Bright Star Poem Questions and Answers Marks-2
Q. 1. What is the occasion of the poem Bright Star?
Ans. Keats wrote the sonnet Bright Star in 1820, while he was on his way to Italy on a ship for the recovery of his falling health. It was composed on a blank page in a copy of Shakespeare’s poems facing A Lover’s Complaint. The sonnet shows a boy’s desire to pillow his head on fair rounded breasts and it is evident that Keats was still a boy and immature although in rich poetic expression he is an artist. [Bright Star Poem Questions and Answers]
Q. 2. Who does Bright Starstand for?
Ans. Bright Star is symbolic of Fanny Brawne. This poem reveals how Keats’ passion for Fanny Brawn was sobered by the thought of death and decay. Sidney Colvin has rightly remarked – “Bright Star is the only love-verse in which passion is attuned to tranquillity.”
Q. 3. What is the poem Bright Star about?
Ans. Keats’ Bright Staris a sonnet that shows his infatuation to be with his lover for eternity. The poem deals with love and appreciation of things that are unchanging. In the first two lines, Keats shows us that he would love to be around forever and full of life.[Bright Star Poem Questions and Answers
Q. 4. What type of poem is Bright Star?
Ans. In this poem, Keats uses a Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and the thought-pattern of a Petrarchan or Italian sonnet: one thought-chunk in the first eight lines or the octave and another thought-chunk in the last six lines i.e. the sestet.
Q. 5. What is the rhyme scheme in Bright Star?
Ans. The rhyme scheme in Bright Star is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. In this poem, Keats uses a Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and the thought-pattern of a Petrarchan or Italian sonnet: one thought-chunk in the first eight lines or the octave and another thought-chunk in the last six lines i.e. the sestet.
Q. 6. Why is Bright Star described as the poet’s swan song?
Ans. The poem, said to be the swan-song of Keats, has been highly praised by many critics for its remarkable poetic qualities. The poem breathes the passionate longing of the poet for the constant company of the beloved. His life has been lively enough. The uncertainty of love affair with Fanny Brawne, the falling health due to the on fall consumption and the hunting terror of approaching death had depressed the mind of the poet to its lowest depth.
Q. 7. What does the poet mean by “Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night”!
Ans. Keats points out the star’s isolation, as well as a positive quality, its splendour. Its isolation matches with the poet’s relationship with his beloved.
And watching, with eternal lids apart.
Q. 8. Locate and annotate: “And watching, with eternal lids apart”.
Ans. The quoted line occurs in the first quatrain of Keats’ sonnet Bright Star. The star’s isolation is implicit in its ‘watching and in its non-participation. It never sleeps. There is also a lack of motion in the star. Here ‘lids’ mean eyelids. a
Q. 9. Briefly explain the simile used in the line: “Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite.”
Ans. ‘Eremite’ refers to a hermit, usually with a religious connotation. The comparison of the star and the hermit emphasises the star’s sleeplessness. It is a part of the characterization of the star’s non-humanness, which makes it an impossible goal for a human being to aspire to.
Q.10. How is the mask of snow described in Bright Star?
Ans. The mask of snow described in soft and fallen. The star is patient and always awake but watching over what exactly Keats imagines how the great waters of the earth would appear from the bright star’s heavenly height. He likens that appearance of the earth’s waters round the shores that man can reach to the pure waters that the priest for’ablution’ which is a ritual washing by priests.
Q.11. Locate and annotate:”Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask” (1.7).
Ans. The “mask” is the covering of snow on the ground. This snow has pleasing connotations, being “new” and “soft.” All the moon can do is “gaze.”
Q.12. What is meant by “The mountains and the moors” in Bright Star? What is the figure of speech used here?
Ans. The landforms or hills and plains are referred to here. The alliteration in the repetition of ‘M’ sounds stresses the connection of these words, “The mountains and the moors” in Bright Star is an example of alliteration.
