TOPIC: CHAPTER 11 (O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

S. Word Meanings
No.
1. weather’d worn by the long exposure to the
atmosphere
2. exult feel or show victory, rejoice
3. grim very serious
4. wreath a circular arrangement of flowers
5. beneath below
6. voyage a long journey by sea
7. mournful feeling regret or grief, sorrowful
8. victor winner
9. tread walk in a specific way
Sentences :
The gate at the entrance of the deserted palace looked weather’d.
My family was exulting in a win at the debate competition.
The soldiers were grim and attentive at the border after the sudden attack by
the enemies.
The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the war memorial to pay homage to the dead
soldiers.
Vasco de Gama headed many successful voyages before discovering India.
 Reference to Context:
Answer these questions with reference to the context.
1. O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,

a. What 'trip' is literally and figuratively being referred to here?

b. Which 'prize' is being talked about here?
c. In what way was the trip 'fearful?

Answers
1. a. Literally the ship has reached the harbour after the war and
figuratively the victory of the Union has been achieved.
 b. Figuratively, the 'prize' refers to the victory of the union; literally
it is the victory in the battle.
c. Figuratively, it is the fear associated with the outcome of the civil
war and literally it is the fear associated with victory in a battle.

2. ....for you the shores a-crowding,

For you they call..
a. Who is 'you' here?
b. Where are 'they?
c. Why is there a crowd?

Answers
2. a. 'You' here is the captain of the ship.
b. 'They' refers to the general public here.
c. People have come in large numbers to welcome the captain after
winning the battle.

3. Exult O shores, and ring, O bells!

a. When and why does the speaker say this?
b. What 'bells' are being referred to here?
c. What has happened on the deck?
Answers
3. a. The speaker says this when the ship has returned home after
victory.
b. The church bells are referred here. The speaker wants them to be
rung as a welcome to the victorious captain.
c. The captain is lying dead on the deck.

Textbook questions:

a. Has the ship completed its voyage or is it just leaving the harbor? Quote words or
phrases that support your answer. Quote a phrase that describes the physical appearance of the
ship. Does it appear to be damaged in any way?

The ship has completed its journey. The lines that tell us this are:
 Our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The
port is near,
The phrase that describes the appearance is: the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring

b. Where are the people referred to in the first stanza? Why are they there? Why are they
exulting? Support your answer with two reasons.
The people in the first stanza refer to all those who have gathered at the port. They are
there to
welcome it as it enters the port. They are welcoming because the ship has returned
victorious.

c. Which bells does the narrator hear? What is the significance of the sound of these bells?
The bells ring to declare the return of the ship and its victory. The bells signify that the
ship has
safely reached the harbour.

d. To whose heart do you think the narrator is referring? What effect is created by the
repetition of the word heart three times?
The narrator refers to his own heart. The repetition of the word heart creates an effect of
distress.
It represents his anxiety and disbelief at the situation.

e. In the second stanza, the narrator refers directly to the dead captain. What does he
want the captain to do? What are your feelings for the sailor here?
The narrator wants the captain to acknowledge the celebrations being made in his
honour.
One feels empathy for the sailor’s distress and sadness.

f. Mention six things that the people at the port are doing. Why are they doing this?
Why are they eager?
The people at the port are ringing bells, flying flags and playing bugles. They have also brought bouquets
and ribbon-wreaths. They are calling for the captain, as they wait for the ship to dock.

 Long answer type questions will be discussed.

What is the main theme of the poem O captain ! My captain!

This poem is an elegy, a funeral song. Walt Whitman was a staunch Unionist during the Civil
War. His poem is an extended metaphor about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Lincoln is never mentioned by name. Nor is the Civil War. In the poem, the captain is Lincoln,
the voyage is the war, and the ship is the United States.
 The overarching theme is that Lincoln has been assassinated at the end of the Civil War.
Therefore depriving the United States of its great president.

Whitman uses many literary devices to enrich the poem. Metaphor, imagery, and
personification being but three. Throughout, the speaker dramatizes the painfully close relationship
between loss and victory.

******************

CHAPTER : THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES

S. Word Meaning / Sentence

No.
1. serrated having small sharp edges like a
saw
2. bristling standing in a row, like hair or fur
3. unconscious unaware of the danger ahead
4. inexorably without being able to desist
5. patter light tapping sounds.
6. exultant Joyful
7. hackles hair along the back of the neck of
an animal
8. dewlap fold of loose skin which hangs
from the neck of some animals
9. gaunt extremely thin and bony
9. feeble lacking physical strength
Sentences:
He gently sliced the fruits with serrated knife.
Trained dogs were bristling with their trainers for practice.
Covid spread inexorably after March 20.
The patter of the rain on my window amazed many.
My family was exultant after the announcement of the result.

