Based on the CISCE ICSE English (Paper 2) syllabus
ICSE Class 9 English Literature: Syllabus & Prescribed Texts
Explore Paper 2 of ICSE English — the prescribed drama, short stories and poems for Class 9 — how the 80 + 20 assessment works, and a worked demonstration question for calm, structured preparation.
Key Curriculum Facts
- 80 marks
- Paper 2 — Literature in English
- 2-hour written paper
- 20 marks
- Internal Assessment
- Written assignments on the texts
- ICSE English
- Part of
- One subject, two papers (Language + Literature)
How ICSE Literature Rewards Knowing the Texts
In ICSE, English is a single subject examined through two papers — Paper 1 (English Language) and Paper 2 (Literature in English). This page covers Paper 2: a two-hour written paper of 80 marks answered entirely on the prescribed textbooks — drama, prose (short stories) and poetry.
For Class 9 the texts are the set acts of Julius Caesar and the Treasure Chest collection of ICSE short stories and poems. Questions on the drama and prose are central to the text and often extract-based; the poetry questions test content, understanding and the student’s personal response to the whole poem.
This page shows EduMagik's stepped reasoning approach with a worked demonstration question: a clue first, then a full step-by-step explanation, so the text is understood rather than just answered.
ICSE Class 9 Literature: Prescribed Texts (Paper 2)
Questions are set on the drama, prose (short stories) and poetry prescribed for Class IX
Drama
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Ch 1
Julius Caesar — William Shakespeare (Acts I & II)
The opening of Shakespeare’s tragedy — the growing conspiracy against Caesar. Questions are central to the text and may be extract-based, requiring a clear response in your own words.
Prose — Treasure Chest Short Stories
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Ch 2
Bonku Babu's Friend — Satyajit Ray
A gentle, much-mocked village teacher and his encounter with an alien visitor.
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Ch 3
Oliver Asks for More — Charles Dickens
The famous workhouse scene from Oliver Twist and its picture of hunger and cruelty.
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Ch 4
The Model Millionaire — Oscar Wilde
A witty tale of charity, disguise and an unexpected reward.
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Ch 5
Home-coming — Rabindranath Tagore
The sensitive, tragic story of Phatik, a spirited boy sent away from home.
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Ch 6
The Boy who Broke the Bank — Ruskin Bond
How a small rumour spreads and causes a run on a small-town bank.
Poetry — Treasure Chest Poems
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Ch 7
The Night Mail — W. H. Auden
The rhythmic journey of the mail train crossing the country by night.
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Ch 8
Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat — T. S. Eliot
The lively cat who keeps order on the night express.
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Ch 9
I Remember, I Remember — Thomas Hood
A wistful recollection of childhood and the loss of innocence.
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Ch 10
A Doctor’s Journal Entry for August 6, 1945 — Vikram Seth
A survivor’s account of the morning the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima.
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Ch 11
A Work of Artifice — Marge Piercy
The bonsai tree as an image of how the powerful confine and shape the vulnerable.
In Julius Caesar (Acts I & II), the soothsayer warns Caesar, 'Beware the ides of March.' For the audience, who know Caesar's fate, this warning is best described as:
Reasoning Clue & Solution
Think about what the audience already knows about Caesar’s fate, and how the warning prepares them for it.
The EduMagik 3-Step Hint Ladder
Point to the Concept
Names the idea to reach for (e.g. "What does the audience already know that Caesar does not?") without giving the answer.
Guided Reasoning Prompt
Prompts the key step (e.g. "Which device hints at a future event the audience can already foresee?").
Complete Worked Solution
Shows the full reasoning and explains why the answer is correct.
How to Revise Class 9 English Literature
Simple, high-impact ways to prepare the prescribed texts
Know the Text, Not Just the Story
Reread each short story, poem and the set acts of the play so you can refer to specific detail and quote accurately in your answers.
Practise Extract (Context) Questions
Work through extract-based questions on the drama and prose, explaining what happens just before and after the given lines.
Form a Personal Response
For poetry, note how a poem makes you feel and why; the paper rewards a thoughtful personal response to the whole poem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which texts are prescribed for ICSE Class 9 Literature?
The drama is Julius Caesar by Shakespeare (Acts I & II), plus the Treasure Chest short stories and poems prescribed for Class IX — five short stories and five poems. Questions are set only on the Class IX portion.
How is ICSE Class 9 Literature assessed?
By one 2-hour, 80-mark written paper on the prescribed drama, prose and poetry, plus 20 marks of internal assessment for written assignments on the texts (awarded jointly by the subject teacher and an external examiner).
What kinds of questions are asked in Paper 2?
Questions on the drama and prose are central to the text and often extract-based, answered in your own words. Poetry questions give a poem or lines and test content, understanding and your personal response to the whole poem.
Which anthology is used for the short stories and poems?
Treasure Chest: A Collection of ICSE Short Stories & Poems (Evergreen Publications). Always confirm the current prescribed texts and editions with CISCE or your school, as they are revised periodically.
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