Read the following poem carefully and answer the following questions.
When will the bell ring, and end this weariness?
How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart,
My pack of unruly hounds! I cannot start
Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt,
I can haul them and urge them no more.
…….
I will not waste my soul and my strength for this.
What do I care for all that they do amiss!
What is the point of this teaching of mine, and of this
Learning of theirs? It all goes down the same abyss.
What does it matter to me, if they can write
A description of a dog, or if they can’t?
What is the point? To us both, it is all my aunt!
And yet I’m supposed to care, with all my might.
I do not, and will not; they won’t and they don’t; and that’s all!
I shall keep my strength for myself; they can keep theirs as well.
Why should we beat our heads against the wall
Of each other? I shall sit and wait for the bell.
1a What do you think is the poet’s profession? 1
1b Who is he talking about? 1
1c Pick the words which describe the attitude of the poet: 3
irritable contemplative bored
frustrated inflexible defiant
Say why you have picked these words:
1d Why do you think the poet has this attitude? 2
1e What does the poet mean by the following lines “I cannot start…no more.” 2
1f Which is the main metaphor in the poem? 1
2 Match the words (from the poem) in the left-hand column with the definitions on the right. There is
one extra word. 10
Pack Dogs used for hunting
Amiss Pull with sharp, powerful movements
Haul Strength
Abyss Encourage
Unruly Search for
Might Wrong
Tug Lead used to control a dog
Urge Indisciplined
Leash Pull with effort
Hounds Very deep chasm
Group
Answers
This is a very popular poem written by D.H. Lawrence (England) written during 1910s or 1920s.
SUMMARY:
The poem rhymes very well. It expresses the irritation, boredom, sadness, defiance, disappointment, stubbornness and anguish of a teacher with his students. The teacher has experienced some difficulty with the students in his class and is debating in his mind what he should do. The students do not listen to him or his advice or his teaching method. They resist his teaching and probably make fun of him too. Apparently it is not an interesting subject.
The teacher just wants to wait for the ringing of the hour bell that ends the class period. He is already weary of telling, explaining and reasoning with the students during a significant part of the period. The students are compared with ferocious and non-complying hounds. They do not want to follow the teacher.
The teacher realizes that he cannot put them on the right path. The students hate the (unpleasant) lesson and the knowledge he tries to teach. He is tired of trying to put them on the right path. He is exhausted and so resigns himself on that task. He wants to call it a day.
The students do not do their assignments and homework properly. They do unwillingly. They spoil their books (and notes) too. They write crazy answers which are not legible. The teacher feels it all as an insult as well as a punishment. The students are indifferent and uninterested. He thinks that students are ignorant of what they are missing by not following him. So he tried his best to teach as well as get work done by them. But he cannot try any more. He wants to save himself from wasting his energy and keep cool and silent till the bell rings.
=================Answers:
a. Teacher
b. He talks about his situation in a classroom during a teaching (assignment working, project) period.
c. frustrated, contemplative.
He is thinking, so contemplative.
He is annoyed a lot with the students, so frustrated.
d. He tried his best to teach good ways to students. Students are not listening and following. He is finally tired of trying. So this attitude.
e. Please read the explanation/summary I gave above.
f. students/children are compared with unruly hounds.
tugging leash - resisting the teacher's methods, lessons.
========
Match the following:
Dogs used for hunting Hounds
Abyss Very deep chasm
Unruly Indisciplined
Encourage Urge
Leash Lead used to control a dog
Tug Pull with sharp, powerful movements
Haul Pull with effort
Pack Group
Might Strength
Amiss wrong