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1. Leisure

By William Davies

Questions and Answers

Question No 1:- What are some of the simple delights we miss in
our busy life?

Answer :- In this poem,” Leisure ‘the poet tells us We must forget the
worries and dares of the life, at least for some time, and redlish the
beauty and charms of natural objects. We can derive pleasure from
ordinary objects like trees, plants, streams and stars. We can experience
the fantasy of the highest degree if we spare time to dance with beauty
and drink from her eyes. The poet has created a magical effect by
personifying beauty. Those who have time to turn at beauty’s glance
enjoy the richness and variety of life. We miss the delights of gazing at
green boughs, shining stars at night, flowing streams in the daylight and
watching squirrels hiding nuts in the grass. The poet has very successfully

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taught us a moral lesson. The language is affecting, rhythmic and lyrical.
The poem is simple but thought provoking .

There are many simple delights, which we miss in our rushed life. W.
Davies has very beautifully explained out these simple delights in the
poem “Leisure”. the explanation of the poem is very much deep and
thought provoking.

First of all the poet has thrown light on the following simple delights which
are missed because of a life of hurry and worry. The poet says that we do
not enjoy the beauty and charm of the green trees. In that manner even
animals are better than human being as the poet says in the poem.

“No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows”

The poet further points out simple delights of natural beauty. According to
him, we miss the beautiful scenes of the squirrels running here and there
hiding their nuts in the deep grass. The poet laments in the following lines
of the poem:

“No time to see when woods we pass

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass”

The poet further points out and describes the most beautiful scenes which
we miss because of a hurried life. In day time, when the sun shines and
throws its rays on to the surface of water the rays scatter around and the
place looks like the night full of stars. As we read in the following lines:

“No time to see, in broad daylight

Streams full of stars like skies at night”

Even we miss the dance of beauty and its smile because of a rushed life.
Our scenes have become dull. We are busy in our worldly affairs. We have
forgotten the meanings of leisure. Leisure is of supreme importance
because it keeps us healthy in body and mind. But we are unfortunately
busy in making money or adding to our material goods. Simple delights
which nature and life have to offer escape our notice. The above are the
simple delights, which we miss because of lack of time. No one can can be
denied that W. Davies has very beautifully explained the poem “Leisure”.

Question no 2. The poet has used a personification: can you point

out?

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Answer:- -Yes, it is true that the poet has used personification in the
poem “LEISURE”. I would like to point it out but first of all I think it fit to
define personification to make it easy to understand personification
clearly.

Personification is actually the provision of human Question noualities to

non- living things. The poet has used I in the 9th and 12th lines of the
poem which name is Leisure. Here is the example of original lines in which
personification has been beautifully used. The poet says:

“No time to turn at beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, How they can dance

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began”

In the above given lines “Beauty” is abstract idea. But the poet has given
the human Question noualities of feet, dance, glance and smile beauty. So
, at the end of the poem “Leisure Critical Summary” is clear cut proof
modern’s man hollowness.

Question No 3:- What are some of the things you miss because of
lack of time ?

Answer:- Sometimes, there is a small or little thing which keeps no

importance for a man but there is a man who thinks that small and little
things are very importance. Actually, it depends upon the observation and
thinking of a y person.

We miss so many things in our life like Chirping of birds, dance of

boughts, shades of trees, fragrance of flowers, starry nights, beautiful
lakes with their cool and bue water, buds of roses, flight of small birds,
innocent smiles of flowers, shore of sea, great height of mountains,
mischiefs of animals and so many such things which cannot be expressed
in a few words.

Question No 4:-What are some of the simple delights we miss in

our rushed life? OR

Point out the beauties of nature that can be a source of pleasure

for man in his day-to-day life?

Answer:- William Davies is one of the outstanding poets of his era. He

has composed such poem that reflect the evils of modern civilization. He
depicts the dilemma of modern man in " Leisure". Modern man is too
much busy in his daily life that he has no time to spend with nature and to

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enjoy the beauties of nature. Modern man is leading a very busy life and
because of this he has no spare time to give value to the common objects
of nature.

In rhe poem ' Leisure ' the poer point out the simple delights of ourlife
that we miss because of our busy life. He says that we have lost
happiness and peace of mind. We are busy in our worldly pursuits. We
have no rime to stand and stare at rhe beautiful and green branches of
trees. The poet then compares humqn beings with animals by saying that
animals are more independent and free than human beings. He ssys that
modern man has not enough time to enjoy the lovely scenes of nature.

Man' s life is full of tensions and worries that he is not able to see squirrels
hiding their nuts in grass. In very simple tone, the poet satires at the
helpless condition of man. He says even we do not time to see shining
water of streams during day time and sun. Shines brightly. The poet
personifies beauty and says that we are preoccunied with worldly affairs
that we cannot see the charming eyes of beauty and her dancing feet.

It is a fasinating sight but we cannot enjoy it. we are deprived of the smile
of beauty that starts from her lips and sinks to her face. He says that this
is a very lamentable life that we are unimaginative and dull and cannot
enjoy life with all its attraction, beauty and charm.

Question No 5:-

“What is this life if full of care

We have no time to stand and stare.”

Discuss briefly the message of the poet gives through these

lines? OR
Describe in your own words the views of William Davies on the
life of man of modern age? OR
Give in fifteen sentences the substance of the poem „Leisure‟?

Answer:- The poem ‘Leisure’ by William Davies is an enjoyable poem. It

moves us emotionally. It also provides us food for thought. The poet has
criticized the life of a man of modern age. He has condemned the
materialistic attitude of life that makes it ugly and unpleasant. He thinks
that the desire for material progress has given man unnecessary cares
and worries of life. He remains awfully busy day and night. The love of
earning money makes him indifferent to all the charms and pleasures of
life.

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As compared with other animals, man can never rest contented. He has
no time to enjoy the beautiful scenes of nature. Being in not hurry, he also
ignores pleasures of looking at the smiling face of a charming girl. The
fever and fret of worldly responsibilities deprives him of sweet moments
of leisure and rest. If human life is nothing but painful cares and worries,
then it is really poor and miserable. Man should give as much importance
to pleasure and peace of mind as to the earning of money to raise his
status.

Question No 6:- Define personification. Can you point out the

personification used in this poem, „Leisure‟ by Davies?

Answer:- Personification is a literary device. It is used to make an idea

rich and beautiful. Poets often use this method of expression. If a lifeless
thing or idea is presented as a living being, with its own character and
qualities, it is called personification. William Davies has also made use of
personification in his poem, ‘Leisure’.

He wants to emphasize how beauty of nature can be source of joy

and pleasure for man. Beauty of nature can be found in green trees,
shinning stars and clear streams. It can also reflect itself from the
charming face and attractive eyes of a young maid. The young girl in this
poem has been used as a symbol of natural beauty. The poet wants to
show how an object of beauty catches the eye of a man and influences his
heart.

The beautiful young girl in this poem is shown to be full of love. The
love found in her heart is ready to spread to her face and to shine through
her eyes. If the young man responds to her inviting eyes, she may start
dancing out of joy. But the young man is in such hurry that he ignores
such fascinating scenes of beauty and goes to attend to his business of
life.

Question No 7 :- “William Davies laments the hurried manner in

which we spen d our lives depriving ourselves of savouring the
richness and diversity that life offers.” Discuss with reference to
his poem, „Leisure‟?

Answer :- William Davies laments in his poem, “Leisure” about the

hurried manner in which we spend our lives depriving ourselves of
savoring the richness and diversity that life has to offer. He is sorry for
the modern man who is so much absorbed in his material pursuits that he
hardly finds any time to see the colors and hear the sounds of life. Nature
and manifestations of nature are lying bare and open for us everywhere

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but we have closed our eyes for these. There are trees and plants. There
are squirrels in the woods.

There are brightly shinning waves in the stream. There are twinkling
stars in the sky. Beauty itself is present. It is looking at us with its sweet
glance. Its eyes are smiling and its lips are also going to smile. Its feet are
going to dance. But we are so strange persons that we don’t have any
leisure or spare time to see the “beauty incarnate” and enjoy seeing it!
We are passing a very poor life because we may have collected a lot of
wealth, still we lack the appreciation of beauty that lies bare for use
everywhere in the world.

We are always busy in getting and spending money and do not at

nature which is “ours” as Wordsworth has put it in oe of his sonnets.
According to Davies, life is nothing but a constant cares and worry if we
are unable to find leisure for standing and staring at nature and its
manifestations like simpleton. Life must be enjoyed and relished and
appreciated in a leisurely manner!

Question No 8 :- William Davies in his poem " Leisure "

emphatically points out that in this rush of life we do not have
time to appreciate the beauty of life and nature. Discuss.

Answer :- We miss many simple delights in this mechanical age. We are

unable to enjoy the simple joys (life and nature) present al! around us
because of lack of time. The poem "Leisure" is a true depiction of modern
materialistic world which has produced a hollow image of man.

The excesive love for materialistic has taken away us from nature
which is qlways ready to offer hwr gifts to mankind in a variety of ways.
The poet laments this hastly life of modern mam. Man has become so
much accustomed to the dull routine of life tha he has not even a little
time and a single moment to pay attention to the beauties of nature.

There are many beautiful plants and trees around us but we have no
time to sand among them. We cannot remain free from worries like sheep
or cows who are grazing in the fields leisurely. We miss the playful
activities of small animals like squirrels, because of shortage of time. We
cannot see shining streams which shine in the daylight as beautifully as
the sky at night, because of our material pursuits. We miss dace parties,
musical shows, comdey peogrammes and even our favourite one.

We have become machines in this age; so because of our mechanical

pursuites, miss all these delights.We should learn that:

“ A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

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A thing of beauty is a joy forever ”

Question No 9 :- How would you define Personification? Or

Q :- Define and illustrate the term "Personification" with

examples.

Answer :- It is a kind of metaphor and is one of the most frequent

resource of poetry. It presents inanimate objects or those objects or
abstract ideas as persons or endowed with personal attribute (human
qualities). For example, in "Fog" by Carl Sandburg, dog is presented as
living cat.

"The fog comes

On little cat feet."

In the poem, "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" By Emily Dickinson.
'Death' is personified:

"Because I Could Not Stop For Death

He kindly stopped for me."

In " Leisure " ' Beauty ' is personified:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

Death is an abstract idea that is represented as a human being. It has

been presented as a living creature.

William Davies has used personification in the poem 'Leisure'. Beauty

( beauty of nature) is personified as a beautiful maiden or a goddess of
beauty.

" Personification" transports us into an imaginary world and presents

many pictorial images in the imagination of reader.

Question No 10 :- Explain the following lines in simple English:

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

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No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began. "

Answer :- William Davies was born in England but migrated to America. He was
something of

Question No 11 :- Davies in " Leisure " , in fact tells us that it is

our own attitude towards life that makes it so full of worries. How
can we possibly avoid it? Or

Q :- Modern man can't stand and stare ? How can we change this
attitude?

2. Tartary
By Walter De La Mare
Questions and Answers
Question No 1 :- Pick out the fanciful images from “Tartary”.

Answer:- Water De la Mare is a clean poet regarded as the poet of

images and impressions. His poem “Tartary” is a lovely and fantastical
voyage into the realm of imagination. Tartary is not a real place. It is the
poet’s own creation. He imagines it as a land full of joys, charm, and
comfort. He employs numerous fancy imagery to portray the grandeur of
this imagined land; for example “bed of ivory”, “peacocks flaunt”, “Lamps
would shine, yellow as honey and red as wine”, “Morning star”, “Dark
glades”, “Silvery pale” etc.

These images have a wonderful effect on the mind of the reader. The
most fanciful image appears in the 3rd and 4th line of the last stanza: Her
flashing stars, her scented breeze,Her trembling lakes, like foamless
seas,”It is the image in the whole poem that is widest in its scope – the
poet imagines rule over even the heavenly bodies (stars) and the forces of
nature (scented breeze and lakes) which is the height of longing for
monarchy.

Answer:- Walter De La Mare is a romantic poet. He, like all romantic

poets, retreats into an idea. In this poem, the author fantasises of
becoming Lord of Tartary. As someone aptly stated, dreams are
significant in man’s existence since they add colour to our otherwise
dreary and monotonous lives: Existence would be intolerable if we were
never to dream.”He fantasises of being the single ruler of both the land
and the heavenly bodies. He imagines himself as the Lord of a rich and

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fruitful realm, with a palace filled with lavish furnishings and a court
adorned with a golden throne. His territory’s forests are teeming with wild
animals. Fish swim freely in the pure water of pools. The poet envisions
himself wearing royal robes adorned with gems and beautiful stones. He
fantasises about living a wealthy life, which he can achieve by becoming
Lord of Tartary.

Question No 3:- What colour words has the poet used in

“Tartary”? What effects do they create?

Answer:- Walter De La Mare is a romantic and noble poet. His poem

“Tartary” is a lovely and fantastical voyage into the domain of the poet’s
mind. Tartary is an imaginary land. It is the work of the poet’s
imagination. He imagines it as a land full of delights, charm, and comfort.
To express the splendour of the fictional realm, he employs colour
phrases such as bed of ivory, throne of hammered gold, peacocks flaunt,
lamps gleaming yellow as honey and red as wine, morning star, gloomy
glades, silvery pale, and so on.

These colour words have a fantastic influence on the reader’s mind. From
the world of reality, the reader enters a world of dreams. For a while, he
forgets his problems and cares and finds himself in the company of
zebras, fish, tigers, fairies, forests, and valleys. He thinks Tartary to be a
real world.

Question No 4 :- Explain “Tartary” by Walter De La Mare as a

romantic poem. OR The poem “Tartary” is of romantic temper.
Discuss. OR The poem “Tartary” throws light on the romantic
world. Discuss this statement.

Answer:- “Tartary” is a great example of a romantic tempter. It

embodies the pinnacle of sensitivity, adventure, and imagination. There
are ways to get away from the harsh facts of life. From this perspective,
the poem “Tartary” is romantic. The poet imagines himself as the lord of
lovely land. As monarch of “Tartary,” the poet will have an ivory bed and
a golden throne. His court will have an unrivalled atmosphere as peacocks
dance and display their splendour.

Tigers will roam his jungles, and the gleaming fish in his ponds will
add to the court’s allure. The time of his dinner will be announced by
Trumpeters. Multicoloured lamps will be turned on in the evening. His
regal attire will be a variety of colours. Zebras will draw his chariot
through the forests’ open spaces. He aspires to obtain everything found in
“Tartary.” The poet is pursuing this approach.

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 Flight in the realm of the imagination No one can hold such a position
in real life. It is the fruit of the author’s imagination. As a result, the poem
is a superb example of romantic temperament.

Question No 5 :- The hero’s dreams are pure, innocent and un-

harmful. Elaborate .

Answer:- The poet, as master of romantic land, longs to fantasise and

relish all that is magnificent and occurs in a great manner. His dreams are
pure, harmless, and non-harmful. The concealed motive is simply to
appease his unsettled actual life. He is gratifying every need that is
unfulfilled in the world of reality.

His dreams are not motivated by malice toward others, but by a strong
desire to live a spectacular life. He fantasises about being the single ruler
of both the land and the heavenly bodies.

He imagines himself as the Lord of a rich and fruitful realm, with a

palace filled with lavish furnishings and a court adorned with a golden
throne. The forests of his territory abound with wild animals. In the clear
water of pools, the fishes swim freely. The poet imagines to wear royal
robes fitted with diamonds and precious stones.

So these are all pleasures and royal facilities which the poet wishes to
have. Innocence is obvious when we realise that everything is possible
only in dreams everything cannot be achieved in real life.

Question No 6:- Discuss De la Mare as a lover of nature with

reference to his poem ‘Tartary’. OR Give your impression of
Walter de La Mare as a poet after reading his poem ‘Tartary’.

Answer:- Walter De La Mare is a poet who writes in the romantic style.

Tartary has become an ideal location as a result of the poet’s passion for
nature. He feels that nature’s lovely landscapes and fascinating sounds
are a priceless treasure of delight and amazement for man.

The poet wishes that Tartary, his realm, would have a diverse natural
society. Thick forests, deep valleys, and tall hills should be present. His
country’s sky should be adorned with gleaming stars. It should be a land
with glistening rivers, vibrating lakes, and foamless seas.

He enjoys having a plethora of fruit trees that thrill the birds and
inspire them to sing joyfully. Every morning, he would love to ride through
Tartary’s dark glades, admiring nature’s splendour. He enjoys listening to
bird melodies and gazing out the window at the splendour of the natural

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environment. His happy-life fantasy is empty without such a beautiful
pleasure-driven shape, the universe of Nature.

Question No 7 :- Discuss the Poem Tartary by Walter De La Mare

as a Romantic poem.

Answer :- Tartary has all the features of a romantic poem. It is about an

imaginary land somewhere in the East. The imagined land is replete with
romance, adventure, natural beauty, thrill, and mystery. The land is
beautiful, rich, fertile, and full of unheard and unseen delights.

This makes the whole atmosphere romantic. The rich variety of exotic
colors is pleasant. The use of imagery is effective and colorful. The poet
believes that the scenic beauty of nature and enchanting sounds are a
precious treasure of delight and wonder of man. The use of imagery is
effective and colorful. The poet has given good proof of his fondness for
nature like Wordsworth. This poem is similar to Coleridge’s poem
Kubla Khan. Colors and sounds evoke everyone.

Unlike monarchs of the modern world, he hates luxuries and valuable

vehicles run through mechanical devices and shows his preference for a
carriage drawn by seven Zebras. In this fertile land, there will be every
blessing of God. This land of Tartary would be a heavenly place on earth,
with its beautiful hills and valleys, its trembling lakes with cool, crystal,
and clear water, and even flowering rivers.

Its trembling stars, the fragrant breeze of the early morning, a cluster of
trees, and beautiful birds sing sweet songs making it a land of charming
delights. The poet has beautifully created a romantic atmosphere with the
help of the effective use of imagery.

Like a true romantic, Walter De La Mare escapes into an ideal world,

where everything is waiting for his order. He imagines himself to be the
master of that glorious land called Tartary. In this way, he tries to satisfy
his unfulfilled desires of real life.

Question No 8 :- How does the poet take us into the realm of

imagination in the poem Tartary?

Answer:- Walter De La Mare takes the reader into the realm of

imagination through colorful images and diction. He has used romantic
kind of imagery in this poem to create a soothing impact on the minds of
the readers. Almost all the images like the ivory bed, beaten gold throne,
flaunting peacocks, slanting fishes, sweet music, zebra-driven carriage,
etc, are very fanciful images. But the most fanciful image is the magical
evening in his palace.

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The sound of the trumpets, the yellow and red lights of the lamp, the
melodious music of the harp, flute, and mandolin, etc, create a romantic
atmosphere. The yellow lights like yellow honey give sweetness to the
surroundings while red lights like red wine intoxicated us. The picture of a
gorgeously dressed up king moving about in pleasing yellow and red
lights, with music filling the atmosphere is most romantic and fanciful.
There are many other fanciful words in the poem. The first image is sitting
on a throne of pure gold.

The second image is when the poet wishes to sleep on a bed made of
ivory. The third image is related to eating a meal in the light of lamps and
the fourth fanciful image is the wearing of a dress made of costly beads.
We can say that the poem is replete with fanciful images.

3. New Year Resolution

By Elizabeth Sewell
Questions and Answers
Question No.1: Do you find thus poem different from some of rhe
other you have read ?

Answer:- Yes, I find this poem different from some of the other poems.
First of all I would like to describe the first difference of rhyming scheme.
In some of the other poems rhyming scheme is present. The poet has
used rhymes in the poem.

“Leisure” for example, see the lines give below:-

“What is this life full of care?

We have no time to stand and stare”

We notice the ending words “care” and “stare poem “New Year
resolution” there is no such use of rhymes. See the following lines:- rhyme
but in the Secondly the images in other poems are mostly concrete, For
example see the lines of the poem Tartary” in this respect:-

“Lord of the fruits of Tartary,

Her rivers silver pale!

Lord of the hills of Tartary”

But in the poem “New Year Resolution” mostly abstract images have been
used, See the following lines:-

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“Will lie o’ nights

In the bony arms Of Reality and be comforted !”

Thirdly this poem is full of philosophical ideas where as the other poems
have worldly ideas also.Fourthly the poem has one line in three pieces
where as the other poems have complete poetic lines. So above are some
of the differences between the poem “New Year Resolutions” and some of
other poems.

Question No 2 :- What “New Year Resolution” the poet has your

In summary of New Year Resolutions poem by Elizabeth Sewell.

Answer:- In summary of New Year Resolutions poem by Elizabeth

Sewell, the poet has made three main resolutions in the poem.

First of all she has made a promise with her-self that she would not
speak unnecessary. She has come to know that “silence is gold and it can
purify the personality. She says in the following lines.

I will drain

Long draughts of quiet

As purgation”

The second resolution of the poet is that she would like to remember who
is she? What are her duties, and whether she is performing her duties or
not. As she expresses her views following lines:

“Remember

Twice daily

Third resolution of the poet is that she will not live in the world of dreams
because the world of dreams is not permanent. She has some to given
lines. know that reality is permanent, so she would be realist as she says
in

Will lie o, nights

In the bony arms

Of Reality and be comforted”

The above are the resolutions of the poet.

Question No. 3:- what New year resolution do you make?

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Answer:- It is said that a man without resolutions and aim in life is equal
to nothing. Human beings should have at least a few resolutions to live
on. In Pakistan like the other European countries the arrival of the New
Year is celebrated with excitement and interest. On the arrival of New
Year I have made a few strong resolutions which are as under.

First of all I have made the resolution that I would be a good citizen. I
would like to perform my all duties with care and honesty. I would present
my full cooperation to make my country great. As a Muslim, I have made
up a promise with myself, that I would be a helper of the poor and needy
people. As a son I would respect and honour my parents. Thirdly I would
never tell lie and would always speak the truth. love the young ones.

Lastly I have made a resolution that I would respect the elders and
each and every year. So the above are the resolutions which I renew at
the arrival of New Year Resolutions poem by Elizabeth Sewell

Question No 4 :- What is the main theme or central idea of the

poem, “New Year Resolution” by Elizabeth Sewell? Explain.

Answer:- -In her poem, “New Year Resolution” the poetess has presented
the profound philosophy of human life. We find so many themes in this
poem that are about patience ,man”s life purpose, face the music, self
recognition etc .

She has brought out the reality of man’s life and his destiny in this world
Now, we will discuss themes one by one that are under below in New Year
Resolutions:-

Question No 5 :- What new year resolutions does Elizabeth Sewell

make in her poem New Year Resolutions?

Answer:- The poetess does not welcome the new year in a traditional
manner. She has a firm belief that life must be spent consciously and with
a sense of responsibility. She resolves that she will analyze her own mind
and soul in order to find out her past follies and short-comings.

Firstly, the poetess resolves that she will remain silent. She will think
over her past wrongs. The long hours of silence will help her in cleaning
her inner self. She wants to commence the new year in a better and
realistic manner. She has no intention to repeat the mistakes she did last
year. She is determined and resolute to correct and improve her self
every day. Secondly, the poetess resolves that she will think about her
identity.

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She will think twice a day who she really is? What are her responsibilities
in this world? Thirdly, the poetess pledges that she will decide to face the
reality of her life. She will think over her shortcomings and blunders with a
cool mind. She decides to feel ashamed of her mistakes that were done
before. She will never desire to remain in a dream world. She will face the
bitter reality of life with a stout heart. In this way, she will welcome the
new year with new zeal and zest.

Question No 6 :- Discuss the literary qualities of the poem New

Year Resolutions

Answer:- The poem is a criticism of those people who lead their lives
without aims. They do not make plans for the future. The poem is a satire
on the lazy people. They do not want to face the reality of this world. The
poet expresses her views that are based on the resolutions of the poetess.
Through her resolutions and decisions, The poetess wants to convey the
moral message of the poem.

She says that human beings should live their lives according to the set
rules. They must analyze their past and make good plans for a better
future. The language of the poem is simple but impressive. The word
Purgation is a medical term.

It means cleaning a wound from a germ. But poetess has used this term
for cleansing the human shortcomings which are also like germs. The
poem is based on realistic subject matter.

According to the poetess, life must spend consciously and with a sense of
discipline. In this poem, Reality has been personified with a solace
companion. The Potess sleeps in the company of reality. The poem is
serious with a realistic theme

Question No 7 :- What is the moral or central idea of the poem?

Answer:- “New Year Resolutions” is a thought-provoking poem. In this

poem, the poetess gives us an important message. She believes that life
is temporary but we should spend life doing productive works. She says
that we must take stock of our past life.We must analyze our weaknesses
at the beginning of the new year. Self-examination will help us to correct
ourselves. The poem criticizes that people are lazy and have no aims or
goals in their lives. They are not decisive by nature.

They do not make decisions for the future. They do not want to face
the reality of this world. They do not make aims and resolution in their
lives. This poem presents a philosophical lesson. The poetess urges us to
examine our past deeds. It advises us to be always ready to correct

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ourselves. We must face the bitter things in a sincere manner. We must
work for the betterment of our country and fellow beings.

We must analyze our deeds twice in a day. We must accept the harsh
realities of life with a smiling face. We should not be discouraged after
facing difficult situations in our life. We must welcome the new year with a
stout heart.

4. Woman Work
By Maya Angelou
Questions and Answers
Question NO. 1:- What are some of the domestic chiores a woman
has to do daily as presented in the poem ?

Answe: Of course, a domestic woman which she has to perform daily. Of

a domestic woman. Maya Angelou has presented the domestic works
Daily domestic chores are the part and parcel of the daily routine First of
all the most important domestic work is the taking care of small children.
The mending and repair work of the clothes is also an important daily
work of a woman. The other domestic routine work is the cleaning of the
floors and the household shopping. As the poetess has made it very clear
in the following poetic lines

“I ’ve got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The poetess further mentions Chemomestic chores among which the

cooking is the most important Even some times guests also arrive which is
an extra domestic that a woman has to do. Pressing the clothes is another
regular kind of work that a woman has to do. See the following lines of the
poēzit in this connection:-

“Then chicken to fry

The baby to dry

I got company to feed

I’ve got the shirts to press”

Above are the domestic chores that a domestic woman has to do daily.

Question NO 2 :-What are the themes of the poem “Woman

Work”?

18
Answer:- -The poem “Woman Work” has two main themes. Central of the
poem moves around the daily routine of the life .There are so many
themes that deal with every human being of the universe in this poem.
First of all boredom is that caused due to the daily mechanical work by a
woman. This theme is quite visible in the following lines of the poem
where the poetess shows her compulsion to perform them She writes:-

“I’ve got the children trend

The clothes to mend

And again see the given lines, which also speak out the feelings of
boredom on the part of the poetess:-

“The cane to be cut

I got to clean up this hut”

The second important theme of the poem is love for nature and the
soothing influence of nature on a man full of boredom due to machine like
routine. The woman in the poem makes it clear when she after feeling
boredom, wants to enjoy the company of nature. She says:-

“Shine on me, sunshine

Rain on me, rain

Fall softly, dew drops

And cool my brow again

She addresses and teats the various elements or forces of nature, the sun,
the curving sky, mountains, oceans, leaves, claiming the stones, the start
shine and the moon glow as animate things, claiming that they all are her
companions.

Thus she closely associates herself with these beautiful elements of

nature and identifies herself with them. To give a touch of joy and poetry
to her ordinary prosaic life, she is very keen to lose and find herself
among these elements of nature. In short, feelings of boredom by a
mechanical work and relief by nature are the two important theme of the
poem.

Question No 3:- Why does the working woman in the poem,

Woman Work make a passionate appeal to nature?

Answer:- Woman Work is a beautiful poem written by Maya Angelou. In

this poem, she tells the readers about a serious and important fact about

19
those women who pass their lives doing house-hold chores. Such a
woman is being represented by the poetess herself. She calls the
elements of nature to get freshness from their company. She wants to
enjoy the warmth of sunshine and the coolness of rain.

She wants to feel cool and soft-touch of dew drops on her face. Fall
gently snowflakes, And cover me with White, let me float across
the sky, Till I can rest again. The domestic woman calls the elements
of nature because the members of her family do not treat her well. She
wishes to be in the company of her past friends like sun, rain, mountain,
oceans, leaves, star-shine, and moon glow for refreshment and peace of
mind.

”Mountains, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow

You are all that I can call my own”

The poetess has personified different objects of nature to show their

importance. Therefore, the household woman wants to enjoy rain,
sunshine, mountains, and snowflakes to overcome her monotony and
boredom. She needs a break to refresh herself. She knows that Nature
has a healing effect. Between the lines, she is criticizing the male-
dominated world. She means that these natural objects are beneficial for
all creatures without discrimination.

Question No 4:- The poem Woman Work deals with the boredom
felt in our daily life and especially by women. Discuss.

