12th English Guide Lesson 1 The Castle
TN 12th English Solutions Poem Chapter 1 The Castle
12th Standard English Lesson 1 The Castle Book Back Question and Answers. 12th English Lesson 1 The Castle Questions and Answers, Summary, Activity, Notes, Samacheer Kalvi 12th English Book Solutions Guide Pdf. 12th English All Lesson Book Back Answers.
The Castle Glossary
- turret wall – a small tower on top of a castle
- mowers – people who trim grass and level the lawns
- provender – food
- towering battlements – tall towers with openings to shoot the enemies
- tier – one above the other
- friendly allies – helpful or supporting nations or armed forces advantageous
- foothold – position
- quick – alive
- bait – something intended to entice someone to do something
- wicked – evil or morally wrong
- wicket gate – a small gate
- wizened warder – an aged or old guard
- maze – a winding, intricate confusing path
- treacherous – disloyal
- groan – lament, cry
- citadel – a safe and strong fort
- overthrown – conquered, defeated
- maintain – believe
Warm Up:
The Castle Poem Question And Answer Question (a)
What thoughts come to your mind when or/you think about a castle? Add your ideas to the list.
Answer:
- moat, huge buildings, soldiers, weapons gatehouse, look outs.
12th English The Castle Poem Paragraph Question (b)
Have you ever visited a fort or a castle?
Answer:
- Yes I have visited the red Fort in Delhi
The Castle Poem Question (c)
Fill in the following empty boxes.
|
Name |
Location |
|
Fort St. George |
Chennai |
|
Gingee Fort |
Ginjee |
|
Golconda Fort |
Hyderabad |
|
Red Fort |
Delhi |
Answer:
|
Name |
Location |
|
Fort St. George |
Chennai |
|
Gingee Fort |
Villupuram District |
|
Golconda Fort |
Hyderabad |
|
Red Fort |
Delhi |
12th English The Castle Textual Questions
1. Based on your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions in one or two sentences each.
(a) 12th English Reference To The Context Question
Who is the narrator in the poem?
Answer:
- A soldier is the narrator in the poem.
12th English Poem Appreciation Questions And Answers
(b) How long had the soldiers been in the castle?
Answer:
- The soldiers had been in the castle all through the summer.
(c) Why were the soldiers in the castle fearless?
Answer:
- They were fearless because they were behind a well-guarded castle headed by a brave captain. Allies were close at hand and they had adequate arms to fight and foodgrains to sustain them under a siege.
(d) Where were the enemies?
Answer:
- Of course yes. There were enemies.
(e) Why does the narrator say that the enemy was no threat at all?
Answer:
- Soldiers behind the turret wall were ready to shoot the enemy at sight. The castle was surrounded by a deadly moat. The captain was brave and the soldiers loyal. Allies were close at hand. Hence, the enemy was no threat at all.
(f) Did the soldiers fight with the enemies face to face?
Answer:
- No, the soldiers did not fight with their enemies face to face.
(g) Who had let the enemies in?
Answer:
- The aged greedy wicket gate keeper had let the enemy in.
(h) How did the enemies enter the castle?
Answer:
- The enemies bribed the warder with gold coins. He opened the wicket gate and the castle was captured without bloodshed and fight.
Question (i)
Why were the secret galleries bare?
Answer:
- The secret galleries were looted by the cunning enemies. So, they were bare.
Question (f)
What was the ‘shameful act’?
Answer:
- Being sold to an enemy and losing the castle without heroic fight is a ‘shameful act’.
Question (k)
Why didn’t the narrator want to tell the tale to anybody?
Answer:
- The narrator did not want to tell the shameful act because it will expose the greed of the aged warder. He had sold them all for a bag of gold. They did not have any weapon to fight the invisible enemy within.
Question (l)
Why did the narrator feel helpless?
Answer:
- The narrator felt helpless because they could not fight gold. The greed for gold is an invisible and internal enemy and they had no weapon to fight it with. So, they felt helpless.
Question (m)
Who was the real enemy?
