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Question
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
‘Most of all, I want to relearn How to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror Shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!’
- Why does the poet want to relearn how to laugh?
- Whom does the poet want to relearn from?
- Mention the figure of speech used here.
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Solution
- The poet has forgotten to laugh naturally. He wants to relearn to laugh because his laugh in front of the mirror shows his teeth like a snake’s bare fangs.
- The poet wants to relearn from his little son.
- Simile is the figure of speech employed here in the last line.
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| Activities | ||
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| a. | ||
| b. | ||
| c. | ||
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| pleasant | suffering | grove |
| lament | pervading | sorrowful |
| ecstasy |
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In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
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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.
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| conceited | sorrow | scoffing |
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.
Death has been cited in many ways in this monologue. Identify the poetic devices used in those references.
