Answer to the Questions of 12th RLST, 2012 English

(Pass Graduate Category)

Collected from Memory

1.

Why does Ulysses consider his people to be a savage race in Tennysons poem by
the same name?
Ulysses, the great Greek ruler considers his people to be a savage race because they
live an idle and ignorant life, spending time in food and drink and sloth and have
no desire for knowledge. They even do not know the importance and greatness of
their king.
2.

What is the poets prayer to the Skylark in the poem To A Skylark?

Shelley wishes to learn half of the gladness of the bird so that he can also sing with
full-throated ease the eternal melodies like the bird. When he would be able to do
that the world would listen to his song and would be inspired as he is inspired now
by the birds song.
3.

In Ode to a Nightingale what does Keats contrast with the song of the
nightingale?

In Ode to a Nightingale Keats contrasts the transience of human life and tragedy
of old age with the song of the nightingale which is immortal, is not born for
death. He says that human life is transient and full of pain and sorrow. On the
other hand no human pang can reach to the world of the nightingale. It is free
from all cares.
4.

What are the strange fits of passion that Wordsworth has known?

The strange fits of passion that Wordsworth has known are his convulsive passion
for a little girl named Lucy. But his passion is also fraught with fear: he has a fear
that his beloved Lucy may die leaving him alone in this world.
5.

Since now at length my fate I know Who is the speaker? What is his fate?
What last thing does he compare his fate with that of others?
The rejected lover in Brownings poem The Last Ride Together is the speaker.
He thinks that it is his fate that he is rejected by his beloved.

The rejected lover consoles himself by comparing his failure with others. The lover
compares his lot with those of the poet, musician, sculptor, statesman and soldier
by saying that not only he but all of them fail in the end f their life.
6.

How does the poet build up a supernatural atmosphere in The Listeners?

Too create a supernatural atmosphere the poet Walter De La Mare chooses a

haunted house as the setting of his poem. The traveller and the inhabitants of the
lone house are not known to us. The night, the surroundings of the house, the
horse of the traveller all are presented in a mysterious way. Eerie suggestion and
indefiniteness loom large in the poem.
7.

What, according to Yeats, are the difference between himself and the wild swans?
The sight of the wild swans at the lake reminds him of his growing age. He realizes
that when he saw the birds first time 19 years ago, he was more carefree and
high in spirit. But the passage of time has taken away his youth and vigour and
made him over-burdened with Time. But the swans remain same with full of
energy, and passion and conquest.

8.

I am the enemy you killed my friend Explain the line with reference too its
context.
The expression points to the bitter irony of the poem the realization that any
reconciliation cannot take place in this world, but it happens after life. The
German soldier speaks to the English soldier about the ravages of war. Actually
both of them act as the alter ego of the poet Wilfred Owen.
9.

How does Hardy describe Nature in Darkling Thrush?

Hardy has given a dull and desolate picture of a winter evening. He leaned over a
wooden gate at one such winter evening. Frost was setting upon everything. The
sun was becoming dimmer gradually. Leafless branches of the trees and creepers
seemed to be the strings of a broken lyre. Not a single man was seen moving
outside. The whole atmosphere looked gloomy.
10. From which mythology has Shelley borrowed the idea of destroyer and
preserver in Ode to the West Wind?
Shelley in his Ode to the West Wind has borrowed the idea of destroyer and
preserver from the Hindu mythology. According to this mythology three principal
Gods Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are the representatives of destroyer, creator

and preserver respectively. Shelleys poem invokes all three gods as manifested in
the one abstract force of the west wind.
11. What is the significance of the title She Stoops to Conquer?
When Goldsmith wrote this play, it had the title The Mistakes of the Nightwhich is
now the sub-title of the drama. But it was not a catchy title. So a long search was
made to provide a suitable title to the play. At last Goldsmith himself gave the
title She Stoops to Conquer. Perhaps she was influenced by Drydens line, But
kneels to conquer, and but stoops to rise. Now the title of the drama is suitable
and catchy.
12. Yes! Thats Don Quixote... Who is referred to as Don Quixote in Shaws play and
why?
Major Sergius is referred to here as Don Quixote in Shaws Arms and the Man.
Don Quixote was a romantic hero of the great Spanish writers romance Don

