ENGLISH FIRST LANGUAGE
POEM: - SONNET 73
POEM: - SONNET 73
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
II. About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He was born on 26 April 1564 in Stratford- upon-Avon. His father was a successful local businessman and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and nicknamed the Bard of Avon. He wrote about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, of which the authorship of some is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
I. Question & Answers
1. a) Which of the following four seasons is the poet talking about in the first stanza?
a. spring
b. summer
c. autumn
d. winter
Ans: - (c) autumn
b) Which words in the stanza support your answer?
Ans: - (b) When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang'.
2. The four seasons correspond to the four stages of man's life — childhood, youth, old age, and death. Where does the poet imagine himself to be?
Ans: - Autumn (old age)
3. a) What is compared to "bare ruined choirs"?
b) What does the comparison mean?
Ans: - (a) The boughs on which birds used to sit.and sing.
(b) The comparison reveals that the boughs have become bare now, bereft of all leaves and birds that used to sing.
4. Through the image of late autumn, (in the first stanza) the poet convinces his friend that he is close to his death. What image does the poet use in the second stanza?
Ans: - 'Twilight of such day'.
5. Like seasons or stages of man's life, a day can also be divided into four stages:
a) morning
b) noon
c) evening
d) night. Where does the poet imagine himself to be in the second stanza?
Ans: - (c) evening.
6. What is referred to as "Death's second self"?
Ans: - Sleep
7. Identify the metaphors used by the poet to show the approach of death.
Ans: - 'Twilight', 'black night'.
8. Through the usage of the twilight, the poet repeats that he is approaching the night of his life. What image does he use in the next stanza?
Ans: - 'death-bed'.
9. As in the other images, the fire image of the third stanza also has four stages
a) fuel
b) flame
c) ember
d) ash. Which stage does the poet identify himself with?
Ans: - (c) ember
10. 1. What lies on the ashes of its youth?
2. What does death-bed mean here?
Ans: - 'the glowing of fire' in the poet, i.e., 'enthusiasm for life'.
2. ember, i.e., the still-remaining interest in life.
11. This in the couplet refers
a) back to the three quatrains
b) forward to the next two lines
c) to both
Ans: - (c) to both
12. When does love become more strong?
Ans: - Love becomes stronger when it is time to leave, to let go.
13. The poem is about the stage of life in which the poet imagines himself to be. What stage does he imagine himself to be in?
a. Comparing life to the seasons he identifies his present stage with season.
Answer: autumn
b. Comparing life to the day he identifies his present stage with a
Answer: twilight
c. Comparing life to the fire, he identifies his present stage with
Ans: - ember time of day.
Answer: autumn
b. Comparing life to the day he identifies his present stage with a
Answer: twilight
c. Comparing life to the fire, he identifies his present stage with
Ans: - ember time of day.
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