Answer:- This poem has been written by Maya Angelou. She is a living
poetess. Most of her poetry deals with the problems and status of women
in the male dominant society. In this poem, she describes the routine life
of a domestic woman. A housewife remains busy in her domestic chores.
She performs her all responsibilities without any complaint. But her
routine life has made her rebel. She intends to enjoy the company of
nature.

She is not satisfied with her family members. She rejects the male
dominant society and shows her love for natural objects. She thinks that
only nature and its aspects can provide her with mental and physical
pleasure. She invokes natural objects to enjoy the rain, sunshine,
dewdrops, and gentle flakes of snow. A domestic woman is so much tired
of the monotony of her household life that she wants to escape from such
a life.

She requests the storm to take her away from her dull and colorless
world. She seems to be tired of the daily routine of life. She wants to

20
reach some remote corner of the world where she can enjoy some
moments of rest, peace, and pleasure again. She desires to take a rest for
some time in the company of nature. She wishes to fly with a storm wind
into the open sky. She wishes to be among mountains, oceans, leaves and
stones, starshine, and moonlight. She wants to change her dull and boring
life into a charming adventure.

5. THE REBEL
Questions and Answers
Q1:- Discuss the elements of humor and satire in the poem. Do
you think the poet is stirring the rebels or the ridiculous trivial
behavior of the so-called normal people?

Answer:- -The poet has drawn a humorous portrait of a rebel. It is meant

to be funny, amusing and comical. The rebel is merely a social oddity and
poses no serious threat to society. He is not fighting against or refusing to
serve the established government. He is not resisting authority or control.

The rebel is merely trying to be different in some minor ways from the
general current of the time.”Elements of Humor and Satire in Rebel” is
very much. He just wants to be different from the crowd. It is his own way
individualistic way of appealing to society to grant him recognition. He is
perhaps passing through a period of transition of adolescence when he is
self-conscious and is worried about other people’s opinions of reactions.

The poet has expressed his view point that the pseudo-rebel does
no doubt behave in an odd, complex and contradictory manner but he
does so simply for his self-assertion and self-exhibition as he is neither
vicious nor dangerous. He simply wants to be prominent among other
people through his odd and contradictory behavior and conduct.

The poet perhaps has all these factors in mind when he takes a light
hearted and hilarious view of the rebel. The humor result from the manner
in which he arranges the pairs of opposites; short hair\long hair; sun\rain;
fantastic\sober; dogs\cats.

Elements of Humor and Satire in Rebel:-

It would not be correct to say that the poet is satirizing the rebels. He is
more inclined to make fun of the trivial behavior of the so called normal
people. The rebel is neither a revolutionary nor a militant that the poet
should be censorious in his case. It can therefore, be safely said that
picture drawn by the poet is a humorous rather than a satirical one.

21
Q : 2 Summary of Rebel poem by D.J Enright or Critical
Summary of the Rebel poem by D.J Enright or Write detail Summary of the Rebel poem
by D.J Enright.

Answer:- The Rebel poem Critical Summary suggests that the poet is in
favor of rebels. This poem “The Rebel” reveals us a glimpse of the outlook
of a rebel . The rebel in the public is one who wants to be different from
others ,he is strange man. He believes in self-contention. When the people
wants to have short hair, the rebel’s desire his hair should be long. When
the people love to have long hair, the rebel has short hair. When the
people are busy in conversation or meeting, the rebel sits keep quietly .
But when two people are look silent, he makes a disturbance by making a
noise. When the people dress in a uniform or simple dress, the rebel
allows himself to puts on far-fetched costume. But when the people begin
wearing fantastic clothes, the rebel dresses soberly.

When the people admire dogs, the rebel expresses preference for cats.
But in the company of cat-lovers, he talks in favor of dogs. When the
people pay tribute to the sun, the rebel discusses of the want for rain. But
when every body welcomes the rain, he regrets at apologetic the
deficiency of the sun. When the people go to attend some assembly, he
stays at home to read a book. But when the people hang about at home
to read books, the rebel prepares to go to the meeting. When every body
says “Yes” to something, the rebel’s word is “No.” But when the people
utter “No,” he says “Yes”. In the end, the poet says that it is good to have
rebels, otherwise life will become dull.

These are rebels who life make colorful and enjoyable otherwise life will
become dull and drub .It is very good we have rebels .The poet has drawn
a humorous portrait of a rebel. It is meant to be funny, amusing and
comical. The rebel is merely a social oddity and poses no serious threat to
society. He is not fighting against or refusing to serve the established
government. He is not resisting authority or control. The rebel is merely
trying to be different in some minor ways from the general current of the
time. ”

Elements of Humor and Satire in Rebel” is very much. He just wants to be

different from the crowd. It is his own way individualistic way of appealing
to society to grant him recognition. He is perhaps passing through a
period of transition of adolescence when he is self-conscious and is
worried about other people’s opinions of reactions.

The poet has expressed his view point that the pseudo-rebel does no
doubt behave in an odd, complex and contradictory manner but he does
so simply for his self-assertion and self-exhibition as he is neither vicious

22
nor dangerous. He simply wants to be prominent among other people
through his odd and contradictory behavior and conduct.

The poet perhaps has all these factors in mind when he takes a light
hearted and hilarious view of the rebel. The humor result from the manner
in which he arranges the pairs of opposites; short hair\long hair; sun\rain;
fantastic\sober; dogs\cats.

Q 3:- Discuss the elements of humor and satire in the poem. Do

you think the poet is stirring the rebels or the ridiculous trivial
behavior of the so-called normal people?

Answer:- Elements of Humor and Satire in Rebel:-

It would not be correct to say that the poet is satirizing the rebels. He is
more inclined to make fun of the trivial behavior of the so called normal
people. The rebel is neither a revolutionary nor a militant that the poet
should be censorious in his case. It can therefore, be safely said that
picture drawn by the poet is a humorous rather than a satirical one.

Having read the whole poem The REBEL it becomes clear that the poet
says that it is very good we have rebels otherwise life will become dull
and drub. And this narrates the ‘Critical Summary” of the poem “The
Rebel”

Question No. 4:- Discuss and explain the main theme or subject -
matter or the central idea of the poem, “ The Rebel” by D. J.
Enright. or “ It is very good that we have rebels you may not find
it very good to be one ”. Discuss and explain with ref. to the
poem, ” The Rebel ”by D. J. Enright.

Answer:- The rebel is not vicious or dangerous as his attitude and

conduct are harmlessly motivated either by a sense of inferiority and
insecurity or by his self-assertion or self-exhibition. He is, therefore, not a
real rebel but only a pseudo-rebel. The poet concludes the poem by
saying:

“It is very good that we have rebels

You may not find it very good to be one.’

The poet has tried to persuade and urge upon us to develop tolerance for
the rebels and bear with their eccentric attitude to be different from other
people, who are governed by a mass mind. There is undoubtedly the
element of humor and mild satire in the poem, but the poet has not
satirized the pseudo rebel, but the ridiculously normal or sane people
towards the rebel. The poet has expressed his view point that the pseudo-

23
rebel does, no doubt, behave in an odd, complex and contradictory
manner but he does so simply for his self-assertion and self-exhibition, as
he is neither vicious nor dangerous.

He simply wants to be prominent among other people through his

odd and contradictory behavior and conduct. The poet has advised us to
tolerate the odd and contradictory behaviour of the pseudo-rebels and
allow them to show off their individuality if it is harmless to other
members of the society in which they live.

At the end, the poet asks us to see if a rebel is not sitting in our own mind,
because we do not like to be a rebel. This is the main theme of this poem
which has been presented in a humorous and light satirical vein.

Question No 5:- Bring out the element of humor and irony in the
poem, The Rebel. Or

Q:- Do you find any element of humor and satire in the poem, The
Rebel? Or

Q:-Discuss the element of humor and satire in D.J Enright’s poem

The Rebel.

Answer:- The poem The Rebel is remarkable for its amusing humor and
mild satire. There is no hatred or hidden ill-will in the humor. The humor is
treated through the funny behavior and anti-tradition attitude of the rebel.
The humor in the poem is because of the very strange and personal ways
of the rebel. His different phases or stages of life make us laugh. His
physical appearance, talk, and behavior are simply laughable.

His contradictory actions make us laugh. We find him moody but a

peaceful person. The poet has humorously presented the character of a
rebel in society. The contrast between the rebel and society is funny and
ridiculous. The poem satirizes the self-assertive nature of the rebel.
Besides, it draws a dull picture of the behavior of common people. The
majority of the people think and act alike. They are like robots. This is
highly condemnable.

The poem is a satire on the people. All of us are self-assertive at

certain times. We want to show off our individuality. Hence, the poet is in
reality criticizing the behavior of normal people. The rebel is actually in
conflict with the duplicity or fraud of these people. He is honest and
dependable in comparison. He is a foil( person who makes prominent or
clear the qualities of another person by comparison) to the deceptiveness
of other people.

24
Question No 6:- Discuss the contradictory attitude of the rebel. Or

Q :- Explain all that others do and rebel does not do. Or

Q:- D.J Enright’s portrait of a rebel is keen, subtle, and witty.

Elaborate.

Anwer:- The poet has presented the picture of a rebel in this poem. The
rebel is a young man. He wants to assert himself. He behaves differently
from others. He always acts against the set traditions of society. He
always violates moral values and social norms. Rebel is always different
from other members of society. His habits, manners, interests, and
activities form others. For example, when people grow long hair, the rebel
likes to have short hair and when everybody has short hair he grows his
hair long.

When all students are silent in the class the rebel makes a noise and
when others talk during the lesson, he keeps quiet. When everybody is
dressed in uniform, the rebel wears fantastic clothes. When other wear
beautiful dress, he puts on the uniform. The poet says that a rebel is a
non-traditional person. He loves dogs when others love cats. When others
show preference for dogs, he shows affection for cats. He wishes for rain,
when everybody likes sun and when everybody likes rain, he longs for
sunshine.

The poet says that a rebel brings novelty in our dull and monotonous
life. If a person walks towards you, and you walk backward away, a
situation like that of rebel arises. It creates humor and fun. The rebel tries
to hold the mirror to them to show to the world that they are respectable
in name only. The poet satirizes the so-called decent people. These
people only pretend to others by keeping short hair, keeping silent in
classes, wearing simple and sober clothes, and by speaking and behaving
in courteous ways.

6. PATRIOT INTO TRAITER

By Robert Browning
Questions and Answers
Question No 1:- Write a Summary on Patriot into Traitor Poem.

Answer:- First of all I will explain the first part of the question ‘Thus I
entered” this phrase actually tells the past of the leader. He was warmly
welcomed when he entered victoriously in the country. People welcomed
him very enthusiastically. See the following lines in this connection;

25
“It was roses, roses, all the way

With myrtle mixed in my path like mad

The house roofs seemed to heave and sway”

But after it the hero becomes to Zero in the eyes of the people Dramatic
monologue is actually a form of poetry where in a single character speaks
in a mood of severe passion and emotion and with help of it we will see
the summary of the poem “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR”. Yes ,there is no
doubt about the truth of the statement in the question that the situation
in the poem is just like the political situations in the Asian countries.

A here and leader is celebrated with a lot of love and enthusiasm. It is

clear from the following line of the poem. Asian people or Asian countries
situation almost prove to be very cruel when a leader takes off his
position, same is the case can be seen in“ Patriot into traitor ”Political
Conditions in all Asian countries in is same as in Patriot into traitor poem
just they have different name but their system are same

“Patriot into traitor”

“It was roses, roses all the way”

If a reader takes this poem “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” in the sense of

its summary .In the same manner when an Asian political hero comes in a
city or area the people celebrate the arrival in a very befitting manner.
They decorate the way streets, bazaars. As in this poem the people stand
on the walls and roofs of the houses and on to the walls in the same
manner people in Asian countries stand on the walls and roofs of the
houses. They even climb over the trees to have a look of their favorite
leader. The situation in the following lines of the poem is just like the
position, which prevails in the Asian countries;

All Asian Countries Political Conditions:

“The air broke into a mist with bells,

The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries”

Like the situation in the poem the people of Asian countries like Pakistan,
and the summary of poem “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” can analyzed in
this sense. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and India are ready to do every
difficult work or give any sacrifice on the call of their leader. But the hero
of Asian countries becomes a traitor like the political leader in the poem
when another ruler takes over the government.

26
 Then with the Asian political leader the behavior of the people becomes
just like the hero of the poem. So, end of the poem we can say that
Political Conditions in all Asian countries in is same as in Patriot into
traitor poem.

This is the most important line of the poem which sums up the whole
story of the political leader in the poem. First of all I will explain the first
part of the question ‘Thus I entered” this phrase actually tells the past of
the leader. He was warmly welcomed when he entered victoriously in the
country. People welcomed him very enthusiastically. See the following
lines in this connection;

“It was roses, roses, all the way

With myrtle mixed in my path like mad

The house roofs seemed to heave and sway”

When the leader comes into the country, in the same manner when an
Asian political hero comes in a city or area the people celebrate the arrival
in a very befitting manner. They decorate the way streets, bazaars. As in
this poem the people stand on the walls and roofs of the houses and on to
the walls in the same manner people in Asian countries stand on the walls
and roofs of the houses.

They even climb over the trees to have a look of their favorite leader. The
situation in the following lines of the poem is just like the position, which
prevails in the people rang bells to welcome him. Walls were trembling
due to the over burden of the people standing on them. See the following
lines of the poem for reference;

“The air broke into a mist with bells,

The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries”

The second part of the statement is “Thus I go” which means the present
condition of the leader. Now there is no crowd, no roses, no bells are
ringing because a usurper has gotten the control of the country. He has
announced that the leader is a traitor. People are throwing stones at him.
So the past and present are actually “Thus I entered and thus I go”. Do
you think the situation in the poem “Patriot into traitor” is just like the
political conditions in all Asian countries?

Question No 2 :- Discuss the poem as a dramatic monologue.

Q :- What does the poet mean when in the poem he says “Thus I
entered and thus I go”?

27
Answer:- Let us first of all explain two important words namely
“Dramatic” and “Monologue”. The word dramatic is derived from the noun
drama. Which means conflict and the word monologue consists two parts
“Mono and Logue”. Mono means self or single and” Logue” means speech.
So let us first of all point out the main characteristic of a dramatic
monologue. “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR”They are as under. If we, analyze
the summary of the “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” then,

First of all dramatic monologue has only one character that speaks out
throughout the story. So in the poem “Patriot into traitor” the single Poet
is the rejected and dejected political leader who speaks in the poem.

Secondly a dramatic monologue has a story which is also presented in the

poem. This story is about the rise and fall of the political leader. He sums
up history in the following line.

“Thus I entered, and thus I go”

Thirdly a dramatic monologue in “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” always

begins with suddenness which puts the reader in a suspense, which
compels the reader to know more and more. This poem also begins with
suddenness. Notice the lines below;

“It was roses, roses, all the way

With myrtle mixed in my path like mad”

Fourthly in a dramatic monologue the single character shows in high

emotions. In the poem the political leader is in his high emotional
dejected leader.

Lastly in a dramatic monologue the soul in action always ends hopefully.

The optimism of the rejected leader is very distinct and vivid. Keeping in
view all qualities of a dramatic monologue it becomes very clear that the
poem “Patriot into traitor” is completely a dramatic monologue.
Yes ,there is no doubt about the truth of the statement in the question
that the situation in the poem is just like the political situations in the
Asian countries.

A here and leader is celebrated with a lot of love and enthusiasm. It is

clear from the following line of the poem. Asian people or Asian countries
situation almost prove to be very cruel when a leader takes off his
position, same is the case can be seen in “Patriot into traitor “Political
Conditions in all Asian countries in is same as in Patriot into traitor poem
just they have different name but their system are same.

“Patriot into traitor”

28
 “It was roses, roses all the way”

If a reader takes this poem “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” in the

sense of its summary .In the same manner when an Asian political hero
comes in a city or area the people celebrate the arrival in a very befitting
manner. They decorate the way streets, bazaars. As in this poem the
people stand on the walls and roofs of the houses and on to the walls in
the same manner people in Asian countries stand on the walls and roofs
of the houses. They even climb over the trees to have a look of their
favorite leader. The situation in the following lines of the poem is just like
the position, which prevails in the Asian countries;

First of all I will explain the first part of the question ‘Thus I entered”
this phrase actually tells the past of the leader. He was warmly welcomed
when he entered victoriously in the country. People welcomed him very
enthusiastically. See the following lines in this connection.

“It was roses, roses, all the way

With myrtle mixed in my path like mad

The house roofs seemed to heave and sway”

Question No 3:-Discuss the poem as a dramatic monologue.

Answer:- -Dramatic monologue is actually a form of poetry where in a

single character speaks in a mood of severe passion and emotion in this
sense “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” is poem as Dramatic Monologue. Let
us first of all explain two important words namely “Dramatic” and
“Monologue”.

The word dramatic is derived from the noun drama. Which means conflict
and the word monologue consists two parts “Mono and Logue”. Mono
means self or single and” Logue” means speech. So let us first of all point
out the main characteristic of a dramatic monologue. “PATRIOT INTO
TRAITOR” They are as under.

First of all dramatic monologue has only one character that speaks out
throughout the story. So in the poem “Patriot into traitor” the single
Poet is the rejected and dejected political leader who speaks in the poem.

Secondly a dramatic monologue has a story which is also presented in the

poem. This story is about the rise and fall of the political leader. He sums
up history in the following line.

“Thus I entered, and thus I go”

29
Thirdly a dramatic monologue in “PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR” always
begins with suddenness which puts the reader in a suspense, which
compels the reader to know more and more. This poem also begins with
suddenness. Notice the lines below;

“It was roses, roses, all the way

With myrtle mixed in my path like mad”

Fourthly in a dramatic monologue the single character shows in high

emotions. In the poem the political leader is in his high emotional
dejected leader.

Lastly in a dramatic monologue the soul in action always ends hopefully.

The optimism of the rejected leader is very distinct and vivid. Keeping in
view all qualities of a dramatic monologue it becomes very clear that the
poem “Patriot into traitor” is completely a dramatic monologue.

Question No 4:- Does the poem Patriot into Traitor reflect the
mood of frustration and disillusionment?

Answer:- The poem reflects the mood of frustration and disillusionment

but that does not lead to pessimism in the end. It starts with apparent
pessimism and concludes in optimism and the reward by God in the next
life. The poet is justified to show the mood of frustration and
disillusionment because he describes the attitude of the people and the
peak of the glory being enjoyed by the ruler just a year ago.

The ruler in the poem was thought a patriot just a year ago and the
people were welcoming him enthusiastically. They were throwing rose
petals at him and the streets were filled with the people to see the
popular leader. So in this way that even the churches(sacred places) were
adorned which, we know, are not adorned except at the time of religious
celebrations and events. He had great care for the people and wanted to
do everything for them.

He tried to do whatever he could to help his people; even he could bring

the sun and the moon, i-e, he tried to do even impossible things for his
people when he was in authority but when he was dethroned people
drove him toward gallows for punishing him and he was called a traitor. It
was just disillusionment because that kind of treatment could not have
been expected, the least, by that ruler who was so famous. It was quite
unbelievable. A year ago, the very people were crying with joy. There was
a jingle of bells and they had spread flowers on his way.

30
How could they change themselves so suddenly just like a weathercock
after the coupe d’état. That was a sudden disillusionment for the leader
when the very people were throwing stones at him and there was nobody
to greet him. The few palsied ones because people had gone to see the
real show that was near shambles where the past patriot had to be
hanged. So, the tone of frustration, dissatisfaction, and disillusionment is
found there all the time the narrator of the story is telling the story of his
bad luck and the behavior of the world with him.

Question No 5 :- Discuss Patriot into Traitor as a dramatic

monologue?

Q:- Is the poem Patriot into Traitor a dramatic monologue.

Discuss

Q:- What is a monologue?

Answer:- A monologue is a speech delivered by a character when he is

alone on the stage. It is either an address to the audience or talking to
oneself. It can be called dramatic because it is replete with dramatic
irony. In a dramatic monologue also called a soliloquy the character
reveals his inner self. The poem, Patriot into Traitor is a dramatic
monologue because the deposed ruler is talking to himself. He tells about
his political rise and fall.

When he was in power, people honored and cheered him. But when he
was out of his power; they maltreated him, stoned him and considered
him a traitor, and ordered to hang him. His plans were sincere, bold, and
true. He did not hide anything. He criticized and condemned selfish
people. Now he expresses his full faith in God. He yearns for the final
decision of God on the day of judgment and hopes to be rewarded for his
good actions. The poem is an explicit example of a dramatic monologue.

Question No 6 :- Explain the contrast in the fate of the hero is

shown in the poem, Patriot into Traitor.

Q:- Why did the followers of the Patriot, when he was in power,
say: And afterward, what else?

Answer:- In this poem, the poet describes the tragic downfall of a political
leader. Two pictures of the same person have been shown. The first
picture is one year old and the second picture is the present one. The
patriot is presented there in both of them. people have to have a look at
him.

31
 One year ago, the political leader entered the city as a victorious
fellow. People welcomed him wholeheartedly. He was their hero. They
loved him. They honored him. They obeyed him. The paths were
decorated with flowers and the bells were being rung to welcomé him. If
he would have ordered the people to bring sun for him, they would bring.

Today, people have gathered at the shamble’s gate where he is going

to be hanged on the charge of being a traitor. He is bleeding due to the
stones thrown by the public. He will be killed for his so-called crime but he
hopes to get his reward in Heaven by the hands of God. And that reward
will be better than the reward of people.

Question No 7:- Patriot into Traitor ends at a note of optimism.

Elaborate.

Q:- The patriot is a great Explain.

Answer:- In this poem, the poet describes a political leader. Actually,

Robert Browning belongs to Victorian society. In the Victorian age, people
were selfish and greedy. They rejected the call of God. Even for their
worldly achievements they rejected the religious restrictions.

They did not believe in God and the eternal reward of God. The poet tries
to establish man’s faith in God. Through this poem, the poet advises the
people that they should only depend on God and His blessings. The world
cannot give anything to its fellow beings. As the political hero of this
poem, he faces many people of his own country who disgrace him. But he
is hopeful that God will give him a reward for his good deeds. He never
decreases his faith in God.

Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.

This line shows the strong belief of political hero in God and His merciful
nature. He thinks that reward of God is more valuable than that of worldly
people.

7. The Huntsman
By Edward Lowbury
Questions and Answers
Question No 1: Write detail Summary of the “THE HUNTSMAN”by
Edward Lowbury.

Answer:- The huntsman by Edward Lowbury is based on a Kenyan fold

tale. The poem teaches us a moral lesson that we should avoid talking

32
unnecessarily. The poet makes good use of irony and suspense. He
describes how Kagawa, the Huntsman, becomes the prey of his own
spear. The fact about the talking skull is full of suspense. The reader
remains curious about its response. Kahwa’s end is a fine example of the
irony of fate. Kagwa, a brave hunter, used to hunt lions in jungles.

Once he found a sull of man. He asked it humorously how it came there.

The skull replied that talking had brought it there. It meant that talking
needlessly brought about the death of the man whose skull it was. Kagwa
could not understand the underlying message and rushed to the king’s
court. He told the king about the talking skull.

The king said that he has never heard of such a skull. However, he
appointed two of his guards to accompany Kagawa and find the talking
skull. He also ordered them to kill Kagawa immediately if the skull spoke
nothing. Kagwa and the guards looked for the skull for many days and
nights.

Finally, they found it. Kagwa asked the skull how it came there. The skull
spoke nothing. He implored repeatedly but in vain. The guard beheaded
Kagawa there and then. Now the skull asked Kagawa how they came
there. Talking brought me here was Kagawa's reply.

Question No2 : Discuss the Suspense of the poem “The

Huntsman”.

Answer:- Now let us talk about suspense in this poem. The poem is full
of the elements of suspense. When Kagwa found the talking skull he
became excited and went into the court of the king. And the reader
thought that he would be rewarded but the situation was reversed.

The king sent his guards with him to find the talking skull, if it would not
speak and not to be found, Kagwa would be killed. Great elements of
suspense are created when the reader waited and saw what would
happen if the skull was not found. See the lines, which create suspense;

“They rode into the forest

For days and night they found nothing”

But the suspense becomes even more, strong when the skull is found but
it does not speak. See the lines which are full suspense;

“The skull said nothing, Kagwa implored

But the skull said nothing”

33
And the suspense is over when the guards order Kagwa to kneel down
and cut the head of Kagwa with sword and spear but ironically enough the
skull speaks. So keeping in view the above, it is justified to say that the
poem is full of the elements of suspense and irony.

Question No 3.Discuss in detail the use of elements of suspense

and irony in this poem?

The poet draws out attention to a tragic fact of life…

The huntsman becomes the hunted…The prey to cruel

remorseless fate. Discuss.

Answer:- The poet draws out attention to a tragic fact of life…

The huntsman becomes the hunted…The prey to cruel remorseless fate.

Discuss. It is true the poet has drawn attention towards a tragic fact of life
in the poem. In the poem a huntsman becomes the hunted in the hand of
cruel fate. Kagwa was the huntsman. He used to hunt lion and other wild
beasts. He becomes the victim of his own fate.

Although, he was very brave yet he was helpless before his cruel and
remorseless fate.Here the writer wants to tell us that sometimes a hunter
may prey by cruel and remorseless fate. for more detail click under blow
and visit our youtube channelMan is so strong but fate is even stronger. It
is right that “Man proposes God disposes”. Kagwa went into the jungle
and found a talking skull as we read from the poem.

But it was the fate of Kagwa that he could not understand the real
meanings of the sentences. He could not understand that “Speech is
silver but silence is gold”. The king said;

“Two of you go with him

And find the talking skull

But if his tale is a lie

And the skull speaks no word

This Kagwa himself must die”

Unfortunately his fate was against him. He went into the forest again
with great difficulty. They found the skull. But when Kagwa said to it to
speak, it did not speak. Again the king ordered Kagwa;

“Kneel down

They killed him with sword and spear”

34
After the killing of Kagwa the skull spoke again it was his cruel fate, which
did not allow the skull to speak. But after the death of Kagwa, the skull
spoke out;

“Then the skull opened its mouth

Huntsman, how did you come here?”

But his cruel fate has done the remorseless act. And Kagwa was dead
silent, as he was the prey to his cruel and remorseless fate.

Question No 4:-Discuss in detail the use of elements of suspense

and irony in this poem?

Answer:- Suspense means the curiosity to know what would happen in

coming days or moments. Irony means the difference between
appearance and reality.So the waiting state about something is suspense
and what we think and what actually happens is irony.Suspense and Irony
In “THE HUNTS MAN” is on top.

Suspense And Irony In THE HUNTS MAN:-

Now it is easy to talk in detail about irony and suspense after the
definition of both the literary terms. The very title of the poem is ironical
because it is not the huntsman actually it is the hunted one. Because
Kagwa was the huntsman but he himself became the victim of his cruel
fate. Secondly Kagwa thought that he would be rewarded when he would
tell about the talking skull to the king that was why he ran to tell the king.

“Kagwa hurried home;

Went to the king’s chair and spoke

In the forest I found a talking skull”

But unfortunately he is killed and not rewarded because when he

reached into the forest the skull did not speak.

“Kagwa said to it, how did you come here?

The skull said nothing, Kagwa implored,

But the skull said nothing

And the guards said “Kneel down”

They killed him with sword and spear”

Suspense:-

35
Now let us talk about suspense in this poem. The poem is full of the
elements of suspense. When Kagwa found the talking skull he became
excited and went into the court of the king. And the reader thought that
he would be rewarded but the situation was reversed. The king sent his
guards with him to find the talking skull, if it would not speak and not to
be found, Kagwa would be killed. Great elements of suspense are created
when the reader waited and saw what would happen if the skull was not
found. See the lines, which create suspense;

“They rode into the forest

For days and night they found nothing”

But the suspense becomes even more, strong when the skull is found
but it does not speak. See the lines which are full suspense;

“The skull said nothing, Kagwa implored

But the skull said nothing”

And the suspense is over when the guards order Kagwa to kneel down
and cut the head of Kagwa with sword and spear but ironically enough the
skull speaks. So keeping in view the above, it is justified to say that the
poem is full of the elements of suspense and irony.

Question No 5:- The poem Huntsman is a blend of funny and

unfunny aspects of life the elements of suspense and irony create
a shocking impact. Do you agree? Explain your answer.

Q:- Discuss in detail the use of elements of suspense and irony in

the poem.

Q:- Write a note on the irony in The Huntsman.

Answer:- The poem The Huntsman deals with the elements of suspense
and irony. lt is written in a very simple and lucid style. The suspense and
irony improve the literary quality of the poem. Suspense means mental
and thrill. The poem The Huntsman is full of elements of suspense.

