English
Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary EducationHSC Science Class 12

The young soldier matched his emperor in courage and patriotism. Elucidate your answer.

Advertisements
Advertisements

Question

The young soldier matched his emperor in courage and patriotism. Elucidate your answer.

Answer in Brief
Advertisements

Solution

During the attack of the French army on Ratisbon, Napoleon was anxiously waiting for the result. He was standing on a mound with his neck out thrust, legs wide, arms locked behind, and with his balanced prone eyebrows. Then a young soldier appeared from the closed smoke and dust. He seemed to be a little boy. Though he was a boy, he wanted to fight for his country. He came galloping on a horse to Napoleon. He never minded his wounds. He knew that his emperor is waiting for the result. He was in a hurry to convey the news of victory to the emperor before his death. But he showed no sign of pain and smiling in joy. He jumped off the horse and informed the happy news. He announced that the French army had conquered Ratisbon and also he himself had planted the French flag in the marketplace of Ratisbon. As Napoleon always thought of his nation’s victory, the boy too thought of the nation’s victory. As Napoleon’s strategy led to success, the boy’s courage and patriotism also led to success. Thus the young soldier matched his emperor in courage and patriotism.

shaalaa.com
Poem (Class 12th)
  Is there an error in this question or solution?
Chapter 6.2: Incident of the French Camp - Exercise [Page 194]

APPEARS IN

Samacheer Kalvi English Class 12 TN Board
Chapter 6.2 Incident of the French Camp
Exercise | Q 6. a. | Page 194

RELATED QUESTIONS

How long had the soldiers been in the castle?


Why does the narrator say that the enemy was no threat at all?


Why didn’t the narrator want to tell the tale to anybody?


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

Bring out the contrasting picture of the castle as depicted in stanzas 3 and 5.


Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

How can this shameful tale be told?


Can you call ‘The Castle’ an allegorical poem? Discuss.


What is the creeper compared to?


How does the creeper appear on the tree?


Describe the garden during the night.


Name the bird that sings in the poet’s garden.


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.

  1. What does the poet mean by the expression ‘May love defend thee from oblivion’s curse?’
  2. What does the expression ‘fain’ convey?
  3. What does the poet convey through the expression ‘Fear, trembling Hope’?

Explain the following line with reference to the context.

It is the tree’s lament, an eerie speech,…


Which stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’?


Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has been used in each of the following lines from the poem.

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

  1. “All the world's a stage”
  2. “And all the men and women merely players”
  3. “And shining morning face, creeping like snail”
  4. “Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,”
  5. “Seeking the bubble reputation”
  6. “His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide”
  7. “and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble”

Read the given line and answer the question that follow.

Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school.

  1. Which stage of life is being referred to here by the poet?
  2. What are the characteristics of this stage?
  3. How does the boy go to school?
  4. Which figure of speech has been employed in the second line?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow.

And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

  1. Whom does justice refer to?
  2. Describe his appearance.
  3. How does he behave with the people around him?
  4. What does he do to show his wisdom?

Complete the table based on your understanding of the poem.

Stage Characteristic
  crying
judge  
soldier  
  unhappy
second childhood  
  whining
old man  

Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 1 to 32

Ulysses is (1) ______to discharge his duties as a (2) ______, as he longs for (3) ______. He is filled with an (4) ______thirst for (5) ______and wishes to live life to the (6) ______. He has travelled far and wide gaining (7) _______ of various places, cultures, men and (8) ______. He recalls with delight his experience at the battle of Troy. Enriched by his (9) ______he longs for more and his quest seems endless. Like metal which would (10) ______if unused, life without adventure is meaningless. According to him living is not merely (11) ______to stay alive. Though old but zestful, Ulysses looks at every hour as a bringer of new things and yearns to follow knowledge even if it is (12)______.

fullest, unquenchable, unattainable, experience, knowledge, king, matters, rust, adventure, unwilling, travel, breathing

Complete the summary of the poem, choosing words from the list given below. Lines 44 to 70

Ulysses beckons his sailors to (1) ______at the port where the ship is ready to sail. His companions who have faced both (2) ______and sunshine with a smile, are united by their undying spirit of adventure. Though death would end everything, Ulysses urges his companions to join him and sail beyond the sunset and seek a newer (3) ______, regardless of consequences. These brave hearts who had once moved (4) ______ and earth, may have grown old and weak physically but their spirit is young and (5) ______. His call is an inspiration for all those who seek true knowledge and strive to lead (6) ______ lives.

world, thunder, meaningful, gather, undaunted, heaven

What could be the possible outcomes of their travel?


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

  1. How is every hour important to Ulysses?
  2. What does the term ‘Little remains’ convey?

How would the poet’s advice help his son who is at the threshold of the manhood?


What has twisted good men into thwarted worms?


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.

  1. Can being in solitude help a strong human being? How?
  2. Identify the figure of speech in the above line.

Explain the following line with reference to the context.

and guide him among sudden betrayals

and tighten him for slack moments.


Explain the following line with reference to the context.

Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.


Why was the rider in a hurry?


How did the young soldier face his end?


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.

  1. Whose action is described here?
  2. What is meant by prone brow?
  3. What is his state of mind?

Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×