Answer:
- “The gold” was their real enemy.
2. Read the poem again and complete the summary using the words given in box.
Stanzas 1-3
|
half-a-kilometre |
watching |
castle |
|
brave |
ration |
capture |
|
plenty |
confident |
The Castle ’ by Edwin Muir is a moving poem on the (1) _____ of a well-guarded (2) _____ The soldiers of the castle were totally stress-free and relaxed. They were (3) _____ of theircastle’s physical strength. Through the turrets they were able to watch the mowers and noenemy was found up to the distance of (4) _____ and so they seemed no threat to the castle.They had (5) _____ of weapons to protect them and a large quantity of (6) _____ in stock to take care of the well-being of the soldiers inside the castle. The soldiers stood one above theother on the towering (7) _____ to shoot the enemy at sight. They believed that the castle was absolutely safe because their captain was (8) _____ and the soldiers were loyal.
Answers
- capture
- castle
- confident
- half-a-kilometre
- plenty
- ration
- watching
- brave
Stanzas 4-6
|
lamented |
shameful |
wicked guard |
bait |
|
let |
gold |
gold |
weapon |
|
weapon |
citadel |
weak |
weak |
|
disloyalty |
helpless |
enemy |
enemy |
Even by a trick no one but the birds could enter. The enemy could not use a (9) ______ for their entry inside the castle. But there was a wicket gate guarded by a (10) ______ He (11) ______ in the enemies confident inside the famous citadel that had been known for its secret gallery and intricate path. The strong castle became (12) ______ and thin because of the greedy disloyal warder. The (13) ______ was captured by the enemies for (14) ______ The narrator (15) ______ over the (16) ______ of the useless warder and also decided not to disclose this (17) ______ story to anyone. He was (18) ______ and wondered how he would keep this truth to himself. He regretted not finding any (19) ______ to fight with the (20) ______ called ‘gold’.
Answer:
9.weapon
- wicked guard
- let
- weak
- citadel
- gold
- lamented
- disloyalty
- shameful
- helpless
- enemy
- bait
12th English Guide Lesson 1 The Castle
3. Read the poem and answer the following in a short paragraph of 8-10 sentences each.
Question (a)
How safe was the castle? How was it conquered?
Answer:
- The castle was fortified by a deep moat very difficult for an enemy to cross. They had a stock pile of arms. Their captain was brave and the soldiers loyal. They had a huge stock of foodgrains to last any siege of the castle. Allies were ready to pitch in at a short notice. From the turret wall, soldiers were ready to shoot down the enemy at sight. Not a single enemy was spotted all through the summer. The soldiers were relaxed and spent time gazing at the mowers in the distant fields. But the castle’s wicket gate was guarded by an aged greedy gatekeeper. The warder collected gold from the enemy and let the enemies in. Their enemy was gold against which they had no weapon. Their castle fell to the greed of an aged warder.
Question (b)
Bring out the contrasting picture of the castle as depicted in stanzas 3 and 5.
Answer:
- The gates of the castle were very strong. The walls were high and smooth. No enemy could ever enter it by trick. The soldiers were quite alert to the movement of the enemies. They were proud that only a bird could venture to scale over the castle. But the enemies entered through the wicket gate. The tunnelled stone walls became thin and treacherous. The famous citadel ‘ was overthrown without a fight. The cunning enemies, having bribed the aged warder, looted the treasures in the secret galleries. The citadel was lost without a fight and a groan of protest.
Question (c)
Human greed led to the mighty fall of the citadel. Explain.
Answer:
- The loyal soldiers and their brave captain expected enemies from outside the castle. Their arms and army was ready to fight them. But they could not identify the enemy within. The soldiers were proud that no might would tear their castle down. But they were unaware of the • invisible soul-dead enemy within. The ingredients of personal downfall went unnoticed by them. If a person never looks within, the faults that can be their doom go overlooked. Their reality could crumble while they gaze outward and pride themselves on their sureness. This is what happened precisely with the soldiers of the castle. They only focused on the strength of their physical surroundings and what was beyond the castle. Human greed-propelled betrayal from within caused the castle’s downfall.