The suspense starts from the very beginning of the poem when Kagwa
finds a talking skull. Suspense goes on when Kagwa reaches the court of
the king. The readers cannot guess what will happen with Kagwa in the
future. But later suspense ends, when readers come to know that Kagwa
has died by his talkative nature.

Irony is a literary term, which means the difference between

appearance and reality In this poem, the irony of fate is hidden in the first

36
line; Kagwa hunted the lion.This line expresses the brave nature of
Kagwa.

Although Kagwa is physically a strong person yet in At the end of the

poem he is killed by his foolish talkative nature. So here irony reveals that
Kagwa appears to us as a brave person but he dies like a foolish person.

Question No 6:- Discuss the role of fate in the poem, The

Huntsman.

Answer:- The poem huntsman delineates the role of fate in man’s life in
a very attractive way. It also revolves around the more serious and
important thing in life, i-e, think before you speak but it also makes it
clear that man cannot escape fate. Kagwa, no doubt was very brave and
daring as he hunted lions in the forests all alone but he fell a helpless prey
to fate when he could not understand the message of the skull. The skull
explicitly told Kagwa that talking brought it there.

His talking frivolously brought about the death of that person but Kagwa’s
fate was also the same. He could have gone directly to his home, he could
have told about the talking skull to his close friend or to his wife if he had
comprehended the understandable message of the skull. But it was in the
fate of Kagwa to go to the king straight. He went to the king’s seat and
told the unbelievable thing that he had seen some talking Skull. The king
surely could not believe this kind of foolish and absurd tale.

The rulers are often offended easily, especially; when they are busy in
an important state matters. The same thing occurred and the king sent
Kagwa back royal guards with the order to kill Kagwa if his story proved.

Again we, the readers could not understand fate when the skull did not
utter a single word besides the requests of Kagwa. It was really horrible
and astonishing but it was the role of fate that is unavoidable. Kagwa had
to meet his fate, death, in this way, so he was unable to understand the
message of the skull.

Question No 7:- How did the Hunter get hunted in The

Huntsman?

Q:- The Huntsman does discover his blunder but too late.
Elaborate.

Q:- What is Kagwa’s story in The Huntsman?

Answer:- The poem The Huntsman explains the uncertainty of human life.
It proves that life is full of unexpected turns. Man is playing ball and
puppet in the hands of fate.

37
“As flies are to the wanton boys

Are we to gods?

They kill us for their sports ”

Shakespeare

If fate turns hostile, it destroys man. Kagwa fell a victim to a cruel fate.
Fate constantly plotted against him and brought about his death.

It is an irony of fate that he was killed with the same spear and sword
with which he used to hunt the lions. His hostile fate arranged a meeting
with him and the talking skull that proved killing. How many innocent
people like Kagwa fall prey to cruel fate. The irony of the poem is that a
brave man who hunted lions more powerful than himself was hunted
mercilessly by fate.

Question 8:- Discuss the moral lesson or basic theme of The

Huntsman

Answer:- The poem urges the readers to think about the value and
significance of human life. Is It really so worthless and futile? Does the
loss of human life bring no remorse(at all? Is man so helpless in front Of
unseen savage forces of nature? These questions naturally lead to
certain moral conclusions. Firstly the poem teaches us that we should
think before we speak. Secondly, we should not speak too much. Thirdly
we should not make haste.

Sometimes by our hasty nature, we become the victim of unexpected

dangers, So one should be very careful in his talking and actions.
Sometimes a little carelessness results in a horrible disaster. A man
should be very cautious about what he says and to whom he says. He
should be ready to face the consequences of his words and deeds. He
must accept responsibility for his behavior.

8. One Art
By Elizabeth Bishop
Questions and Answers
Question No 1:- The poetess Elizabeth Bishop in her poem ‘One
Art’ stresses upon the reader to learn the art of losing things. Do
you agree with her? Or

38
Q:- Do you agree with the poetess that the art of losing is not
hard to master? How can we master this art? Or

Q:- How can we master the art of losing? Discuss. Or

Q:- One Art is the art of losing: How can we master this art?
Explain.

Answer:- The poetess has repeated the line the art losing isn’t hard
to master four times in the poem. She advises us that the most trifling
incidents and the greatest disasters should be faced without tears.

The art of losing prepares us to face difficulties with a smiling face. Her
tone and attitude are mocking, non-serious, and frivolous but the
message is serious, sane, and sensible.

We agree with the poetess that the art of losing is not hard to master
because it is not only an art. It is just a careless attitude towards life. Life
is full of hardships, obstacles and losses.

Only our careless attitude can escape us from them. For example, the loss
of near and dear ones or the precious objects cannot be faced as easily
and lightly as the poetess claims.

But the question is, what we can do for the losses over which we have
no control? The wise answer is that we should learn to forget them. Is
there any best way except it? We should have acceptance and
resignation.

This will prove better for us. We can be mastered in this art easily if we
face the bitter realities of life with a stout heart. We should never forget
that through suffering. The art of losing prepares us to bear with the
greatest loss easily.

Question No 2:- Bring out the elements of satire, humor, and

irony in the poem.

Answer:- In her poem One Art, Elizabeth Bishop has beautifully

explained the elements of satire, humor, and irony. These elements are
given below one by one.

Satire

The poetess satirizes those people who become sad over the loss of petty
things or forget names. They ruin their health and happiness. They cannot
give up this habit. She wants to tell the people that they should not panic
at the loss of trivial things.

39
Humour

The humor in the poem is harmless. When she addresses her lover
and tells him that she won’t find it difficult to live with his loss. Here
she seems to be bluffing. She is only being humorous to increase
the appeal of her poem. We simply laugh at that time when poetess
says that a person should lose one thing every day. We also laugh
at such a person who learns the art of losing things by practice.

Irony

Irony means the difference between appearance and reality. The

poetess says The art of losing isn’t hard to master. If we analyze
this statement, we can say that she is saying the art of losing things is
very difficult. A person cannot be mastered in the art of losing things
easily.

In an ironic way, the poetess tells us that the art of losing things is
not difficult. A person can learn this art easily. In short from beginning
to end, the poem is full of the elements of satire, humor, and irony.

Question No 3:- According to the poetess, losses cannot bring any

you agree?

Answer :- Yes, I agree with the poetess that art of losing is not hard to
master, because everything is possible in this world and we can learn this
art with effect and struggle. It is also true that losses can’t bring any
disaster if we master the art of losing. One who has patience, can have
what he will. We should accept

Question No 4 :- What is the central idea or basic theme of the

poem “Ono Art” by Elizabeth Bishop?

Answer:- In this poem, the poetess has discussed a very important and
serious theme but the attitude is somewhat mocking and non-serious. She
has urged us to learn and master the art of losing things. We should
produce in us a spirit of acceptance and resignation. The less cf the door
keys or loss of an empire should be accepted with a smile on our face. It is
only in this way that the loses its bitterness and we form a healthy
attitude to face the odds of our life is full ci pains, troubles, losses
disasters and success.

She believes that life is full of hardships and miseries- The art of accepting
difficulties is not difficult but requires patience end resignation. We should
overcome the problems of life if we want to live a peaceful life. We
should not be sad over the loss of things. The poetess advises us to lose

40
something everyday end then develop the courage to tolerate it.
Sometimes we feel grieved end ruined over little losses and make our life
miserable.

But if we make it a habit to lose and not care about it, it would
develop in us a healthy approach towards the ups and downs of life. The
poem carries a message. It teaches us that we should practice losing
things quickly and frequently. We should not cry over the loss of petty
losses. We can live happier and in our life if we are masters in the art of
losing.

9. The Solitary Reaper

By William Wordsworth
Questions and Answers
Question No 1 :- The Solitary Reaper William Wordsworth
summary orWrite note critical summary of the poem The Solitary
Reaper William Wordsworth. or Brief note The Solitary Reaper
William Wordsworth. or As far as The Solitary Reaper poem by
William Wordsworth summary is concerned

Answer:- “The Solitary Reaper” is one of the best lyrics written by

William Wordsworth it is by sweet songs of Wordsworth. A particular
occasion in a tranquil mood gave birth to this poem. Wordsworth was in
the tendency of having long lonely walks through the hills. Once he
happens to cross a distant valley in Scotland. There he observes a lonely
highland girl. The girl was functioning by herself in the field and was
singing a gloomy song.

The lonely singer looked to be a part of the loveliness of Nature. The

whole atmosphere was full of her cute tone. For Wordsworth, it was a
pleasant experience of beauty. Wordsworth links the sweet song of the
girl with those of the nightingale and the cuckoo. He considers the song of
the girl was more exciting and charming than the songs of these two
birds. Wordsworth is of the solitary usual to the song.

The poet does not know the subject matter of the poem. He
calculates that the song concerns old dejected things. It may speak about
some battles of the past, or some daily relationships of life, or some
sorrow, loss or pain. Anyhow, the poet is able to welcome the melody in
the tunes. The song impresses the poet so much that he keeps music in
his mind for a long time.

41
Question No. 2: The poem deals with a common beautifully in
verse. Can tou identify experience of life ‚ till poet recounts it the
artistic merit of the verses‚ which makes the whole poem a thing
of beauty? The theme‚ language‚ rhyming and metaphors and
similes used in the poem.

Answer:- There is no doubt about the statement of the question, which

states the the poem deals with a common experience of life but treatment
of the common experience by the poet has made j a thing of real beauty”:
I accept the idea fully and would like to prove the truth of the statement.

First of all let us talk about the thematic value of the poem. We notice that
the cutting of the crop by the Highland girl is very common day today
experience. But it is clear that the poet has not talked about the size,
colour, height and external features of the girl. He has only talked about
the movements of the girl with her song. As it is clear from the lines
written below by the poet:-

“Behold her, single in the field

Yon solitary, Highland lass

Reaping and singing by herself”

Besides, the theme, whatever it is, is very charming and attractive

because the voice of the girl is actually the soul and spirit of nature. So it
is because for him, nature is a mother, teacher and friend for the poet. So
the theme is of great importance for the poet that is why the song is the
voice of nature. About the thematic value the poet himself says:-

“Whatever the theme, the Maiden song

As if her song could have no ending”

Now let us talk about the language used by the poet, which gives a
beautiful impression and dress to a common experience of life. The
language of the poem is very simple, thought provoking and charming. As
William Wordsworth himself says in his most celebrated poetic book “The
Lyrical Ballads” that “the language of the common village people should
be the language of poetry”. He has presented the same simple and direct
language in the poem. For example see the lines given below:-

“Will no one tell me what she sings?

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things

42
And battles long ago”

The poet has used a very beautiful rhyming scheme in de poem, which
has made the common experience of life very melodious and charming.
See the words given below which give a lot of musicality to the common
experience of life. Lass, pass, grain, strain, profound, sound, chant, bands,
sands, heard, bird, seas. Hebrides, sings, things, flow, ago, lay, today,
pain, again, ending, bending, still, hill, bore, more. The poet has also used
very beautiful metaphors and similes in the poem, which give the
common experience of life a special treatment, which has made the poem
a thing of beauty. Below are the metaphors and the similes. The following
lines have beautiful metaphor in them:-

“O listen: for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound”

In the above lines the valley has been metaphorically called a cup which is
overflowing with the voice of the girl. See the following lines which are full
of similes and the voice of the girl has been called superior to the voice of
nightingale and cuckoo:

“No nightingale ever chant

More welcome notes to wary bands

A voice so thrilling nev’r was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo bird”

Question NO 3:- Write an explantion wit he reference to the

context of the following lines

Answer:-

“The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.”

Reference:

These lines have been taken the poem “The Solitary Reaper” by William
Wordsworth.

Context:

In this poem the poet has presented his beautiful experience of his
meeting with a Highland girl in Scotland. The poet is so much impressed

43
by the singing and working activities that the beautiful poem. The song of
the girl is very melodious than the songs of Cuckoo and nightingale.

Explanation:

In these given lines, the poet says that the song of the girl was so sweet
that the poet stored the song in his memory and heart. Many years have
been gone by yet the poet still enjoys the sweetness and melody of the
song. Actually these lines show the importance of memory and
imaginations in human life.

Memory plays vital role in words worth’s poetry. He says that many years
have been passed away yet the song of girl, which was the soul of nature,
is still fresh-in his, heart. Even now when he recounts the song of the girl,
he feels immense pleasure Its appeal is permanent for the poet.

Question No 4:- The poem deals with a common experience of life.

Discuss.

Q:- Describe the scene presented in this poem.

Answer:- The Solitary Reaper is a personal poem in which the poet

has narrated his personal experience. During his tour to Scotland, he
happened to see the solitary reaper. She was reaping the crop and singing
a song. She appeared a part of the beauty of nature. Her lovely presence
and enchanting voice forced the poet to write this visit in verse. The poet
compared the melody of the girl’s voice with that of the singing
nightingale. Her song was more soothing than that of the nightingale.

Her voice was thrilling. It was more thrilling than the voice of the cuckoo
bird which broke the silence of the seas in the spring season. Though the
poet could not understand the song of the girl yet he guessed that song
was true in its nature. The poet was impressed by the song that he could
not forget it in his future life. She was a simple rustic girl. Her presence
and physical appearance were simple. She was not a modern lady. But the
poet was inspired by the song she presented.

He considered her a part of nature. She was as beautiful as natural

surroundings. Her song appeared to be unending to the poet. For all these
reasons we can say that the poem deals with the common experience of
life. Most of the words used are from everyday life experiences, field, lass,
cuts, thrilling, matter, sorrow, maiden, music, etc having musical as well
as thrilling matter, sorrow, maiden as pictorial qualities.

Question No 5 :- What is the significance of the song in the

Solitary Reaper?

44
Q:- Discuss the central idea of the poem, The Solitary Reaper.

Q:- The poem leaves a lasting impression on the poet’s mind.

Discuss

Q:- Why does Wordsworth call the Solitary Reaper’s song A

melancholy strain?

Q:- How has the poet used the idea of association and
memories?

Answer:- The solitary reaper in the poem was reaping or cutting the crop
and then singing beautifully while continuing her work. She was all alone
in the mountain valley and only the poet could see her and listen to her.
Wordsworth was a romantic poet. He was highly imaginative and could
feel the beauties of nature in unusual ways. He could appreciate the fine
shades of a singing voice in romantic mountainous surroundings. The
voice of the highland girl left a soothing impact on the poet’s mind. The
most forceful lines of this poem are:

“The music in my heart I bore

Long after it was heard no more”

Wordsworth felt that the Scottish girl was singing a melancholy song.
Again he called her verses or song plaintive. He did not understand her
language. He did not know what the song was about. He liked it because
of its sad and serious and sweet tone or music. The poet was so much
impressed by the music of the girl’s song. Although his meeting with the
girl was temporary yet he remembered her song and music in his later
life. Her song and voice became the permanent source of pleasure for the
poet.

It was an unforgettable incident of his life. He remembered her personality

and song in his rushed life. This memory gave him a soothing impact. The
girl’s song created a connection between its note and the poet’s inner
sadness.

Question No 6:- The Solitary Reaper by Wordsworth is a romantic

poem. Discuss.

Q:- What are the elements of romanticism in The Solitary

Reaper? Elaborate.

Answer:- The Solitary Reaper is a romantic poem. It has all the

elements of romantic poetry.

45
Firstly, the poem deals with the life of common people. In this poem, a
highland girl is a common girl. She is innocent and lovely. Secondly, the
poem is full of romantic images as the field, reaping and singing, alone
she cuts, highland lass, Arabian sands, springtime, etc.Thirdly, the poem
is written in simple and direct language. Fourthly, the girl is a
representative of pure natural beauty. She appears in the poem as an
object of nature. As Wordsworth is a famous poet of nature so he
describes the effect of nature on the human mind.

According to him nature never betrays the heart of a lover who loves
all-natural beautiful scenes. Nature is always a source of pleasure and joy
for human beings. The poem is one of the most beautiful and romantic
poems of Wordsworth as almost all main characteristics of romanticism
are found in it.

Like all the romantic poets Wordsworth also has a keen interest in the
long ago, remote, and far off places. Here he ponders on the theme of the
song but is at a loss to understand it. He likes to think that the song may
be about some battles long ago.

“Far old, unhappy, far-off things

And battles long ago”

The atmosphere of the surroundings where the girl is singing is full

of strange loneliness. The valley in which the young girl is reaping and
singing a sad song is a far-off place. It is beyond the common experience
of life. The young girl has a sweet voice but she is singing a melancholy
song.

“A voice so thrilling nev’r was heard

In springtime from the cuckoo bird”

The subjective feelings, love of nature, and sad mood of the poet indicate
that it is a romantic poem. Lyricism, pictorial quality, romantic
atmosphere, and sad sentiments are the main feature of this poem.

10. All the world's a stage

By William Shakespeare
Questions and Answers
Question No 1 :- All the world ’s stage detail summary.

46
Answer :- William Shakespeare is a great writer and artist of the 16th
century. He studied human nature comprehensively. He has studied
human nature and life quite objectively. Shakespeare called this world a
stage and all human beings are just their characters. All human beings
perform their respective roles and quit this world. This poem describes
that life is like a journey and all human beings are travelers. He has cover
seven stages to complete this journey. When he completes one stage or
goal, he enters into another stage or goal. Everybody in this world
performs seven roles and completes the journey of life.

In the first stage, a man appears as a child in the world. As a child, he

is a helpless creature. He cries in the arms of this nurse for one reason or
the other. He cries and vomits. In the second stage of life, he becomes a
school-going boy. He goes to school with a bag hanging around his
shoulders. He goes to school creeping like a snail. He goes to the school
unwillingly.

In the third stage, a man plays the role of a lover. he grows into a
young man full of desires. ambitions and dreams. He becomes a romantic
young man. He falls in love and sighs like a furnace In the fourth stage, he
becomes a soldier. In this stage, he is emotional and jealous. He is ready
to do any task for fame and reputation. He quarrels with others for grace
and honor.

In the fifth stage, he becomes a judge. In this stage, he becomes

mature and experienced. The heat of his youth completely cooled down
and he becomes very realistic. He wants to get money and wants to be
rich. he begins to accept bribes and thus adds much to his material
comfort. His belly becomes round. He eats healthy fowls and cocks
presented to him as bribes.

In the sixth stage, man grows old. he looks quite ridiculous in his
movements. He wears glasses because his eyesight is weak. His shoes
become wide for his feet. His voice suffers a change. It becomes a shrill
and quivering whistle.

Then man plays the final role of his life. here we find him turned into a
child once again. He seems to forget everything. He becomes toothless.
His eyesight weakens and he is deprived of taste. He is ready to leave this
world. In this way, man completes the journey of life.

Question No 2 :- What are the seven stages of man?

Answer:- -William Shakespeare is the universal writer of English

literature. He himself was an actor and took part in many of the stage
dramas of his time. His approach and observations are very sharp and

47
sound. In this poem “SEVEN STAGE IN ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE”, he
has presented the seven ages of man’s life which are so real and
believable that no one can refute them. According to him man has the
following seven stages.

First of all he says man’s first stage is the age of a milk sucking child.
And this stage is very real and acceptable. See the lines of the first stage,
which are so real and impressive;

“At first the infant

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms”

The second stage is also very impressive and accurate. In the second
stage the poet conveys the reluctance of a school going boy in a beautiful
manner;

“And then the whining school boy, with his satchel,

And shining morning face creeping like snail

Unwilling to school”

The third stage is the stage of the intensity of emotion in which the lover
shows his emotion. The lover loves his beloved with great emotions. See
the third stage by Shakespeare in the following lines;

“And then the lover,

Sighing like a furnace with a woeful ballad”

The fourth stage is the stage of maturity when man behaves like a soldier.
He is ready to quarrel with all for nothing. He becomes the blind seeker of
reputation and fame, which like a bubble of water. See the given lines in
this respect.

“Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pared

Jealous in honor sudden and quick in quarrel

Seeking the bubble reputation”

The fifth stage is the stage of emotional and mental maturity, when a
person becomes very serious in all affairs like a justice. He uses worldly
reference in his speech. He uses proverbs in his speech. He has a lot of
experience of real life;

48
“And then the justice,

With good capon Lin’d

Full of wise saws and modern instances”

The sixth and second last i.e. the sixth stage is of an old man, when
man becomes old and experienced. He wears pants and slippers. He has
glasses on his nose; he uses a small bag all the time.

“The sixth age shifts,

Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloons”

The seventh and last stage is the stage of very old age, when man
loses teeth, eyesight, taste and everything. When man becomes second
time a child. He is depended on others. And ultimately he dies. The poet
has conveyed these ideas in the following lines

‘Is second childishness and mere oblivion

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste sans everything”

Above are the seven ages of the man according to Shakespeare.

Question No 3 :-Which age in your opinion is most accurately

described? in ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE ?

Answer:- Shakespeare in ‘ ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE’ explains very

briefly human’s ages. His method of explanation is very lucid in this ‘ALL
THE WORLD’S A STAGE’ According to my opinion, I am sure the final
seventh stage is the most beautiful stage, which has most accurately
been described in the poem “ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE”.

This is actually the second childishness. At the stage man gets

absolutely opposite stage to the first and young one. In this stage man
becomes helpless. He looks the help of the other family members. His
independence of movement is taken away.

Seventh age is very much awful . He loses his all teeth hence taste is also
lost. His eyesight is weakened. He loses the warmth of life. His movement
becomes very limited. As Shakespeare has aptly expressed this idea in
the following lines;

“Last scene of all

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion?

49
 Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything,”

Keeping in view them deep observation of the poet in the above lines, I
think that I am hundred percent sure that seventh age i-s most accurately
described by the poet.

Question No 4 :-As a young person does you agree to

Shakespeare’s description of the love?

Answer :- Yes, as a young person I fully agree to Shakespeare’s

description of the lover. Shakespeare has presented a deep and valid
character of the lover. A young lover is always full of worries and tensions
about the beloved. A lover always seeks the company of his beloved.

All the time, he wants the sight of his beloved before his eyes. He
sings beautiful songs for the sake of his beloved. He always heaves sighs
and is so hot as a furnace. So see Shakespeare’s given lines, which
beautifully sum up a lover’s character.

“And then a lover

Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad,

Made to his mistress eyebrow”

So the sighing like furnace is a clear cut proof of the emotional intensity of
a lover. Keeping in view the above lines of the poet, I fully agree with his
description of a lover.

Question No 5 :- Why does Shakespeare call the world a stage?

Write a note on Shakespeare’s accurate observation of life in All

the World’s a Stage

Answer:- Shakespeare has described the seven stages of man’s life. In

each stage, man imagines himself as great and important. Shakespeare
has described each stage of man’s life with a great choice of words. He
uses living and beautiful images to describe the different stages of life.

The period of childhood has been delineated in a funny manner with

the help of images mewling and puking in the nurse’s arm. The school
goes to his school unwillingly. He has described to be creeping like a snail.

The lover sights like a furnace. A soldier is bearded like the pard. A
few other words may not be out of place to mention for the description of
different stages of man’s life. Choice of words is so appropriate.

50
 The whole poem has been written with a full dramatic style. We see
every stage of life going before our eyes. The poem is written in blank
verse. The rhyme scheme is missing from the poem.

The poet has divided human life generally into seven periods or
stages. The seven stages described by Shakespeare are symbolic of
everyman’s life on earth. An infant always behaves in the way he does in
the poem.

Most boys and girls are unwilling to go out of home for studies or
some regular activities. All young people are moved by the passion for
love and sex and like to be lovers and beloved. They want to fight for or
struggle for their country in their spirit of patriotism.

Later in life, they want in a responsible position like that of a judge.

The last two stages of old and very old men and women are common to
all humanity. The poem is in fact an elegy on man’s universal state of
helplessness and ultimate destruction.

Question No 6:- All the World’s A Stage in fact discusses the

journey of life. Elaborate.

Answer:- In this poem, William Shakespeare has beautifully explained

seven phases of human life. He compares the world with a big stage and
all human beings are actors and actresses.

Firstly, a man appears on stage as an infant who cries and vomits in

the arms of a nurse or mother.

Secondly, he is seen as a schoolboy with a shining morning face,

walking slowly and unwillingly to school. Thirdly, he becomes a young
burning with the passion of love and singing in praise of his beloved.

The fourth stage is that of a passionate soldier who is ready to

undertake any adventure in order to gain honor and fame.

Fifthly, he plays his part as a wise and serene justice. Sixthly, we find
him as an old man with spectacles on the nose and a bag in his hand.

His size shrinks and his manly voice turns into a thin childish voice. His
last stage is very pitiable as he loses almost all his senses and joys of life.
The poem shows a sad and realistic picture of human life. The poet
expresses to us that a man’s stay in this world is temporary.

After performing the role allotted to him by God, he leaves the world.
I fact, the poem discusses the journey of a man in this world. In fact,

51
human beings play their parts in life as characters play their roles on the
stage.

Life is a drama, as the world is a stage and we human beings are

actors. They intoxicate themselves with power, beauty, and wealth. They
remain forgetful of the last two phases of their lives. So this shows the
end of human life.

Question No 7:- Which stage, in your opinion is most accurately

described?

Answer:- In this poem, the poet has divided human life into seven stages.
These stages are based on human activities from infancy to old age. He
has given artistic details of various ages. It shows his keen observation
and wonderful understanding of human life.

The description of various stages is quite accurate and truthful but the
description of the lover’s stage is marvelous. The poet says that during
youth time a love burns with the passion of love.

He is full of deep emotions. When he breaths, he sounds like a furnace. He

also sings love songs in praise of the beautiful eyebrows of his beloved.
His songs are full of grief and pathos as he wishes to get his beloved as
soon as possible.

The description of a young man in this poem is accurate. The deep

feelings and passions in a lover are a natural thing. In fact, sexual passion
is at its peak due to adult age. The simile of signing like a furnace is apt
and suitable.

The third stage of the lover in man’s life is the most appealing in the
poem. It is a common experience to find lovers in their youth thirsting for
love and satisfaction in the company of their beloved.

Shakespeare has delineated this third stage of man’s life in every

attractive and interesting way because he provides a true picture of a
lover anxious to get his beloved. A young man cannot disagree with
Shakespeare’s description of the lover.

Question No 8:- Write a note on the fourth and fifth stages of

man’s life.

Q:- Explain the fourth and fifth stage of life as depicted in All the
World’s a Stage

Answer:- William Shakespeare has shown us the most realistic and

accurate picture of the fourth stage of man’s life. In this time man

52
becomes a passionate soldier. He is ready to undertake any adventure in
order to gain honor, glory, and fame.

In fact, at this stage, a man has all the qualities of a fit soldier. He is
at the peak of his youth and physical strength. His practical life begins at
this stage. He sets high aims and makes great vows with his small beard,
he looks like a leopard. Power in his body forces him to accept any
challenge. He wants to surpass others. Even for temporary fame, he is
ready to take risks in his life. For the sake of reputation, he is ready to
jump into The cannon’s mouth.

Through the metaphor of cannon, the poet brings the irony of the
soldier’s situation. He wants to become famous but he is not remembered
long after his act of bravery or even death. The bubble reputation must
burst or end in nothingness.

In the fifth stage, a man plays his role as a wise and serious justice. Now,
he is mature in mind. He becomes a good judge of things. He can wisely
tell right from wrong. His belly becomes round due to eating fat cocks. His
beard is fashionable.

He pays full attention to the details of every matter. His conversation

is full of proverbs and wise sayings. In his conversation, he uses instances
of past and present events. In this way, he plays a very important and
useful role in society.

The fifth stage of man’s life described by Shakespeare is so well

known to us all. We see judges of law courts in their mature age. They are
surely very true to the poet’s delineation. The judges of the highest courts
enjoy all kinds of facilities of life.

They live in grand houses, eat fine food, and have servants of all
kinds. Their bellies are full of chicken and other rich food. They keep in
excellent health which comes from their modes of life and satisfaction.

The fourth and fifth stages of man’s life are thus, very important for
social and cultural continuity and national integrity. On them the well-
being, dignity, and true progress of all states. The absence of judges in
our country shook the very foundations of our society.

11. Departure and arrival

By T. S. Eliot
Questions and Answers

53
 Question 1: How does the poem Departure and Arrival describe
T.S.Eliot’s faith in idealism and optimism? or

The most remarkable quality of T.S. Eliot’s poem Departure and

Arrival is its idealism. Discuss? or

What indications of hope do you find in the poem?

Departure and Arrival by T.S. Eliot is an optimistic poem. Discuss?

Answer:- Departure and Arrival is one of the early poems of Eliot. The
poem is a combination of idealism and optimism. The poet is optimistic
about the bright future of coming generations. In his view, we can make
the 20th century great, if we work selflessly and sincerely for the progress
of humanity. He advises us to accept the most difficult challenges of life.
He urges us that we should struggle to achieve our goals. We should not
hesitate to face the difficulties of life. The poem infuses courage and
fortitude in the eager hearts of those who really want to change their fate.

