HOME THEY
BROUGHT HER WARRIOR DEAD
Alfred Lord Tennyson
(Exercise)
A. Complete the sentences by choosing the suitable ending from the box.
1. This poem narrates a moving incident
2. The incident in question is about a recently-widowed
3. All the mourners had expected the wife to faint at the sight
of her dead husband,
4. However, the hapless wife has no reaction;
5. All the women who were surrounding her rightly felt
that
6. They tried different ways to
7. They praised him exceedingly, calling him a loveable
person,
8. One of the maidens crept up to the departed warrior and
9. None of these tactics had any effect on the ill-fated
widow
10. Finally, an old lady of about ninety years got up
11. The recently widowed woman could take it no more;
12. She looked at her child and said
a.
a true friend and an honourable enemy.
b.
in four brief yet meaningful stanzas.
c.
and placed their child in her lap.
d.
she is I too much of a shock to show any emotion.
e.
that looking after him was the sole reason why she continued to live.
f.
if she did not weep, her grief would consume her.
g.
woman’s reaction to her husband’s untimely death in battle.
h.
help her release her pent up emotions.
i.
or to start weeping disconsolately.
j.
removed the cloth covering his face.
k.
to everyone’s relief tears rolled down her cheeks.
l.
who remained still, silent and seemingly stoic.
ANSWER
A. Complete the sentences by choosing the
suitable ending from the box.
1. This poem narrates a moving incident
b. in four brief yet meaningful stanzas.
2. The incident in question is about a recently-widowed
g. woman’s reaction to her husband’s untimely death in
battle.
3. All the mourners had expected the wife to faint at the sight
of her dead husband,
i. or to start weeping disconsolately.
4. However, the hapless wife has no reaction;
d. she is in too much of a shock to show any emotion.
5. All the women who were surrounding her rightly felt
that
f. if she did not weep, her grief would consume her.
6. They tried different ways to
h. help her release her pent up emotions.
7. They praised him exceedingly, calling him a loveable
person,
a. a true friend and an honourable enemy.
8. One of the maidens crept up to the departed warrior and
j. removed the cloth covering his face.
9. None of these tactics had any effect on the ill-fated
widow
l. who remained still, silent and seemingly stoic.
10. Finally, an old lady of about ninety years go up
c. and placed their child in her lap.
11. The recently widowed woman could take it no more;
k. to everyone’s relief tears rolled down her cheeks.
12. She looked at her child and said
e. that looking after him was the sold reason why she continued to
live.
B. Think and answer.
1. Why were the onlooker shocked at the response of the slain
warrior’s wife?
The onlookers were shocked because she seemed not to grieve
properly. They thought she might die if she did not weep as she should. They
believed that the pain she refused to let out would eventually kill her.
2. What does the old nurse’s action tell us about her? Why has
the poet chosen the old nurse for this action?
It tells us the concern that everyone has for the widow of the
slain warrior. When all their efforts failed to let her express the agony and
pain; the old nurse presents the child upon her knee. This reminds that a life
is dependent on her. This very action makes the widow weep like a summer
tempest.
3. Explain how this poem is about deep and suppressed
grief.
The poem brings the reader to see suppressed grief through the
eyes of the grieving maidens. The still, silent and seemingly stoic behaviour
of the slain warrior’s wife worries everyone present over there. They thought
she might die if she did not weep. She should let out her pain of the widow.
But none of the onlookers were able to break the silence of the widow into
tears.
C. Read these sentences from the text and answer the questions that follows.
Like a summer tempest came her tears
a. Who is weeping in this line and why?
The widow of the dead warrior or the mother of the child is weeping for the child to assure that she will live for the child.
b. Why didn’t she weep earlier?
She had been paralyzed with fear. She did not think about her own pain at losing her husband. Rather, she thought of the poor child. So she did not weep earlier.
c. What have her tears been compared to and why?
Her tears have been compared with ‘a summer tempest’. She turned
to see her child, and cried out her promise that she would take care of the
child and live for the child. It was at that moment that she was able to grieve
for her own loss.
D. Discuss in class.
1. It is not only the soldiers but also their families who make
great sacrifices for the sake of their country. Express your views on this
statement.
Yes, it is very true. Everyone knows the job of a soldier that he
may lose his life any moment in the battle; yet very willingly he joins the
army. Not everyone can make such sacrifice for the nation. Not a family but a
country needs such brave and strong soldiers to defend the country. The
families thus make a huge sacrifice knowing they might lose their dear ones
anytime in war.
2. A mother’s life is totally dedicated to her children.
Elucidate.
Unless and until one becomes a mother it is very difficult to say about the heart of a mother. But we all have experienced the unconditional love and care from our mothers. Very often they sacrifice their own comfort, interest and wished only to see and fulfil the wished of the children. Mothers are such that they make the dreams of the children their own dreams. Therefore behind their sacrifice and dedication we need find out and make efforts to make our mothers happy.
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