Short Questions and Answers of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Important Short Questions and Answers of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,Bankura University English Hons

 

Short Questions and Answers of Short Questions and Answers of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Important  Short Questions and Answers of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,Bankura University English Hons Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

Q.1. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.

What is meant by 'curfew'? Bring out the image here.

Ans. 'Curfew' means the evening bell.

The curfew is compared to the knell, and the parting day is compared to a dying man. Just as a knell (a bell rung after a death) marks the end of a life, the curfew signals the end of the day. It is a metaphor for the arrival of night.

Q.2. The lowing herd wind slowly over the lea.

What is meant by 'lowing herd'? Give the picture contained in the line.

Ans. 'Lowing herd' refers to a group of cattle, particularly cows, making a deep, low sound (mooing) as they move.

The poet paints a picture of cattle slowly making their way across a meadow (lea), creating a serene and pastoral scene, their slow movement and mooing sounds filling the air.

Q.3. The Plowman homeward plods his weary way.

What is meant by 'weary way' and 'plod'? What picture does it convey?

Ans. 'Weary way' is a transferred epithet, where the adjective 'weary' is applied to the path, but it refers to the plowman’s own tiredness. 'Plod' means to walk slowly and with effort.

This conveys the image of a tired plowman trudging home after a long, hard day’s work in the fields, struggling with exhaustion as he makes his way home.

Q.4. The 'moping owl' does to the moon complain.

What is meant by 'moping owl'? What does it complain to the moon?

Ans. 'Moping owl' refers to an owl that is melancholy or gloomy.

The owl complains to the moon because the moonlight disturbs its solitude, intruding upon the owl’s quiet, solitary existence.

Q.5. The rude forefathers of the hamlet.

What is meant by 'rude forefathers of the hamlet'? Where are they laid?

Ans. The 'rude forefathers of the hamlet' refers to the simple, humble ancestors of the villagers.

They are laid to rest in the churchyard, buried in narrow graves marked by a simple mound of earth.

Q.6. Why does the poet ask the ambitious and luxurious men not to mock the humble life of the poor villagers?

Ans. The poet asks ambitious and luxurious men not to look down on the humble life of the poor villagers because, in the face of death, all men are equal. No amount of wealth, power, or beauty can prevent the inevitability of death. Death is a great equalizer.

Q.7. How does the poet contrast the graves of the rich and those of the poor?

Ans. The poet contrasts the graves by saying that the poor are buried in simple graves in the churchyard, with no grand memorials. In contrast, the rich are buried in the church itself, with elaborate monuments and statues to commemorate their lives. Hymns and praises are sung for them in the church, highlighting the difference in social status.

Q.8. What does the poet mean by 'back to its mansion the fleeting breath'?

Ans. The poet refers to the fleeting breath as the departing life or soul of the person. 'Mansion' refers to the body, as it is the temporary home of the soul. The poet suggests that no matter how grand the memorials, the dead cannot return to life.

Q.9. Rich with the spoils of time.

What is the image suggested in 'spoils of time'?

Ans. 'Spoils of time' suggests a comparison between time and a plunderer. Just as a plunderer takes things from others to make himself rich, time, as it passes, collects knowledge and experience, enriching itself.

Q.10. 'Knowledge to their eyes her ample page'.

How is knowledge conceived here? What is meant by 'ample page'?

Ans. Knowledge is personified as a woman who has a broad, expansive page to offer.

'Ample page' refers to the vast amount of wisdom and information contained within books or written works, emphasizing the richness of knowledge.

Q.11. Chill Penury repressed their noble rage And froze the genial current of the soul.

What is meant by 'Penury'? Why is it called 'chill'? Whom did it affect?

Ans. 'Penury' means poverty. It is described as 'chill' because it is cold and stifling, much like the cold of winter.

Poverty affected the villagers, suppressing their ambitions, noble desires, and the natural flow of their creative spirit.

Q.12. How are some villagers conceived and compared?

Ans. Some of the dead villagers are imagined to have had great potential, like bright gems or rare flowers, but their potential remained unrealized due to poverty. They were like hidden gems at the bottom of the ocean, unseen and unappreciated by society.

Q.13. Who were Hampden, Cromwell, and Milton? How are they related to the villagers?

Ans. John Hampden was a member of Parliament who resisted King Charles I's illegal tax. Oliver Cromwell was a military leader who became the Lord Protector of England. John Milton was a famous poet.

Gray suggests that some of the villagers, if given the opportunity, might have been leaders like Hampden or Cromwell, or great poets like Milton, but their poverty prevented them from fulfilling their potential.

Q.14. Some Cromwell guiltless of country's blood.

What does Gray mean by this remark?

Ans. Gray implies that among the villagers, there might have been individuals with the potential to be a leader like Cromwell, but who would not have shed blood in a civil war to gain power. The villagers, despite their potential, never had the opportunity to rise to such positions.

Q.15. Their lot forbade.

Whose lot is referred to? What did their lot forbid?

Ans. The lot of the poor villagers is referred to.

Their lot forbade them from commanding power or wealth, from defying threats, or from living extravagant lives. It restricted their potential to achieve greatness in the worldly sense.

Q.16. Nor circumscribed alone would this Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined.

Whose virtues and crimes are referred to here? What are the virtues and crimes that were confined and why are they confined?

Ans. The virtues and crimes of the villagers are referred to here.

The poet suggests that while these villagers may have had virtues, like the potential for greatness, their circumstances confined them to simple, modest lives. Similarly, their crimes, if any, were also limited, as they never had the power or opportunity to commit crimes of great consequence.

