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
PLZ FRDS ANSWER ME
Answers
Answer:
Q.1 Answer. The poet has the attitude of not losing the opportunity of the lessons.
Q2.Answer.The poets means to say that he cannot start no more because he is been doing it for the last time.
Q3.Answer. the author uses metaphors such as tugged the leach and pack of unruly hounds to describe those naughty students. The metaphor tugged the leach probably meant that the children were defiant and did not pay attention to a single thing that the poor teacher was trying to say. The metaphor pack of unruly hounds was also used and this probably indicated that the children were very wild and violent, thus behaving like unruly hounds. Other than metaphor, the author also uses a very good pun in the first stanza such as quarry of knowledge. There are a few meanings to the word quarry and it could actually mean that an animal is being pursued by a hunter or a large place where stone or other materials are extracted.
In the second paragraph, the author uses the alliteration "of" in the second, third and fourth line. This probably means that the teacher could not bear anymore nonsense from the students and was sick and tired of the whole thing. The writer also uses the pun sick to describe the frustrated teacher. This could mean that the teacher was literally ill or just could not put up any longer.
In the third paragraph, the author again uses metaphors such as last dear fuel of life and kindle my will to a flame. The metaphor last dear fuel of life was probably written to show that the teacher had little strength and energy left to teach the student. The other metaphor kindle my will to a flame probably means to force herself to continue. The author also uses the pun "toll" in this stanza. Toll usually refers to a charge/tax but in the poem, the teacher refuses to bear anymore of the children’s' nonsense.