Additional Questions
Question (a)
Why did the narrator say that their “only enemy was gold”?
Answer:
- The narrator was very proud of the awe-inspiring castle. The soldiers were least bothered about the enemy who was just half a mile away. They had a well -guarded, tall, smooth and insurmountable fort. They were led by a brave captain. The soldiers were loyal and ready to lay down their lives for protecting the castle and the trusting citizens of their country. There was constant vigil from the turret wall to shoot down the enemy at sight. They were proud that only a bird could have the temerity to scale over the fortified castle. They were even prepared for a siege as they had well-stocked granaries. In the event of the outbreak of a war, allies were ready to rush with their assured forces in support of them.
- But the soldiers were unaware of the truth, “the strength of the strongest chain lies in its weakest link”. An aged warder of a wicked wicket gate had a cancerous growth of greed. As the enemy was hidden within the soul of their own citizen, they had no weapon to fight it. Gold was ultimately their enemy. Jesus Christ was betrayed for “thirteen pieces of silver by his own disciple”. Similarly, the wicked gate keeper betrayed his country for a bag full of gold. The great citadel fell without even a groan of protest and without shedding “a jot of blood.”
Appreciate The Poem
4. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow in a line or two.
(a) “All through the summer at ease we lay,
And daily from the turret wall
We watched the mowers in the hay”
Question (i)
Who does ‘we’ refer to?
Answer:
“We” refers to the brave and loyal soldiers in the castle.
Question (ii)
How did the soldiers spend the summer days?
Answer:
They spent the summer days gazing out of the castle. They were ready to shoot the enemy at sight who were at half-a kilometer distance. But none came near. So, they were relaxed.
Question (iii)
What could they watch from the turret wall?
Answer:
They could watch the farmers mowing at a distance from inside their turret walls.
(b) “Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
So smooth and high, no man could win. ”
Question (i)
How safe was the castle?
Answer:
The castle had high and smooth walls. No enemy could think of climbing it as soldiers were ready to shoot the enemy at sight. The moat was deadly and deep.
Question (ii)
What was the firm belief of the soldiers?
Answer:
The soldiers had the firm belief that their castle was invincible. They felt safe and secure behind the castle.
(c) “A foothold there, no clever trick
Could take us dead or quick,
Only a bird could have got in.”
Question (i)
What was challenging?
Answer:
Scaling over the castle’s smooth and high walls was challenging.
Question (ii)
Which aspect of the castle’s strength is conveyed by the above line?
Answer:
The physical strength of the castle (i.e.) its brave and loyal soldiers, the stockpile of arms and well stocked granary, is conveyed here.
(d) “Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
The castle was lost without a groan,
The famous citadel overthrown
Question (i)
Bring out the contrast in the first two lines.
Answer:
The maze of tunnelled stone walls instead of intriguing the enemies, gave passage to them. So, the poet says the secret tunnelled path became thin and treacherous as air.
Question (ii)
What happened to the castle?
Answer:
The castle was captured by the enemies.
(e) “We could do nothing, being sold.”
Question (i)
Why couldn’t they do anything?
Answer:
The enemies had entered through the wicket gate stealthily and easily occupied their castle.
Question (ii)
Why did they feel helpless?
Answer:
They felt helpless because they had no weapon to fight “Gold” their invisible enemy. Their castle fell due to the unnoticed greed of their warder, an aged man.
Additional Questions
(a) “And the enemy half a mile away
They seemed no threat to us at all ”
Question (i)
What were the soldiers expecting?
Answer:
The soldiers were expecting a war.
Question (ii)
Where were the enemies?
Answer:
The enemies were half a mile away.
Question (iii)
Were they afraid? Why?
Answer:
No, they were not afraid because they had a huge army, strong fort and loyal soldiers.
(b) “For what, we thought, had we to fear
With our arms and provender, load on load,”
Question (i)
What was the mood of the soldiers?
