Poems - Question Answers

Poems

English 2nd Year Notes

Q1. What is poetry?

Ans. Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry is an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define.

“The best words in the best order”

Q2. What is a song, lyric and choric?

Ans. A song is a short and musical form of poetry. It effects are heart touching long lasting. The Greek song was divided into two classes:

The Lyric:

It was a song sung by single by single voice with a lyre. Now it has the following qualities.

i. It is short

ii. It is based on some emotion.

iii. It is musical

iv. It is complete thought

The Choric:

It was a collective singing (Chorus) with some instrumental music and dance.

Q3. What do we mean when we say that the poem is anonymous?

Ans. When we call a poem anonymous we mean that the name of the poet is not known.

Q4. What is balled?

Ans. The word balled comes from the word baler which means dance. Hence ballad was a story sung with dance by country folk. It is one of the oldest forms of English poems.(educationsight.blogspot.com) Originally, it was sung from village to village. Even now it is sung to the audience. A ballad has;

a) A folklore for its subject

b) Deed as subject rather than thought

c) Reception of lines.

Q5. If you are looking through collection of poems and come upon a balled, briefly explained how would you recognize it is a ballad?

Ans. If a poem has a story, rather than philosophical ideas, in a simple crude language and musical rhythm we can easily recognize it is a ballad.

Q6. What is a sonnet?

Ans. A sonnet is a short poem of fourteen lines with a special rhyme pattern. It was originated in the first half of 16th century by two British diplomats, and it was Italian by origin, but William Shakespeare is now considered as its real originator. The fourteen lines of sonnet are divided into the following parts:

a) First six lines are called octave.

b) Other six are called sestet.

Q7. Define the following terms:

a) Ode b) Elegy c) Idyll

d) Rhyme e) Refrain f) Imagery

Ans: a) ODE:

An ode is an enthusiastic, meditative and purposeful poem. It has exalted thought rather than more emotions. It possesses dignified expression of sublime ideas. It may be regular or irregular in its structure.

b) ELEGY:

An elegy is as poem of expression of grief. Usually it is composed on the death of some one. That’s why it is full of mournful expressions. It is lyrical but it may also have a discussion about the facts of life and death.

c) IDYLL:

It is short description in verse or prose of a common every day scene, especially of country life. It is a short sung by villagers,

d) RHYME:

Literally rhyme means the words that produce same sounds. So, in poetry the lines end which rhyme end in the same sound or group sound. As, How weakly Understood Try great commanded good

e) REFRAIN:

A refrain is a form of repetition. In some poems the same line or part of it is repeated at the end of each verse,

f) IMAGERY:

An image is a picture, and we employ imagery in our speech or writing when we create clear mental pictures or images by the skilful use of words.

Q8. What are the seven ages into which Jacques divides a man’s life?

Ans. The seven ages of human life as told by Jacques, in “As you like it” are as Linder:

i. Infancy

ii. Boyhood

iii. Youth

iv. Man as a soldier

v. Man as a Magistrate

vi. Old age -

vii. Very old age

Q9. What things of beauty did Keats find most inspiring? Answer with reference to Endymion?

Ans. Keats believes that every object of nature is beautiful and can inspire us for ever. He is a lover of beauty in all its forms. In this poem Keats praises the beauty of poetry, shady trees, springs, simple sheep, daffodils, mountains, brooks, mid forest clumps of trees and wild flowers, he also finds beauty in the objects of history as domes, and the works of literature, as fables and stories. He believes that all these objects have immortal beauty which is a joy forever.

Q10. Why does the school boy go to school at some space?

Ans. The school boy goes to school very slowly because he wants to take part in the games whole day long. He is not willing to attend the school.

Q11. Why does lover sigh like furnace?

Ans. The young boy falls in love with some beautiful girl of his age. He composes some verses in praise of the beautiful features of his beloved. Due to pressure of love he sighs like a furnace.

Q12. What motive is said to make soldier brave in the battle?

Ans. The young soldier takes oath of serving his motherland and the people of country, even on the cost of his own life. He wishes to win laurels for his homeland.

Q13. “Jaques takes a disrespectful, humorous view of men in all the parts he plays through life”. Discuss this statement.

Ans. Jaques takes a disrespectful, humorous view of man in all the parts he plays on the stage of life. The first stage is that of infancy. As a child, one is completely dependent on his mother or nurse. As a boy one behaves in a strange manner. One does not willingly go to school.(educationsight.blogspot.com) As a young man, one composes verses in praise of the beauty and sighs like a furnace. This stage is also very strange and humorous.

Q14. What are the prominent qualities of a “Man of life Upright” according to Thomas Campion?

Ans. Thomas Campion’s “Man of life Upright” possesses a pure as simple heart. An upright

Man does not do anything dishonest. He also avoids Vanity and conceit and lives a peaceful life. He is contend and does not long for any ambition for worldly glory. An upright man does not need any defense of underground cellars for protection from any disturbances. He is bold and courageous and learns wisdom from heaven. His honest good thoughts are his only companions. He believes that the earth is temporary home and he has to go to his eternal home after his death.

Q15. Tell in you own words the story of Samson’s destruction of Philistine Leaders?

Ans. Samson was a great warrior. He possessed a lot of strength. Once he was captured by his enemies through the treachery of his wife. She learnt the secret of his strength. She revealed it to Philistines, the enemies of Samson. They blinded him and put him behind the bars. Once they arranged a great party in which he was asked to show some feats of his strength. He carried out their orders. During the interval, he pulled pillars of the grand building so that the building fell down and killed all the people sifting under the building.

Q16. What compensation did the poet find in the narrow destiny of the humble villagers that denied them all opportunity of becoming great and famous?

Ans. The poet highlighted that when people are given fame and greatness they are also saved from committing crimes and shedding blood of innocent people. This is a compensation for these poor people for being humble and obscure.

Q17. What was the incident that led Words Worth to write “The Solitary Reaper”?

Ans. Words Worth the great admirer of nature was walking in the hills, when he saw high land lass in a valley. She was alone in the grain field and was singing a song in strange language. Even though, the poet could not understand the meaning of the song, but her voice was so sweet that he listen it and preserved it into his heart. The beautiful melody of the song supplemented by the natural scene in the valley made him write this beautiful short poem.

Q18. Judge from the opening lines of Endymion, what things of beauty did Keats find most inspiring?

Ans. Keats found such beautiful things like the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodils, stream of clear water and the bushes very inspiring things for him.

Q19. Explain the assertion that Ulysses Symbioses the human spirit at its bravest and strongest?

Ans. “Ulysses” clearly shows that the hero of this poem was a very brave person who wished to rise to the loftiest height and is ready to face the greatest dangers. It clearly shows the human spirit is the bravest and strongest.