On First Looking
Answer: B) Lamia
Explanation: Illusion vs. reality for NET. - What is the form of “Bright Star”?
A) Ode B) Sonnet C) Ballad D) Epic
Answer: B) Sonnet
Explanation: “Bright star” for JNUET. - Which quote is from Ode on a Grecian Urn?
A) A thing of beauty B) Beauty is truth C) Do I wake or sleep D) Mellow fruitfulness
Answer: B) Beauty is truth
Explanation: Iconic for UPSC. - Which poem begins “Season of mists”?
A) To Autumn B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Endymion D) Hyperion
Answer: A) To Autumn
Explanation: Nature imagery for CTET. - Which quote is from Endymion?
A) A thing of beauty B) Beauty is truth C) Do I wake or sleep D) Bright star
Answer: A) A thing of beauty
Explanation: Key for NET. - What is the theme of “Lamia”?
A) Illusion vs. Reality B) Nature C) War D) Childhood
Answer: A) Illusion vs. Reality
Explanation: Narrative poem for SET. - Which poem reflects Fanny Brawne’s influence?
A) Bright Star B) To Autumn C) Hyperion D) Endymion
Answer: A) Bright Star
Explanation: Love sonnet for JNUET. - Which quote is from Ode to a Nightingale?
A) Beauty is truth B) Do I wake or sleep C) Mellow fruitfulness D) Heard melodies
Answer: B) Do I wake or sleep
Explanation: Mortality theme for SET. - What is the form of “Ode to Psyche”?
A) Ode B) Sonnet C) Ballad D) Epic
Answer: A) Ode
Explanation: 1819 ode for NET. - Which quote is from Ode on a Grecian Urn?
A) Fade far away B) Beauty is truth C) Much have I travell’d D) She dwells
Answer: B) Beauty is truth
Explanation: Iconic for UPSC. - What is the form of “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”?
A) Sonnet B) Ode C) Ballad D) Epic
Answer: A) Sonnet
Explanation: “Much have I” for DUET. - Which poem is part of the 1820 collection?
A) Endymion B) Isabella C) Poems D) Bright Star
Answer: B) Isabella
Explanation: Tragic love for SET. - What is the theme of “The Eve of St. Agnes”?
A) Love B) War C) Nature D) Death
Answer: A) Love
Explanation: Romantic narrative for PGT. - Which quote is from “To Autumn”?
A) Do I wake or sleep B) Mellow fruitfulness C) Beauty is truth D) Fade far away
Answer: B) Mellow fruitfulness
Explanation: Nature imagery for CTET. - Which poem begins “Much have I”?
A) On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Endymion D) Hyperion
Answer: A) On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
Explanation: “Much have I” for DUET. - What is the theme of “Ode on Melancholy”?
A) Joy B) Sadness C) Beauty D) War
Answer: B) Sadness
Explanation: Embracing sadness for JNUET. - Which poem is a sonnet about mortality?
A) When I Have Fears B) To Autumn C) Hyperion D) Ode to a Nightingale
Answer: A) When I Have Fears
Explanation: “Before my pen” for NET. - Which poem is from the 1817 collection?
A) On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer B) Ode to a Nightingale C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Hyperion
Answer: A) On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
Explanation: Early work for TGT. - Which quote is from “Ode on Melancholy”?
A) She dwells with Beauty B) Beauty is truth C) Do I wake or sleep D) A thing of beauty
Answer: A) She dwells with Beauty
Explanation: Sadness theme for SET. - What is the form of “La Belle Dame sans Merci”?
A) Ode B) Ballad C) Sonnet D) Epic
Answer: B) Ballad
Explanation: Enchantment for PGT. - Which poem explores illusion vs. reality?
A) Lamia B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Endymion
Answer: A) Lamia
Explanation: Narrative poem for SET. - Which quote is from “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”?
A) Beauty is truth B) Much have I travell’d C) Do I wake or sleep D) Season of mists
Answer: B) Much have I travell’d
Explanation: Discovery theme for DUET. - Which quote is from “On the Grasshopper and Cricket”?
A) The poetry of earth is never dead B) Beauty is truth C) Do I wake or sleep D) A thing of beauty
Answer: A) The poetry of earth is never dead
Explanation: Nature theme for CTET. - What is the main theme of “Ode to a Nightingale”?
A) Love B) Mortality C) War D) Religion
Answer: B) Mortality
Explanation: Escape and death for TGT. - What is Keats’ “Negative Capability”?
A) Embracing Uncertainty B) Rational Thinking C) Social Reform D) Poetic Structure
Answer: A) Embracing Uncertainty
Explanation: 1817 letter for GATE. - What is a key feature of Keats’ style?
