UGC NET English Dec 2024 Question Paper: 4 Must Know Questions on American Literature
- Nerd's Table
- May 3
- 4 min read
The UGC NET English Dec 2024 Question Paper once again affirmed the continued relevance of American Literature, with 4 essential questions that covered poetry, fiction, and Black literary movements. These questions were not just factual — they tested conceptual depth, authorial understanding, and cultural context.
From Emily Dickinson’s contemplative lines on success — “Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne'er succeed” — to African American literary voices like Langston Hughes and Aime Cesaire, the paper reflected a balanced inclusion of canonical and resistance literature. A match-the-following question further tested familiarity with key American novelists such as Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, James Jones, and James Baldwin.
For serious aspirants, these four questions represent a core segment of Paper II — and mastering them can offer a strategic edge. Below, we break down each of these questions and what you need to revise to ensure accuracy and confidence in future attempts.
Question 50
"Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need."
Who has composed the above lines?
Christina Rossetti
Thomas Hardy
Emily Dickinson
Mathew Arnold
Explanations
Answer: 3. Emily Dickinson
These lines are from Emily Dickinson’s poem titled “Success is counted sweetest” (written in 1859, published posthumously in 1890).
The poem explores the paradox that those who fail understand the value of success more deeply than those who succeed.
This theme reflects Dickinson's typical philosophical depth, brevity, and use of paradox and imagery.
📝 Famous closing lines: “Not one of all the purple Host / Who took the Flag today / Can tell the definition / So clear of Victory.”
🔸 Why Others Are Incorrect:
Christina Rossetti – Known for devotional and romantic poetry (Goblin Market, Remember).
Thomas Hardy – Primarily a novelist and poet focused on fate, society, and rural England.
Matthew Arnold – Known for reflective poetry (Dover Beach), more philosophical and cultural.
Question 51
Match the LIST-I with LIST-II
LIST-I (Author) | LIST-II (Text) |
A. Henry Miller | I. The Grapes of Wrath |
B. John Steinback | II. No Name in the Streets |
C. James Jones | III. Tropic of Cancer |
D. James Baldwin | IV. From Here to Eternity |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
Explanations
Answer: 2. A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
This question focuses on identifying important 20th-century American authors and their landmark works.
A. Henry Miller → Tropic of Cancer: A controversial and semi-autobiographical novel set in Paris, known for its stream-of-consciousness style and candid content.
B. John Steinbeck → The Grapes of Wrath: A powerful social realist novel about Dust Bowl migration and poverty in America during the Great Depression.
C. James Jones → From Here to Eternity: A war novel dealing with the lives of soldiers stationed at Pearl Harbor before the Japanese attack.
D. James Baldwin → No Name in the Street: A deeply personal and political memoir, reflecting on racism, civil rights, and Baldwin’s experiences.
African American 2 Questions in UGC NET Dec 2024 Question Paper
Question 52
Langston Hughes poem “I too Sing America" Is a response to which of the following poets?
Herman Melville
Walt Whitman
Henry David Thoreau
Emily Dickinson
Explanations
Answer: 2. Walt Whitman
Langston Hughes’ iconic poem “I, Too, Sing America” (1926) is a direct and powerful response to Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing.”
Whitman’s poem celebrates American workers but excludes Black voices.
Hughes' poem asserts that African Americans are also part of the American identity, claiming a rightful place in the national narrative.
🗣️ Hughes writes: “I, too, sing America.” “They send me to eat in the kitchen / When company comes…” It is both an act of resistance and a vision of inclusion.
Question 53
Who is the best-known figure amongst the following for articulating the concept of ‘Negritude’.
Edward Said
Aime Cesaire
William Jones
Anna Rutherford
Explanations
Answer: 2. Aime Cesaire
Negritude is a literary and ideological movement developed by Francophone Black intellectuals, writers, and politicians in the 1930s as a response to colonial racism and cultural alienation.
Aime Cesaire, a Martinican poet and politician, is one of the founding figures of this movement.
His poem “Notebook of a Return to the Native Land” (1939) is a landmark work in Negritude literature.
The movement celebrated Black identity, African heritage, and resisted French colonial domination.
🔸 Why the Others Are Incorrect:
Edward Said – Known for Orientalism and postcolonial theory, but not linked to Negritude.
William Jones – Known for discovering the Indo-European language family, not for Negritude.
Anna Rutherford – A scholar of Commonwealth and postcolonial literature, but not central to Negritude.
Want to Access more questions of UGC NET English DEC 2024?
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