Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration.

1. What is suggested by the fall of great trees earlier in the context? (Understanding)
2. How do we feel when great men die? (Recalling and Understanding)
3. How does the poet portray time as a healer here? (Analysis)
4. What kind of ‘spaces’ are referred to here? (Analysis)
5. How do we feel during those ‘spaces’? (Understanding and Analysis)

Answer 1

1. The fall of great trees suggests the death of great and noble people. It symbolises the profound loss and the widespread impact their deaths have on individuals and society.
2. When great men die, we feel shocked, sorrowful, and emotionally numb. We experience a deep sense of loss and remember their kindness, wisdom, and noble deeds.
3. The poet shows that peace gradually returns after a period of grief. Though the healing is slow and irregular, with time people begin to accept the loss and find comfort in the memories of the departed.
4. The ‘spaces’ refer to the emotional emptiness and void left in our hearts and lives after the death of great souls. These spaces are gradually filled with peace and comfort.
5. During those spaces, we gradually experience peace, comfort, and emotional healing. Although grief does not disappear completely, we begin to regain strength and move forward while cherishing the memories of the departed.