Literature – Fill in the Blank – GK Questions

Mirza Ghalib, one of the most prominent figures of Urdu poetry, compiled his ghazals in 'Diwan-e-Ghalib'.

Isabel Allende published her debut novel 'The House of the Spirits' in 1982. It blends historical events with magical elements, similar to the style of her distant relative's contemporary, García Márquez.

Thomas Gray completed 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' in 1750. It is one of the most famous poems in the English language, reflecting on death and the unfulfilled potential of the poor.

Nikolai Gogol published the first volume of 'Dead Souls' in 1842. It follows the protagonist Chichikov as he buys 'dead souls' (serfs who have died but are still registered).

Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi wrote 'Saraswatichandra' in four parts between 1887 and 1901. It is considered a masterpiece of Gujarati fiction.

The sonnet originated in Italy and was popularized in England by poets like Shakespeare and Petrarch. It traditionally features a 'volta' or turn in thought.

William Butler Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.

John Steinbeck published 'The Grapes of Wrath' in 1939. It highlights the harsh realities faced by migrant workers in California.

M.T. Vasudevan Nair wrote 'Randamoozham' in 1984. It won the Vayalar Award and is considered a masterpiece of modern Malayalam literature.

V.D. Savarkar wrote 'The Indian War of Independence' in 1909. It was one of the first works to describe the 1857 revolt as a coordinated national uprising rather than a mere sepoy mutiny.

The Prix Goncourt is a French literary prize, created in 1903, awarded to the author of 'the best and most imaginative prose work of the year'.

William Ernest Henley wrote 'Invictus' in 1875 while recovering from multiple amputations due to tubercular arthritis.

Prince Hamlet delivers this soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1 of the play, pondering life, death, and suicide.

Sachin Tendulkar co-authored his autobiography 'Playing It My Way' with Boria Majumdar. It was released in 2014.

Rohinton Mistry's 'A Fine Balance' (1995) is set in an unnamed Indian city during the Emergency (1975-1977), exploring themes of cruelty, corruption, and resilience.

Émile Zola was the leading figure of the Naturalist movement, believing that literature should observe and record reality objectively, much like a scientific experiment.

Samuel Clemens adopted the pen name Mark Twain, a riverboat term meaning 'two fathoms deep' (safe water), before publishing his early stories.

Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel 'The God of Small Things'. (Note: V.S. Naipaul won it earlier in 1971, but he was a British citizen of Indian descent; Roy was the first Indian citizen).

Goethe worked on 'Faust' for over 60 years. Part One was published in 1808, and Part Two was completed shortly before his death in 1832.

Sophocles wrote 'Oedipus Rex' around 429 BCE. It is the second of his three Theban plays and is considered a masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy.