English Summary

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The Snake Trying Summary in English by W.W.E. Ross

The Snake Trying by W.W.E. Ross About the Poet

William Wrightson Eustace Ross (1894-1966) was a Canadian geophysicist and poet. He was the first published poet in Canada to write Imagist poetry, and later the first to write surrealist verse, both of which have led some to call him “the first modem Canadian poet.” Ross’s passion for the natural world is evident in his poetry through its focus on Canada’s physical environment. He published only two collections during his lifetime: Laconics (1930) and Sonnets (1932). After 1930 the majority of Ross’s work was published in anthologies and LITERARY MAGAZINES at the behest of editors. Though now considered to be Canada’s first Imagist poet, Ross remained relatively unrecognized during his lifetime.

The Snake Trying Introduction to the Chapter

Snakes generate both horror and fascination because our reasoning often misleads us into looking at them as fearsome symbols of death. Though snakes are creations of nature, we are afraid of them. Snakes fascinate us but we do not understand the beauty of nature, and we have the impulse to kill it even though we are astounded by its beauty. In the poem The Snake Trying, WWE Ross shows the snake as a victim and man as the assailant.

The Snake Trying Summary in English

In The Snake Trying the poet describes how a snake is trying to get away from a man who is chasing him with a stick.

The snake, who has been lying on the sandy bank of a water body – a pond or a stream – is trying to escape from the man pursuing it with a stick. As it gracefully glides away, curving its thin long body, the snake looks very beautiful. It glides through the water trying to escape from the stroke. The poet exhorts the person attacking the snake to let it go over the water into the reeds to hide, and not hurt it. He adds it is a small, green snake, completely harmless even to small children. The snake lies on the sand until it is observed and is chased away. In the end, it disappears in the ripples in the green reeds.

The Snake Trying Theme

The theme of the poem The Snake Trying is man’s relationship with nature. The narrator offers us two possible ways we can relate to the natural world. The first way is to admire the beauty and grace of the snake. The small green snake is harmless, even to children. We can simply stand by and appreciate its grace and beauty. The second way to relate to nature is through fear and try to eliminate the cause of fear – the snake. Most people perceive the snake as being dangerous and attack it before it can harm them, even if it is lying peacefully until it is disturbed. It is a harmless snake, who is lying on the sand till he is chased by a human being with a stick. Yet, despite being attacked, the snake makes good its escape, rather than retaliate. The snake is in that case a victim.

The Snake Trying Message

In the poem the poet tries to say that human beings react to snakes based on their own fears. He points out that not all snakes are poisonous; in fact, some of them are quite harmless. It is cruel to attack a snake as soon as we see it. Even if a snake is poisonous, it will do us no harm if it doesn’t see any danger from us because a snake only bites in self-protection. Otherwise, it is as harmless as any other creature. Sadly human beings are the ones who attack a snake without provocation.

The Snake Trying Tone

The poet’s mood is that of fear as he sees the man pursue the snake with a snake. The snake’s beauty and grace fill movements arouse awe and fascination in the poet. His tone is filled with admiration for this beautiful creation of nature. He takes on a pleading tone as he begs the man to let the snake go because it is harmless. As he thinks of man attacking the snake, his mind is filled with regret at man’s cruelty.

The Snake Trying Setting

The setting of the poem is the sandy bank of a water body – a pond or a stream with reeds growing on the banks.

The Snake Trying Literary Devices

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.

Example: The snake trying
to escape the pursuing stick,
with sudden curvings of thin
long body, (movement)
and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds, (visual imagery)

The Snake Trying Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What is the snake trying to escape from?
Answer:
The snake is trying to escape from a being hit by a stick, or even worse, being killed. It is being chased by someone with a stick. The person is afraid of the snake and perceives it as a potential threat.

Question 2.
Is the snake harmful?
Answer:
No, it is not a harmful snake as it is not poisonous. The poet says the snake is a green one. Green snakes are generally garden snakes and are considered harmless as they are not venomous.

Question 3.
Why did the person with a stick attack the snake?
Answer:
The person attacked the snake when he saw it lying on the sand. He was driven by his own fear of snakes and their being venomous that led him to attack the snake to either kill it or drive it away.

Question 4.
What do you learn about the person attacking the snake?
Answer:
The person attacking the snake is governed by his fear of snakes. He wishes to kill or hurt the snake and rushes in to attack the snake, without pausing to consider that the snake is a green garden snake which is not venomous. Moreover, the snake is lying on the sand, and is not about to attack anyone. The man is also pitiless as he goes to hurt or kill the snake.

Question 5.
What does the poet wish for the snake?
Answer:
The poet sees the snake as a beautiful creation of Nature. Moreover, it is a green garden snake and not a harmful one. He wishes that it should not be assaulted with the stick. It should be allowed to go under the water into the reeds to hide without being hurt.

Question 6.
Where was the snake before someone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?
Answer:
The snake was lying unobserved on the sand till someone saw it and, fearing it, rushed to attack it with a stick. The pursuer chased it away. The snake disappeared in the ripples of the water among the green reeds.

Question 7.
What does the poet mean when he says ‘O Let him go’?
Answer:
The poet tells the man chasing the snake with a stick to let the snake go. The poet wishes that the snake should not be hurt and should be allowed to make its escape and reach its destination safely.

Question 8.
‘He is harmless even to children.’ What does the poet think about the snake?
Answer:
The poet is of the opinion that the snake which is being chased is a green snake of the garden variety and is not venomous. It is not harmful, not even to children who are more vulnerable. He feels the snake should not be hurt and should be allowed to reach its place safely.

Question 9.
What impression do you form of the poet in this poem?
Answer:
The poet loves Nature and all its creations. He finds the snake and its graceful movements beautiful. He is compassionate and does not want the snake harmed. He tries to stop the person with the stick from attacking the snake and is happy to see the snake glide away into the reeds.

