LITERAL COMPREHENSION

• KING JOHN HEARD THAT THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY HAD KEPT HIS HOUSE BETTER AND HE HAD HIGH POPULARITY. THAT’S
WHY HE HAD A DOUBT THAT THE ABBOT WAS MAKING A TREASON AGAINST HIS CROWN. HE ASKED THE ABBOT THREE
QUESTIONS AND SAID THAT IF HE COULDN’T REPLY IN TWO WEEKS TIME HIS HEAD WOULD BE CUT OFF. THE THREE
QUESTIONS WERE, “WHAT WAS THE WORTH OF THE KING?”HOW QUICKLY MIGHT HE RIDE AROUND THE WORLD? WHAT DID
HE THINK AT THE MOMENT? THE ABBOT WENT TO OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BUT HE COULDN’T GET THE CORRECT ANSWER.
• HE RETURNED TO HIS HOUSE IN SADNESS. WHEN HIS SHEPHERD CAME TO KNOW ABOUT HIS PROBLEM, HE WENT TO
LONDON DISGUISING HIMSELF AS THE ABBOT. AT THE KING’S FIRST QUESTION, HE ANSWERED THAT THE KING WAS WORTH
OF 29 PENCE, ONE PENNY LESS THAN CHRIST. THEN AT THE SECOND QUESTION, HE ANSWERED THAT IT WOULD TAKE HIM 24
HOURS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD IF HE WOULD START HIS JOURNEY WITH THE SUN AT SUNRISE. AFTER THEN AT THE
THIRD QUESTION, THE SHEPHERD ANSWERED THAT THE KING THOUGHT HE WAS THE ABBOT BUT IN FACT, HE WAS ABBOT’S
SHEPHERD. THE KING WAS QUITE PLEASED AND PARDONED BOTH THE SHEPHERDED AND THE ABBOT.
INTERPRETATION
• THE POET IS TRYING TO SHOW US THAT SOMETIMES PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF UNEDUCATED PEOPLE IS
MORE USEFUL AND FAR BETTER THAN EDUCATED PEOPLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. IN THE POEM, THE
ABBOT WENT TO CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD TO GET THE CORRECT ANSWER BUT NO ONE COULD HELP HIM.
BUT AT LAST, AN ILLITERATE SHEPHERD HELPED HIM. THE POET IS ALSO TRYING TO SHOW THAT
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE IS AS SIGNIFICANT AS THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE. THE POET PROVES THAT ONLY
THE BOOKISH AND FORMAL KNOWLEDGE CAN ALSO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HERE WE ALSO SEE THE
JEALOUSY OF HUMAN BEINGS. THE KING WAS JEALOUS FOR THE ABBOT’S BETTER HOUSEKEEPING AND
HIGH POPULARITY.
CRITICAL THINKING
• ALTHOUGH THE POEM IS VERY INTERESTING TO READ, THERE ARE STILL SOME POINTS IN THE POEM WITH
WHICH I DON’T AGREE. THE KING IS JEALOUS OF ABBOT’S PROPERTY AND POPULARITY. HOW CAN THE
KING BE JEALOUS OF HIS PEOPLE? CAN WE BELIEVE THAT THE SCHOLARS OF CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD
WERE UNABLE TO REPLY SO ORDINARY QUESTIONS? HOW CAN AN ILLITERATE SHEPHERD ANSWER TO SO
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS? HOW CAN BE SO SIMPLE ANSWERS OF THOSE PHILOSOPHICAL
QUESTIONS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO RIDE AROUND THE EARTH IN 24 HOURS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO DECLARE THE
PRICE OF HUMAN BEINGS?
ASSIMILIATION

• BEFORE READING THE POEM, I USED TO THINK THAT THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE IS MUCH MORE
SIGNIFICANT THAN PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE. ONLY THE BOOKISH AND FORMAL KNOWLEDGE IS
IMPORTANT. AN EDUCATED MAN IS SUPERIOR AND AN UNEDUCATED MAN IS INFERIOR. BUT AFTER
READING THE POEM, I CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL BOTH KNOWLEDGE IS
EQUALLY IMPORTANT. EVEN THE UNEDUCATED PERSON CAN SOLVE THE GREAT PROBLEMS WHICH ARE NOT
SOLVED BY THE SCHOLARS OF CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD.