HSC Science Class 12 - Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education Question Bank Solutions

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

Why did the narrator feel helpless?

Who was the real enemy?

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.

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’.

How safe was the castle? How was it conquered?

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

Human greed led to the mighty fall of the citadel. Explain.

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

All through the summer at ease we lay,

And daily from the turret wall

We watched the mowers in the hay

1. Who does ‘we’ refer to?
2. How did the soldiers spend the summer days?
3. What could they watch from the turret wall?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,

So smooth and high, no man could win.

1. How safe was the castle?
2. What was the firm belief of the soldiers?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

A foothold there, no clever trick

Could take us dead or quick,

Only a bird could have got in.

1. What was challenging?
2. Which aspect of the castle’s strength is conveyed by the above line?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

1. Bring out the contrast in the first two lines.
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the given stanza?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

We could do nothing, being sold.

1. Why couldn’t they do anything?
2. Why did they feel helpless?

Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,

Our captain was brave and we were true

They seemed no threat to us at all.

How can this shameful tale be told?

I will maintain until my death

Our only enemy was gold

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.

Underline the alliterated word in the following line.

With our arms and provender, load on load.