Question 10.
What is the central idea of the poem “The Snake Trying”?
Answer:
The poet says that all snakes are not venomous or harmful. Nor do they attack without provocation.

Even if a snake is poisonous, it will do us no harm if it doesn’t see any danger from us. It is wrong to attack or kill a snake as soon as we see it. But sadly, human beings always try to kill a snake as soon as they see it. All creatures have a right to their life. Like the snake in this poem all try to save themselves in case of danger.

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On Killing a Tree Summary in English by Gieve Patel

On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel About the Poet

Gieve Patel (1940-) is a famous Indian poet and playwright. Patel belongs to a group of writers who have subscribed themselves to the ‘Green Movement’ which is involved in an effort to protect the environment. His poems speak of deep concerns for nature and expose man’s cruelty to it. Patel’s works include Poems which was launched by Nisim Ezekiel in 1966, How Do You Withstand, Body (1976) and Mirrored Mirroring (1991). He has also written three plays titled Princes, Savaska, and Mr Behram. He currently resides in Mumbai and practices medicine. He is also a painter. As one of the contemporary Indian artists, he has been part of exhibitions around the world.

On Killing a Tree Introduction to the Chapter

The poem On Killing a Tree has been taken from Gieve Patel’s anthology named Poems. The poem is a graphic picture of man’s cruelty towards the tree, which symbolises Nature. The poet gives us step-by-step instructions on how to kill a tree and makes us realize that killing a tree is akin to murdering a human being. It also refers to the destructive nature of humans and the indestructibility of Nature.

On Killing a Tree Summary in English

On Killing a Tree paints a vivid and brutal picture of what is involved in killing a tree. The poet tells us that killing a tree is a difficult and time-consuming process. Simply stabbing it with a knife is not enough to kill it. A tree grows straight out the earth, getting its nourishment from the nutrients found in the earth, along with years of sunlight, water, and air. The leaves and branches of the tree sprout from its bark which looks diseased because it is irregular and scaly.

Hacking a tree with a knife or an axe or chopping off a bough may inflict pain on the tree but it is not enough to bring a tree down. The ‘bleeding bark’ – the wound in the bark from where the sap flows out or where a bough has been chopped off – will heal with time. New green twigs will grow again; boughs that were chopped off will be replaced by new boughs, which will grow to their former size.

The poet then goes on to give instructions how a tree could be killed. He says to kill a tree its root has to be pulled out of the earth. The term ‘anchoring earth’ implies that the trees are held secure with the help of the roots in the earth. So long as the roots are firmly held by the earth, the tree is safe and cannot be killed by a simple jab of a knife. To kill the tree, it is essential that the root, which is the source of a tree’s life, must be pulled out of its deep hole in the earth. By ‘earth-cave’ the poet suggests the space created in the earth by uprooting a tree. Once the centre, the life source – the root – is exposed, the tree becomes vulnerable. The source is described as white and wet, probably alluding to tree sap which is a white liquid.

If it is exposed to the sun and air, this life source will be scorched. Slowly, it will start to become brown, with all the softness fading out. With time, it will wither, become dry and bent out of shape, leaving a corpse where a tree used to be. In short, the exposure will leave the root vulnerable to all vagaries of weather, which will ultimately weaken the tree and kill it.

On Killing a Tree Theme

In On Killing a Tree, Gieve Patel gives us a a graphic picture of man’s killing of the tree. He says that hacking a tree with a knife or an axe will not harm it. The bleeding bark will heal and the tree will grow again to its former size. To be killed a tree must be uprooted completely. The poet hints at rampant deforestation and through the very visual representation of the murder of a tree wishes to communicate to the readers the dangers of deforestation. The poet considers the tree as a living organism which has the right to live like any other creatures on earth. But man is killing trees with utmost cruelty and callousness. The tree represents Nature and the poem also suggests that nature is indestructible. The tree could also be a symbol of mankind. Despite wars and other destructive activities, human kind will not easily come to end.

On Killing a Tree Tone

In On Killing a Tree, the poet, Gieve Patel adopts a sarcastic tone to make us aware of the vulnerability of human lives, and how proper care of environment can keep one safe from harm. Man is presented as a killer who thinks of all possible ways to get rid of the tree, which represents Nature. The poet, ironically, suggests how to completely kill a tree. For years, the tree, like a parasite, has consumed the earth’s crust and absorbed sunlight, air and water to grow up like a giant. So, the tree must be killed. But it is not an easy task. A simple jab of the knife will not do it. From close to the ground it will rise up again and grow to its former size. It will again become a threat to man. So, the tree should be tied with a rope and pulled out entirely. Its white, bleeding root should be exposed. Then it should be browned and hardened and twisted and withered and it is done.

On Killing a Tree Message

Gieve Patel gives a very important message in his poem On Killing a Tree. Trees feel pain, grief, suffering, sorrows and joys as sensitively as human beings do. So we should never hurt them. The poet reminds us that we have not inherited these green trees for our use; they are held by us in trust for our future generations. It is, therefore, our sacred duty to conserve trees as a legacy for future.

On Killing a Tree Title

In the poem On Killing a Tree Gieve Patel, from its beginning to the end, describes in detail the process and consequences of killing a tree. In the first two stanzas the poet talks about Nature’s resilience. He feels one cannot kill a tree with just a stab of a knife. The tree has grown slowly consuming the earth and absorbing years of sunlight, air and water. So the tree cannot be tree cannot be killed easily. The bleeding bark will quickly heal and the tree will produce curled green twigs, which will soon expand to their former size. In the following two stanzas he gives a detailed process of killing a tree. The root of the tree must be entirely pulled out of the earth into which it had been anchored and then left exposed to wither and die. Then only will the killing process be over. In this way the poet highlights man’s systematic destruction of the environment. Hence the title is appropriate and it drives the poet’s point home in a superb way.

On Killing a Tree Setting

The setting of the poem is the modem world. The world is facing rapid deforestation for urbanisation and industrialisation. This world where trees are being killed is the setting of the poem.

