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After Blenheim
After Blenheim
Test Answers
2. Why is the victory not ‘great’ despite many people celebrating it?
The poet criticizes the common people’s idea of a great victory in war. It is because the common people don’t
have the logical mind to raise questions and innocently believe the propaganda of false patriotism
indoctrinated in them by the political leaders.
3. What does the reply ‘It was the English’ tell us about the speaker?
The quoted line from Robert Southey’s poem ‘After Blenheim’ reveals Kaspar’s nationality. It says that he was
an Englishman and that is why he was proud of the victory that England had over France in the Battle of
Blenheim.
6. What ‘thing’ according to Wilhelmine was wicked? Do you agree with her?
The Wicked thing was the furious battle of Blenheim. Undoubtedly I agree, it is so called as The Wicked thing
because it causes almost all the strange and unacceptable thing which are fatal, furious and wicked.
9. Why were the children confused at Kaspar’s claim regarding the war?
In the poem ‘After Blenheim’, old Kaspar claimed the Battle of Blenheim which caused great destruction and
loss of lives to be a ‘great victory’. That is why they could find no real reason in calling a war ‘great’ in any
sense.
10. Define the following terms from the poem: rivulet, ploughshare, yon, and childing
Rivulet- small stream ploughshare- the main cutting blade of a plough
Yon- that childing- pregnant