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Chapter 4.1 Under the Greenwood Tree

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Chapter 4.1 Under the Greenwood Tree

Textbook Questions and Answers

1. From the poem, find the old word used for each of the following.

Question a.
towards, here, does
Answer:
hither, hither, doth

2. Write in your own words.

Question a.
Who does the poet invite to join him?
Answer:
The poet invites all those people who love nature and are ready to shun their ambitions and appreciate life in nature, to join him.

Question b.
How should that person sing?
Answer:
That person should sing happily just like a free bird.

Question c.
What message does the poem convey?
Answer:
The message conveyed through this poem is that if one wants to live a peaceful life without tensions, enemies and problems, he should spend his life in nature, wherein he would be happy and relaxed. He should forget all his desires and rejoice in the glory of nature like a free bird.

3. Pick out the lines that mean.

Question a.
Sing in such a manner
Answer:
turn his merry note

Question b.
One who wishes to join me
Answer:
who loves to lie with me

Question c.
Who gives up his desire for wealth, power, fame, etc.
Answer:
who doth ambition shun

Question d.
Life in the forest is free from ill-wishers.
Answer:
here shall he see no enemy

Question e.
Happy to eat whatever he can get.
Answer:
seeking the food he eats, and pleased with what he gets

4. Find from the Internet and write down.

Question a.
In which century did William Shakespeare write his famous plays ?
Answer:
William Shakespeare wrote his plays in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century.

Question b.
From which play is this song extracted ?
Answer:
This song is extracted from William Shakespeare’s comedy play ‘As You Like It’.

Question c.
Which character from the play sings this song?
Answer:
The song is sung by ‘Amiens’, a loyal courtier of Duke Senior.

5. Be a poet. Try to complete the following poem with words that rhyme with each other.

Question a.


Answer:
I’d love to live a life that’s free,
Relax under a shady tree,
And fall into a dreamy sleep,
With no strict hours, forced to keep And sing aloud a merry song,
Untrodden paths, as I walk along.
You ask me what I’d get to eat?
Fruits and nuts and berries sweet You ask me with whom I’d get to play Birds and animals, happy and gay And if a woodcutter put a chop Firmly, I would put a stop So that’s the life I’d like too to lead Free from worries, free from greed

Additional Important Questions and Answers

Reading Skills and Poetic Device.

Simple Factual Questions:

Question 1.
State whether the following statement true or false.
1. The only enemy in the forest would be the winter and rough weather.
2. People who do not persue their ambition would be happy to live in nature.
Answer:
1. True
2. True.

Poetic Device.

Question 1.
Pick out the rhyming words from the poem.
Answer:

  1. tree – me
  2. note – throat
  3. see – enemy
  4. hither – weather

Question 2.
Give the rhyme scheme for the 1st four lines.
Answer:
Tire rhyme scheme for the 1st four lines is aabb.

Question 3.
Come hither, come hither. (Name the figure of speech of the above line)
Answer:
Tire figure of speech is Repetition. The words ‘come hither’ has been repeated for better poetic effect.

Do as directed.

Question 1.
Give the rhyme scheme for the last four lines.
Answer:
The rhyme scheme for the last four lines is abba.

Question 2.
Who doth ambition shun. (Name the figure of speech)
Answer:
Inversion – The words are not in proper order for better poetic effect. The proper order is ‘Who doth shun ambition’.

Question 3.
Here shall he see No enemy. (Figure of speech)
Answer:
Inversion – The words are not in proper order. The proper order is ‘Here he shall see no enemy’.

Summary in English

Through the poem Shakespeare invites people to join him in enjoying the merry singing of the birds in the trees. There are no enemies there to be disturbed about except the vagaries of extreme cold and rough weather. They can be happy eating what they get enjoying the sunshine and giving up lofty ambitions.

Introduction:

This poem has been taken from William Shakespeare’s play ‘As you like it.’ Amiens, a courtier sings the song ‘under the Greenwood Tree’ in the play.

Glossary:

  1. greenwood (n) – forest filled with trees full of green leaves
  2. merry (adj) – jolly and full of high spirits
  3. note (n) – a musical sound; a tone (musical)
  4. hither (adv) – come here; over here
  5. ambition (n) – desire to achieve something
  6. shun (v) – to avoid
  7. seeking (v) – searching; looking for
  8. pleased (adj) – happy; content