7th standard English (The Convergence of the Twain )

 

The Convergence of the Twain

I. Write down your answers.

1.In the first three lines the poet speaks of two things. What are they?
Answer:In the first three line the poet speaks about smart ship and iceberg.

2.The poet uses the word “grew” twice, What does he mean in each case?
Answer:Poet uses the word grew twice. Once he tells about the man-made ship, how it grew into a greater height and the quality of ship has also grown, whereas in second case, poet warns as and when science goes on growing nature also grows as big as the science and technology.

 

3.What does he say about the ship’s qualities?
Answer:He says that the ship has grown into a greater height and also the quality rendered being beautiful to look at, and also the degree of brightness in colour is also grown.

4.What is mysterious and fearful? What phrase expresses this idea?
Answer:The phrase “ shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too”. This means that while the ship was being built, God was making the iceberg that the ship crashed into, which feels something fearful and mysterious. It also symbolizes that nobody can escape nature’s will taking its course.

 

5.In what way are the ship and the iceberg “alien”?
Answer:Here, in the poem, ‘alien’ means the ship and iceberg are opposite to one another, One is natural and the other is man-made. As human technology goes on growing, on the other side nature also goes on growing against the human-technology which goes against nature.

6.When you are playing with a top, you spin it and make it spin on the floor. The force of spinning also makes it go round and round in a circle. Now, our earth also does the same. It goes round and round the sun, spinning. So, who is “The Spinner of the years”?
a. the earth?
b. the sun?
c. the almighty?
d. fate?
Answer:
d. the fate

7.Two things became historical facts in navigation. What were they?
Answer:Two things which became historical are one of the largest, safest manmade conventions of its time, and Hardy presents a philosophical poem about fete’s inevitability and indifference through the eyes of nature, portraying the disaster by presenting the accident. The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable because of the technology used to build it. But fate proved otherwise Man’s technology is no match against the forces of nature.

 

8.The Atlantic Ocean is vast. The titanic and the iceberg are mere splash in it. Yet, one obstructs the other in its course. There was a head-on collision. This was an amazing event. (Supply the missing words)

9.The iceberg and the ship were alien. They were like the two hemispheres. Explain what this means.
Answer:The iceberg and the ship were alien. Here it means they are different from one another one is natural and the other one is artificial, man-made, as to be the opposite of one another. They were like two hemispheres, this sentence gives the idea that human pride was shattered when the ship sank.

The two hemispheres would refer to either side of the world. The two sides are purposefully created by the mysterious creator and they have ever since been coming close to their ultimate clash. They are twin halves of one august event. They will be two halves of the tragedy.

 

10.The event that brought death and destruction was like play to someone. Which two lines say so?
Answer:‘Till the spinner of the years. Said “Now!” and each one hears.

11.Consider the Words “ _____ And each one hears _____ ” This means there were two / three/ many who heard, (underline the correct word)
Answer:Two, titanic and iceberg.

12.Consider the word “consummation”. What point of time in the short life of the ship was the consummation?
a. When the ship stood in the dock in all its glory.
b. When it began to leave and the passengers on the deck were cheered by the people on the ground.
c. When it reached its maximum speed in the open sea.
d. None of the above.
Answer:b. When it began to leave and the passengers on the deck were cheered by the people on the ground.

13.In describing the collision the poet has used three phrases and one word. Scan the poem and find them.
Answer:The three phrases are “In shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too” The intimate welding of their later history. On being anon twain halves of one August event The word ‘consummation’ All these describe the collision.