NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 8 For Anne Gregory Poem

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English for For Anne Gregory Poem 

Thinking about the Poem

1. What does the young man mean by “great honey-coloured/Ramparts at your ear?” Why does he say that young men are “thrown into despair” by them?
Answer
The “great honey-coloured/Ramparts at your ear” refers to the beautiful yellow coloured hair that falls at the woman’s ear and cover it like a wall around a fort. He says that the young men are “thrown into despair” by them because they look so beautiful on the woman that her beauty gets thoroughly enhanced. The young men fall in love with her and feel despair. He says that it is not possible that someone would love her alone and not her yellow hair.

2. What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she can change it to? Why would she want to do so?
Answer
The young woman’s hair is of yellow colour. She says that she could get her hair dyed to brown, black or carrot colour. She would change the colour of her hair so that the young men in despair would love her only and not her yellow hair. She wanted them to love her for what she was and not for her appearance such as her hair colour.

For Anne Gregory Poem Summary Class 10 English

“For Anne Gregory” by W. B. Yeats was published in 1933 as part of his collection of poetry entitled, ‘The Winding Stair and Other Poems‘.

GIST
Yeats is of the view that most people love others just because they attract them physically. The complexion of the skin and the colour of the hair are more important for us than the ‘real‘ worth of a person. We rarely love people ‘for themselves alone‘. Even the beautiful Anne Gregory is not liked or loved for her inner beauty or her rare qualities of head and heart, but for her beautiful yellow hair. Shallow minded people adore only physical beauty. We should look for spiritual beauty before falling in love with a lady. Physical beauty is just skin-deep. It is momentary. Unfortunately, most of the people are attracted by the colour of the skin and hair. Only God can love a person for himself alone. '

Key Points
• The poem is addressed to a young and beautiful lady named Anne Gregory.
• Her hair is honey-coloured or blonde.
• Every young man loves Anne just because of her beautiful hair.
• Her hair falling on her ears look like the ramparts surrounding a castle.
• The poet says that no one would love Anne Gregory for ‘herself alone’.
• No one cares for her inner beauty or the nobility of her soul.
• Her outward appearance and her yellow hair are the only causes of her attraction.
• In the second stanza, the lady, Anne Gregory herself settles the issue.
• She says that she is free to choose what colour she uses to dye her hair.
• She can dye her hair brown or black or of the colour of a carrot.
• Any young man should fall in love with her only after judging her own merits.
• Her yellow hair or outwardly appearance should not make any young man sigh for her in despair.
• She should be loved for ‘herself alone’.
• In the last stanza, the poet resolves the issue.
• The poet quotes a religious text.
• It is beyond human beings not to be attracted by physical appearance or beauty.
• Human beings can be easily swayed by beautiful yellow hair or outwardly appearance.
• Only God has the ability to withstand the temptations of physical beauty.
• Men, without God’s strength, simply can’t look beyond physical appearances.