Class 11 English NCERT Poetry Book Woven words Lesson 2 Let Me Not to the Marriage of Ture Minds Questions and Answers.
Understanding the poem
1. ‘Constancy’ is the theme of the poem. Indicate the words, phrases and images that suggest the theme.
2. Why do you think the poet has used so many ‘negatives’ to make his statement?
3. What does the lines ‘I never writ, nor no man ever loved’ imply?
4. Love is presented as the poet has used this form rather than involving human agents?
5. Explain the phrases
a. his bending sickle’s compass
b. Time’s fool
Answer:
Understanding the Poem
1. ‘Constancy’ is the theme of the poem. Indicate the words, phrases, and images that suggest the theme.
The theme of constancy in love is suggested by phrases like:
“Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds” (indicating that true love doesn’t change).
“ever-fixed mark” (a symbol of steadfastness and constancy).
“looks on tempests and is never shaken” (love endures through difficulties).
“Love’s not Time’s fool” (love remains unaffected by the passing of time).
“bears it out even to the edge of doom” (love lasts until the end of time).
2. Why do you think the poet has used so many ‘negatives’ to make his statement?
Shakespeare uses negatives to emphasize what love is not in order to contrast it with what true love actually is. By eliminating misunderstandings or false versions of love, he reinforces the idea of love’s unchanging and eternal nature. The negatives (“alters,” “remover,” “Time’s fool,” etc.) help to highlight the certainty and purity of true love by describing its opposite.
3. What do the lines ‘I never writ, nor no man ever loved’ imply?
These lines suggest that the poet is so certain about his definition of true love that he stakes his entire reputation on it. He claims that if he is wrong about what true love is, then all his writings are false, and no man has ever truly loved. This extreme statement underscores his confidence in the truth of his understanding of love’s constancy.
4. Why is love presented as an abstract concept rather than involving human agents?
By presenting love as an abstract, universal concept, Shakespeare elevates it to something more than just an emotion between two individuals. He portrays love as an ideal, timeless, and unchanging force, detached from the imperfections of human behavior. This helps to convey the idea that true love transcends personal experiences and is part of a greater truth.
Explain the phrases:
a. “his bending sickle’s compass”
This refers to Time as a reaper with a sickle, a traditional image of death or aging. The “bending sickle” symbolizes the inevitable passing of time and how it brings aging and decay. “Compass” refers to the area within which the sickle can cut, meaning the influence of time on physical beauty and youth.
b. “Time’s fool”
“Time’s fool” means being at the mercy of time, as in someone who is manipulated or diminished by the effects of time. In the context of the poem, it suggests that love is not subject to the ravages of time, unlike physical beauty or human life, which are “fools” to time’s effects.
Try his out
This poem is Shakespearean sonnet.
1. What do you understand by a sonnet?
2. Look at some other sonnets and notice the variations in the structure of the sonnet that are possible.
Answer:
1. What do you understand by a sonnet?
A sonnet is a 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, following a specific rhyme scheme. There are several types of sonnets, with the most well-known being the Shakespearean (English) sonnet and the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet. The Shakespearean sonnet is structured as three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a concluding couplet (two-line stanza). The rhyme scheme typically follows ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Sonnets often explore themes such as love, time, beauty, and mortality.
2. Look at some other sonnets and notice the variations in the structure of the sonnet that are possible.
There are a few common variations in the structure of sonnets:
Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet:
Structure: It consists of an octave (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines). The octave typically presents a problem or situation, and the sestet provides a resolution or reflection.
Rhyme Scheme: The octave follows ABBA ABBA, while the sestet can vary, often using patterns like CDE CDE or CDC CDC.
Spenserian Sonnet:
Structure: This sonnet form, created by Edmund Spenser, is similar to the Shakespearean sonnet but uses interlocking quatrains.
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
Miltonic Sonnet:
Structure: Similar to the Petrarchan sonnet, but with no break between the octave and the sestet.
Focus: Unlike traditional sonnets focused on love, Milton used the form to explore political, philosophical, and religious themes.
These variations in rhyme scheme, structure, and thematic focus illustrate the flexibility of the sonnet form, allowing poets to adapt it to their creative needs.