The poet says that life is a long lane full of roses and hawthorn. The
poem inspires its readers to accept every challenge of life. Departure is a
must for final arrival. The struggle to make this world a better place
according to our ideology is a great virtue. The future is bright and
progressive to a man who has strong faith, optimism, and courage. Being
a pot of idealism and optimism. T.S.Eliot urges that we should leave a
legacy of benefits and a bright future to the coming generations.

We should struggle hopefully. We should face and try to overcome all

kinds of pains and troubles as we perform our duties. He recommends a
life of constant readiness and struggles to make the present better than
all the past. In this way, he connects our present and future happiness
with our present struggle and work.

T.S. Eliot wants that men should become men of action as well as of ideas
to start living a well-proportioned or balanced life. He wants the best
efforts on our part, co-operation and mutual help. The establishment of a
moral socialistic world order without the poison of injurious competition
and the dirt of commercialism is needed.

Question 2: What does T.S.Eliot mean by standing upon the shore

of all we know in Departure and Arrival? or Elaborate the
metaphor of human life as a voyage, as used by T.S.Eliot in his
poem Departure and Arrival.

Answer:- In this poem, the poet has used the metaphor of voyage for
human life in this world. He says that man’s sojourn in this world is very

54
short and ephemeral. He comes into this world for a short time. He
performs his responsibilities and after that, he leaves this world.

During his stay in the world, the man sets sail on the ocean of time. He
has a mission and objective to achieve in this world. He decides his future
course of action. He makes his own goals and aims to fulfill his goals and
aims.

He works hard. He also gets guidance from the knowledge and

experience of other human beings. He stands on the shore of the
knowledge of this world. He aspires to plunge into the sea of this
knowledge. He has some fears and doubts. He tries to overcome these
fears and doubts. After tiding over his fears and suspicions, he dives into
the sea of knowledge of this world and marches on the journey of success.
His high aims and goals serve as a source of inspiration to him.

He knows that there are many hardships and dangers on his way to
reach his destination. He has no map for guidance during his unknown
voyage. He has no light or knowledge to know how many rocks are lying
ahead of him. He faces the dangers and hardships with the force of his
faith and idealism. He reaches the harbor which is his destination and
goal, despite the difficulties of his path. This poem encourages man to
move optimistically and positively in life to attain big aims.

Question 3: Discuss the theme of Departure and Arrival by

T.S.Eliot .write a note the moral message of the poem. What are
Eliot’s views about the present generation and what does he
hope for the coming generation?

Answer:- Departure and Arrival is a thought-provoking and serious poem.

In this poem, the poet describes a deep moral message to the young
generation. The poet tells the young people to set aims for their future
life. Future life can be purposeful if the young people set before them
some high goals and aims. They must struggle to achieve their lofty aims.
The poet gives a message to the young generation to work selflessly for
the betterment of the future.

The sea of life may be filled with fears, dangers, doubts, and
hardship. But we the youth of this century should not hesitate to plunge
into the sea of life. We must accept the challenges of life boldly. A bright
future is lying ahead of us. The 20th century with all its hopes, challenges,
and possibilities id lying before us. We the youth of this century can add
to the knowledge, experience, and skill of the coming generations. We
should not worry if we do not attain our goals.

55
 We must sacrifice to build the future of the next generation. The
coming generation will certainly remember us for good deeds. That time
we shall remember the places where we served our time and energy for
the progress of the people and the land. The people of our century should
have the sense to understand what is present and how to shape the
future. They should know how the people in the past ages have done
something useful for our present well-being.

The imperfections of the lives of other people presently living the

poet make him think about how they all can have better lives and how
they can live a much better life in the future.

Question No 4:- How does the poem Departure and Arrival

describe T.S.Eliot’s faith in idealism and optimism?

Q:- The most remarkable quality of T.S. Eliot’s poem Departure

and Arrival is its idealism. Discuss?

Q:- What indications of hope do you find in the poem?

Q:- Departure and Arrival by T.S. Eliot is an optimistic poem.

Discuss?

Answer:- Departure and Arrival is one of the early poems of Eliot. The
poem is a combination of idealism and optimism. The poet is optimistic
about the bright future of coming generations. In his view, we can make
the 20th century great, if we work selflessly and sincerely for the progress
of humanity. He advises us to accept the most difficult challenges of life.
He urges us that we should struggle to achieve our goals. We should not
hesitate to face the difficulties of life. The poem infuses courage and
fortitude in the eager hearts of those who really want to change their fate.

The poet says that life is a long lane full of roses and hawthorn. The
poem inspires its readers to accept every challenge of life. Departure is a
must for final arrival. The struggle to make this world a better place
according to our ideology is a great virtue. The future is bright and
progressive to a man who has strong faith, optimism, and courage. Being
a pot of idealism and optimism. T.S.Eliot urges that we should leave a
legacy of benefits and a bright future to the coming generations.

We should struggle hopefully. We should face and try to overcome all

kinds of pains and troubles as we perform our duties. He recommends a
life of constant readiness and struggles to make the present better than
all the past.

56
 In this way, he connects our present and future happiness with our
present struggle and work. T.S. Eliot wants that men should become men
of action as well as of ideas to start living a well-proportioned or balanced
life. He wants the best efforts on our part, co-operation and mutual help.
The establishment of a moral socialistic world order without the poison of
injurious competition and the dirt of commercialism is needed.

Question No 5:- What does T.S.Eliot mean by standing upon the

shore of all we know in Departure and Arrival?

Q:- Elaborate the metaphor of human life as a voyage, as used by

T.S.Eliot in his poem Departure and Arrival.

Answer:- In this poem, the poet has used the metaphor of voyage for
human life in this world. He says that man’s sojourn in this world is very
short and ephemeral. He comes into this world for a short time. He
performs his responsibilities and after that, he leaves this world.

During his stay in the world, the man sets sail on the ocean of time.
He has a mission and objective to achieve in this world. He decides his
future course of action. He makes his own goals and aims to fulfill his
goals and aims. He works hard.

He also gets guidance from the knowledge and experience of other

human beings. He stands on the shore of the knowledge of this world. He
aspires to plunge into the sea of this knowledge. He has some fears and
doubts.

He tries to overcome these fears and doubts. After tiding over his
fears and suspicions, he dives into the sea of knowledge of this world and
marches on the journey of success. His high aims and goals serve as a
source of inspiration to him.

He knows that there are many hardships and dangers on his way to
reach his destination. He has no map for guidance during his unknown
voyage. He has no light or knowledge to know how many rocks are lying
ahead of him.

He faces the dangers and hardships with the force of his faith and
idealism. He reaches the harbor which is his destination and goal, despite
the difficulties of his path. This poem encourages man to move
optimistically and positively in life to attain big aims.

Question No 6:- Discuss the theme of Departure and Arrival by

T.S.Eliot

Q:- write a note the moral message of the poem

57
Q:- What are Eliot’s views about the present generation and what
does he hope for the coming generation?

Answer:- Departure and Arrival is a thought-provoking and serious poem.

In this poem, the poet describes a deep moral message to the young
generation. The poet tells the young people to set aims for their future
life.

Future life can be purposeful if the young people set before them
some high goals and aims. They must struggle to achieve their lofty aims.
The poet gives a message to the young generation to work selflessly for
the betterment of the future.

The sea of life may be filled with fears, dangers, doubts, and hardship.
But we the youth of this century should not hesitate to plunge into the sea
of life. We must accept the challenges of life boldly. A bright future is lying
ahead of us.

The 20th century with all its hopes, challenges, and possibilities id
lying before us. We the youth of this century can add to the knowledge,
experience, and skill of the coming generations. We should not worry if we
do not attain our goals.

We must sacrifice to build the future of the next generation. The

coming generation will certainly remember us for good deeds. That time
we shall remember the places where we served our time and energy for
the progress of the people and the land.

The people of our century should have the sense to understand what
is present and how to shape the future. They should know how the people
in the past ages have done something useful for our present well-being.

The imperfections of the lives of other people presently living the

poet make him think about how they all can have better lives and how
they can live a much better life in future.

12. A Poison Tree

By William Blake
Questions and Answers
Question No1:- How appropriate is the title of the poem?

Discuss the significance of the title A poison Tree.

58
Answer:- William Blake’s poem A Poison Tree is symbolic. The title of this
poem is quite appropriate. It suits the subject matter of the poem. The
tree of hatred is nourished by fears, tears, hypocrisy, malice, and deceitful
wiles. The fruit of such a tree is full of poison.

The poet tells us how evil designs and ugly tricks lead to destructive
results. The poet says that he was angry with his friend and he told him
about it. The result was that his anger came to an end and they became
friends again. After some time, once he got angry with his enemy, he did
not tell him, as a result, his anger began to grow and ut became a tree of
hatred. The poet had been watering it day and night with his fears and
tears. To harm his enemy, he tried to conceal his feelings of grudge under
the cloak of civility and smiling face. His hypocritical behavior with his
enemy served as sunshine for the growth of the poisonous tree of hatred.

The tree put forth a bright apple that looked sweet apparently but was
very poisonous in reality. His enemy could not resist the temptation and
planned to steal that fruit. He ate the fruit and died. In this poem, the poet
has used two symbols that are of tree and apple.

First, the poet has used the symbol of a tree. This is not a real tree that
we see daily around us. It is a tree of hatred and enmity that can not be
seen. Because this tree exists in our mind. Secondly, the poet has used
the apple as a symbol.

Apple is a fruit that we get from the tree after a long process when
the tree becomes mature. This apple is not sweet but poisonous. It means
the friendship of the poet is not true because after eating the bright
apple, the poet’s enemy dies at the spot. As the poet says:

And into my garden stole,

When the night had veil’d the pole.

After reading the poem carefully, we can say that the title of the poem
A Poison Tree is quite appropriate to the story of the poem. According to
the poet trust between two fellows must not be colored by misgivings,
fears, and suspicion.

Question No 2 :- Poison is, in fact, unexcused anger and wrath.

Elaborate

A poison Tree rightly describes the poet’s mental and emotional

attitude towards his enemy. Elaborate

Answer:- A Poison Tree is rightly an extended metaphor to describe the

poet’s mental and emotional attitude towards his enemy. We use a

59
metaphor when we use words to mean something different from the thing
described. Thus, the poet has used the word tree not to describe the
common green trees with green leaves and branches. He has used it to
show the great hatred that he had for his enemy. The poet extends the
metaphor thus used to show his growing hatred for his enemy.

He provided the water his fears and tears to the tree. He provided it
the sunlight of his hateful smiles and cunning tricks. Trees develop on the
bright sun’s light. But here the poison tree grew on the poet’s hateful
smiles and tricks or plans to damage the enemy. The fruit of an apple tree
is healthful, here it was poisonous. Then, at night, the poet’s enemy went
into his garden secretly and died soon after eating it. The symbol of the
apple is also connected to the apple in Paradise which Adam and Eve ate.

They ate it against God’s order, poisoned their lives, became bad,
and were turned out. Here the poet attracted his enemy to the poisoned
apple. His enemy died on eating it. It was the poet’s evil act. The poet is
conscious of it. The poet discussed his differences with the friend openly.
He forgot his animosity and annoyance. I told my wrath, my wrath ended.
But with an enemy, the poet continued with his enmity and anger. The
anger and enmity went on growing in him. I told it not, my wrath did grow.

He and his enemy did not excuse each other. The poet had newer
fears and worries in the quarrel in him. He went on promoting them
inwardly. He went on making plans to destroy his enemy. The poem
shows how unexcused anger and hatred between two persons end
tragically.

Question No 3 :- What message does the poet want to give his

readers in A Poison Tree?Critically evaluate the main ideas of the
poem A Poison Tree.

Answer:- A Poison Tree is a moralistic poem. William Blake gives the

message of universal brotherhood, selflessness, and love for humanity. He
is fully aware and conscious of the evil results of anger, hatred, and
hypocrisy. In his view, anger, hatred, and selflessness embitter human
relations. If feelings of anger are allowed to nourish, they produce hatred
and malice. As a result, they destroy human relations.

In fact, the poet wishes to promote trust, harmony, love, and

friendship among human beings. He advises us to produce in us a spirit of
love for our fellow human beings. Love is the basic need of human
happiness while hatred is poison and damage human peace.Human life
can become peaceful if people begin to love and trust one another.

60
 William Blake has eloquently explained this message through a
parable. He says friends forgive and remove hatred among them while
enemies nurse their grudges and take pleasure in destroying one another.
After reading the poem, we, the readers come to know that the result of
hatred is always destructive. So the poet advises us to remove
misunderstandings. In this way, we can live a prosperous and peaceful
life.

Question No 4 :- Discuss the poem A Poison Tree as a symbolic

poem. Elaborate

Answer:- The poem is very philosophical and symbolic. The poet wants to
convey very deeper meanings to us. He has told a golden principle of life
through symbols. There is enough difference between the apparent and
the hidden meanings of the words. The poisonous apple tree is a symbol
of hate, anger, deceit, malice, cunningness, cleverness, hypocrisy, and
such other negative feelings in human beings. The apple tree is nourished
by hatred, fear, and doubts.

The poet has used the apple as a symbol. Apple is not a poisonous
tree but a sweet one. and we get fruit from its tree through a long process
when the tree becomes mature. It means the friendship of the poet is not
true because after eating the bright apple, the poet’s enemy dies at once.
And into my garden stole When the night had veil’d the pole.

The apple is a symbol of wicked plans of evil that continue their

manipulation till downfall. The evil plans in this poem are very colorful
apparently. The protagonist asserts that he watered this plant of hatred
with smiles and beautiful snares. The act of stealth is committed at night.
The night is a time of darkness that is associated with evil. Shakespeare
has described it as tis now witching time night. In the last line of the
poem, there is a sense of relief and triumph that indicates hatred has
won.

This poem gives a great moral message. It tells us that the

suppression of the feelings of hatred and anger leads us to destruction.
So, it is better for us to express all the negative feelings of anger and
hatred. If we do so, we can get rid of it. garden, apple and the trees are
the representative of the Eve, Adam and the Eden.

Symbolism

In this poem he has employed the symbol of tree as identified with the
wrath and the anger. It kept on growing within the heart of the poet.

Question No 5:- Where has been derived the title of the poem ?

61
Answer:- The original title of the poem A Poison tree was ‘’ Christian
forbearance’’ that has been written by William Blake. Thus, A poison tree
summary, theme and and themes, meaning and at the end critical
analysis by William Blake A poison tree is a symbolic poem in this poem
the poet wants to tell us what is wrath and what is its effects on humanity.

Question No 6:- What is the theme of the poem "A Poison Tree"?

Answer:- Although William Blake's "A Poison Tree" is about anger, the
central theme and message is about the suppression of anger. The poem
argues that like a tree, anger grows if one suppresses it. The allegory
within the poem emphasizes that when a person hides or denies their
emotions, they will become poisoned with bitterness and more
vengefulness.

Question No 7:- How appropriate is the title of the poem?

Q:- Discuss the significance of the title A poison Tree.

Answer:- William Blake’s poem A Poison Tree is symbolic. The title of

this poem is quite appropriate. It suits the subject matter of the poem.
The tree of hatred is nourished by fears, tears, hypocrisy, malice, and
deceitful wiles. The fruit of such a tree is full of poison.

The poet tells us how evil designs and ugly tricks lead to destructive
results. The poet says that he was angry with his friend and he told him
about it. The result was that his anger came to an end and they became
friends again.

After some time, once he got angry with his enemy, he did not tell
him, as a result, his anger began to grow and ut became a tree of hatred.
The poet had been watering it day and night with his fears and tears.

To harm his enemy, he tried to conceal his feelings of grudge under

the cloak of civility and smiling face. His hypocritical behavior with his
enemy served as sunshine for the growth of the poisonous tree of hatred.

The tree put forth a bright apple that looked sweet apparently but
was very poisonous in reality. His enemy could not resist the temptation
and planned to steal that fruit. He ate the fruit and died. In this poem, the
poet has used two symbols that are of tree and apple.

First, the poet has used the symbol of a tree. This is not a real tree
that we see daily around us. It is a tree of hatred and enmity that can not
be seen. Because this tree exists in our mind. Secondly, the poet has used
the apple as a symbol.

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 Apple is a fruit that we get from the tree after a long process when the
tree becomes mature. This apple is not sweet but poisonous. It means the
friendship of the poet is not true because after eating the bright apple,
the poet’s enemy dies at the spot. As the poet says:

“And into my garden stole, When the night had veil’d the pole. ”

After reading the poem carefully, we can say that the title of the poem A
Poison Tree is quite appropriate to the story of the poem. According to the
poet trust between two fellows must not be colored by misgivings, fears,
and suspicion.

Question No 8:- Poison is, in fact, unexcused anger and wrath.

Elaborate

Q:- A poison Tree rightly describes the poet’s mental and

emotional attitude towards his enemy. Elaborate

Answer:- A Poison Tree is rightly an extended metaphor to describe the

poet’s mental and emotional attitude towards his enemy. We use a
metaphor when we use words to mean something different from the thing
described.

Thus, the poet has used the word tree not to describe the common
green trees with green leaves and branches. He has used it to show the
great hatred that he had for his enemy. The poet extends the metaphor
thus used to show his growing hatred for his enemy.

He provided the water his fears and tears to the tree. He provided it
the sunlight of his hateful smiles and cunning tricks. Trees develop on the
bright sun’s light. But here the poison tree grew on the poet’s hateful
smiles and tricks or plans to damage the enemy.

The fruit of an apple tree is healthful, here it was poisonous. Then, at

night, the poet’s enemy went into his garden secretly and died soon after
eating it. The symbol of the apple is also connected to the apple in
Paradise which Adam and Eve ate.

They ate it against God’s order, poisoned their lives, became bad, and
were turned out. Here the poet attracted his enemy to the poisoned
apple. His enemy died on eating it. It was the poet’s evil act. The poet is
conscious of it.

The poet discussed his differences with the friend openly. He forgot
his animosity and annoyance. I told my wrath, my wrath ended. But
with an enemy, the poet continued with his enmity and anger. The anger
and enmity went on growing in him. I told it not, my wrath did grow.

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 He and his enemy did not excuse each other. The poet had newer
fears and worries in the quarrel in him. He went on promoting them
inwardly. He went on making plans to destroy his enemy. The poem
shows how unexcused anger and hatred between two persons end
tragically.

Question No 9:- What message does the poet want to give his
readers in A Poison Tree?

Q:- Critically evaluate the main ideas of the poem A Poison Tree.

Answer:- A Poison Tree is a moralistic poem. William Blake gives the

message of universal brotherhood, selflessness, and love for humanity. He
is fully aware and conscious of the evil results of anger, hatred, and
hypocrisy.

In his view, anger, hatred, and selflessness embitter human relations.

If feelings of anger are allowed to nourish, they produce hatred and
malice. As a result, they destroy human relations.

In fact, the poet wishes to promote trust, harmony, love, and

friendship among human beings. He advises us to produce in us a spirit of
love for our fellow human beings. Love is the basic need of human
happiness while hatred is poison and damage human peace.

Human life can become peaceful if people begin to love and trust one
another. William Blake has eloquently explained this message through a
parable. He says friends forgive and remove hatred among them while
enemies nurse their grudges and take pleasure in destroying one another.

After reading the poem, we, the readers come to know that the
result of hatred is always destructive. So the poet advises us to remove
misunderstandings. In this way, we can live a prosperous and peaceful
life.

Question No 10:- Discuss the poem A Poison Tree as a symbolic

poem. Elaborate

Answer:- The poem is very philosophical and symbolic. The poet wants to
convey very deeper meanings to us. He has told a golden principle of life
through symbols. There is enough difference between the apparent and
the hidden meanings of the words.

The poisonous apple tree is a symbol of hate, anger, deceit, malice,

cunningness, cleverness, hypocrisy, and such other negative feelings in
human beings. The apple tree is nourished by hatred, fear, and doubts.

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 The poet has used the apple as a symbol. Apple is not a poisonous
tree but a sweet one. and we get fruit from its tree through a long process
when the tree becomes mature. It means the friendship of the poet is not
true because after eating the bright apple, the poet’s enemy dies at once.

“And into my garden stole When the night

had veil’d the pole ”

The apple is a symbol of wicked plans of evil that continue their

manipulation till downfall. The evil plans in this poem are very colorful
apparently. The protagonist asserts that he watered this plant of hatred
with smiles and beautiful snares.

The act of stealth is committed at night. The night is a time of

darkness that is associated with evil. Shakespeare has described it as tis
now witching time night. In the last line of the poem, there is a sense of
relief and triumph that indicates hatred has won.

This poem gives a great moral message. It tells us that the

suppression of the feelings of hatred and anger leads us to destruction.
So, it is better for us to express all the negative feelings of anger and
hatred. If we do so, we can get rid of it.

13. Because I Could Not Stop Death

By Emily Dickinson
Questions and Answers
Question No:1 Discuss Because I could not stop for death
meaning. or

Write note on Summary of the poem “BECAUSE I COULD NOT

STOP FOR DEATH ”Emily Dickinson.

Describe critical analysis and Summary of the poem BECAUSE I

COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH Emily Dickinson.

Write detailed summary of the poem BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP

FOR DEATH Emily Dickinson.

Answer:- As far as critical analysis, meaning Summary of the poem

BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH by Emily Dickinson is concerned,
it is about life to death and death to life, it is journey this world to next
world. In this poem the poetess has informed us and he gives a glimpse of
the flight from this world to the next world where a man will have live

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forever, and the period during which we have to stay in the grave till the
days of judgment. She describes that she was so hectic in life that she
had no moment to wait for death. So death himself entered to her and
stopped for her. She was boarded in a cart where immortality (ever-
lasting life) was also sitting as the only colleague traveler.

The idea is when a person dies, he gains an ever-lasting life. Their

coach ran slowly. As death was kind and polite, the poetess leave all her
labour and leisure in the world. They passed through a school where
children were playing. Then they passed by the field full of grain. After
that, they passed by the setting sun, and went away from. The Journey of
life in this world ended.

As her costume was made of slim she felt chilly . They stopped by a
house which was just a clay of mound. This is the picture of the grave
where she was to wait for centuries before life in the next world starts.
When she first was ongoing on her journey, she did consideration that the
cart was going towards eternity. But it stopped at the grave only and
where she will have live forever. Centuries have passed and yet she has
not got that goal.

Question No. 2 :- Because I Could Not Stop For Death : I there

anything in the poem to suggestg’

Answe:- This is very interesting and critical question on the poem. This is
because the poem is having no such elements in itself except in the fourth
stanza of the poem otherwise even the very title”. Because I Could not
Stop for Death” shakes the limbs of human body as it relates to the
themes of death. Mostly the writers do not like to talk about the themes of
death; especially, it is surprising to note that a female poetess dares so
much so to pick up her pen on this horror generating topic.

The poetess has used some of the words in the fourth stanza which
are the indicative of the female involvement in the poem. See the lines of
the fourth stanza for ready reference:-

‘The Dews drew quivering and chill,

For only gossamer, my Gown

Tippet-only Tulle ‘

In the above stanza, it is very clear that the names of the dresses;
Gossamer, Gown Tippet and Tulle, all are designed especially for the
fashionable when they want to seek the meeting with their lovers. So we
conclude that the fourth stanza helps us solve the riddle as to the

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certification that the poem has been written by a female. Otherwise it
looks surprising to read the theme of death in the poem which is doubled
to know that it is written by a woman.

Question NO 3 : WHY DOES THE POETESS USE THE IMAGE OF A

JOURNEY?

Answer:- The poetess has used image of a journey in the poem because
of the following reasons.

Firstly, she used the image of a journey as she wants to talk about
the concepts of life and death, mortality and immortality, physical world
and the world hereafter, time and timelessness, hence to convey these
ideas and concepts, it is vital to show and express them in the form of a
journey. This concept is further strengthened by the observation that
these concepts are themselves the indicative of a journey Lite begins its
journey to reach into the valley of death, mortality ends and immortality
begins, physical world ends into the permanentand eternal life, time takes
man into the realm of timelessness. So it was fit to use the image of
journey by the poetess.

Secondly, the poetess has used the image of journey because she
has metaphorically used the concept of death. She has called death a
lover and in European countries a lover always attends his beloved in a
buggy which also requires a journey. Hence the arrival or the lover and his
departure with the beloved indicates a journey This is why the writer has
used the image of a journey. This idea can be confirmed from the
following lines of the poem:-

“Because I could not stop for Death

He kindly stopped for me

The Carriage held but just ourselves

And immortality.”

Thirdly, after the arrival of death the funeral profession and its
destination, the graveyard, are completed because of a journey. That is
why she has used the image of a journey.

Fourthly, the poetess wants to show the reality to the readers that
life itself is a short journey that starts from the childhood goes into the
youth and ultimately it reaches to its final destination of old age-death.
See the following verses of the poem for reference:-

“We passed School, where Children Strove,

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 At Recess-in the Ring,

We passed the Field of Gazing grain,

We passed the Setting Sun”

Fifthly, the writer was well informed of the concept of death as she
lived near a graveyard. She knew a journey image would be appropriate
to disclose the mysteries of death.

Question No. 4 :- Is there anything in the poem to suggest an

element of fesr ?

Answer:- nd the internal level. When we go deep into the kernel of the
external This question can be discussed at two levels. It means the
external or surface level of the poem, it becomes very clear that there are
no elements of fear in the poem. The poetess has used the metaphor of
death: The lover’s arrival, the beginning of the journey in the buddy, the
crossing of the different places and ultimately reaching at the final destiny
may be labeled as the one day love expedition of a lover and the beloved
together. It is terror creating proposition.

Even from the very beginning till the end. Secondly, when we talk about
the deeper level of poem, then it of the poem the elements of fear are
loaded into the poem. The firststanza is about the arrival of death, the
second is about the beginning of the funeral procession, the third one is
about the crossing of the coffin box from the different places, the fourth
one is about the thinners of the coffin and cold, the fifth one is about the
stoppage of the funeral procession before the final destination’ i.e the
grave and entrance of the dead body into the grave and the last one is
about the life after death. Keeping in view this stanza-wise journey of the
dead body, it is beyond doubt that the poem is loaded with the element of
fear.

Question No 5:- In the poem Because I Could Not Stop For

Death, the poetess talks about the nature of its approach.
Elaborate the statement.

Q:- Who does the poetess welcome death in the poem Because I
Could Not Stop For Death?

Q:- How does Emily Dickinson view death in the poem

Q:- In the poem Because I could Not Stop For Death, Emily
Dickinson successfully tries to overcome the fear of death.
Elaborate.

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Answer:- In this poem, Emily Dickinson talks about the temporary life of
this world and the immortal nature of death. She believes in immortal life
after death. She believes that death is a very kind, civil, and gentle
companion of human beings.

Human beings are not willing to surrender themselves to death, only

death approaches every living creature himself. Death takes the soul of
any creature in his carriage slowly towards eternity.

The image of the leisurely drive reflects the changing nature of life in
its various stages. Human life is rightly called a journey. As death waits
upon us a faithful and patient friend, it is a journey from life to death, from
the physical to the spiritual, from time to timelessness.

The poetess has expressed the nature of death in two ways. Firstly,
death is a coachman that comes to see the poetess who is busy in her
routine works. Secondly, death is a lover or suitor that comes to court her.

Even the poetess herself does not feel any fear of death. She is
impressed by the civilized arrival of death. death does not hurt the
poetess. Poetess feels comfortable and at peace in the company of death.
She feels that death is not the end of life but the start of immortal life.

Question No 6 :- Describe the journey from life to death as

presented in the poem, Because I Could Not Stop For Death.

Q:- Explain the image of the journey in the poem.

Q:- Describe Emily Dickinson’s journey in the company of Death.

Answer:- This is a wonderful and thought-provoking poem. The poetess

tells us about her funeral journey from this world to the immortal world.
She was so busy with the routine works that she had completely forgotten
the death. She had no time to wait for death.

Death himself came to her. She was seated in a carriage. The

carriage in which the dead body was taken to the grave had three
occupants; the dead body of the poetess, death, and the soul of the
departed poetess.

The coach was passing very slowly. It was not in any haste. Death
was very gentle and courteous to the poetess. She was not afraid of
death. She felt comfortable in the carriage. First of all, they passed by a
school where children were playing during the recess period.

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 It was the symbol of youth. Then, they passed by a field. Later, they
came to a place where the sun was setting in. This was the symbol of old
age. The poetess was dressed in thin clothes. Her body shivered due to
cold. The journey came to an end. The carriage reached a place which
was a mound of earth.

It was the grave where her dead body was to be buried. She was lying
buried in the grave since then. Her journey had not yet finished. She had
entered into the region of eternity. It was a journey from life to death,
from the physical to spiritual, and from time to timelessness.

Question No 7 :- Discuss the moral message of the poem

Q:- Do you think this poem is a criticism?

Answer:- The poem Because I Could Not Stop For Death is a criticism of
those people who have forgotten the approach of death. They remain
busy in their worldly affairs. They do not perform good activities. They
only remember the merriments of worldly life.

