Chapter--3
Shall I Compare Thee .3
to a Summer's Day?
William Shakespeare
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MCQ
1. "But thy eternal summer shall not fade"-The word opposite in meaning to 'eternal' is
a) universal
b) momentary ✔
c) temporal
d) decayed
2. The phrase 'eternal summer' suggests
a) poet's death
b) youthfulness of poet's friend ✔
c) talent of poet's friend
d) death of poet's friend
3. Every mortal being is claimed ultimately by
a) nature
b) winter
c) death ✔
d) none of these
4. "Nor shall death brag thou wand 'rest in his shade"-The figure of speech in this line is
a) climax
b) antithesis
c) simile
d) personification ✔
5. "So long lives this"- Here 'this' means
a) poet's love
b) poet's beauty
c) poet's verse ✔
d) the friend's beauty
6. "... this gives life to thee. "-'Life' here suggests
a) resurrection
b) immortality ✔
c) youth
d) warmth
7. In Shakespeare's sonnet Death has no control over
a) the poet's beloved
b) poetry ✔
c) poetic term
d) beauty
8. "... this gives life to thee." - Here 'thee' suggests
a) poet's father
b) the poet
c) the poet's friend ✔
d) the queen of England
9. The poet claims that his friend would grow in eternal
a) life ✔
b) lines
c) manners
d) none of these
10. The word 'possession' means
a) ownership ✔
b) conception
c) prediction
d) convention
11. The word 'eternal' means
a) fading
b) transitory
c) permanent ✔
d) temporary
12. Eternal summer can be maintained through
a) poetry ✔
b) beauty
c) preservation
d) conservation
13. How will the poet's patron grow to time?
a) By Summer
b) By Nature
c) By the eternal lines of the poet ✔
d) By God's grace
14. In Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 18 the word 'grow's' refers to
a) become longer
b) become stronger
c) mature
d) live forever ✔
Short Question Answer
1. What does the expression 'thy eternal summer' mean? [Thy eternal summer'
Ans. The expression 'thy eternal summer' means the immortal youth and beauty of Shakespeare's beloved friend. [Thy eternal summer'
2. What does William Shakespeare mean to say by 'eternal summer shall not fade'? ['Eternal summer shall not fade'
Ans. By the expression 'eternal summer shall not fade' Shakespeare means to say that the youth and beauty of his dear friend will never diminish. ['Eternal summer shall not fade'
3. According to Shakespeare how can eternal summer be maintained?
Ans. According to Shakespeare, eternal summer can be maintained through the eternal lines of his sonnet.
4. Who has no control over the beauty of the poet's friend?
Ans. Death has no control over the beauty of the poet's friend.
5. Give an example of personification from Sonnet No. 18.
Ans. An example of personification from Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 18 is in the line-"Nor shall death brag thou wand 'rest in his shade." "Nor shall death brag thou wand 'rest in his shade."]
6. How long the beauty of the youth shall remain? [Taki House]
Ans. The beauty of the youth shall remain as long as men can breathe or eyes can see.
7. How long, according to Shakespeare, will his friend live?
Or, How long will the friend of the poet live?[Saddar Govt. High School, Cooch Behar]
Ans. According to Shakespeare, his friend will live so long as men can breathe or eyes can see.
8. What does the expression 'so long as men can breathe' in Sonnet 18 mean? 'so long as men can breathe'
Ans. The expression 'so long as men can breathe' in Sonnet 18 means as long as people exist on earth. 'so long as men can breathe'
9. What will give life to the poet's friend forever?
Ans. Shakespeare's immortal sonnet will give life to his friend forever.
10. What does the poet establish in the final couplet?
Ans. In the final couplet, the poet establishes the point that his sonnet will be read as long as men can breathe or eyes can see and it will keep his friend's beauty alive.
11. "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." What is referred to here as 'this'? 'this'
Or, "So long lives this"-What is referred to by the word 'this'? ['This'
Ans. The word 'this' refers to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, written in eternal lines. ['This'
12. What are the fair possessions that the poet's friend owns?
Ans. The fair possessions owned by the poet's friend are beauty and youth.
13. What will make the beauty of the poet's friend eternal?
Ans. The verses written by the poet will make the beauty of his friend eternal.
14. What is suggested by the phrase 'eternal lines'? ['Eternal lines'
Ans. The phrase 'eternal lines' suggests that the verses written by the poet will make the beauty of his friend immortal. ['Eternal lines'
15. Why would the friend grow in the poet's verses?
Ans. The poet's friend would continue to grow or become more famous through the verses of the poet because more people would read these verses and come to know about the virtues of the friend.
