West Visayas State University

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
La Paz, Iloilo City

“LITERARY INTERPRETATION SKILLS OF BSED SOCIAL SCIENCE AND

MATHEMATICS MAJORS OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AT
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY”

Part I Respondent Data Sheet

Directions: Please fill out the necessary information needed.

Name: ________________________________________________________
Course/Year: ______________________ Major: ___________________

Part II Test on Literature

Directions: In each item below is a proverb, a quotation, or a
line/ lines a containing figure of speech or symbolism. Encircle
the letter that corresponds to the letter of the best
interpretation for it.

Example: “Life is like a wheel, you may be up today and

underneath tomorrow.”
a. Life is like a wheel; it keeps you going.
b. Life has its sorrows and happiness, just like
a wheel which goes up and down.
c. Life has unexpected twists and turns which we
must be prepared for.

1. “Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, as the

swift seasons roll.”
a. In life one has to work hard and enjoy the fruits
of his labors.
b. One should make the most out of life by gaining
prestige and wealth for life is too short.
c. One must do acts of kindness and love while he can
for life is fleeting.

2. “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old Time is still a

flying, And this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow
will be dying.”
a. Enjoy life’s pleasures above everything else or you
will regret in the end.
b. Do everything as much as you can in making yourself
worthy and prepared in life for you can never turn
back time.
c. Life is full of surprises so you have to be
prepared all the time.

3. “When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all

alone beweep my outcast state.”
a. The persona pities himself for being poor and
friendless.
b. The persona feels sad over being alone.
c. The persona recalls his tragic experiences and
laments over them.
4. “Wondrously wrought and fair its wall of stone,
shattered by Fate the castle rent asunder, the work of
giants mouldereth away.”
a. Material things, no matter how greatly made,
deteriorate in time.
b. Magnificent castles are products of hundreds of
years of hard labor by big and strong men of old.
c. Man may be small but great and gigantic are his
works.

5. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose

possession of that fair thou owest.”
a. The persona is telling his beloved that summer is
lasting and that its beauty never fades.
b. The persona is telling his beloved that the beauty
she possesses will stay forever and will not
deteriorate
c. The persona is addressing summer and urging it to
stay forever for it is fair and beautiful.

6. “And that one Talent which is death to hide, lodged with

me useless though my soul more bent to serve therewith my
Maker.”
a. The persona realizes that his end is near and he
would then see his God, the ultimate desire of his
soul, though he feels unworthy.
b. The persona feels that he would now be unable to
please his God because he is dying.
C. The persona laments because much as he wanted to
serve his God through his God-given gift, he could
not because he is prevented by his disability.

7. “The paths of glory lead us but to the grave.”

a. Worldly joys lead one to his destruction.
b. All things, no matter how grand they are, have
their end in one’s death.
c. There is always time for everything.

8. “I arise from dreams of thee, and a spirit in my feet

hath led me…”
a. The persona is having a nightmare and starts to
sleepwalk.
b. The persona is so haunted by thoughts of his
ladylove that he decides to go and visit her.
c. The persona is having a beautiful dream about his
ladylove and he feels excited of his sleep.

9. “One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired
the nameless grace.”
a. The persona referred to here has a physical
disability but is still beautiful.
b. The persona referred to here has an indescribable
appearance.
c. The persona referred to her possesses true beauty.
10. “I hope to see my pilot face to face, when I have
crossed the bar.”
a. The persona wishes to meet his God when he dies.
b. The persona wants to meet the pilot when he reached
his destination.
c. The persona longs to encounter God in all his
trials and tribulations.

11. “They say that time assuages; time never did assuage.”
a. The persona believes that the passing of time
aggravates pain.
b. The persona believes that the passing of time heals
hurts.
c. The persona believes that hurts cannot be healed by
the passing of time.

12. “I’ll come to thee by moonlight though hell should bar

the way.”
a. The persona swears that even if he dies, he’ll
still come back for his beloved as promised.
b. The persona promises that even if he goes to hell,
he’ll still return for his beloved.
c. The persona expresses his devotion to his beloved
so that he is willing to conquer hell for her.

13. “He shall cover thee with feathers and, under His wings
shalt thou trust.”
a. He will give peace and comfort in your problems.
b. He will be your rock and fortress.
c. He will be your guide and protection.