Q.13. Briefly explain double meaning of still in the line: “No-yet still steadfast, still unchangeable”.
Ans. The poet here speaks of himself. “Still” has two meanings here: (1) always or ever and (2) motionless.
Q.14. “Awake for ever in a sweet unrest”. What figure of speech do you find here?
Ans. In contrast to the eternal sleeplessness and motionlessness of the star, the poet’s sleeplessness is noteworthy. He remains “awake “and active. Now change or flux becomes desirable to the poet. “Sweet unrest,” is an example of oxymoron.
Q.15. Briefly explain the climax used in the last line “And so live ever-or else swoon to death”.
Ans. Keats says that if love does not enable him to live forever, he will die content in ecstasy and love. Here “for ever” or “ever,” emphasises steadfastness in time or eternity. It is an eternity of love, passion and sensuality. In a swift reversal, the poet accepts the possibility of dying from pleasure. “Swoon” has sexual overtones. We should note that the last word in the poem, of being an accented syllable, “death” carries a great deal of weight in the final effect and meaning of the poem. This is the climax of the poem. Keats says that if love does not enable him to live forever, he will die content in ecstasy and love.
Q.16. Briefly comment on the use of Keats’ religious imagery in the poem.
Ans. The religious imagery recursthroughout the poem. ‘Eremite orhermit is a religious recluseusually with a religious connotation. ‘Pure ablution ‘is a religious cleaning or ritual washing. This reference continues the religious imagery of “priest-like” and “Human shores”. The point of comparison is what the poet is and the star is not.
Q.17. Trace the religious vocabulary fromthe poem.
Ans. The religious imagery recursthroughout the poem. ‘Eremite’ orhermit is a religious recluseusually with a religious connotation. “Pure ablution ‘is a religious ritual of cleaning. Other religious vocabulary occurs in sleepless eremite and priest-like.
Q.18. Explain the phrase ‘sweet unrest in the poem.
Ans. The phrase ‘sweet unresť in the poem suggests that the love the poet-lover feels for his beloved brings him great happiness yet he has sexual feelings for her. The phrase ‘sweet unrest is an example of oxymoron.
Q.19. How are the beloved’s breasts described in Bright Star?
Ans. The beloved’s breasts are described in Bright Star as ripening. The poet speaks of his last and absolute desire he has is to lie ‘on the bosom of his fair love’s ripening breast so that he would experience that particular moment with the love of his life. For that special moment he would not sleep forever so as to feel the ‘soft fall and swell of her tender body’ because each moment would count. The ‘ripening breasť is an erotic, tactile image.
Q.20. How is the bright star in the poem Bright Starstand in the sky?
Ans. The bright star is alwayssteadfast.He poet addresses as “Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art”. As a sonnet, the opening line of this poem is often taken as the title of the poem. The bright star is unchanging as well as constant.
Q.21. What does the ‘eremite’ in the poem Bright Starmean?
Ans. The eremite in the poem Bright Star meanshermit.The rise and the fall of the tides twice a day are seen as a religiously performed ritual. With the poem’s shift to earth, there is movement and liveliness, as well as spirituality as indicated in ‘eremite’ and “priest like”.
Q.22. What is the figure of speech in “Sweet unrest” in Bright Star?
Ans. “Sweet unrest” in Bright Staris an example of oxymoron.An oxymoron is a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory. The adjective ‘sweet and the following noun ‘unresť are quite contrary yet placed side by side. Hence it is an oxymoron.
Q.23. What does the speaker in the poem Bright Starmean by “swoon to death”?
Ans. The speaker in the poem Bright Starwishes to swoon to death. Here “forever” or “ever,” emphasizes steadfastness in time or eternity. It is an eternity of love, passion and sensuality. In a swift reversal, the poet accepts the possibility of dying from pleasure. “Swoon” has sexual overtones. We should note that the last word in the poem, of being an accented syllable, “death” carries a great deal of weight in the final effect and meaning of the poem.
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