RYAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KHARGHAR

Date: 30.08.22 Worksheet/Assignment

English II / IX

Q1. What kind of atmosphere is seen in the first stanza of the poem? Where does
the scene take place?
Answer: It is summer evening. A kind of serenity and peace pervades the atmosphere. There is
also a tinge of gloominess in the atmosphere. The scene takes place before the cottage of an
old man named Kaspar who is sitting in front of the door of his cottage and is taking rest after
the day’s work.

Q2. Which battle does the poet describe in the poem? What does he condemn ? Under
whose leadership did the English get glorious victory?
Answer: The poet describes the famous Battle of Blenheim which was fought in 1704.
He condemns blind patriotism and castigates all wars which only bring out horror, death
and destruction. The English got glorious victory under the leadership of the Duke of
Marlborough and Prince Eugene.

Q3. What did Peterkin find and where? Why did he arrive to his grandfather?
Answer: Peterkin found something large, round and smooth while playing near a rivulet.
He arrived to his grandfather because he was very curious to know about the thing
which he discovered near the stream.

Q4. Explain the following ‘Tis some poor fellow’s skull’. Why did the old man call the
battle ‘a great victory’?
Answer: After observing the thing brought by Peterkin, the old man told the children it
was somebody’s skull. The person must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. The
old man called the battle ‘a great victory’ because that was all he knew and
indoctrinated about. He believed in whatever was told by everyone else without
thinking critically about the same.

Q5. What is ironical about the great victory in the Battle of Blenheim?
Answer: It is ironical that the poet glorifies the outcome of the war in the form of great
victory for a nation, at the cost of huge destruction, both of life and property. Although
old Kaspar was aware of the damage caused by war and that too, to his own family, yet
he seemed to be more interested and aware of the victory achieved in war than its
purpose or benefits.

Q6. Why did the old man repeat the words ‘great victory’ many times?
Answer: Though the old man was fully aware of the destruction brought by the Battle of
Blenheim, he glorified war saying that it was a great victory of the English over the
French. He did so as he was inspired with the conventional belief of patriotism and
heroism.

Q7. What did the old man answer to the children when asked about the purpose of
war?
Answer: When the children asked the old man why such a fierce battle was fought and
the victory was achieved at the cost of thousands of lives, the old man merely answered
that it was a famous victory in which England’s Duke of Marlborough and and Savoy’s
Prince Eugene won over the opponents.

Q8. Why did the children show great interest in the war ? Explain the following: ‘With
wonder-waiting eyes’.
Answer: As the children were innocent, they did not have any knowledge and purpose
of the war, hence, for them the war seemed to bring thrill and excitement along with
certain amazement. Little Wilhelmine was so curious to know about the war and the
reason behind it that it reflected in her eyes gleaming for a wonder to unfold.

Q9. What does the poet reflect about the children ? What is alliteration ? Give an
instance of alliteration.
Answer: The poet reflects upon the zeal and enthusiasm associated with young age.
The ability to question things is a peculiar quality of kids which fades with growing age.
Alliteration is the repetition of a speech sound in a sequence of nearby words. The term
is usually applied only to consonants, and only when the recurrent sound begins a word
or a stressed syllable within a word. Here is an instance of alliteration : ‘With wonder-
waiting eyes’.

Q10. What is the significance of the following line : ‘I could not well make out’ ?
Answer: The following line signifies that in an outbursts of praise for the heroes who
won the war, old Kaspar reveals the typical inability of an ordinary citizen to grasp the
reason why the war took place.