Here are MCQs based on To Autumn by John Keats:

1. How many stanzas are there in To Autumn?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five

Answer:
b) Three

2. Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?
a) Reflective and celebratory
b) Melancholic and despairing
c) Joyful and energetic
d) Angry and critical

Answer:
a) Reflective and celebratory

3. What season is the central focus of the poem?
a) Spring
b) Summer
c) Autumn
d) Winter

Answer:
c) Autumn

4. In the first stanza, what is Autumn described as being a close friend of?
a) The sun
b) The moon
c) The stars
d) The wind

Answer:
a) The sun

5. What literary device is used in the line “Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun”?
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Alliteration

Answer:
c) Personification

6. Which natural activity is mentioned in the first stanza?
a) Bees collecting honey
b) Leaves falling from trees
c) Rivers freezing over
d) Birds building nests

Answer:
a) Bees collecting honey

7. In the second stanza, what is Autumn personified as?
a) A singer
b) A harvester
c) A painter
d) A poet

Answer:
b) A harvester

8. What image does Keats use to depict the ripeness of Autumn?
a) Apples and gourds hanging from trees
b) Flowers blooming in the field
c) Bees flying over the meadows
d) Cornfields swaying in the wind

Answer:
a) Apples and gourds hanging from trees

9. Which of the following is a theme of To Autumn?
a) The inevitability of death
b) The beauty of change and transition
c) The power of human creativity
d) The destruction caused by nature

Answer:
b) The beauty of change and transition

10. What sound is associated with Autumn in the final stanza?
a) The hum of bees
b) The songs of swallows
c) The bleating of lambs
d) The rustling of leaves

Answer:
b) The songs of swallows

11. How is the music of Autumn described in the poem?
a) As loud and celebratory
b) As soft and harmonious
c) As harsh and foreboding
d) As silent and still

Answer:
b) As soft and harmonious

12. Which phrase from the poem suggests the passage of time?
a) “Where are the songs of Spring?”
b) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
c) “Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind”
d) “The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft”

Answer:
a) “Where are the songs of Spring?”

13. What emotion dominates the final stanza of the poem?
a) Nostalgia for spring and summer
b) Celebration of nature’s bounty
c) Sadness for the coming winter
d) Acceptance of life’s cycles

Answer:
d) Acceptance of life’s cycles

14. In the poem, what is the purpose of the line “Thou hast thy music too”?
a) To emphasize that Autumn has its own unique beauty
b) To dismiss the importance of Spring’s music
c) To compare Autumn’s song to a lullaby
d) To criticize those who dislike Autumn

Answer:
a) To emphasize that Autumn has its own unique beauty

15. What type of imagery is predominantly used in the poem?
a) Visual and tactile
b) Auditory and gustatory
c) Visual and auditory
d) Olfactory and tactile

Answer:
c) Visual and auditory

16. What does the poet mean by “barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day”?
a) The clouds are tinged with the colors of sunset.
b) The clouds signify the coming of rain.
c) The clouds symbolize the end of harvest.
d) The clouds are a metaphor for Autumn’s melancholy.

Answer:
a) The clouds are tinged with the colors of sunset.

17. What is the primary focus of the second stanza?
a) The abundance of harvest time
b) The sounds of Autumn
c) The passage of time
d) The beauty of an autumn sunset

Answer:
a) The abundance of harvest time

18. What does the poet mean by “thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours”?
a) Autumn is leisurely observing the process of making cider.
b) Autumn is busy completing its duties.
c) Autumn is mourning the end of harvest.
d) Autumn is impatient for winter to arrive.

Answer:
a) Autumn is leisurely observing the process of making cider.

19. What time of day is described in the final stanza?
a) Morning
b) Noon
c) Evening
d) Midnight

Answer:
c) Evening

20. What is the overall message of To Autumn?
a) Change and impermanence are natural and beautiful.
b) Nature’s bounty is endless and eternal.
c) Autumn is the most important season.
d) Human life is insignificant compared to nature.

Answer:
a) Change and impermanence are natural and beautiful.

21. What is the significance of the phrase “mellow fruitfulness” in the poem?
a) It symbolizes the ripening of both nature and human life.
b) It represents the decay and death of autumn.
c) It refers to the abundance and beauty of autumn harvest.
d) It highlights the endless cycle of nature.

Answer:
c) It refers to the abundance and beauty of autumn harvest.