On Killing a Tree Literary Devices

Imagery

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings.

Examples: Slowly consuming the earth,/Rising out of it, feeding
Upon its crust, absorbing/Years of sunlight, air, water,
And out of its leperous hide/Spouting leaves ’ –

The imagery used here is strong and it depicts the growth of the tree by consuming nutrients from the earth and absorbing sunlight, air and water from nature.

The language through the poem is simple, remarkable and vivid. Every word in the poem has a remarkable evocative power and is accurate and suggestive. Expression such as “bleeding bark” “leprous hide” and “anchoring earth” present memorable visual images. The poem powerfully portrays man’s callousness in killing a tree. It is a telling commentary on one of the major environmental issues that encounters modem man.

Irony

The term irony refers to a discrepancy, or disagreement, of some sort. The discrepancy can be between what someone says and what he or she really means or verbal irony. The discrepancy can be between a situation that one would logically anticipate or that would seem appropriate and the situation that actually develops or situational irony.

The poet describes the cruelty of man in annihilating the tree with irony and detachment. He tells the man how hacking the tree with an axe will only injure it, and not kill it. To kill the tree, it must be uprooted and its roots exposed to the sun. Only then will the tree wither and die. But, the poet’s own sympathy is with the tree.

Personification

A figure of speech which endows animals, ideas, or inanimate objects with human traits or abilities. Personification is the poetic practice of attributing human qualities, a character or personality to inanimate or non¬human beings such that they appear to be living human beings.

In the poem the tree has been personified. The poet speaks of trees as human beings, when he says that one cannot kill a tree with a jab of a knife or by hacking it, like they would kill any human being, ‘bleeding bark’— this is an example of personification. The tree is portrayed as a human being throughout the poem, and thus, the part of the bark where it is wounded is represented as bleeding.

Rhyme Scheme

There is no particular rhyme scheme followed in this poem. The poem is divided into 4 stanzas. Each stanza comprises varying lines. The poem is then written in free verse.

On Killing a Tree Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How does a tree become strong?
Answer:
A tree feeds on the earth’s crust, consuming nutrients from the earth. The tree also absorbs years of sunlight, air and water. This makes it strong.

Question 2.
“So hack and chop/ But this alone won’t do it.” What won’t this do? Why won’t it do it?
Answer:
Hacking and chopping is not enough to kill a tree. The tree endures the pain but continues to live on as it heals over time. The bark which has been chopped will heal itself. Green twigs and small branches will soon emerge from the bleeding bark and in time the tree will regrow to its original size.

Question 3.
What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Answer:
Bleeding bark suggests the wound on the tree that is caused by hacking or chopping the tree. When the branches of a tree are chopped off, the tree bleeds as the sap can be seen to flow. It expresses the pain of a tree.

Question 4.
What are miniature boughs? What happens if they are left unchecked?
Answer:
Miniature boughs are new branches which sprout where the tree was hacked or chopped. If they are left unchecked, they expand and become a huge tree. The chopped tree grows back to its former size.

Question 5.
How does the tree heal itself?
Answer:
The tree is equipped with a power to heal itself. When a tree is hacked or chopped, leaves sprout from the wopnded bark. From close to the ground curled green twigs rise. Miniature boughs expand again to their former size. The tree, in time, grows back to its former size.

Question 6.
How does the poet describe the growth of the tree in the first stanza of the poem?
Answer:
The poet says that the tree grows slowly getting its nutrients from the earth. Then it absorbs sunlight, water and air for many years. The bark of the tree looks ugly because it is rough and has crooked lines on it. It is very ironical that soft and green leaves come out of the leprous hide. Gradually, it grows into a big tree.

Question 7.
Why does it take so much time to kill a tree?
Answer:
It is not easy to kill a tree simply by hacking or chopping it. The tree has deep roots which give birth to tiny twigs and branches which help the tree attain its old stature. For a tree to be killed, the root has to be uprooted, and it has to be scorched and choked in sun and air. This process takes much time and it requires a lot of effort.

Question 8.
How does the tree grow to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Answer:
The tree grows to its full size by consuming nutrients from the earth, feeding upon its crust absorbing years of light, air and water. Consuming, rising, feeding and absorbing are the words suggestive of its life and activity.

Question 9.
The poet uses several images of death and violence in the poem. Can you list them?
Answer:
The images of death are “hack, chop, scorching, choking, browning, hardening, twisting and withering”. The words that show violence are “roped, tied, pulled out and snapped out entirely from the earth’s crust”.

Question 10.
Why does the poet use the word ‘kill’ rather than ‘cut’?
Answer:
The poet makes a distinction between cutting a tree and killing it. Cutting a tree, or hacking and chopping, does not destroy the tree completely, and the tree regrows by sending out new shoots and miniature boughs. The poet then gives step-by-step instructions on the total annihilation of a tree. Once the roots of the tree are pulled out, and are exposed to sun and air, the killing of the tree is complete. The tree will have no second life.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Summary in English by Edward Lear

The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lear About the Poet

Edward Lear (1812-1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet. He is best known for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose especially his limericks, a form he popularised. He began his career as an artist at the age of 15. His father, a stockbroker of Danish origins, was sent to debtor’s prison when Lear was only 13. So, he was forced to earn a living. He quickly gained recognition for his work and in 1832, he was hired by the London Zoological Society to execute illustrations of birds. He composed his first book of poems, A Book of Nonsense for the grandchildren of the Derby household. Between 1837 and 1847, he travelled throughout Europe and Asia. His travel journals were published in several volumes as The Illustrated Travels of a Landscape Painter. He wrote many deeply fantastical poems about imaginary creatures such as The Dong with the Luminous Nose. His books of humorous verse also include Nonsense Songs and Laughable Lyrics.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Introduction to the Chapter

The Duck and the Kangaroo is a famous poem by Edward Lear. In this poem a duck wants to be able to jump around and see the world like a kangaroo. So he asks a kangaroo to take him on its back.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Summary in English

The Duck praises the Kangaroo and the way he hops so gracefully over the fields and water. The Duck feels sorry for himself as his own life is really boring in the nasty pond. The Duck wishes he could hop like the Kangaroo and see the world beyond the pond.