Quixote. He saw a windmill and imagined it o be a giant and charged upon it on

horse-back with his long lance. Sergius acted likewise when he charged the enemy
canons with wrong ammunitions. Bluntschli compares Sergius to Don Quixote to
explain the ridiculous character of Sergiuss cavalry charge against the artillery of
the Serbs.
13. In Justice which literary reference does Walter cite to prove his point?
To prove his point Walter said, The quality of mercy is not strained... He
quotes it from a famous speech of Portia in Shakespeares The Merchant of

Venice where Portia appeals to Shylock for Antonios case. Walter How wants to
convey that mercy is a greater virtue and, therefore, greater justice, which makes
everyone happy. He tries to convey his father that they should pardon on this
virtue.
14. What does the expression After all he only got what he deserved mean the short
story The Lotus Eater?
W. Somerset Maugham, the author of The Lotus Eater said that Wilson, the central
character of the short story, got the fate he deserved. He was responsible for his
fate. His choice of the path of life was strong and was obviously wrong.
15. Why are Jim and Della called the Magi?
In O. Henrys story The Gift of the Magi Jim and Della are called the wisest
persons among all in the world. They sacrifice their most valuable possessions

Dellas beautiful hair and Jims gold watch to buy Christmas gifts for each other.
Their presents were useless for the time but invaluable for their spirit of love and
sacrifice. So the author called them the Magi.
16. How did Arsats brother die in Conrads story The Lagoon?
When Arsat abducted Diamelen on the night of torch light expedition, Arsats
brother decided to face single-handed so many enemies that were pursuing Arsat.
When all his shots were fired, they came and encircled him. He called his brother
for thrice, but none came to help him. Finally he was surrounded by the enemies
and killed mercilessly.
17. .....both the children gradually grew fainter..... Why did the children grow
fainter in Lambs essay? Who was their mother?
The children in Lambs essay are mere imaginary children of him. They might have
been to him if the marriage between him and Ann Simons could take place. Lamb
was only dreaming of his past reminiscences. So when his reverie was becoming
over, the children were gradually growing fainter.
The mother of the children was Ann Simon, the beloved of Charles Lamb.
18. What, according to Hill, are the principles of good writing?
In his essay Principles of Good Writing L.A. Hill mentions some features that make
a piece of writing good. A good writing should have clarity, logicality, good
vocabulary, interest, individuality in style, good presentation, avoidance of jarring
and rhetorical flourishes. To make his writing good one should avoid strictly the
mixture of different styles.
19. Sketch the character of Mrs. Thurlow as presented by Bates in The Ox.
Mrs. Thurlow was a hard working woman who earned money by working at
others houses only to make her sons settled in their life. But in course of events,
her husband stole the money and shattered her hopes. He was executed for a case
of murder. The sons were sheltered by her brother. But when her crisis was over,
another blow came on her. Her sons declined to go back home with their mother.
Thus throughout her life she had to suffer in the hand o fate. In the story Bates
presents her as a tragic character.
20. Write a paragraph (50 words) on the ideals of Swami Vivekananda.
It is very tough to write the ideals of such a great personality within 50 words. He
told us to have faith in ourselves and stand up on that faith and be powerful. If we

think ourselves weak, weak we will be; if we think ourselves strong, strong we will
be; if we think ourselves impure, impure we will be; if we think ourselves pure,
pure we will be. The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but
thinking of strength. He advised us to teach men of the strength that is already
within them. He says that the power of concentration is the only way to acquire
knowledge.
21. Fill in the blanks with articles and prepositions:
(a) There were a

good many caravans scattered arround .

(b) He looked at the clouds and wished it would rain.

22. Do as directed:
(a) He was too tired to walk. (Split the sentence)
Ans: He was very tired. He could not walk.
(b) Mr. Bose is rich. He is an honest man. (Make a compound sentence)
Ans: Mr. Bose is rich but he is an honest man.
23. Gove the noun forms of the following words:
(a) Assume : assumption
(b) Begin: beginning

(c) compare: comparison

(d) grow: growth

24. Give the adjective forms of the following words:

(a) Badly: bad
(b) Awfully: awful

(c) ferocity: ferocious

(d) unjustly: unjust

25. Change the voice of the following sentences:

(a) She seems to be overburdened by the work.
Ans: The work seems to overburden her.
(b) We visited the Agra Fort last year.
Ans: Last year the Agra Fort was visited by us.
26. Make sentence with the following:
(a) Work out : Things have worked out quite well for us.
(b) Bring about : Her folly brought about her fall.
27. Change into indirect speech:
(a) He said to me, I have often told you not to play with fire.
Ans: He warned me that he had often told me not to play with fire.
(b) The police said to us, Where are you going at this hour of night.

