Reading comprehension is the act of understanding what you are reading. Following are the Guidelines for reading a poem comprehension:
- Read the poem thoroughly.
- Identify the theme and the rhyme scheme of the poem.
- Identify the figures of speech used.
- Read the questions carefully.
- Understand what is being asked in the questions.
- Identify the imagery used by the poet.
Poem Comprehensions With Answers
Poem Comprehension #1
He halted in the wind, and – what was that
Far in the maples, pale, but not a ghost?
He stood there bringing March against his thought,
And yet too ready to believe the most.
“Oh, that’s the Paradise-in-bloom,” I said;
And truly it was fair enough for flowers
had we but in us to assume in march
Such white luxuriance of May for ours.
We stood a moment so in a strange world,
Myself as one his own pretense deceives;
And then I said the truth (and we moved on).
A young beech clinging to its last year’s leaves.………………….A Boundless Moment, By Robert Frost.
(Source: https://www.robertfrost.org/)
Daily Test - Attempt Now
Short Answer Questions
What was the speaker’s initial interpretation of the sight in the maples?
Answer: The speaker initially thought it was the “Paradise-in-bloom.”
What season is being brought against the speaker’s thought in the poem?
Answer: March.
Describe the atmosphere created by the wind in the poem.
Answer: The wind is described as halting, creating a moment of stillness or pause.
What is the significance of the young beech mentioned in the last line of the excerpt?
Answer: The young beech is holding onto its last year’s leaves, symbolizing persistence or reluctance to let go.
How does the speaker feel about the sight in the maples after a moment of reflection?
Answer: The speaker realizes the truth about the sight and acknowledges it before moving on.
True or False Questions
The speaker immediately recognizes the pale sight in the maples as a ghost.
Answer: False.
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The speaker believes that March is bringing pleasant and warm weather.
Answer: False.
The Paradise-in-bloom is described as white luxuriance of May.
Answer: True.
The young beech mentioned is described as having new leaves.
Answer: False.
The speaker and the person with him lingered in the strange world for a long time.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “halted” in the first line:
Answer: Stopped.
Synonym for “assume” in the fourth stanza:
Answer: Take on.
Synonym for “deceives” in the third stanza:
Answer: Misleads.
Synonym for “clinging” in the last line:
Answer: Holding onto.
Synonym for “luxuriance” in the fourth stanza:
Answer: Abundance.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What season is the speaker experiencing in the poem?
a) Winter
b) Spring
c) Summer
d) Autumn
Answer: b) Spring
What does the speaker initially mistake the sight in the maples for?
a) Ghost
b) Flower
c) Tree
d) Cloud
Answer: a) Ghost
What does the young beech cling to in the last line?
a) Flowers
b) Last year’s leaves
c) Birds
d) New growth
Answer: b) Last year’s leaves
What word is used to describe the wind in the first line?
a) Gentle
b) Strong
c) Halting
d) Whistling
Answer: c) Halting
What is the speaker’s reaction to the sight after a moment of reflection?
a) Fear
b) Joy
c) Recognition of truth
d) Confusion
Answer: c) Recognition of truth
Poem Comprehension #2
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most freindship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most freindship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly. …………………..Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind by William Shakespeare
(Source: https://www.best-poems.net/)
Short Answer Questions
What is the speaker’s attitude towards winter in the first stanza?
Answer: The speaker sees winter as less unkind compared to human ingratitude.
Why does the speaker consider the winter wind less harmful than man’s ingratitude?
Answer: The winter wind’s actions are unseen, unlike the unkindness of man.
What does the speaker suggest about friendship and love in the poem?
Answer: The speaker suggests that most friendship is feigned, and most love is mere folly.
What is the speaker’s wish for the bitter sky in the second stanza?
Answer: The speaker wishes for the sky to freeze, emphasizing the bitterness of forgotten benefits.
What is the contrasting effect of the remembered friend compared to the bitter sky?
Answer: The remembered friend’s sting is sharper than the bitter sky’s bite.
True or False Questions
The speaker believes that winter is more unkind than man’s ingratitude.
Answer: False.
The winter wind’s breath is described as gentle in the poem.
Answer: False.
The speaker views most friendship as genuine and most love as valuable.
Answer: False.
The speaker wishes for the bitter sky to bite sharply.
Answer: False.
The life described in the poem is portrayed as joyful.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “ingratitude” in the first stanza:
Answer: Unthankfulness.
Synonym for “keen” in the first stanza:
Answer: Sharp.
Synonym for “warp” in the second stanza:
Answer: Distort.
Synonym for “sharp” in the second stanza:
Answer: Piercing.
Synonym for “jolly” in the last line:
Answer: Merry.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What is the speaker’s perspective on the winter wind’s visibility?
a) It is gentle
b) It is unseen
c) It is sharp
d) It is biting
Answer: b) It is unseen
How does the speaker feel about most friendships and love in the poem?
a) Genuine and valuable
b) Feigned and mere folly
c) Unkind and bitter
d) Unseen and forgotten
Answer: b) Feigned and mere folly
What is the speaker’s wish for the bitter sky in the second stanza?
a) To bite sharply
b) To be gentle
c) To freeze
d) To warm up
Answer: c) To freeze
What is the speaker’s attitude towards life in the last line?
a) Unhappy
b) Jolly
c) Bitter
d) Unseen
Answer: b) Jolly
What does the speaker consider sharper than the bitter sky’s bite?
a) Man’s ingratitude
b) The winter wind’s breath
c) A friend remembered not
d) A friend’s love
Answer: c) A friend remembered not
Poem Comprehension #3
The song I came to sing
remains unsung to this day.
I have spent my days in stringing
and in unstringing my instrument.
The time has not come true,
the words have not been rightly set;
only there is the agony
of wishing in my heart…..
I have not seen his face,
nor have I listened to his voice;
only I have heard his gentle footsteps
from the road before my house…..
But the lamp has not been lit
and I cannot ask him into my house;
I live in the hope of meeting with him;
but this meeting is not yet……………Waiting by Rabindranath Tagore
Short Answer Questions
What has the speaker spent their days doing in the poem?
Answer: The speaker has spent their days stringing and unstringing their instrument.
What is the speaker’s current state regarding the song they came to sing?
Answer: The song remains unsung to this day.
What is the agony that the speaker mentions in the third stanza?
Answer: The agony is the longing or wishing in the speaker’s heart.
What sensory experiences of the beloved has the speaker not yet encountered?
Answer: The speaker has not seen his face and has not listened to his voice.
Why hasn’t the lamp been lit in the poem?
Answer: The lamp has not been lit because the speaker cannot invite the beloved into the house.
True or False Questions
The speaker has successfully sung the song they came to sing.
Answer: False.
The time and words have been rightly set according to the speaker.
Answer: False.
The speaker has seen the face of the person they are waiting for.
Answer: False.
The lamp is lit, and the speaker has invited the beloved into the house.
Answer: False.
The meeting with the beloved has already taken place according to the speaker.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “agony” in the third stanza:
Answer: Pain.
Synonym for “gentle footsteps” in the fourth stanza:
Answer: Soft footsteps.
Synonym for “wishing” in the third stanza:
Answer: Longing.
Synonym for “encountered” in the fourth stanza:
Answer: Experienced.
Synonym for “hope” in the last stanza:
Answer: Expectation.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What has the speaker been doing with their instrument in the poem?
a) Playing music
b) Breaking it
c) Stringing and unstringing
d) Selling it
Answer: c) Stringing and unstringing
What is the current state of the song the speaker came to sing?
a) Sung successfully
b) Partially sung
c) Unfinished
d) Unsung
Answer: d) Unsung
What has not yet been done to the lamp in the poem?
a) Lit
b) Broken
c) Ignored
d) Replaced
Answer: a) Lit
What sensory experiences of the beloved has the speaker not yet encountered?
a) Seen his face and listened to his voice
b) Heard his voice and touched his hand
c) Seen his face and smelled his perfume
d) Tasted his cooking and felt his presence
Answer: a) Seen his face and listened to his voice
Why is the meeting with the beloved not yet taking place according to the speaker?
a) The beloved is not interested
b) The speaker is not ready
c) The lamp is not lit
d) The time has not come true
Answer: d) The time has not come true
Poem Comprehension #4
There sandy seems the golden sky
And golden seems the sandy plain.
No habitation meets the eye
Unless in the horizon rim,
Some halfway up the limestone wall,
That spot of black is not a stain
Or shadow, but a cavern hole,
Where someone used to climb and crawl
To rest from his besetting fears.
I see the callus on his soul
The disappearing last of him
And of his race starvation slim,
Oh years ago – ten thousand years.…………….A Cliff Dwelling, By Robert Frost
(Source: https://www.robertfrost.org/)
Short Answer Questions
What is described as golden in the first two lines of the poem?
Answer: The sky and the sandy plain.
What meets the eye in terms of habitation according to the poem?
Answer: No habitation meets the eye unless on the horizon rim, there’s a spot halfway up the limestone wall.
What is the black spot on the limestone wall described as in the poem?
Answer: It is not a stain or shadow but a cavern hole.
What is suggested about the person who used to climb and crawl into the cavern hole?
Answer: The person sought refuge in the cavern hole to rest from his besetting fears.
What does the speaker observe on the soul of the person who used to climb and crawl into the cavern hole?
Answer: The speaker observes the callus on his soul.
True or False Questions
The golden sky is described as sandy in the poem.
Answer: False.
A black stain or shadow is described on the limestone wall.
Answer: False.
The cavern hole is mentioned as a place to confront and overcome fears.
Answer: True.
The person who used to climb and crawl into the cavern hole is still present.
Answer: False.
The race of the person mentioned faced starvation slim ten thousand years ago.
Answer: True.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “habitation” in the second line:
Answer: Dwelling.
Synonym for “besetting” in the seventh line:
Answer: Troubling.
Synonym for “callus” in the eighth line:
Answer: Toughening.
Synonym for “disappearing” in the ninth line:
Answer: Vanishing.
Synonym for “starvation slim” in the tenth line:
Answer: Emaciated.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What color is described as seeming golden in the poem?
a) Blue
b) Green
c) Red
d) Sandy
Answer: d) Sandy
What is the black spot on the limestone wall described as in the poem?
a) Stain
b) Shadow
c) Cavern hole
d) Limestone
Answer: c) Cavern hole
What did the person do in the cavern hole according to the poem?
a) Rest from fears
b) Create art
c) Sleep
d) Hunt for food
Answer: a) Rest from fears
What does the speaker observe on the soul of the person who used to climb and crawl into the cavern hole?
a) Smoothness
b) Callus
c) Darkness
d) Light
Answer: b) Callus
When did the race mentioned in the poem face starvation slim according to the speaker?
a) A hundred years ago
b) A thousand years ago
c) Ten thousand years ago
d) A million years ago
Answer: c) Ten thousand years ago
Poem Comprehension #5
The night is black and the forest has no end;
a million people thread it in a million ways.
We have trysts to keep in the darkness, but where
or with whom – of that we are unaware.
But we have this faith – that a lifetime’s bliss
will appear any minute, with a smile upon its lips.
Scents, touches, sounds, snatches of songs
brush us, pass us, give us delightful shocks.
Then peradventure there’s a flash of lightning:
whomever I see that instant I fall in love with.
I call that person and cry: `This life is blest!
for your sake such miles have I traversed!’
All those others who came close and moved off
in the darkness – I don’t know if they exist or not……………….On the nature of love by Rabindranath Tagore
Short Answer Questions
How is the night described in the first line of the poem?
Answer: The night is described as black, and the forest is endless.
What is the speaker’s faith in the poem?
Answer: The speaker has faith that a lifetime’s bliss will appear any minute with a smile upon its lips.
What are the elements that brush, pass, and give delightful shocks to the speaker?
Answer: Scents, touches, sounds, and snatches of songs.
What happens when there’s a flash of lightning according to the poem?
Answer: Whomever the speaker sees in that instant, they fall in love with.
What does the speaker call life for the person they fell in love with?
Answer: The speaker calls life “blest” for that person’s sake and mentions the miles they have traversed for them.
True or False Questions
The night is described as bright and full of stars in the poem.
Answer: False.
The speaker is aware of the trysts they have to keep in the darkness.
Answer: False.
The speaker has faith that a lifetime’s bliss will never come.
Answer: False.
The elements like scents, touches, and sounds give the speaker unpleasant shocks.
Answer: False.
The speaker is indifferent to others who came close in the darkness.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “trysts” in the third line:
Answer: Meetings.
Synonym for “bliss” in the sixth line:
Answer: Happiness.
Synonym for “peradventure” in the eighth line:
Answer: Perhaps.
Synonym for “flashes of lightning” in the eleventh line:
Answer: Illumination.
Synonym for “exist” in the last line:
Answer: Be.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
How is the night described in the first line of the poem?
a) Bright
b) Black
c) Colorful
d) Starry
Answer: b) Black
What does the speaker have faith in according to the poem?
a) Lifetime’s misery
b) A moment’s sadness
c) A lifetime’s bliss
d) Endless darkness
Answer: c) A lifetime’s bliss
What elements give delightful shocks to the speaker in the poem?
a) Scents, touches, sounds, and snatches of songs
b) Darkness, silence, stillness, and solitude
c) Rain, thunder, lightning, and wind
d) Joy, laughter, love, and companionship
Answer: a) Scents, touches, sounds, and snatches of songs
What happens when there’s a flash of lightning according to the poem?
a) The speaker becomes sad
b) The forest becomes brighter
c) The speaker falls in love with whomever they see
d) The night becomes silent
Answer: c) The speaker falls in love with whomever they see
What does the speaker call life for the person they fell in love with?
a) Cursed
b) Blessed
c) Dark
d) Lonely
Answer: b) Blessed
Poem Comprehension #6
ROSES, their sharp spines being gone,
Not royal in their smells alone,
But in their hue;
Maiden pinks, of odour faint,
Daisies smell-less, yet most quaint,
And sweet thyme true;
Primrose, firstborn child of Ver;
Merry springtime’s harbinger,
With her bells dim;
Oxlips in their cradles growing,
Marigolds on death-beds blowing,
Larks’-heels trim;
All dear Nature’s children sweet
Lie ‘fore bride and bridegroom’s feet,
Blessing their sense!
Not an angel of the air,
Bird melodious or bird fair,
Be absent hence!
The crow, the slanderous cuckoo, nor
The boding raven, nor chough hoar,
Nor chattering pye,
May on our bride-house perch or sing,
Or with them any discord bring,
But from it fly!………………..Bridal Song by William Shakespeare
(Source: https://www.best-poems.net/)
Short Answer Questions
What is the condition of the roses described in the first line of the poem?
Answer: The roses have had their sharp spines removed.
What makes the roses royal, according to the poem?
Answer: The roses are royal not only in their smells but also in their hue.
Name two flowers mentioned in the poem that have a faint odor.
Answer: Maiden pinks and Daisies.
Which flower is described as the firstborn child of Ver in the poem?
Answer: Primrose.
What birds or creatures are prohibited from perching or singing on the bride-house according to the poem?
Answer: The crow, slanderous cuckoo, boding raven, chough hoar, chattering pye.
True or False Questions
The roses in the poem are described as having a royal hue only.
Answer: False.
Primrose is referred to as the firstborn child of Winter.
Answer: False.
Maiden pinks and daisies are described as having strong and distinct odors.
Answer: False.
The poem mentions that all birds, including the crow and cuckoo, are welcome at the bride-house.
Answer: False.
The oxlips are described as withering and dying.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “slanderous” in the poem:
Answer: Defamatory.
Synonym for “bells dim” in the poem:
Answer: Faint chimes.
Synonym for “quaint” in the poem:
Answer: Charming.
Synonym for “firstborn” in the poem:
Answer: Eldest.
Synonym for “melodious” in the poem:
Answer: Musical.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What distinguishes the roses in the poem?
a) Their thorns
b) Their sharp spines being gone
c) Their color alone
d) Their fragrance
Answer: b) Their sharp spines being gone
What is Primrose described as in the poem?
a) The lastborn child of Autumn
b) The firstborn child of Winter
c) The middle child of Spring
d) The eldest child of Summer
Answer: b) The firstborn child of Winter
Which flowers are described as having no smell in the poem?
a) Primroses
b) Daisies
c) Larks’-heels
d) Oxlips
Answer: b) Daisies
What is the bride and bridegroom doing with Nature’s children according to the poem?
a) Banning them from the ceremony
b) Stepping on them
c) Blessing their senses
d) Ignoring them
Answer: c) Blessing their senses
What creatures are forbidden from perching or singing on the bride-house according to the poem?
a) Nightingales
b) Crows, cuckoos, ravens, choughs, pyes
c) Larks and doves
d) Owls and eagles
Answer: b) Crows, cuckoos, ravens, choughs, pyes
Poem Comprehension #7
To think to know the country and now know
The hillside on the day the sun lets go
Ten million silver lizards out of snow!
As often as I’ve seen it done before
I can’t pretend to tell the way it’s done.
It looks as if some magic of the sun
Lifted the rug that bred them on the floor
And the light breaking on them made them run.
But if I though to stop the wet stampede,
And caught one silver lizard by the tail,
And put my foot on one without avail,
And threw myself wet-elbowed and wet-kneed
In front of twenty others’ wriggling speed,-
In the confusion of them all aglitter,
And birds that joined in the excited fun
By doubling and redoubling song and twitter,
I have no doubt I’d end by holding none.
