Question

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

The first time on this shore, The bell-beat of their wings above my head, Trod with a lighter tread. Unwearied still, lover by lover, They paddle in the cold Companionable streams or climb the air; Their hearts have not grown old; Passion or conquest, wander where they will, Attend upon them still. (The Wild Swans at Coole)

1. What sound is heard above the speaker’s head?
2. What do the creatures do in the cold streams?
3. How does the passage describe the creatures’ hearts?
4. What theme is expressed by the line “Passion or conquest, wander where they will”?
5. What is the tone of the poet regarding the creatures’ journey and energy?
6. Choose the antonym for the word “unwearied” from the options below:
   1. Trudge
   2. Fatigued
   3. Energetic
   4. Trod

Answer 1

1. The sound of the wings of creatures, described as the “bell-beat” of their wings, is heard above the speaker’s head.
2. The creatures paddle in the cold streams, suggesting their ongoing, tireless energy.
3. The passage describes the creatures’ hearts as somebody who has not grown old, still young and unwearied and full of continued vitality and passion.
4. The line expresses the theme of perseverance and enduring passion, suggesting that the creatures’ drive for passion or conquest follows them wherever they go, undeterred by age or circumstance.
5. The tone is admiring and celebratory, acknowledging the creatures’ undying vitality and energy.
6. Fatigued