English Summary

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

The Dear Departed Summary in English by Stanley Houghton

The Dear Departed Summary in English

In the play The Dear Departed, Stanley Houghton satirises the degradation of moral values in the British middle-class.

In trying to grab the things belonging to grandfather, the children completely disregard modesty, decency and filial obligation. The materialistic attitudes of Mrs Slater and Mrs Jordan come in for bitter criticism. This story is about a middle-class family in a provincial town. Grandfather Abel Merryweather is presumed to be dead and his daughters Amelia Slater and Elizabeth Jordan try to grab his belongings.

The curtain opens to reveal that Abel Merryweather, father of Mrs Amelia Slater and Mrs Elizabeth Jordan has apparently passed away. Abel Merryweather has been staying with Mrs Slater for the past three years. Mrs Slater has informed her sister about his demise. We learn that the two sisters are estranged. However, she is expected shortly due to the father’s demise. We also learn that Abel Merryweather is a drunkard, who spends a fair amount of time at the nearby pub, Ring- o’-Bells, run by a widow, Mrs John Shorrocks. That day, too, he had returned drunk from the pub and fallen into bed in a daze. A while later when Amelia took some dinner up for him, she found he had ‘gone’.

The Slaters, Amelia, her husband Henry and daughter Victoria, are making arrangements for the arrival of the Jordans. They dress partly in mourning as they do not have mourning clothes and will acquire them soon. Before the Jordans arrive, Mrs Slater takes hold of her father’s new slippers, his new bureau and clock.

Mrs Jordan arrives with her husband, Ben. Both are dressed in new mourning clothes. Ironically, while both the families make a show of grief, the two sisters are more interested in their inheritance. Elizabeth wants to make a list of her father’s belongings. She wants his gold watch and she claims her father had promised it to her son, Jimmy. They then begin quarrelling over their father’s belongings. They are worried about the payment of their father’s insurance premium. When Victoria tells them Abel Merry weather had not paid the premium, the two ladies, Amelia and Elizabeth, express their anger at their father’s irresponsibility.

And then Abel Merry weather, who had had a little too much to drink and was in a drunken stupor, comes round. The family is surprised to see him. He, in turn, is surprised to see them in mourning. They try to hide the fact by saying that Ben has lost his elder brother. But the truth soon comes out and Abel is upset by his daughters’ shameful behaviour. He announces he is going to make a new will leaving all that he has to the person he is staying with at the time of his death. Each sister tries to convince him to live with her. A quarrel ensues where the two reveal secrets about each other. Their earlier fights have been over keeping the old man as neither had wanted him with her.

Disgusted with their behaviour, Abel announces that he is getting married to Mrs John Shorrocks, the owner of the Ring- o’-Bells and moving in with her as she wouldn’t find looking after him a burden. So saying, he leaves the house. The daughters who had their eyes on the inheritance are taught a lesson in filial duty.

The Dear Departed Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Given below are the main incidents in the play. They are in a jumbled order. Arrange them in the sequence in which they occur in the play.
(3) Mrs Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
(2) Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
(6) Henry wears the new slippers of grandfather’s.
(4) The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
(11) The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather’s ‘demise’ from the Slaters.
(10) They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
(1) Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
(5) The family sits down to have tea.
(9) Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
(7) Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
(8) Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
Answer:
Mrs Slater is dressed in black, but is not in complete mourning. She has got her husband to wear a black tailcoat, grey trousers, a black tie and a bowler hat. Victoria, her daughter, is wearing a white frock with a black sash. She feels she will outshine the Jordans as Ben and Elizabeth will not have thought about mourning yet, so they will outshine them there.

2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer:
Mrs Slater has always wanted to have the bureau after grandfather died. She feels she can easily take it before her sister arrives as it has been bought recently and her sister doesn’t know of it. She says if she leaves it in grandfather’s room, her sister will drive a hard bargain over that. Henry feels it is not sensitive or becoming to do that.

3. What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters ’ attitude towards each other?
Answer:
The Jordans come late because they bought new mourning clothes and dressed up in them before reaching the Slaters’ residence. This shows that both the sisters were trying to get the better of each other all the time.

4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as ‘a fatal mistake ’? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater’s defense?
Answer:
Mrs Jordan calls not calling in a doctor to see grandfather ‘a fatal mistake’ as a doctor may have saved Abel Merryweather’s life. Presuming Abel Merryweather was dead and not getting a doctor turns out to be a mistake as he turned out to be alive. He realized his daughters were selfish and money-grubbing and he decides to change his will.

5. Ben appreciates grandfather saying ‘its ’ a good thing he did’. Later he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
Answer:
Ben praises Abel Merryweather when he thinks that the old man has paid his insurance premium that morning and they will inherit his insurance money. But when Victoria Slater tells them that grandfather had not gone to pay the insurance premium that morning but had gone with his friend to the Ring-o’-Bells for drinks, Ben is angry and calls him a drunken old beggar as the insurance policy may have lapsed and there may be no money for them.

6. What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
Answer:
Abel Merryweather said that he will change his will to say that his money and his bits of things would go to whomever he was living with when he died. His daughters at once began to fight as each wanted to keep him with . her, while earlier they had fought over not wanting to keep him.

7. What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next?
Answer:
On Monday next grandfather planned to do three things. He planned to go to the lawyer’s and alter his will leaving all he had to the person he was staying with, at the time of his death. He also planned to go to the insurance office and pay his premium. The third thing was to go to St. Philip’s Church and get married to Mrs John Shorrocks.

Question 3.
Answer the following in detail:

1. Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Answer:
The title ‘The Dear Departed’ refers to the death of a person who is loved but Abel Merryweather is neither dearly loved nor departed. The daughters do not mourn his death. They wanted to grab whatever they can (bureau, clock, gold watch, insurance premium), after his death. He is not dead but merely drunk.

2. How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Answer:
He hears about the spat between his daughters when he gets up. Elizabeth shows him the bureau and the clock grabbed by Amelia. Amelia talks about the gold watch supposedly promised to Jimmy. He realises the truth behind the fight. He knows that Amelia wanted to get rid of him two years ago and Elizabeth didn’t want him either.

3. Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from they play.
Answer:
She is greedy and wants to take some of grandfather’s things she likes before her sister arrives. She is straight talking, while Henry tells Victoria that grandfather had promised the bureau to them, she just tells Victoria to be quiet and not tell her aunt. She is rude and impolite to her sister and lacks feelings. She hurts grandfather by telling him that Elizabeth did not wish to keep him. Henry is sensitive and does not wish to take the slippers or the bureau. He has a weaker character and allows himself to be dominated by Amelia. He is evasive and hides from the ugly truth. He tells Victoria that grandfather had promised them the bureau.

Question 4.
Bring out the traits in Mrs. Slater’s personality quoting evidence from the play.
Answer:

Question 5.
Answer the following with reference to the context.

1. “Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes?”

(a) What does‘it’refer to here?
Answer:
It refers to the bureau belonging to Abel Merryweather

b. How does Vicky conclude that her parents are‘pinching it’?
Answer:
Vicky concludes her parents are pinching it because it belongs to grandfather and they are taking it without permission after his death.

c. Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action.
Answer:
Mrs. Slater says that she has always wanted it and if her sister Elizabeth were to see it, she would drive a hard bargain over it.

d. What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Vicky?
Answer:
The elders are out for what they can get while Victoria has more of a sense of what is right.

2. “I don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste. ”

a. Who makes this comment?
Answer:
Mrs Jordan makes this comment.

b. What prompts the speaker to say this?
Answer:
The speaker is prompted to say this when she sees Henry Slater wearing Abel Merryweather’s slippers.

c. Bring out the significance of this statement.
Answer:
The Slaters and Jordans have started dividing Abel Merryweather’s things amongst themselves as soon as they presume him to be dead. Herein lies the irony as both of the daughters are acting in the same greedy manner.

3. “Now, Amelia, you mustn ’t give way. We’ve all got to die some time or other. It might have been worse. ”

a. Who is the speaker of these lines?
Answer:
The speaker of these lines is Ben Jordan.

b. What prompts the speaker to say these words?
Answer:
Amelia is giving way to her grief at Abel Merryweather’s death. This prompts Ben to say these words.

c. What does he mean when he says ‘It might have been worse ’?
Answer:
Ben means that it could have been one of them who had died instead of Abel Merryweather.

