Reading Skill Question-Answer For 1st Year 2023
Reading Skill - Broad Question & Ans According to Suggestion
Honours 1st Year
Department Of English
Subject: English Reading Skills (211101)
Part: C (Broad Question With Answer)
English Reading Skill
Ozymandias
Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions below it.
I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
How many narrators are there in the poem? What are their functions?
Answer: There are three narrators in the poem-the speaker, the traveller and the king. The speaker introduces the traveller who comes from an ancient land. The traveller then describes the broken statue of the king and its surroundings. He also describes the impression created by the shattered image of the statue. Then he quotes the king from the inscription on the pedestal. The king introduces himself and says that he was more powerful than all other kings in the world. The traveller ends his description with a comment on the meaninglessness of human power.
Comment on the poem as a sonnet.
Answer: As the poem consists of fourteen lines, it has the form of a sonnet. Like a Petrarchan sonnet it can also be divided into two parts-the octave and the sestet. But this sonnet differs from other sonnets in its rhyme scheme. Its unusual rhyme scheme is: ababa cdc ede fef. It is neither a Petrarchan nor a Shakespearean sonnet. It seems that the writer of this sonnet has intentionally used an unusual rhyme scheme to match the hard reality about human power and its futility. It is a unique sonnet having a unique form and style of its own.
What is the structural pattern of the poem?
Answer: It is a poem of fourteen lines. Like a Petrarchan sonnet, it has two parts. The first eight lines constitute the octave and the last six lines form the sestet. In the octave the speaker introduces 'a traveller who describes the broken statue of a-powerful king and its surroundings. In the sestet the traveller quotes the words of the king inscribed on the pedestal and ends the poem with a comment on the futility of human pelf and power. The first part introduces the theme and the second part ends with a comment on the theme.
Comment on the diction of the poem.
Answer: The poem deals with the hard reality of human power and pride. In order to match this hard reality, the poet has also chosen hard-sounding words. The diction lacks the natural ease found in a traditional lyric. The poem does not have the felicity of diction and easeful movement of the verses. Instead, there are hard-sounding words like 'trunkless', 'shattered' and 'sculptor' which slow down the movement and create a halting effect. Such words are carefully chosen to reflect the ups and downs of an autocratic ruler.
What irony do you find in the poem?
Answer: The poem depicts the unlimited power of an autocratic ruler. Once he was proud to declare that he was more powerful than all. other kings. But the irony is that his pride and power failed the test of time. The poem shows that with the passage of time the autocratic king's authority came to an end. He turned into a heap of ruins, lying pitifully in a lonely vast desert. It is a glaring irony that Ozymandias, the king of kings, is now a broken statue. It is proved that human vanity for power is absolutely meaningless.
What idea do you get about the king from his words?
Answer: The words of the king inscribed on the pedestal of his statue suggest that he was very proud of his power and position. He had a megalomaniac attitude. He boastfully introduced himself as a king of kings. He meant that he was more powerful than all other kings in the world. His words also suggest that even a king who considered himself mighty would be disappointed to look at his statue and find that he was inferior to Ozymandias.
What is the tone of the poem?
Answer: The poem deals with the futility of power. Through the example of Ozymandias, the most powerful king on earth, the poem tells a universal truth about the meaninglessness of power and pelf. It suggests that however powerful a person may be, they cannot retain their power forever. When Ozymandias's life comes to a disastrous end, readers feel pity for him. Therefore, the poem has a sad and melancholic tone. The poet has obviously expressed his disgust for power mongers.
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers
Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions below it:
Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
What is the main idea of the poem?
Answers: The poem deals with the traditional marriage relationship where a wife is dominated by her husband. It is a vigorous protest against the male chauvinism and patriarchy which marginalize women in every front. The poet shows that like Aunt Jennifer in the poem, millions of women in the world are still living a life of deprivation and subjugation. Every married woman has a dream. She wants to be free and live her life fearlessly. But her husband's dominating attitude blocks her dreams and desires. She has always to repress her desire to be strong and independent. Aunt Jennifer represents all dominated married women. She works with needles and prepares a tapestry of fearless tigers which prance across the screen. Her repressed thoughts find an artistic expression in the images of the tigers.
Write a paraphrase of the poem.