They believe that they will never die. They will lead immortal life. Life
is a cycle that is from cradle to grave. Human life passes through different
phases of life. These are childhood, maturity, and old age.

Soon death arrives and takes him to his final destination, a house that
seemed a swelling of the ground. The deceased is wrapped up in a simple
shroud and laid to rest in the grave where he lives permanently.

According to the poetess, death is not the end of life but the beginning
of immortal life. Basically, the poetess has given us the real concept of
death. She believes that worldly life is temporary life. We should prepare
ourselves for death.

We must not think about the pleasure of this world. We must live like
a traveler. we are here for a temporary time. In short, this is a realistic
poem with an excellent moral message. It gives knowledge to those
people who are wise and conscious about their life in this world.

Question No 8:- Discuss the poem Because I Could Not Stop For
Death as a symbolic poem.

Q:- The poetess has used different symbols in the poem

Q:- What is meant by The Carriage, The House, and The Setting
Sun?

Answer:- In literature, symbolism means the use of something, a person,

or some idea which represents some other idea. Symbolismincreases the

70
meaning of a literary work and gives depth to it. The symbols and
personifications used in this poem have deep significance and meaning.

Life on earth has been compared to a journey to show its transitoriness

and fleeting nature. Death has been compared to a kind and obliging
comrade whose arrival makes us ignore all the important activities of life
and accept his courteous offer.

The alluring personality of Death symbolizes the deep peace it provides to

our fatigued souls. The school and the recreational activities of children
stand for the period of innocence and enjoyment in life when a man is free
from the responsibilities of life and needs education.

The fields of ripened grain symbolize the period of mental maturity

when a man gets the fruits of his labor. The setting of the sun stands for
the end of earthly life which plunges the man into the darkness and
severe cold in the grave.

The shroud on the dead body is a symbol of our worldly preparations

for the life hereafter which usually proves to be insufficient. The time
which is fleeting in this world becomes static in life after death so that the
passage of centuries gives the illusion of a day.

The poem is an expression of a spiritual experience and the poetess’s

deep religious faith. The sustained image of a journey in the company of
Death beautifully explains the spiritual journey of man from this
temporary existence to an eternal existence in the hereafter.

14. Light Out

By Edward Thomas
Summary
Edward Thomas is a romantic poet. The poetry of Edward Thomas is
marked with his love of the ordinary things and people of the England
countryside. In the poem Lights out he views sleep from a very interesting
angle. Sleep is a very powerful thing. It has a dominating effect on all
human beings. No man can withstand its lure. It is the source of peace.
Sleep is a very mighty and powerful thing. The poet compares sleep with
forest. Everyone lost in the forest of sleep. Sleep has an equal influence
on everybody. The pious and wicked have to yield before it sooner or
later. It levels everybody. People work from dawn to dusk. They worked
dawn to dusk. At night when lights go out, they find themselves in the lap
of sleep.

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 Sleep is the end of everything. All kinds of feelings come to an end.
When sleep is attacked we forget everything. He throws away the most
interesting book. He divorces from his mind the face of his mind the face
of his dear friends and relatives. The poet wishes to go into the unknown
forest of sleep without holding anything in his hand. He does not know
how he will overcome this difficult experience. When we study this poem,
we feel a sense of gratitude. At the same time, this poem seems to have a
hidden and implicit idea of death in it. Death and sleep are closely related.
After death, the activities and pursuits also come it an end. Simple and
easy language is used in this poem. It makes for interesting reading.

Critical Appreciation
Lights out by Edward Thomas is a thought-provoking and simple poem. In
this poem, the poet expresses his views about sleep which is a very
important aspect and instinctive need of all living beings. He is of the
opinion that sleep has such great power as cannot be competed with. All
our activities, desires, and ambitions fail to hold sleep. In short, man is
helpless before sleep. The poet uses the image of a deep forest to
describe sleep. This forest has many paths but we can not decide which
way to go when we reach the border of this forest, we feel like losing
ourselves in it. Sleep has strange deceptiveness. Since the break of the
day, it deceives us. But as soon as the night falls, we begin to feel the
impact of sleep.

The poet says there is no sensation as powerful as sleep. It makes us

ignore even the dearest and most precious emotions like love and
ambition. It makes us forget our despairs of the day. All pleasures and all
troubles lose their significance. We are ready to neglect even the dearest
face we love in order to lose ourselves in the forest of sleep. We feel as if
cloudy foliage is heaping itself upon us. Sleep makes us submit to its
powerful and we lose our way in this forest quite willingly.

Theme
This poem is written in the praise of sleep. Sleep is a gift of God because it
provides us comfort and peace. The poet appreciates sleep because it
gives us comfort and refreshes us. Sleep is a natural cure for our disease.
After working day and night when we enter into the forest of sleep, it
provides us mental peace. Blake

We have forgotten our all problems and pleasures. The poet thanks sleep
that give comfort and rest to tired people. The poet compares sleep with
death. We have to leave all activities and obey the order of sleep.

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Questions and Answers
Question No 1 :- What does the poet mean by coming “ To The
Borders of Sleep”.

Q :- Discuss Lights out poem critical appreciation in brief?

Q :- Lights out poem critical analysis

Q :- Write Lights Out poem by Edward Thomas summary in detail

Q :- Describe Lights Out poem by Edward Thomas critical

summary

Answer:- Edward Thomas describes Lights Out poem in this way we

observe that without sleep we become tired and it is main theme of the
poem this can be seen in critical summary in poem Lights Out poem by
Edward Thomas. The poet has used the phrase “to the borders of sleep
because of the following reasons.

Firstly, the poem is about the arrival of sleep; hence, it is the early stage
of sleep which is like a dense jungle. See the following verses of the poem
in this connection:-

“I have come to the borders of sleep,

The unfathomable deep

Forest where all must lose,

Their way, however straight,

Or winding, soon or late;

They cannot choose.”

Secondly, when a person is about to go deep into the valley of sleep, he is

just like a person who is about to enter somewhere which is having
boundaries.

Thirdly, the poet has used the word “borders” because sleep is an
abstract idea but having sea like depth in itself, that is why the poet has
called it “an unfathomable deep forest” so if he considers sleep the deep
forest then he has to use the above phrase to convey the borders of
sleep.

Fourthly, the man whose sleeping condition has been presented here was
about to sleep, hence the poet has used the phrase “I have come to the
borders of sleep”

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Question No.2: PICK OUT ALL THE WORDS FROM THE POEM

THAT SUGGEST DEPTH?

Discuss Lights out poem critical appreciation or critical analysis in

brief?

Answer:- Following are the words that suggest depth. In the first stanza
the poet has used the words “unfathomable deep” which suggest extreme
depth. The next word that suggests immense depth is the forest. In the
second stanza of the poem, the poet has used the words; “Blur and Sink,
they also indicate depth. In the fourth stanza, the poet has used the word
“Unknown” which is also the indicator of extreme depth. In the last
stanza, the poet has again used the words “Cloudy Foliage Lowers” and
“shelf above shell”, they also show depth.

Question No. 3:- In what way is sleep qn equalizing factor ?

Q :- Discuss Lights out poem critical appreciation or critical

analysis in brief?

Answer:- In critical analysis sense the poem Lights out Edward Thomas
narrates sleep is the greatest blessing of God. This passion is very strong
and powerful. It has very strong grips into which the sleep catches up its
victims.

No doubt, human beings and animals have different and multifarious

interests and desires in life. Human beings are not 100% similar in their
desires and interests. Some of them like to read books whereas the others
do not like them. Some of them are rich them are poor.

There is a king and other is the slave. But that could be the man-made
division in certain cases. But sleep God-made passion. It equalizes all. The
whole system of life depends on this passion. The writer very aptly and
suitably writes the following lines of verses in the poem:-

“Here love ends

Despair, ambition ends;

All pleasure and all trouble,

Although most sweet or bitter,

Here ends in sleep that is sweeter,

Thun tasks most noble.”

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Sleep makes no difference among people. It comes even to the poor and
the rich alike. The black and the white, the Muslims and the non-Muslims,
all enjoy a sound sleep. The arrival of sleep can never be resisted by
anybody. That is why it is an equalizing factor for all human beings.

Question No 4:- How does sleep in the poem Lights Out end love,
despair, ambition, and all pain.

Q:- Lights Out throw light on the power of sleep. Discuss.

Q:- Lights Out dwell upon the power of sleep. Discuss.

Answer:- Many a poet uses the metaphor of sleep for death. Sleep, like
death, puts an end to human activities. Mn embraces sleep or death all
alone. Lights Out too are replete with references that suggest that sleep
stands for death.

Sleep is a powerful thing and exercises its influence equally on everybody.

Rich and poor, old and young, healthy and ill, good and bad, all get to
benefit from sleep. It brings peace, comfort, and satisfaction to everybody
alike. It ends all activities, good and bad, important and unimportant.

Sleep treats everybody equally without any discrimination. It takes us into

the lap. We are here safe from the tension of the day’s work. In his view,
sleep proves an equalizing factor. It refreshes us and makes us ready for
the next day’s labor.

We should be thankful to God who provides us with the blessing of sleep.

It saves us from the nervous breakdown of everyday life. In short, we can
say that sleep has a great influence on human beings. Its influence is not
only on human beings but also on animals.

In this poem, we are told about some signs of sleep which make a man
unconscious of his daily routine. The poet compares deep sleep to a
measurable forest wherein everybody, whether going straight or astray, is
to lose his way.

Coming to the borders of sleep means the moments just before falling
asleep. It is the time when a man is on the verge of sleep. The poet has
called sleep a deep forest into which everyone has to enter. Everybody is
bound to follow the call of sleep.

Question No 5:- What does many a road track signify in Lights

Out?

Answer:- Lights Out is a beautiful poem on the power of sleep. Sleep is a

gift of Nature. It helps us in forgetting everything and brings peace and

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comfort to us. The poet compares sleep with a deep forest where he loses
himself.

He is transferred from the known to the unknown world. For him,

sleep is an equalizing factor bringing the rich and poor, the good and the
bad to the same level. We forget our worldly worries and pleasures.

We cannot simply resist it. We put the lights out and enjoy a peaceful
slumber. The poem is a fascinating, enchanting, captivating, and
spellbinding poem on sleep. The poet points out that sleep is the most
powerful and pleasant experience of man’s life.

When sleep overpowers us, we have to leave many a road track. The
basic theme or central idea of the poem is based on human sleep. Sleep
comes to everyone. We are forced to leave all our worldly works. We must
forget all our passions, wishes, desires, and high goals when sleep comes.

Even we forget our own identity after the arrival of sleep. He compares
sleep with a thick, deep forest in which everyone loses his way. He
admires sleep because it makes us forget our worries and brings peace
and comfort to us.

Question No 6:-Discuss the atmosphere of the poem Lights Out

Q:- Comment on the title of the poem Lights Out. Do you think it
suitable or not?

Answer:- In the poem, Lights Out Edward Thomas describes the

overwhelming effect of sleep on man. He says that man has to yield to
sleep at all costs. Sleep works as a balm because it heals man’s
disappointments.

The poet also expresses his thankfulness to sleep for the comforts it
provides. The poet has compared sleep with a forest. This forest is very
deep and no man can measure it. It is very mysterious. Anybody who
comes in it either he is good or bad, loses his way.

“The unfathomable deep

Forest where all must lose”

Sleep controls everyone. No one can deny its orders. Everyone is

bound to follow it. It is like a cruel dictator who just gives orders.

“Despair, ambition ends

All pleasures and all trouble”

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Sleep has a magical effect on people. When sleep comes, everyone turns
his face even from a beautiful face, an interesting book, and a noble task.

“There is not any book

Or face of dearest look”

Therefore, the title given to this poem is quite suitable. It suggests the
vague and confused state of mind of the man who is on the verge of
falling asleep. It also hints at how a man would lose himself in the dark
world of sleep and oblivion.

The act of sleep will cut him off from the known and familiar world of daily
life. In the end, we can say that whether a man wishes or not, he can not
run away from entering into the lap of death and sleep.

The difference between sleep and death is that the former refreshes
us to combat the challenges of life while the latter relieves us from the
anxieties of life. When the time comes, we are to pass through the
borders of sleep. When night comes, our activities come to an end, the
lights are out and we are ready to sleep.

15. After Apple Picking

By Robert Frost
Summary
The poem has been explained by the critics on a symbolic level. The poem
forecasts the poet's old age and death in the long run. It is a matter of
general observation that a man is always dissatisfied with what he has
done in his life. This feeling is quite intense when he is about to depart
from this world. He remembers the desired not fulfilled, the tasks not
accomplished and the duties not performed at the end of his life.

The writer has been extremely preoccupied with the tasks of life. He is
now in the winter of life. He feels like drowsing. He is near his death, for
winter can symbolize decay, drowsiness, and death. The poet's emphasis
on the task of apple picking shows that on the whole, he is satisfied with
his work, But there are still some desires which remain unfulfilled in life
There are certain tasks which man wants to perform but death comes to
him. It is this sense of incompleteness that is implied in the following line.

The scent of apples is spread in the garden. The poet takes us to

another sight of nature, which is quite appealing and attractive to the
senses. The reddish-brown color of the apples is a pleasant sight indeed.

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In the morning he happens to remove a transparent sheet of snow from
the chilled water of the trough and holds It against the white snow grass.
The piece of snow is melted now.

The poem gives us many hints about pastoral activity. In his dream, the
poet hears the rumbling sound of apples pouring in the small storeroom.
He is tired of apple picking The damaged apples are preserved for wine.
The images used in the poem have been taken from natural sights. We
can say that After Apple Picking is a beautiful lyric on the poet's love of
nature.

Critical Appreciation
"After Apple-Picking " is an interesting poem by Robert Frost who is the
most celebrated American poet. His poetry revolves around his own
experiences as a part of American rural life. In this poem, he talks to us
about an apple picker who is overcome by sleep while picking apples. The
poet skillfully describes the impact of sleep on a man who is busy doing
his favorite job. To him, sleep is the most powerful of human instincts.

In this poem, the apple-picker has just had a bumper crop of apples
which he has always desired for. He is busy picking apples when he is
overcome by sleep. Now, he is semi-conscious of what he is doing. He
fears lest he should drop apples on the ground as all such apples go the
cedar-apple heap. Now hen he has picked thousands of apples, he feels
fed up with this unending routine and wishes to lose himself in the world
of sleep.It shows a conflict between his ambition and his instinct. The
world seems to him as hazy as it seemed when he looked through the slab
of ice early this morning. he hears the rumbling sound of apples being
unloaded in the cellar. But he cannot continue apple-picking as sleep has
such power as cannot be resisted.

Theme
As Robert Doyle has said, the stuff of the poem is ‘common.’ But out of
the ‘common’, the poet has created a tone that will govern the reader’s
response to the material. What is the material then?

After Apple Picking centers round theme of life and death. Here the
woodchuck and the evening time clearly symbolize death. The role of the
apple picker indicates the uncertainty of life. Another significant theme of
the poem is the all pervasive impact of Nature on human being. Like a
loving mother nature plays a role of influencer to man.

Questions and Answers

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 Question No 1: Write detail summary of the poem After Apple
Picking by Robert Frost.

Answer :- As far as the critical summary of the poem After Apple Picking
by Robert Frost is concerned, it is very symbolic poem. The poem “After
Apple Picking” narrates us in relation to the experiences of a farmer who
has been picking apples in his garden. Now he is weary.

His long ladder with long two pointed ladder is in garden, is still sticking
through the tree towards bliss. There is vacant cask beside him. Hardly,
there are two or three apples are seeing on some branch which he could
not pluck out. But he is exhausted and is in no frame of mind to pick more
apples. The scent of apples joint with exhaustion has made him sleepy. He
needs to down to sleep. He had wished for a bumper harvest of apples.
The crop is so wealthy and plentiful that he is weary of the harvest he
himself preferred. The apple picker soon drowses off. His sanity is soon
with sleep.

His thoughts grow up confused and puzzled. He realizes and anticipates

dreams that he will have in his sleep. He understands about of big apples.
He also hears the echo of machine in which the apples are compressed
into wine. He remembers a odd experience of that morning. He had
selected a piece of snow, and had seen throughout it.

The world looked to him very strange. He also observes if apples

are not picked, they will rotten. Then they would be of no employ. Then he
speculates of the nature of his sleep. He does not know whether his sleep
would be lengthy or a normal one night sleep of a human being or
permanent sleep in the shape of death.

Question No. 2 :- What does the empty barrel signify ?

Answer:- The theme of the poem After Apple Picking by Robert Frost is
that the empty barrel signifies the lust and greed of man and that is the
main Theme of the poem After Apple Picking by Robert Frost. The farmer
in the poem wanted to get a bumper crop because it was his inner desire.
The former in the poem says in this connection:-

“I am overtired,

Of the great harvest, I myself desired”

This suggests that man tries his level best to keep his wishes alive.
Man dies but his heart remains loaded with some wishes which becould
not realize during his life time and that is main Theme of the poem After

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Apple Picking by Robert Frost. The farmer wants to fill up the barrel with
the apples but he could not do it due to dead tiredness and exhaustion.

In the same manner, man has many desires Which spring up into his
heart. He kept on working all life long to fulfill them but ultimately he dies
and leaves the barrel of his greed and curiosity absolutely empty

Question No 3:- What does th e poet mean by human sleep ?

Answer:- The poet at the end of the poem leaves a riddle unsolved,
leaving thereby a literary gap to be filled up by the public and readers. He
drops the idea of sleep at the end of the poem but does not answer
himself.

“This steep of mine, whatever it is,

Were he not gone,

The wood chuck could say whether it’s like his

Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,

Or just some human sleep”

Now it can be clarified at two levels that what kind of this sleep is. The
external level is that this is the routine sleep that a person enjoys after
the fatigue of the whole day. The former worked dawn till the dusk;
ultimately he got tiredness and went into the valley of sleep. There were
many natural forces over there that stopped his working and sent him into
the valley of sleep for rest and freshness. So this level shows that the poet
had the common sleep in his mind after which a person got up.

On the other hands, if we talk about the deeper level of the idea or theme
of theme After Apple Picking poem by Robert Frost then it is the long
sleep of death that comes to a man who has traveled the whole journey of
life. Hopefully the poet talks about the human temporary sleep which
refreshes man when he again gets up.

Question No. 4:- Can you find points of comparison between this
poem and“ Light Out ”

Answer:- Yes, there are many points of comparison between this poem
and“Light Out.” Let us point them out one by one.

First of all both the poems have the basic theme of death, Secondly,
the arrival of sleep in both the poems is almost the same. When we talk
about the poem “Lights Out”, there poet says

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“I have come to the borders of sleep”

Which means that the person is at the verge deep, delicious slumber? The
beginning and arrival of sleep is shown in the above poetic line of the
poem “Lights Out”. When we talk about the poem “Amon Apple-Picking”
we come to know that here too, the poet has conveyed the arrival of sleep
in the following words:-

“I am drowsing off

I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight,”

The situation is the same, that is, the filmy layer over the eye-balls
makes everything strange and ambiguous due to the force of sleep.

Secondly, in the poem “Lights Out” the poet says that when sleep comes,
we lose every other attraction of life. See the following lines of the poem
“Lights Out”:-

“Here love ends,

Despair, ambition ends,

All pleasure and all trouble,

Although most sweet or bitter,

Here ends in sleep that his sweeter,

Than tasks most noble.”

When we talk about the poem, “After Apple Picking”, we come to know
that there too the farmer had the most important work of picking up the
apples but when sleep does come he too surrenders. See the following
lines of the poem:-

“For I have had too much,

Of Apple-picking, I am overtired,

Of the greater harvest, I myself desired,

I am drowsing off,” !

The above are the points of comparison between the two poems.

Question No 5:- Discuss After Apple-Picking by Robert Frost as a

symbolic poem.

Q:- What does the empty barrel signify in After Apple Picking?

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Answer:- The empty barrel has its significance.

Firstly, it is a symbol of hope that the poet attaches to the future. It is

as though he would be able to get some better or ripened more than
others with fresher or stranger scents. With these, he would fill the barrel.

The empty barrel is, secondly, a symbol of the poet’s saving to be

used in the future. The apples for this barrel must keep hanging by the
tree branches in their freshness and prime until they are pulled down. So
the poet appears to have left them on the tree by will. They are his
savings for use in the future.

Thirdly, the empty barrel is a symbol of man’s tiredness or unfinished

tasks. Like the poet, we get tired or are not in a mood to continue doing
something. Then we rest or sleep or entertain ourselves.

The empty barrel symbolizes the unaccomplished work that refers to a

heap of incomplete and unfulfilled desires. Although the apple-picker has
been trying his utmost to fill his barrel with the apples yet it is still empty
because the apple-picker is so tired. He is drowsing off.

Now the poet is on the last step of the ladder who enjoyed himself a
high place in the world yet he could not do enough good deeds. Death
encroached the barrel of his half-filled deeds. Sleep itself symbolizes
death reaches the poet when his activities were still unfulfilled and he
needs some more years.

Although the poet fills half of the barrel yet he demands generous
reward in the world hereafter for a few noble deeds he did in his life in the
form of ten thousand apples of great size and magnitude. In short, the
empty barrel signifies the unfulfilled desires of human beings.

Question No 6:- What kind of sleep does Robert Frost sleep?

Q:- Discuss the sleep theme of After Apple-Picking by Frost

Q:- Why does Frost’s unusual sleep does not satisfy him?

Answer:- When the poet was performing his work of picking apples, His
fatigue made him feel extreme drowsiness. His fatigue and the scent of
the apples mingle and overpower the mind. In drowsiness, he begins to
see dreams and he gets the vision of magnified apples.

Actually, the apple-picker has got tired of seeing the routine of loading
and unloading of his apples. He acknowledges that he himself has longed
for such a heavy harvest. Despite his utmost care, the apple-picker can
not throw the apples undamaged in his barrel.

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Some of them fall down from the barrel and are pricked and bruised by
stubbles. The dream is as much clear and vivid that it becomes difficult
for the apple-picker to make difference between reality and dream.

When he wakes up, he gets astonished and asks himself what kind of
sleep it is. He is too confused to know whether it is a woodchuck’s long
sleep of hibernation or short human sleep of one night only. He does not
suggest the answer and leaves it to the reader to draw a conclusion.

Medicines and palliatives can not bring the poet any lasting comfort in
sleep. Even dreams are colored by our previous social experiences. We
are, thus, barred from enjoying pure sleepy and dreamy pleasures.

Therefore, in his thoughts, he feels like sleeping like a woodchuck. The

poet, in fact, wants to develop a similarity between the woodchuck’s sleep
and his. He does not find much similarity or sameness at present. But he
hopes to bring it about somehow.

To sleep and to forget everything, to land in the

world of animals and birds

Question No 7:- After Apple-Picking traces the journey from

conscious to subconscious. Discuss.

Q:-In Frost’s poem After Apple-Picking, the world of reality and

dream are strangely intermingled.

Answer:- Robert Frost, in this poem, gives a combination of the world of

reality and dreams. In reality, he is picking normal apples while in a
dream, he sees apples of great size and magnitude. In sleep, he is
roaming between two poles of reality and dreams.

The poet compares humans to sleep with the long sleep of

woodchuck. When human beings get tired by overwork, they take a rest.
Sleep is the best way to rest and relax. They sleep for a few hours and all
fatigue and heaviness disappears.

They get up fresh and active and willing to work again. Human beings
can not sleep longer than a day or so. There are animals like woodchucks
who hibernate through the months of winter. They get up when the
season changes and the earth gets warm.

The poet in fact describes the close relationship between dream and
reality, life, and death. The desires which often remain unfulfilled in the
world of reality are enjoyed in the world of dream. The dreamer enjoys
himself with the same tastes, color, smell, and pleasure of touch.

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In reality, the poet observes that he has a limited capacity for his physical
labor, but he experiences the unlimited capacity of his imagination in a
dream. The poet himself becomes as confused as it is difficult for him to
suggest whether the world we consider reality is the real world or a mere
optical illusion.

The poet is overtired after the long and hard job of picking apples and
is feeling sleepy. He feels that he might sleep for a long time like
woodchuck’s winter sleep. But if he wakes up after a short sleep like
human beings usually do, it will be just an ordinary human sleep. He
wonders what kind of sleep he is going to have.

Question No 8:-_Explain the title of the poem After Apple-Picking

in your own words.

Q:- Elaborate some of the symbols employed by Robert Frost in

his After Apple

Q:- After Apple-Picking is a highly symbolic poem.

Q:- Discuss the symbolic meaning of the poem.

Answer:- The poem After Apple-Picking is a masterpiece of Frost. In this

poem, the poet tells us about his own experience of apple-picking. On the
surface level, it deals with the harvest of a farmer who is picking apples.

He has got tired and wants to take a rest. The farmer, the ladder, the
tree, the barrels, and the apples all have been used by the poet as
symbols. In literature, symbolism means the use of something, person, or
idea which represents some other idea.

Symbolism increases the meanings of a literary work and gives depth

to it. The farmer is a symbol of a common human being who is busy with
his work. He has countless desires that he wants to fulfill at any cost. The
empty barrels are a symbol of the unfulfilled desires of human beings in
their lives.

There are also accomplish tasks of human beings. And there’s a barrel
that I didn’t fill. The apples are a symbol of deeds or actions. They may be
good or bad. According to a religious point of view, all human beings have
an open opportunity to do good or bad.

Everyone in this world is collecting apples. The sleep of the farmer is

a symbol of common human sleep as well as death. The tree is a symbol
of this world. It provides us different opportunities for earning.

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 The people of the world are doing different jobs and are collecting
money or doing deeds. The ladder is a symbol of technique or profession
or a way that we adopt to earn our livelihood or do our deeds. In the end,
we can say that man continues to pursue his dreams and desires.

This pursuit for the achievement of his aims is compared with apple-
picking. This struggle continues throughout our lives and ends only at the
arrival of death as our daily labor ends in deep sleep.

Question No 9:- Describe the poet’s pleasant experience of apple

picking.

Answer:- The poet, Robert Frost has done too much of his routine work
and he is now terribly exhausted. He is hopeful about reaping a rich
harvest of apples but he has not picked sufficient apples as he desired.

He can only fill half of the container and after the activity has been
completed and he becomes disgusted with his drudgery. But still, there
are some apples to be plucked from the branches. So the barrel is also
unfilled.

He has worked constantly and carefully and tried his best to finish his
job completely. But he is too tired and sleepy to do any more work. Later
on, his exhaustion takes him into the world of dreams in which he
experiences a very vivid vision.

In drowsiness, he cannot discriminate between dream and reality. He

sees numerous apples even more than ten thousand. The poet is so
confused that he can not decide which world is real and which one is the
world of dreams.

The poet can not know the actual nature of his sleep whether his
sleep is the long sleep of the woodchuck or one night long human sleep.
His experience of sleep is powerful and lucid. He can not resist the
influence of sleep. His experience is pleasant based on reality.

QUESTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS:

1. The poet has combined fact and fancy in the poem.Discuss.

2. Write a note on the use of symbolism in the poem.

16. The Vanishing Village

By R. S Thomas

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Summary
This poem presents a dreadful picture of a deserted village. It seems to be
a haunted village. It has scarcely a street and a few houses. Its
inhabitants have left it. Here the poet says that people are migrating. That
is why; the villages in the modern age have become empty and deserted.
In the village, there is only one shop and hotel. The houses are also in bad
shape. The streets of the village have disappeared. There is us one path in
the village which leads nowhere. The most tragic thing is that path leads
to the top of the sort hill. The hill is eaten away by the long erosion of
green tide.

The village presents a sad picture in the poem. It suggests the

negation of life the deserted village is the symbol of the waste and
barrenness of modern life. As villages are vanishing similarly healthy life is
destroying day by day. The death overpowered the death. The poet feels
very sad about this change. The poet continues to presents a sad picture
in all poems. He says that even the black dog, which once tried to
cracking his fleas, has also died. There is hope. There a girl who crosses
from door to door and in this way connects the village with life and nature.

The presence of the girl in the village is a symbol of hope. The

deserted village is not going to disappear at all. Perhaps, this is the
central theme of the poem. . But the basic unit of civilization and culture
is still a village. A village still remains the most powerful nit of life in the
world. It has to play a meaningful role in the social evolution explained by
the great thinker Plato. The poet yearns for a revival of the previous
colorful life and activity of the ideal Greek village. He mourns on vanishing
village. He is wistful about the revival of the village. The tone of the poet
is sad wistful and sometimes witty. The frozen life of the village is
reflected in the slow movement of the lines.

