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प्रश्न
Can you call ‘The Castle’ an allegorical poem? Discuss.
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उत्तर
The castle is doubtless an allegorical poem. The outward strength of the castle is matchless. It is fortified well. It has brave soldiers and large quantity of arms are stockpiled. The castle houses well stocked granary also. But the castle also conceals the ingredients of personal downfall within. If a person does not look within, their doom may be unstoppable. It is very difficult to protect oneself against greed, particularly the love of gold, instilled deep in the psyche of human beings. People say, “everything is fair in love and war.” People resort to anything to win in a war. Gandhi said, “the end never justifies the means.” But in times of war people stoop down to any betrayal to win. Thus, the castle is an allegorical poem.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
What thoughts come to your mind when you think about a castle? Add your ideas to the list
moat, huge buildings, soldiers, weapons ______,______.
What was the ‘shameful act’?
Why did the narrator feel helpless?
How safe was the castle? How was it conquered?
Bring out the contrasting picture of the castle as depicted in stanzas 3 and 5.
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
Read the poem and complete the table with suitable rhyming words.
All through that summer at ease we lay,
And daily from the turret wall
We watched the mowers in the hay
And the enemy half a mile away
They seemed no threat to us at all.
For what, we thought, had we to fear
With our arms and provender, load on load,
Our towering battlements, tier on tier,
And friendly allies drawing near
On every leafy summer road.
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
So smooth and high, no man could win
A foothold there, no clever trick
Could take us dead or quick,
Only a bird could have got in.
What could they offer us for bait?
Our captain was brave and we were true…
There was a little private gate,
A little wicked wicket gate.
The wizened warder let them through.
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
The cause was lost without a groan,
The famous citadel overthrown,
And all its secret galleries bare.
How can this shameful tale be told?
I will maintain until my death
We could do nothing, being sold:
Our only enemy was gold,
And we had no arms to fight it with.
| lay | hay |
Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.
How can this shameful tale be told?
You visit your school after several years. As you cross the banyan tree at the entrance, cheerful memories fi ll your mind. Fill the bubbles with your memories.
Identify the figure of speech used in each of the extract given below and write down the answer in the space given below.
“ What is that dirge-like murmur that I hear Like the sea breaking on a shingle -beach?
Which stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’?
Explain the following line briefly with reference to the context.
“Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following lines from the poem.
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
- “All the world's a stage”
- “And all the men and women merely players”
- “And shining morning face, creeping like snail”
- “Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,”
- “Seeking the bubble reputation”
- “His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide”
- “and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble”
Complete the table based on your understanding of the poem.
| Stage | Characteristic |
| crying | |
| judge | |
| soldier | |
| unhappy | |
| second childhood | |
| whining | |
| old man |
Introduction
The poem ‘Ulysses’ is a dramatic monologue that contains 70 lines of blank verse. Ulysses, the King of Ithaca, gathers his men together to prepare for the journey and exhorts them not to waste their time left on earth. Ulysses has grown old, having experienced many adventures at the battle of Troy and in the seas. After returning to Ithaca, he desires to embark upon his next voyage. His inquisitive spirit is always looking forward to more and more of such adventures.
Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 33 to 42
Ulysses desires to hand over his (1) ______to his son Telemachus, who would fulfil his duties towards his subjects with care and (2) ______. Telemachus possesses patience and has the will to civilise the citizens of Ithaca in a (3) ______way. Ulysses is happy that his son would do his work blamelessly and he would pursue his (4) ______for travel and knowledge.
| prudence, kingdom, quest, tender |
What does he think of the people of his kingdom?
Identify the figure of speech employed in the following line.
Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vext the dim sea...
Identify the figure of speech employed in the following line.
There lies the port the vessel puffs her sail
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
……for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
- What was Ulysses’ purpose in life?
- How long would his venture last?
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven;
What are the poet’s thoughts on ‘being different’?
Why does the poet advise his son to have lazy days?
Have you played chess or watched the game carefully?
Now identify the chess pieces and complete the table below. Discuss the role of each piece in the game.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Where was Napoleon standing on the day of attack on the city of Ratisbon?
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
Then off there flung in smiling joy, And held himself erect
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
To see your flag-bird flap his vans Where I, to heart’s desire, Perched him!’