Answers: Aunt Jennifer's tigers walk proudly across a screen. They are the brightly coloured inhabitants of the forest. They are not afraid of the men standing under the tree. They walk gracefully with long strides like the dazzling knights of the Middle ages. Aunt Jennifer's fingers quiver in difficulties as she works with an ivory needle and wool. The heavy wedding ring on her finger creates problems for her. Aunt Jennifer's terrified hands will bear the problems even after her death. Then also the tigers she has created on the screen will go on walking proudly without any fear.
How does the poet draw a contrast between Aunt Jennifer and her tigers?
Answers: The poet draws a contrast between Aunt Jennifer and her tigers with an appropriate choice of diction. The words 'prance', 'pace', 'denizens', 'bright', 'proud', 'unafraid', 'sleek' and 'chivalric' are all associated with tigers. These words suggest power, strength and vigour of the animals. On the other hand, the poet uses the negative words like 'massive weight', 'sits heavily', 'terrified hand', 'ringed' and 'ordeals' to portray the picture of Aunt Jennifer. These words obviously. suggest Jennifer's weak condition and lifelessness. With the help of such opposite sets of words the poet has drawn a contrast between Aunt Jennifer and her embroidered tigers.
Comment on the structure of the poem.
Answers: The poem consists of three regular four-line stanzas, each having a conventional rhyme scheme-aabb. It seems that the poet uses this conventional structure to highlight the conventionality of the main character's life. In the first stanza, we get a description of the tigers which symbolize the desire for absolute freedom. The second stanza, in contrast, portrays aunt Jennifer's suppressed life. The third and final stanza 'shows an interplay between repression and rebellion. It suggests the victory of the sense of freedom which outlives the death of the repressed woman.
What are the main symbols used in the poem? Discuss their significance.
Answers: The poem uses two principal symbols in the poem-one is the wedding band and the other is the image of tigers prancing across a screen. The massive wedding ring sitting heavily on Aunt Jennifer's hand symbolises her husband's oppression on her. It suggests that marriage as an institution empowers a husband to dominate his wife. On the other hand, the image of the tigers created by Aunt Jennifer symbolizes her repressed desire for power and freedom. Through these symbols, the poet has suggested that repression in life can be turned into à fearless energy in art.
Explain the last two lines of the second stanza.
Answers: The last two lines of the second stanza “The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band/ Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.” strike the keynote of the poem. They suggest that marriage is a symbol of oppression on women inflicted by men. It is clear from the words of the poet that wearing a wedding ring is not a happy experience for a woman. The ring's massive weight suggests that it is a painful experience. It always reminds the wife of the fact that after her marriage she has lost her freedom and she is fated to be dominated by her possessive husband.
Comment on the ending of the poem.
Answers: The poem ends with an interplay between repression and rebellion. The poet finally shows the victory of the sense of freedom which survives the death of the repressed woman. The ending sounds surrealistic. Overriding all norms, Jennifer's repressed dreams move on through the image of the tigers. The poet here celebrates the animal imagery as a kind of triumph over male domination. The tigers here show the differences between Aunt Jennifer's actual social status and her subconscious vision of life.
On First Looking into Chapman's Homer
Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions below it.
Much have I travelled in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many wester islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold;
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes
He stared at the Pacific-and all his men
Looked at each other with a wild surmise-
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.
What is the main idea of the poem?
Answers: The poem deals with the poet's pleasant experience of reading another great poet's wonderful poetry. It describes his immense joy and excitement when he read for the first time the Homeric poems translated into English by Chapman, an Elizabethan dramatist and poet. His reading of Homer was like the discovery of a new land of poetry to him. It was a wonderful experience for him and he was extremely delighted to read Homer's poems. His delight' was comparable only to that of an astrologer when he discovers a new planet in the vast space or to that of the man who discovered the Pacific Ocean from the peak of a mountain.
Write a paraphrase of the poem.
Answers: I have travelled many kingdoms of gold and seen many wonderful states and kingdoms. I have also been to many western islands which are ruled by Apollo. I had often heard about a vast domain which was ruled by Homer who had a profound and thoughtful mind. However, I did not enjoy its calm purity until Chapman came up with a spirited voice. Then I felt excited like a sky-watcher when a new planet comes into his view. I also felt like Cortez who first set his eyes on the Pacific Ocean along with his companions from the peak of a mountain in Darien and was overwhelmed with a sense of great excitement.
Evaluate the poem as a sonnet.
