UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023 : The UPSC allows English as an voluntary subject in the Civil Services Exam. The English Literature syllabus for UPSC Mains is vast and covers literature from old English used during the medieval and early ultramodern period as well as ultramodern English used from 1900 announcement onwards. The English language is also one of the mandatory language papers in UPSC Mains.
English Literature consists of two papers( Paper- I & Paper- II) in UPSC Mains. Each paper is of 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. Find below the IAS English Literature syllabus.
UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023 – Download UPSC Mains English Literature Syllabus
In this article, you’ll get the booklist for English Literature for civil services examination.
UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023 : IAS applicants should note that English for UPSC is largely competitive. So, preparation should be thorough to be suitable to score well in this paper. Also, candidates should break further questions from previous years ’ UPSC question papers as well as from mock tests to be suitable to crack the UPSC English Literature exam. Candidates may also like to check UPSC English Literature Optional Tips in the article.
UPSC English Literature Optional Booklist
However, one can go for this voluntary veritably safely notwithstanding his/ her graduation stream, If the applicant is interested in literature. Applicants should read the novels, poetry,etc. mentioned in the UPSC English Literature Syllabus. It’ll give a fair idea and help you to frame good answer with great understanding. It’s always better to read the poem, stories, novels, drama from the core books.
List of English Literature recommended books for IAS exam
- Introduction to English Literature byW. H Hudson
- The Routledge History of Literature in English
- A short History of English Literature( PramodK. Nayar)
- King Lear- William Shakespeare
- The Tempest- William Shakespeare
- Canonization- John Donne
- Death be not proud- John Donne
- The Good Morrow- John Donne
- On his Mistress going to bed- John Donne
- The relic- John Donne
- Paradise Lost, I, II, IV, IX- John Milton
- The Rape of the Lock- Alexander Pope
- Ode on Intimations of Immortality- William Wordsworth
- Tintern Abbey- William Wordsworth
- Three years she grew- William Wordsworth
- She dwelt among untrodden ways- William Wordsworth
- Michael- William Wordsworth
- Resolution and Independence- William Wordsworth
- The World is too much with us- William Wordsworth
- Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour- William Wordsworth
- Upon Westminster Bridge- William Wordsworth
- Gulliver’s Travels- Jonathan Swift
- Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
- Tom Jones- Henry Fielding
- Hard Times- Charles Dickens
- The Mill on the Floss- George Eliot
- Tess of the d’Urbervilles- Thomas Hardy
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
- Easter 1916- William Butler Yeats
- The Second Coming- William Butler Yeats
- A Prayer for my daughter- William Butler Yeats
- Sailing to Byzantium- William Butler Yeats
- The Tower- William Butler Yeats
- Among School Children- William Butler Yeats
- Leda and the Swan- William Butler Yeats
- Meru- William Butler Yeats
- Lapis Lazuli- William Butler Yeats
- The Lovesong ofJ. Alfred Prufrock-T.S. Eliot
- Journey of the Magi-T.S. Eliot
- Burnt Norton-T.S. Eliot
- Partition-W.H. Auden
- Musee des BeauxArts-W.H. Auden
- In Memory ofW.B.Yeats-W.H. Auden
- Lay your sleeping head, mylove-W.H. Auden
- The UnknownCitizen-W.H. Auden
- Consider-W.H. Auden
- Mundus EtInfans-W.H. Auden
- The Shield ofAchilles-W.H. Auden
- Look In Anger- John Osborne
- Waiting for Godot- Samuel Beckett
- Next- Philip Larkin
- Please- Philip Larkin
- Deceptions- Philip Larkin
- Afternoons- Philip Larkin
- Days- Philip Larkin
- Bleaney- Philip Larkin
- Looking for a Causim on a Swing-A.K. Ramanujan
- A River-A.K. Ramanujan
- Of Mothers, among other Things-A.K. Ramanujan
- Love Poem for a Wife 1-A.K. Ramanujan
- Small- Scale Reflections on a Great House-A.K. Ramanujan
- Obituary-A.K. Ramanujan
- Lord Jim- Joseph Conrad
- Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce
- Sons andLovers-D.H. Lawrence
- A Passage to India-E.M. Forster.
- Mrs Dalloway- Virginia Woolf.
- Kanthapura- Raja Rao
- A House forMr. Biswas-V.S. Naipal
Indeed though campaigners may conclude for English Literature as their IAS Optional subject, they still would look for a perfect UPSC English Literature Strategy to approach the subject impeccably.
UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023
UPSC English Literature Preparation Methods-
UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023 : However, they may check the linked article to align their IAS preparation as per the set exam pattern and further, If IAS applicants are targeting UPSC 2022.
UPSC applicants who take English literature as voluntary subject face several problems, as guidance which they seek for isn’t easily available. Here, they can find some useful guidelines for UPSC Mains exam with English literature as voluntary paper.
1. Devote time for syllabus content
A graduate with English literature should devote first three months to cover entire UPSC Syllabus of English literature. However, a candidate who’s reading this subject first time for UPSC mains, they should devote full six months to go through entire UPSC Syllabus for the purpose.
2. Books for Novels and Drama
We categorise Novels and Drama in two categories
English Origin and Indian Origins
- Books for English Origin- Worldview edition/ Norton Critical edition
- Books for Indian Origin- Read the textbook and suds Net
3. Tips for Poetry
Start loving poems because your love will help you to learn notorious lines of poem. You’ll need to write these lines in answer elaboration. You can use internet to know further about poem.
4. Learn Glossary in depth
Never forget to prepare all literary terms used in English literature. For the purpose you can use “ A Glossary of Literary Terms byM.H Abrams ”
5. Prepare Historical Portion
Once you have prepared all literary work start preparing major portion. As you have formerly prepared glossary, it’ll help in learning historic portion of English literature.
6. Do practise for Unseen Passages
In UPSC Mains paper, a portion of unseen passages will be asked. It can be answered easily, if you have practised many. This practise will help you to get indication in exam hall to write correct answer.
7. Test of Language
Most important- do n’t ever try to show knowledge of English language rather concentrate on English literatureonly.It isn’t necessary to write delicate and decorative words. UPSC mains is evaluating your knowledge of the subject only.
UPSC Mains English Literature Study Material For 2023 : These seven guidelines are veritably crucial to give a right direction to your IAS preparation. Move from one to seven; one by one and you’ll feel confident once you reach at the last step.
Best Books for preparation UPSC Mains English Literature:
- Compulsory English
- WORLD LITERATURE IN YOUR FIST An Assortment of English Literature (3rd Edition 8.5×11)
- UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Mains Optional Subject English Literature Paper-II (Section-A) Combo Set Of 7 Books : Selected Poems By W.B. Yeats, Selected … Indo Anglian Poets Including A.K. Ramanujan)
- English Literature: Its History and Its Significance For the Life of the English-speaking World
- CIE COMPLETE IGCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE 2nd EDITION BOOK AND WEBSITE LINK: With Website Link
- UPSC Civil Services Exam English Literature Optional Paper – Paper 1 Section A – Set Of 4 Books – The Rape Of The Lock , The Tempest , A Doll’s House & King Lear