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Unit-3 - Practicing Positive Work Ethics
King Bruce And The Spider (Poem)
English For Class X (2022 and Onward
Reference To Context
Note : Students are advised to read whole chapters and poems thoroughly for reference to context.
Text Book Name: Secondary Stage English Book Two For Class X
Explain With Reference To Context (Poem)
Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook (1818-1889)
1. King Bruce of Scotland flung himself down
In a lonely mood to think;
Tis true he was monarch and wore a crown,
But his heart was beginning to sink.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Who was King Bruce? Or What do you know about King Bruce ? Or Why was King Bruce sad?
(iii) What does 'to flung oneself down' mean?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) King Bruce of Scotland was a very generous and patriotic Emperor. Once he fight with the British Army who wants to make a British colony in Scotland, but he was defeated. As he wanted to defeat his enemy, that’s why he made several attempts to get back his domain but he failed.
(iii) Flung oneself down means to throw oneself violently on a bed or on the floor,
Words / Meanings
1. To fling oneself down: to throw oneself violently on a bed or on the floor,
2. Monarch: king.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that King Robert Bruce of Scotland had been defeated in the battle field. Flung down himself on couch in despair, he was feeling very sad. He began to thing. No doubt he had been crowned as a king but the pressure of difficulties faced by him made him lose the heart.
To make his people glad;
He had tried and tried, but couldn't succeed,
So became quite sad.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) What do you know about poet?
(iii) What is meant by poetess when she says that “a great deed”?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Eliza Cook (1818-1889). Born in London she was the youngest of eleven children. She was entirely self-educated and wrote verses from the age of fourteen. Her first volume being published at seventeen. In 1849, she edited and published "Eliza Cook's Journal." Her work is simple and highly moral. In this poem, she teaches the reader what she always practiced in her own life: to keep on trying and never to be discouraged
(iii) The poetess has used the words “a great deed” for the King Bruce. He had been trying hard to protect his domain from the contaminated hands of enemy. As the protection of country keeps a very high rank among the man’s priorities of life, that’s why the poetess called it “a great deed”.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that King Robert Bruce had been trying to gain freedom for his country. He had fought many battles but he was defeated. He had been doing his best to make his people happy. Due to continuous failures he was disappointed.
3. He flung himself down in a low despair,
As grieved as man could be,
And after a while, as he pondered there,
"I'll give it all up" said he.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) What does 'in a low despair' and 'pondered' mean?
(iii) What is the message of the poem?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) In a low despair means downhearted; discouraged.
Pondered means thought.
(iii) (iv) This poem give us message that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success. 'Try try try again until you success."
Words / Meanings
1. In a low despair: downhearted; discouraged.
2. Pondered: thought.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that King Robert Bruce threw himself down on couch in disappointment. He was stricken with grief. He thought over again and again and decided at last to give up the struggle.
4. Now just at the moment a spider dropped,
With its silken cobweb clue,
And the King in the midst of his thinking stopped
To see what the spider would do.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Give the meaning of 'cobweb' and 'clue'.
(iii) What is the moral of this poem.
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Cobweb means fine network of single thread made by a spider.
Clue here it means a thread.
(iii) This poem teaches us that we should not be disappointed or discouraged by unfavorable circumstances. We should keep on trying again again inspite of failures. We should not forget that failures are the pillars to success.
Words / Meanings
1. Cobweb: fine network of single thread made by a spider.
2. Clue: here it means a thread.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells just at the moment, when King Bruce was thinking to give up struggle, a spider fell down with his fine thread cobweb from the roof, the King stopped thinking and began to watch the movements of the spider.
5. ‘T was a long way up to the ceiling dome,
And it hung by a rope so fine,
That how it would get to its cobweb home
King Bruce could not divine.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) What does 'ceiling dome' mean?
(iii) Explain 'King Bruce could not divine'?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Ceiling dome means rounded roof
(iii) Here divine means to make out. In above lines the poetess says that King Bruce could not fore tell that what would happen and how would spider reach his home.
Words / Meanings
1. Ceiling dome: rounded roof.
2 To divine: to make out.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the distance between the spider and the round roof of cave was great and the thread of the cobweb was very fine that King Bruce could not fore tell that what would happen and how would spider reach his home.