Answers: A sonnet is a lyric poem written in fourteen iambic pentameter lines. In this consideration, the poem in question is also a sonnet. As far as its rhyme scheme is concerned, it has followed the Petrarchan model. Like a typical Petrarchan sonnet, its rhyme scheme is: abbaabba cdcdcd. It is divided into two parts-Octave (the first eight lines) and sestet (the last six lines). The octave introduces the theme and raises an issue and the sestet resolves it. In the present sonnet the poet speaks of his experience of reading Homer in the octave and then describes his feeling of joy and excitement in the sestet. The poet uses similes and metaphors to express his feeling. It is a wonderful sonnet.
What is the mood of the poem? What images contribute to the creation of this mood?
Answers: The prevalent mood expressed in the poem is one of joy and ecstasy. The poet is overwhelmed with joy when he-enjoys the beauty of Homer's poetry through Chapman's English translation. The poet's wild excitement is created by two major images. The first image is that of a sky-watcher looking for a new planet and the second image is that of the man who first set his eyes on the Pacific Ocean along with his companions from the peak of ? mountain. The poet compares his joy with that of a sky-watcher when he discovers a new planet and then with that of the person who first discovered the Pacific Ocean. Both these images contribute to the creation of the ecstatic mood of the poem.
What are the main figures of speech used in the poem? Illustrate with examples.
Answers: The poem is characterized by its figurative language. The dominating figures of speech used in the poem are metonymy, simile and metaphor. The very title of the poem is an example of metonymy. Here" Chapman's Homer” stands for Chapman's translation of Homer's poems. The 'realms of gold' in the first line of the poem is an example of metaphor. Here the kingdom of poetry is compared with a kingdom of gold. Poetry is as precious to the poet as gold. Then the poet compares his joy of reading Homer's poetry with the joy of an astrologer discovering a new planet and the joy of the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. This is an example of simile. These are the main figures of speech used in the poem.
I wandered lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth
Read the given poem carefully and answer the following questions.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company;
I gazed-and gazed-but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I Jie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
What is the theme of the poem?
Answer: The poem dwells on the effect of nature on human mind. Natural beauty uplifts the human spirit. People sometimes fail to appreciate nature's 'wonders as they go about their daily routines. If they take shelter in nature, they get peace.
Describe the daffodils as the poet saw them.
Answer: The poet saw a large number of daffodils beside a lake. The flowers were fluttering and dancing in the breeze. They formed a long line along the margin of the bay. They excelled the beauty óf the waves in the lake.
Identify the poet's mood in the poem.
Answer: The poet's mood in the poem is one of joy and gaiety. The beauty of daffodils filled his mind with divine pleasure.
Justify the use of past tense and present tense in the poem.
Answer: The poet has used the past tense in the first three stanzas to describe his past experience. This indicates that he had seen the daffodils long before he wrote the poem. He has used the present tense in the last stanza to suggest that his recollection of the memory brings pleasures to his present existence.
Find out the examples of simile, metaphor and alliteration in the poem.
(e) The examples of simile, metaphor and alliteration are as follows: Simile: 'I wondered lonely as a cloud'. Here the poet has explicitly compared his lonely movement with that of a solitary cloud.
Metaphor: 'When all at once I saw a crowd'. Here the daffodils have been implicitly compared with human crowd.
Alliteration: 'lonely as a cloud'. Here the 'l' sound has been repeated.
Find out the examples of personification and hyperbole in the poem.
Answer: The examples of personification and hyperbole are as follows: Personification: 'Tossing their heads in sprightly dance'. Here daffodils have been attributed human quality. Hyperbole: 'Then thousand saw I at a glance'. The number of. daffodils was not actually ten thousand. It has been exaggerated.
Write a note on the form of the poem.
Answer: The poem is a lyric, containing four stanzas of six lines each. In each stanza, the first line rhymes with the third and the second with the fourth. The stanza then ends with a rhyming couplet. The lines in the poem are in iambic tetrameter.
Write a summary of the poem.
Answer: While wandering like a cloud, the poet happens upon daffodils daffodils stretch all along the shore. Because there are so many of them, they remind the poet of the countless stars in the sky. The poet feels as if the daffodils were dancing. The sight fills the mind of the poet with great pleasure.
- Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost [Answer See PDF]
- Sonnet 26 by Edmund Spenser [Answer See PDF]
- To Daffodils by Robert Herrick [Answer See PDF]
- Sonnet 18 By William Shakespeare [Answer See PDF]
Sonnet 18 By William Shakespeare
Write the Summary in the poem.
Answer: The poem opens with a rhetorical question narrowing the focus on the comparison between the poets friend and the object of nature. In a straightforward language the speaker of the poem praises his dear friend. He gradually creates the image of his friend as an ideal being The friend has been compared to summer.
The speaker points out that the youths beauty surpasses summer's delight The imagery of 'wind'," buds, the legal terminology" summer's lease', hot sun are presented to suggest the transient beauty of the season to emphasize the young man's beauty.
The proposition set up in the first eight lines that al nature is subject to chance is contrasted in the next 4 lines beginning with "bud". Although beauty decline naturally with the passage of time the youth's beauty will remain unchanging with the nature's steady progression.
The speaker asserts in jubilant tone that even death is important against the youth's beauty. His beauty will be ensured as he will be forever in human memory saved from the oblivion that accompanies death through the verse that the poot has written. The final copulate reaffirms the poet's hope that as long as there is breathe in man kind, his poetry too will live on.
What is the author's position and attitudes?
Answer: The poem is written from the point of view of a bard celebrating the beauty of his friends in a jubilant tone. The poet successfully separates himself through the personification of summer with a series of images set in contrast to his friend's beauty which according to the speaker of the poem is permanent. The poem is an objective expression of poetic ant as there is no certainty of detecting poets personal feelings unless we are misled to consider the speaker's bragging for his immortal verse to that of the poets own.
Unlike the beauty of summer's his friend's beauty will be ensured as he will be forever in human memory saved from the oblivion that accompanies death through the verse that the poet has written. This universal feature will also ensure the poor's objective position. The poem clearly focuses on the author's attitude towards beauty, love, nature. time and literature.
At the outset of the poem the poet highlights the youth's beauty in contrast to the summer season. In time with the nature's course, the beauty must fade or decline but the beauty of the poet's friends will remain intact with the help of literature or poem that he writes. These ideas may remind us about John Keats' idea about art in Ode on a Grecian Urn.
Verse or art is permanent and unchanging with the passage of time, in contrast to passing beauty and along with the love one for that beauty. Paradoxically the art can preserve beauty as the verse of the poet is preserving the beauty of youth in the most memorable way.
Who is being compared to home?
Answer: The poem presents a comparison between the beauty of the poet's friend and that of a nature's season-summer. The poem opens with a metrical question narrowing the focus on the comparison. In a straightforward language the speaker of the poem praises his dear friend. Ho gradually creates the image of his friend as an ideal being.
The speaker points out that they outh's beauty surpasses summer's delight. The proposition set up in the first eight lines that all nature is subject to change is contrasted in the next four lines beginning with 'but. Although beauty declines naturally in the course of time, the youth's beauty will remain unchanging with the nature's steady progression.
The speaker asserts in jubilant tone that even death is important against the youth's beauty. His beauty will be ensured as he will be forever in human memory saved from the oblivion that accompanies death through the verse that the poet has written. The final couplet reaffirms the poet's hope that as long as there is breathe in mankind his poetry too will live on.
After reading the entire poem the scope of comparison widens our mind. We begin to think that the immortal beauty referred to in the poem is in fact the beauty of hearts which remains intact with the passage of time. So the comparison tums out to be a comparison between impermanent elements of nature and the permanent for of art symbolized by the poets verse.
Give the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Answer: The poem is written in the form of a sonnet with several recognizable divisions. There are two quatrains group of four lines followed by a third quatrain in which the idea of the lone of the poem shifts a bit. The poem ends with a rhyming couplet that gives a final touch to the poem. The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab cdcd efef gg.
The treatment of the subject matter is perfect for the structure and rhyme pattern of the poem. In the first two quatrains the poet idealizes the beauty of his friend in contrast to the demerits of the summer season. The idea aptly matches the alternating rhymes expressing the timeless beauty of his friend.
In the third quatrains, the jubilant poet smiles with ease that even death is Important against the youth's beauty.
His beauty will be ensured he will be forever in human memory saved from the oblivion that accompanies death through the verse that the poet has written. The sentiment here is well matched with the rhyme pattern. The final couplet expressing the poet's hope that as long as there is breath in mankind, his poetry to will I've on singularity expresses the poet's feeling.
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