How to Prepare for UPSC English Optional Syllabus?

UPSC Civil Services Examination has several optional subjects, and for those who are keen on reading, English Literature is undoubtedly the intellectually stimulating one among them. This optional will take one for a really close to great works and writers across the age. You will have the opportunity of personal engagement with the timeless works of great literary masters, including several literary movements, and it includes genres and critical analyses of texts from different historical periods.

English Literature seems to be the preferred optional subject, certainly for aspirants who are proficient enough in the language and have enough interest in the nuances of storytelling, poetry, and drama. It not only hones one’s analytical and interpretive skills but doses one with an understanding of human experiences, cultures, and philosophies as mirrored in literature.

Here, this guide can reveal the syllabus and preparation strategies as well as the benefits of making a choice by opting for English Literature in optional subjects-an aid to aspirants to make an informed choice and perform admiringly in the UPSC journey.

Check more: Toughest Exams in India

Why Choose English Literature Optional for UPSC?

Choosing the English Literature as an optional subject for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam has a few advantages.

•  English Literature is considered to have high scoring potential as most of the students who are really good with the subject tend to score more than the candidates from other humanities options. It is also perceived as being more predictable in formality than other humanities options.
• Complete Overlap of Subjects in GS: This subject has significant overlap in areas like ethics, culture, and history. Besides GS, this subject knowledge would also help with Essay Paper writing, where writing ability and literary insights come handy.
• The syllabus is wide, but it is well defined, allowing candidates to prepare by concentrating on some key texts and major themes. A systematic tactic would help these people to master it slowly but surely while preparing in an organized manner.
• In-depth study of English literature builds up critical thinking along with improved writing abilities. This is useful at all levels of the UPSC exam, including Mains and the Interview.
• The subject improves one's understanding of Indian and Western history, culture, and philosophy through the literary lens. This would be useful for the General Studies papers as well as the Interview.
• The number of resources available such as books, e-study modules, and coaching classes, which are strictly meant for English Literature optional courses, makes it very accessible and easier to understand and learn.
• For those with an interest in literature, things become very informal and interesting.

Overview of English Literature Optional Syllabus 

The important details are tabulated below: 

Paper division by literary periods and their important aspects are tabulated below: 

Candidates should have a deep understanding of different literary periods and style of works written during that age. 

• For Paper 1:  Candidates should be well acquainted with The Renaissance; Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama; Metaphysical Poetry; The Epic and the Mock-Epic; Neoclassicism; Satire; The Romantic Movement; The Rise of the Novel; The Victorian Age.
• For Paper 2: Candidates are required to be aware of Modernism; Poets of the Thirties; The Stream of Consciousness Novel; Absurd Drama; Colonialism and Post Colonialism; Indian Writing in English; Marxist, Psychoanalytical and Feminist Approaches to Literature; Post Modernism.

UPSC English Literature Syllabus for Paper 1

The examination carries a total of 250 marks and has an in-depth exploration of the texts selected by the UPSC Main Optional Paper 1 for English Literature. Alongside, candidates would need to exhibit a sound understanding of the following Key Literary Movements and Periods in particular:

Go down the detailed syllabus and open up these transformational eras in the English literature.

Section A:

1. Two plays by William Shakespeare: King Lear and The Tempest
2. John Donne poems : Canonization, Death be not proud, The Good Morrow, On his Mistress going to bed, The Relic
3. John Milton: Paradise Lost, I, II, IV, IX 
4. Alexander Pope. The Rape of the Lock 
5. William Wordsworth poems:  Ode on Intimations of Immortality, Tintern Abbey, Three years she grew, She dwelt among untrodden ways, Michael, Resolution and Independence, The World is too much with us, Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour, Upon Westminster Bridge
6. Alfred Tennyson: In Memoriam
7. Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House  

Section B:

1. Jonathan Swift. Gulliver's Travels
2. Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice
3. Henry Fielding. Tom Jones
4. Charles Dickens. Hard Times
5. George Eliot. The Mill on the Floss
6. Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles
7. Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

UPSC English Optional Syllabus for Paper 2

 The syllabus for Paper 2 are mentioned below: 

Section A:

1. William Butler Yeats's following poems: Easter 1916, The Second Coming, A Prayer for my Daughter, Sailing to Byzantium, The Tower, Among School Children, Leda and the Swan,  Meru,  Lapis Lazuli, The Second Coming, Byzantium
2. T.S. Eliot's following poems: The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock, Journey of the Magi, Burnt Norton
3. W.H. Auden's following poems: Partition, Musee des Beaux Arts, In Memory of W.B. Yeats, Lay your sleeping head, my love, The Unknown Citizen, Consider, Mundus Et Infans, The Shield of Achilles, September 1, 1939, Petition
4. John Osborne: Look Back in Anger
5. Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot
6. Philip Larkin's following poems: Next, Please, Deceptions, Afternoons, Days, Mr. Bleaney
7. A.K. Ramanujan's following poems:  Looking for a Causim on a Swing, A River, Of Mothers, among other Things, Love Poem for a Wife 1, SamllScale Reflections on a Great House, Obituary

Section B:

1. Joseph Conrad. Lord Jim.
2. James Joyce. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
3. D.H. Lawrence. Sons and Lovers.
4. E.M. Forster. A Passage to India.
5. Virginia Woolf. Mrs. Dalloway.
6. Raja Rao. Kanthapura.
7. V.S. Naipaul. A House for Mr. Biswas.

Answer Writing for English Literature Optional 

Answer writing is the most important aspect of English Literature Optional. No matter how much you know and have read, if you are unable to bring cohesion, clarity and lucidity in your answer writing, it will be very difficult for you to crack this optional. Tabulated below are some of the important parameters that can significantly enhance your practice. 

How to Tackle English Literature Optional Syllabus for Best Performance?

• The preparation involves covering both Paper I and Paper II that focus of drama, poems and novels. Literary criticism and awareness of the period is crucial to analyzing the text. By following the tips, approaches and techniques, you will be able to sail through the demanding English Literature Optional Syllabus. 
• Going through the syllabus is the most important thing the candidates must do. By going through, you will have an idea of different periods in which the literary works have been written. Social and historical context of any literary work is important for clarity and understanding. 
• Divide the syllabus by genre, plays, poems and novels. Locate them according the literary period and study them comprehensively. 
• There are important topics in both Paper I and Paper II. You need to pay more attention and time to them. For example, William Shakespeare: King Lear and The Tempest are asked frequently. Writers, poets and novelists such as John Donne, William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, William Butler Yeats, W.H. Auden, Philip Larkin, A.K. Ramanujan V.S. Naipaul. A House for Mr Biswas hold immense importance and weight. 
•  You should use standard textbooks and reference materials for better clarity and insights. Books like The Norton Anthology of English Literature, A History of English Literature" by W. H. Hudson, A History of Indian English Literature" by K. K. Aziz provide solid foundation for understanding and critically analysing the texts. 
• Preparing short notes is as important as studying. Make sure you notes are made by you and not taken from anywhere else. Focus on the major works of authors, understanding their central themes, stylistic techniques, and historical impact.
• Essay writing practice and answer writing marathon does wonders. The more you practice writing, the better you will be able to do in exam in a limited time frame. 
• Mock tests and previous year papers are guiding light when it comes to demanding UPSC exam. Make sure you go through them to get ideas regarding how questions are asked and how to attempt them. Focus on speed with accuracy while answer writing practice.