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

Snake Summary in English by D.H. Lawrence

Snake Summary in English

The poem describes the encounter of the poet with a snake that came into his domain looking for water. On a hot day, a snake went to the poet’s water trough to quench its thirst. The poet who was also the owner of the water trough came for the same purpose in his pyjamas to avoid the heat. On seeing the snake, he feels obliged to stand and wait for the snake because it was there before it.

The yellow-brown snake, who originated from a fissure in the earth wall, slithered slowly to the edge of the stone trough. The snake rested its throat upon the stone bottom and started drinking softly.

The poet while watching the snake observed its mode of drinking and described it as that of cattle. This the snake did without noticing that anyone was watching him.

The poet recollected the voice of his education and realised that he must kill the snake, as golden snakes like this one were supposed to be poisonous. He ignored this instinct to kill the snake, feeling honoured that the snake had sought his hospitality.

The snake having drunk enough to satisfy his thirst turned around slowly and moved with its long curved body towards the direction of its origin. The snake moved in slowly into the hole without any fear. Suddenly, the poet looked around and put down his pitcher, picked up a stick and threw it at the snake. The snake hearing the clatter hastily moved in its remaining body back into the black hole.

At the disappearance of the snake, the poet regretted his action immediately and blamed himself for acting the way he did. He placed the blame on the voice of his education. He feared that he would have to pay for his negative action like the sailor that killed the albatross. The poet now wished the snake could come back, for him to crown it like a king, but believed it would never do so. The poet concluded by feeling that he has to make amends.

Snake Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Based on your reading of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options:

1. ‘he lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do ’ – The poet wants to convey that the snake
(a) is domesticated
(b) is innocent
(c) is as harmless as cattle
(d) drinks water just like cattle
Answer:
(d) drinks water just like cattle

2. ‘Sicilian July ’, ‘Etna smoking ’ and ‘burning bowels of the earth ’ are images that convey that
(a) there are snakes in volcanic areas
(b) the poet lived in a hot area
(c) it was a really hot day when the snake came
(d) Sicilian snakes are dangerous
Answer:
(c) it was a really hot day when the snake came

3. ‘A sort of horror, a sort of protest overcame me ’ – The poet is filled with protest because
(a) he doesn’t want to let the snake remain alive
(b) he fears the snake
(c) he doesn’t want the snake to recede into darkness
(d) he wants to kill it so that it doesn’t return
Answer:
(c) he doesn’t want the snake to recede into darkness

4. In the line ‘And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther ’ the phrase snake easing ’ his shoulders means
(a) loosening its shoulders
(b) slipping in with majestic grace
(c) moving slowly
(d) moving fast
Answer:
(b) slipping in with majestic grace

5. ‘He seemed to me like a king in exile… ’ The poet refers to the snake as such to emphasize that the snake
(a) is like a king enduring banishment
(b) Is like a king due to be crowned
(c) Is a majestic king who came for a while on earth
(d) is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man
Answer:
(a) is like a king enduring banishment

6. ‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act ’ -The poet is referring to
(a) the snake going into the dreadful hole
(b) the accursed modem education
(c) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake
(d) the act of killing the snake
Answer:
(c) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly:

a. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something ’for the snake.)
Answer:
The poet respected the snake and felt it to be an honoured guest and did not want to disturb it.

b. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?
Answer:
The snake appears to be a beautiful creature, majestic and with a grace of its own, based on the descriptions.

c. How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?
Answer:
The poet describes the day as being a very hot day in July in Sicily, with Mount Etna smoking in the background.

d. What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the ‘burning bowels of the earth ’?
Answer:
The poet means that even within the earth it was as hot as it was outside.

e. Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence? How do you know?
Answer:
The snake does not appear to acknowledge the poet’s presence as it was lazy and unhurried in its movements, with no fear of being harmed.

f. How do we know that the snake’s thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this.
Answer:
‘He drank enough’
‘And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,’
‘And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,’
‘Seeming to lick his lips’

g. The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake?
Answer:
The poet instinctively admires the majesty and beauty of the snake and does not want to disturb’d, but then his education and social awareness makes him regard it as a dangerous being which must be killed.

h. The poet is fdled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the ‘horrid black ’, ‘dreadful ’ hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.
Answer:
The poet does not want such a wonderful creature to go back into the dark earth and hide away, even though the snake was moving into the hole very slowly, yet he throws the stick and as a result the snake hurries into the hole.

