SORROW
‘There was a man, whom Sorrow named his friend,
And he, of his high comrade sorrow dreaming,
Went walking with slow steps along the gleaming
And humming sand, where windy surges wend;
And he called loudly to the stars to bend
From their pale thrones and comfort him, but they
Among themselves laugh on and sing away.’
Tim sea, hear my most piteous story
The sea swept on and cried her old cry still,
Rolling along in dreams from hill to hill.’
‘He, in a far off, gentle valley stopping,
Cried all his story to the dew drops glistening.
But nought they held for they are always listening.
The dewdrops, for the sound of their own dropping.
`The man sought once again the shore, and found a shell,
And though, I will my heavy story tell
Till my own words, re-echoing shall send
Their sadness through a hollow, pearly heart:
And my own tale again for me shall sing.
And my own whispering words be comforting,
And lo! my ancient burden may depart.
And then he sang softly nigh the pearly rim;
But the sad dweller by the sea-ways lone
Changed all he sang to inarticulate moan
Among her wildering whirls, forgetting him.
Questions:
1. Choose the correct option:
(a) The poem sends a message of truth which is …………
(i) personal (ii) related to man only
(iii) animals (iv) related to one and all
(b) The echo of the shell is lost in the roar of the ………….
(i) clouds (ii) river waves
(iii) sea waves (iv) falling rain
(c) The word ‘humming’ means :
(i) singing song (ii) producing a low sound
(iii) weeping (iv) sighing
(d) The word ‘dim’ is a/an…………..
(i) noun (ii) article
(iii) adjective (iv) verb
(e) An appropriate title of the poem is:
(i) Sea Shore. (ii) Sad Man
(iii) Sad Nature (iv) Indifference
(f) The word ‘nigh’ means:
(i) no (ii) near
(iii) far away (iv) not seen
2.Answer the questions briefly:
(a) To whom does the poet address his grief initially?
(b) What is the reaction of those on the pale thrones?
(c) Why did the dew drops not listen to the poet’s story?
(d) Where did the mango and what did he find?
(e) Who engulfed the song of the man?
(f) What is the theme of the poem?
Answers
(a) The poem sends a message of truth which is
(i) personal
(b) The echo of the shell is lost in the roar of the
(iii)sea waves
(c) The word ‘humming’ means :
(i)singing song
(d) The word ‘dim’ is a/an:
(iii) Adjective. Example — The dim light.
(iv) Adverb. Example — Dim the light.
(e) An appropriate title of the poem is:
(ii) Sad Man
(f) The word ‘nigh’ means: (ii) near
(a) Initially, the poet addresses his grief to the stars.
(b) When the poet shares his grief to those on the pale throne, they just laughed among themselves and sang away.
(c) The dew drops didn’t listen to the poet’s story because they have their own issues in listening to the sound of their own selves when they drop.
(d) The man once again sought the shore and he found a shell. He shared his grief with the shell and the shell echoed back the same.
(e) The sea engulfed the song of the man.
(f) The poem is the story of a depressed man. The man tries to express his grief in many ways to nature but nothing seems like caring for him for various reasons. The theme of the poem is that the world doesn’t care to understand one’s grief. We need to be strong enough to carry our own griefs and move forward in life.
Explanation:
1. a.iv
b.iii
c.ii
d.iii
e.iv
f.ii
2. a.shining star
b.they simply laughed away singing joyfully
c.they were busy listening to the sound of thier own drops
d.shell
e.the larger song of the sea engulfed the song of the man
f.theme of the poem is that their is universal- indefference to the individual suffering.
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