ICSE Class 10 The Bangle Sellers Workbook Solutions and Answers

Comprehension Passages

Stanza 1

It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad;
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modern politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. In these lines the poet says through the mouth of a political leader, when for the first time, only one year ago, on that very day, he came to power, the people gave him a very warm welcome. There were roses mixed with myrtle flowers which people spread on his way through and through. The house-tops were crowded with people and they were moving and swinging like mad people. Also they were so happy as if they were mad. The minarets and domes of churches were shining with light. These churches were decorated with colourful flags. All this was on that very day when the politician came into power and it took place only one year ago.
In simple words: This explanation sets the scene of the poem, describing the initial enthusiastic welcome for a leader, which later turns into condemnation, highlighting the changing nature of public opinion in politics.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining context, always mention the poem's title, author, and its central theme or message to provide a complete understanding.

Question 2. By which flower was the patriot welcomed?
Answer: He was welcomed with roses and myrtles.
In simple words: The patriot received a grand welcome, symbolized by the scattering of roses and myrtle flowers.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to specific details like flowers mentioned as they often carry symbolic meaning in poetry.

Question 3. When was the patriot welcomed?
Answer: The patriot was welcomed a year ago.
In simple words: The enthusiastic welcome for the patriot occurred exactly one year before the current events of the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note time references; they are often crucial for understanding the chronological progression and themes of change in a poem.

Question 4. "The house-tops seemed to heave and sway". Explain
Answer: The heaving and swaying motion creates an image of overcrowding, emblematic of our speaker's importance. It suggests that he is a celebrated figure - one that everyone wants to see.
In simple words: This phrase vividly describes the rooftops overflowing with people, all eager to see the speaker, emphasizing his initial popularity and significance.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining poetic lines, connect imagery to the underlying emotions or themes the poet wishes to convey.

Stanza 2

The air broke into a mist with bells,
The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.
Had I said, "Good folk, mere noise repels-
But give me your sun from yonder skies!"
They had answered "And afterward, what else?"

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modern politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. When the people were given him a warm welcome they rang bells and raised slogans. These different voices mingled with one another and produced a sort of music.The air became misty and heavy because of the noisy slogans and the ringing bells. The slogans of the crowd were so heavy and loud that the adjacent walls of the road-side houses trembled with various cries and noise of the crowd. These people were welcoming him so happily that if he had told them that mere noise and slogans did not please him. And that they should give him the sun, that is there in the sky far away from them, they would have replied, that was executed (done and what else they could do for him 'the leader'.
In simple words: This passage describes the overwhelming and celebratory welcome for the leader, filled with bells, loud slogans, and immense crowd enthusiasm, implying the public's readiness to do anything for him.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze how sound and atmosphere contribute to the overall mood and meaning of the poetic context.

Question 2. What did the patriot want form the “Good folks"?
Answer: The patriot said “give me your sun from yonder skies”.
In simple words: The patriot, in his ambition, desired something extraordinary from the people-even the sun from the sky-reflecting his boundless aspirations.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify specific quotes to support your answers, demonstrating a close reading of the text.

Question 3. Explain"And afterward, what else?"
Answer: "And afterward, what else?” adds to the image of endless love that the speaker received from the public. Browning includes the voice of the crowd here to indicate that the speaker is not exaggerating, and it makes his fall from glory even more tragic.
In simple words: This phrase, spoken by the crowd, shows their complete devotion and willingness to fulfill any desire of the leader, highlighting his extreme popularity at that time.

🎯 Exam Tip: Consider how direct speech or rhetorical questions from other characters in a poem can reveal aspects of the protagonist's status or impact.

Stanza 3

Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give it my loving friends to keep!
Naught man could do, have I left undone:
And you see my harvest, what I reap
This very day, now a year is run.

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modem politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. In these lines the leader regretfully says that the people did not help him, instead, it was he who leaped at the sun and made impossible, possible for them. He brought the sun down and handed it over to his dear friends (country men). He made, .them realize that every impossible could be made possible for sincere friends. As such he made every effort and did not leave any thing undone for them. Had he left anything undone, nobody else would have done that for them. But he further says with great sorrow that today when only one year has lapsed and that he is no more in chair, his reward can be seen. It can also be seen what he is reaping as a reward of his deeds. He has been branded as a traitor by the people of his nation.
In simple words: The speaker laments his current downfall, reflecting on his past efforts where he strived to achieve the impossible for his people, only to be branded a traitor and witness the negative consequences of his hard work after just one year.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on identifying the speaker's tone and emotions when analyzing lines that express regret or reflection on past actions.