Ans: The police asked us where we were going at that hour of night.
28. Do as directed:
(a) As soon as the guests had seated themselves the Minister arrived. (use no sooner)
Ans: No sooner had the guests seated themselves than the minister arrived.
(b) He has the most wonderful house at the town. (Turn into negative sentence).
Ans: None but he had the most wonderful house at the town.
29. Replace the underlined words with appropriate phrasal verb:
(a) He has stopped smoking.
Ans: He has given up smoking.
(b) The police have promised to investigate the matter.
Ans: The police have promised to look into the matter.
30. Identify the clause and identify its nature:
(a) He says that he wont go.
Ans: that he wont go is the clause in the sentence. It is a noun clause as it explains
the idea if a pronoun and also replaces it.
(b) As soon as he heard the news he wrote to me.

As soon as he heard the news is the clause in the sentence. It is an adverbial clause
as the clause clarifies the next verb write in the main sentence.

ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS OF 12TH RLAST, ENGLISH

(HONS/PG CATEGORY)
COLLECTED FROM MEMORY
1. Show how Sidney presents the problem of poetic creation in his sonnetLoving in Truth.
Answer: In his sonnet Loving in Truth Sidney presents the problem of poetic creation with the
help of superb imagery. In order to express the pang of his love he is in search of the power
of poetic creation. But his frantic search for inspiration in the creation of other poets proves
to be in vain. The poet pictures his situation as a pregnant lady suffering from intense pain
being at the final hour of the gestation period.
2. Comment on the last two lines of Shakespeares sonnet Shall I Compare Thee to a
Summers Day.
Answer: In the last two lines of his sonnet Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers
Day Shakespeare asserts that his love for his friend is permanent as he expresses his love
through his verse which is immortal. In a challenging way he declares that the beauty of his
friend will survive up to infinity along with the existence of his poetry.
3. Why does the poet compare virtuous soul to seasond timber?
Answer: In the poem Virtue Herbert asserts that only the virtuous soul is permanent in a
transient world. The quality of virtue is imperishable, despite the inevitable mortality of all
grand, glorious and gorgeous elements. Herbert compares the quality of virtue to a seasoned

timber. Like a seasoned timber which never surrenders to corrosion, the quality of virtue
yields to no destructive or corrosive force.
4. Did he who made Lamb make thee? Explain the significance of this line in Blakes The
Tyger.
Answer: In his poem The Tyger Blake makes this question to the tiger. He is surprised whether
it is possible for the same Creator to create two contrary products like the lamb and the
tiger. God is the creator of both the tiger which is the symbol of fierceness and the lamb
which is the symbol of innocence.
5. Give examples of two features that establish The Rape o the Lock as a mock-heroic
poem.
Answer: Popes The Rape of the Lock is full of many such features that establish it as a mockheroic poem. The poem opens with the proposition of the subject matter and Popes
invocation to the Muses to help him compose the literary art. Such a grand treatment of a
trivial subject matter like the clipping of the lock of Belinda provokes laughter. Secondly,
Pope describes Belinda preparing herself with combs and pins with Puffs, Powders,
Patches nothing that Now awful Beauty puts on all its Arms. This is nothing but funny.
6. Briefly discuss Tintern Abbey as a poets journey of mind.
Answer: Tintern Abbey is in fact the delineation of the poets journey of mind. His visit to the
river Wye and the nature surround it influenced his mind in different way at different times.
When he was a mere boy, he possessed a purely sensuous love of nature. Then he thought
nature to be a spiritual power; and in his last stage he formed a never-failing bond between
nature and him.
7. Explain any two personifications Keats employs to describe Autumn in hisOde to Autumn.
Answer: In his Ode to Autumn Keats has employed many personifications to describe the
season. First he personifies the season as a harvester who sits carelessly in his granary and
falls asleep there with the fragrance of poppy. Autumn is then personified as a gleaner who is
crossing the rivulet with a load of corn on her head. He then personifies the season as a
farmer who is attending the vat with a patient look till the last drop of juice oozing from it.
8. Write briefly in your own words the story narrated by Geraldine to Christabel in the
poem Christabel.
In Coleridges poem Christabel Geraldine told Christabel her sad story in a very realistic
manner. She said that she was of noble origin. She also said that on the previous morning five
warriors kidnapped her and placed her underneath the oak tree and departed with a promise
of returning soon. She informed Christabel that she was extremely weary and scarcely alive.
9. To follow knowledge like a sinking star. What does this line signify in Tennysons
poem?
In Tennysons poem Ulysses the hero Ulysses refers to himself as the grey spirit. With the help
of a simile he draws a parallel with his pursuit for knowledge with mans attempt to reach a
falling star. He desires to follow the star of knowledge till the edge of the world and beyond,
till the end of his life.
10. My Last Duchess is a dramatic monologue. Discuss.
Brownings My Last Duchess is out and out a dramatic monologue. The poem highlights the
inner world of the Duke and the Duchess of Ferrara. Browning perfectly presents the Duke in a
monologue which brings out the character of the Duke. The poem is a superb study in self
exploration or introspection.
11. What does the poet mean by harmonious madness in the poem To A Sklark?
With the help of an oxymoron Shelley has expressed the inner thought of his mind through this
phrase harmonious madness. He asserts that the skylark does not know the pains, sorrows
and disappointments of earthly life. The earthly troubles do not touch it. He appeals to the