14. “Rise up my love, my fair one and come away. For lo the
winter is past; the rain is over and gone.”
a. It is an invitation to rejoice and celebrate life
because hardships have been overcome.
b. It is an encouragement to stand against life’s
difficulties.
c. It is a prodding to enjoy the day for the sun has
come out after the rain.

15. “The God of heaven seems to have no heart, permitting

thus the beauty of the summer world to be Autumnal.”
a. The persona is blaming the heavens for such
undesirable season as autumn.
b. The persona is feeling bad because he thinks that
God is heartless for giving him punishments.
c. The persona is sulking because God has given him
sorrows when he prefers to be happy in life.

16. “Too much freedom is tyranny.”

a. People cause others harm because they are free to
do so.
b. Because people want to be free, they tend to be
radical.
c. People tend to misuse and abuse the freedom they
enjoy.
17. “Look to this day for it is life, the very life of
life.”
a. We should regard the present day with importance
and lived it to the fullest.
b. We should honor the day for life is a holy gift.
c. We should welcome the new day just as we are
grateful for yesterday.

18. “Let my love like sunlight surround you, yet give you
illumined freedom.”
a. Love is meant to guard and ensure that no harm gets
near the loved one.
b. Love shines too brightly like the sun that it
radiates intensely.
c. Love is present to guide and enlighten, not to
confine and control.

19. “While God waits for his temple to be built of love,men

bring stones.”
a. Men are busy acquiring material wealth instead of
nurturing love and brotherhood, which is what God
expects.
b. Men build temples made of concrete, as God wants
them to be.
c. Men praise, give thanks to, and carry out God’s
will.

20. “Come and gone is the year, no tidings yet my love. My

silk sleeve is damp with tears.”
a. The persona cries over a hard fight with the loved
one.
b. The persona expresses grief over the long absence
of the loved who fails to communicate.
c. The persona painfully recalls memories of the loved
one who passed away.

21. “Some sigh for the Glories of this world; and some sigh
for the Prophet’s Paradise to come.”
a. People easily yield to temptations which cause them
to regret in the end.
b. Some are deeply absorbed with worldly cares while
others are concerned with a perfect life hereafter.
c. People struggle to do good to become true followers
of the prophet.

22. “Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend, before we,
too, in the Dust descend.”
a. We have to treat each day as through it were our
last and make the most out of it as long as we live
b. We have to endure every difficulty in life for it
is a reality that can never be altered.
c. We have to face bravely every challenge that comes
our way for it is an opportunity to be alive.
23. “God doth not need either man’s works or his own gifts.
Who best bear his mild yoke, they serve him best.”
a. We serve God best when we endure the hardships we
have in life with a happy disposition; not when we
offer God our achievements.
b. God is all too powerful and great to expect
anything from us; so we just have to stay humble.
c. We need to praise and serve God to the most that we
can with the least that we have.

24. “Trust no future howe’er pleasant! Let the dead Past

burry its dead!”
a. Man should focus on what is here and now.
b. Man must not forget the past for he learns from it
and must not ignore the future for it is his
inspiration.
c. Man should let his past direct him to attain a
bright future.

25. “Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings

and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a
sea of troubles.”

a. Man has a choice whether to bear the pains of

misfortunes or to resist them.
b. Man may ignore the many difficulties that beset him
or allow them to overcome him.
c. Misfortune is a hard fact in life; thus, man has to
realize it and accept it wholeheartedly.

26. “No matter how long the procession is, it will always
end in church.”
a. Just like sufferings, processions are long and
enduring.
b. There is always an end to everything no matter how
long it takes.
c. Everything starts and ends in God.

27. The child who is made to cry will be his parent’s

wealth.
a. Parents find treasure in their children.
b. A child who is disciplined will grow up to be a
worthy individual.
c. Parents’ sacrifices are paid up of their efforts
when their children grow up.

28. Whoever emulates the ant will not have to borrow his
means of livelihood.
a. The ants exhibit industry and are a good model of
virtues.
b. We should imitate the ant which doesn’t have to
borrow because it has a wealth of resources.
c. One who has the industry of the ant will always
have sufficient means of living.
29. Still waters run deep.
a. We can not fathom the depth of thought of
intelligent people.
b. People who are silent are generally more
intelligent than the talkative ones.
c. It is difficult to determine the depth of thought
of quiet people.

