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Question
Write Critical Appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format.
Points
- Title
- Poet
- Rhyme scheme
- Favourite line
- Theme/Central idea
- Figures of speech
- Special features - Type of the poem, language, tone, implied meaning, etc.
- Why I like/ dislike the poem.
Solution
The Pulley
The title of the poem is "The Pulley'. The poet is George Herbert.
The central idea of the poem is the reason for man's continual restlessness all his life. According to the poet, this is because God withheld the quality of rest from man, so that man's thoughts would ultimately turn towards God, his creator
Each verse of the poem has five lines. The rhyme scheme of each verse is a-b-a-b-a.
The chief figure of speech used in the poem is Metaphor. The glass of blessings' signifies the sum of all human qualities bestowed on man. The quality of 'rest' or 'contentment' is implicitly compared to a jewel'. The other figures of speech are Pun, Inversion, Paradox, etc.
This is a metaphysical poem with a message. And the message is that however rich we may be, or whatever the abundance of qualities we may have, we must always turn our thoughts to God and thank Him for the many blessings He has bestowed on us. The poem is rich in imagery and monologues. It is an example of an extended metaphor.
My favourite line in this poem is 'Let him be rich and weary. This brings out the paradox of man's nature so well. Even the richest man in the world finally gets tired and experiences discontentment. This is what God intended for man.
I like this poem very much because it teaches me not to be self-satisfied and contented but to always remember and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed on me.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
‘The Pulley’ is a mechanical device.
Try and write down places where it can be used, and for what purpose.
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You may have often indulged in talking to yourself audibly.
For example,
- “Oh, dear! Why didn't I get up sooner?”
- “Let me finish this quickly and then I’ll be free”.
- “How silly of me! Why didn’t I think of it before?”
Such expressions are called Dramatic Monologues.
Imagine and write Monologues suitable in the following situation.
It’s your birthday next week.
You may have often indulged in talking to yourself audibly.
For example,
- “Oh, dear! Why didn't I get up sooner?”
- “Let me finish this quickly and then I’ll be free”.
- “How silly of me! Why didn’t I think of it before?”
Such expressions are called Dramatic Monologues.
Imagine and write Monologues suitable in the following situation.
Your mother has been chatting for very long on the telephone.
With the help of the clues, pick out words containing the letter ‘a’ from the poem, and build a word-pyramid.
(a) an article
(b) a preposition
(c) the past tense of ‘lie’
(d) the maximum length of your open palm
(e) make much of
(f) loveliness
(g) in place of
(h) a collection of priceless valuables
(i) restlessness and discontent
Choose the correct alternative from the following.
Herbert’s poem ‘The Pulley’ displays ___________ as the two main themes.
Choose the correct alternative from the following.
The theme of the poem ‘The Pulley’ is ___________.
(Find two correct statements from the given alternatives.)
(i) to focus on the mechanical operation of a pulley.
(ii) to teach a lesson to a creation (man) by the Creator (God)
(iii) to know the different gifts bestowed on man by God.
(iv) to remind man about his creator in his exhaustion.
(v) God pulled man towards Him by making him restless and weary.
Choose the correct alternative from the following
_____________ is an example of a Pun from the poem.
Choose the correct alternative from the following.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is ____________.
Discuss and answer in your own words, and write in your notebook.
When does man generally turn to God? Give one example to support your response.
Write a paragraph on the points in the block given below to get a summary of the given stanza of the poem.
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