bird to teach him the secret of this unrestrained joy so that he may compose such brilliant
verse for the coming generation.
12. What is the significance of the epigraph in Eliots The Hollow Men?
There are two epigraphs in the poem. The first epigraph Mistah Kurtz he dead, taken from
Conrads novel Heart of Darkness, signifies that it is better to be evil than be inactive and
dead like the hollow men today. The second epigraph A penny for the old Guy is a line from
a song sung by the children to raise money to buy fireworks on the occasion of Guy Fawkes
Day. Eliot refers this to compare this notorious man to the modern hollow men and to feel
that they are like the effigy of Guy Fawkes which is stuffed and burnt by children.
13. Who were the visitors in the imaginary Hell of the Porter Scene inMacbeth?
The visitors in the imaginary Hell of the Porter Scene in Macbeth are a farmer who
committed suicide in expectation of plenty, a Jesuit priest who equivocates and a tailor who
stole from a French horse.
14. How does Goldsmith maintain the principle of three unities in his playShe Stoops to
Conquuer?
Goldsmith skillfully maintains the principle of three unities in his play She Stoops to Conquer.
The time when the play opens is evening and the curtain falls by the time of supper. The
setting or place of action is mostly the house of Mr. Hardcastle, but the scene sometime shifts
to the Three Pigeons Inn. The action of the play revolves round Kate and how she wins her
love.
15. Do you describe Arms and the Man as a pleasant play?
Shaw includes Arms and the Mani in his Plays Pleasant. It is indeed a pleasant play that
contains much matter, within its form of a pleasant comedy. His treatment of the themes of
love and war and his well conceived dramatic situations are truly delightful. The play is wellcharacterized as thought-provoking and entertaining, and this may well be taken as a
typical aspect of the pleasant character of the play.
16. How does Synge heighten the tragic atmosphere in Riders to the Sea?
The play opens in a mournful atmosphere and this atmosphere is gradually heightened by the
dramatist through hints and forebodings of the impending tragedy. Synge makes the tragedy
very lurid by making Maurya her own mouthpiece. Her description of the past deaths in the
family makes the atmosphere very tragic. Her reference to ominous signs and spectres add a
lurid touch to the play.
17. In David Copperfield we find characters who act as foils to each others. Discuss.
In David Copperfield we find two characters Dora and Agnes who are foil to each other. Both
Dora and Agnes are two women with whom David fell in love. He also married them
successively. Dora was very childish and silly, whereas Agnes was very good and sensible. Dora
belonged to a higher society and was unable to do household work. But she loved David very
dearly. Agnes gave David home and happiness when Dora died.
18. Describe the character of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Lady Catherine De Bourgh is a comic character like Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice. She is
Collins patroness and Mr. Darcys aunt. She has a bossy nature by which she always tries to
advise in others problems. She comes to Longbourn to make Elizabeth promise not to marry
Mr. Darcy. But she does not become successful in this purpose. At last Darcy proposes
Elizabeth for marrying her with the intervention of Lady Catherine.
19. The Lagoon presents a moral dilemma. Comment.
In the story The Lagoon the central character Arsat experienced a tug-of-war between his
love for sweetheart Diamele and his duty too his brother who risked his very life to ensure
Arsats happiness. If he went back to his brother, it might have resulted death of all three.
But it is also difficult to say that Arsat was right in doing his duty to his love at the cost of his
brothers life. It is a problem which is basically insoluble.