It takes the moon for this. The sun’s a wizard
By all I tell; but so’s the moon a witch.
From the high west she makes a gentle cast
And suddenly, without a jerk or twitch,
She has her speel on every single lizard.
I fancied when I looked at six o’clock
The swarm still ran and scuttled just as fast.
The moon was waiting for her chill effect.
I looked at nine: the swarm was turned to rock
In every lifelike posture of the swarm,
Transfixed on mountain slopes almost erect.
Across each other and side by side they lay.
The spell that so could hold them as they were
Was wrought through trees without a breath of storm
To make a leaf, if there had been one, stir.
One lizard at the end of every ray.
The thought of my attempting such a stray!………………….A Hillside Thaw, By Robert Frost
(Source: https://www.robertfrost.org/)
Short Answer Questions
What event is described on the hillside on the day the sun lets go?
Answer: Ten million silver lizards emerge from the snow.
How does the speaker describe the process of the silver lizards appearing?
Answer: The speaker cannot explain it and suggests it looks like the magic of the sun.
What action does the speaker imagine taking if they wanted to stop the wet stampede of lizards?
Answer: The speaker imagines trying to catch a silver lizard by the tail but acknowledges it would be challenging.
What does the speaker suggest it takes to halt the movement of the silver lizards?
Answer: The moon’s gentle cast or spell is needed to stop the lizards.
What does the speaker observe about the lizards at nine o’clock?
Answer: The swarm of lizards has turned to rock in various lifelike postures on the mountain slopes.
True or False Questions
The speaker claims to know exactly how the silver lizards emerge from the snow.
Answer: False.
The speaker believes that the sun’s magic lifts a rug, causing the lizards to run.
Answer: True.
The speaker successfully catches and holds a silver lizard in the poem.
Answer: False.
The moon is described as a witch in the poem.
Answer: True.
The lizards are described as remaining active and fast-moving even under the moonlight.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “stampede” in the poem:
Answer: Rush.
Synonym for “wet-elbowed” in the poem:
Answer: Wet-armed.
Synonym for “confusion” in the poem:
Answer: Turmoil.
Synonym for “transfixed” in the poem:
Answer: Immobilized.
Synonym for “stray” in the last line:
Answer: Attempt.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What does the speaker imagine doing to stop the wet stampede of lizards?
a) Catching one by the tail
b) Throwing themselves in front of the lizards
c) Stomping on one lizard
d) Both a and b
Answer: d) Both a and b
What does the speaker suggest is needed to halt the movement of the silver lizards?
a) The sun’s magic
b) The moon’s gentle cast
c) A breath of storm
d) Both a and b
Answer: b) The moon’s gentle cast
What does the speaker observe about the lizards at nine o’clock?
a) They are still running and scuttling.
b) They have turned to rock in various lifelike postures.
c) They have disappeared.
d) They are hiding in the snow.
Answer: b) They have turned to rock in various lifelike postures.
What does the speaker suggest the moon does to the silver lizards?
a) Makes them run
b) Holds them in place
c) Transforms them into birds
d) Both a and b
Answer: d) Both a and b
What is the speaker’s thought about attempting a stray at the end of the poem?
a) It would be easy.
b) It would be impossible.
c) It would be unnecessary.
d) It would be dangerous.
Answer: b) It would be impossible.
Poem Comprehension #8
WHO is Silvia? What is she?
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair, and wise is she;
The heaven such grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.
Is she kind as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness:
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness;
And, being help’d, inhabits there.
Then to Silvia let us sing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling:
To her let us garlands bring.……………….Silvia by William Shakespeare
(Source: https://www.best-poems.net/)
Short Answer Questions
What are the three qualities attributed to Silvia in the first stanza?
Answer: Silvia is described as holy, fair, and wise.
What grace did heaven lend to Silvia, according to the poem?
Answer: Heaven lent Silvia such grace that she might be admired.
What is the relationship between beauty and kindness in the poem?
Answer: Beauty lives with kindness, and love repairs to Silvia’s eyes, seeking help from his blindness.
What happens to love when it is helped by Silvia, according to the poem?
Answer: Love, being helped by Silvia, inhabits her eyes.
What is the main message of the poem regarding Silvia?
Answer: Silvia is excelling, surpassing every mortal thing on earth, and the speaker suggests singing praises and bringing garlands to her.
True or False Questions
Silvia is described as unholy, unfair, and unwise in the poem.
Answer: False.
Heaven lent grace to Silvia so that she could be admired.
Answer: True.
Beauty and kindness are unrelated in the poem.
Answer: False.
Love seeks help from Silvia’s eyes to overcome its blindness.
Answer: True.
Silvia is considered inferior to mortal things on earth.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “commend” in the first line:
Answer: Praise.
Synonym for “excel” in the third stanza:
Answer: Surpass.
Synonym for “dwelling” in the last line:
Answer: Residing.
Synonym for “repair” in the fifth line:
Answer: Go.
Synonym for “garlands” in the last line:
Answer: Wreaths.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What three qualities are attributed to Silvia in the first stanza?
a) Witty, bold, and strong
b) Holy, fair, and wise
c) Quiet, mysterious, and shy
d) Playful, charming, and kind
Answer: b) Holy, fair, and wise
What grace did heaven lend to Silvia?
a) Grace to be admired
b) Grace to be ignored
c) Grace to be criticized
d) Grace to be forgotten
Answer: a) Grace to be admired
What is the relationship between beauty and kindness in the poem?
a) They are unrelated.
b) Beauty and kindness are opposing forces.
c) Beauty lives with kindness.
d) Beauty avoids kindness.
Answer: c) Beauty lives with kindness
What happens to love when it is helped by Silvia, according to the poem?
a) Love disappears.
b) Love becomes blind.
c) Love repairs to her eyes.
d) Love avoids Silvia.
Answer: c) Love repairs to her eyes.
