Chapter 2.4 Upon Westminster Bridge
Question 1.
For preparing questions based on the poem, overall understanding of the poem is a must. Prepare a set of five questions.
Answer: 1. What is the name of the bridge mentioned in the poem?
2. Who is called a ‘dull’ soul by the poet?
3. How does London look from Westminster Bridge?
4. Why does the sky look bright and glittering?
5. Why does the poet address God?
2. Choose the correct alternative for the given lines. Focus on the inference of the poet.
Question (a)
‘Earth has not anything to show more fair’:
The line means –
1. The poet thinks that the place was not so good.
2. The poet thinks that there is another place which is more beautiful than this.
3. The poet thinks that there is no place on the earth which is as beautiful as this one.
Answer: The poet thinks that there is no place on the earth which is as beautiful as this one.
Question (b)
‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by’
The line means –
1. One can walk over the bridge and ignore the surrounding beauty.
2. One can halt at the place to enjoy the beauty.
3. Anyone with an appreciative mind would not be able to ignore the beauty.
Answer: Anyone with an appreciative mind would not be able to ignore the beauty.
3. ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair.’
This line expresses the poet’s feelings. The sight he saw from the bridge is beautiful. There are a few more lines similar to the above. Find them and discuss what they express.
Answer: (a) ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:’
The poet admires the beauty and majesty of the scene in front of him.
(b) ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by’
The poet feels that only a lifeless or dull soul can fail to notice such splendid beauty.
(c) ‘This city now doth, like a garment, wear.’
The poet compares the city to a lady wearing a garment, showing how the city has dressed itself in beauty.
(d) ‘All bright and glittering in the smokeless air’
The morning looks fresh and dazzling because the air is clear and free from smoke.
(e) ‘The river glideth at his own sweet will’
The river is personified, moving gently and freely, as if it has a will of its own in harmony with nature.
(f) ‘Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;’
The poet feels that the beauty of London early in the morning even surpasses the beauty he has experienced in valley, rock or hill.
Question 4
The poem creates a delightful picture of the city, rich in its natural beauty. Pick out the lines from the poem which give the pictorial effect to the poem. Write it in your own words,
Answer: (a) ‘A sight so touching in its majesty’
The grandeur of the scene deeply moves the poet.
(b) ‘This city now doth, like a garment, wear.’
The poet imagines the city as if it is wearing a beautiful garment.
(c) ‘The beauty of the morning; silent, bare’
The city looks calm and quiet in the freshness of the morning.
(d) ‘All bright and glittering in the smokeless air’
→ The clear, pollution-free air makes the city bright and glittering.
(e) ‘The river glideth at his own sweet will’
The smooth and gentle flow of the river can be visualized.
(f) ‘And all that mighty heart is lying still’
The busy city lies silent and peaceful in the early morning.
Question 5.
Read the line.
Answer: a. Simile – ‘This city now doth, like a garment wear’.
Direct comparison between the manner in which the beauty of the city in the morning settles over the city to a garment on a body.
b. Metaphor – ‘all that mighty heart is lying still’
The city is represented by metaphor of the heart.
‘the very houses seem asleep’
Indirect comparison of houses to a creature that sleeps.
‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by’
Indirect reference to a person whose soul has been worn out by time and experience.
c. Inversion – ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by.’
The order of words are changed for poetic effect.
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm, so deep!
The order of words are changed for poetic effect.
d. Personification – ‘This city now doth, like a garment, wear’
The city is personified.
‘Never did sun more beautifully steep / In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill”
The sun is personified
‘The river glideth at his own sweet will’
The river is personified
. ‘the very houses seem asleep’
The houses are personified.
‘all that mighty heart is lying still’
The city is personified by giving it a heart.
e. Hyperbole – “Earth has not anything to show more fair’
No sight is more beautiful than the view from the Westminster bridge — An exaggerated
statement ‘Dull would he be of soul who could pass by’
The sentence has been exaggerated for poetic effect ‘Never did sun more beautifully steep’
The sentence has been exaggerated for poetic effect.
f. Paradox – ‘A sight so touching in it’s majesty’
A contradictory statement because a touching sight is intimate and personal but a majestic sight is grand and public.
‘The beauty of the morning; silent, bare’
A confusing statement since the city is soaked in beauty, but is ‘bare’
‘all that mighty heart is lying still’
A paradoxical statement of the ‘mighty hearts’ lying inactive – the poet presents the final image of tranquility and silence.
g. Transferred epithet –
‘And all that mighty heart is lying still’
The epithet ‘mighty’ is transferred from the people to the city.
h. Apostrophe – ‘Dear God!…’ The poet addresses God, the creator of all beauty upon earth to express his sincere gratitude.
Question 6.
Write 5 lines about the place where you reside and what makes you feel proud about it.
Answer: I live in Mumbai, the maximum city.
The city is always full of activities, making it one of the liveliest cities in the world.
I love sitting at Marine Drive and watching the majestic Arabian Sea.
Mumbai street foods like vada pav and pav bhaji are delicious and very famous.
Mumbai is home to Bollywood, the Indian Film Industry, which makes me proud of my city.
Question 7.
There is a common belief that cities have always flourished only after human
intrusion over nature. Write a speech expressing your opinion about it.
Answer: Respected dignitaries on the dais, judges, and my dear friends, a very good afternoon to
all of you. Today, I am going to talk about “Flourishing of cities because of human intrusion over nature.”
Recently, I read a news report about a leopard entering the IIT Campus at Powai and sitting near
an apartment door. It was truly frightening.
But have we ever wondered why wild animals are forced to enter human areas?
The reason is simple—we have intruded into their natural habitats.
Humans have built beautiful houses and modern cities amidst natural surroundings.
In the process, we have taken away the places where wild animals survive, forcing them to come closer to us.
Question 8 .
The garment is compared with –
Answer: The garment is compared with the beauty of the city of London early in the morning.
9. Question
The morning looks beautiful because –
Answer:
The morning looks beautiful because of the calmness and peaceful atmosphere of the dawn in
London city which is so soothing to the eye. Even the man-made structures along with the green
fields, valleys and rocks and hills look very bright and glittering with the sunlight that falls
directly on them in the absence of fog and smoke in the air. The river also flows smoothly on its own will.
10. Question
Guess the meaning of ‘glideth’.
Answer:
‘Glideth’ is an archaic word meaning ‘moves smoothly’.
Question 11.
Guess what is referred to as ‘Mighty Heart.’
Answer:
‘Mighty Heart’ is a direct reference to the significance of the city of London which is big,
powerful and man-made. The city is ‘Mighty’ when the citizens are active. But, to the poet, it appears to be
asleep as it is calm and quiet at dawn. Now it is inactive and the serenity of nature has dominated
its busy activities.
Question 12 .
Prepare a set of eight questions needed for the overall understanding of the poem.
Answer: a. Who is a ‘dull’ soul?
b. What is the time of the day?
c. How does London look from Westminster Bridge?
d. What are the man-made constructions?
e. Why does the sky look bright and glittering?
f. How is the river flowing?
g. How do the houses appear?
h. Why does the poet address God?
Question 13.
Explain ‘smokeless air’.
Answer: The city of London is a busy city with lots of activities going on throughout the day. The
poet could not believe the existence of clear sky which is hardly seen in London because of
pollution. But he was standing on the Westmi