20. Briefly describe the symbols used in Araby.

James Joyces short story Araby is full oof rich symbols. The name Araby itself stands for
romance and beauty. Love stands for suupreme bliss and unening fund of joy. The boys
journey to Araby represents mans universally frustrated search for beauty and ideal.
21. How many times and how did the fly try to survive in The Fly?
The fly tried to survive for three times against the whimsicality of the boss.
When the boss drops the first drop of ink on the newly cleaned body of the fly, it struggled
hard to escape and get rid of the sudden danger. Even it escaped for the second time. But
when the third drop was given, it was beyond its capacity.
22. We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we the children at all. What does this
sentence signify in Lambs essay Dream Children A Reverie?
This sentence refers to some pathetic incidents of Charles Lambs personal life. John and
Alice are here mere imaginary children. They might have been his children if Lamb married
Alice W.N. or in reality Ann Simmons. For some unavoidable reason he had remained a
bachelor. So these children are his unrealized hopes.
23. Write a short note on Shaws views on freedom as depicted in his essay.
According to Shaw, perfect freedom in this world is not possible for any person. None can do
things of his own likes for nature compels him to do a number of things according to her will.
He says that twelve hours a day is compulsory to the natural functions including sleep. If a
person does not obey this, it may prove fatal to him. Society also restricts our freedom by
introducing laws which have been framed to ensure common welfare.
24. Abeunt studia mores What is the meaning of this line and how is it validated by
Francis Bacon in his essay Of Studies?
Bacon has quoted this expression from one of the epistle of the Roman poet Ovid. The Latin
poet expression means Studies pass into character. He means to say that studies play
greater role in building our characters.
25. Give example of each of the following:
(a) Hyperbole: To see her is to love her / And love her but for ever.
(b) Periphrasis: The million-coloured bow. (Rainbow)
(c) Alliteration: Unswept, unhonoured and unsung...
(d) Epigram: The child is the father of man.
26. Scan the following lines and identify the meter:
Wa ter / wa ter / eve ry / where
And all / the boards / did shrink
Wa ter / wa ter / eve ry / where
Not
a
/
drop
to
/
drink
This is written in troichaic tetrameter wiith an exception in the first and the last line.
27. Do as directed:
(a) Some birds live on insects. (Fill in the blanks with appropriate preposition)
(b) Standing at the gate,a scorion stung him. (Correct the sentence)
Ans: A scorpion stung him when he was standing at the gate.
28. Do as directed:
(a) The Headmaster gave away the prizes. (Change the voice)
Ans: The prizes were given away by the Headmaster.
(b) No, said the child, I wont kneel, for if I do, I shall spoil my new dress. (Change the
narration)
Ans: The child said in the negative that he would not keel for if he did, he would spoil his
new dress.
29. Give one example of each of the following:

(a) Participle: Driven by hunger he stole a piece of bread. Here driven is the example of a
participle.
(b) A connective: Since is an example of a connective.
(c) Gerund: Playing cards is not allowed here. Here playing is the example of a gerund.
(d) Impersonal pronoun: It is given to him by the government. Here it is the example of an
impersonal pronoun.
30. Write a paragraph (within 50-60 words) on the Role of a Teacher.
1. Among the greatest of all services that can be rendered by men to Almighty God, is the education and training
of children, so that they can foster by grace in the way of salvation, growing like pearls of divine bounty in the shell
of education and will be one day the jewel in the crown of abiding glory. The teacher is the yardstick that measures
the achievements and aspirations of the nation. The worth and potentialities of a country get evaluated in and
through the work of the teacher. The people of a country are the enlarged replica of their teacher. They are the real
nation builders.
2. The teacher is a dynamic force of the school. A school without teacher is just like a body without the soul, a
skeleton without flesh and blood, a shadow without substance. There is no greater need for the cause of education
today than the need for strong manly men and motherly women as teachers for the young. As social engineers, the
teachers can socialize and humanize the young by their man-like qualities.