Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Read the poem again and complete the summary using the words given in box.
Stanzas 1–3
‘The Castle’ by Edwin Muir is a moving poem on the (1)______ of a well guarded (2)______ The soldiers of the castle were totally stress-free and relaxed. They were (3)______ of their castle’s physical strength. Through the turrets they were able to watch the mowers and no enemy was found up to the distance of (4)______ and so they seemed no threat to the castle. They had (5)______ of weapons to protect them and a large quantity of (6)______ in stock to take care of the well-being of the soldiers inside the castle. The soldiers stood one above the other on the towering battlements (7)______ to shoot the enemy at sight. They believed that the castle was absolutely safe because their captain was (8)______ and the soldiers were loyal.
| half-a-mile | watching |
| castle | brave |
| ration | capture |
| plenty | confident |
Stanzas 4–6
Even by a trick no one but the birds could enter. The enemy could not use a (9)______ for their entry inside the castle. But there was a wicket gate guarded by a (10) ______ He (11)______ in the enemies inside the famous citadel that had been known for its secret gallery and intricate path. The strong castle became(12)______ and thin because of the greedy disloyal warder. The (13)______ was captured by the enemies for (14)______ The narrator (15)______ over the (16)______ of the useless warder and also decided not to disclose this (17)______ story to anyone. He was (18)______ and wondered how he would keep this truth to himself. He regretted not finding any (19)______ to fight with the (20)______ called ‘gold’.
| lamented | shameful |
| wicked guard | bait |
| let | gold |
| weapon | citadel |
| weak | disloyalty |
| helpless | enemy |
Advertisements
Solution
Stanzas 1–3
‘The Castle’ by Edwin Muir is a moving poem on the (1) capture of a well guarded (2) castle The soldiers of the castle were totally stress-free and relaxed. They were (3) confident of their castle’s physical strength. Through the turrets, they were able to watch the mowers and no enemy was found up to the distance of (4) half-a-kilometer and so they seemed no threat to the castle. They had (5) plenty of weapons to protect them and a large quantity of (6) ration in stock to take care of the well-being of the soldiers inside the castle. The soldiers stood one above the other on the towering battlements (7) watching to shoot the enemy at sight. They believed that the castle was absolutely safe because their captain was (8) brave and the soldiers were loyal.
Stanzas 4–6
Even by a trick no one but the birds could enter. The enemy could not use a (9) weapon for their entry inside the castle. But there was a wicket gate guarded by a (10) wicked guard He (11) let in the enemies inside the famous citadel that had been known for its secret gallery and intricate path. The strong castle became(12) weak and thin because of the greedy disloyal warder. The (13) citadel was captured by the enemies for (14) gold The narrator (15) lamented over the (16) disloyalty of the useless warder and also decided not to disclose this (17) shameful story to anyone. He was (18) helpless and wondered how he would keep this truth to himself. He regretted not finding any (19) enemy to fight with the (20) bait called ‘gold’.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Have you ever visited a fort or a castle?
Where were the enemies?
Bring out the contrasting picture of the castle as depicted in stanzas 3 and 5.
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
They seemed no threat to us at all.
Read the poem and complete the table with suitable rhyming words.
All through that summer at ease we lay,
And daily from the turret wall
We watched the mowers in the hay
And the enemy half a mile away
They seemed no threat to us at all.
For what, we thought, had we to fear
With our arms and provender, load on load,
Our towering battlements, tier on tier,
And friendly allies drawing near
On every leafy summer road.
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
So smooth and high, no man could win
A foothold there, no clever trick
Could take us dead or quick,
Only a bird could have got in.
What could they offer us for bait?
Our captain was brave and we were true…
There was a little private gate,
A little wicked wicket gate.
The wizened warder let them through.
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
The cause was lost without a groan,
The famous citadel overthrown,
And all its secret galleries bare.
How can this shameful tale be told?
I will maintain until my death
We could do nothing, being sold:
Our only enemy was gold,
And we had no arms to fight it with.
| lay | hay |
What is the creeper compared to?
How does the creeper appear on the tree?
Identify the figure of speech used in each of the extract given below and write down the answer in the space given below.
“ What is that dirge-like murmur that I hear Like the sea breaking on a shingle -beach?
How does a man play a lover’s role?
Bring out the features of the fourth stage of a man as described by the poet.
Which stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’?
Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 33 to 42
Ulysses desires to hand over his (1) ______to his son Telemachus, who would fulfil his duties towards his subjects with care and (2) ______. Telemachus possesses patience and has the will to civilise the citizens of Ithaca in a (3) ______way. Ulysses is happy that his son would do his work blamelessly and he would pursue his (4) ______for travel and knowledge.
| prudence, kingdom, quest, tender |
What does he think of the people of his kingdom?
Who does the speaker address in the second part?
Identify the figure of speech employed in the following line.
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
- How is every hour important to Ulysses?
- What does the term ‘Little remains’ convey?
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
- What do ‘thunder’ and ‘sunshine’ refer to?
- What do we infer about the attitude of the sailors?
Read the set of line from the poem and answer the question that follow.
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
- Though made weak by time and fate, the hearts are heroic. Explain.
- Pick out the words in alliteration in the above lines.
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
Explain with reference to the context the following line.
....you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
What happened to the people who wanted too much money?
The poet says
‘Without rich wanting nothing arrives’ but he condemns ‘the quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs.’ Analyse the difference and write.
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
He will be lonely enough
to have time for the work
Where was Napoleon standing on the day of attack on the city of Ratisbon?
What did the rider do when he reached Napoleon?
Why did the rider keep his lips compressed?
Explain the following line with reference to the context.
Then off there flung in smiling joy, And held himself erect