22. Which of the following phrases shows the poet's appreciation for the natural world in the poem?
a) “Drows’d with the fume of poppies”
b) “Thou hast thy music too”
c) “Where are the songs of Spring?”
d) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”

Answer:
d) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”

23. How does Keats describe the effect of autumn on the flowers and fruits?
a) They are withered and dying.
b) They are budding and blooming.
c) They are ripening and swelling.
d) They are silent and still.

Answer:
c) They are ripening and swelling.

24. What does the poet compare the ripening of the fruit to?
a) A slow, deliberate process
b) A quick and sudden event
c) A warm, comforting experience
d) A metaphor for death and decay

Answer:
a) A slow, deliberate process

25. What is the metaphor in the phrase “to bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees”?
a) It suggests the trees are weighed down by the abundance of apples.
b) It indicates the trees are being affected by the change in seasons.
c) It symbolizes the poet’s connection to nature.
d) It refers to the inevitable fall of leaves.

Answer:
a) It suggests the trees are weighed down by the abundance of apples.

26. In the poem, what does the term “swelling buds” refer to?
a) The growth of new life in spring.
b) The maturation of autumn fruits and crops.
c) The decay of autumn flowers.
d) The beginning of the winter season.

Answer:
b) The maturation of autumn fruits and crops.

27. What is Keats’s attitude towards Autumn in To Autumn?
a) He sees it as a season of decay and death.
b) He views it as a time of sadness and loss.
c) He celebrates its richness and beauty.
d) He compares it unfavorably to spring.

Answer:
c) He celebrates its richness and beauty.

28. What is the meaning of the line “Thou hast thy music too, –” in the final stanza?
a) Autumn’s music is in its silent, melancholic beauty.
b) Autumn’s music is represented by the bleating of lambs.
c) Autumn’s music comes from the sounds of the harvest.
d) Autumn is silent compared to the song of Spring.

Answer:
a) Autumn’s music is in its silent, melancholic beauty.

29. What does Keats imply by saying “to listen to the songs of Autumn”?
a) The poet refers to the sounds of nature and life in autumn.
b) Autumn’s song represents the joy of the harvest.
c) Autumn’s music is described as lively and festive.
d) The poet suggests Autumn lacks any melody or rhythm.

Answer:
a) The poet refers to the sounds of nature and life in autumn.

30. What is the meaning of the phrase “the soft-dying day”?
a) It represents the end of autumn and the approaching winter.
b) It symbolizes the quiet, peaceful passage of time in autumn.
c) It refers to the fading light of sunset.
d) It compares the autumn season to the death of nature.

Answer:
b) It symbolizes the quiet, peaceful passage of time in autumn.

31. In the poem, the word “barred clouds” refers to which of the following?
a) Clouds streaked with orange and purple, indicating sunset.
b) Clouds that block out the sun completely.
c) Storm clouds foretelling winter’s arrival.
d) Clouds that obscure the moon during the night.

Answer:
a) Clouds streaked with orange and purple, indicating sunset.

32. What does the poet mean by "the setting sun" in relation to autumn?
a) It represents the end of the year and the cycle of life.
b) It marks the beginning of the harvest season.
c) It symbolizes the transition from autumn to winter.
d) It refers to the joy and warmth of autumn days.

Answer:
a) It represents the end of the year and the cycle of life.

33. The imagery of “wither’d harrow’d” in the poem refers to: a) The fading vitality of autumn flowers.
b) The fading crops and their inevitable harvest.
c) The death of the season and the transition to winter.
d) The decaying trees as autumn sets in.

Answer:
b) The fading crops and their inevitable harvest.

34. Which of the following does To Autumn suggest about life and death?
a) Death is to be feared and resisted at all costs.
b) Life and death are part of an eternal cycle of renewal.
c) Death marks the end of the journey of life, with no hope of rebirth.
d) Death should be avoided through the celebration of life.

Answer:
b) Life and death are part of an eternal cycle of renewal.

35. In the poem, what is the role of the “bleating of the lambs” in the final stanza?
a) It highlights the final harvest of the season.
b) It suggests a peaceful, pastoral setting in autumn.
c) It marks the coming of winter and the end of autumn.
d) It creates a contrast between the innocence of youth and the aging process.

Answer:
b) It suggests a peaceful, pastoral setting in autumn.