30. “You can preach a better sermon with your life than
with your lips.”
a. One teaches better with good deeds than with words.
b. One who has learned lessons from life is a better
teacher.
c. Sermons help us go through life with confidence for
they teach us the essentials.

31. “A word to the wise is sufficient.”

a. Intelligent people understand things easily.
b. Intelligent people do not easily accept advice
given to them.
c. Intelligent people have sufficient knowledge of
things.

32. He is an ox of a man.
a. The man has animalistic tendencies.
b. He is strong and hardworking.
c. The man is gigantic.

33. The torch has been passed on to the next generation.

a. The responsibility has been handed down to our
children and our children’s children.
b. The challenge is posed to the next generation.
c. The old generation has given the young ones
inspiration.

34. Our thoughts do not have words everyday.

a. Our language is inferior for it cannot facilitate
effective communication.
b. Our thoughts are so powerful that they dominate
language.
c. There are ideas that cannot be expressed in words.

35. He is as quiet as a politician.

a. He is a silent person.
b. He is a talkative person.
c. He is a charismatic politician.

36. “O Wind, if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

a. If life gives us sorrows it, too, gives us joys.
b. The wind brings joys and sorrows in man’s life.
c. Spring naturally comes right after winter.

37. The man is a diamond in the rough.

a. The man is good despite his appearance.
b. The man pretends to be somebody with wealth and
prestige.
c. The man is putting on a false façade.
38. “What piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How
infinite in faculty.”
a. Man is God’s masterpiece. He is endowed with a
powerful mind and great capabilities.
b. Man is exemplifies a perfect creation.
c. God created man to have dominion over all other
creations.

39. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that

struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard
no more.”
a. Man should seize life for it is very elusive.
b. Life is filled with darkness and sorrows that rob
man of his joys.
c. Life is transitory; it may linger for a while and
soon expires.

40. “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage
against the dying of the light.”
a. We should fear death for it is inevitable.
b. The night is not made for sleeping only, but for
contemplation and reflection as well.
c. We should cling on dearly to life and not easily
submit to death.

41. “For the journey is done and the summit attained, and
the barriers fall.”
a. The persona has reached his destination safely
after a tiring travel.
b. The persona has successfully reached his goals
despite the difficulties.
c. The persona has accomplished his goals but is now
at the point of despair.

42. “The glories of our blood and state are shadows, not
substantial things.”
a. Wealth and prestige are not the real essence of
man’s life.
b. Man’s inclination to improve his stature makes him
desire for material things.
c. Man puts great emphasis on worldly riches which
ultimately destroy him.

43. “Love covers over all wrongs.”

a. Love overlooks mistakes. It is unconditional.
b. Love is a vain effort to right all wrongs.
c. Love is idealistic, not realistic.

44. “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is

your sting?”
a. Death is regarded with much fear and loathing.
b. Death conquers life and is therefore triumphant.
c. Death is not the ultimate destroyer of man.

45. “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not
your hands be idle…”
a. Make the most of your time.
b. Do not rest at all.
c. Be involved in everything life gives.
46. Knowing and not doing are equal to not knowing at all.
a. Knowledge without application is useless.
b. It’s better not to do anything when you don’t know
how.
c. We should strive for knowledge for it is the basis
in doing things.

47. “Our children are like mirrors---they reflect our

attitudes in life.”
a. Children’s characters are molded by their
environment.
b. Children are great imitators of action.
c. Values are caught, not taught.

48. “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small

package.”
a. A lonely person has limited friends, happiness, and
opportunities.
b. He who lives a life with and for others is
considered great.
c. A selfish person is he who directs all his cares to
himself.

49. “There is nothing in the caterpillar that tells you

it’s going to be a butterfly.”
a. Everything in this world, no matter how seemingly
bad, has always a good thing in it.
b. Undesirable things in life have chances for the
better.
c. Creatures like the caterpillar are among the
wonders of nature.

50. “The past should be a springboard, not a hammock.”

a. Our past is the most important feature in our life
for it helps us face life with confidence.
b. We should not neglect our past for it is our
stronghold.
c. We should not linger in our past; rather, let it be
a learning experience for a better present.