What is the main message of the poem regarding Silvia?
a) Silvia is inferior to mortal things.
b) Silvia is unworthy of praise.
c) Silvia excels every mortal thing.
d) Silvia is unknown and unnoticed.
Answer: c) Silvia excels every mortal thing.
Poem Comprehension #9
Art thou abroad on this stormy night
on thy journey of love, my friend?
The sky groans like one in despair.
I have no sleep tonight.
Ever and again I open my door and look out on
the darkness, my friend!
I can see nothing before me.
I wonder where lies thy path!
By what dim shore of the ink-black river,
by what far edge of the frowning forest,
through what mazy depth of gloom art thou threading
thy course to come to me, my friend?………………..Friend by Rabindranath Tagore
Short Answer Questions
What is the speaker wondering about in the poem?
Answer: The speaker wonders about the whereabouts and journey of their friend on this stormy night.
How does the sky behave in the poem, and what does it symbolize?
Answer: The sky groans like one in despair, symbolizing the intensity of the storm.
What action does the speaker take repeatedly throughout the night?
Answer: The speaker opens the door and looks out into the darkness.
What does the speaker express about their ability to see in the darkness?
Answer: The speaker can see nothing before them in the darkness.
What questions does the speaker pose about their friend’s journey in the last stanza?
Answer: The speaker wonders about the path, the shore, the edge of the forest, and the mazy depth of gloom their friend is traversing to reach them.
True or False Questions
The speaker is asleep throughout the night in the poem.
Answer: False.
The sky is described as peaceful and clear in the poem.
Answer: False.
The speaker can see clearly into the darkness.
Answer: False.
The friend’s journey is described as taking place on a calm and pleasant night.
Answer: False.
The speaker is certain about the friend’s location and path.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “abroad” in the first line:
Answer: Outside.
Synonym for “groans” in the second line:
Answer: Moans.
Synonym for “despair” in the second line:
Answer: Hopelessness.
Synonym for “mazy” in the last stanza:
Answer: Confusing.
Synonym for “threading” in the last stanza:
Answer: Weaving.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What is the speaker wondering about in the poem?
a) The speaker’s own journey
b) The friend’s journey
c) The stormy weather
d) The darkness outside
Answer: b) The friend’s journey
How does the sky behave in the poem, and what does it symbolize?
a) The sky is calm and clear, symbolizing peace.
b) The sky groans in despair, symbolizing intensity.
c) The sky laughs, symbolizing joy.
d) The sky weeps, symbolizing sadness.
Answer: b) The sky groans in despair, symbolizing intensity.
What action does the speaker take repeatedly throughout the night?
a) Sleeping soundly
b) Looking out into the darkness
c) Closing the door
d) Ignoring the storm
Answer: b) Looking out into the darkness
What does the speaker express about their ability to see in the darkness?
a) They can see clearly.
b) They are blinded by light.
c) They can see nothing before them.
d) They have night vision.
Answer: c) They can see nothing before them.
What questions does the speaker pose about their friend’s journey in the last stanza?
a) Questions about the speaker’s own journey
b) Questions about the friend’s appearance
c) Questions about the stormy weather
d) Questions about the friend’s path, shore, and edge of the forest
Answer: d) Questions about the friend’s path, shore, and edge of the forest
Poem Comprehension #10
The farmhouse lingers, though averse to square
With the new city street it has to wear
A number in. But what about the brook
That held the house as in an elbow-crook?
I ask as one who knew the brook, its strength
And impulse, having dipped a finger length
And made it leap my knuckle, having tossed
A flower to try its currents where they crossed.
The meadow grass could be cemented down
From growing under pavements of a town;
The apple trees be sent to hearth-stone flame.
Is water wood to serve a brook the same?
How else dispose of an immortal force
No longer needed? Staunch it at its source
With cinder loads dumped down? The brook was thrown
Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone
In fetid darkness still to live and run –
And all for nothing it had ever done
Except forget to go in fear perhaps.
No one would know except for ancient maps
That such a brook ran water. But I wonder
If from its being kept forever under,
The thoughts may not have risen that so keep
This new-built city from both work and sleep.……………….A Brook In The City, By Robert Frost
(Source: https://www.robertfrost.org/)
Short Answer Questions
What change does the farmhouse undergo in the poem, and why is it averse to it?
Answer: The farmhouse is assigned a number in the new city street, and it is averse to this change.
What is the speaker’s concern about the brook in the poem?
Answer: The speaker wonders about the fate of the brook, which held the house in an elbow-crook, as the city develops.
How does the speaker describe their familiarity with the brook?
Answer: The speaker knew the brook’s strength and impulse by dipping a finger into it and making it leap their knuckle.
What hypothetical actions does the speaker suggest for the meadow grass and the apple trees in the poem?
Answer: The speaker suggests that the meadow grass could be cemented down under pavements, and the apple trees could be sent to hearth-stone flame.
What happens to the brook in the poem, and what is the reason behind it?
Answer: The brook is thrown deep into a sewer dungeon under stone, and the reason is the city’s development.
True or False Questions
The farmhouse is described as eager to square with the new city street.
Answer: False.
The speaker dipped a flower into the brook to try its currents.
Answer: False.
The meadow grass is described as being cemented down from growing under pavements.
Answer: True.
The apple trees are suggested to be sent to the hearth-stone flame.
Answer: True.
The brook is treated with care and preserved in the development of the city.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “averse” in the first line:
Answer: Unwilling.
Synonym for “impulse” in the seventh line:
Answer: Urge.
Synonym for “cemented” in the eleventh line:
Answer: Fixed.
Synonym for “fetid” in the twelfth line:
Answer: Foul.
Synonym for “kept” in the fourteenth line:
Answer: Preserved.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What change does the farmhouse undergo in the poem, and why is it averse to it?
a) It is painted a new color, and it dislikes change.
b) It is given a number in the new city street, and it dislikes this change.
c) It is expanded, and it dislikes the construction work.
d) It is moved to a new location, and it dislikes being relocated.