Here are more MCQs from To Autumn by John Keats:

36. Which of the following best describes the overall mood of the poem?
a) Joyful and celebratory
b) Sad and mournful
c) Peaceful and reflective
d) Angry and intense

Answer:
c) Peaceful and reflective

37. In the first stanza, what is the function of the word “mellow”?
a) It suggests the intense color of the fruits.
b) It indicates the softness and ripeness of the harvest.
c) It refers to the sound of the autumn winds.
d) It emphasizes the sense of decay.

Answer:
b) It indicates the softness and ripeness of the harvest.

38. The phrase “Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind” in the first stanza refers to:
a) Autumn’s influence on the dying plants.
b) The cool wind moving the leaves and crops.
c) The trees that bend with the weight of fruit.
d) The rising winds in preparation for winter.

Answer:
b) The cool wind moving the leaves and crops.

39. What does the poet mean by “the ripened grain”?
a) The wheat and barley ready to be harvested.
b) The falling leaves and the end of autumn.
c) The grains of truth in nature’s cycle.
d) The metaphor for human life and wisdom.

Answer:
a) The wheat and barley ready to be harvested.

40. The line “And still more, later flowers for the bees, / Until they think warm days will never cease” refers to:
a) The last blooms of autumn, which provide food for bees.
b) The future winter season when flowers will disappear.
c) The bees’ search for nectar in the spring.
d) The bees’ contentment with the coming frost.

Answer:
a) The last blooms of autumn, which provide food for bees.

41. What does the reference to “soft-dying day” imply about autumn?
a) The end of the harvest and the approach of winter.
b) The fleeting nature of the autumn days.
c) The calming effect of autumn on the environment.
d) The joyful arrival of winter.

Answer:
b) The fleeting nature of the autumn days.

42. What is implied by the phrase “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”?
a) Autumn brings an end to the growing season.
b) The weather in autumn is foggy and hazy.
c) Autumn is a time of growth and fertility.
d) The harvest is scarce in the fall.

Answer:
c) Autumn is a time of growth and fertility.

43. What does the word “maturing” in the first stanza refer to?
a) The leaves turning color in autumn.
b) The ripening of fruits and crops.
c) The passage of time through the seasons.
d) The poet’s growing wisdom.

Answer:
b) The ripening of fruits and crops.

44. Which of the following phrases suggests the imagery of abundance?
a) “The still greeny vesture of the earth”
b) “Drows’d with the fume of poppies”
c) “With fruits and flowers in the sun”
d) “The ripened grain”

Answer:
c) “With fruits and flowers in the sun”

45. What is the “drows’d with the fume of poppies” image referring to in the poem?
a) The sleepy, hazy atmosphere in autumn.
b) The dying state of nature at the end of autumn.
c) The exhaustion caused by the harvest.
d) The peaceful passing of time.

Answer:
a) The sleepy, hazy atmosphere in autumn.

46. How is the idea of “death” presented in To Autumn?
a) As an inevitable end that comes with the changing seasons.
b) As a feared and undesirable event.
c) As an abstract concept without any relation to nature.
d) As a metaphor for the fading of autumn flowers.

Answer:
a) As an inevitable end that comes with the changing seasons.

47. Which of the following lines represents the richness of autumn harvest?
a) “The harvest of the land is all but done.”
b) “The drowsy murmur of the summer bees.”
c) “The song of autumn that fills the air.”
d) “The sunken autumn days have come and gone.”

Answer:
a) “The harvest of the land is all but done.”

48. What is the mood of the second stanza of the poem?
a) Reflective and sorrowful.
b) Joyful and abundant.
c) Melancholy and mournful.
d) Quiet and indifferent.

Answer:
b) Joyful and abundant.

49. What does the reference to “the bleat of the lamb” in the final stanza symbolize?
a) The end of autumn and the onset of winter.
b) The peaceful rural life during the harvest.
c) The joy of the harvest season.
d) The sadness of the transition from autumn to winter.

Answer:
b) The peaceful rural life during the harvest.

50. What does the poet mean by “more, later flowers for the bees”?
a) Autumn continues to provide flowers for the bees to pollinate.
b) The bees have nothing to do during autumn.
c) The flowers are fading and the bees are no longer needed.
d) Autumn flowers are reserved for the bees' leisure.

Answer:
a) Autumn continues to provide flowers for the bees to pollinate.