A) Simple Language B) Sensuous Imagery C) Satirical Tone D) Minimalism
Answer: B) Sensuous Imagery
Explanation: Rich descriptions for NET. - Which theme is central to “Ode on a Grecian Urn”?
A) Nature B) Beauty C) War D) Childhood
Answer: B) Beauty
Explanation: “Beauty is truth” for DUET. - What is the tone of “To Autumn”?
A) Melancholic B) Joyful C) Reflective D) Satirical
Answer: C) Reflective
Explanation: Nature’s cycle for CTET. - Which poem uses vivid sensory imagery?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Endymion C) To Autumn D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Keats’ style for NET. - What is the structure of Keats’ odes?
A) Sonnet B) Stanzaic Ode C) Ballad D) Free Verse
Answer: B) Stanzaic Ode
Explanation: 1819 odes for SET. - Which theme is prominent in “La Belle Dame sans Merci”?
A) Love and Enchantment B) Nature C) War D) Religion
Answer: A) Love and Enchantment
Explanation: Ballad for PGT. - What is the tone of “Ode on Melancholy”?
A) Joyful B) Melancholic C) Heroic D) Satirical
Answer: B) Melancholic
Explanation: Embracing sadness for NET. - Which poem reflects on art’s permanence?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Ode on a Grecian Urn C) To Autumn D) Endymion
Answer: B) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: “Heard melodies” for DUET. - What is the main emotion in “Bright Star”?
A) Love B) Sorrow C) Anger D) Hope
Answer: A) Love
Explanation: “Bright star” for JNUET. - Which poem uses personification of seasons?
A) To Autumn B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Endymion D) Hyperion
Answer: A) To Autumn
Explanation: “Mellow fruitfulness” for CTET. - What is the style of Endymion?
A) Narrative B) Lyrical C) Satirical D) Dramatic
Answer: A) Narrative
Explanation: “A thing of beauty” for SET. - Which theme is prominent in “The Eve of St. Agnes”?
A) Love B) War C) Nature D) Death
Answer: A) Love
Explanation: Romantic narrative for PGT. - What is the theme of “When I Have Fears”?
A) Love B) Mortality C) Nature D) Beauty
Answer: B) Mortality
Explanation: “Before my pen” for NET. - Which poem uses mythological imagery?
A) Hyperion B) To Autumn C) Bright Star D) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Answer: A) Hyperion
Explanation: Epic for SET. - What is the tone of “Ode to a Nightingale”?
A) Joyful B) Melancholic C) Satirical D) Heroic
Answer: B) Melancholic
Explanation: Mortality for TGT. - Which theme is central to “Ode to Psyche”?
A) Spirituality B) War C) Nature D) Death
Answer: A) Spirituality
Explanation: Mythical ode for NET. - What is the form of “When I Have Fears”?
A) Ode B) Sonnet C) Ballad D) Epic
Answer: B) Sonnet
Explanation: Mortality for SET. - Which poem uses medieval imagery?
A) The Eve of St. Agnes B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Hyperion
Answer: A) The Eve of St. Agnes
Explanation: Romantic for PGT. - What is the style of “To Autumn”?
A) Narrative B) Lyrical C) Satirical D) Dramatic
Answer: B) Lyrical
Explanation: Nature’s cycles for CTET. - Which is the main theme of “Lamia”?
A) Illusion vs. Reality B) Love C) War D) Nature
Answer: A) Illusion vs. Reality
Explanation: Narrative for SET. - Which poem reflects Keats’ love for Fanny Brawne?
A) Bright Star B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Endymion D) To Autumn
Answer: A) Bright Star
Explanation: Love sonnet for JNUET. - What is the tone of “La Belle Dame sans Merci”?
A) Joyful B) Melancholic C) Heroic D) Satirical
AnswAnswer: B) Melancholic
Explanation: Enchantment for PGT. - Which theme is prominent in “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer”?
A) Discovery B) Love C) War D) Nature
Answer: A) Discovery
Explanation: “Much have I” for DUET. - Which poem uses nature to affirm life’s continuity?
A) On the Grasshopper and Cricket B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Endymion
Answer: A) On the Grasshopper and Cricket
Explanation: “The poetry of earth” for CTET. - What is the main emotion in “Ode on Melancholy”?
A) Joy B) Sadness C) Anger D) Hope
Answer: B) Sadness
Explanation: Embracing melancholy for NET. - Which poem uses contrast between art and life?
A) Ode on a Grecian Urn B) To Autumn C) Hyperion D) Bright Star
Answer: A) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: “Beauty is truth” for DUET. - Which theme is central to “Hyperion”?
A) Mythological Struggle B) Love C) Nature D) Death
Answer: A) Mythological Struggle
Explanation: Epic theme for SET. - Which poem uses imagery of enchantment? A
- In which era did Keats write?