Question 2. Comment on the tone of the Patriot in this stanza.
Answer: Throughout the whole of stanza, the patriot is reflecting and thinking. He states, ‘Nought man could do, have I left undone'. He feels he did everything he could have possibly done. We gather he also has power, 'what I reap' illustrating how he has collected his rewards from the work he has done.
In simple words: The patriot's tone is reflective and proud, emphasizing his belief that he accomplished everything possible, even though his "harvest" now is negative.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze how specific phrases or declarations by the speaker reveal their emotional state and self-perception.

Question 3. What does the word 'harvest 'connote here?
Answer: Harvest, here means reward.
In simple words: In this context, 'harvest' refers to the consequences or rewards, both good and bad, that result from one's actions.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that words can have symbolic or connotative meanings in poetry beyond their literal definitions; always consider the context.

Stanza 4

There's nobody on the house-tops now-
Just a palsied few at the windows set;
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the Shambles' Gate-or, better yet,
By the very scaffold's foot, I trow.

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modem politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. In these lines the poet mourns that nobody can be seen on the housetops to welcome him now. It is quite opposite to the scene when he was received by them. Now there are only a few people, who are rather paralyzed and are standing at the windows. Now they are watching a different sight. This sight is a sort of ridicule and everybody agrees to it. Obviously, the sight is horrible because the leader is now being taken to the slaughter house, or it can be better said, the leader thinks, that he is being taken to the gallows to be hanged there. It is all the reward of his good deeds. His deeds have been converted into wicked deeds and people are now punishing him for his supposed misdeeds.
In simple words: This stanza depicts the stark contrast to the earlier grand welcome, showing empty rooftops and only a few infirm people watching the leader being led to his execution, highlighting his drastic fall from grace and public scorn.

🎯 Exam Tip: Compare and contrast the scenes of welcome and downfall to underscore the poem's central theme of public fickleness.

Question 2. What is 'shamble'?
Answer: Shamble is a slaughter house.
In simple words: A 'shamble' is a place where animals are killed for meat, symbolically suggesting a violent and undignified end for the patriot.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding the literal meaning of key vocabulary helps in grasping the metaphorical or symbolic implications in a poem.

Question 3. What is 'scaffold'?
Answer: 'Scaffold' is the place where the criminals are hanged.
In simple words: A 'scaffold' is the raised platform used for executions, emphasizing the criminal nature of the patriot's current situation.

🎯 Exam Tip: Familiarize yourself with historical terms used in literature, especially those related to justice or punishment, to fully understand the context.

Question 4. Why does Browning say that the palsied watched the execution?
Answer: Browning described the people watching the execution as 'palsied'. Only the old and riddled with disease could be bothered enough to watch the hanging. This contrasts with the importance of the man: a man of power would have many watch his death. It's all gone wrong as nobody is on the roof tops.
In simple words: Browning uses 'palsied' to show that only the frail or uninterested are watching, contrasting sharply with the massive crowds that once celebrated the leader, underscoring his complete loss of public appeal.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze character descriptions or collective nouns (like 'palsied few') to understand social commentary or the speaker's perception of others.

Stanza 5

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead,
"Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
Me? "-God might question; now instead,
'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning.This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modern politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. In these lines the poet also mopes over his sad condition. He says that the people are carrying him to the gallows in the rain. They unnecessarily, have tied his hands behind his back with a tight rope. When they are taking him to the slaughter-house, the rope cuts his both hands at wrists. The culprit (the leader) feels that his fore-head is bleeding. This is because everybody in his right sense is throwing stones at him. Everybody feels that he has done nothing for his countrymen. Every person has turned against him and the achievements of his past one year have been changed to misdeeds. This means they have forgotten his service to them and they are now punishing him for his good work for them.
In simple words: The speaker contrasts his triumphant entry with his shameful exit, lamenting how his good deeds have been forgotten and he is now being unjustly punished, finding solace only in the belief that God will ultimately reward his service.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze the contrast between the past and present experiences of the patriot to highlight the dramatic irony and tragedy of his situation.

Question 2. Which line is a contrast to the welcome he had received.
Answer: The lines are:
For they fling, whoever has a mind,
Stones at me for my year's misdeeds.
In spite of this self-sacrifice, the good deeds are seem to be oft been forgotten.
In simple words: The welcome of roses and myrtles is sharply contrasted by people now throwing stones at him for perceived wrongdoings.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to identify contrasting elements, look for descriptions that depict opposite actions, emotions, or settings.

Question 3. What does the rain imagery signify?
Answer: It is a pathetic fallacy and helps to add to the depressed mood, and could be argued to be emblematic of the speaker's inner-cries and sadness. As well as making the patriot wet it also reduces his dignity. The rain can also be seen to symbolise how the patriot is innocent as he is washed clean. As well as this, rain in general represents corruption creating a negative tense mood. This describes the public who are clearly corrupt for hanging somebody who has doing nothing wrong.
In simple words: The rain imagery serves multiple purposes: it reflects the patriot's sorrow and loss of dignity, potentially symbolizes his innocence, and creates a somber, tense atmosphere indicative of public corruption.

🎯 Exam Tip: Consider multiple interpretations of symbolism (like rain) in poetry, as they often add layers of meaning to the text.

Stanza 6

Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead,
"Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
Me? "-God might question; now instead,
'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.

Read the above lines and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Explain with reference to the context.
Answer: This is stanza has been taken from the poem Patriot into Traitor” written by Robert Browning. This poem is a criticism of politics and people's opinion. When a leader comes into power, people call him a patriot. When he is dethroned, the same leader is considered a traitor. This is the tragedy of modem politics. The leader in this poem fell a victim to the same state of affairs. When he came into power, people showered flowers at him as a patriot. But after a year, they declared him a traitor,, when he was no more in power. They took him to the gallows. But Browning has ended his poem not on a tragic, rather on a next world optimistic note. In the given lines the poet, through the mouth of the deposed leader says that he was brought honorably to the chair and with great pomp and show but now he is being taken very insultingly to the gallows. He says sometimes great heroes fall from their climax and die. Such has not happened to him. Had he died in the peak of his power, he would have been happy. Further the leader ridiculously says that heroes can not expect reward from God in the next world because they get their reward in this world. In his case people have not done him justice. They have killed him. He says after death he will go to his Lord Creator where God Might question him about his deeds he had done for the people. He would reply that he had done his best for them but they rewarded him with shame. Now he will ask God for a reward because God is just and He would give him the best reward - in the other world for his service to his people. He would be safe with God in the work here after.
In simple words: The speaker contrasts his glorious past with his present ignominious walk to the gallows, finding solace in the belief that God, not the fickle world, will ultimately recognize and reward his true service.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the speaker's shift in perspective from worldly recognition to divine justice, as this is a key thematic element.

Question 2. Give an example of Antithesis from the poem 'The Patriot: An Old Story.'
Answer: "Thus I entered, and thus 1 go!" is an example of antithesis.
In simple words: The phrase "Thus I entered, and thus I go!" showcases antithesis by directly contrasting the patriot's glorious past entrance with his shameful present departure.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify antithesis by looking for phrases that present opposing ideas in a balanced or parallel structure, often to highlight a stark contrast.

Question 3. How did the leader come and go?
Answer: The leader came like a patriot and went like a traitor.
In simple words: The leader arrived as a revered hero but departed as a condemned villain, illustrating a dramatic reversal of public perception.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the transformation of the leader's status to demonstrate your understanding of the poem's core narrative arc.

Question 4. What type of poetic piece 'The Patriot: An Old Story' is?
Answer: 'The Patriot: An Old Story' is a dramatic monologue.
In simple words: The poem is a dramatic monologue, meaning a single character speaks, revealing their thoughts and feelings to an implied, silent audience.

🎯 Exam Tip: Knowing literary terms like "dramatic monologue" is essential for categorizing and understanding the narrative style of a poem.

Question 5. Can one see the faith of humans in God in the poem?
Answer: The poem is about human predicament.Good deeds are not often rewarded or appreciated in this world. People with religious belief find solace in the hope that they will be rewarded with paradise. The poet has effectively used the metaphor of calcification Jesus Christ and the poem reminds the life of Gandhiji, Lincon etc.
In simple words: Yes, the poem reflects human faith in God by showing that even when earthly rewards are denied, people find comfort in the belief of divine justice and reward in the afterlife.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for elements of spirituality or references to a higher power, which often indicate underlying themes of faith and existential belief.

Project

Question 1. Can the poem The Patriot be considered a dramatic monologue? Justify.
Answer: Dramatic monologue refers to a type of poetry and Robert Browning is master in it. It is a “mono-drama in verse”. Like many other dramatic monologues of Browning “Patriot into Traitor” is also a fine example of this genre because it has a single speaker, a silent audience and dramatic situation. Firstly, the poem has a solitary speaker who is patently not the poet. He is an erstwhile worshipful leader who is receiving unearned punishment. In this critical situation, he is freely giving vent to his feelings to reveal the inner working of his mind. He is, in fact, “a soul in action”. Secondly, the poem has a silent audience. There is no dialogue between the speaker and the audience. This audience consists of people who adore or abhor someone unexpectedly. This implied presence of an auditor distinguishes this dramatic monologue from a soliloquy in which the speaker is alone. Thirdly, the poem presents a tragic dramatic situation. It invokes in us feelings of pity, fear and relief called catharsis. The leader's downfall excites feelings of pity in us. We fear because we recognize similar possibilities in us. However, the leader's belief, “Tis God shall repay: I am safer so" gives us relief.
In simple words: Yes, "The Patriot" is a dramatic monologue because it features a single speaker, not the poet, addressing a silent, implied audience within a tragic situation, revealing his inner thoughts and generating empathy.

🎯 Exam Tip: To justify a literary form, break down its defining characteristics and demonstrate how the poem explicitly meets each criterion.

Question 2. Is there any relevance of this poem to the present scenario?
Answer: Yes, the poem is relevant even today. Patriot into Traitor' is a realistic depiction of the dilemma of our contemporary political scenario of the Third World countries where mass- illiteracy, political instability, economic deprivation, institutional frailty, and democratic immaturity create the vacuum and in come the military coups, many times with the spilling of the blood cheaper than water. It is how these countries turn into blasted heath of Shakespeare's Macbeth and the witches enjoy the scene there for fair is foul and foul is fair there. The heroes of yester year turn into villains of today. The first scene presented through this dramatic monologue is that of joy and jollity. The leader is being welcomed by all and his whole way is decked with rose-petals and myrtles. People have gathered there to greet him and roofs and walls rock and seem to sag underneath their load. Their noise fills the air with jingling heaviness. The minarets of churches seem to be ablaze as the flags of all the incendiary colours flutter there. But it is the scene of one year back. If he had asked them to turn the impossible into possible, they would have done so but he himself jumped at the sun for them and whatever he is reaping today is of this tragic flaw He is handcuffed and people are stoning him almost to death. He bleeds and is being taken to the gallows through the deserted streets. People gather there to enjoy the scene of his being hanged. So it is God who is to reward him in the life-hereafter. We witness these scenes everyday in the Third World countries.
In simple words: Yes, the poem remains highly relevant today, particularly in its portrayal of public fickleness, political instability, and the swift downfall of leaders from hero to villain, which are common themes in many contemporary societies.

🎯 Exam Tip: When connecting literature to contemporary issues, provide specific examples from the poem and draw clear parallels to modern societal or political events.

Question 3. What is the rhyme of ‘The Patriot: An Old Story'?
Answer: The rhyme of the poem 'The Patriot: An Old Story' is ababa.
In simple words: The poem follows an 'ababa' rhyme scheme, where the first, third, and fifth lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme.

🎯 Exam Tip: Practice identifying rhyme schemes (e.g., abab, aabb, ababa) as it helps in understanding the poem's structure and musicality.