Answer:
The soldiers were confident of winning the war.
Question (ii)
What made the soldiers confident?
Answer:
They had enough grains to survive a siege and plenty of arms to fight the war. These things made them confident.
(c) “ What could they offer us for bait?
Our captain was brave and we were true. ”
Question (i)
What do you mean by bait?
Answer:
Bait means something intended to entice someone to do something usually dishonourable.
Question (ii)
Why did the soldiers believe that they were invincible?
Answer:
The soldiers believed that they were invincible because their captain was brave and they were loyal.
5. Explain the following with reference to the context in about 50-60 words each.
Question (a)
They seemed no threat to us at all.
Answer:
Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation: The poet says these words while flaunting the invincibility of their strong castle. They could watch the movement of enemies from the turret wall and shoot down the enemy at a distance of half-a-kilometer. They had a stock pile of arms. Their granary was full to sustain the people in the event of a siege. Only a bird could have got into the castle. So, the enemies did not seem to be a threat at all to the soldiers.
Question (b)
How can this shameful tale be told?
Answer:
Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation: The narrator feels disgraced that their strong castle was overtaken without a groan. There was no fight. They were helpless because under the cover of darkness, they were sold for gold by the aged warder. It was a shameful and treacherous act of betrayal. The castle had fallen due to the greed of an aged warder. The narrator is hesitant to disclose the shameful betrayal to outsiders.
Question (c)
I will maintain until my death
Answer:
Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation: The poet says this while recounting the shameful act of betrayal by the aged warder of the wicket gate. The narrator was overconfident of the invincibility of their castle, their stock piled arms and well-stocked granary. They had a brave captain and loyal soldiers. In an open war, they need not fear defeat as their friendly neighbours were also willing to join them during a war against any invader. But their enemy was within their fortified castle. They were sold for a bag of gold. Without a groan the citadel was captured. It was a shameful way to lose one’s side. So, the narrator prefers not to recount this shameful secret to anyone so long as he is alive.
Question (d)
Our only enemy was gold
Answer:
Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation: The helpless soldier says this while being surprised by the enemies who bribed the wicked wicket gate keeper. The soldier was initially proud of their fortified castle, brave and loyal soldiers and pile of arms and the well-stocked granary to last a siege. There was vigil behind the turret wall. But he was not aware of the enemy within the human soul: the greed. Gold was their enemy for which they had no weapon. The wizened warder had let the enemy in through the wicket gate by taking “gold”. The weakness of the gatekeeper for gold made the strong castle weak.
Additional Questions
Question (a)
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
So smooth and high, no man could win
Answer:
Reference : These lines are from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words while describing the confidence level of the soldiers about the might of the castle. The gates of the castle were strong. The walls were high and smooth. It appeared very formidable for any enemy to conquer.
Question (b)
A little wicked wicket gate.
The wizened warder let them through.
Answer:
Reference : These lines are from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words while describing the circumstances that led to the conquest of the castle without any bloodshed. A greedy aged warden let the enemies in through a little wicket gate.
Question (c)
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
Answer:
Reference : These lines are from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words while describing the betrayal of the wizened warden. His betrayal resulted in weakening the tunneled maze into thin walls exposing the treachery andbreach of trust by the warder.
Question (d)
The famous citadel overthrown,
And all its secret galleries bare.
Answer:
Reference : These lines are from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words while describing the evil impact of cunning invasion of the castle. The enemies ransacked the rare treasures of art and culture guarded in secret galleries in the castle.
Question (e)
How can this shameful tale be told?
Answer:
Reference : This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words while describing the treacherous betrayal of the aged warden. He had taken gold and let the enemy in. The soldiers who were ready to lay down their lives to protect their castle were shamefully overpowered by the trick of the enemy and the greed of the warder. The soldier is reluctant to relate this shameful tale.
Question (f)
And we had no arms to fight it with.
Answer:
Reference : This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context and Explanation : The poet says these words about the helplessness of the soldiers. They were taken by surprise by the enemies at night. The enemies had won them with gold against which they had no weapon. Human greed has destroyed the brave and loyal soldiers and the castle is captured by foes.