i. The poet seems to be full of admiration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions.
Answer:
‘But even so, honoured still more’
‘That he should seek my hospitality’
‘And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,’
‘And slowly turned his head’
‘For he seemed to me again like a king,’
‘Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld’
‘And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords’

j. What is the difference between the snake’s movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference.
Answer:
In the beginning, the snake is moving slowly, the body is ‘slack’; he ‘trailed’ his body along. When he had drunk the water, he moved as if ‘thrice a dream’. This dreamy state was shattered by the poet who threw a log at the snake, making it move forward ‘in undignified haste’, and making it writhe Tike lightning’, swiftly entering the hole in the ground.

k. The poet experiences feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this?
Answer:
‘And immediately I regretted it.’
‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act’
‘I despised myself
The poet feels like this because he threw the stick and scared the snake away even though it had done nothing.

l. You have already read Coleridge’s poem The Ancient Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner. Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross?
Answer:
The poet alludes to it because like the Mariner who killed the albatross needlessly, here the poet scared away the snake needlessly. Also, he is scared that he might have to face similar troubles to pay for the sin of trying to harm the creature, like the Mariner.

m. ‘I have something to expiate ’—Explain.
Answer:
This means that the poet felt that he had committed a sin and needed to pay for it. He wanted to make amends for his thoughtless, petty act.

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

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Summary in English by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Summary in English

Coleridge introduces his story by describing an old grey-bearded sailor who approaches three young men headed for a wedding celebration and compels one of them, the groom’s next-of-kin, to hear his story. At first the intrusion is resented by the wedding guest, but the young man is transfixed by the Ancient Mariner’s ‘glittering eye’ and can do nothing but sit on a stone and listen to his strange tale. The story is remarkable indeed, and the listener soon falls captive to the suspense building up, responding at first with fear and then with horror as the tale unfolds.

There was a little apprehension among the ship’s crew as they sailed clear of the harbours, bound for the open sea. At this point, hearing the music of the bassoon drifting from the direction of the wedding, the wedding guest imagines that the bride has entered the hall, but he is still unable to tear himself away from the Mariner’s story.

Several days out at sea, a storm arose and the Mariner’s vessel was driven before the wind in a constant southerly direction, headed toward the South Pole. As it entered, the ‘land of ice, and of fearful sounds, where no living thing was to be seen,’ a feeling of foreboding came over the helpless crew, and so it was with great relief that the crew eventually greeted the sight of an albatross, a huge seabird, flying through the fog towards them. The Ancient Mariner tells his listener, ‘As if it had been a Christian soul/We hailed it in God’s name.’ As it flew around the ship, the ice cracked and split, and a wind from the south propelled the ship out of the frigid regions, into a foggy stretch of water.

The albatross followed behind it. Everyone took this bird as a good omen, and the bird followed the ship faithfully as it returned northward. At this point a pained look crosses the Mariner’s face, and the wedding guest asks him, ‘Why look’st thou so?’ The Mariner confesses that he had shot and killed the albatross with his crossbow and brought a curse down upon them all.

The south wind continued to propel them northward, but somehow the old sailor realised he had done ‘a hellish thing’ and retribution would soon follow, in the form of loneliness and spiritual anguish.

The crew at first berated their mate for killing the bird that had brought the change in the breeze.

But as the ship made its way out of the fog and mist and continued on, they decided that it must be the bird that had brought the mist. Perhaps their shipmate had rightfully killed it after all.

The vessel sailed on northward until it reached the equator, where the breeze ceased and the craft was becalmed. The wind pushed the ship into the silent sea where the sailors were stranded, the winds died down, and the ship was ‘As idle as a painted ship/Upon a painted ocean.’ The men had no water to drink, it looked as if the sea was rotting and slimy creatures crawled out of it and walked across the surface.