The Duck requests the Kangaroo to give him a ride on his back. He also promises that he would sit quietly on the Kangaroo’s back, not saying anything apart from a ‘Quack’ the whole day long. They would go to the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee and over the land and sea. The Duck again earnestly entreats the Kangaroo to give him a ride.

The Kangaroo ponders over the Duck’s proposal seriously. He has an objection to his request because the duck’s feet are cold from water and would give the Kangaroo rheumatism if the Duck sat on his back for the ride.

The Duck has a quick solution to the Kangaroo’s problem. He says he is carrying a pair of woollen socks which will keep his feet neat and warm. Also, he is carrying a cloak and he would smoke a cigar daily and enjoy the company of his dear Kangaroo.

The Kangaroo finally agrees to take the Duck on a ride. In the moonlight, the Duck is seen sitting steady on the Kangaroo’s tail. They hop aound the world thrice. There is no one so happy as the Kangaroo and the Duck.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Theme

Though the poem The Duck and the Kangaroo seems to be nonsensical, there is a lesson to be learned. The Duck is disgruntled with his life and sees the Kangaroo’s life as being more exciting and adventurous. He entreats the Kangaroo for a ride. The Kangaroo objects only because the duck is sure to have cold feet. The Duck assures the Kangaroo that he has several pairs of warm socks, a cloak and a cigar which should keep the cold at bay. So, the Duck and the Kangaroo start their tour and go round the world thrice. The Duck and the Kangaroo are very different, but they resolve their differences by cooperating with each other.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Message

The main message of the poem The Duck and the Kangaroo is that you cannot enjoy your life if you are stuck in a boring routine. One should enjoy many adventures and try new things to get over the boredom of a fixed routine. The Duck is bored in his pond because he’s been there all his life. He wanted to go on an adventure “ to the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee” and he convinced the Kangaroo to take him along. The poem also teaches us that every problem that besets us, has a solution. Just as the Duck thought of a solution for his wet and cold feet that the Kangaroo was guarded about.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Tone

The tone of the poem is conversational as the Duck and the Kangaroo converse. The Duck very politely requests the Kangaroo for a ride on his back as he is bored of his nasty little pond. The Kangaroo, on his part, reflects upon the situation and courteously presents his doubts to the duck. In a very formal tone he asks for the duck’s permission to speak boldly and says that he has an objection to the duck riding his because the latter’s feet are wet and cold and would probably give him rheumatism. In a conciliatory tone, the Duck offers a solution – wearing a cloak, worsted socks and smoking a cigar. There is happiness and excitement in the tone as the two friends go to places they wished to see, and hop around the world thrice.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Setting

The setting of the poem is near a pond where the Duck lives. The pond could be in Australia, as kangaroos are found in Australia.

The Duck and the Kangaroo Literary Devices

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial letter (generally a consonant) or first sound of several words, marking the stressed syllables in a line of poetry.

Example: Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
“Good gracious! how you hop!

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.

Example: Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
“Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop! (visual imagery)
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-

Inversion

Inversion is a term used to refer to the inverting of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase. Writers will use inversion to maintain a particular meter or rhyme scheme in poetry, or to emphasize a specific word in prose.

Examples: (i) “Said the duck to the kangaroo”
ii) “As if you never would stop”.

Rhyme Scheme

Rhyme is a popular literary device in which the repetition of the same or similar sounds occurs in two or more words, e.g., covers and lovers. Rhyme occurs usually at the end of a line in a poem.

Imperfect Rhyme, also known as ‘partial’, ‘near’ or ‘slant rhyme’, occurs when a: poet deliberately changes the spelling or pronunciation of word so that it rhymes with the last word of another line in the stanza. Use of imperfect rhyme is fairly common in folk poetry.

Example: And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz!” said the Kangaroo.

Roo-matiz is slang for rheumatism. The word has ‘roo – matiz’ – this has been split into two parts for the sake of rhyme scheme, to rhyme with ‘Kangaroo’. The second part ‘matiz’ purely talks about the disease ‘rheumatism; and M is put capital because this is even the beginning of a line of a poem which must start with capital letter.

Rhyme scheme refers to the order in which particular words at the end of each line rhyme. The first end sound is represented as the letter “a”, the second is “b”, and so on. If the alternate words rhyme, it is an “a-b-a-b” rhyme scheme, which means “a” is the rhyme for the lines 1 and 3 and “b” is the rhyme affected in the lines 2 and 4.

Example : Said the Duck to the Kangaroo, A
“Good gracious! how you hop! B
Over the fields and the water too, A
As ifyou never would stop! B
My life is a bore in this nasty pond, C
And I long to go out in the world beyond! C
I wish I could hop like you!” D
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo. D
They rhyme scheme of the poem is — ABABCCDD

The Duck and the Kangaroo Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Where did the Duck live and what did he long for?
Answer:
The Duck lived in a pond which he considered nasty as he was bored of his life there. He wanted to leave that place and see the world beyond.

Question 2.
Where did the Duck want to go? What did he request the Kangaroo to do?
Answer:
The Duck wanted to see the world away from the pond he lived in. He thought that he would visit the ‘Dee’ and the ‘Jelly Bo Lee’. He requested the Kangaroo to let him ride on his back as he hopped away.

Question 3.
Why did the Duck want to take a ride on the Kangaroo’s back?
Answer:
The Duck felt bored with his life in the pond. So, he wanted to see the whole world. He wanted to travel to places like Dee and Jelly Bo Lee. But he did not have that capability. So he wanted to take the Kangaroo’s help as he could hop far and wide.

