Question

Read the lines.

The woman was old and ragged and grey
And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day.

Select the suitable meaning of ‘ragged’ as used in these lines. There are other four meanings given below. Discuss with your classmates and teacher.

1. (of clothes) old and torn; synonym: shabby
   • a ragged jacket
2.  Having an outline, an edge, or a surface that is not straight or even
   
   • a ragged coastline
3. Not smooth or regular; not showing control or careful preparation
   • I could hear the sound of his ragged breathing.
   • Their performance was still very ragged.
4. (Informal) very tired, especially after physical effort
   • The elderly man was ragged after climbing the stairs.

Answer 1

In the poem, “ragged” describes the old woman’s worn-out and torn clothes, showing that she was poor and suffering in the cold winter.