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Question
Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 1 to 32
Ulysses is (1) ______to discharge his duties as a (2) ______, as he longs for (3) ______. He is filled with an (4) ______thirst for (5) ______and wishes to live life to the (6) ______. He has travelled far and wide gaining (7) _______ of various places, cultures, men and (8) ______. He recalls with delight his experience at the battle of Troy. Enriched by his (9) ______he longs for more and his quest seems endless. Like metal which would (10) ______if unused, life without adventure is meaningless. According to him living is not merely (11) ______to stay alive. Though old but zestful, Ulysses looks at every hour as a bringer of new things and yearns to follow knowledge even if it is (12)______.
| fullest, unquenchable, unattainable, experience, knowledge, king, matters, rust, adventure, unwilling, travel, breathing |
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Solution
Ulysses is (1) unwilling to discharge his duties as a (2) king, as he longs for (3) adventure. He is filled with an (4) unquenchable thirst for (5) travel and wishes to live life to the (6) fullest. He has travelled far and wide gaining (7) experience of various places, cultures, men, and (8) matters. He recalls with delight his experience at the battle of Troy. Enriched by his (9) knowledge he longs for more and his quest seems endless. Like metal which would (10) rust if unused, life without adventure is meaningless. According to him, living is not merely (11) breathing to stay alive. Though old but zestful, Ulysses looks at every hour as a bringer of new things and yearns to follow knowledge even if it is (12) unattainable.
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Human greed led to the mighty fall of the citadel. Explain.
Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.
| Oh then our maze of tunneled stone Grew thin and treacherous as air. The castle was lost without a groan, The famous citadel overthrown, |
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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.
How can this shameful tale be told?
What is the world compared to?
Shakespeare has skilfully brought out the parallels between the life of man and actors on stage. Elaborate this statement with reference to the poem.
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 |
Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 44 to 70
Ulysses beckons his sailors to (1) ______at the port where the ship is ready to sail. His companions who have faced both (2) ______and sunshine with a smile, are united by their undying spirit of adventure. Though death would end everything, Ulysses urges his companions to join him and sail beyond the sunset and seek a newer (3) ______, regardless of consequences. These brave hearts who had once moved (4) ______ and earth, may have grown old and weak physically but their spirit is young and (5) ______. His call is an inspiration for all those who seek true knowledge and strive to lead (6) ______ lives.
| world, thunder, meaningful, gather, undaunted, heaven |
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……for my purpose holds
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Of all the western stars, until I die.
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To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
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.
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Why does the poet advise his son to have lazy days?
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.
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“Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.” And this too might serve him.
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He will be lonely enough
to have time for the work
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Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
What did the rider do when he reached Napoleon?
How did the young soldier face his end?
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
Legs wide, arms locked behind As if to balance the prone brow Oppressive with its mind.
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- What is meant by prone brow?
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Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
‘You’re wounded!’ ‘Nay’, his soldier’s pride Touched to the quick, he said:
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A film the mother eagles eye When her bruised eaglet breathes
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