Q.17. The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide.

What does the poet suggest in the line?

Ans. The poet suggests that ambitious, rich people often struggle with hiding the truth about themselves to maintain their status and power. This causes them internal pain. In contrast, the poor, with no such ambitions, do not suffer from such inner struggles.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q.1. Describe the evening scene in the 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'.

Ans. The evening draws near, with the curfew tolling the bell. The landscape is faintly lit as the lowing herd slowly makes its way home across the meadow. The plowman trudges wearily home, and the darkness deepens. The silence is broken only by the beetles humming and the tinkling of bells on the drowsy sheep. The owl, perched in the ivy-covered tower, complains to the moon about its disturbed solitude. This scene evokes a tranquil, somber atmosphere, where the peacefulness of nature contrasts with the underlying sense of mortality.

Q.2. Where do 'the rude forefathers of the hamlet' sleep? What was their life before their death?

Ans. The forefathers of the hamlet are buried in the churchyard, in simple graves beneath elm trees and yew branches. Their lives were humble, filled with simple pleasures like the morning breeze and the sounds of nature. They worked hard, tilled the fields, and led modest, contented lives. Upon their death, they were laid to rest in a place that reflects their simple, unpretentious existence.

Part-B 

Q.1. What is an elegy?

Ans. An elegy is a poem of lamentation, typically mourning the death of someone or reflecting on loss, mortality, and the sadness of human experiences. It expresses sorrow or regret for the deceased or a sad situation, often in a reflective and melancholic tone.

Q.2. What kind of an elegy is Gray's elegy?

Ans. Gray's elegy is a lament for the simple and poor villagers, highlighting their uncelebrated lives and untapped potential due to their social status. It conveys a melancholic tone, mourning the quiet lives and untold stories of these people, while also reflecting on the inevitability of death and the transient nature of life.

Q.3. 'Now fades the glimmering landscape.'

What landscape is suggested? What is meant by 'glimmering'?

Ans. The landscape suggested is the evening landscape, where the light is fading as the day transitions into night.

'Glimmering' refers to the faint, fading light of the evening, as the sun sets and the landscape becomes dimmer and less distinct.

Q.4. What disturbs the silence of the evening?

Ans. The silence of the evening is disturbed by the hum of the beetle as it flies in circles, and the tinkling sounds of the bells attached to the drowsy sheep as they make their way to the folds. These sounds break the otherwise still and peaceful atmosphere.

Q.5. What roused them from sleep when they were alive?

Ans. When the villagers were alive, they were roused from sleep by the fresh breeze of the morning, the twittering of the swallows, the crowing of the cock, and the sound of the hunter’s horn. These were the natural sounds and signals that marked the beginning of their day.

Q.6. How were they received at home when they returned from work?

Ans. When the villagers returned home from their work, they were warmly received. The fireplace was burning, the housewife was busy with her tasks, and the children eagerly ran to greet them, climbing their knees and kissing them. This picture represents a loving, homely atmosphere where family members found comfort after a hard day’s labor.

Q.7. What was the work of the villagers?

Ans. The work of the villagers included tilling the fields, planting crops, and working hard to produce harvests. They also drove cattle across the fields joyfully and performed tasks like cutting down trees, engaging in manual labor that sustained their lives and the community.

Q.8. What is meant by the short and simple annals of the poor?

Ans. The 'short and simple annals of the poor' refers to the unadorned, humble lives of the poor villagers. Their lives were simple, not filled with grand events or achievements, but were nonetheless meaningful. Their stories are brief and often unnoticed by society, yet they lived contentedly and in harmony with nature.

Q.9. What is the meaning of 'inevitable hour'? 'Awaits the inevitable hour'. What is the nominative of the verb 'awaits'?

Ans. The 'inevitable hour' refers to the moment of death, which comes for everyone, regardless of their status or wealth.

In the phrase 'awaits the inevitable hour,' the nominative subject of the verb 'awaits' is 'the boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,' which represents all that is grand or luxurious in life.

Q.10. What is the meaning of paths of glory?

Ans. The 'paths of glory' refer to the ways in which people pursue fame, success, and recognition. However, the poet implies that these paths ultimately lead to the same end—death. Glory and worldly success cannot prevent the inevitable death that awaits everyone.

Q.11. Indicate personifications used in the stanzas 8 and 9.

Ans. In stanzas 8 and 9, the personifications include:

• 'Ambition' standing for ambitious men.

• 'Grandeur' standing for luxurious men.

• 'The boast of heraldry' and 'the pomp of power' are personifications that represent those who boast about their noble ancestry and power.

Q.12. How does the poet indicate the insignificance of grandeur, honour, and pride?

Ans. The poet suggests that in the face of death, all human accomplishments—whether they are wealth, power, or status—are insignificant. These things cannot prevent death, nor can they bring the dead back to life. The simple graves of the poor are as meaningful as the extravagant memorials of the rich because death is the great equalizer.

Q.13. What is meant by 'silent dust' and 'dull cold ear of death'?

Ans. 'Silent dust' refers to the body of a dead person, as the human body is ultimately reduced to dust.

The 'dull cold ear of death' personifies death as an indifferent entity that does not respond to the flattery or honor bestowed upon the deceased. Death is portrayed as being unmoved by any worldly praises or honors.

Q.14. Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire.

What is meant by 'Pregnant with celestial fire'?

Ans. 'Pregnant with celestial fire' refers to a heart that is filled with divine inspiration, creativity, or potential greatness. The poet suggests that among the villagers, there may have been individuals who were capable of achieving great things, but due to their circumstances, their talents remained unfulfilled.