6. It soon began to cling and crawl
Straight-up with strong endeavour;
But down it came with a slippery sprawl.
As near to the ground as ever.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Explain line 'down it came with a slippery sprawl'?
(iii) What is the message of the poem?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) In this line the poetess says that when the spider took hold of cobweb thread and began to climb up to the roof but it came slipping down along the wall and hung in an awkward position.
(iii) Robert Bruce was a King of Scotland. He tried many time to free his people from the English. Due to his repeated failures, he was very grieve. He was sitting in a cave. Suddenly he saw a spider who was trying to reach to her cobweb. Spider tried nine times but it failed. King Bruce thought that the poor creature would try no more. However the spider succeeded in the 10th attempt to reach its cobweb. This poem give us message that we should not be disappointed by failures. After the success to spider the King Bruce sounded in a optimistic order. “All honour to those who tries persistently.”
Words / Meanings
1. Down it came with a slippery sprawl: came slipping down along the wall and hung in an awkward position.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that spider once took hold of cobweb thread and began to climb up with difficulty. It made an effort to go right up to the roof but it slipped and fell down on the earth as close to the ground as before its climb.
7. Up, up it ran, not a second, could stay,
To utter the least complaint,
Till it fell still lower, and there it lay,
A little dizzy and faint.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Give meaning of dizzy.
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Dizzy means giddy; having a feeling that everything is turning round.
(iii)
Words / Meanings
1. Utter: to speak.
2. Dizzy: giddy; having a feeling that everything is turning round.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that after falling the Spider at once rose from the ground without waiting to complain and began to climb on. But it fell down again very badly. Its head began to whirl round and lay there for a while. This time he became dazed and unconscious.
8. It's head grew steady again it went,
And traveled a half-yard higher;
T was a delicate thread it had to tread,
And a road where its feet would tire.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Give the meaning of 'head grew steady' , 'delicate thread' and 'tread'?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Head grew steady means came to its senses; here it means gained balance.
Delicate thread means of fine texture
Tread means to walk
Words / Meanings
1. Head grew steady: came to its senses; here it means gained balance.
2. Delicate thread: of fine texture
3. Tread: to walk.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the spider recovered its senses and climbed half a yard higher than before. The thread however, was very delicate and there was a constant danger of its breaking down. There fore it was difficult and tire some for the spider to climb.
9. Again it fell and swung below,
But again it quickly mounted,
Till up and down, now fast, now slow
Nine brave attempts were counted.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) How many attempts were made by spider?
(iii) Give the meaning of mounted.
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) Nine brave attempt were made by spider, and it was successful on the tenth attempt.
(iii) Mounted means to climbed
Words / Meanings
1. To mount: to climb.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the Spider once again fell down and it was hanging in the air. But without losing any time it moved up again. Some times it went up, some times it fell down, some times, its progress was fast, some times slow; and in this way, it made nine bold attempts to reach its cobweb.
10. "Sure," cried the King, "that foolish thing
Will strive no more to climb,
When it toils so hard to reach and cling,
And tumbles every time."
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) What resemblance, does the poetess find between the King Bruce and the Spider?
(iii) Give meaning of 'strive', 'toils' and 'tumbles'?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) The points of similarity between the King Bruce and the spider were that the aim was quite far away from both of them. Both of them were having a very slightest hope to achieve success i.e. the spider had a single thread to reach the cobweb and the King Bruce also had a very tiny hope to win over his enemies.
(iii) To strive means to struggle, to try hard.
To toil means to work hard.
To tumble means to fall over.
Words / Meanings
1. To strive: to struggle, to try hard.
2. To toil: to work hard.
3. To tumble: to fall over.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the King Bruce said to himself that as spider had fallen for so many times. It must have found out that it could not reach its destination and would not make a further attempt at climbing. Because inspite of his hard labour and brave efforts it could not succeed.
11. But up the insect went once more-
Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute
He's only a foot from his cobweb door'
Oh, say, will he lose or win it?
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Why did King Bruce decide not to give up his efforts?