Answer: b) It is given a number in the new city street, and it dislikes this change.
What is the speaker’s concern about the brook in the poem?
a) Its color
b) Its temperature
c) Its fate as the city develops
d) Its speed
Answer: c) Its fate as the city develops
How does the speaker describe their familiarity with the brook?
a) By sailing a boat on it
b) By diving into it
c) By dipping a finger into it
d) By building a bridge over it
Answer: c) By dipping a finger into it
What hypothetical actions does the speaker suggest for the meadow grass and the apple trees in the poem?
a) They should be cut down.
b) They should be moved to a new location.
c) They should be preserved.
d) They should be used for construction.
Answer: d) They should be sent to hearth-stone flame.
What happens to the brook in the poem, and what is the reason behind it?
a) It is preserved and protected.
b) It is thrown into a sewer dungeon, and the reason is city development.
c) It is redirected to a new path.
d) It is left untouched, and the reason is a lack of interest.
Answer: b) It is thrown into a sewer dungeon, and the reason is city development.
Poem Comprehension #11
WHAT needs my Shakespeare, for his honoured bones,
The labour of an age in pilèd stones?
Or that his hollowed relics should be hid
Under a stary-pointing pyramid?
Dear son of Memory, great heir of Fame,
What need’st thou such weak witness of thy name?
Thou, in our wonder and astonishment,
Hast built thyself a livelong monument.
For whilst, to the shame of slow-endeavouring art,
Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart
Hath, from the leaves of thy unvalued book,
Those Delphic lines with deep impression took;
Then thou, our fancy of itself bereaving,
Dost make us marble, with too much conceiving;
And, so sepulchred, in such pomp dost lie,
That kings for such a tomb would wish to die.…………….. On Shakespeare by John Milton
(Source: https://classicalpoets.org/ )
Short Answer Questions
What does the speaker question in the first two lines of the poem?
Answer: The speaker questions the need for Shakespeare’s honored bones to be adorned with laboriously piled stones.
What alternative suggestion does the speaker make for honoring Shakespeare’s relics in the third and fourth lines?
Answer: The speaker suggests hiding Shakespeare’s relics under a stary-pointing pyramid.
How does the speaker describe Shakespeare in the poem?
Answer: The speaker refers to Shakespeare as the “Dear son of Memory” and the “great heir of Fame.”
What does the speaker argue about the conventional monuments for Shakespeare in the poem?
Answer: The speaker argues that Shakespeare, through his enduring works, has built a livelong monument, rendering conventional monuments unnecessary.
What effect does the speaker attribute to Shakespeare’s writing in the poem?
Answer: The speaker suggests that Shakespeare’s writing turns people into marble, with too much conceiving, and creates a lasting impression on their hearts.
True or False Questions
The speaker believes that Shakespeare’s bones should be adorned with laboriously piled stones.
Answer: False.
The speaker suggests hiding Shakespeare’s relics under a stary-pointing pyramid.
Answer: True.
The speaker describes Shakespeare as the “Dear son of Forgetfulness.”
Answer: False.
The speaker argues that Shakespeare needs conventional monuments to preserve his memory.
Answer: False.
The speaker suggests that Shakespeare’s writing has a profound and lasting impact on readers’ hearts.
Answer: True.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “honoured” in the first line:
Answer: Revered.
Synonym for “relics” in the third line:
Answer: Remains.
Synonym for “livelong” in the seventh line:
Answer: Eternal.
Synonym for “conceiving” in the twelfth line:
Answer: Imagining.
Synonym for “sepulchred” in the thirteenth line:
Answer: Buried.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What does the speaker question in the first two lines of the poem?
a) The quality of Shakespeare’s writing
b) The need for elaborate monuments for Shakespeare’s bones
c) The popularity of Shakespeare’s works
d) The location of Shakespeare’s grave
Answer: b) The need for elaborate monuments for Shakespeare’s bones
What alternative suggestion does the speaker make for honoring Shakespeare’s relics in the third and fourth lines?
a) Building a statue in his honor
b) Hiding the relics under a stary-pointing pyramid
c) Displaying the relics in a museum
d) Burying the relics in a garden
Answer: b) Hiding the relics under a stary-pointing pyramid
How does the speaker describe Shakespeare in the poem?
a) The “Dear son of Forgetfulness”
b) The “great heir of Money”
c) The “Dear son of Memory”
d) The “great heir of Oblivion”
Answer: c) The “Dear son of Memory”
What does the speaker argue about the conventional monuments for Shakespeare in the poem?
a) They are necessary for preserving Shakespeare’s memory.
b) They are inadequate for honoring Shakespeare.
c) They are too expensive to build.
d) They are more impressive than Shakespeare’s works.
Answer: b) They are inadequate for honoring Shakespeare.
What effect does the speaker attribute to Shakespeare’s writing in the poem?
a) It turns people into stone.
b) It has no impact on readers.
c) It creates a fleeting impression.
d) It turns people into marble, with too much conceiving.
Answer: d) It turns people into marble, with too much conceiving.
Poem Comprehension #12
Fear no more the heat o’ the sun;
Nor the furious winter’s rages,
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages;
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney sweepers come to dust.
Fear no more the frown of the great,
Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke:
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.
Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dread thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.
No exorciser harm thee!
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
Nothing ill come near thee!
Quiet consummation have;
And renowned be thy grave! ……………….Fear No More by William Shakespeare
(Source: https://www.best-poems.net/)
Short Answer Questions
What has the person addressed in the poem done with their worldly task, and where have they gone?
Answer: The person has completed their worldly task and has gone home, taking their wages.
What fate does the poem suggest for both golden lads and girls?
Answer: They, like chimney sweepers, must come to dust.
What is the person now beyond, according to the poem?
Answer: The person is beyond the frown of the great and the tyrant’s stroke.