16. How does Shakespeare personify 'death'?
Ans. Shakespeare personifies 'death' by saying that he is like a boastful (বোস্টফুল) man taking pride in his gruesome (গ্রুসাম) power.
17. Whose shade is referred to here in the phrase 'his shade'? ['His shade'
Ans. 'His shade' here refers to the shadow of death or the darkness of death. ['His shade'
18. What does the poet mean by the phrase 'life to thee' in the poem? ['Life to thee'
Ans. The phrase 'life to thee' means beauty and youthfulness for the poet's friend, which would be provided by the poet's verses only. ['Life to thee'
19. How does the poet suggest that the beauty of his friend shall never fade?
Ans. The poet says that the beauty of his friend shall not fade by declaring that his verses will immortalize (ইমরটালাইজ) the friend's eternal summer.
20. What attempt has been made by the poet through Sonnet No. 18?
Ans. Through Sonnet No. 18, the poet has attempted to glorify and preserve the beauty of a young man, who is his friend and patron
21. Why will the 'eternal summer' of the friend never fade?
Ans. The 'eternal summer' of the poet's friend will never fade precisely because the poem will immortalize the beauty of his friend
Long Question Answer
1. How does Shakespeare immortalize his friend's beauty?
Ans. The poet wants to save his friend from the onslaughts of time. The beauty of his friend is better than that of a summer's day. The beauty of a summer's day is often inconsistent. The sun is too hot sometimes and sometimes the sun is dimmed by clouds. At times rough winds spoil the beauty of the season. The lovely elements of summer also do not last long. So the poet realizes the futility of immortalizing his friend by comparing him to a summer's day. He perceives that only the verses written by him can eternalize the beauty of his friend. His verses are imperishable and therefore the beauty and virtues of his friend will be retained forever through these verses.
2. "But thy eternal summer shall not fade" Who is the poet? What is meant by 'thy eternal summer'? How does the poet suggest that 'thy eternal summer' shall never end? 'Thy eternal summer'
Ans. The poet is William Shakespeare. The group of words 'thy eternal summer' means the eternal youth and beauty of the poet's friend. The poet wants to save his friend from the onslaughts of time. The beauty of his friend is better than that of a summer's day. The beauty of a summer's day is often inconsistent. So, the poet realizes the futility of immortalizing his friend by comparing him to a summer's day. He perceives that only the verses written by him can eternalize the beauty of his friend. His verses are imperishable and therefore the beauty and virtues of his friend will be retained forever through these verses.
3. Analyze Shakespeare's use of images in Sonnet No. 18
Ans. In Sonnet No. 18, Shakespeare recognizes that his friend's beauty is far superior to a summer's day. The happy image of summer is countered by the image of buds getting shaken by rough winds and the sun getting bedimmed by the cloud. Through them, the poet suggests that every natural object is bound to decay. The poet uses two images to assert that his friend would remain untouched by the destructive power of time. His friend would never fall into the evil clutches of death. He also firmly believes that his sonnets would be read by mankind as long as human racialists. Thus Shakespeare through his images not only suggests the ephemerality of summer but also asserts permanence of his friend's beauty and youth which time can never erase
4. Discuss the time vs. love conflict as presented by Shakespeare in Sonnet No. 18.
Ans. [Haripur J.N. High School Ans. In his sonnet, Shakespeare triumphs over the agonizing consciousness of time by a convincing assertion of love for his friend and poetic creativity. Time can 'shake the darling buds of May', 'summer's lease hath all too short a date', 'every fair from fair sometime declines 'but the beauty of his friend will remain untouched. The love between him and his friend will be rejuvenated with the passage of time. Eternal lines of his verse will conquer death and time. After a long list of negatives, as in 'shake', 'too short, 'too hot', 'dimmed', 'declines' which signify the power of time over nature, the reader reads the final forceful positive stroke in 'thy eternal summer. It is the poet's consistent love for his friend that makes him write a sonnet about him and immortalize him through his verses.
11. "...and this gives life to thee."-What does 'this' refer to? Who is referred to by 'thee'? How does 'this' give life?
Ans. 'This' refers to the verse written by the poet, William Shakespeare. 'Thee' refers to the poet's friend Mr. W. H., who is also the poet's patron
The poet William Shakespeare infers in Sonnet No. 18, that his friend will live forever despite the cruel blows of time. This will be made possible by the immortal verses or sonnets written by the poet. The entire human race will read these sonnets as long as they thrive. In this way the friend's beauty will be celebrated forever in this mortal world. Even the relentless march of time will be unable to destroy the fame of the friend as depicted in the sonnet.
EDITING BY--Liza Mahanta
