Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Pick out the alliteration from the following lines:
“And tell sad stories of the death of kings:”
Advertisements
Solution
sad, stories
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
What do you associate with the title of the poem?
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.
hands search my empty pockets
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
I want to be what I used to be.
How does the poet establish the victory of common sense over ego?
Underline the alliterated word in the following line.
For this most modest physiques…
If you go to a village, what scenes would you observe?
The poem is set in a ______.
Work in groups of 4−6. Discuss how you would preserve the environment and protect Nature. One or two representatives may share their ideas with the class.
Write a letter to the Councillor of your Ward, explaining why a park is necessary in your locality.
Which law does Macavity break?
What makes the fakir stare in wonder?
Where can you encounter Macavity?
Mention any two qualities of Macavity.
Read the poem once again and complete the summary using the words given in the box.
‘Macavity – The Mystery Cat’ is a humorous poem, where the poet T.S. Eliot describes the mysterious (a) _______of a shrewd vile cat. He commits a crime at every possible opportunity. He is an elusive master (b)______who leaves no evidence after he commits a crime. Even the Scotland Yard, the London (c) ______ agency is unable to arrest him. The Flying Squad is (d) ______ because every time they rush to the crime spot to seize Macavity, he is not there. He breaks the human law as well as the law of (e) ______. He baffles even a (f) ______ with his powers of levitation. Macavity appears tall and thin with (g)______ eyes. He is always preoccupied with some serious (h) ______. His coat is dusty and his (i)______are unkempt. Macavity is a (j) ______in the guise of a cat. He appears to be outwardly (k) ______ but his actions disprove it. Macavity loots the (l)______, ransacks the jewel-case, and breaks the (m)______glass but wonder of wonders he is not to be found anywhere there. He is always a mile away from the scene of crime, happily relaxing or doing difficult (n) ______ sums. He is clever at making up an (o) ______every time he plots a crime. All the notorious cats are nothing but the (p) ______Macavity, the Napoleon of Crime.
| larder | whiskers |
| respectable | criminal |
| devil | thought |
| sunken | division |
| agents | detective |
| alibi | desperate |
| fakir | qualities |
| gravity | greenhouse |
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity
- How is the cat described in this line?
- Explain the phrase ‘monster of depravity’.
What is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?
Which path should we follow in life?
Read the given line and answer the question that follow.
He, who does not stoop, is a king we adore. We bow before competence and merit;
- Who is adored as a king?
- What is the figure of speech used in the first line?
Work with a partner and take this short quiz to find out how well-informed you are about history.
- Name a few wars and battles you have read about.
- What is the difference between a war and a battle?
- Why do rulers wage wars and battles?
- Is the outcome of a war always fair?
- Do you think rulers understand the true meaning of life – in defeat or in victory?
- Can you name a few kings and leaders who have fallen from glory to disgrace?
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 blanks using the words given in the box to complete the summary of the poem:
King Richard the Second, had surrendered to his (a)______cousin, Bollingbroke. He experienced deep distress at the horror of his circumstances. In that desperate situation, he speaks of (b)______, (c)______, (d)______and other things connected with death. He spoke of how people leave nothing behind and can call nothing their own, except for the small patch of (e)______, where they will be buried. King Richard yielded to dejection and talked of all the different ways in which defeated kings suffer how some had been deposed, (f)______in war, (g)______by their wives and so forth. He attributed this loss of lives to (h)______, who he personified as the jester who watches over the shoulder of every ruler, who mocks kings by allowing them to think their human flesh, was like (i)______brass. However, Death penetrates through the castle walls, silently and unnoticed like a sharp (j)______, thus bidding (k)______to him and all his pride forever. Finally, Richard appealed to his soldiers not to mock his mere flesh and blood by showing (l) ______and respect to him. He added that he too needed bread to live, felt want, tasted (m)______and needed (n)______. He concluded thus, urging his men not to call him a (o)______as he was only human, just like the rest of them.
| barren-earth | friends | graves | slain |
| rebellious | poisoned | worms | grief |
| impregnable | epitaphs | death | farewell |
| reverence | king | pin |
What does the crown of rulers stand for?
Bring out King Richard’s feelings when he was defeated.
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:
“How can you say to me, I am a king?”
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:
“Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,…”
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?