6. Read the poem and complete the table with suitable rhyming words
All through that summer at ease we lay,
And daily from the turret wall
We watched the mowers in the hay
And the enemy half a mile away
They seemed no threat to us at all.
For what, we thought, had we to fear
With our arms and provender, load on load,
Our towering battlements, tier on tier,
And friendly allies drawing near
On every leafy summer road.
Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,
So smooth and high, no man could win
A foothold there, no clever trick
Could take us dead or quick,
Only a bird could have got in.
What could they offer us for bait?
Our captain was brave and we were true…
There was a little private gate,
A little wicked wicket gate.
The wizened warder let them through.
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
The cause was lost without a groan,
The famous citadel overthrown,
And all its secret galleries bare.
How can this shameful tale be told?
I will maintain until my death
We could do nothing, being sold:
Our only enemy was gold,
And we had no arms to fight it with.
lay hay
Answer:
|
lay |
hay |
|
wall |
all |
|
thick |
trick |
|
win |
in |
|
fear |
near |
|
load |
road |
|
bait |
gate |
|
sold |
gold |
|
true |
through |
|
stone |
groan |
|
air |
bare |
7. Underline the alliterated words in the following lines.
Question (a)
With our arms and provender, load on load.
Answer:
With our arms and provender, load on load.
Question (b)
A little wicked wicket gate.
Answer:
A little wicked wicket gate.
Question (c)
The wizened warder let them through.
Answer:
The wizened warder let them through.
8. Identify the figure of speech used in the following lines.
Question (a)
A little wicked wicket gate.
Answer:
Personification
Question (b)
Oh then our maze of tunneled stone
Answer:
Metaphor
Question (c)
Grew thin and treacherous as air.
Answer:
Simile
Question (d)
How can this shameful tale be told?
Answer:
Personification
Question (e)
Our only.enemy was gold.
Answer:
Personification
Question 9.
Can you call ‘The Castle’ an allegorical poem? Discuss.
Answer:
- The castle is doubtless an allegorical poem. The outward strength of the castle is matchless. It is fortified well. It has brave soldiers and large quantity of arms are stockpiled. The castle houses well stocked granary also. But the castle also conceals the ingredients of personal downfall within. If a person does not look within, their doom may be unstoppable. It is very difficult to protect oneself against greed, particularly the love of gold, instilled deep in the psyche of human beings. People say, “everything is fair in love and war.” People resort to anything to win in a war. Gandhi said, “the end never justifies the means.” But in times of war people stoop down to any betrayal to win. Thus, the castle is an allegorical poem.
Listening Activity
Following is one of the most celebrated poems of Rupert Brooke. It describes the noble sacrifice of an English soldier.
The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some comer of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
Some phrases have been left out in the poem below. Fill in the missing phrases on listening to the reading or the audio played by the teacher. You may listen again, if required. Soldier
If I should die, (1)_____ That there’s some comer (2)_____ That is (3)_____ There shall beIn that rich earth a richer (4)_____ A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,Gave, (5)_____ roam;A body (6)_____ air,Washed (7)_____ suns of home.And think, (8)_____ away,A pulse in the (9)_____ , no less Gives somewhere back (10) given;Her (11)_____ ; dreams happy as her day;And laughter, (12)_____ ; and gentleness,In hearts (13)_____ English heaven.
Answer:
- think only this of me
- of a foreign field
- forever England
- dust concealed
- once, her flowers to love, her ways to
- of England’s breathing English
- by the rivers, blest by
- this heart, all evil shed
- eternal mind
- the thoughts by England
- sights and sounds
- learnt of friends
- at peace, under an
The Castle About the Poet
Edwin Muir (1887-1959), a renowned Scottish poet, novelist, translator and critic is remembered for his vivid poetry. He began writing poetry at a relatively old age, and over the course of several years worked out an individual, philosophical style for which he gained”recognition later in his life. First Poems and Chorus of the Newly Dead contain Muir’s initial attempts. Muir’s later collections include Variations on a Time Theme, The Narrow Place, The Voyage and Other Poems, The Labyrinth, and One Foot in Eden.