Question 4.
What did the Duck promise the Kangaroo?
Answer:
The Duck promised the Kangaroo that if he took him for a ride on his back, he would sit quietly the whole day and only say Quack.

Question 5.
How did the Kangaroo respond to the Duck’s request?
Answer:
The Kangaroo said that he would have to ponder over his request. He first objected to the Duck’s wet and cold feet because he feared they would give him rheumatism. Later, he agreed to his request. In fact, he thought that it might bring him good luck. So he accepted the Duck’s request to give him a ride on his back.

Question 6.
What did the Duck do to overcome the Kangaroo’s objection?
Answer:
The Duck bought four pairs of worsted socks which fit his web-feet neatly. Moreover he promised to wear a cloak and to smoke a cigar to keep out the cold. He did it to overcome the Kangaroo’s objection to his cold feet.

Question 7.
How did the Duck and the Kangaroo go round the world?
Answer:
The Duck sat at the end of the Kangaroo’s tail. He sat still and spoke nothing. The Kangaroo hopped and leapt. They went round the world three times. They enjoyed their journey and were very happy.

Question 8.
The Kangaroo does not want to catch ‘rheumatism’. Why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?
Answer:
The word ‘rheumatism’ is spelled differently and is in two parts so that it can rhyme with ‘kangaroo’ in the following line. As a result of splitting the word into two and changing its spelling, ‘roo’ rhymes with ‘kangaroo’. The second part ‘Matiz’ begins with a capital letter because it is the first word of the line. In a poem, every line begins with a capital letter even if it is in continuation with the previous line. Hence, this has been done in order to enhance the poetic effect of the lines.

Question 9.
What do you learn about the Duck from the poem?
Answer:
The Duck is adventurous. He is bored in his pond and wants to travel and see far-off places. He is considerate and promises not to disturb the Kangaroo with his chatter, but sit quietly on the Kangaroo’s back. He is resourceful, and when the Kangaroo objects to his wet and cold feet, he buys worsted socks and a cloak to keep warm. The Duck is envious of the Kangaroo’s ability to hop off and see the world.

Question 10.
What do you learn about the Kangaroo from the poem?
Answer:
The Kangaroo is a true friend. He agreed to take the Duck for a ride on his back, provided he did something about his cold and wet feet. He takes his friend around the world three times.

We have decided to create the most comprehensive English Summary that will help students with learning and understanding.

No Men are Foreign Summary in English by James Kirkup

No Men are Foreign by James Kirkup About the Poet

James Falconer Kirkup, (1918 -2009), was an extraordinarily prolific writer in many genres. Though perhaps best known as a poet, he was also an accomplished translator of verse, prose and drama, a fine travel writer, a dramatist and an autobiographer of distinction. Kirkup started writing simple verses and rhymes from the age of six and his first poetry book, The Drowned Sailor was published in 1947.

His published works include several dozen collections of poetry, six volumes of autobiography, over a hundred monographs of original work and translations and thousands of shorter pieces in journals and periodicals. His skilled writing of haiku and tanka is acknowledged internationally. His home town of South Shields now holds a growing collection of his works in the Central Library, and artefacts from his time in Japan are housed in the nearby Museum. His last volume of poetry was published during the summer of 2008 by Red Squirrel Press, and was launched at a special event at Central Library in South Shields.

No Men are Foreign Introduction to the Chapter

No. Men are Foreign can be described as a post-colonial poem which talks of globalisation and its resultant human unity worldwide. The poem was written in the late 1940s when World War II had come to an end, and dissidents were revolting against the oppressive rule of the colonial powers. The sense of racial superiority of the colonial powers was being rejected by the local citizens. Kirkup’s poem echoes these sentiments, and he wants his readers to celebrate these differences rather than be enslaved because of them.

No Men are Foreign Summary in English

In the poem No Men Are Foreign the poet tells us that no human beings are different. Beneath the superficial differences in appearance or behaviour, all human beings have similar feelings, emotions and reactions.

The poet begins by telling his readers that human beings are not different from each other simply on the basis that they hail from separate countries. Soldiers from one nation or the other may fight in the army of their nation, but underneath their different uniforms, they are all essentially similar. They live on the same earth and breathe the same air as their enemies and one day all of them shall be laid to rest in the same earth.

In these lines, the poet gives further evidence of the unity of man. He says that in times of war or peace, those who hail from countries other than our own also depend, like we do, on sun and air and water for their survival. Like us, they, too, have seen periods of peace and periods of war. In times of peace, they have experienced abundance and prosperity, just like us. Again, just like us, they have known shortage of food and famine during war. They have worked as hard as us and their hands show the lines of toil just as ours do.

The poet tells his readers to remember the fact that our enemies have eyes like ours and sleep and wake just like we do. We all have physical strength that can be won by force and the strength of the heart that can be won by love. All human beings use their inner strength to help their fellow beings and this strength is nurtured through love. Despite the differences between various nations, the common people live the same kind of life everywhere. Therefore, you can recognize the pattern of life no matter where you travel in this wide world.

The poet raises his voice against those groups that encourage us to wage wars against our brothers. The poet believes that we must all remember that whenever we are brainwashed and compelled to hate and kill our brothers, we only deceive, disown, betray and condemn ourselves; that this is a form of self-destruction. Any hatred that we may harbour for any member of the human race is a betrayal of the entire species and our condemnation of its future. If we kill people of any other nation, we are in fact endangering the human species as a whole and its survival on earth. He says that if we, the guardians of the earth, pick up arms against our brothers, and die as a result of the war, then there would no one left to take care of the home that our ancestors had passed down to us.

Comparing wartime with hell, the poet says that when war breaks out between two hostile nations, we pollute our mother earth to such an extent that we create a living hell of dust and fire that violates the purity of our surroundings including our thoughts and actions. In war as in hell, there is fire and smoke everywhere. As a result of this, the earth is becoming poisoned. The very air that we breathe is becoming impure and will not be able to sustain human life for much longer. That is why the poet encourages us not to wage war on our fellow men thinking they are foreigners and that their countries are unlike our own.

