Question

Which of the following works may be described as novels in verse?

• A. Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• B. The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth
• C. Pamela by Samuel Richardson
• D. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot

Hint:

When identifying novels in verse, check if the work is written primarily in poetry rather than prose. Examples like Aurora Leigh by Browning are considered novels in verse, while works like Pamela by Richardson are not.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

A novel in verse is a literary work in which the story is told primarily through poetry. One of the best-known examples of a novel in verse is Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This epic poem, written in blank verse, tells the story of a young woman's struggle to balance her artistic aspirations with the expectations placed on her by society. The work is often hailed as one of the earliest and most important feminist novels in verse.
Additional Context:
- Aurora Leigh (1856) is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. It is often considered a pioneering work in feminist literature because of its depiction of a woman's artistic ambition and the challenges she faces in a patriarchal society.
- The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth is another example of a novel in verse, but it was not included in this option.
- Pamela by Samuel Richardson is a novel, but it is not written in verse. It is an early example of the epistolary novel genre, written in prose.
- Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot is a whimsical collection of poems, not a novel, and does not qualify as a novel in verse.