What has become insignificant to the person mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The person no longer cares about clothing and eating; to them, the reed is as the oak.
What is the ultimate fate of the sceptre, learning, and physic in the poem?
Answer: All must come to dust, following the fate of the person addressed.
True or False Questions
The poem suggests that the person addressed has not finished their worldly task.
Answer: False.
Golden lads and girls are exempt from the fate of coming to dust.
Answer: False.
The person addressed is still subject to the frown of the great.
Answer: False.
The person no longer cares about clothing and eating in the poem.
Answer: True.
The poem implies that the sceptre, learning, and physic are eternal and indestructible.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “rages” in the second line:
Answer: Furious outbursts.
Synonym for “tyrant’s” in the seventh line:
Answer: Oppressor’s.
Synonym for “exorciser” in the penultimate stanza:
Answer: One who banishes evil spirits.
Synonym for “ghost unlaid” in the penultimate stanza:
Answer: Unresolved spirit.
Synonym for “consummation” in the last stanza:
Answer: Completion.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What has the person addressed in the poem done with their worldly task, and where have they gone?
a) They have abandoned their worldly task.
b) They have taken a break from their task.
c) They have completed their worldly task and gone home.
d) They have doubled their efforts in their worldly task.
Answer: c) They have completed their worldly task and gone home.
What fate does the poem suggest for both golden lads and girls?
a) They will achieve eternal fame.
b) They will be exempt from death.
c) They must come to dust.
d) They will live forever.
Answer: c) They must come to dust.
What is the person now beyond, according to the poem?
a) Beyond joy and moan.
b) Beyond worldly troubles.
c) Beyond the frown of the great and the tyrant’s stroke.
d) Beyond all lovers young.
Answer: c) Beyond the frown of the great and the tyrant’s stroke.
What has become insignificant to the person mentioned in the poem?
a) Clothing and eating.
b) Joy and moan.
c) Sceptre, learning, and physic.
d) Thunder-stone.
Answer: a) Clothing and eating.
What is the ultimate fate of the sceptre, learning, and physic in the poem?
a) They are indestructible.
b) They will continue to prosper.
c) They must all follow the fate of the person addressed and come to dust.
d) They will be revered forever.
Answer: c) They must all follow the fate of the person addressed and come to dust.
Poem Comprehension #13
Byron! how sweetly sad thy melody!
Attuning still the soul to tenderness,
As if soft Pity, with unusual stress,
Had touch’d her plaintive lute, and thou, being by,
Hadst caught the tones, nor suffer’d them to die.
O’ershadowing sorrow doth not make thee less
Delightful: thou thy griefs dost dress
With a bright halo, shining beamily,
As when a cloud the golden moon doth veil,
Its sides are ting’d with a resplendent glow,
Through the dark robe oft amber rays prevail,
And like fair veins in sable marble flow;
Still warble, dying swan! still tell the tale,
The enchanting tale, the tale of pleasing woe.………………To Lord Byron by John Keats
(Source: https://classicalpoets.org/ )
Short Answer Questions
How does the speaker describe Byron’s melody in the first line of the poem?
Answer: The speaker describes Byron’s melody as “sweetly sad.”
What does the speaker suggest about Byron’s ability to capture and preserve tones in the second and third lines?
Answer: The speaker suggests that Byron, being present, caught the tones of soft Pity’s lute and prevented them from dying.
How does sorrow affect Byron’s delightful nature in the poem?
Answer: Sorrow does not make Byron less delightful; instead, it adds a bright halo to his griefs.
How does the speaker use the metaphor of a cloud veiling the golden moon to describe sorrow in the poem?
Answer: The speaker suggests that, like a cloud veiling the moon, sorrow overshadows Byron’s melody but adds a resplendent glow and beauty to it.
What does the speaker encourage Byron to do in the last two lines of the poem?
Answer: The speaker encourages Byron to continue singing, comparing him to a dying swan telling the enchanting tale of pleasing woe.
True or False Questions
The speaker finds Byron’s melody melancholic and less enjoyable.
Answer: False.
Byron’s ability to capture tones is described as if soft Pity had touched her lute.
Answer: True.
Sorrow makes Byron less delightful in the poem.
Answer: False.
The metaphor of a cloud veiling the golden moon is used to describe the effect of sorrow on Byron’s melody.
Answer: True.
The speaker encourages Byron to stop singing in the last two lines of the poem.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “melody” in the first line:
Answer: Tune.
Synonym for “plaintive” in the second line:
Answer: Mournful.
Synonym for “tinged” in the tenth line:
Answer: Colored.
Synonym for “resplendent” in the tenth line:
Answer: Radiant.
Synonym for “enchanting” in the last line:
Answer: Bewitching.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
How does the speaker describe Byron’s melody in the first line of the poem?
a) Bitterly sorrowful
b) Sweetly sad
c) Joyfully uplifting
d) Melodiously cheerful
Answer: b) Sweetly sad
What does the speaker suggest about Byron’s ability to capture and preserve tones in the second and third lines?
a) Byron is indifferent to capturing tones.
b) Byron allows tones to die quickly.
c) Byron catches and preserves tones, preventing them from dying.
d) Byron ignores the tones of Pity’s lute.
Answer: c) Byron catches and preserves tones, preventing them from dying.
How does sorrow affect Byron’s delightful nature in the poem?
a) It makes him less enjoyable.
b) It adds a bright halo to his griefs, making him more delightful.
c) It has no effect on his delightful nature.
d) It completely overshadows his melody.
Answer: b) It adds a bright halo to his griefs, making him more delightful.
How does the speaker use the metaphor of a cloud veiling the golden moon to describe sorrow in the poem?
a) Sorrow completely darkens Byron’s melody.
b) Sorrow has no impact on Byron’s melody.
c) Sorrow overshadows Byron’s melody but adds a resplendent glow and beauty to it.
d) Sorrow transforms Byron’s melody into a golden moon.