The water looked green, blue, and white and creatures giving out light jumped in and out of the water, around the ship, creating an eerie atmosphere.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Answer the following by choosing the right option from those given below:

a. The Ancient Mariner stopped one of the three wedding guests because
(i) he wanted to attend the wedding with him
(ii) he wanted him to sit with him
(iii) he wanted him to listen to his story
(iv) he wanted to stop him from going to the wedding
Answer:
(iii) he wanted him to listen to his story

b. The wedding guest remarked that he was ‘next of kin ’ which means that
(i) he was a close relation of the bridegroom
(ii) he was a close relation of the bride
(iii) he was next in line to get married
(iv) he had to stand next to the bridegroom during the wedding
Answer:
(i) he was a close relation of the bridegroom

c. ‘He cannot choose but hear ’ means
(i) the mariner was forced to hear the story of the wedding guest
(ii) the wedding guest was forced to hear the story of the mariner
(iii) the mariner had the choice of not listening to the story of the wedding guest
(iv) the wedding guest had the choice of not listening to the story of the mariner
Answer:
(ii) the wedding guest was forced to hear the story of the mariner

d. ‘The sun came up upon the left, /Out of the sea came he; ‘This line tells us that the ship’
(i) was moving in the northern direction
(ii) was moving eastwards
(iii) was moving in the western direction
(iv) was moving towards the south
Answer:
(iv) was moving towards the south

e. The Wedding-Guest beat his breast because
(i) he could hear the sound of the bassoon
(ii) he was forced to listen to the Mariner’s tale when he wanted to attend the wedding
(iii) the sound of the bassoon meant that the bride had arrived and the wedding ceremony was about to begin and he could not attend it.
(iv) the sound of the bassoon announced the arrival of the bride and the start of the wedding ceremony
Answer:
the sound of the bassoon announced the arrival of the bride and the start of the wedding ceremony

f. The storm blast has been described as being tyrannous because
(i) it was so fierce that it frightened the sailors
(ii) it took complete control of the ship
(iii) the storm was very powerful
(iv) the sailors were at its mercy
Answer:
(iii) the storm was very powerful

g. The sailors felt depressed on reaching the land of mist and snow because
(i) there was no sign of any living creature
(ii) they felt they would die in that cold weather
(iii) they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life
(iv) everything was grey in colour and they felt very cold
Answer:
(iii) they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life

h. The sailors were happy to see the albatross because
(i) it was the first sign of life and therefore gave them hope that they might survive
(ii) it split the icebergs around the ship and helped the ship move forward.
(iii) it was a messenger from God and it lifted the fog and mist.
(iv) it gave them hope of survival by splitting the icebergs.
Answer:
(iii) it was a messenger from God and it lifted the fog and mist

i. The two things that happened after the arrival of the albatross were
(i) the icebergs split and the albatross became friendly with the sailors
(ii) the icebergs split and a strong breeze started blowing
(iii) the ship was pushed out of the land of mist and the ice melted.
(iv) the albatross started playing with the mariners and ate the food they offered.
Answer:
(i) the icebergs split and the albatross became friendly with the sailors

j. ‘It perched for vespers nine ’ means
(i) the ship stopped sailing at nine o ’clock every day
(ii) the albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday.
(iii) the albatross would sit on the sail or the mast everyday
(iv) the albatross was a holy creature
Answer:
(ii) the albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday.

k. ‘God save thee, ancient Mariner,/From the fiends that plague thee thus!- Why look’st thou so? ’ means
(i) the mariner wanted to know why the wedding guest was looking so tormented
(ii) the wedding guest wanted to know why the mariner was looking so tormented
(iii) the wedding guest wanted to know whether some creatures were troubling the ancient mariner
(iv) the ancient mariner wanted to know whether something was troubling the wedding guest
Answer:
(ii) the wedding guest wanted to know why the mariner was looking so tormented

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly

a. How did the ancient mariner stop the wedding guest?
Answer:
The Ancient Mariner first held him with his skinny hand but once the Wedding Guest told him to ‘unhand’ him, he held him mesmerised with his ‘glittering eye’. ‘

b. Was the wedding guest happy to be stopped? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The Wedding Guest was not happy to be stopped. He was next of kin of the bridegroom and wanted to attend the wedding.

c. Describe the ancient mariner.
Answer:
The Ancient Mariner was old and thin. His beard was grey. His eyes were shining and could mesmerise a person.

d. How does the mariner describe the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land?
Answer:
The Mariner says that one clear and bright day, they set sail. The ship left the harbour and sailed past the church, the hill and the lighthouse.

e. What kind of weather did the sailors enjoy at the beginning of their journey? How has it been expressed in the poem?
Answer:
The Mariner says that at first, they sailed South out into a sunny and cheerful sea which means that the weather was good. As they sailed South towards the Equator, the sun was directly overhead.