Critical Appreciation
The poet has painted a dark and disappointing picture of village life in
this poem. It seems to be haunted village. It has scarcely a street and too
few houses. Its inhabitants have left. Here the poet suggests that
urbanization of cities has forced the villagers to migrate to the cities.
That is why the villagers in the modern age have become empty and
deserted. In the deserted village, there is only left one tavern and one
shop. The houses are also in bad shape. The streets of the village have
disappeared. There is a just one path lead to the short hill. The hill to is

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eaten away by long erosion of green tide. The green grass which once
covered the hill has withered.

The village offers us a gloomy and dismal picture of life. It suggests the
negation of life. The deserted village is the symbol of the waste and
barrenness of modern life. Like the vanishing village, the signs of healthy
life have disappeared from modern life. There is waste and wilderness
everywhere in the world. The forces of death and destruction have
overpowered the forces of life and birth. The poet feels very sad at this
change.

The poet continues to build sad and gloomy picture of the deserted
village in the rest of the poem. He says that ever the black dog,
which once tried to ‗cracking his fleas‘ has also died. There is
however, one way of hope in this gloomy village life. There is a girl who
crosses from door to door and in this way connects the village life and
nature. The presence of the girl in the village does not lessen the gloom
of the village but by contrast it adds to its total annihilation. The deserted
village is not going to disappear at all. Perhaps this is the central them of
the poem. The poet believes that the unchecked migration of the village
people to the cities goes unchecked. But the basic unit of civilization and
culture is still a village. A village still remains the most powerful unit of
life in the world. It has to play a meaningful role in the social evolution
explained by the great thinker Plato.

The poet yearns for the survival of the previous colorful life and
activity of the ideal Greek village. He is sad and serious at the vanishing
of the basic unit of civilization. In the destruction of that village, he sees
the annihilation of village life with its golden traditions and social values.
He sincerely believes that village life still holds an important position in
the modern human civilization. In the poem, the barren wastes of life
have been contrasted with the regeneration of life. The poet longs to
retain the village in the modern set up of the world.

Theme
The theme of the poem is very effectively presented by the poet in the
poem. He wants to say that village is the basic unit of the whole
civilization; its destruction is ultimately the destruction of the whole fabric
of the civilization.

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The poet is of the opinion that the village should be saved from their
immediate or gradual destruction. See the following lines of the poem in
which the poet has shown his desire and theme:-

“Stay, then village for round you spin,

On slow axis, a world as vast,

And meaningful as any poised,

By great Plato’s solitary mind ”

Questions and Answers

Question NO. 1:- Read the poem carefully. Do you share the sad
feelings of the poet about “The vanishing Village”.

Answer:- I have read the poem I completely share the sad feelings of the
poet about the vanishing village. I have come to the conclusion that No
doubt, the poet is very sad in the poem. He thinks that Plato rightly
thought that the village was the basic unit of a civilization. Presently, the
picture of the village that the poet has painted is heart rendering. When I
read the beginning lines of the poem, I also feel very much ‘sadness. The
poet has grown very sad due to the ever and rapidly vanishing of the
village. He says:-

“Scarcely a street, too few houses,

To merit the title, just a way between,

The tavern and the one shop”

Now definitely this grim and gloomy picture of the village does create
feelings of sadness in me. I am afraid to know that the position of the
house is not as such as it should be. So this place does not qualify to be
called a village. This is happening even in Pakistani villages now a day.
People are migrating to the cities for better prospects and facilities. This
results in the deserted villages as the poet has indicated above. The only
one way in the place further intensifies the feelings of sadness. This way
also ends at the top of a small hill. The way is also being eaten up by a
permanent erosion of the green ghost- the grass. The poet has vividly
expressed his views in the following lines about the sad phenomenon of
the village. He says, the way:-

“That leads no where, and falls at the top,

of the short hill, eaten away,

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By long erosion of the green tide,

Of grass creeping perpetually nearer.”

The above lines also create sad feelings in my heart because the way that
is covered with the green grass is the indicative of lack of traveling
through it which shows absence of the travelers. The poet is sad, so is the
reader, when the poet says that now nothing happens in the village. Only
a girl and a dog are present there to indicate past, present and future,
which also cause the streams of sadness. My sad feelings reach to the
peak when the poet very sadly almost weepingly says:

“Stay, then village for round you spin,

On slow axis, a world as vast,

And meaningful as any poised,

By great Plato’s solitary mind”

So above are the reasons in the poem, due to which after the careful
reading of the poem, I share my sad feelings with the poet.

Question NO. 2 :- Write critical analysis of the poem showing how

fair‚ the poet has been effective in the communication of his
ideas.

Answer:- The theme of the poem is very effectively presented by the poet
in the poem. He wants to say that village is the basic unit of the whole
civilization; its destruction is ultimately the destruction of the whole fabric
of the civilization. The poet is of the opinion that the village should be
saved from their immediate or gradual destruction. See the following lines
of the poem in which the poet has shown his desire and theme:-

“Stay, then village for round you spin,

On slow axis, a world as vast,

And meaningful as any poised,

By great Plato’s solitary mind”

The poet has used beautiful images in the poem to convey his ideas
effectively. Only one stanza is sufficient to prove his effective way of
expressing his ideas in the poem. See the stanza below for ready
reference:-

“Scarcely a street, too houses,

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 To merit the title, just a way between,

The tavern and the one shop”

“That leads non where, and falls at the top,

Of the short hill eaten away,

By long erosion of the green tide,

grass creeping perpetually nearer”

The language of the poem is also very effective. The poet selected the
relevant vocabulary which has very impressively been used by him to
convey his ideas about the vanishing village. The following words are apt
to mention hereunder:- Street, houses, tavern, shop, hill, green tide, black
dog, village, etc. The lines of the poem have not been composed as
rhythmically as many of the other poems. This is also the indicative of the
lack of harmony which is created by any sad idea like the vanishing
village.

There are some rhyming words in the poem and these are as under:
To-shop, houses crosses The poet has used alliterative rhymes in the
poem. They are:- Dog-dimension, sun-scale etc. The slow rhythm of the
poem also shows the mourning condition of the poet. Hence it is proved
that the poet has been effective in the communication of his ideas about
the vanishing village.

Question No 3:- Describe the revival of the colorful life in the

village

Q:- Discuss the importance of the village. Do you share the sad
feelings of the poet about the vanishing village?

Q:-How does the poet idealize the village as a unit of human

habit?

Answer:- The poem The Vanishing Village fills us with sad and sorrowful
feelings. We cannot be happy at the disappearance and destruction of the
village. A village is the basic unit of human culture and civilization. The
village is a basic essential unit of human civilization.

The villagers work very hard in the country. They produce the raw
material for different necessities of life. If the villagers rush to the cities in
search of jobs and modern facilities of life, the inhabitants of the city are
bound to starve.

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Because the villagers supply food, grain, and other raw material for the
people of a country. The inhabitants of the city cannot grow food grains
and raw materials. If the village is destroyed, people will suffer for want of
milk, food, cotton, and other necessities of life.

The picture of the deserted village painted by the poet has a great
influence on every reader. He feels sad at the loss of social values and
golden traditions connected with village life. We share the sad feelings of
the poet about the vanishing village.

We are forced to say with the poet that the village is still the basic
unit of human civilization. There is a hidden message for the villagers that
they should not run away to the cities for materialistic pursuits.

Question No 4:- Discuss the gloomy picture of the village in your

own words.

Q:- Do you share the sad feelings of the poem about the
vanishing village?

Q:-Describe the sad and nostalgic feelings of the poet.

Q:-What is the theme of the poem The Vanishing Village?

Q:-The Vanishing Village presents a look of desolation, a picture

of waste and despair. Do you agree?

Answer:- The vanishing Village offers us a gloomy and dark picture of a

deserted village. The poet is not happy and wants to raise a strong voice
against the massive migration of the villagers to the cities. In the city,
man becomes the slave of routine life.

At the start of the poem, the poet says that there are a few houses, one
street, one tavern, one shop, just to merit the title of the village. The only
path of the village that leads to a hill’s top where it ends.

Grass has grown on the sides of the road in abundance and it looks
deserted. There is complete silence in the village. It is without the
activities of human beings. The inn and the shop are joined by a path that
leads nowhere.

“The one tavern and the one shop

That leads nowhere and fails at the top”

There is no hustle and bustle of life. There s only one old dog that is near
death. The dog is old and inactive. The same is the condition of the

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village. The image of the old dog is very suitable to describe the vanishing
village. After reading the poem, we feel sadness.

We share the sad feelings of the poet about the vanishing vilalge. We
may also say that villages are vanishing and disappearing in the sense
that the love, sincerity, hospitality, brotherhood, and kindness that are
once the hallmarks of village life have now finished.

The poet considers that the village is the basic unit of civilization. it
has to play a meaningful role in the social development explained by the
great thinker Plato. He is serious about the vanishing of the basic unit of
civilization. At the destruction of the village, he sees the annihilation of
the village life with its golden traditions and social values.

Question No 5:- Is the poem The Vanishing Village a criticism of

modern urban culture? Discuss.

Answer:- The poem The Vanishing Village is sad criticism of modern

urban culture. It mourns the loss of village life and blames industrial cities
for this miserable situation. It condemns large-scale migration of the rural
population.

It has resulted in the destruction of this important unit of human

civilization. The poet believes that a village as Plato thought is still the
foundation stone of human civilization. Anything that harms or destroys
this foundation must be opposed.

So, the poet indirectly attacks the modern industrial culture of cities.
The poem is also a satire on the selfishness, greed, and materialism
approach of modern man. It is the unfair distribution of opportunities that
forces the simple villagers to run away from their homes.

Modern facilities are available in cities and rural areas are deprived of
them. Agricultural machinery has reduced the need for human labor. So,
the farmworkers have become jobless. Small landowners have sold
properties and have settled in towns and cities. In this way, the villages
have become empty and deserted.

There is an air of gloom, laziness, and isolation in the village. The

houses are falling down. There is no activity or life there. The poet feels
sad about this pathetic scene. However, the poet is not totally hopeless.
He hopes that human society will soon realize the value of the village.

He believes that city life cannot give them the peace, comfort, and
happiness for which they had left their village houses. He hopes that they
will come back and revive all the activities of a happy village.

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 They have given place to greed, selfishness, materialism, and
intrigues. In the end, we can say that villages do exist even now physically
with more comforts and

17. When I Have Fear

By John Keats
Summary
Keats occupies an eminent position among romantic poets. Hia poetry is
remarkable for its love of Nature, imagination, and rich descriptive poetry.
This sonnet about death. . Three years later, he died, In a way, the sonnet
proved prophetic. Keats also knew that he could not live very long
because he had consumption in his family. In this sonnet, the poet is
afraid of his untimely death. He developed a sense of despair at it. He has
a lot of things to write about His brain is teeming with ideas and
imaginations and he wants to convey them to people through his poetry.
The poet believes that he has the capacity to become a great poet.

The poet is highly afraid of death. In the case of his early death, the
world will be deprived of many lofty and grand themes. He wants to write
his poem with lofty and grand themes. The poet is worried that in case of
his early death, he will be deprived of the fame, which he rightly deserves.
In the last stanza, he moves toward his beloved. He is actively pained to
think that with his death, he will be permanently separated from her.
Never again, he will drive the joy of the passionate and heavenly love.

The poet never mentions the word death in all poems. The phrase
cease to be is far more effective in its suggestion of death. The image of
harvest is typically Keatsian and original; The pen is compared to the
harvest sickle and the thoughts of the brain to the full ripened grain and
laden with grain sheaves. It is a fanciful image and suggestive of Keats's
love for natural objects.

Critical Appreciation
When I have Fears" is a beautiful poem by John Keats who is one of the
most celebrated poets of the Romantic era. IN this poem, he expresses his
fear about his early demise. This fact adds to the charm of this poem that
he actually died at a very young age. In this sense, this poem contains an
autobiographical turn as well as a prophetic element. Keats inherited
consumption as a family disease and he feared lest he should die before
he had put all his ideas in his verse he was an ambitious poet who wanted

93
to write great poems in a large number. But death did not spare him much
time and he took his ambition wi him.

In this poem, Keats expresses the fear of his early death, At the same
time, he desires to compose as many poems as may fill piles of books. He
wants to write poetry on every aspect of human life and character. He
wants his pen to glean every thought from his mind and put it on the
paper in the form of verse. He desires his anthologies to be preserved
with as much care as planter preservers sacks of grain in a granary. He
addresses different objects of nature in a sorrowful mood. he feels sorry
that he will not be able to look at night's starred face and cloudy symbols
of high romance. he also addresses his beloved as a fair creature of an
hour. he feels grieved when he thinks that he will not be able to see her
and enjoy her loving company after his death.

Keats feels as if he were standing at the shore of the world from where
he sees his love and fame sinking it the sea. It shows another side of his
fear. he fears lest his poetic compositions should be forgotten. Actually,
he wants to be immortal through his art of poetry.

Theme
- John Keats was a romantic poet. The poem When I have Fears is about
the fears of the poet. Keats’ parents died when he was very young. They
died because of a fatal disease T.B. Keats’elder brother also died young as
a patient of T.B. He also became prey to this disease.

The theme of the fears of the poet is his disease T.B which was incurable
in those days. The poet expresses many fears in this poem but the most
dominating fear is the fear of death, he felt that his death was imminent.

The poet fears that he will die very soon without writing some unique
poems of English literature. His brain is full of ideas and thoughts. He
wants to convert them into books but he fears that he will die before
writing his noble and sublime ideas.

“When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain „

John Keats is a sensitive poet. He is a great lover of natural beauty. He

wants to enjoy beautiful nights full of stars for a long time. The poet gets
a great mind full of ideas. His imaginative thoughts are sky-high. The poet
looks at the clouds which suggest to his mind subjects capable of being
treated romantically.

“When I behold upon the night’s starred face

94
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance”

As a true romantic lover, Keats feels delighted in seeing the face of his
beloved. Though he knows that like this mortal world her beauty is also
short-lived. He is sad at the thought that after his death he will not be
able to feast his eyes on the fascinating face of his beloved.

“And when I feel, fair creature of an hour

That I shall never look upon thee more”

The poet has expressed the theme of death in this poem in a romantic
and pathetic manner. We are shocked and moved at the tragic death of
the poet. His early death deprived the world of a great poet of prolific
ideas and imaginations. We can say that the poet has treated the theme
of death from a personal point of view but he has transformed it into the
general tragedy of human existence. There is a concept of regret and
sadness running the poem. It makes us sad.Black

Questions and Answers

Question No 1:- What is the real nature of Keats’ fear in When I
Have Fears? What are John Keats’ fears?

Answer:- The poem When I Have Fears is a beautiful sonnet. This sonnet
has a dignified tone. The poet’s desire for life and his fears of death are
tragic and sorrowful. The poet was madly infatuated with a beautiful girl
Fanny Brawn but she did not properly appreciate his feelings and
sentiments. This unsuccessful love broke his heart. He was afraid of
death. In this piece of art, he expressed the following fears.

Firstly, he was an imaginative poet. He had a lot of romantic ideas. He

aspired to write his ideas on paper. But he was afraid that he might die
before composing those ideas in his poems.

Secondly, he wanted to write a large number of books. In those

books, he intended to present his own mental philosophy. He had mature
philosophy about life. But due to the sudden approach to death, he would
never be able to write books.

Thirdly, he saw clouds in the sky. He had discovered a new beauty and
wonder in them. He wanted to express romantic ideas about the clouds in
his poems. But he was afraid that he would never be able to write as he
had temporary life.

Fourthly, he was in passionate love with a beautiful girl. He wanted to

enjoy the delights of love. But he was afraid that his early death would

95
separate his beloved from him. But he felt that beauty and love lose their
importance when he would start his journey to the eternal abode.

Question No2:- Briefly describe the poet’s various desires which

he fears would remain unrealized.

Q :- What is the central idea or theme of the poem?

Q :- What are Keats’ thoughts about his own life and mortality?

Answer:- John Keats was a romantic poet. The poem When I have Fears
is about the fears of the poet. Keats’ parents died when he was very
young. They died because of a fatal disease T.B. Keats’elder brother also
died young as a patient of T.B. He also became prey to this disease.

The main cause of the fears of the poet is his disease T.B which was
incurable in those days. The poet expresses many fears in this poem but
the most dominating fear is the fear of death, he felt that his death was
imminent.

The poet fears that he will die very soon without writing some unique
poems of English literature. His brain is full of ideas and thoughts. He
wants to convert them into books but he fears that he will die before
writing his noble and sublime ideas.

“When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain „

John Keats is a sensitive poet. He is a great lover of natural beauty. He

wants to enjoy beautiful nights full of stars for a long time. The poet gets
a great mind full of ideas. His imaginative thoughts are sky-high. The poet
looks at the clouds which suggest to his mind subjects capable of being
treated romantically.

“When I behold upon the night’s starred face

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance”

As a true romantic lover, Keats feels delighted in seeing the face of his
beloved. Though he knows that like this mortal world her beauty is also
short-lived. He is sad at the thought that after his death he will not be
able to feast his eyes on the fascinating face of his beloved.

“And when I feel, fair creature of an hour

That I shall never look upon thee more”

96
 The poet has expressed the theme of death in this poem in a romantic
and pathetic manner. We are shocked and moved at the tragic death of
the poet. His early death deprived the world of a great poet of prolific
ideas and imaginations. We can say that the poet has treated the theme
of death from a personal point of view but he has transformed it into the
general tragedy of human existence. There is a concept of regret and
sadness running the poem. It makes us sad.

Question No3:-How reliable and durable are Love and Fame in the
eyes of Keats?

Q :- What is the importance of love and fame in the life of a

diseased person?

Answer:- This is a beautiful sonnet. The poet says that he feels greatly
grieved when he thinks that he may die before seeing and enjoying life
fully. He may die before giving expression to all his thoughts. He may not
be able to win fame through his poetry. In the eyes of Keats Love and
Fame are very reliable. They have great importance for a living person but
for a dead man they are of no importance. The poem When I Have Fears is
a sonnet on death. His mind is filled with mature romantic thoughts. But
his early death may deprive him of expressing his ideas to the world.

The poem also death with the theme of love and beauty. Both love
and beauty are the favorite themes of Keats’s poetry. Both the themes
have been presented in many of his other poems like Ode on a Gracian
Urn, Ode to Nightingale, and Endymion. Here both the themes have been
touched with an autobiographic touch. The poet was mad in love with a
beautiful girl Fanny Brawne. But she did not properly appreciate his
feelings and sentiments. This unsuccessful love broke his heart. The poet
calls his beloved a fair creature of an hour. He fears that he may die
before enjoying the blessings of his love and the beauty of his beloved. He
fears that he may not be able to create poetry and literature to his heart’s
content.

When the poet’s mind is crowded with many painful doubts and fears he
starts thinking about eternity. When he develops a universal outlook, at
that time, his own life and death, fame and love, look quite ridiculous and
unimportant to him.

According to the poet, love and fame are short-lived and temporary when
he views them standing on the shore of eternity. He feels that love and
fame have no importance for a man about to die. He believes that life
after death is permanent. In this way, he overcomes his fear of death.

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Question No4:- Discuss the poem When I Have Fears as a
romantic poem.

Answer:- In this poem, When I Have Fears the poet tells us about his
personal fear of death. Keats has expressed his fears that he may die
before giving shape to his ideas in his teeming brain. Subjectivity is an
element of romantic poetry. The poet says:

“When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain”

The poet has presented various elements of nature in this poem. He tells
us about night which is full of stars and clouds that have different shapes.
The scene of the sky is highly romantic. The poet wants to enjoy this
beautiful element of nature.

As a true romantic lover, he feels delighted in seeing the face of his

beloved. He also enjoys his sweet company. But he is sad at the thought
that after his death he will not be able to feast his eyes on the fascinating
face of his beloved.

The last two lines of the poem are a good example of the romantic
attitude to life. Here the poet passes from the particular to the universal
truth of life. The personal frustration of the poet is transformed into the
general tragedy of human existence. There is a note of sadness and
regret running through the poem. The poet presents death as the greatest
distress of human life that frustrates all human ambitions and lays waste
all valuable human capabilities.

Subjective feelings, love of nature, and mood of the poet indicate that
it is a romantic poem. Lyricism, pictorial quality, romantic atmosphere,
and sad sentiments are the main features and qualities of this poem.

Question No 5 : What are the Keats thought about his own life
and morality?

Answer:- In this poem,”WHEN I HAVE FEARS” there are several

themes,which are fear of death,fear of loss,theme of temporary of life,love
and beauty,theme of short lived.But the most prominent theme is that
fear of death,it runs throughout the poem.The poet has a great fear about
his death.He becomes very upset,when he knows that his life is too short
he cannot live any more due to serious disease.

He is a young American poet.He becomes to victim a very dangerous

disease.He knows that he will die soon.He knows that death is
approaching toward him.He becomes very dis-heart about his health.He

98
wants to live more life.He behooves to write his point of view on the paper
but he cannot do so.He wishes to see the romantic scenes of the lovely
clouds and sky. He wants to enjoy his beautiful girl friend beauty,and her
beautiful eyes.But he knows very well that he has no enough time for
this.He becomes very much upset having known that life is too much
short .He becomes very disappointed to see his condition.

He has various ideas about life and wants to write them on papers,he
knows that his beloved is very much beautiful,she looks like angel but
every thing is present,yet his life is not present,his life going to far away
him.’The theme fear of loss” emerges when he thinks about his beloved
separation.He does not want to apart from his lover rather he wants to
live with her forever. Because his lover is too much beautiful.”Theme of
beauty “appears in this poem “WHEN I HAVE FEARS” whenever he
suggests that life is awesome,he also talks about its beauty,he narrates
that this universe has beautiful stars,clouds,nights and sky,that sky all the
time fills with stars which makes a very wonderful scene on the sky .

The theme of temporary of life can be seen when he knows that all the
things of our earth one day will destroy. There is no permanent stay in
this world then he realizes that he should only think about next world.
Then his ideas turn out be in new one.He has great and mature belief on
death.He knows that one day,he will die and God will give him one new or
continuous life. We can’t stay in this world for a long time.One day the
chain of breaths will be broken.

In this poem,the poet is worried about his health,his shortness of

life,his lover beauty which going to destroy. When he realizes himself
standing the shore of end of life.That beauty of life starting to loss its
importance before his eyes.And he starts to think about eternity then his
fear of death ends by it.He has a strong fear of death.He knows that all
the things of the world one day will finish. So, it becomes clear that this
poem “WHEN I HAVE FEARS” has several themes in itself but the
dominant theme is fear of death.

Question No 6:- What is the real nature of Keats’ fear in When I

Have Fears?

Q:-What are John Keats’ fears?

Answer :- The poem When I Have Fears is a beautiful sonnet. This

sonnet has a dignified tone. The poet’s desire for life and his fears of
death are tragic and sorrowful. The poet was madly infatuated with a
beautiful girl Fanny Brawn but she did not properly appreciate his feelings

99
and sentiments. This unsuccessful love broke his heart. He was afraid of
death. In this piece of art, he expressed the following fears.

Firstly, he was an imaginative poet. He had a lot of romantic ideas. He

aspired to write his ideas on paper.But he was afraid that he might die
before composing those ideas in his poems.

Secondly, he wanted to write a large number of books. In those books, he

intended to present his own mental philosophy. He had mature philosophy
about life. But due to the sudden approach to death, he would never be
able to write books.

Thirdly, he saw clouds in the sky. He had discovered a new beauty

and wonder in them. He wanted to express romantic ideas about the
clouds in his poems. But he was afraid that he would never be able to
write as he had temporary life.

Fourthly, he was in passionate love with a beautiful girl. He wanted

to enjoy the delights of love. But he was afraid that his early death would
separate his beloved from him. But he felt that beauty and love lose their
importance when he would start his journey to the eternal abode.

Question No 7:- Briefly describe the poet’s various desires which

he fears would remain unrealized.

Q:- What is the central idea or theme of the poem?

Q:- What are Keats’ thoughts about his own life and mortality?

Answer:- John Keats was a romantic poet. The poem When I have Fears
is about the fears of the poet. Keats’ parents died when he was very
young. They died because of a fatal disease T.B. Keats’elder brother also
died young as a patient of T.B.

He also became prey to this disease. The main cause of the fears of
the poet is his disease T.B which was incurable in those days. The poet
expresses many fears in this poem but the most dominating fear is the
fear of death, he felt that his death was imminent.

The poet fears that he will die very soon without writing some unique
poems of English literature. His brain is full of ideas and thoughts. He
wants to convert them into books but he fears that he will die before
writing his noble and sublime ideas.

“When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain ”

100
 John Keats is a sensitive poet. He is a great lover of natural beauty.
He wants to enjoy beautiful nights full of stars for a long time. The poet
gets a great mind full of ideas. His imaginative thoughts are sky-high. The
poet looks at the clouds which suggest to his mind subjects capable of
being treated romantically.

”When I behold upon the night’s starred face

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance.”

As a true romantic lover, Keats feels delighted in seeing the face of

his beloved. Though he knows that like this mortal world her beauty is
also short-lived. He is sad at the thought that after his death he will not be
able to feast his eyes on the fascinating face of his beloved.

“And when I feel, fair creature of an hour

That I shall never look upon thee more”

The poet has expressed the theme of death in this poem in a

romantic and pathetic manner. We are shocked and moved at the tragic
death of the poet. His early death deprived the world of a great poet of
prolific ideas and imaginations.

We can say that the poet has treated the theme of death from a personal
point of view but he has transformed it into the general tragedy of human
existence. There is a concept of regret and sadness running the poem. It
makes us sad.

Question No 8:- How reliable and durable are Love and Fame in
the eyes of Keats?

Q:-What is the importance of love and fame in the life of a

diseased person?

Answer:- This is a beautiful sonnet. The poet says that he feels greatly
grieved when he thinks that he may die before seeing and enjoying life
fully. He may die before giving expression to all his thoughts. He may not
be able to win fame through his poetry.

In the eyes of Keats Love and Fame are very reliable. They have
great importance for a living person but for a dead man they are of no
importance. The poem When I Have Fears is a sonnet on death. His mind
is filled with mature romantic thoughts. But his early death may deprive
him of expressing his ideas to the world.

The poem also death with the theme of love and beauty. Both love and
beauty are the favorite themes of Keats’s poetry. Both the themes have

101
been presented in many of his other poems like Ode on a Gracian Urn,
Ode to Nightingale, and Endymion.

Here both the themes have been touched with an autobiographic

touch. The poet was mad in love with a beautiful girl Fanny Brawne. But
she did not properly appreciate his feelings and sentiments. This
unsuccessful love broke his heart.

The poet calls his beloved a fair creature of an hour. He fears that he
may die before enjoying the blessings of his love and the beauty of his
beloved. He fears that he may not be able to create poetry and literature
to his heart’s content.

When the poet’s mind is crowded with many painful doubts and
fears he starts thinking about eternity. When he develops a universal
outlook, at that time, his own life and death, fame and love, look quite
ridiculous and unimportant to him.

According to the poet, love and fame are short-lived and temporary
when he views them standing on the shore of eternity. He feels that love
and fame have no importance for a man about to die. He believes that life
after death is permanent. In this way, he overcomes his fear of death.

Question No 9:- Discuss the poem When I Have Fears as a

romantic poem.

Answer:- In this poem, When I Have Fears the poet tells us about his
personal fear of death. Keats has expressed his fears that he may die
before giving shape to his ideas in his teeming brain. Subjectivity is an
element of romantic poetry. The poet says:

“When I have fears that I may cease to be

Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain”

The poet has presented various elements of nature in this poem. He tells
us about night which is full of stars and clouds that have different shapes.
The scene of the sky is highly romantic. The poet wants to enjoy this
beautiful element of nature.

As a true romantic lover, he feels delighted in seeing the face of his

beloved. He also enjoys his sweet company. But he is sad at the thought
that after his death he will not be able to feast his eyes on the fascinating
face of his beloved.

The last two lines of the poem are a good example of the romantic
attitude to life. Here the poet passes from the particular to the universal

102
truth of life. The personal frustration of the poet is transformed into the
general tragedy of human existence.

There is a note of sadness and regret running through the poem. The
poet presents death as the greatest distress of human life that frustrates
all human ambitions and lays waste all valuable human capabilities.

Subjective feelings, love of nature, and mood of the poet indicate that
it is a romantic poem. Lyricism, pictorial quality, romantic atmosphere,
and sad sentiments are the main features and qualities of this poem.

18. Kubla khan

By S.T. Coleridge
Summary
Coleridge was a great romantic poet. he had great power of imagination
In 1779, he was reading the book "Purcha's Pilgrimage". The book had a
chapter on a voyage to China. The poet fell asleep during the course of
reading the book. When he woke, he wrote this poem. In this poem, the
poet uses a great imagination. The poet tells us that Kubla Khan was the
king of China. He ordered his men to build a place for him in an imaginary
city Xanadu. The palace was a miracle of rare device. It covered an area
of ten miles. It was encircled with walls and towers.

