Of Studies
by
Francis Bacon
(Questions and Answers)
I
Each question in this exercise has
three alternatives, read the question and choose the right answer from these
three alternatives.
1. Alfred belonged to:
(a) Anglo-Saxon period
(b) Victorian period
(c) Elizabethan period
2. Ancren Riwle is a
representative work of:
(a) Anglo-Saxon period
(b) Ancient prose
(c) Anglo-Norman period
3. Sir John Mandeville was
basically a
(a) prose writer
(b) essayist
(c) translator
4. Fifteenth Century was a period
of:
(a) great prose writings
(b) experiments
(c) translations from Latin
5. People developed interest
in classical writings of ancient Greece and Rome during:
(a) Renaissance
(b) Elizabethan age
(c) Classical age
6. Devotional prose was written
in:
(a) Fourteenth century
(b) Fifteenth century
(c) Sixteenth century
7. The Puritan preachers
re-emerged under:
(a) Elizabethan period
(b) Church of England
(c) Common Wealth
8. Francis Bacon was admitted
to Gray’s Inn in:
(a) 1576
(b) 1586
(c) 1589
9. Francis Bacon represented
Cambridge University in the Parliament in:
(a) 1612
(b) 1603
(c) 1614
10. The first edition of
Bacon’s ‘Essay’s was published in:
(a) 1603
(b) 1596
(c) 1597
II
Answer the following questions in two
to three sentences each.
1.
What do you know about the early English prose?
- English prose proved its existence in
the Anglo-Saxon period. It gradually developed.
2. Describe the Renaissance.
- Europe witnessed Renaissance in the
field of creative writings in the fifteenth century. People developed interest
in classical writings of ancient Greece and Rome during this period.
3. What effect did the
Reformation have on the literary circles?
- The Reformation produced models of
magnificent prose in English.
4. Comment on the revival of
learning.
- Revival of learning did much to
emancipate thought from the bondage of medieval theology by restoring the
generous spirit and ideals of pagan antiquity and along with it also presented
masterpieces of literature which could be taken as models.
5. What type of writings were
produced in early sixteenth century in England?
- Translations of the Testament. The
Great Bible, devotional works, sermons, histories, biographies and prose
fiction were produced during this period.
6. What do you know about the
style of English prose of the sixteenth century?
- These writings had a style of fluent,
and educated speech. The prose was naive, unsuited for any heavier burden.
7. What was Elizabethan settlement?
- The Elizabethan settlement, completed
with the establishment of thirty-one articles in 1571, produced the Church of
England.
8. What do you know about the
early life of Francis Bacon?
- Bacon was a protected child in his
early childhood. He had great inclination for studies. At the age of thirteen
he joined Trinity College and three years after that he joined Gray’s Inn to
become a lawyer.
9. What did Bacon write after
James the first became the King of England?
- Bacon wrote Advancement of Learning
in 1605 and dedicated it to the King.
10. When did Bacon excel as a
writer?
Bacon excelled as a writer in the last
phase of his life, when he left all his political and legal assignments and
totally devoted himself to higher pursuits of learning.
III
Answer the following questions by
choosing the correct answer from the three alternatives given below each
question.
1. Bacon’s essay entitled Of
Studies is a passage to be:
(i) chewed and digested
(ii) read with main points
(iii) studied thoroughly
2. One who makes too much use
of his readings for conversational
purposes make:
(i) things haphazard
(ii) vain display of his
learnings
(iii) proper use of books
3. One should take extracts
from:
(i) books of high value
(ii) meaner sort of books
(iii) remedial books
4. Books worth a closer and
thorough reading:
(i) are smaller in number
(ii) are written by famous writers
(iii) are text books
5. Logic and rhetoric
develops:
(i) man’s debating powers
(ii) man’s thinking power
(iii) man’s power to interact
IV
Answer the following questions in
sentences of your own:
1.
What type of books are to be chewed and digested?
- The books which have knowledgeable
contents should be read thoroughly and understood properly.
2. What do you think is the
proper use of study?
- We study for personal enjoyment and
for cultivation of social charm through the cultivation of the power of
exposition in speech and to develop ability for judgment of facts and
circumstances.
3. What is the use of the
study of natural philosophy?
- It enables the reader to understand
things in a better way and reach to the depth of subject matter.
4. How can a man acquire
ability to perfection?
- It can be acquired when knowledge
gained from books is supplemented with practical experience.
5. For what we should not
read books?
- One should not read books to
contradict others.
V
Answer the following questions:
1.
How did Bacon classify the books?
- Bacon classified books under three
major categories. Some books are for personal enjoyment, others are to be read
to develop conversational qualities and some others are to develop power of
judgment.
2. What are special qualities
of this essay?
- Some of these qualities are maximum
economy of words, straight forward presentation, brevity, terseness and use of
sentences as proverbs.
3. Comment on the theme of
this essay.
- Bacon tries to discover fundamental
principles of conduct influence and actions of men.
4. Discuss the peculiarity of
structure of this essay.
- Each sentence is carefully selected
and strung together. The essay shows brevity and compactness.
5. Discuss the main qualities
of Bacon’s style.
- The essay of Bacon is compressed,
full of condensed thought and utterly devoid of ornamentation. The sentences in
the paragraph run smooth.
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