(iii) What is the message of the poem?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) After watching the struggle made by the spider, King Bruce changed his mind and decided not to give up because the success comes up with one's will. He learnt to keep on trying till the end.
(iii) This poem gives us message that we should not be disappointed or discouraged by unfavorable circumstances. We should keep on trying again again inspite of failures. We should not forget that failures are the pillars to success.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the King was surprised to see that the spider was making another attempt. It was critical time for the king, he was not certain whether the spider would succeed or fail. Although it was only a foot away from its cobweb.
Higher and higher he got,
And a bold little run at the very last pinch
Put him into his native cot
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Describe above lines?
(iii) Give meaning of 'last pinch' and 'native cot'?
(iv) What lesson did King Bruce learn from spider?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) In these lines poetess tells that the spider went on and inch by inch it covered the distance. The spider made an attempt at last moment of extreme difficulty. Finally it succeeded in getting into the cobweb.
(iii) The last pinch means the last little bit of distance.
Native cot means his own home; here the spider's web.
(iv) King Bruce learnt a very important lesson from the spider. He learnt that one should never lose hope in spite of hopes and difficulties. One should always remain strong and firm in will-power. This lesson of courage and hope brought victory to the King in the long run.
Words / Meanings
1. The last pinch: the last little bit of distance.
2. Native cot: his own home; here the spider's web.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that the spider went on gaining ground slowly and surely inch by inch. It covered the distance and it made an attempt at last moment of extreme difficulty. At last it succeeded in getting into the cobweb.
All honour to those who try!
The spider up there defied despair-
He conquered, and why should not I?"
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Which insect gave courage to the King? and why?
(iii) Why did the King cry out with joy?
(iv) Why did the King Bruce or poetess call the spider “Brave”?
(v) What does Bravo! mean?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) The Spider, gave courage to the King. Because it made to many failure attempts to reach his destination and did not give up. Finally it was succeed and reached to its cobweb.
(iii) King was pleased very much on the success of Spider and cried out with joy, because it encouraged the King. The King said if a spider can succeed by endurance, there is no reason why he should fail
(iv) The poetess call the spider brave because it was very persistent and tried hard to complete her task. Although she suffered several failures, but she did not show any grieve on the disappointment of its fate. It went on making attempt and at last its persistent tries put it into the cobweb.
(v) Bravo! means well done
Words / Meanings
1. Bravo: well done.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that at the success of the Spider, the King was pleased very much. He appreciated the efforts of the spider by saying well-done. He said honour and glory falls to the lot of those who are never discouraged by failures but they try again and again. The spider did not mind disappointment and at last succeeded in reaching his cobweb. The King said if a spider can succeed by perseverance, there is no reason why he should fail.
14. And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind,
And gossips tell the tale
That he tried once more as he tried before
And that time did not fail.
(i) Name the poem and the poet / poetess.
(ii) Which insect gave courage to the King?
(iii) Why did King Bruce decide not to give up his efforts?
(iv) What is the message of the poem?
(v) Give the meaning of 'Braced his mind' and 'Gossips tell the tale'?
Ans:
(i) Poem: King Bruce and the Spider
Poetess: Eliza Cook.
(ii) The success of the Spider, gave courage to the King.
(iii) After watching the struggle made by the spider, King Bruce changed his mind and decided not to give up because the success comes up with one's will. He learnt to keep on trying till the end.
(iv) This poem gives us message that we should not be disappointed or discouraged by unfavorable circumstances. We should keep on trying again again inspite of failures. We should not forget that failures are the pillars to success.
(v) Braced his mind: determined.
Gossips tell the tale: people talk about it.
Words / Meanings
1. Braced his mind: determined.
2. Gossips tell the tale: people talk about it.
Reference to Context:
These lines have been taken from the poem “King Bruce and the Spider” written by Eliza Cook.
In this poem poetess explains that one should not lose his heart if he fails in his struggle once or twice. He should continue his struggle till success.
Explanation:
In these lines poetess tells that King Robert Bruce resolved to fight against the enemy once more and the story teller tell that he tried once more and this time he won a brilliant victory over his enemies.
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