Poetry Comprehension

Read the following lines and answer the questions. 3x1=3
1. I met a traveller 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 shatter‘d visage lies, whose frown

i) Where had the traveller come from?
ii) What did the traveller see standing in the
desert?
iii) What was the expression on the shattered
visage?
Ans.
i. from an antique land
ii. Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
iii.frown

2. Lord, I am so tired.
Tired I entered this world.
Far have I wandered since the cock crew,
And the road to school is steep.

i) Who is the speaker addressing?
ii) The time of the day ‗since the cock crew‘
suggests is
a) early morning. b) evening. c) noon.
iii) How is the road to school according to the
speaker?
Ans. i. Lord ii. a)  iii.steep

3. Barefoot, I want to tread the red-hot paths,
That boil in midday sun,
And then lie down to sleep beneath a Mango
tree.
i) How does the speaker want to tread the red￾hot paths?
ii) What boil in midday sun?
iii) Where does the speaker want to lie down?
Ans. i. Barefoot ii. Red hot paths iii. beneath a Mango
tree.

4. Child,
Child, how happy you are sitting in the dust,
playing with a broken twig all the morning!
I smile at your play with that little bit of a
broken twig.
I am busy with my accounts, adding up figures
by the hour.

i) Where is the child sitting?
ii) What is the child playing with?
iii) What is the speaker busy with?
Ans. : i. In the dust ii. With a broken twig
iii. his accounts

5. Child, I have forgotten the art of being
absorbed in sticks and
mud-pies.
I seek out costly playthings, and gather lumps
of gold and silver.
With whatever you find you create your glad
games.

i) What has the speaker forgotten?
ii) What wealth does the speaker gather?
iii) Who does ‗you‘ in the last line refer to?
Ans. i.  art of being
absorbed in sticks and
mud-pies. ii. lumps
of gold and silver. iii. Child

6. The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

i) How does the caged bird sing?
ii) Where is the bird‘s tune heard?
iii) What does the bird sing of?
Ans. i. with a fearful trill ii. on the distant hill iii. Freedom

7. I passed along the waters‘ edge below the
humid trees.
My spirit rocked in evening light, the rushes
round my knees,
My spirit rocked in sleep and sighs; and saw
the moorfowl pace

i) Where was the speaker walking?
ii) What rocked in evening light?
iii) Name the bird mentioned in the above
lines.
Ans. i. along the waters‘ edge below the
humid trees. ii. His spirit iii. Moorfowl

8. Not marble nor the gilded monuments
Of princes shall outlive this pow‘rful rhyme:
But you shall shine more bright in these
contents
Than unswept stone, besmear‘d with sluttish
time.

i) What cannot outlive this powerful rhyme?
ii) These monuments are erected by __________
a) common people. b) princes. c) the locals.
iii) How is time personified?
Ans. i. marble nor the gilded monumentsf of princes ii. b) iii. you shall shine more bright in these contents

9. At the corner of Wood Street, when daylight
appears,
Hangs a thrush that sings loud, it has sung for
three years:
Poor Susan has passed by the spot, and has
heard
In the silence of morning the song of the Bird.

i) Where does Susan come across the thrush?
ii) How long has the thrush been singing?
iii) When has Susan heard the song of the bird?
Ans. i. At the corner of Wood Street ii. for three years iii. In the silence of morning

10. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth ;

i) What colour is the wood?
ii) The speaker sees before him
a) a dense forest. b) two roads diverging in a
forest. c) a crossing.
iii) How many travellers are there?
Ans. i. Yellow ii. b) iii. Only one

11. Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.
i) Where are the bangle sellers taking their
shining loads to?
ii) How are the hawkers describing the
bangles?
iii) Whom are they urging to buy bangles for?
Ans. i. to the temple fair ii.delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light iii. For happy daughters and happy wives.
12. That murmur, soon replies: ―God doth not
need
Either man‘s work or his own gifts: who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best
i) What does God not need?
ii) In ‗Bear His mild yoke‘, His refers to
_________ .
iii) How do they serve the God?
Ans. i. Either man‘s work or his own gifts ii. God's iii. Bear His mild yoke

13. Rose a nurse of ninety years,
Set his child upon her knee—
Like summer tempest came her tears—
‖Sweet my child, I live for thee.‖
i) How old was the nurse?
ii) Her tears are compared to __________ .
iii) Who does the mother want to live for?
Ans. i. ninety years ii. summer tempest iii. Her child
14. Seven years I could not walk a step.
When I to the great physician came
He demanded: Why the crutches ?
And I told him: I am lame.
i) For how many years could the speaker not w alk?
ii) Whom does the speaker meet?
iii) Why does the speaker use crutches?
Ans. i. Seven ii .Physician iii. He was lame

15. This above all is precious and remarkable,
How we put ourselves in one another‘s care,
How in spite of everything we trust each other.
i) Where do we put ourselves?
ii) The above lines talk about
a) human goodness. b) sea of life. c) miracles.
iii) Mention the word from the third line that keeps everyone united.
Ans. i. in one another‘s care ii.  a)  iii. Trust

16. Some words have different meanings,
and yet they‘re spelt the same.
A cricket is an insect,
to play it — it‘s a game.
On every hand, in every land,
it‘s thoroughly agreed,
the English language to explain
is very hard indeed.
i) What have different meanings yet spelt the same?
ii) A game which is mentioned in the above lines is ________ .
iii) What is very hard to explain?
Ans. i. Some words ii. Cricket iii. English language

17. Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;
There are four seasons in the mind of man:
He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear
Takes in all beauty with an easy span:
i) How many seasons are in the mind of man?
ii) The season mentioned in the above lines is
___________ .
iii) Here spring is described as being
a) very short and happy b) sad and dreaming
c) idle
Ans. i. Four ii. Spring iii.  a)
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