Answer: c) Sorrow overshadows Byron’s melody but adds a resplendent glow and beauty to it.
What does the speaker encourage Byron to do in the last two lines of the poem?
a) Stop singing
b) Change his tune
c) Continue singing
d) Sing a different tale
Answer: c) Continue singing
Poem Comprehension #14
WHEN I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He returning chide,
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”………………On His Blindness by John Milton
(Source: https://classicalpoets.org/ )
Short Answer Questions
What is the central concern expressed by the speaker in the poem?
Answer: The speaker is concerned about losing his sight before he has completed half his days and having a talent (ability) that seems useless.
How does the speaker feel about the talent he possesses?
Answer: The speaker feels that his talent, which is the ability to serve his Maker, is currently useless due to his blindness.
What is the speaker worried about in terms of serving his Maker?
Answer: The speaker is worried that, due to his blindness, he may not be able to fulfill his duty of serving God and presenting a true account.
What question does the speaker fondly ask, and how is it answered by Patience?
Answer: The speaker fondly asks whether God expects day-labor when light is denied. Patience answers that God does not need human work or gifts; those who best bear His yoke serve Him best.
What message does the speaker convey about serving God in the concluding lines of the poem?
Answer: The speaker emphasizes that serving God is not limited to active tasks; even those who stand and wait, displaying patience, serve God.
True or False Questions
The speaker is pleased with the talent he possesses.
Answer: False.
The speaker is concerned about losing his sight before completing half his days.
Answer: True.
The speaker is worried that God might chide him for not doing day-labor.
Answer: True.
According to Patience, God needs man’s work and gifts.
Answer: False.
The concluding lines emphasize that serving God is only meaningful through active tasks.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “bent” in the third line:
Answer: Inclined.
Synonym for “chide” in the sixth line:
Answer: Rebuke.
Synonym for “mild” in the tenth line:
Answer: Gentle.
Synonym for “speed” in the eleventh line:
Answer: Hasten.
Synonym for “stand” in the last line:
Answer: Remain.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
What is the central concern expressed by the speaker in the poem?
a) Fear of death
b) Fear of darkness
c) Loss of talent due to blindness
d) The desire for wealth
Answer: c) Loss of talent due to blindness
How does the speaker feel about the talent he possesses?
a) Pleased
b) Proud
c) Useless
d) Confident
Answer: c) Useless
What is the speaker worried about in terms of serving his Maker?
a) Losing his voice
b) Losing his wealth
c) Losing his sight
d) Losing his talent
Answer: c) Losing his sight
What question does the speaker fondly ask, and how is it answered by Patience?
a) Does God need human work or gifts? – Answer: Yes
b) Does God need human work or gifts? – Answer: No
c) Is God indifferent to human efforts? – Answer: Yes
d) Is God indifferent to human efforts? – Answer: No
Answer: b) Does God need human work or gifts? – Answer: No
What message does the speaker convey about serving God in the concluding lines of the poem?
a) Only active tasks are meaningful in serving God.
b) Patience is not a virtue in serving God.
c) Serving God is not limited to active tasks; even standing and waiting is a form of service.
d) God appreciates those who question His expectations.
Answer: c) Serving God is not limited to active tasks; even standing and waiting is a form of service.
Poem Comprehension #15
NOW the bright morning-star, Day’s harbinger,
Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire!
Woods and groves are of thy dressing;
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long……………… Song on May Morning by John Milton
(Source: https://classicalpoets.org/ )
Short Answer Questions
Who is described as the bright morning-star and Day’s harbinger in the poem?
Answer: The bright morning-star is described as Day’s harbinger, dancing from the East.
What does the flowery May throw from her green lap according to the poem?
Answer: The flowery May throws the yellow cowslip and the pale primrose from her green lap.
What qualities and inspirations does the speaker attribute to the month of May?
Answer: The speaker attributes qualities of inspiration, mirth, youth, and warm desire to the month of May.
What elements of nature are mentioned as being dressed and blessed by May in the poem?
Answer: Woods and groves are dressed, and hill and dale boast the blessing of May.
How does the speaker welcome May in the concluding lines of the poem?
Answer: The speaker welcomes May with an early song, saluting her and wishing her a long and prosperous presence.
True or False Questions
The morning-star is described as Day’s harbinger.
Answer: True.
May throws the red rose and the dark violet from her green lap.
Answer: False.
May is attributed with inspiring mirth, youth, and warm desire.
Answer: True.
Hill and dale do not receive any blessing from May.
Answer: False.
The speaker wishes May a brief and fleeting presence.
Answer: False.
Find the Synonyms
Synonym for “harbinger” in the first line:
Answer: Forerunner.
Synonym for “lap” in the third line:
Answer: Bosom.
Synonym for “inspire” in the sixth line:
Answer: Evoke.
Synonym for “youth” in the sixth line:
Answer: Juvenility.
Synonym for “salute” in the penultimate line:
Answer: Greet.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Who is described as the bright morning-star and Day’s harbinger in the poem?
a) The moon
b) The sun
c) May
d) A flower
Answer: c) May
What does the flowery May throw from her green lap according to the poem?
a) Red rose and dark violet
b) Yellow cowslip and pale primrose
c) Bluebell and daffodil
d) Lily and tulip
Answer: b) Yellow cowslip and pale primrose
What qualities and inspirations does the speaker attribute to the month of May?
a) Melancholy and solitude
b) Mirth, youth, and warm desire
c) Cold and desolation
d) Darkness and gloom
Answer: b) Mirth, youth, and warm desire
What elements of nature are mentioned as being dressed and blessed by May in the poem?
a) Rivers and oceans
b) Mountains and valleys
c) Woods and groves
d) Deserts and plains
Answer: c) Woods and groves
How does the speaker welcome May in the concluding lines of the poem?
a) With a farewell song
b) With a dance
c) With a mournful dirge
d) With an early song, saluting her, and wishing her long
Answer: d) With an early song, saluting her, and wishing her long