ABUDHABI INDIAN SCHOOL AL WATHBA BR 1

(2023-2024)

WANDER – THIRST- (NOTES)

I. Word meanings:

1. Beyond: to the further side of.

2. Wander thirst: the desire to explore
3. Bid: command
4. Voyaging: going on a journey
5. Yonder: there
6. Guide: a person who shows the way to others

II. Give the synonyms for the following:

1. Sunrise: dawn
2. Friend: companion
3. Voyage: journey
4. Yonder: beyond
5. Blame: accuse

III. Give one word for the following:

1. The line where the sky and the land seem to meet: Horizon
2. Seize the day: Carpe Diem
IV. Reference to the context:

1. ‘It works in me like madness, to bid me say goodbye’

a. Who does ‘me’ refer to?

The word ‘me’ refers to the poet.

b. Whose call is the poet responding to?

The poet is responding to the call of the seas, the stars and the sky which are calling
out to him to explore the world.

c. What is ‘It’ referred to?

‘It’ is referred to the poet’s unquenchable thirst to wander.

d. What does the above line tell us about the speaker?

The poet’s desire to travel is as compulsive as a thirst that must be quenched
immediately. The poet calls this desire his “wander-thirst” and says that the desire is
so strong that it does not leave him alone. Instead, it makes him to act like a mad
man. It makes him say goodbye to everything that’s dear to him.
 2. “And there’s no end of voyaging
when once the voice is heard,”

a. What is meant by the poet when he says, ‘no end of voyaging’?

Here the poet means that travelling and exploring have no limit or boundary.
Therefore, he wants to travel and explore each and every corner of the earth.

b. What is ‘voice’ referred to in the lines mentioned above?

The voice referred to here is the call of every object of nature i.e., the sky, stars, sun,
birds, seas, etc. that tempts the poet to set out on a journey.

V. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think the poet mentions two directions, East and West?
The poet mentions ‘The East’ as it stands for the rising sun and a new day. He
mentions ‘The West’ as it stands for the sea, the unknown and unexplored places.

2. What does the poet mean by the line - ‘The old ships draw to home again; the
young ships sail away’?
The poet says that he can easily see the horizon and he can see the two-way
movement of ships. He refers to the old ships to experienced people who are
coming home after a long journey, and trade, for retirement and rest. The young
ships are young people who are beginning their journey in life and career. They are
ready for new adventures and experiences.

3. Why do you think the poet say ‘come I may, but go I must’?
The poet is a wanderer, who loves to explore and doesn’t like to stop. However, he does
come home once in a while, for he has been journeying for years. Nevertheless, he cannot
remain on land for very long, and soon, he must go out into the sea again. He cannot ignore
the call of the stars, the sun, the white road and the sky. All these elements of nature call
him to keep on travelling and exploring till he reaches every corner of this planet.