Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
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 |
Advertisements
Solution
| lay | hay |
| wall | all |
| thick | trick |
| win | in |
| fear | near |
| load | road |
| bait | gate |
| sold | gold |
| true | through |
| stone | groan |
| air | bare |
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Why were the soldiers in the castle fearless?
Human greed led to the mighty fall of the citadel. Explain.
Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
Can you call ‘The Castle’ an allegorical poem? Discuss.
Describe the garden during the night.
How does the poet spend her winter?
To whom does Toru Dutt want to consecrate the tree’s memory?
Discuss with your partner the different stages in the growth of man from a new born to an adult

What is the world compared to?
Which stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’?
Describe the various stages of a man’s life picturised in the poem “All the World’s a stage."
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 has Ulysses gained from his travel experiences?
Pick out the lines which convey that his quest for travel is unending.
‘As tho’ to breathe were life!’ – From the given line what do you understand of Ulysses’ attitude to life?
What is Ulysses’ clarion call to his sailors? How does he inspire them?
What has twisted good men into thwarted worms?
Where are the final decisions taken?
What are the poet’s thoughts on ‘being different’?
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.
- Can being in solitude help a strong human being? How?
- Identify the figure of speech in the above line.
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.
Tell him to be a fool every so often
- Why does the poet suggest that time can be wasted?
- Identify the figure of speech in the above line.
Pick out the alliterated words from the poem and write.
And this might stand him for the storms
Where was Napoleon standing on the day of attack on the city of Ratisbon?
Describe the posture of Napoleon.
Why was the rider in a hurry?
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
Legs wide, arms locked behind As if to balance the prone brow Oppressive with its mind.
- Whose action is described here?
- What is meant by prone brow?
- What is his state of mind?
The young soldier matched his emperor in courage and patriotism. Elucidate your answer.
Napoleon was a great source of inspiration to his army. Justify.
