Linked PYQ
5. Study the following poem and answer all the questions which follow : 10x5=50
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
(a) The word 'balance' occurs many times in the poem. What is its significance and what does it contribute to the whole meaning?
(b) What is the effect of the contrasts in the poem?
(c) Does the mood of the poem change at any point? If so, what is the contribution of these changes to the poem as a whole?
(d) The poem is about coming to a decision. Trace various stages of this decision by examining the changes in mood and argument.
(e) Identify the metre of the poem. How does it suggest repetition and progression?
50M2020Study the following poem