No Men are Foreign Theme

In No Men Are Foreign, James Kirkup reminds us that the man-made differences are baseless and they have caused endless wars and bloodshed. Divisions based on superficial differences are senseless since we all need the same basic resources for our survival. We are all descended from a common source and therefore, we must shun all violence and unite to make our lives better. Armies of the different countries wage war against their brothers.

They do not understand that there is an inherent similarity between all human beings. It is only in the times of peace and harmony that civilization progresses and people are content. In fact if a war is raging in a country then that country faces the threat of starvation since all sorts of production comes to a halt.

No Men are Foreign Tone

As we can see from the word ‘remember’ the poem begins on a didactic note which gives us the lesson that all humanity is alike in their heart and spirit. The poet wishes to show his readers the ultimate effect of hatred for fellow human beings to make them realize how bad it can affect them. He forcefully asserts that people of different countries are in no way different even though they wear different clothes and speak different languages. Emphatically stressing the futility of war, the poet points out that we only defile our own earth and pollute the very air we all breathe.

No Men are Foreign Message

The poem No Men Are Foreign gives a very important message. The poet tells us that some people have ceased to believe in the essential unity of man. They believe that a man hailing from a different country is to be hated and discriminated against. Such people are the ones who cause wars due to their false beliefs. The poet assures his readers that man is just the same everywhere. He experiences the same joys and sorrows and has been descended from the same ancestors. Therefore, he is justified in asking his readers to expel hatred for their fellow humans from their minds and hearts

No Men are Foreign Title

The poem No Men Are Foreign has an apt title. According to the poet we should not consider anyone as foreign or ‘strange’ as we are the children of the same God. The Earth is the common property of the mankind and we are the citizens of the world and not a particular country. We must give up narrow nationalism as humanity is the same all over the world and in harming anyone we are harming ourselves. The poet emphasises the futility of hating those who belong to other countries. When we wage war against others, we only defile our own earth.

No Men are Foreign Setting

The setting of this poem is the post-war modem society. Colonial powers had suppressed the others for centuries, creating the myth of white supremacy. Kirkup rejects racial superiority of the colonial powers and celebrates differences between people.

No Men are Foreign Literary Devices

Apostrophe is a poetic device where the speaker of the poem addresses a dead or absent person, an abstraction, or an inanimate object.

Example: In this poem, the poet uses the device of the apostrophe as he addresses all his advice directly to his readers.

Enjambment

Enjambment is when a sentence, phrase, or thought does not end with the line of poetry. Rather, it carries over to the next line.

Example: Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison between two concepts, tightened by the omission of any adjoining words.

Examples: In this poem, the poet uses metaphor in the line
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
as he compares his fellow human beings with his own brothers.
He again uses it in the line
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
when he compares war with winter since reduced resources are available at both those sides.
He also uses it in the line
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own
when he compares wars with hell.

Transferred Epithet

A description which refers to another character or event but is used to describe a different place or character.
In No Men Are Foreign the poet uses transferred epithet when he writes Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.

Here, the phrase “peaceful harvests” is a transferred epithet. It is not the harvests themselves that are peaceful, but peaceful social and political conditions that prevent a shortage of crops or famine and make harvests possible.

No Men are Foreign Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
What does the poet mean when he says “Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign”?
Answer:
The poet is making an impassioned plea telling readers to give up extreme nationalism and perceived differences between people belonging to different nations. We are brothers because we inhabit the same planet, drink the same water and breathe the same air, but we feel different and behave like enemies at times. The poet wants us to give up our misplaced patriotism and live in universal brotherhood.

Question 2.
How does the poet prove that there are no foreign countries?
Answer:
Everyone shares the same sun, earth and air. They have the same body structure and its functioning elements. So there should be no biased attitude towards anyone.

Question 3.
What is meant by uniforms? What is there beneath all uniforms?
Answer:
The word “uniform” refers to the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools. In this poem, the poet uses “uniforms” to mean both the uniforms worn by soldiers and the varied traditional dresses belonging to different cultures and civilisations of the world, or the different clothes that symbolise who the wearers are. Beneath all uniforms lies the same human body.

Question 4.
Bring out the irony in the use of the word “uniform”?
Answer:
Uniform implies a dress, costume or identification code that is similar to a group or organisation. Uniforms are necessary especially during war in order to differentiate between and identify soldiers on different sides who would otherwise appear to be same. But uniforms give rise to differences. Because every nation has a uniform, the world remains divided rather than united.

Question 5.
How are all the people of the world brothers?
Answer:
All human beings are similar in structure as we are all flesh and blood. We walk on the same land as long as we are alive and will be buried in the same earth when we die. We also use the same sun, air and water.

Question 6.
How can we be one people though we belong to different nations?
Answer:
Even if we belong to different nations, we can be one people because we all have the same body and we live and die on the same planet. All of us enjoy the same sun, air and water.

Question 7.
What are peaceful harvests? What do the peaceful harvests symbolise?
Answer:
Peaceful harvests are the bountiful crops grown during times of peace. They are said to be peaceful because they can be nurtured only during times of peace. They symbolise happiness and prosperity.

Question 8.
What does the poet mean when he says “by war’s long winter starv’d”?
Answer:
If a war is raging in a country then that country faces the threat of starvation since all agricultural production comes to a halt. Just as there are no crops in winter, war renders a land barren. That is why there is a shortage of food in winters and in times of war, too, there is deprivation and famine. People starve to death. Thus, starvation is associated with war and with winter.

Question 9.
What do you understand by “Their hands are ours”? What are their lines? How can we conclude that their labour is same as ours?
Answer:
Their hands are ours means that people living in other countries have hands just like ours which toil hard to earn a living. Their lines mean the lines on their face and body which are just like ours. Hence, we can conclude that though they belong to another land, they have worked hard throughout their lives, just like us.