Question 4. Explain the difference between welcome scene and departure scene from the poem “The Patriot” by Robert Browning.
Answer: The welcome scene and the departure scene, as you call them, are sort of mirror images of one another. They show how the fortunes of the speaker have been turned completely around in the year that elapsed between the two scenes. In the welcome scene, the speaker is a hero. The people are all praising him. They would give him anything he wants as he is paraded along. In the departure scene, he is being paraded again. But this time his hands are tied and he is clearly about to be executed. This time, people are throwing rocks at him.Over the course of the year, he went from a hero to a villain, presumably because he did not achieve the goal he set out to achieve.
In simple words: The welcome scene depicts the speaker as a revered hero showered with praise, while the departure scene shows him as a tied criminal facing execution, with the crowd throwing stones, illustrating a complete reversal of fortune.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use strong comparative language to highlight the sharp differences between contrasting scenes, emphasizing the dramatic shift.

Question 5. Can the poem be taken as interpretation of human fickleness?
Answer: This poem is very interesting. Its ambiguity allows a large range of interpretations to the meaning. It may be that Browning is portraying the fickleness of human nature as the patriots deeds are forgotten as no bodys on the rooftops now,versus the faith to God not leaving in bad times as humans do. However, it may also be about the consolation humans find in feeling accepted and glorified, as is suggested by the use of dramatic monologue and the symbolism of the patriot and Jesus, which hints at a sense of selfabsorbance and the bitterness of being rejected from society.
In simple words: Yes, the poem strongly interprets human fickleness by showing how quickly public admiration for the patriot turned into scorn and punishment, highlighting the transient nature of human loyalty.

🎯 Exam Tip: When discussing interpretations, acknowledge multiple possibilities but clearly state your primary argument and support it with textual evidence.

Question 6. How has Browning used allusion in the poem? Explain.
Answer: Browning uses the story of Icarus to describe the ambition of the man in stanza three. This creates a moral of the story not to be too ambitious, like Icarus with flying. Icarus attempted to fly by sticking feathers to his arm with wax. However, the closer he flew to the sun, the more the wax melted until he fell from the sky. Browning uses this story to introduce an ideology to not be too ambitious which unfortunately the patriot was. The whole of stanza three reflects on what he has done. The man feels he carried out everything he possibly could have which makes his life even more of a travesty, ‘Nought man could do, have I left undone'. The man feels he deserves a reward, 'I reap', sharing with the reader that he has power. From this, Browning described the man as someone powerful and for the good of mankind, juxtaposing it to what the public thought, creating a sense of unfairness
In simple words: Browning uses an allusion to Icarus to illustrate the patriot's excessive ambition, suggesting that his downfall stemmed from his own overreaching desires, similar to Icarus flying too close to the sun.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify allusions by recognizing references to other well-known stories, myths, or historical events, and explain how they enrich the poem's meaning.

Extra Questions

Question 1. Comment on the imagery used in the poem.
Answer: The poet has used visual imagery, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic imagery. Visual imagery is there in the following lines :‘It was roses, roses, all the way,' ‘the church-spires flames, such flags they had,' 'Just a palsied few at the windows set; Auditory images abound in the lines: ‘The air broke into a mist with bells, /The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.' Tactile images are found in: ‘A rope cuts both my writs behind;/And think, by the feel, my forehead bleeds,' Kinesthetic imagery in "The house-tops seemed to heave and sway”/ Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun To give it my loving friends to keep!
In simple words: The poem employs rich imagery-visual (roses, flags), auditory (bells, cries), tactile (rope cuts), and kinesthetic (heave and sway)-to vividly depict the contrasting scenes of triumph and tragedy.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing imagery, categorize examples by sensory type (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory) and explain their impact on the reader's experience.

Question 2. Who is reminded of his past? Why?
Answer: The patriot is reminded of his past because then he was welcomed with roses and myrtle and now the same people are humiliating him and throwing stones at him and are going to hang him.
In simple words: The patriot is reminded of his glorious past because the stark contrast with his present humiliation-from being welcomed with flowers to being stoned and led to execution-highlights the dramatic shift in his fortunes.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize the direct contrast between past and present events to explain why the speaker is reflecting on their history.

Question 3. What bells are being referred to here? Why are they rung?
Answer: The church bells are being referred to here. They are being rung to welcome the patriot and honour him.
In simple words: The bells mentioned are church bells, rung as a sign of welcome and honor for the patriot during his triumphant entry into the city.

