The poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum” by Stephen Spender is part of the CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo syllabus. It examines the harsh realities of poverty, education, and inequality faced by children living in slums.
To prepare well, practicing MCQs with answers ensures clarity on literary devices, symbolism, and themes. Below, you’ll find 25+ MCQs with detailed explanations that will boost your exam preparation.
Elementary School Classroom in a Slum MCQ – Full Practice Set
Basic MCQs on Poet and Theme
Q1. Who wrote “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum”?
a) William Wordsworth
b) Stephen Spender
c) T.S. Eliot
d) Robert Frost
Answer: b) Stephen Spender
Q2. What is the central theme of the poem?
a) Love for nature
b) Inequality and social injustice
c) Patriotism
d) Fantasy and imagination
Answer: b) Inequality and social injustice
Q3. The poem is part of which Class 12 English textbook?
a) Vistas
b) Flamingo
c) Hornbill
d) Kaleidoscope
Answer: b) Flamingo
MCQs on Imagery and Symbolism
Q4. What do the “pale faces” of the children represent?
a) Innocence
b) Malnutrition and sadness
c) Playfulness
d) Joy of learning
Answer: b) Malnutrition and sadness
Q5. What does the phrase “rootless weeds” signify?
a) Children full of energy
b) Children growing without proper care
c) A love for gardening
d) Greenery in slums
Answer: b) Children growing without proper care
Q6. The “sour cream walls” symbolize:
a) Hope
b) Decay and lifelessness
c) Freedom
d) Knowledge
Answer: b) Decay and lifelessness
Q7. What does the map on the classroom wall represent?
a) The dreams and aspirations of the children
b) Their syllabus
c) Freedom they cannot access
d) World politics
Answer: c) Freedom they cannot access
MCQs on Literary Devices
Q8. The expression “rootless weeds” is an example of:
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) Alliteration
Answer: b) Metaphor
Q9. Which literary device is used in “far far from rivers, capes and stars of words”?
a) Personification
b) Alliteration
c) Imagery
d) Hyperbole
Answer: c) Imagery
Q10. The “foggy slums” symbolize:
a) Dreams
b) Bright future
c) Hopelessness and darkness
d) Nature’s beauty
Answer: c) Hopelessness and darkness
MCQs on Message and Tone
Q11. What is the poet’s tone in the poem?
a) Romantic
b) Sarcastic
c) Critical and compassionate
d) Joyful
Answer: c) Critical and compassionate
Q12. What solution does the poet suggest for slum children?
a) Build more slums
b) Provide food only
c) Remove social injustice and give education
d) Stop education
Answer: c) Remove social injustice and give education
Q13. What does the “open-handed map” symbolize?
a) World of opportunity
b) Slum boundaries
c) School syllabus
d) Tourist destinations
Answer: a) World of opportunity
Q14. What does “let their tongues run naked into books” mean?
a) Children should learn freely and explore knowledge
b) They should remain quiet
c) They should memorize poems
d) They should learn foreign languages only
Answer: a) Children should learn freely and explore knowledge
MCQs on Characters and Setting
Q15. What do the “thin, hungry faces” of the children reflect?
a) Wealth
b) Joy
c) Poverty and malnutrition
d) Bright futures
Answer: c) Poverty and malnutrition
Q16. The boy with a stunted growth is compared to:
a) A tree
b) A rootless weed
c) A paper kite
d) A hungry dog
Answer: b) A rootless weed
Q17. Who is the “young boy” in the poem with “eyes like a rat”?
a) An alert and scared child
b) A brave leader
c) A student leader
d) None of the above
Answer: a) An alert and scared child
Q18. What does the “civilized dome” symbolize?
a) Schools
b) The privileged world
c) Temples
d) Houses
Answer: b) The privileged world
Higher-Order MCQs (Deeper Meaning)
Q19. Why does the poet criticize the map in the classroom?
a) It misguides children
b) It shows a world inaccessible to slum children
c) It is too big for the wall
d) It is outdated
Answer: b) It shows a world inaccessible to slum children
Q20. What contrast does the poet highlight in the poem?
a) Dreams vs. Reality
b) Teachers vs. Students
c) Nature vs. Technology
d) Rich vs. Poor
Answer: a) Dreams vs. Reality
Q21. What do “catacombs” and “slag heap” imagery suggest?
a) Cleanliness of classrooms
b) Dull and oppressive atmosphere of slums
c) Bright opportunities
d) Hope for future
Answer: b) Dull and oppressive atmosphere of slums
Q22. What does the poet want society to do for slum children?
a) Ignore them
b) Empower them with equal opportunities
c) Build more schools without teachers
d) Restrict their dreams
Answer: b) Empower them with equal opportunities
Q23. “Break O break open till they break the town” suggests:
a) A call for rebellion against inequality
b) Playing in towns
c) Migration
d) Celebrating festivals
Answer: a) A call for rebellion against inequality
Q24. “History theirs whose language is the sun” means:
a) Only rich people write history
b) Bright, educated, and free people shape history
c) Poets write history
d) Students in slums write history
Answer: b) Bright, educated, and free people shape history
Q25. The poem’s ultimate message is:
a) Education without equality is meaningless
b) Slums should be destroyed
c) Maps are useless
d) Teachers are corrupt
Answer: a) Education without equality is meaningless
Summary of Key MCQs
- Symbolism: Walls, maps, sunlight, weeds
- Tone: Compassionate, critical
- Theme: Inequality, poverty, importance of education
- Literary Devices: Metaphor, imagery, alliteration
Conclusion
Practicing Elementary School Classroom in a Slum MCQ with answers helps Class 12 students strengthen their preparation for exams. This set of 25+ MCQs with explanations ensures that learners can grasp both surface-level facts and deeper symbolic meanings of Stephen Spender’s poem.
