Question

A qataa, very simply, is a poem of four lines---a quatrain. It may occur in the middle of a ghazal (where the poet is unable to finish a thought in two lines, and chooses to use four). It may also be a stand-alone verse, un-embedded in any long poem. Here is an example of a stand-alone qataa from Faiz: Raat yoon dil mein teri khoi hui yaad aayi
Jaise veerane mein chupke se bahaar aa jaaye
Jaise sehraaon mein haule se chale baad-e naseem
Jaise beemar ko be-vajah qaraar aa jaaye Translation: Your faded memory visited my heart last night,
As if the spring came to the ruins, real quiet.
As if the zephyr silently cooled the desert,
And the sick, miraculously, gained some respite. Which of these is not true of a qataa?

• A. It is a four-line poem
• B. It is a stand-alone quatrain
• C. It is not a long poem
• D. It is embellished

Hint:

For comprehension-based questions, rely strictly on the information provided in the passage. Avoid bringing in external knowledge unless explicitly required. Look for keywords and direct statements to verify each option.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

A qataa is defined here purely by structure and placement, four lines, and either sitting inside a ghazal or standing alone outside any longer poem, with no mention anywhere of its style or ornamentation.

1. It is a four-line poem: True, this is the very definition given, a "quatrain."
2. It is a stand-alone quatrain: True, the passage allows for it to exist un-embedded in a longer poem.
3. It is not a long poem: True, by definition a four-line quatrain is short, never a long poem.
4. It is embellished: False, the passage never claims the form is decorative or ornamental, it only describes its length and placement.

Since three options describe structural facts drawn straight from the definition and one option introduces a stylistic quality the passage never mentions, the odd one out is that it is embellished.