Lochinvar

Sir Walter Scott

II. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS :
A. Answer briefly the following questions.

1.Who was Lochinvar? Why did he ride to Netherby Hall?

Ans: Lochinvar was the young brave knight . He was in love with Ellen and she was getting married to another person so Lochinvar came to claim her.

2.What qualities of Lochinvar are highlighted in the first stanza?

Ans:Lochinvar came out of the west,through all the wide Border his steed was the best he came with out any weapons , he was faithful in love,and came, even at the last minute, to claim his beloved.

3.Lochinvar rode the horse passionately to meet Ellen. What actions in lines 7 and 8 reveal his hurried movements?

Ans: The line 7 reveal that he staid not for brake, and he stopped not for stone. He swam the Esk river where ford there was none.”

4.What qualities of the bridegroom are listed in stanza 2?

Ans:He was a ‘laggard in love,he couldn’t even express his love to Ellen, and was a ‘dastard in war’,

5.What evidence is there in stanza 3; to show that the bridegroom was a! coward?

Ans:Ellen father spoke to Lochinvar with swords in his hand the poor craven bridegroom did not say a single word.

6.How did the bride’s father receive Lochinvar? And what did he ask him?

Ans:Ellen father wanted to known whether Lochinvar came with weapon to make a war or peace in hall or to dance with bridal .

7.What answer did Lochinvar give the bride’s father?

Ans:Lochinvar asked Ellen’s father for permission to marry her, but he refused Still, for the sake of his old love for her; Lochinvar had come to dance the last dance with her and drink just one cup of wine with her.

8. What quality of love is highlighted by Lochinvar when he says,
   a. “Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide?”

Ans:Lochinvar wants to say that he had once loved Ellen, but her Ellen father denied permission to marry her, so he stopped loving her.

b. Does this truly reflect Lochinvar’s love for Ellen?

Ans:No. He hides his true love for her

c. If not, why does Lochinvar tell him what is not true?

Ans:The bride’s father is surrounded by his brothers, kinsmen and many other people. So Lochinvar doesn’t want to reveal his love and his intention at once. He understands he will. be attacked and killed. He wants to gain time till he has got the girl’ near himself and can give her his signal to escape.

9.What other lies does Lochinvar tell Ellen’s father?

Ans:Lochinvar tells that he came to drink one cup of wine, and dance one dance with her, for the sake of their old love together. He also says that there are many other, maidens in Scotland who are lovelier than Ellen and would gladly be his wife.

10.How did Ellen express her love towards Lochinvar?

Ans:Ellen kissed the goblet of wine which Lochinvar took up. After he had drunk the wine and thrown down the cup, she looked down to blush and looked up to sight with a smile on her lips, and a tear in her eye.

11. What was the impression of the bride-maidens about the pair- Lochinvar and Ellen?

Ans:Seeing Lochinvar and Ellen dance together very gracefully, the bride-maidens whispered that it would have been immensely better if their fair cousin had-been matched with young Lochinvar.

12.What mixed feelings are brought out in stanza 5?

Ans: Seeing Lochinvar Ellen is happy and is glad that he hasn’t forgotten her,’ but on the other hand she is also sad that she has to many someones else.

13.What clues of his plan does Lochinvar give Ellen?

Ans:Lochinvar touched Ellen’s hand and whispered one word in her ear, signaling her to be ready to escape.

14. a. What brings a smile on Ellen’s face?
    b. Why does she shed a tear?

Ans:a)Seeing Lochinvar about whom she had given up all hopes, brings a smile on Ellen’s face.

b)She regrets having to marry someone else.

15.Pick out all the adjectives that describe Lochinvar.

Ans:The adjectives describing Lochinvar are: young, unarm’d, faithful in love, daring in love, dauntless in war, stately form, brave, gallant.

B. Close Study :
Read the following extracts carefully. Discuss in pairs and then
answer the questions given below them.

1. Love swells like the Solway but ebbs like its tide.
   a. What is Solway?

Ans: Solway is a river that separates England from Scotland.

b. Who does Lochinvar speak this line to?

Ans:Lochinvar speaks these lines to Ellen’s father, the man who had turned down his love for her.

c. What is the figure of speech used here?

Ans:Personification

d. Explain the figure of speech.

Ans:Lochinvar’s love for Ellen had been great like the swelling waters of the river Solway, but after getting to “know about her marriage to another person, it had ebbed, i.e., completely died out.

2. Then spoke the bride’s father, his hand on his sword(For the poor craven bridegroom, said never a word).
   a. What did the bride’s father speak?

Ans:The bride’s father had refused Ellen to marry Lochinvar . Hence, when he saw him at the marriage hall, he wanted to know why he had come. Moreover, the bridegroom was a timid man who did not dare to question Lochinvar.

b. Why did he keep his hand on his sword?

Ans:If Lochinvar had said that he had come to take away the bride, the bride’s father wanted to kill him.

c. Why didn’t the bridegroom say even a word?

Ans:Because He was too afraid to speak to Lochinvar.

III. PARAGRAPH WRITING:
Discuss in pairs/groups of four each the answers to the following
questions. Note down the important points for each question and
then develop the points into one-paragraph answers.

1. Pick out all the details from the poem which help Lochinvar to hide his real intentions.

Ans:He came unarmed, except for his broadsword.He came all alone.Everyone believes him when he says that he no longer loves Ellen.The bride remains silent, only blushing and sighing.She dances with him readily.He told him that his love which had swollen like the waters of the Solway had now receded, that he was no longer in love with Ellen. His intention in visiting the Netherby Hall was only to dance at her wedding and drink a cup of wine to toast to her happiness. He reassured the father that there were brides far more beautiful than Ellen in Scotland who would gladly be his wife.

2.How did Lochinvar finally win Ellen for himself?

Ans:Ellen kisses the goblet of wine that Lochinvar has to drink from.She blushes and sighs: there is a smile and also a tear in her eye, signaling to Lochinvar that all is not yet lost for him.When he signals her to be ready to sit on the horse to escape, she cooperates with him.

3. “Only the brave deserve the fair.” Justify the statement with reference to the poem.

Ans:Lochinvar and Ellen had been in love with each other for a long time.Lochinvar had asked Ellen’s father for permission to marry her but had been denied.Lochinvar tells a number of lies in order to gain time and understand Ellen’s feelings.After he realizes that her feelings lie with him, in a very deceptive manner, he dances with her and takes her away on his horse.The other person did not offer any resistance and stood timidly watching Lochinvar dancing with Ellen.