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प्रश्न
They seemed no threat to us at all.
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उत्तर
- Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
- Context and Explanation: The poet says this while recounting the shameful act of betrayal by the aged warder of the wicket gate. The narrator was overconfident of the invincibility of their castle, their stockpiled arms, and well-stocked granary. They had a brave captain and loyal soldiers. In an open war, they need not fear defeat as their friendly neighbours were also willing to join them during a war against any invader. But their enemy was within their fortified castle. They were sold for a bag of gold. Without a groan, the citadel was captured. It was a shameful way to lose one’s side. So, the narrator prefers not to recount this shameful secret to anyone so long as he is alive.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Have you ever visited a fort or a castle?
Where were the enemies?
Why didn’t the narrator want to tell the tale to anybody?
Read the poem again and complete the summary using the words given in box.
Stanzas 1–3
‘The Castle’ by Edwin Muir is a moving poem on the (1)______ of a well guarded (2)______ The soldiers of the castle were totally stress-free and relaxed. They were (3)______ of their castle’s physical strength. Through the turrets they were able to watch the mowers and no enemy was found up to the distance of (4)______ and so they seemed no threat to the castle. They had (5)______ of weapons to protect them and a large quantity of (6)______ in stock to take care of the well-being of the soldiers inside the castle. The soldiers stood one above the other on the towering battlements (7)______ to shoot the enemy at sight. They believed that the castle was absolutely safe because their captain was (8)______ and the soldiers were loyal.
| half-a-mile | watching |
| castle | brave |
| ration | capture |
| plenty | confident |
Stanzas 4–6
Even by a trick no one but the birds could enter. The enemy could not use a (9)______ for their entry inside the castle. But there was a wicket gate guarded by a (10) ______ He (11)______ in the enemies inside the famous citadel that had been known for its secret gallery and intricate path. The strong castle became(12)______ and thin because of the greedy disloyal warder. The (13)______ was captured by the enemies for (14)______ The narrator (15)______ over the (16)______ of the useless warder and also decided not to disclose this (17)______ story to anyone. He was (18)______ and wondered how he would keep this truth to himself. He regretted not finding any (19)______ to fight with the (20)______ called ‘gold’.
| lamented | shameful |
| wicked guard | bait |
| let | gold |
| weapon | citadel |
| weak | disloyalty |
| helpless | enemy |
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 |
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
“Fear, trembling Hope, and Death, the skeleton,
And Time the shadow”, and though weak the verse
That would thy beauty fain, oh, fain rehearse,
May Love defend thee from oblivion’s curse.
- What does the poet mean by the expression ‘May love defend thee from oblivion’s curse?’
- What does the expression ‘fain’ convey?
- What does the poet convey through the expression ‘Fear, trembling Hope’?
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
It is the tree’s lament, an eerie speech,…
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
Unto thy honor, Tree, beloved of those
Who now in blessed sleep for aye repose,
Identify the figure of speech used in each of the extract given below and write down the answer in the space given below.
“ A creeper climbs, in whose embraces bound
No other tree could live. But gallantly
The giant wears the scarf, and flowers are hung......”
Discuss with your partner the different stages in the growth of man from a new born to an adult
“And they have their exits and their entrances” - What do the words ‘exits’ and ‘entrances’ mean?
Why is the last stage called second childhood?
Pick out the word in ‘alliteration’ in the following line.
“And one man in his time plays many parts”
What does Ulysses yearn for?
Why did Ulysses want to hand over the kingdom to his son?
‘He works his work, I mine’ – How is the work distinguished?
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.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees:
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!
What is Ulysses’ clarion call to his sailors? How does he inspire them?
How would his being alone help the boy?
What are the poet’s thoughts on ‘being different’?
Why does the poet advise his son to have lazy days?
Explain how the poet guides his son who is at the threshold of manhood, to face the challenges of life.
Who took the city of Ratisbon by storm?
Why was the rider in a hurry?
What did the rider do when he reached Napoleon?
How did the young soldier face his end?
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!’
Napoleon was a great source of inspiration to his army. Justify.