🎯 Exam Tip: Specify the type of bells and their purpose in the context of the poem to provide a complete answer.

Question 4. What tells you that the speaker was swayed by the enthusiasm of his admirers? What proves him wrong?
Answer: The lines where he says 'Had I said, "Good fold, mere noise repels- But give me your sun from yonder skies!" They had answered, “And afterward, what else?' show that he had believed in their enthusiasm in the past but he feels sad at what they had done to him in the present, at the way they had humiliated him.
In simple words: The speaker was swayed by his admirers' enthusiasm, evident in their willingness to grant him "the sun from yonder skies." His present humiliation, however, proves his initial belief in their unwavering support was wrong.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use direct quotes from the poem to substantiate claims about the speaker's past beliefs and how they were challenged.

Question 5. In what mood is the speaker now? Where is he?
Answer: The speaker is in a sad and despondent mood. He is depressed at the way he has been humiliated at the stones people have thrown at him. He is at the scaffold in the street where he is to be hanged.
In simple words: The speaker is currently in a sad and despondent mood, on the scaffold in the street, facing his execution and reflecting on the humiliation he endures.

🎯 Exam Tip: Combine observations about the speaker's emotional state with their physical location to provide a comprehensive answer.

Question 6. What tells you that the patriot was overambitious?
Answer: The line which tell us that he was overambitious is: Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun To give it my loving friends to keep! But the people had rewarded him with humiliating him for his past deeds.
In simple words: The line "Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun / To give it my loving friends to keep!" reveals the patriot's overambitious nature, suggesting he aimed for the impossible.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to identify a character trait, look for direct statements or actions that exemplify that trait.

Question 7. Explain, 'Just a palsied few at the windows set;'
Answer: Instead of the cheering crowds who had welcomed him a year ago now there are only a few diseased and old people gathered to see him being hanged. This is the humiliation which he is faced with as no longer is he a celebrity who people will throng to see.
In simple words: This phrase highlights the patriot's utter abandonment, as only a small number of infirm and inactive people are present, contrasting sharply with the massive crowds that once celebrated him.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain how specific phrases illustrate a contrast or shift in the narrative, linking them to broader themes like public opinion or isolation.

Question 8. What do you think of the mentality of the crowd?
Answer: The crowd is fickle. Only a year ago had they given him a welcome fit for a hero and now they were humiliating and degrading him by throwing stones.
In simple words: The crowd's mentality is characterized by fickleness; they quickly shift from adoration to condemnation, humiliating the patriot whom they once celebrated.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use strong adjectives to describe the crowd's behavior and support your assessment with contrasting actions from the poem.

Question 9. Explain: Thus I entered, and thus I go! In triumphs, people have dropped down dead.
Answer: In these lines the speaker says that says that he was brought honourably to the chair and with great pomp and show but now he is being taken very insultingly to the gallows. He says sometimes great heroes fall from their climax and die. Such has not happened to him. Had he died in the peak of his power, he would have been happy.
In simple words: These lines emphasize the dramatic reversal of the patriot's fortunes, contrasting his grand, triumphant arrival with his current shameful procession towards execution.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on explaining the direct opposition presented in antithetical statements to fully convey their impact.

Question 10. What thought makes him feel safer?
Answer: The speaker says: "Paid by the world, what dost thou owe Me? “God might question; now instead, 'Tis God shall repay: I am safer so. He says sometimes great heroes fall from their climax and die. Such has not happened to him. Had he died in the peak of his power, he would have been happy. Further the speaker says that heroes can not expect reward from God in the next world because they get their reward in this world. In his case people hgve not done him justice. They have killed him. He says after death he will go to his Lord Creator where God Might question him about his deeds he had done for the people. He would reply that he had done his best for them but they rewarded him with shame. Now he will ask God for a reward because God is just and He would give him the best reward - in the other world for his service to his people. He would be safe with God in the world here after.
In simple words: The patriot finds safety in the thought that while the world has wrongly condemned him, God is just and will provide true reward for his service in the afterlife, ensuring his deeds are not forgotten.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the speaker's reliance on divine justice as a coping mechanism and a source of hope amidst worldly despair.