f. How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow?
Answer:
When the mariners were several days out at sea, however, a terrible storm arose and the vessel was driven by the wind in a constant southerly direction, headed toward the South Pole.

g. How does the mariner express the fact that the ship was completely surrounded by icebergs?
Answer:
‘The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, Like noises in a swound!’

h. How do we know that the albatross was not afraid of the humans? Why did the sailors hail it in God’s name?
Answer:
It was with great relief that the crew eventually greeted the sight of an albatross, a huge seabird, flying through the fog toward them. The bird soon became a familiar sight and came to the sailors call. The sailors revered it as a sign of good luck, as though it were a ‘Christian soul’ sent by God to save them.

i. What was the terrible deed done by the Mariner? Why do you think he did it?
Answer:
The Ancient Mariner shot the albatross with his crossbow. The Ancient Mariner killed the albatross for no reason.

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

Ozymandias Summary in English by P.B Shelley

Ozymandias Summary in English

‘Ozymandias’ by P. B. Shelly is a sonnet describing the remnants of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses

II. The speaker describes a meeting with someone who has travelled to a place where ancient civilisations once existed. We know from the title that he is talking about Egypt. The traveller told the speaker a story about an old, fragmented statue in the middle of the desert. The statue is broken apart, but you can still make out the face of a person. The face looks stem and powerful, like a ruler. The sculptor did a good job at expressing the ruler’s personality and his disdain for others.

On the pedestal near the face, the traveller reads an inscription in which the ruler Ozymandias tells anyone who might happen to pass by, ‘Look around and see how mighty I am!’ But there is no other evidence of his strength in the vicinity of his giant, broken statue. There is just a lot of sand, as far as the eyes can see. The traveller ends his story.

The narrator recalls his encounter with ‘… a traveller from an antique land… ’. The word ‘Antique’ foreshadows future events in which the traveller depicts the ancient period of Ozymandias’ rale. The traveller describes the scene of the rain in lines 2-3. ‘Two vast and trunkless legs of stone /Stand in the desert.’ While the statue’s ‘… half sunk … shattered visage’ lay nearby. This portrays a mood of forgotten decay. The traveller uses negative connotations to describe the statue of Ozymandias—trankless, sunk and shattered to convey this mood. The narrator comments that this sculpture was once a symbol of pride and greatness, but now, it is no more than broken stone.

The narrator, then, goes on to describe the features of the statue’s face whose ‘frown and wrinkled lips… ’ give the impression that the subject was a cold, unforgiving man. The traveller compliments the sculptor on his fine work, ‘… its sculptor well those passions read… ’ The sculptor is commended for capturing the essence of Ozymandias’ personality in his work. The subject of the statue was a man, who sneered upon those weaker than him. Ironically, the sculptor’s hand ‘mocked’ him. However, his ‘passions’ have long become ‘lifeless’, and he himself, lies forgotten.

In the second line of the sextet, the traveller recalls the engraving on the statue. ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings/ Look on my work, ye Mighty, and despair!’ These two lines give the statue an identity and show the reader of the king’s pride. It is the climax of the poem, emphasised by the exclamation mark. He considers himself the ‘king of kings’. ‘Mighty’ begins with a capital M to give the impression that Ozymandias considers himself to be in the same rank as the Gods, he demands reverence from the Gods.

The last three lines of the poem communicate a melancholy tone, which contrasts sharply with the king’s speech previously. Ozymandias now stands amongst his work ‘boundless and bare/The lone and level sand There is irony in that Ozymandias felt that all shall ‘despair’ in face of his ‘work’ that has turned to dust. ‘Nothing more remains.’

Ozymandias Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

a. The poem is set in
(i) the wilderness
(ii) an ancient land
(iii) a palace
(iv) a desert
Answer:
(iv) a desert

b. The expression on the face of the statue is one of
(i) admiration
(ii) anger
(iii) despair
(iv) contempt
Answer:
(iv) contempt

c. This poem throws light on the ________ nature of Ozymandias.
(i) cruel
(ii) arrogant
(iii) boastful
(iv) aggressive
Answer:
(ii) arrogant

d. The sculptor was able to understand Ozymandias
(i) words
(ii) expression
(iii) feelings
(iv) ambition
Answer:
(iv) ambition

e. The tone of the poem is
(i) mocking
(ii) nostalgic
(iii) gloomy
(iv) gloating
Answer:
(i) mocking

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed. ” Whose hand and heart has the poet referred to in this line?
Answer:
On the face of the statue of Ozymandias there is an expression of contempt. Though the statue is broken, the expression of the king reminds the viewer of the King whose heart bred such emotions and the hand of the sculptor who carved the statue.

b. “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:” Why does Ozymandias refer to himself as King ofKings? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement.
Answer:
Ozymandias calls himself king of kings to show his power. These words show his arrogance and his contempt for others.

c. “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! ” Who is Ozymandias referring to when he speaks of ye Mighty? Why should they despair?
Answer:
The king refers to passersby through time who see the statue of the King. They should feel dejected because he is more powerful than even gods.

d. Bring out the irony in the poem.
Answer:
The irony in this is that all that remains of the mighty Ozymandias is this broken statue, and that this statue, which was intended to create fear, now only creates wonder because of its ruined condition. The inscription is a verbal irony, for the words are egotistical but are etched on a broken statue that no longer makes other rulers fear.

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

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary in English by William Shakespeare

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary in English

This sonnet is one of 154 sonnets written by William Shakespeare and reflects one of the major themes expressed in his sonnets. In this sonnet, Shakespeare writes that poetry is eternal and will immortalise the subject of the poem. The poet asserts that his portrait of the young man written in verse will outlive even marble, memorials of prince, which will inevitably become neglected.

In the first quatrain, the poet addresses the person whom his sonnet is dedicated to and says that his poetry will make the person survive through time. He feels that neither marble nor the gold-plated monuments of princes will outlive this powerful poetry. The subject of his sonnet will shine more brightly in these poems than those stones that crumble to dust, blackened by time. In this sonnet Shakespeare gives time a character in this case time is ‘sluttish’ suggesting that it’s dirty and careless.

Time cares for no individual, it is immoral and will pass. The people memorialised will eventually

be forgotten. The second quatrain demonstrates the poet’s declaration. The young man will be remembered despite the ruin of‘wasteful war’. When devastating war overturns statues, with its battles uprooting buildings, neither the god of war nor his quick-burning fires shall destroy this record. Despite death and ignorant enmity, the person’s name shall continue on.

The final quatrain contains the powerful image of the young man who will not only be remembered but also praised in the eyes of ‘all posterity’. All those generations to come, down to the weary end of time, will devote space to praising him. So until Judgement Day, when he is raised up, he will live in this poetry, and in the eyes of lovers who read this. His memory will survive till Doomsday.

The final couplet sums up the ideas that have been expressed in each quatrain. The young man will live in the poet’s verse until the Judgment day.

Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
On the basis of your understanding of Shakespeare’s sonnet, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

a. The rich and powerful got ornate monuments made in order to
(i) show off their wealth
(ii) display their power
(iii) show their artistic talent
(iv) be remembered till posterity
Answer:
(iv) be remembered till posterity

b. The poet addresses his sonnet to
(i) time
(ii) war
(iii) the person he loves
(iv) powerful rulers
Answer:
(iii) the person he loves

c. In the line ‘The living record of your memory living record refers to
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend
(ii) an existing statue of his friend
(iii) his friend who lives in the poet’s memory
(iv) the autobiography of the poet’s friend
Answer:
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend

d. The poet’s tone in the poem is
(i) despairing
(ii) optimistic
(iii) loving
(iv) admiring
Answer:
(iii) loving

e. The poem is set in
(i) the place where the poet meets his friend
(ii) a battlefield where Mars is fighting a battle
(iii) a city ravaged by war
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing
Answer:
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

a. Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
Answer:
Rich and powerful people get monuments erected in their memory so that people do not forget them. They want to live on in people’s memory. ‘

b. Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
Answer:
Monuments and statues are destroyed by time. They fall into ruin.

c. Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish?
Answer:
Time is ‘sluttish’ as it is careless. Time cares for no individual, it is immoral and will pass.

d. The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destroy his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed through these lines?
Answer:
The poet says that his poetry will survive the passage of time. This shows his arrogance and his pride in his own creation.