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प्रश्न
The poet does not wish to exchange places with the athletes. How does he justify his view?
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उत्तर
In the very first stanza, the poet admits that right from his boyhood days, he was glad to watch others play all kinds of games including boxing. He was glad that he was not one of them. His limp and bashful spirit feeds on the heroism of other players. He watches with a palpitating heart when ‘A’ runs ninety yards to bag a medal. He watches with obvious alarm when ‘B’ knocks another boxer down cracking his vertebrae and spines. The players maim each other. His ego would never be pleased to swap places with such popular players. He listens to the mention of prudence/common sense and refrains from hurting himself or others by not participating in any game whatsoever. Thus he justifies his view to continue as a spectator.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
Guess what friendly words these two gentlemen exchange when shaking hands.
How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
What does the poet mean when he says ‘good bye’?
Interpret each of the following expression used in the poem, in one or two line.
laugh with their eyes
Interpret each of the following expression used in the poem, in one or two line.
like a fixed portrait smile
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
I have learned to wear my faces Like dresses …
The poet does not wish to exchange position with the runners. Why?
Are the athletes conscious of the feelings of others? Why do you say so?
Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow in a sentence or two.
With all my heart I do admire
Athletes who sweat for fun or hire
- Whom does the poet admire?
- For what reasons do the athletes sweat?
Underline the alliterated word in the following line.
For this most modest physiques…
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about four to five sentence each.
The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,
Their thoughts I cannot measure.
Why does the poet think that the birds were happy?
A French proverb goes thus: ‘The dog may be wonderful prose, but only the cat is poetry.’ You may have observed that all animals possess a number of unique qualities. Fill in the columns with words and phrases associated with each of the following animals.
| DOG | CAT | WOLF | ELEPHANT |
Which law does Macavity break?
What makes the fakir stare in wonder?
Why does the poet say Macavity is ‘outwardly’ respectable?
Why is Macavity called the ‘Napoleon of Crime’?
Describe the appearance and qualities of Macavity.
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s.
- What seems to be a challenge for the Scotland Yard?
- Why do they need his footprints?
Which path should we follow in life?
What does ‘Everest’ in the title stand for?
The historical background:
The poem is an extract from William Shakespeare’s play King Richard the Second. The play is based on true events that occurred towards the end of the 14th century.
Richard II was crowned the King of England in the year 1367. He continued to be the British Monarch until 1399, when he was deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who crowned himself King Henry the Fourth in the same year. Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic rendition of the last two years of King Richard II’s life. In this brief span of time, he was ousted from his royal position and sent to prison, where he died in captivity.
The following extract is set in the Coast of Wales. King Richard and some of his followers awaited the arrival of the Welsh army [after facing defeat at the hands of his cousin, Bolingbroke], of about 10000 warriors. But to their shock and surprise, they received the message that the army was not coming to their rescue. His followers tried to boost their King’s courage against the news, only in vain. When Richard came face to face with the reality of his terrible fate, he spoke the following verse, famously known as the “Hollow Crown” speech in theatrical circles. In it, King Richard is reminded of the power of Death that overshadows everything else, including the power of rulers, and renders them as powerless as any commoner at a moment’s notice.
Fill in the blank with appropriate word from the box and complete the statement suitably:
The spectators died laughing at the ______of the clown.
Who is Bolingbroke? Is he a friend or foe?
Explain the following line with reference to the context in about 5 to 8 line:
“Comes at the last, and with a little pin
Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!”
Working with your partner, discuss the following adages and share your views with the class. You may need to give your ideas and justify your point of view. Remember to take turns while making your presentation/short speech.
War begets war
Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following line from the poem:
“Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;
Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth’’.
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
What are the causes for King Richard’s grief?
