Exercise

Comprehension :

1. What are the characteristic features of a patriot?

Ans:A patriot is a man who loves his native land. His heart bums for his motherland, even if has been wandering all over the world.

2.What characterizes a person who is not patriotic?

Ans:The poet compares a person who is not patriotic to a man whose soul is dead. An unpatriotic person has never said to himself that “This is my own; my native land”. His heart has never burned within him while he is returning back to his homeland after wandering all over the world.

3.“For him no minstrel raptures swell”
a) Who does the word “him” refer to?

Ans:The word ‘him’ refers to the person who is not patriot.

b)Why is the poet unhappy with such a person?

Ans:The poet is unhappy with person who is not patriot because, despite his titles, power and wealth, an unpatriotic person is selfish and never thinks about his motherland. Such a person will never become famous despite his wealth. He will lead a worthless life and die, unwept, unhonour’d and unsung.

c.Explain “ ……………. no minstrel raptures swell.”

Ans:A poet can’t sing or praise a person who is not concerned towards his country or motherland.

4. “……………….. shall go down
   To the vile dust from whence he sprung
   Unwept, unhonoured and unsung”.
   a) Why does the poet say, he shall go down?

Ans:The person may have high rank of his title and he may have plenty of wealth but all will go to the vile dust.

5.Make a list of the rhyming words in the poem

Ans:a) bum’d – turn’d b) well – swell
c)dead – said d)pelf – self
e)renown – down f)sprung – unsung

6.Which line in the poem do you like the most? Why?

Ans:The first line of the poem ‘Breathes there the man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said, ‘ This is my own, my native land’ In this fine, a person who has not told himself “ tills is my own, my native land” He is like a dead person.

7.Who, according to you, is a patriot?

Ans:A patriot is the one who does something for the nation and is ready to die for the nation.