51. The poet describes Autumn as a "close bosom-friend of the maturing sun" in the first stanza. What does this suggest about Autumn?
a) Autumn is independent of the sun.
b) Autumn is a time for quiet reflection.
c) Autumn works in harmony with the sun.
d) Autumn struggles against the sun.

Answer:
c) Autumn works in harmony with the sun.

52. What is the significance of the phrase “to bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees”?
a) It highlights the transition from spring to summer.
b) It illustrates the abundance and heaviness of the autumn harvest.
c) It represents the death of the trees in winter.
d) It focuses on the springtime blossoming of the trees.

Answer:
b) It illustrates the abundance and heaviness of the autumn harvest.

53. The description “Until they think warm days will never cease” refers to what?
a) The bees being unaware of the coming winter.
b) The sun’s warmth persisting through autumn.
c) The flowers blooming far into winter.
d) The bees’ work in spring.

Answer:
a) The bees being unaware of the coming winter.

54. The phrase “To set budding more, and still more, later flowers for the bees” is an example of which literary device?
a) Alliteration
b) Personification
c) Hyperbole
d) Metaphor

Answer:
b) Personification

55. In the second stanza, the speaker addresses Autumn as “thou” and describes it as a “harvester.” What does this suggest about Autumn?
a) Autumn is represented as a figure of death.
b) Autumn is symbolized as an active participant in the harvest.
c) Autumn brings decay to the harvest.
d) Autumn is detached from the harvest.

Answer:
b) Autumn is symbolized as an active participant in the harvest.

56. Which of the following best describes the imagery in the line "The cider-press" from the second stanza?
a) It evokes the idea of an autumn festival.
b) It symbolizes the inevitable cycle of decay.
c) It highlights the abundance of the harvest.
d) It represents the end of life in nature.

Answer:
c) It highlights the abundance of the harvest.

57. What is the “still sound” of autumn described in the poem?
a) The sound of birds migrating.
b) The soft murmur of the wind.
c) The hum of bees around the flowers.
d) The bleating of the lambs.

Answer:
c) The hum of bees around the flowers.

58. What type of imagery predominates in the first stanza of To Autumn?
a) Auditory imagery
b) Tactile imagery
c) Visual imagery
d) Olfactory imagery

Answer:
c) Visual imagery

59. The final stanza of To Autumn contrasts Autumn with which other season?
a) Winter
b) Spring
c) Summer
d) Fall

Answer:
b) Spring

60. What is the significance of the phrase “the red-breast whistles from a garden-croft” in the final stanza?
a) It suggests the arrival of spring.
b) It symbolizes the transition from autumn to winter.
c) It evokes a sense of melancholy.
d) It represents the joy and tranquility of autumn.

Answer:
d) It represents the joy and tranquility of autumn.

61. The line "While the Cuckoo sings" in the poem suggests:
a) The onset of winter.
b) The fading of spring.
c) The arrival of autumn.
d) The beginning of summer.

Answer:
b) The fading of spring.

62. What is implied by the phrase "thou hast thy music too"?
a) Autumn’s music is full of joy and exuberance.
b) Autumn is silent and lacks any music.
c) Autumn has its own gentle and soothing music.
d) Autumn’s music is harsh and unpleasant.

Answer:
c) Autumn has its own gentle and soothing music.

63. What role does nature play in To Autumn?
a) Nature is depicted as destructive and harmful.
b) Nature is a passive observer of the human world.
c) Nature is portrayed as a source of abundance and beauty.
d) Nature is indifferent to the passing of time.

Answer:
c) Nature is portrayed as a source of abundance and beauty.

64. How does Keats use sensory imagery in To Autumn?
a) He focuses only on visual imagery to describe the season.
b) He appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch to create vivid images of autumn.
c) He uses imagery to describe only the sounds of the season.
d) He avoids using sensory imagery in the poem.

Answer:
b) He appeals to the senses of sight, sound, and touch to create vivid images of autumn.

65. How does the poem To Autumn reflect Keats's Romantic ideals?
a) It focuses on the harsh realities of life.
b) It celebrates nature’s beauty and the passage of time.
c) It is concerned with industrial progress and society.
d) It emphasizes human achievements over nature.

Answer:
b) It celebrates nature’s beauty and the passage of time.