A) Renaissance B) Romantic C) Victorian D) Modern
Answer: B) Romantic
Explanation: 1798–1837 for NET. - Which was a key influence on Romanticism?
A) Industrialization B) Enlightenment C) Rationalism D) Urbanization
Answer: B) Enlightenment
Explanation: Counter-movement for UPSC. -
Which event shaped Keats’ era?
A) World War I B) Industrial Revolution C) Renaissance D) Reformation
Answer: B) Industrial Revolution
Explanation Context for NET. -
Which poet was Keats’ contemporary?
A) Milton B) Shelley C) Shakespeare D) Donne
Answer: B) Shelley
Explanation Romantic peer for SET. -
What criticized Keats’ early work?
A) Blackwood’s Magazine B) The Times C) Literary Review D) All of the above
Answer: A) Blackwood’s Magazine
Explanation Cockney attack for GATE. - Which group did Keats belong to?
A) Lake Poets B) Cockney School C) War Poets D) None
Answer: B) Cockney School
Explanation Leigh Hunt for NET. - What was a Romantic theme in Keats’ work?
A) Rationalism B) Imagination C) Order D) Science
Answer: B) Imagination
Explanation Negative capability for JNUET. - Which disease impacted Keats’ life?
A) Cancer B) Tuberculosis C) Plague D) Cholera
Answer: B) Tuberculosis
Explanation Shaped themes for UPSC. - Where did Keats travel for health?
A) France B) Rome C) Germany D) Spain
Answer: B) Rome
Explanation Died there for DUET. - Which poet influenced Keats’ style?
A) Spenser B) Donne C) Pope D) All of the above
Answer: A) Spenser
Explanation Faerie Queene for NET. - What was the literary context of Keats’ era?
A) Enlightenment B) Romanticism C) Realism D) Modernism
Answer: B) Romanticism
Explanation Imagination for SET. - Which movement did Keats oppose?
A) Enlightenment B) Romanticism C) Modernism D) Realism
Answer: A) Enlightenment
Explanation Rationalism for UPSC. - Who was a critic of the Cockney School?
A) Wordsworth B) Lockhart C) Coleridge D) Shelley
Answer: B) Lockhart
Explanation Blackwood’s for GATE. - What inspired Keats’ nature imagery?
A) Urban life B) Countryside C) Industry D) War
Answer: B) Countryside
Explanation Hampstead for JNUET. - Which era’s values did Keats reject?
A) Romantic B) Enlightenment C) Victorian D) Modern
Answer: B) Enlightenment
Explanation Rationalism for NET. - Which poet did Keats admire?
A) Shakespeare B) Dryden C) Pope D) All of the above
Answer: A) Shakespeare
Explanation Influence for SET. - What was a social issue in Keats’ time?
A) Industrialization B) Internet C) Globalization D) Urbanization
Answer: A) Industrialization
Explanation Context for UPSC. - Which Romantic poet died young like Keats?
A) Wordsworth B) Shelley C) Coleridge D) Blake
Answer: B) Shelley
Explanation Contemporary for NET. - What influenced Keats’ mortality themes?
A) War B) Tuberculosis C) Wealth D) Travel
Answer: B) Tuberculosis
Explanation Personal loss for JNUET. - Which city was central to Keats’ life?
A) London B) Paris C) Rome D) Oxford
Answer: A) London
Explanation Birthplace for SET. - What was the Romantic view of nature?
A) Mechanical B) Spiritual C) Industrial D) Scientific
Answer: B) Spiritual
Explanation Keats’ imagery for NET. - Which critic attacked Keats’ social class?
A) Leigh Hunt B) Lockhart C) Shelley D) Wordsworth
Answer: B) Lockhart
Explanation Cockney School for GATE. - What was a hallmark of Romantic poetry?
A) Rationalism B) Emotion C) Order D) Satire
Answer: B) Emotion
Explanation Keats’ style for JNUET. - Which event did Keats witness?
A) French Revolution B) Industrial Revolution C) World War I D) Renaissance
Answer: B) Industrial Revolution
Explanation Context for UPSC. - What was Keats’ view of imagination?
A) Secondary B) Central C) Irrelevant D) Dangerous
Answer: B) Central
Explanation Negative capability for NET. - What is “Negative Capability”?
A) Rational analysis B) Embracing uncertainty C) Social critique D) Poetic structure
Answer: B) Embracing uncertainty
Explanation 1817 letter for GATE. - Which work reflects Keats’ rivalry with critics?
A) Endymion B) Ode to a Nightingale C) Hyperion D) Poems
Answer A) Endymion
Explanation Blackwood’s attack for NET. -
Which poem is studied for its letters’ insights?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Endymion C) Bright Star D) All
Answer D) All of the above
Explanation Keats’ philosophy for JNUET. -
Which theme is analyzed in Keats’ letters?