Question 10.
The poet says that men from other countries have the same basic requirements as us. Elaborate.
Answer:
The poet says that men from other countries have the same requirements as his own countrymen by saying that they enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water. Not only this, they also work hard to earn a living. They too eat when their harvest is plentiful during times of peace and starve during war.

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree Summary in English by William Butler Yeats

The Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats About the Poet

Noted poet and playwright William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Yeats was bom in Dublin, Ireland and received an education in both Dublin and London. Throughout his career, he was deeply invested in helping Ireland reclaim a literary culture of its own, free from English influence. When Yeats wrote ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ in 1888, his journey into poetry had just begun. Yeats writes about the natural beauty of Ireland. In December 1923, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, for his always inspiring poetry, which is a highly artistic and gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.

Yeats is generally considered as one of the twentieth century’s key English poets. He was a symbolic poet because he used allusive imagery and symbolic structures throughout his career. Yeats chose words carefully and assembled them brilliantly in his poetry. In addition to a particular meaning, they suggest other abstract thoughts that seem more significant.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Introduction to the Chapter

The Isle of Innisfree is an uninhabited island within Lough Gill, in County Sligo, Ireland, where Yeats spent his summers as a child. Yeats describes the inspiration for the poem coming from a “sudden” memory of his childhood while walking down Fleet Street in London in 1888. He writes, “I had still the ambition, formed in Sligo in my teens, of living in imitation of Thoreau on Innisfree, a little island in Lough Gill, and when walking through Fleet Street very homesick I heard a little tinkle of water and saw a fountain in a shop-window which balanced a little ball upon its jet, and began to remember lake water. From the sudden remembrance came my poem “Innisfree,” my first lyric with anything in its rhythm of my own music.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Summary in English

The Lake Isle of Innisfree expresses the idea that nature is essentially restorative, a place to which human beings can go to escape the chaos and corrupting influences of civilization. The poet dreams of escaping from the busy streets of London. He remembers Innisfree, as a perfect little island that fulfilled all his needs.

The poem opens very formally with the words ‘T will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.” It has been pointed out that these words echo those of the prodigal son in the Bible when he says, ‘T will arise and go to my father.” These Biblical overtones reinforce the idea of Innisfree being an almost holy place and bring to mind the prodigal son’s sense of relief when he resolved to leave his chaotic, unhappy life and return to his childhood home—a place of serenity and simplicity. The poet goes on to describe the life he will lead on the island. At Innisfree he will build a small cabin “of clay and wattles made”.

There, he will be completely self-sufficient as he will plant nine bean-rows and build a beehive and live alone in the glade loud with the sound of bees. The poet’s vision is of a romantic, idyllic, timeless way of life. Yeats imagines living in peace and solitude; where the only sounds will be those of nature.

Yeats becomes so involved with the idea of this peaceful paradise that the future tense is abandoned and he uses the present tense instead. It is almost as if, by thinking and writing about Innisfree, he imagines himself there at that moment. He tells us that he will have peace there. In the morning, the mist is like veils thrown over the lake; at noon, the purple heather blazes under the sun; the evening is full of the whirr of the linnet’s wings and at night, the stars fill the sky.

The vision of the peaceful place is so powerful that Yeats once again asserts, ‘T will arise and go”. The solemnity is reinforced and emphasised by this repetition, as is the strength of his longing. He declares again that he will arise and go to Innisfree, for always, night and day, he hears the lake water lapping “with low sounds by the shore”, While he stands in the city, “on the roadway, or on the pavements grey”, he hears the sound within himself. The colourless grey of the pavements seems dreary and depressing and we can empathise with Yeats’ yearning for the Lake Isle of Innisfree, a yearning he feels in ‘’the deep heart’s core.”

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Message

The Lake Isle of Innisfree expresses a familiar desire in the modem world: to escape, to achieve peace and solitude, to be at one with nature. Although Yeats says almost nothing in the poem about what he would like to escape from, but his reader can easily imagine the stressful conditions of modem, especially urban, life in a hectic city. It also expresses the idea that nature provides an inherently restorative place to which human beings can go for succour. The speaker feels as if that is where he/she belongs and that is where he/she can find his/her hue self, since the speaker states, “I hear it in the deep heart’s core”, showing how the speaker feels a deep connection with the island of Innisfree and its nature.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Title

The poem has an apt title. The Lake Isle of Innisfree is an actual place, an island in Lough Gill off the coast of Ireland in County Sligo. To the poet, living as he is in London, the title gives us a hint of what’s to come. It prepares us for the dreamy, picturesque place that the speaker describes away from the hubbub and the “grey” concrete of the city. It brings up an image of pastoral beauty which stands in direct contrast to “the roadway” and “the pavements grey” referred to in the last stanza.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Setting

Though the poet is in London on a grey street, “ While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey” we spend most of the poem dreaming about the ideal country setting, Innisfree. The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a perfect little island that would supply all the poet’s needs. This poem explores his longing for the peace and tranquillity of Innisfree where he spent a lot of time as a boy.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Theme

The main theme of The Lake Isle of Innisfree is the harmony between man and nature. Though the speaker lives in the city, he/she longs for a simpler life in Innisfree where he/she can engage with nature and its beauty. Yeats wishes to leave the hectic city life of London and escape to Innisfree, a perfect little island off the coast of Ireland. He longs for the peace and tranquility of the place where he spent a lot of time as a boy. Here, the poet implies that there is no peace in London.

The poet describes Innisfree as a simple, natural environment where he will build a cabin and live alone on beans and honey which he will cultivate himself. He imagines finding harmony on the island. He dreams of living in a delightful climate there and listening to the songbirds at dusk. As a child Yeats spent his holidays in the County Sligo, where Innisfree is located. So, in a way, the poet is also wishing to return to the carefree days of his childhood.

The speaker, who lives in London, is fed up of the hubbub of the congested city. He longs for the solitude of an isolated island where the only company he desires is that of the bees and the birds.

