Samacheer Kalvi solutions for English Class 12 TN Board chapter 1.2 - The Castle [Latest edition]

What thoughts come to your mind when you think about a castle? Add your ideas to the list

moat, huge buildings, soldiers, weapons ______,______.

Have you ever visited a fort or a castle?

Fill in the following empty boxes.

Who is the narrator in the poem?

How long had the soldiers been in the castle?

Why were the soldiers in the castle fearless?

Where were the enemies?

Why does the narrator say that the enemy was no threat at all?

Did the soldiers fight with the enemies face to face?

Who had let the enemies in?

How did the enemies enter the castle?

Why were the secret galleries bare?

What was the ‘shameful act’?

Why didn’t the narrator want to tell the tale to anybody?

Why did the narrator feel helpless?

Who was the real enemy?

Read the poem again and complete the summary using the words given in box.

Stanzas 1–3

‘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 their castle’s physical strength. Through the turrets they were able to watch the mowers and no enemy 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 the other on the towering battlements (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.

Stanzas 4–6

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 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’.

How safe was the castle? How was it conquered?

Bring out the contrasting picture of the castle as depicted in stanzas 3 and 5.

Human greed led to the mighty fall of the citadel. Explain.

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

All through the summer at ease we lay,

And daily from the turret wall

We watched the mowers in the hay

1. Who does ‘we’ refer to?
2. How did the soldiers spend the summer days?
3. What could they watch from the turret wall?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,

So smooth and high, no man could win.

1. How safe was the castle?
2. What was the firm belief of the soldiers?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

A foothold there, no clever trick

Could take us dead or quick,

Only a bird could have got in.

1. What was challenging?
2. Which aspect of the castle’s strength is conveyed by the above line?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

1. Bring out the contrast in the first two lines.
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the given stanza?

Read the given line and answer the question that follow in a line or two.

We could do nothing, being sold.

1. Why couldn’t they do anything?
2. Why did they feel helpless?

Our gates were strong, our walls were thick,

Our captain was brave and we were true

They seemed no threat to us at all.

How can this shameful tale be told?

I will maintain until my death

Our only enemy was gold

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.

Underline the alliterated word in the following line.

With our arms and provender, load on load.

Underline the alliterated word in the following line.

A little wicked wicket gate.

Underline the alliterated word in the following line.

The wizened warder let them through.

Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

A little wicked wicket gate.

Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

Oh then our maze of tunneled stone

Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

Grew thin and treacherous as air.

Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

How can this shameful tale be told?

Identify the figure of speech used in the following line.

Our only enemy was gold,

Can you call ‘The Castle’ an allegorical poem? Discuss.

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

The Soldier

If I should die, ______

That there’s some corner______

That is ______ There shall be

In that rich earth a richer ______

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, _____ roam;

A body ______ air,

Washed ______ suns of home.

And think, ______ away,

A pulse in the ______, no less

Gives somewhere back ______ given;

Her______; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter,______ and gentleness,

In hearts .______ English heaven.

Rupert Brooke