66. In the second stanza, the "soft-lifted by the winnowing wind" refers to what?
a) Autumn’s wind helping harvest the grains.
b) The way autumn wind causes leaves to fall.
c) The fragrance of autumn flowers.
d) The gentle breeze that dries the crops.

Answer:
a) Autumn’s wind helping harvest the grains.

67. The phrase “thou hast thy music too” refers to which of the following?
a) Autumn’s silent stillness.
b) The noise made by the wind.
c) The buzzing of bees in the autumn flowers.
d) The singing of birds in the autumn sky.

Answer:
c) The buzzing of bees in the autumn flowers.

68. Which line suggests that autumn is a time of ripening and growth?
a) “Mellow fruitfulness”
b) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
c) “Drows’d with the fume of poppies”
d) “Thou hast thy music too”

Answer:
b) “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”

69. How does Keats describe the harvest time in the second stanza?
a) A period of rest and quiet.
b) A time of labor and work.
c) A time of joy and celebration.
d) A period of darkness and sorrow.

Answer:
b) A time of labor and work.

70. What does Keats mean by "the maturing sun" in the first stanza?
a) The fading sunlight of autumn.
b) The strength of the summer sun.
c) The sun ripening the crops.
d) The death of the sun as winter approaches.

Answer:
c) The sun ripening the crops.

71. In the poem, the phrase “the oozing of the cider-press” evokes what image?
a) The transformation of apples into cider during harvest.
b) The decay and death of the autumn crops.
c) The process of making preserves from autumn fruits.
d) The dying days of summer.

Answer:
a) The transformation of apples into cider during harvest.

72. What does the line “Where are the songs of Spring?” suggest?
a) Autumn lacks the vitality and energy of spring.
b) Spring is an irrelevant season in the poem.
c) Autumn brings its own songs of joy.
d) The speaker is yearning for the arrival of spring.

Answer:
a) Autumn lacks the vitality and energy of spring.

73. In the line "Thou hast thy music too,” Keats refers to which musical metaphor?
a) The sounds of autumn leaves rustling.
b) The cry of the nightingale.
c) The buzzing of bees and the humming of the harvest.
d) The wind howling through the trees.

Answer:
c) The buzzing of bees and the humming of the harvest.

74. What does Keats symbolize through the "soft-dying day" in the final stanza?
a) The arrival of winter.
b) The fading light and the end of the day, representing the cycle of life.
c) The transition from autumn to spring.
d) The peacefulness of autumn evenings.

Answer:
b) The fading light and the end of the day, representing the cycle of life.

75. What is suggested by the line “the last oozings hours by hours” in the second stanza?
a) The gradual fading of the season.
b) The slow, deliberate process of cider-making.
c) The final harvest of fruits.
d) The slowing down of time during autumn.

Answer:
b) The slow, deliberate process of cider-making.

76. How does Keats use personification in the line “thou hast thy music too”?
a) He gives human characteristics to autumn, like playing music.
b) He uses music as a symbol of autumn’s harvest.
c) He compares autumn to a musical instrument.
d) He personifies autumn as a musician playing in nature.

Answer:
a) He gives human characteristics to autumn, like playing music.

77. What is the main difference between the first and second stanzas of To Autumn?
a) The first stanza focuses on the ripening of fruit, while the second focuses on the harvest.
b) The first stanza is about the fading of nature, and the second is about the renewal of life.
c) The first stanza is about the vitality of spring, while the second is about the decline of autumn.
d) The first stanza reflects the sounds of autumn, while the second reflects the visual beauty.

Answer:
a) The first stanza focuses on the ripening of fruit, while the second focuses on the harvest.

78. What does the “harvest” symbolize in To Autumn?
a) The inevitable passage of time and life.
b) The arrival of winter.
c) The eternal cycle of death and rebirth.
d) The peak of life and vitality.

Answer:
a) The inevitable passage of time and life.

79. How does the poet view the passage of time in To Autumn?
a) As a melancholy process leading to death.
b) As a beautiful and inevitable cycle.
c) As a sad loss of nature’s vitality.
d) As an interruption to human existence.

Answer:
b) As a beautiful and inevitable cycle.

80. What does the final line of the poem “Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?” reflect about autumn?
a) It compares autumn to the lively and vibrant spring.
b) It expresses a longing for the return of spring.
c) It shows that autumn has its own distinct beauty.
d) It indicates autumn’s sorrowful end.

Answer:
b) It expresses a longing for the return of spring.