The GATE Grind

GATE 2026 XH2 (English) – Question 39

Literary Forms, Genres, and Modes of Expression · Literary Genres and Subgenres: History, evolution and importance of categorisation · 1 mark · Multiple select

To which of the following does the term “pastoral elegy” apply?

  1. “Lycidas”
  2. Adonais
  3. In Memoriam
  4. “The Deserted Village”

Practise this question in The GATE Grind →

Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (A) “Lycidas”; (B) Adonais

Explanation

A pastoral elegy mourns a death in the language of shepherds and the countryside. Milton's "Lycidas" and Shelley's Adonais are classic examples. In Memoriam is an elegy but not a pastoral one, and "The Deserted Village" is a poem about a lost village rather than the mourning of a person.