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प्रश्न
What is the role of the young soldier in the victory of the French at Ratisbon?
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उत्तर
In “Incident of the French camp” the speaker describes a boy serving in the army of Napoleon as the army attempts to capture a city known as Ratisbon. As Napoleon stands “On a little mound”, he waits anxiously to know the outcome of the battle. Then a badly wounded young boy rides towards the emperor, jumps down from his horse, reveals that the French have taken the city, and then falls dead at Napoleon’s feet. The boy’s action can be regarded as heroic for a number of reasons.
He serves in the army, even though he is only a boy. He participates in a dangerous battle. Even though he is mortally wounded, he rides his horse at a fast gallop back to the emperor to report that the battle has been won. Even though his wounds are horrible, he behaves with great physical energy.
He calls no attention to his wounds and asks for no help. He raised the French flag in the conquered city. He takes pride in the fact that his wounds are mortal and he dies smiling. Apparently, he feels that he has served his emperor and nation and so he expresses no regrets about his death and he died heroically with a smiling face.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
Why does the narrator say that the enemy was no threat at all?
How did the enemies enter the castle?
How safe was the castle? How was it conquered?
Our captain was brave and we were true
How can this shameful tale be told?
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.
A little wicked wicket gate.
Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box to complete the summary of the poem.
Shakespeare considers the whole world a stage where men and women are only (1) ______. They (2)______the stage when they are born and exit when they die. Every man, during his life time, plays seven roles based on age. In the first act, as an infant, he is wholly (3) ______on the mother or a nurse. Later, emerging as a school child, he slings his bag over his shoulder and creeps most (4)______ to school. His next act is that of a lover, busy (5) ______ballads for his beloved and yearns for her (6) ______. In the fourth stage, he is aggressive and ambitious and seeks (7) ______in all that he does. He (8) ______solemnly to guard his country and becomes a soldier. As he grows older, with (9) ______and wisdom, he becomes a fair judge. During this stage, he is firm and (10) ______. In the sixth act, he is seen with loose pantaloons and spectacles. His manly voice changes into a childish (11) ______. The last scene of all is his second childhood. Slowly, he loses his (12) ______of sight, hearing, smell and taste and exits from the roles of his life.
| attention | treble | reluctantly |
| actors | maturity | reputation |
| serious | faculties | composing |
| enter | promises | dependent |
What is the world compared to?
Why is the last stage called second childhood?
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 given line and answer the question that follow.
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;
- Whom does justice refer to?
- Describe his appearance.
- How does he behave with the people around him?
- What does he do to show his wisdom?
Describe the various stages of a man’s life picturised in the poem “All the World’s a stage."
Shakespeare has skilfully brought out the parallels between the life of man and actors on stage. Elaborate this statement with reference to the poem.
‘Ulysses is not happy to perform his duties as a king.’ Why?
Who does the speaker address in the second part?
In what ways were Ulysses and his mariners alike?
What could be the possible outcomes of their travel?
Identify the figure of speech employed in the following line.
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle Well-loved of me,
- Who does Ulysses entrust his kingdom to, in his absence?
- Bring out the significance of the ‘sceptre’.
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
- The above lines convey the undying spirit of Ulysses. Explain.
- Pick out the words in alliteration in the above lines.
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
What has twisted good men into thwarted worms?
Here are a few poetic device used in the poem.
Transferred Epithet- It is a figure of speech in which an epithet grammatically qualifies a noun other than the person or a thing, it is actually meant to describe.
Here are a few poetic device used in the poem.
Repetition- It is a figure of speech.
Fill in the blanks choosing the words from the box given and complete the summary of the poem.
The poet Robert Browning narrates an incident at the French Camp in the war of 1809 between France and Austria, in a (a)______version. He describes the brave action of a (b)______soldier, whose heroic devotion to duty and his (c) ______ in it is inspiring and worthy of (d) ______. During the attack of the French army on Ratisbon, Napoleon was anxious about the (e) ______. Austrians were defending Ratisbon with great (f) ______and courage. Napoleon was watching the war standing on a (g) ______near the battlefield.
All of a sudden a rider appeared from the closed smoke and dust. Riding at great speed, jumping and leaping, he approached the mound where Napoleon stood. As he came closer, the narrator noticed that the rider, a young boy, was severely wounded. But the rider showed no sign of pain and smiling in joy, jumped off the horse and gave the happy news of (h) ______to the emperor.
He exclaimed with pride that the French had (i) ______Ratisbon and he himself had hoisted the flag of France. When Napoleon heard the news, his plans (j) ______up like fire. His eyes (k) ______when he saw that the soldier was severely wounded. Like a caring mother eagle, the emperor asked if he was wounded. The (l) ______soldier replied proudly that he was killed and died heroically.
| determination | result | dramatic |
| pride | admiration | softened |
| wounded | mound | victory |
| conquered | soared | valiant |
Describe the posture of Napoleon.
What does the phrase ‘full galloping’ suggest?