A) Poetic creation B) War C) Politics D) Religion
Answer A) Poetic creation
Explanation Negative capability for DUET. - What did critics dislike in Keats’ early poetry?
A) Complexity B) Cockney style C) Length D) Themes
Answer B) Cockney style
Explanation Social bias for GATE. - Which poem is studied for eco-criticism?
A) To Autumn B) Hyperion C) Endymion D) Bright Star
Answer A) To Autumn
Explanation Nature imagery for JNUET. - Which is analyzed for sensuous imagery?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) To Autumn C) Endymion D) All of the above
Answer D) All of the above
Explanation Keats’ style for NET. - Which work reflects Keats’ medical background?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Endymion C) Hyperion D) None
Answer A) Ode to a Nightingale
Explanation Mortality imagery for SET. - Which poem is central to Keats’ legacy?
A) Ode on a Grecian Urn B) Endymion C) Poems D) Hyperion
Answer A) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation “Beauty is truth” for DUET. - What did Keats’ letters discuss?
A) Poetic theory B) Politics C) War D) All of the above
Answer A) Poetic theory
Explanation Negative capability for JNUET. - Which poem is studied for its narrative structure?
A) The Eve of St. Agnes B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Bright Star
Answer A) The Eve of St. Agnes
Explanation Romantic narrative for SET. - Which theme is prominent in Keats’ odes?
A) Beauty and transience B) War C) Politics D) Religion
Answer A) Beauty and transience
Explanation Central theme for NET. - Which work faced harsh reviews?
A) Endymion B) Ode to a Nightingale C) To Autumn D) Bright Star
Answer: A) Endymion
Explanation: Blackwood’s Magazine criticized it for GATE. - Which poem is analyzed for its mythological elements?
A) Hyperion B) To Autumn C) Bright Star D) Ode to a Nightingale
Answer: A) Hyperion
Explanation: Unfinished epic, studied for SET. - Which work reflects Keats’ engagement with Fanny Brawne?
A) Bright Star B) Endymion C) To Autumn D) Hyperion
Answer: A) Bright Star
Explanation: Love sonnet for JNUET. - Which poem is studied for its use of paradox?
A) Ode on a Grecian Urn B) Endymion C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Lamia
Answer: A) Ode on a Grecian Urn
Explanation: “Beauty is truth” paradox for NET. - Which work is analyzed for its medieval setting?
A) The Eve of St. Agnes B) To Autumn C) Ode to Psyche D) Hyperion
Answer: A) The Eve of St. Agnes
Explanation: Romantic narrative for PGT. - Which poem reflects Keats’ view of imagination?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Endymion C) To Autumn D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Negative capability for JNUET. - Which work is studied for its tragic love theme?
A) Isabella B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Bright Star
Answer: A) Isabella
Explanation: Lesser-known, tested in SET. - Which poem is analyzed for its philosophical depth?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) Endymion C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Lamia
Answer: A) Ode to a Nightingale
Explanation: Mortality and escape for NET. - Which work is studied for its feminist readings?
A) La Belle Dame sans Merci B) To Autumn C) Hyperion D) Endymion
Answer: A) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Explanation: Female enchantment for JNUET. - Which poem reflects Keats’ use of synesthesia?
A) Ode to a Nightingale B) To Autumn C) Ode on a Grecian Urn D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Sensory blending for NET. - Which work is analyzed for its unfinished nature?
A) Hyperion B) To Autumn C) Bright Star D) Ode to Psyche
Answer: A) Hyperion
Explanation: Epic fragment for SET. - Which poem is studied for its emotional intensity?
A) When I Have Fears B) Endymion C) The Eve of St. Agnes D) Lamia
Answer: A) When I Have Fears
Explanation: Mortality fears for TGT. - Which work reflects Keats’ social critique?
A) Isabella B) To Autumn C) Ode to a Nightingale D) Bright Star
Answer: A) Isabella
Explanation: Greed and class for JNUET.
La Belle Dame sans Merci B) To Autumn C) Ode to Psyche D) Endymion Answer A) La Belle Dame sans Merci
Explanation Ballad for PGT.
Conclusion
John Keats, with his timeless lines like “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” and “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” remains a cornerstone of Romantic poetry. His exploration of beauty, mortality, and imagination in works like Ode to a Nightingale, Endymion, and To Autumn is essential for UPSC, UGC NET, SET, TGT, PGT, CTET, DUET, JNUET, and SSC CGL aspirants. His 11 iconic quotes, including new additions like “The poetry of earth is never dead,” and 150 MCQs covering biography, works, themes, context, and analysis, provide a comprehensive study resource. Master Keats to excel in your English literature exams!
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