Question 1.
\nI’ve thought of all by turns what are the things that the poet thinks of?
\nAnswer:
\nThe things that the poet thinks of are a flock of sheep leisurely passing by one after one; the sound of rain, and bees murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas, smooth fields, white sheets of water and pure sky.<\/p>\n
Question 2.
\nWhy couldn\u2019t the poet sleep for three nights?
\nAnswer:
\nThe poet couldn\u2019t sleep for three nights because sleep was running away from him.<\/p>\n
Question 3.
\nDo you think that sleep embraced the poet in the end? Why?
\nAnswer:
\nYes, I think that sleep embraced the poet in the end because he entreated her not to run away and praised her with some fine words.<\/p>\n
Question 4.
\nHow many of you can identify with Wordsworth\u2019s experience of lying awake until the \u2018birds twitter their dawn chorus\u2019?
\nAnswer:
\nMany of us can identify with Wordsworth\u2019s experience of being sleepless the whole night as they are stressed out by the pressures of life and so they cannot fall asleep until the birds twitter their dawn chorus.<\/p>\n
Question 5.
\nHow do you think the poet feels at the start of the poem?
\nAnswer:
\nAt the start of the poem the poet feels is a bit desperate and longs for sleep.<\/p>\n
Question 6.
\nPick out the images from the poem.
\nAnswer:
\nThe images from the poem are: A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by one after one, the falling rain, bees murmuring, the fall of rivers, white sheets of water and pure sky .smooth fields, twittering birds in the orchard and a mother bringing sweet things to her child.<\/p>\n
Question 7.
\nWhich lines or images do you think are the most effective in conveying the necessity of sound sleep?
\nAnswer:
\nThe last three lines are the most effective in conveying the necessity of sound sleep. Only if he sleeps the morning\u2019s wealth will have any meaning for him. Sleep is the blessed barrier between day and day and she is the mother who brings fresh thoughts and joyous health.<\/p>\n
Question 8.
\nThe poem ends in a note of wistful hope and prayer. Do you agree? Why?
\nAnswer:
\nYes, I agree that the poem ends in a note of wistful hope and prayer. The poet is requesting sleep to come to him. She has been running away for three nights in succession. He hopes she will listen to his entreaty and come to him this night.<\/p>\n
Question 9.
\nComment on the length of the poem and the poetic form.
\nAnswer:
\nThe poem is a sonnet. A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines with a strict pattern of rhyme and rhythm. There are different forms of the sonnet but they share some common things which include: a key idea, its proper development and a conclusion with a twist. A sonnet is divided into 2 parts. The first 8 lines are called an octave and the last 6 lines are called a sestet. The poet has used several images in the poem which include a flock of sheep that leisurely pass by one after one, the falling rain, bees murmuring, the fall of rivers, white sheets of water and pure sky, smooth fields, twittering birds in the orchard and a mother bringing sweet things to her child. The rhyming scheme in this sonnet is abba, abba, edc, cdc.<\/p>\n
Question 10.
\nThe poet uses several images in the poem, like the sound of rain and the sight of the fields. Identify the images used buy the poet in \u2018To Sleep\u2019.
\nAnswer:<\/p>\n
- \n
- a flock of sheep passing by one after one<\/li>\n
- bees murmuring<\/li>\n
- white sheets of water<\/li>\n
- pure sky<\/li>\n
- birds singing from the orchard trees<\/li>\n
- cuckoo\u2019s melancholy cry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Study the various poetic devices given on page 147 of the text.<\/p>\n
Activity – II (Critical Appreciation)<\/span><\/p>\n
Question 1.
\nBased on the above discussions, prepare a critical appreciation of the poem bearing the tips given on page 147 and 148 of the text.
\nAnswer:
\nThe poem To sleep\u2019 by William Wordsworth, who is known as the high priest of Nature, is an exquisite poem that presents to us some of the finest sights, sounds and movements of Nature. We can see a flock of sheep leisurely passing by one after one; we can the sound of rain and the murmuring of bees. We can hear the fall of rivers, winds and seas. We can see the smooth fields, white sheets of water and pure sky. We also hear the melodies of small birds coming from the orchard trees. We hear the cuckoo\u2019s melancholy cry.<\/p>\nThe poet can\u2019t sleep. Maybe he is worried about the bad things happened during the past. In fact he has not slept for a couple of days and this makes him all the more worried. If he does not sleep he won\u2019t be able to enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of the morning. Sleep brings fresh thoughts and joyous health.<\/p>\n
To Sleep\u2019 is a sonnet. In the octave (first 8 lines), the poet describes the alluring sights and sounds of Nature. In the sestet (the last 6 lines) he describes his condition without sleep and requests sleep not to run away from him. He also talks about the blessings sleep brings. The rhyming scheme in the octave is abba, abba, and in the sestet it is cdc, cdc.<\/p>\n
The poet has used personification effectively. Sleep is pictured as a mistress who is refusing to come to the poet. There is the Rhetorical Question \u201cWithout Thee what is all the mornings wealth?\u201d There is onomatopoeia in \u2018bees murmuring\u2019. There is fine alliteration in \u2018blessed barrier between\u2019. There is hyperbole in calling sleep as the \u2018Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health\u2019. On the whole To Sleep\u2019 is an enjoyable poem with a fine message for all of us.<\/p>\n
Question 2.
\nWordsworth\u2019s \u2018To Sleep\u2019tells us how important it is to have a sound sleep in order to remain mentally and physically fit. In this world where everything is \u2018instant\u2019 or instantly done, isn\u2019t it important to avoid unhealthy habits? Discuss.
\nAnswer:
\nIn our modern world everything has become \u2018instant\u2019. We get instant coffee and tea, instant meals from the fast-food outlets, instant cures by quacks and even instant sleep through sleeping pills. People are in a hurry and they want everything instant. In the readymade stores you can get almost everything instant. If things go like this, the day is not far off when we can also get instant \u2018babies\u2019.<\/p>\nThis desire for everything \u2018instant\u2019 is symptomatic of a disease that has gripped the modem society. People have lost the virtue of patience. Nobody is willing to wait for anything. This lack of patience makes us sick as it increases our blood pressure. We forget that ‘Haste makes waste\u2019. By consuming all the \u2018instant\u2019 foods and clicks we are spoiling our health. The same thing happens when we resort to instant cures. There are instances where people wanted instant sleep. They swallowed many pills and they never got up from their sleep!<\/p>\n
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