The poem also expresses the poet’s longing to go back to nature and live a self-sufficient life. The poet thinks he can get closer to his roots, or his true self, by abandoning the chaotic, hectic life of the city and embracing a life in the lap of nature. Peace is a natural outcome of living in harmony with nature.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Tone

The poet’s tone is yearning, as he longs for the serene beauty of Sligo amidst the chaos and traffic of London. As he imagines the life he will lead at Innisfree, his longing for the life increases. Despite his longing to escape to the lap of nature, the tone poet’s is peaceful, thoughtful, expectant and harmonious in keeping with the poem’s theme. The poem ends on a note of determination as he decides to leave London and go to Innisfree.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Literary Devices

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial letter (generally a consonant) or first sound of several words, marking the stressed syllables in a line of poetry.

Example: A hive for the honey-bee
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds

Allusion

An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication.

Example: The poem opens very formally with the words ‘’I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.” It has been pointed out that these words echo those of the prodigal son in the Bible when he says, ‘’I will arise and go to my father.”

Imagery

Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.

Examples: And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, (visual imagery)
And live alone in the bee-loud glade, (sound imagery)
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; (sound imagery)
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, (visual imagery)
And evenings full of the linnet’s wings, (sound imagery)
I hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; (sound imagery)
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, (visual imagery)
I hear it in the deep heart’s core, (sound imagery)

Metaphor

A metaphor is a comparison between two concepts, tightened by the omission of any adjoining words.

Example: “Peace comes dropping slow / Dropping from the veils of the morning” (lines 5-6) in which the dropping of the mist in the sky is compared to the peace that overcomes the island.

The entire poem is an extended metaphor in which Innisfree represents an escape from reality.

Repetition

Poets often repeat words, phrases, lines, or stanzas to create a musical effect, to emphasize a point, to draw attention to a point, or to lend unity to a piece.

In The Lake Isle of Innisfree certain words, sounds and even stanzas are repeated in a poem which serve to stress certain ideas, pictures / images, sounds or moods,

Example: I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, (Line 1)
I will arise and go now, for always night and day (Line 9)

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings

Symbolism

A symbol is literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbol is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

Example: The poet uses Innisfree as a symbol. The Lake Isle of Innisfree is used to show that there is a place for everyone to find peace and quiet. It allows people to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. It also allows one to be stress-free and take time to appreciate nature. Innisfree is the symbol of inner peace and freedom.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the Lake Isle of Innisfree as seen through the eyes of the poet.
Answer:
The Lake Isle of Innisfree is an island that is incredibly peaceful. The island is also a place of great natural beauty. Yeats describes many different aspects of its appeal, from the various birds and insects to the striking light at different times of day. This is a landscape that has not been damaged or diminished by human interference.

Question 2.
Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet wants to go Innisfree in search of peace. He does not like London with its noise and grey pavements. He wants to live in a place which is the opposite of London; he craves for some peace and hence he wants to go to Innisfree where he will be self-sufficient. He will build a small cabin and grow beans and make his own honey by keeping honeybees. Instead of city noise, he will hear the buzzing of the bees and the sound of lake water lapping against the shore.

Question 3.
How is the city life different from the life at the Lake of Innisfree?
Answer:
City life according to the poet is routine and wearisome. The city is noisy, the pavements are dull and grey; there is chaos all around. But at Innisfree, he can escape the noise of the city and be lulled by the “lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.” On this small island, he can return to nature by growing beans and having bee hives, by enjoying the “purple glow” of noon, the sounds of birds’ wings, and, of course, the bees. He can even build a cabin and stay on the island.

Question 4.
What kind of life does the poet William Butler Yeats imagine in his poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”?
Answer:
Yeats imagines Innisfree as an idyllic place of peace and solitude. He imagines living in a “small cabin” of “clay and wattles” where he will support himself on beans he plants and honey from his bee hive, and he will “live alone in the bee-loud glade.” There is also a sense that the “peace” he will find there is connected to its natural beauty.

Question 5.
Write three things that the poet would like to do when he goes back to Innisfree.
Answer:
Innisfree is a perfect island that provides everything desired by the poet. The poet will build a small cabin of clay and fence. He will have nine rows of beans. He will also have a hive for the honeybees.

Question 6.
How will the poet live on the island of Innisfree ?
Answer:
The poet will go to Innisfree and live in the lap of nature in quiet solitude. He will build a small cabin there. He shall have nine rows of beans and a hive of bees. He will survive on the beans and the honey cultivated by himself.

Question 7.
Why does the speaker in the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” desire to spend his time alone in his cabin?
Answer:
The speaker longs for a quiet place where he can live in peace and in harmony with nature. He envisions a simple life in a cottage surrounded by a garden instead of the dull “pavement” of the city. In his mind, he hears the gentle “lapping” of the water against its shore, the bee loud glade instead of the noise of city traffic. And he will be self-sufficient, growing his own food.

Question 8.
‘And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.” Where will the poet have some peace ? How?
Answer:
The poet indicates that peace of mind can be slowly acquired in the lap of Nature. From the morning, when the mist is like a veil thrown over the lake, to the noon when the purple heather blazes finder the sun and the evening is Ml of the sound of the linnet’s wings and finally, at night, the glow of stars lighting up the sky, the poet will have peace.

Question 9.
How does the poet describe the lake’s waves?
Answer:
The poet says that the lake’s waves hit its shore and create a low sound. The sound, different from the sounds of the city, gives him great pleasure. He hears it in his heart and enjoys it. It also gives him solace and comfort as he realises he can visualise the island in his heart in the city.

Question 10.
How is the ‘roadway in London’ different from the Lake Isle of Innisfree?
Answer:
The roadway in London is dull and grey. But there is nature’s beauty all round in the isle of Innisfree. The poet finds himself surrounded by the beauty of nature and its sounds. He hears the sweet sound of the lake water lapping against the shore.