The sacred river Alph ran by it. It flowed through caves that were
immeasurable. the palace also contained gardens. The bright streams ran
through those gardens. There were trees that were laden with fragrant
flowers. The site was encircled by forests as ancient as the hills. It also
contained sunny spots of greenery. The palace had one wonderful thing. It
was the romantic chasm that sloped down the green hill. It was sheltered
by a cove of trees. The place was holy and enchanted. A powerful fountain
flowed from that romantic chasm It flowed with great force. it seemed as
if the earth were having heavy breaths. The water of this fountain sprang
up with great force.

The forceful water threw away huge stones in the air. It presented the
same scene as the hails rebounding after striking the earth. The rocks
around the fountain seemed to be dancing due to the movement of water.
The holy river Alph ran through an area of ten miles. It passed through the
valley and the forests in a zigzag manner. It also passed through caves
immeasurable to man Finally, it sank into a lifeless ocean produced
strange noise when it entered the sea

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Critical Appreciation
Kubla khan by S.T. Coleridge is the best example of pure imaginative
poetry. Coleridge was one of the celebrated poets of the Romantic era. He
was deeply fascinated by the metaphysical and supernatural elements. In
this poem, he makes good use of his imagination and takes the readers
into a world full of mystery. His narration is so powerful that is impelled to
a willing suspension of disbelief.

Coleridge gives a detailed description of Kubla khan’s pleasure dome. It

was got constructed fin the sacred land of Xanado where the sacred river
Alph, having flowed through measureless caves falls into a sunless sea.
This pleasure dome covers an area of five square miles. It is full of
gardens which shine with the water of

winding streams There are trees and plants decked with fragrant flowers
in this garden This pleasure dome contains such forests as are ancient like
hills.

There is a chasm across a green hill that fascinates the poet. It is a

place where a distracted maiden must. Have wailed for her demon- lover.
A measureless spring sprouts from this chasm and it looks as if the earth
were breathing heavily as the water comes out of it. Kubla khan listens to
the voice of his ancestors in this jumble of various sounds, His ancestral
voices wan him of impending wars. It adds to the supernatural impact of
the poem.

Theme
Kubla Khan” begins by announcing that it is a poem about “pleasure.” It
proposes to describe the Mongol leader’s summer palace, along with all
its luxurious—and, for the speaker, exotic—pleasures. However, the poem
soon takes a curious turn. Instead of describing sumptuous decorations or
brilliant jewels, it focuses mainly on the river that runs through the
grounds of the palace. What’s more, instead of describing that river in
pleasant terms, it often focuses on the river’s violent energy.

Through these descriptions, “Kubla Khan” suggests that pleasure and

beauty are neither simple nor uncomplicated. Rather, the poem shows
that pleasure and beauty come from the conflict between opposing forces
—and that they always contain some degree of violence and ugliness.

Questions and Answers

Question No. 1:- Pick out all the alliterations in the poem .

104
 Answer :- The following are the alliteration used by the poet in the
poem: Pleasure-dome decree, the sacred rive ran, measureless to man,
sunless-sea, with walls, sunny spots, a mighty fountain momently, mazy
motion measure, damsel with dulcimer, symphony and song, deep
delight, loud and long.

Question No. 2:- What purpose do these serve in the poem ?

Answer:- These alliterations serve the following purposes:-

They create musicality for the reader’s ears.

They create the picture in the reader’s mind.

They make up a link between the mind and the main idea of the poet.

They give solidity and reality to the romantic ideas.

Question No. 3:- Discuss“ Kubla Khan ”as a romantic poem.

Answer:- The poem “Kubla Khan” is a romantic poem; there is no doubt

about it. But before that we may discuss it as a romantic poem it seems fit
first to know as to what is the definition of romanticism. It is not an easy
task to perform. Up till now no person or critic has presented a precise
and concise definition of the words romantic and romanticism.

But it is widely recognized that if the poem has the following elements in
itself then such a poem can be called a romantic poem and its writer the
romantic poet. The elements are as follow:-

A romantic poem is always a highly personal poem.

It gives strange shape to the picture or scene that is commonly

recognized.

It consists of the imaginations and dream world created by the poet.

It is about an unreal and unbelievable world,

It is mostly about nature.

It shows world of village people.

Its language is poetic and decorative.

Now let us discuss the poem in the light of the above points and to
explain that whether the poem is a romantic poem or not. No doubt, the
poem consists of highly personal views of the poet, about certain facts
and figures, scenes and persons in the poem. Hence it is a romantic

105
poem. The poet has shown very strange scenes in the poem which were
real may be according to Kubla Khan. See the lines in this respect:-

“Where blossomed may an e-bearing tree,

And here were forests ancient as the hills,

Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.”

Thirdly, the poem is an imaginary and dream-like piece of literature

that shows it as a romantic poem.

Fourthly, Coleridge has Shown an unreal and unbelievable world in

this poem that readers this poem as a romantic poem.

Fifthly, it is mostly about nature and its manifestations. See the lines
below in this connection:-

“Then reached the caverns measureless to man,

And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean.”

The language of the poem is also very dignified. See the following lines in
this respect:- “Caverns measureless to man, lifeless ocean, dome of
pleasure, mingled measure, fertile ground etc. The above all references
prove that the poem is a romantic poem.

Question No 4 :- Make a comparison between Tartary and

Xandu .. or

write note compaeing Tartary and Xanadu.

Answer:- “Tartary” and “Xanadu” are both unsubstantial (unreal) and

imaginary places. Tartary is imagined and invented by Walter De Le Mare,
whereas Xanadu is purely the creation of S.T Coleridge’s imagination.
Both these imaginary and far-off romantic lands are very beautifully and
deftly drawn.

Both these distant, imaginary and romantic lands are replete with the
natural, beautiful, charming, attractive, captivating and romantic sights.
Both are full of the flowers and greenery. Both have beautiful and
charming valleys, hills, dales (valleys), lakes, streams, rivers, and so+ on.

Tartary is, however, a land of peace, tranquility and complete silence. On

the other hand, Xanadu has great noise and tumult and seems to be a
piece of land rather supernatural, place above the approach of human
beings. Both the lands, that is, Tartary and adu, are indeed rich, fertile

106
and captivating. Both are a rare creation of imagination of their respective
creator (poet).

Question No 5:- Discuss Kubla Khan as a romantic poem.

Q:-Discuss the poem as a fantasy.

Answer:- The poem Kubla Khan is regarded as the masterpiece of

romantic poetry. It takes us into the imaginary land of Xanadu. Its beauty
and grandeur are unmatched. It is a beautiful, rich, and fertile land full of
unheard-of unseen delight. The poet sees in his dream that Kubla Khan
has ordered to build his grand palace. It was situated where the sacred
river Alph flowed.

“In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree”

Like all other great romantic poets, Coleridge is also a lover of nature. The
palace of Kubla Khan is surrounded by hills and green spots. The world of
Xanadu is really full of green spots. There is no boundary of the area, no
opposition, no worries, and cares.

“And there were forests ancient as the hills

Enfolding sunny spots of greenery”

Again, to take another example of the romantic element, amid the tumult
that the Alph makes while sinking into a selfless ocean, Kubla Khan heard
from far Ancestral voices prophesying war.

The dreamy atmosphere and the wild natural scenery give a touch of
romance to this poem. This romance becomes so charming with the
melody of the young girl. It takes us away from the fever and fret of the
real world. And we find ourselves entered into a magic world.

“A damsel with a dulcimer

In a vision once I saw”

The poem Kubla Khan has some phrases that collectively give the
atmosphere of the world of enchantment. The caverns measureless to
man, sunless sea, and a woman wailing for her demon-lover are the
beautiful phrases.

Reference to distant lands and far-off places emphasize the romance

of Kubla Khan, Xanadu, Alph, Mount Abora belong to the geography of
romantic atmosphere.

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There are supernatural occurrences, references to remote times, mystery,
aesthetic images, and the idea of poetic creativity that is a romantic
concept of poetry. So we can conclude that the poem is a pleasant
mixture of imagination, fantasy, and romance.

Question No 6:- Write a note on the splendor of Kubla Khan’s

court.

Q:-Write a note on the pleasure dome built by Kubla.

Answer:- Kubla Khan was the Mongol emperor in the 13th century. He
was famous in his country. In this poem, Coleridge has drawn an
imaginary picture of Kubla Khan’s court of pleasure dome.

Kubla Khan had ordered a splendid palace to be built on the bank of the
river Alph, so ten miles of ground were enclosed with huge walls and
towers. The palace was full of flowers and sweet-smelling plants.

But the most beautiful thing was the deep chasm near this fountain
flowed Alph. This sacred river flowed through woods and valleys for five
miles and then fell into an underground and immeasurable ocean with a
great noise.

In the midst of this tumult, Kubla Khan heard the voices of his forefathers.
They asked him to leave his luxurious ease and prepare himself for war.
There could also be heard strange music coming from the pleasure-dome.
The poet says that once in a dream, he saw an Abyssinian girl singing of
Mount Abora.

The poet thinks that if he could recall to his mind the same music
again, he would be able to build in the air a beautiful palace like that of
Kubla. But people would be taken aback to see his frenzy. They would be
frightened to see His flashing eyes, His floating hair.

They would ask others to beware of him lest he should cast his spell
on them because he had drunk the milk of paradise. The dreamy
atmosphere, the word-music, and the beautiful imagery of the poem have
made it in the words of a critic, The most wonderful of all the poems of
Coleridge.

Question No 7:- Make a comparison between Tartary and Kubla

Khan.

Answer:- -There are certain common things that can be found in poems,
Tartary and Kubla Khan. Some points are related to the text and subject of
the poem while some are related to history. Both the poems are full of

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elements of nature that are rivers, lakes, birds, trees, forests, and many
other things.

These elements of nature give a new look and beauty to the poems. It
also shows that both these poets are also lovers of nature which is a
source of freshness and energy. Both the poets imagine romantic lands
which are full of pleasure and delights.

In these lands, everything is matchless and beautiful. The world Xanadu

and Tartary are beyond the common experience of life. There is another
point that both the poems share. This is related to history. In both the
poems, we have a linkage of the Tartar tribe.

Tartar was a warrior tribe that emerged centuries ago in central Asia.
Kubla Khan belonged to this tribe and was Tartar by race. He was the
grandson of Changez Khan. On the other hand, Walter De La Mare wishes
to be the imaginary ruler of the land of Tartars.

In the end, we can say that both the poems are full of music and music
creates a soothing effect on the minds of the readers. When we compare
both poems, we come to know they are similar in many respects. Both are
imaginative, romantic, mysterious, and full of fantastic dreamlike and
traces like atmosphere and tendencies.

19. Hawk,s Monologue

By Ted Hughes
Summary
Ted Hughes is a British poet of great poetic excellence. his poetry is a
study of human nature in its various forms. Death, destruction, violence,
and savagery are the basic themes of this poem. Hawk's Monologue
illustrates the fact that the habit to plunder and prey contains the seeds of
destruction. The all people who have power forget that their power will
end one day. The poem is written the form of a monologue. A monologue
is a speech delivered by the main character of the poem. The poet and
other characters remain in the background.

In this poem, the hawk is the main character who boasts of this
supremacy over all other creatures of God. The hawk is sitting on a tree
and thinking about his prey. His eyes are closed He is a power-drunk He is
sitting idle but he claims that he knows his action well. his hooked, head
and the hooked feat never forget to prey on their victim even when they
are inactive. They can hunt kill and eat in sleep also.

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 The hawk claims that his power never ended. He is sitting on a tree
higher than other girds. This is a position of advantage and supremacy of
him. He receives the sun's rays and the pleasing effect of the air contrary
to other creations of God. The earth also helps him in his prey. He boasts
that he is the crown of all creations. His every foot and each feather are
fashioned by God with extreme care and beauty.

He has the power and authority to kill anything anywhere. He is very

powerful and mighty. It is his habit to tear off the heads of his victims he
is merciless and inhuman. His main aim is to destroy others. His path is
full of bones and dead bodies. He has the absolute authority to question
him. The hawk goes on to assert that nothing is going to change. He has
been going on in his destructive activities for centuries together. His eye
has permitted no change. His supremacy and excellence are permanent
and are not going out to suffer. any change.

He further says that his flight is incomplete if he does not kill others.
Nobody is there to deprive him of his right. He claims that his powerful
eyes have allowed things to change to his disadvantages, and will create
difficulties for him. "Hawk's Monologue" points out the basic truth which is
shared by all power-drunk rulers. All rulers think that their power never
ended.

Critical Appreciation
Hawk's Monologue is an interesting poem by Ted Hughes. The poem may
be seen as a comment on the approach of those who are power-drunk.
They want to rule the world through dictatorial means. They consider
themselves above any regulation. To them, sympathy is a far cry, They
need no justification for whatever they do. They are accountable for
nothing and to none. As the title suggests, a hawk talks to himself in this
poem.

The old hawk of the poem is sitting at the topmost branch of a tree in
the forest with his eyes closed. He talks to himself and boasts about his
achievements. He says that his hooked head and hooked feet know how
to hunt even when they seem inactive. Different elements of nature assist
him in chasing and catching his prey. The air helps him fly high.

The rays of the sun help him look clearly. Even the face of the earth
assists him to locate his prey. He claimes to have a right on killing any
bird that comes his way His beak and claws are made to crush the heads
of other birds that are inferior to him in power. He says that he knows well
how powerful he is since his creation. He has not seen any change and
will not allow any change.

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Theme
The theme of the poem is thought-provoking. In this world, powerful
people think that they are monarchs. They are vain of their power. They
haunt and tease others. They kill others only for their happiness.
Intoxicated by their power, fame, and prosperity, they forget their
downfall. but with the passage of time, they lose their power and glory.
The Hawk is a symbol of power in the poem and also a symbol of death
and destruction.

Questions and Answers

Question No. 1:- Discuss then theme of the poem.

Q :- Do the Hawk’s assertions of all powerfulness impress you ?if

not‚ why ?

Answer:- Hawk’s monologue poem critical appreciation: The theme of

the poem Hawk’s monologue by Ted Hughes is about the delusions of the
power drunk. The hawk-feels that he was the reason and cause of
creation. A dictator always thinks that he will remain powerful forever but
such kind of all powerful often forget that in their unlimited power lie the
seeds of death and destruction. No the hawk’s assertions do not impress
me on the following grounds:-

1) . All powerful is the Almighty God.

2). The hawk’s assertions are wrong because in its own unlimited powers
lie his death and destruction.

3). I don’t like pride and haughtiness that’s why I don’t like the assertions
of the Hawk.

4). The hawk is expressing only the hollow words and ideas. The above
are the reasons due to which I don’t like the assertions o the hawk.

Question No 2 :- Discuss the image used by rhe poet to highlight

the grandeur and impact of the Hawk’s strengtil and domination,
over other creatures.

Answer:- The poet has used many images in the poem that suggest the
Hawk’s physical strength and domination over other creatures.

Firstly, the poet has used the image of the perfect skill and art of the
hawk. The poet writes the following lines of the poem in this connection:

“Between my hooked head and hooked

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Or in sleep rehearse perfect skills and”

The second image is about his brag that everything has been created for
the hawk’s facilities. In this connection the poet has presented the
following lines of the poem very aptly.

“The convenience the high trees;

The air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray are advantage to me

And the earth’s face upward for my inspection.”

The image about his all powerfulness is also pretty impressive. The poet
says about the hawk.

“It took the whole of creation

To produce my foot, my

each feather,

Now I hold Creation in my foot.”

Besides, the following images are also very impressive.

“I kill where I please,

There is no sophistry in my body”

The above are some of the most striking and impressive images that the
poet has used in the poem.

Question No 3: Discuss the theme of the poem Hawk’s Monologue

by Ted Huges.

Answer:- The poem Hawk’s Monologue is about the delusion of a power-

drunk hawk who is very proud of his physical power. He thinks that he is
the cause of creation. Actually, Hawk is a symbol of despotic rulers of the
world.

In spite of being the crown of creation man has some malevolent traits
which quite artistically presented by Ted Hughes In his wonderful poem
Hawk’s Monologue.

The poem is a metaphorical representation of tyranny, arrogance,

destructiveness, Conceitedness, superiority, egotistical attitude, and
obsession with the power and inhumanity of the man. All the destruction
in the world is just because of man and all the above-mentioned evils.

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Power-drunken man kills and destroys everything that comes his way, like
the Hawk who kills and preys innocent birds and other creatures to satisfy
his hunger. The theme of destruction is all-pervasive in the poem.

“Man’s desire to gain the utmost power has made him a tyrant
and arrogant. Such as in this poem Hawks claims great power and
dominance. He says Now I hold

Creation in my foot. Arrogance and the conceited attitude of man

are also some of the dominant themes of the poem.”

The Hawk claims that God has designed this world and all things for its
purpose so as a man. Mortality is another dominant theme in the poem.
Death is personified by Hawk. Such as Hawk ruthlessly tears off and
beheads innocent creatures so that death is cruel, and merciless. I kill
wherever I wish.

The poem is not a simple monologue of a cruel bird rather it is a

manifestation of the cruel force of nature in the face of man and his
inhuman desires. Man’s lust for power and dominance made him a tyrant
who knows nothing except perfect control over the world.

Question No 4:- Can we say that Hawk’s Monologue is the

assertion of a power-drunk ruler.

Q:- How has the poem presented hawk as a symbol of power,

strength, and destructiveness?

Q:- How would you comment on hawk’s claim? Now I hold

Creation in my foot?

Answer:- The poem is a dramatic monologue in which a Hawk talks to

himself. He considers himself a symbol of power. He has grown old but he
still considers himself powerful. He says that he still grips the branch of
the tree with all his might. His work according to him is cutting off heads
from bodies. He thinks he can kill any bird around him and he has the
right to do so. He thinks he is blessed with sharp and powerful paws. He
considers himself the master of all-natural objects.

The poem is a symbolic poem. The hawk may be a symbol of a dictator. A

dictator thinks that he has all powers. He can do what he wants. He
considers himself the owner of black and white. He argues that all things
happen and should happen according to his will.

He is of the opinion that he can kill others for nothing and there is nobody
to ask him. He is above accountability and has the power to make laws of

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his own choice. Hawk as a dictator has so many similarities between
them. A dictator kills his opponents without any reason like a hawk.

He rules his country in a way he desires like a hawk flies high in the sky
like a king. He has limitless powers like a king. Both have the false notion
that there would be no change in their powers.

The poem ends with the fact that as the hawk himself that he is still
young and powerful the dictator also feels that he will remain powerful all
his life. But there is a decline in everything. A dictator will no more be in
power he will have to lose his powers one day.

Question No 5:- Discuss the images used by the poet to highlight

the grandeur and domination of hawk over creatures.

Answer:- Ted Hughes in Hawk’s Monologue has skillfully used many

images to show Hawk’s delusions of being all-powerful., supreme,
dominant, arrogant, callous, and self-centered. These images, in fact,
bring out myopic thinking of the dictators.

At the beginning of the poem, the image of the hawk’s sitting manners
reflects his careless style. The hawk is sitting on the top of a tree. His eyes
are closed. His hooked beak and hooked feet create a dreadful picture of
the hawk.

“ I sit in the top of the wood,

my eyes closed inaction,

no falsifying dream”

The second image is about the claws of the hawk. He has firmly held the
bark of a tree in his claws. It seems that he is holding his prey in his
bloody talons. My feet are locked upon the rough bark.

The third image is about the high flight of the hawk in which he kills his
prey according to his own will and without reason. Or fly up, and receive it
all slowly, I kill where I please because it is all mine.

In the fifth stanza of the poem, the hawk is presented as a ruthless, cruel,
and despotic ruler who can kill anyone without sound reason.. The
allotment of death For the one path of my flight is direct.

The use of these and other similar images highlights the grandeur
and impact of the hawk’s physical strength, and domination over other
creatures. The central idea of the poem is thought-provoking. The
powerful people think that they are monarchs of all they see.

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They are vain of their power. They hurt and tease others even kill others
only for the sake of their satisfaction and to forget their downfall. But with
the passage of time, they lose their power and glory.

Question No 6:- Do the hawk’s assertions of all-powerfulness

impress you? If not, why?

Q:- What is the symbolic interpretation of the hawk’s assertion?

Answer:- Ted Huges is a modern English poet. He has given philosophical

views that are based on his deep observation and minute study of human
nature. The main themes in his poetry are destruction, power, death, and
violence.

Hawk’s Monologue is the speech of a savage bird who takes pride in his
unchallenged power to kill and destroy the other birds. The poem is
actually a Dramatic Monologue presented by the hawk who boasts much
of his supremacy over the other birds.

He thinks that he is the most powerful creation of Nature and has the
complete right to kill others. The poet has expressed the hawk as a
symbol of absolute power, authority, and destruction. The poem has
symbolic significance.

In fact, it is a serious criticism or satire on the dictators of the world who

want to have unlimited powers over them. They develop misconceptions
about their power and status. They do not listen to any reason and believe
that they are the greatest on earth.

Their treatment of others is based on contempt and they do not hesitate

to torture or destroy others for their pleasure. But they forget that they
also have to suffer from death and destruction. They do not admit that
everyone in this world is not permanent.

20. Say This City Has Ten Million Souls

By W. H. Auden
Summary
The poem is thought-provoking. In this poem, he gives us the picture of
America where class distinction exists completely. Some people live in
huge buildings and some are living in small cottages. But there is no room
for those people who come to this country from other countries for
protection and shelter. The poet recalls in a pathetic manner that once
they had a country of their own. It was very dear to them. They can go

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back because they have no home. He remembers the different sense of
his country. The old passports are a hindrance. in their going back. The
old passports are unable to identify them. They are a hindrance to their
freedom and rights.

The poet is very sad due to the attitude of passport officials. They told
him that without a passport he is dead. The poet goes to the seaport and
sees the fish swimming freely in the water. He sees birds chirping in the
trees, which enjoy more freedom than human beings. Perhaps, they enjoy
this freedom because they are not politicians in them They are fortunate
because they are not human beings.

The poet says that there are many huge buildings in this country.
They have a thousand windows and a thousand doors. But we have no
home among these thousands of buildings. On the other hand, they are
suspected as an enemy to the country by thousands of soldiers who are
deputed to check their identity? Soldiers definitely killed them. The poet
has been successful draw a sad picture of refugees. The refugees suffer
physically as well as emotionally they are isolated and alienated from the
main lot. The point is that man has become worse than animals.

Critical Appreciation
This is an issue-based poem. the poet pleads with the case of the
immigrants of World War II. Hitler's killing of the German Jews on a very
large scale forced the survivors to seek refuge in the United States of
America However, when they reached there, they found that there was no
room for them. Auden insists on helping humanity beyond the issues of
caste, creed, and religion.

Auden describes the miserable plight of the Jews who migrated from
Germany to America. They were badly affected by the war. They had lost
their dear ones. They had lost their homeland. They recall that they had a
country once, but now they cannot return to it. The poet condemns the
inhuman treatment o the refugees at the passport counters. They begin to
realize that a refugee has no country to claim his own. In a place where
their identity does not matter, they are dead officially, though alive
physically, Every refugee faces similar problems of citizenship. There is
general hatred against them.

The poet expresses grief that even birds and animals live a better life
than the refugees The poet analyzes that the birds enjoy this freedom as
they have not politician among them. The poet successfully presents the
case of the immigrants.

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Theme
This poem highlights an international issue of refugees. The problems of
refugees are common in the world. The poet describes the feeling of
homeless people. According to the poet, human life has fallen beneath the
level of animal life. The poet criticizes politicians because politicians
corrupt the world.

Questions and Answers

Question No 1:- The poet has used several numerical images :
what effect this create ?

Answer:- The following are the numerical images used by the poet in the
poem:

Ten Million Souls in the title of the poem.

A building with a thousand doors.

Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro.

Question No. 2: The effects of the numerical numbers in the poem

Answer:- Say this city has ten million souls in critical analysis can
discussed such as the first numerical number creates miraculous effects
on the minds of the readers. It is so because when the readers feel that
ten million people were living in America even then the refugees had no
roof over their heads. It creates the sense of deprivation, loneliness,
boredom and hatred among the speaker and the readers.

Secondly, the building with thousand doors also creates streams of

worries and sense of deprivation. The figures show the intensity of the
situation. Even the ten thousand soldiers marching to and for.

create fears in the readers that what may happen if the refuges are
caught up by them. So the number cal numbers create excellent effects
both on moral and societal grounds on the minds and hearts of the
readers. Say this city has ten million souls questions and answers

Question No 3 :- What is the basic theme of the poem ?

Answer:- In the poem the poet captures the sense of alienation and
isolation of outsiders coming to a country not their own. He is talking
specifically of the German Jews who fled their country afraid of Hitler’s
persecution, but the feelings conveyed are equally appropriate for any
other immigrants. The worries, sense of alienation, the hatred of the
immigrants against the natives, the historical reference of Hitler are all

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the basic and themes of the poem. The sense of deprivation and
alienation of the immigrants is clear from the following lines of the poem:-

“Saw a poodle in a jacket fastened with a pain

Saw a door opened and cat let in:

But they weren’t German Jews, my dear,

But they weren’t German Jews.”

Question NO 4:- What are somw of the typically urban elements

mentioned in the poem, “ Say City Has Ten Million Souls” by W.
H.

Answer:- In this poem, “Say This City Has Ten Million Souk Auden has
employed (used) a number of urban images the typically urban elements.
The poet, through his spokesman, who is a German immigrant,talk about
“ten million souls” of whom some are living in “Mansions”. Some others
are living in “holes”. He talks about the “consul”, bangingthe table to say
that if the German immigrants do not possess passports, that is, the
renewed passports, they are officially dead. He talks about the Committee
that offered “a chair” to the German refugee, but did not solve his
problem. He talks about “a public meeting” where the “speaker” was
delivering a speech against the German immigrants. He talks about Hitler
and Europe. He talks about a pet dog, “a poodle” in “a jacket”: He talks
about “the harbour” and “the quay”.

Finally, he talks about a dream of “a building” with a thousand floors, a

thousand Windows and a thousand doors”, but there was none for the
German refugees. All the above-mentioned images or elements are
typically urban. These suggest a direct criticism on the inhuman and base
treatment of the people of New York (U.S.A) towards the helpless,
friendless and shelter less German Jews, the German immigrants or
refugees. People also ask these questions which are under below:-

“Say this city has ten million souls ”

Question No 5:- Narrate the central idea of the poem Say this City
has Tem Million Souls by W.H. Auden.

Q:- What is the basic theme of the poem?

Answer:- The poet presents a serious theme in the poem. He presents a

man’s misbehaving with a man based on political, religious, national, and
racial grounds. The poem is about the German Jews who migrated to the
U.S.A for the fear of Hitler’s cruel treatment.

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The message of love for all human beings is beautifully conveyed through
the mouth of an immigrant. The description of the friendless, helpless,
and shelterless immigrant arouses feelings of sympathy in the reader’s
mind. The tone of the poem is pathetic, tragic, and ironic.

Fish and birds are free but human beings are not. They are bound in a
thousand chains of race, religion, country, nationality, and passports. The
poet produces a soft corner for the Jews by using numerical images in the
poem.

Question No 6:- Why is the refugee In Say this city has ten million
souls declared officially dead while he is actually alive?

Q:- Bring out the pathos in Say this city has ten million souls.

Q:- Say this city has ten million Souls” expresses the sad feelings
of refugees. Discuss?

Answer:- W.H. Auden was born in England but settled in America. In his
poems, he has described the international problems of refugees, It is an
outcome of political, religious, and racial discrimination. In this poem,
Auden has described the scenario of refugees’ alienation coming to a
country not their own.

He is especially talking about the German Jews who fled from their
country for the fear of Hitler. The feelings which are expressed here can
be shared by any refugee and immigrant living anywhere in the world.
The so-called civilized societies. treat them mercilessly and inhumanly.

Human life and its honor fall beneath the animal level. Human beings are
captured and imprisoned in countless chains of religion, race, nationality,
and passport. W.H.Auden condemns that mankind is divided into
selfishness and narrow-mindedness.

He believes that we should remove these barriers and accept the rights of
refugees to live. The poem is sentimental in impact. The poem preaches a
moral lesson of universal brotherhood to all the nations of the world. It
arouses feelings of sympathy and pity for the refugees.

Question No 7:- What is the thematic significance of images used

in the poem, Say This City Has Ten Million souls?

Answer:- In the poem, Say This City Has Ten Million Souls, the poet, W.H.
Auden has used pictorial images carefully to signify the misery,
difficulties, and sufferings of the war-torn and neglected people.

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This poem has been written when there was the Second World War and
the Nazi forces launched an operation against the Jews. The period of the
20th century was the darkest period in history for all the Jewish race as
these years led them to near extinction.

The poet, W.H. Auden, was also a Jew who has presented a realistic
picture of those dark days when the Jews were being maltreated and
dislocated on a massive scale. The poet has painted images of free birds
that show the imprisoned condition of the Jews in their own country.