The Castle Summary in English
Edwin Muir’s ‘The Castle’ describes the capture of a castle through the eyes of a helpless soldier who witnessed the fall. Throughout the poem, the poet employs a constant ABAAB rhyme building the confidence of the readers about the strength of the castle and the invincibility of their status in the event of a war. Being confident of the strength of the fort, depth of the moat, and quantum of weapons, access to the allies, readiness to shoot the enemies from the turret walls of the fort, the soldiers were relaxed watching the mowers in the fields at work. There was no doubt about the valour of their captain and the loyalty of the soldiers.
They were confident of the sufficiency of the stockpile of food grains even if the castle came under siege. Citizens slept in peace. The soldiers were proud of the fact that in an armed combat they will surely win. But there was a wicket wicked gate guarded by an old man. The enemy bribed the aged gate keeper and the castle fell into the hands of the enemies. The brave soldiers had no weapon to fight human greed for “gold”.
The Castle Summary in Tamil
எட்வின் மூர் ‘கோட்டை’ எனும் கவிதை அந்த நாடு எதிரிகள் கைப்பற்றியதைக் கண்டு செய்வதறியாது திகைத்த சிப்பாயின் துயரக் கதையை விவரிக்கிறது. கவிதை முழுவதுமான ABAAB எனும் இசை நயத்தைக் கவிஞர் கையாண்டு போரின் போது நாட்டின் பலத்தையும். தோற்கடிக்க முடியாத அவர்களின் தகுதியையும் வாசகர்கள் நம்பிக்கைக்கு உகந்த வண்ணம் கையாண்டுள்ளார். கோடை காலத்தில் இளைப்பாறிக் கொண்டு கோபுரத்தின் வழியாக சிப்பாய்கள் அறுவடை செய்பவர்களை வயலிலும் மற்றும் எதிரிகளை அரை மைல் தொலைவிலும் கண்ட போது அவர்கள் அபாயகரமானவர்களாகத் தோன்றவில்லை. ஒவ்வொரு இலையுதிர் கோடைக் காலத்திலும் படை பலமும், தானியக் குவியலும் அபரிமிதமாக இருக்க, கம்பீரத் தோற்றமுடைய சிப்பாய்கள் மற்றும் நேச நாடுகளும் அருகாமையில் இருக்க அவர்கள் எதற்குப் பயப்படவேண்டும் என்றே கருதினார்கள்.
ஒரு பறவை மட்டுமே பறந்து கடக்கவல்ல வலிமை மிக்க கதவுகளும், கடினமான, வளவளப்பான சுவர்களும் இருக்க எந்த சூழ்ச்சியும், சிப்பாய்களைப் பிணமாகவோ அல்லது உயிருடனோ பிடிக்க இயலாது. சிப்பாய்கள் நம்பிக்கைக்கு உகந்தவர்களாக இருக்க, தளபதி வீரனாக இருக்க சிப்பாய்களை சபலப்படுத்துவதற்கு எதிரிகளிடம் எதுவும் இல்லை . ஆனால், அந்த வாயிற்கதவின் வயது முதிர்ந்த – காலாளி எதிரிகளை உள்ளே நுழையவிட நாடு சத்தமின்றி எதிரிகள் வசமானது. இந்த அவலநிலை தன் உயிர் உள்ள மட்டும் மறவா வண்ணம் இருக்கும் என சிப்பாய் கூறினார். மனிதனின் பொருள் வேட்கையால் தாம் அடிமையாக்கப்பட்டதை எதிர்த்துப் போரிட எந்த ஆயுதமும் இல்லாமல் போயிற்று, தங்கம் எதிரியால் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டதால், வயதான வாயிற்காப்போனின் மனதில் மறைந்திருந்த பேராசை அவர்களது பலமான கோட்டையும், நாட்டையும் காவு வாங்கியது.
