English X - Chapter No.18 - Words/Meaning, About Poet, Central Idea and Summary

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CASABIANCA

Words/Meaning

Words / Meaning

S.No.	Words	Meanings
1.	A banner	A flag or standard
2.	Burst	Explode
3.	The battle's wreck	The ship had become a wreck after being damaged in the fighting
4.	To boom	To make a deep, echoing sound as of guns.
5.	Chieftain	A chief: a leader
6.	Creature	Living beings
7.	The deck	The floor of a ship
8.	Fled	Ran away
9.	Fragments	Parts
10.	Gallant	Brave
11.	Helm	Wheel for steering a ship
12.	Heroic blood	The blood of great and noble people; the boy had inherited greatness and nobility from his forefathers
13.	Make way	To advance
14.	The mast	A thick tall pole of wood or metal to which a ship's sails are tied
15.	A pennon	A narrow flag flown from the top of the mast
16.	Perished	Destroyed
17.	Roll on	Move on
18.	A shroud	One of the ropes stretching from the mast to the side of a ship
19.	Strewed	Covered with small pieces
20.	Splendour	Excellence
21.	Stream	Wave
22.	Thunder	Large sound
23.	Unconscious	Unaware; Not knowing
24.	Wrapt	Wrapped

About Poetess
Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793-1835)

This poem is written by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793-1835). She was born at Liverpool, but the family moved to Wales where she was brought up. She was quick in mind and had a fine memory. As a poet, she has been compared to Longfellow. Like Cowper, she loved the pathetic, and there is great enthusiasm for chivalry and heroism in her work. She also stressed moral values.

Central Idea

Reference
This poem is written by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1973-1835). She was born at Liverpool, but the family moved to Wales where she was brought up. She was quick in mind and had a fine memory. As a poet, she has been compared to Long fellow. Like Cowper, she loved the pathetic, and there is great enthusiasm for chivalry and heroism in her work. She also stressed moral values.
Central Idea
The central idea of this poem is the the noble characteristics like chivalirism, obedience and morality demand the impossible, the obsolete and the death which itself transfigured into eternal life. Deep-rooted faithfulness is majestic and unmatched which makes a man rise above all personal affiliation.
Theme

“A man of courage is full of faith.”

OR

“Patriotism is a great virtue that makes people forgive their selfishness.”

Summary

This poem is written by an English poetess Felicia Dorothea Hemans. Casabianca is not purely fictitious story. It is a story of brave and innocent boy. The poetess has depicted a scene of sea battle. Where a ship is own ablaze with Casabianca standing on the deck. During the battle when every part of ship was gutted with fire, most of the crew members had died and the live ones had runaway to save their lives. But Casabianca kept standing, fearless of fire and enemy’s shelling where he was in obedience of his father’s order who was the captain of the ship. When the ship was burning with fire, Casabianca’s impatient nature made him ask the permission to leave the battle field but there was no reply as his father was dead. In the last three stanzas, the poetess has described the scene of Casabianca’s death when the flames of fire engulfed him, the ship was also blasted and his body blown to bites. But in reality his spirit and moral was not defeated. Till his last breath, he stood like rock facing death and danger.