The images of freely moving fish also describe the same situation that
paints the pathetic condition of the Jews, the whole poem is about the
German Jews who migrated to the U.S.A. for the fear of Hitler’s cruel
treatment.

The symbols of passports, the military marches, the multi-storeyed

building, the symbolic importance of thunder, the harbour, the
churchyard, the yew tree, and the mansions, all signify the destitute and
miserable condition of the Jews in Europe.

The poet has satirized the racial prejudice of the world leaders who
are destroying global peace by a pre-planned war against the Jews. The
poet stresses on this thing that equality gives peace whereas difference
gives rise -to hatred.

21. Politics
By W. B. Yeats
Summary
"Politics" is a small but very beautiful poem on love. The poet considers
love as the greatest reality on earth. Love according to him is a mighty
and powerful thing. It exercises a deep influence on the mind, heart, and
soul of man. In this poem, he compares the all-pervasive influence of love
to that of politics. Politics is also a great reality of modern life. The modern
age is remarkable for its interest in politics. Politics has become very
popular in every field of life. Politics corrupted religion and culture. .
However, love is better than politics because politics is a dirty game. It is
love. Love is supreme and excellent.

The poet does not like politics. He does not show any interest in Roman
Russian or Spanish politics. He does not want to know what is happening
in these countries. In fact, the poet falls in love with a girl who is standing
there symbolizes youth and beauty. The world of power appears
meaningless before her beautiful face.

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 The poet says that. no doubt politics is very important. He points out
that a well-traveled person may have a broad vision of life. He may have
adequate knowledge of the political situation of different countries. He is a
well-read and well-thought person. His arguments on politics are weighty.
His knowledge of current affairs of life is sound. His analysis of world
politics may be correct. His assessment of conflicts and wars is correct.
But a lover is better than a politician. True love conquers all fields of life
and enlightens our mind and soul It moves our heart to things of nobility
and grandeur. Politics in spite of its influence holds an inferior position to
the power of love.

Critical Appreciation
Politics by W. S.yeats is an interesting poem. In this poem, the poet
conveys a message that love and desire remain human needs in every
phase of life. Love has such power as can dominates every other passion.
In this age, when politics is the most favorite subject around the world,
the poet is so inspired by the beauty of a young lady that he cannot pay
attention to any other topic. He can not avoid himself to see the beauty of
this girl. He desires to be young again and clasp her in his embrace.

The poet sees a beautiful and charming lady standing in front of him. Her
elegance stirs a storm of love in the heart of the old man. In this situation,
the old man is asked to pay attention to international politics and try to
find out political turns taking place in Rome, Spain, and Russia. His
attention is diverted towards a tourist who has been to different countries
of the world. He has witnessed wars and their impacts all over the world.

The poet is asked to listen to a politician also. This impresses the poet
who is constantly looking at the young lady, To him, her beauty is more
fascinating than the experiences of the tourist and the politician. He
desires to be young again and take her in his arms and enjoy her
passionate lofe. The poet has presented a contrast between the feelings
of love and otherworldly concerns. He is of the opinion that love may put
into shade all concerns of the world.

Theme
The theme of the poem is the contrast between love and politics. The
information of a traveled man and politician about coming war may be
true but he says that there are better things in this world than politics,
disputes, and wars. The poet does not deny the political reality because,
without politics, a country cannot progress well. The destiny of a nation
depends on its politics in modern man but in spite of this, there is another
great reality which is love. We cannot get peace from politics but love

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gives us mental and spiritual peace and happiness. So the world of politics
becomes dim before such a bright and shining world.

Questions and Answers

Question NO 1:- How does the poet distinhuish between the “
Traveled Man ”and “ Political”.

Q :- Write note on Politics poem by William Butler Yeats critical

summary or analysis Politics by William Butler Yeats summary,
critical analysis

Q :- Is Politics poem by William Butler Yeats love poem?

Answer:- Politics poem by William Butler Yeats in critical analysis can be

defined it narrates about the power of love and in this sense this poem
can be called politics which has been written by William Butler Yeats love
poem. The poet has beautifully distinguished between the traveled man”
and the politician”. According to the poet the traveled man is a practical
man as he knows what he speaks. See what the poet says in this respect:-

“Yet here’s a traveled man that knows

What he talks about”

Hence, in the poet’s views the traveled man is a practical man, he has
visited the whole world and has seen many people When the poet talks
about the politician he says:

“And there’s a politician

That has read and thought,”

The above lines prove that the traveled man is a practical man whereas
the politician is a man of theoretical learning. Both of them are different
from each other.

Question NO 2:- Why does the poet want to be young again ? Is

Politics poem by William Butler Yeats love poem?

Answer:- The poet wants to be young again because he loves to be young

and enjoy the same bliss that is attached to the youth and its passions. He
is an old fellow and remembers his youth expeditions. It is a fact that “life
is a thought”. When a person is old but has the positive thinking, surly, he
is young by heart.

The poet thought, was an old fellow yet he wanted to be young again.
Beauty and females attract man a lot even in old age. That is why at the

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end of the poem the poet could not control his young passion and feelings
and uttered the following memorable lines in the poem:

“But o that I were young again,

And held her in arm”

The poet wishes to embrace the girl which actually means, he wants to be
young again to enjoy the company of the young girl.

Question No 3:- What is the central idea of the poem, Politics?

Q:- W.B. Yeats does not underestimate politics nor does he reject
it. Elaborate.

Q:- How far is politics important in the eyes Of W.B.Yeats?

Q:- Is love really more important but not absolutely so?

Answer:- In the poem, the poet, William Butler, Yeats has described the
supremacy of love over politics. In all circumstances, he prefers love to
politics. Instead of listening to the political leaders who only talk about
war, he wishes to become young again and wants to hold her girlfriend in
his arms.

He believes that love is a powerful experience of life. It is so powerful

passion that it dominates all other passions of life. The poet likes neither
the politicians nor alarms of war nor the much-traveled man who talks of
nothing but journeys.

Of course, the poet does not deny the existence of political reality but he
has only preferred the sweetness of the reality of physical love. He thinks
love changes the bitter situation.

Question No 4:- Write a comparison between a lover and a

traveler.

Q:- How does the poet distinguish between the traveling man
and the politician?

Q:- In Politics, the political reality is not denied but questioned in

the face of reality

Answer:- In this poem Politics, the poet W.B Yeats has made a vivid
distinction between a man who has traveled far and wide than a politician.
The poet tells us about the traveling man who knows what he talks about.
The traveling man has first-hand experience about the political condition
of the world.

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 This beautiful and interesting poem is about politics and love. In this
modem age, politics is given great importance but love enjoys an even
greater influence on human feelings. Every, other knowledge, skill, and
experience loses its significance before the reality of love.

Love is superior to politics, war, traveling, and education. The poet

compares a lover with a politician and a widely traveled person. A
traveled man possesses great power of observation. He visits different
countries and knows much about the lifestyle of different nations.

He is fully aware of the progress, achievement, and socio-economic

condition of different countries. His arguments are loaded with his power
of observation. In spite of all his knowledge, he is not superior to a lover.
Instead of taking part in the disputes and quarrels of politics, a lover is
lost in the charm and beauty of his beloved.

The experience of love is really thrilling and intoxicating. The poet does
not want to think about anything of the world in the presence of a young
and beautiful girl. He wishes to be young again, enjoy the blessings of
young love.

Question No 5:- In our time destiny of man presents its meaning

in political terms. Explain Politics by W.B. Yeats in the light of
Mann’s gives comment.

Answer:- The poem emphasizes the all-powerful position of politics.

Every other activity of life fades and becomes useless. The world is
dominated by politics whether it is national or international. The modern
man has lost his individual identity.

His position is like a drop of water in the vast ocean. The nations are
controlled by politicians. They hold them like puppets in their hands. They
often start a war to divert the attention of the people from their
despicable bad governance.

Thus the poor common man is at the mercy of this merciless politics.
The political reality is more painful when it pushes people into a vortex of
economic problems. They are forced to spend their time making efforts to
earn bread for their family.

The poor lover feels ashamed to see his girlfriend with an empty
pocket. Thus the sweetest joys of love and beauty are denied by them. So
it is right to say that the modern man is held hostage by the evil forces of
politics.

22. Snake

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By D.H. Lawrence
Summary
" Snake" by D. H. Lawrence is a beautiful poem. the poet, in this poem,
suggests that man must love all the creatures of the world. He must not
take initiative to hurt any other creature however dangerous it may seem.
Man must treat birds, animals, and reptiles affectionately. He has no right
to assert his superiority by causing harm to other creatures. The poem is
also a comment on the worldly education that fills man with fears and a
sense of uncertainty.

The poet describes how on a sunny day of July, he comes downstairs to

fetch some water from the trough when he sees a snake drinking water at
the trough. it has come out of the hole in the mud wall. The poet stands
still and looks at the reptile. The snake also looks at the poet. At first, the
poet thinks of killing the snake. His worldly education instructs him to do
so as the snake is considered a dangerous reptile. However, he hears a
call from his within,. It feels him that the snake is his guest and the guests
should be treated honorably.

Critical Appreciation
"Snake" is a great poem. The poem is simple but it has deep meanings.
The poet says that instinct is better than reasoning. The poet saw a snake
that was drinking water at his water trough. He liked the snake. His inner
voice said him snakes are dangerous so he must kill him. He picked a
stick and threw him on the snake but his target was missed and he was
very ashamed of his action.

They belives that the snake is a king of the underground world and must
be treated accordingly. This is a very long poem of 74 lines. It has been
written in the type of " Free verse" There is no rhyme scheme in the
poem. Some lines are very long and some are very short. The poem is
remarkable for the descriptive power of the poet otherwise language is
very simple.

Theme
The theme of the poem is that our feeling of love sympathy was crushed
by our social education. Man kills other animals just to prove his bravery
and manly hood. This is not humanity. He should not kill other animals for
his fun because every creature has the right to live in this world like a
human being. We should not interfere with other's lives. They have their

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own likes and dislikes. Every creature of God whats freedom and we
should not interfere with their lives.

Questions and Answers

Question No 1:- Pick out all the descrirptive used for the snake.

Answer:- The following are the descriptive words that the poet has used
for the snake: Trailed, yellow brown slackness, soft-bellied, straight
mouth, slack long body, flickered his tow-forked tongue, earth brown,
earth golden, burning bowels of the earth, black-black snakes, slowly
turned his body, snake easing his shoulder, drawing into that horrid black
hole, convulsed in undignified haste, writhed like lightning.

Question No 2:- Why does the poet think of us education as “

accursed”?

Answer:- The poet thinks his education as accursed because he wants to

enjoy the beauty of the snake. He has the aesthetic sense necessary to
enjoy beauty in its forms even in the creatures like snakes. He was ready
to treat the snake as his guest. He allowed the snake to drink water
before himself. But when the snake did his work of drinking water from
the trough, his education directed him to kill that snake as it was
poisonous. See the following lines in this connection:

“The voice of my education said to me

He must be killed”

But his aesthetic sense let him utter the following words:

“But must I confess I liked him

Hon glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet,

To drink at my water-trough,”

Ultimately, his education succeeds in winning his heart and he said:

“I looked around, P put down my pitcher,

I picked up a clumsy clog,

And threw it at the water-trough with a clatter,”

The poet was sorry for what he did by following the voice of his education.
He accepted at the end:

“And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords of life,

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And I have something to expiate: A pettiness”

That is why the poet says “I despised myself and the voices of my
accursed human education”.

Question No 3:- Can you point the subtle changes in the poet,s
relationship with Snake ?

Answer:- The changes in the poet’s relationship with the snake are many.
Firstly, the poet considered the snake as a guest who has come up to his
water-trough. He says in the poem:

“But must I confess I like this

How glad I was he had come like

To drink at my water-trough”

Secondly, the poet thinks that the snake is like a god. A god is worshiped
so the poet wants to do the worshiping activity. He wanted to worship the
snake like a devotee. His relationship with the snake is vivid in the
following lines:

“The snake

seeming to lick his lips,

And looked around like a god,”

At the end the poet changes his relationship again from a host, a devotee
to a subject. He calls the snake as a king of the underworld. The poet
writer in this connection:

“For he seemed to me again like a king,

Like a kind in exile! Uncrowned,

Now due to be crowned again.”

Hence the relationship of the poet and the snake is of the

following nature:Host-guest, devotee-god, a king-a subject.

Question No. 4: WHY IS THE POET GLAD TO SEE TIIE SNAKE AT HIS
WATER-TROUGH?

Why is the poet glad to see the snake a

Answer:- The poet is glad to see the snake at his water-trough because of
his the following relationships:

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Firstly, the poet considered the snake as a guest who has come up to his
water-trough that is why he is glad. He says in the poem,

“But must I confess I liked him

How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet,

To drink at my water-trough,”

Secondly, the poet thinks that the snake is like a god. A god is worshipped
so the poet wants to do the worshipping activity. He wanted to worship
like a devotee. That is why he is glad to see the snake. His relationship
with the snake is vivid in the following lines: The snake, Seeming to lick
his lips, And looked around like At the end, the poet thinks that the snakes
his guest, a god like figure, and a king.

“For he seemed to me again like a king,

Like a king in exile Uncrowned,

In the underground,

Now dire to be crowned again,”

Hence keeping in view the relationship of the poet and the snake it
becomes clear that as to why the poet was happy to see the snake at his
water-trough.

Question No 5:- Why does the poet think of his education as

accursed?

Q:- How does education overcome instinct in Snake?

Q:- What does D.H.Lawrence curse his education?

Q:- Why does D.H.Lawrence feel repentant after his encounter
with the snake?

Answer:- To consider oneself superior due to his education is a common

feeling but to harm other creatures without any reason is ethically not
appropriate. In this beautiful poem of D.H.Lawrence, he presents his
encounter with a snake who came to the water trough to quench its thirst.
At first, the poet got excited and glad to see that creature.

The snake had come like a guest to drink at his water trough. The
poet felt so honored at this visit whilst simultaneously, the voices of his
accursed human education advised him to kill the snake as it was a
golden snake and therefore poisonous.

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 Those voices said to him If you were not afraid you would kill him.
The killing nature of the poet picked up a clumsy log and threw it at the
snake when it was leaving after quenching its thirst from the water
trough. It did not kill the snake.

But the rear part of its body got bruised a little. The poet felt
ashamed of his mean act and began to hate himself. The poem reveals
the human weakness of liking and evil and the corruption of human
beings. It shows that humans are naturally attracted to the things they
are afraid of the most.

On the other hand, the ending shows how human education teaches
us that many things are bad, therefore they are engraved into our heads.
However, the poisonous snake meant no harm but due to the voices,
Lawrence threw a stick at it, regretting an instance later at his vulgar act.

Question No 6:- Discuss the main theme of the poem

Q:-What is the reason that the poet lets the snake depart
unhurt?

Q:-Can you point out the subtle changes in the poet’s

relationship with the snake?

Q:-The poet feels repentant after his encounter with the snake.
why?

Answer:- D.H.Lawrence is a well-known English poet, novelist, and critic.

He developed a personal philosophy that instincts are superior to the
reasoning of the mind. He is essentially a moralist who believes that
modern man is becoming deprived of his natural feelings.

The poem Snake is famous among Lawrence’s well-known poems. In

this poem, the poet has told a story of his accidental encounter with a
snake. He loves and respects him as a guest. There is a conflict between
his natural feelings and his national thinking.

The poem points out how our feelings of love and affection are
crushed by our social education. Our reasoning often misleads us. Man
sometimes kills other animals in his intoxication of power and manhood.
But no law of the world allows him to deprive others of their right to live.

The poem Snake arouses feelings of affection and sympathy for all
creatures in this world. Although the poet hits the snake under the
influence of his education, he feels sorry for his mean act. So man’s
natural instinct prevails at the end of the poem.

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 Question No 7:- Describe the conflict in the mind of
D.H.Lawrence at the presence of the snake at the water trough.

Q:- Why does the poet decide to kill the snake?

Q:- Why does the poet call the snake a king in the end?

Q:- Why does the poet want to have his snake again?

Answer:- In this poem, the poet describes his unplanned meeting with a
snake. It was the day of July. The poet saw a snake near his water pool.
The snake came there from a hole in the wall. The poet was afraid of the
snake. It rested its throat on the edge of the water container and sipped
water.

He wanted to kill the snake, but he considered it his guest. The snake
drank and began to crawl into the hole of the wall. Suddenly, the poet
lifted a log and threw it at the snake. It did not hit the snake. The snake
rushed into the hole and disappeared.

Later he repented over his foolish act. He desired for the snake to
come back. In this poem, D.H.Lawrence has given a universal theme that
is manners and ways of one creature of God to another creature of God.

He urged human beings that every living and the non-living creature is
created by God. So, they should not kill any creature for enjoyment. even
education and knowledge are useless if we try o kill any innocent
creatures of God.

Question No 8:- Why is the poet glad to see the snake at his
water trough?

Answer:- There are a few logical reasons and factors which show that the
poet is very excited to see the snake at his water trough. The first reason
is that D.H.Lawrence is famous for his love of nature and all the things
related to it.

He loves to enjoy the company of natural sights and sounds. He has

in-depth knowledge about the natural habit of different animals, birds,
and other creatures. It is the major reason that makes him feel overjoyed
when he first saw the snake on his trough.

The event takes place when the poet came downstairs with a pitcher to
take water from his stone trough on a scorching day in July. He was
stunned to see a golden snake quenching his thirst there. The poet was a
little scared but he honored the snake to take his turn first and then
proceed for water.

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 He had read about the Sicilian golden snakes which were very
poisonous so quite naturally the idea of killing him ran across his mind.
But he prevented himself from doing so and his heart was filled with a
strange joy and respect for the snake. At this time, the poet forgets that a
snake is in front of him and it is a dangerous creature.

He begins to feel that the snake is a guest of honor in his house and
considers himself his host. He wishes that the snake would become his
friend and he would share his feelings with him like a bosom friend. His
attitude towards him is very gentle and accommodating.

Then all of a sudden, a feeling of worldly education overpowers him and

he throws a stone at the snake in order to kill him. The snake immediately
responds and slithers into a nearby hole never to be found again. The
poet feels a bit embarrassed over his senseless act but he was still happy
that he had entertained an amazing creature at his disposal.

23. Images and impressions

1) . Autumn
By T. E. Hulme
Summary
The poem Autumn by r. E. Hulme shows the keen observation of the poet
who presents a graphic of an autumn night. The poet compares the moon
with red-faced farmers and stars with white-faced children who live in the
polluted urban environment. The poet has presented a graphic picture of
an autumn night. He left a cold sensation caused by the effect of the cold
night during winter night when he was writing about. he saw the moon
which had fresh healthy color and it seemed as if it was bending over the
hedge. The face of the moon looked exactly like the face of a vigorous
farmer.

The poet had not time to stop and talk with the moon. Though he did
not have time to appreciate his beauty yet he moved his head slightly to
greet the moon. Around the autumn moon, there were eager stars who
were looking like town children who had white and pale faces. The poet
has used similes in the poem, red moon like a face of a farmer and stars
like town children. There is a contrast between the red face of the farmer
and the to nature and in a pollution-free world. But the children of cities
are so weak and feeble and have white and pale faces because of the
polluted environment. The presentation and description of the poem are
very good.

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Critical Appreciation
In this poem, the poet tells us about an autumn night. He was walking
outside. The atmosphere was very cold. He saw ht moon shining over a
hedge. The moon was looking like a ref-faced healthy farmer working in
his fields. The poet has used the reference of the farmer to show the
clean, fresh, and healthful atmosphere of villages where the farmer lives.
The poet did not stop for few moments to talk with the moon. He shook
his head and moved away. Around the moon, there were wistful stars.
They were white like white-faced children of cities or towns. This
reference is used here to show the dirty and polluted environment of
cities. Usually, the faces of the people of cities are white which shows a
lack of health and freshness.

The poet felt a cold sensation caused by the effect of a cold night
during a winter night when he was walking about. He saw the moon which
had fresh healthy color and it seemed as if it was bending over the hedge.
The face of the moon looked exactly like the face of a vigorous farmer.
The image of a healthy farmer has been successfully conveyed with the
help of the simile moon. The poet compared the ruddy face of the moon
with the ruddy face of a farmer. The farmers mostly remain in the open
and the fresh air keeps them in good health and their faces turn red and
shining. The presentation and description of the poet are very good.

Theme
Autumn; a season of demise and gloom has been given a fresh
perspective by Keats in 'Ode to Autumn'. Keats, being an admirer of
beauty manages to find it in every aspect of nature including the dim
scenes of the autumn season. Many themes of the poem have been
suggested:-

The progression of autumn season is depicted in three stanzas; from

its 'mellow fruitfulness' and abundance in the first stanza to its laborious
labor in the second stanza and finally into its gradual demise heralding
the winter.

Also, parallel to this Keats illustrates the growing day from morning to
afternoon into evening. Just as life grows into its highest achievements
during the youth following it come the laboring days of middle age and
finally old age indicating the approaching death. he term 'cycle' gives us
an idea of an unending circulating journey. Thus,death not being the
ultimate destination, Keats taints the poem with hopes of afterlife.

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After nearly one and a half year of the poem's publication Keats died in
Rome. Some critics also refer to the absence of a person of poet, unlike
Keats' other Odes as an indication of the submerged sense of his own fear
of death and a hope that death is not the ultimate end. Therefore, despite
the progression of autumn towards its demise throughout the poem the
tone of the poem remains optimistic.

Autumn conspires with the sun, its intimate friend and fills the kernel of
each fruit to its core. All of nature in a cohesive bond works to provide for
the sustenance of human beings. The season gives all it has got for the
preparation of winter which leads to such an abundance of nature that it
creates an illusion of permanence.

Due to its hard work the personified autumn is parched and can be found
resting at the granary floor. Drenched with fulfilment, as nature enjoys the
final drops of apple cider, the season propels towards its demise. Similar
to this is the work of an artist. The artist pours out from the intrinsic core
into the creative masterpiece. Even the last drop of the artist's essence of
life is sacrificed to his artistic creation for satiation of the human soul.

Questions and Answers

Question No 1:- Autumn shows the poet’s love for nature.
Discuss.

Answer:- The poem Autumn presents the graphic picture of the autumn
night. Through this graphic picture, the poet gives the idea of pollution.
The rural environment is pure whereas urban life is polluted. This artistic
poem presents the science of autumn night with the moon and stars.

The poet was observing the atmosphere on an autumn night. There

was a coldness in the air. He saw the ruddy moon lean over the hedge of
his house. It looked like a red-faced farmer. He did not speak to the moon.

There were wistful stars around the moon that were as pale and
white as the faces of the town children. The children were white and sickly
because of the polluted atmosphere of city life. The peasant seemed red
and healthy because he had been brought in a rustic scenario.

He was having in a pure atmosphere. Basically, this poem expresses

the polluted scene of urban life. It is a thought-provoking poem. It
expresses a deep moral lesson that the beauty of nature is so intoxicating
but mechanical life fills it with wastage. Through this poem, the poet
shows his deep love for natural objects.

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Question No 2:- Draw a graphic picture of the poem Autumn in
your own words.

Answer:- The poet T.E.Hulme has drawn a graphic picture of a cold

autumn night in a quite realistic style. This very short poem is based on
the personal experience of the poet. The poet came out of his home to
home to enjoy a walk on a cold autumn night.

During his walk, the poet observed the red-colored moon that was
leaning over a hedge. The color of the moon was as red as the red-faced
farmer. The poet did not stop to interact with the moon. He quickly moved
onward.

“ Like a red-faced farmer,

I did not stop to speak but nodded”

After this, he observed the wistful stars in the sky that were as white as
the faces of the town children.

“And round about were the wistful stars,

With white faces like town children”

This poem is a masterpiece of English literature. The poet has

expressed his feelings and impressions about the healthy effect of the
polluted environment of village life and the unhealthy effects of the
polluted atmosphere of the cities on its inhabitants.

In short, the poet describes the purity and freshness of the village
environment. So, the village stands for good health and purity. The
images of red-faced and white-faced children are of great significance.
The peasant indicates a fresh and healthy environment with full force.

He looks bright, fresh, and active. He is a symbol of life and

movement. The latter image refers to the polluted, misty, and unhealthy
atmosphere of the cities. Here, the people are the symbols of laziness.
They seem lifeless, still, and withered.

There is no freshness and grace on their faces. So to conclude, the

poet has painted the picture of rural and urban areas

2) . Fog
By Carl Sanburg.
Questions and Answers

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Question No 1:- Discuss Fog as an imagistic poem.

Answer:- The poem Fog is a very small poem. In this short poem, Carl
Sandburg as an imagistic poet has personified fog. The poet compares
artistically it to a white cat who comes quietly and softly. It does not
contain any message. It is simple and full of certain images and
impressions.

The poet observes a usual happening of every day. Every early

morning, the fog envelops everything in the city and harbor alike. The
poet personified Fog in the shape of an animal. In personification, things
or ideas are treated as if they were human beings and with human
qualities.

The poet gives the image of a cat that comes stealthily. It moves on its
padded noiseless feet and sits silently. It creates a look around. After
some time it moves on. The poet has beautifully used the images of fog,
city, harbor, and the silent animal. He conveys the impression of sleep
and silence.

Question No 2:- Draw a graphic picture of the poem Fog in your

own words.

Answer:- In this short poem Fog, the poet has drawn a quiet realistic
graphic picture of fog. This poem is a close and keen observation of the
personal experience of the poet. The poet presents the arrival and
departure of fog.

The poet Carl Sandburg has personified fog as something animate in

a very effective and touching style. The poet observes the fog coming on
the feet of a little cat. It comes very slowly and silently.

The poet also observes the fog sitting on its haunches like a cat. It
comes from the harbor and goes to the city. The poet has drawn the
graphic picture of the fog very effectively. It is like a little white cat that is
searching for its prey.

The images like the little feet and silent haunches are quite vivid,
touching, and effective. This short piece of work is the masterpiece of still
life. The poet, in a very curt and pithy style, paints a vivid picture of city
life. He visualizes it through his imagination.

3) . Metro : Pairs
by Ezra Pound

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Questions and Answers
Question No1:- In a station of the metro Poem by Ezra Pound
summary, critical analysis

Answer:- Ezra pound in a station of the metro is a piece of imagism work.

This is another very small poem consisting only of two lines. In this poem
the poet has used another beautiful metaphor. The poet has observed the
people standing on the underground Paris Railway Station. He thinks that
the people were looking the same as if they were the petals on the wet
black bough/branch. Actually he has conveyed the sense that while
standing on the Railway Station the people have common thinking that is
of waiting for somebody. The beauty of the poem is very clear from the
complete poem which is quoted as under:

“The apparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petals on a wet black borgh”

The metaphor is very convincing and In the above lines. In a station of the
metro Poem by Ezra Pound modernism or modern poem and first imagist
poem We will try to know about the modern poetry and modern literature
ingredients and how is it different from classic literature or poetry
because it is very important to know before reading the summary of the
poem In a station of the metro Ezra pound analysis”

In a station of the metro is modernism or modern poem and first

imagist poem that has been written by Ezra pound because it has has all
modernism or modern elements that are present in modern poem. In
modern Poetry content bases on limited range story telling in the modern
era has been almost ended; we can say that without plot modern’s writers
go into their plays or poems , the story is completely vanished from the
surface of the poetry which was present in classic poetry before.

And we also have to find its own moral lesson and modern theme because
there was none of them inside in modern poetry. But this would not
happen in the classic poetry, at the start of chorus or poem, we were told
that what would be its morale, and moral lesson. Now at the time of
modern time we hardly found out any explicit theme. And we get through
with complete guidance ,This does not mean that in these poetry, there is
no themes but hidden themes present in this poetry which the writer
leaves on us that we have to find it ourselves.

People also ask these In a station of the metro Poem Ezra Pound
questions and answers that are under below In a station of the metro Ezra
pound analysis Ezra pound in a station of the metro modernism Ezra

136
pound in a station of the metro theme In a station of the metro by Ezra
pound is considered the first imagist poem.

Question No 2:- Discuss the symbolism in the poem

Answer:- The poem, Metro: Paris is a symbolic poem. This is a common

subject but the poet has expressed it in his unique style. He says that
people are standing in an underground railway station. The visages of
people in the crowd are spiritless and soulless. They appear to him as
petals on the wet black bough.

Firstly, the poet gives the symbol of Metro. Metro is a symbol of an

ever-increasing population.

Secondly, the apparition is a symbol of the soulless lives of the city

people.

Thirdly, wet black bough is a symbol of the city that is full of pollution
and problems.

Fourthly, the crowd is a symbol of a gathering of people who have

last then individuality and they think and act alike. In short, the poem
Metro: Paris is a symbolic poem., the poet has criticized city life. He is
making fun of nature and the condition of modern people.

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