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Question
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
“Fear, trembling Hope, and Death, the skeleton,
And Time the shadow”, and though weak the verse
That would thy beauty fain, oh, fain rehearse,
May Love defend thee from oblivion’s curse.
- What does the poet mean by the expression ‘May love defend thee from oblivion’s curse?’
- What does the expression ‘fain’ convey?
- What does the poet convey through the expression ‘Fear, trembling Hope’?
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Solution
- Any living thing will have to meet death. But the poet deeply believes that her love for the tree would ensure its immortality. She will live forever in her verses.
- Fain means eagerly.
- Fear and trembling hope mean the fear of lurking death and trembling hope is that death may not attack in the near future.
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