 Reference to Context:

‘It's moving towards us, Watson.’

‘Is that serious’
Very serious, indeed-”

a. What was moving toward the men on the mire?

b. Why did Holmes consider this a serious matter?
 c. How many people were with Holmes at the time? Why were they there?

Answers:
a. A dense fog was moving towards the two men.

b. Holmes considered this a serious problem because it would put his plans in disarray if it came down
their path. He would not be able to see the hound or Sir Henry.

c. There were three men on the moor— Holmes, Watson and Lestrade. They were there to lure
Stapleton into using his dog to attack Sir Henry so that they could capture him and destroy his fierce dog.

“But that cry of pain from the hound had blown all our fears to the winds”

a. Where did the cry of pain come from?

b. What caused it?
c. What was the effect of this cry of pain on Holmes and the others?”

Answers:
a. The cry came from the hound.

b. Watson and Holmes had both fired their pistols at the hound as it went past them and at least one
of them hit him.

c. The hound’s cry broke their paralysis and they ran towards the sound to shoot the creature down.
They lost their fear of the hound and they felt that if they could wound it, they could also kill it.

 Textbook questions:
1. List five specific details the author provides in his description of the hound which emerges
from the mist Quote two other statements made by him which convey the impression that the
beast did not look like an earthly species
The hound was coal-black and unlike anything one had ever seen. Its eyes glowed and fire came out of
its mouth. Its muzzle, dewlaps and hackles were outlined by the fire. It looked like it had come out from hell.
The hound had a very ghostlike glow around him. The purpose of it being there was simple—it had been
unleashed by Stapleton to kill Henry Baskerville.

• A hound it was, an enormous coalblack hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen…

• Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling,
more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog…

2. Describe the initial reactions of Holmes, Watson and Lestrade when they saw the beast for
the first time.
The first reaction from all three was fear and paralysis. They all froze when they saw the terrifying
creature. Lestrade threw himself on the ground and Watson gripped his pistol harder. Holmes’ eyes were rigid
and fixed on the hound and in their fear and amazement they let the creature pass them by after Henry
Baskerville. Then Holmes and Watson recovered their nerve and fired their pistols in the direction of the hound.

3. What did Watson see when he arrived at the spot where the hound was attacking Henry?
Stapleton had actually tied up Beryl, who was actually his wife instead of his sister, and left
her upstairs. As Stapleton offers Sir Henry another glass of wine, a howl is heard. Spooked, Sir
Henry takes his leave and heads back to Baskerville Hall. Sir Henry ends up getting lost, and comes
across Holmes and Watson.

4. Watson gives another detailed description of the hound as it lay dead before them.
a Summarise these details
Watson described the hound as a terrible creature, that was neither a pure bloodhound nor a
pure mastiff; but a combination of the two—gaunt, savage, and as large as a small lioness. Even after
its death, its huge jaws seemed to drip with a bluish flame and its small, deep-set, cruel eyes were
ringed with fire.

b. Is this description somewhat different in tone from the description of the animal when it
first leapt out of the mist earlier? Why is Watson's tone different here?
Watson’s tone is different since they have killed the hound, and can see it clearly now. They are no longer
afraid of this unknown beast, so his description is more accurate and credible.

c. discover something here which accounts for the fire and flames seen on the hound's face
the first time they had encountered it. What do they find? Why does Holmes describe this as
cunning?
The phosphorous on the hound gave the eerie glow that made it look supernatural. There was no
smell to it either, which did not hinder in his own powerful sense of smell.

****************

TOPIC: THE MONKEY’S PAW (CHAPTER-13)

S. Word Meaning / Sentence
No.
1. thunderclap sound of thunder
The little one got scared after hearing a thunder clap.
2. triumphant victorious
The citizens were full of pride after the triumphant blare of their
soldiers.
3. Yarn tale and story
My grand mother used to spin her own yarn at night to make us sleep.
4. mummified dried
 Egyptian culture have to be known for mummified bodies of their
rulers.
5. solemnly seriously
The king solemnly gave the verdict against the culprit.
6. Frantic excited by emotion
The cops made a frantic search for the missing child.
7. hysterically in an uncontrolled or excited way
After the comic act, the audience laughed hysterically.
8. Mangled bend or broken
The driver’s body was mangled after the accident.
9. hoarsely in a rough voice
The gardener hoarsely asked the children not to destroy the saplings.

 Reference to context:
“Stranger I'm sorry..
Mrs White (frantic) is he hurt?
Stranger (nods) Badly hurt. But he is not in any pain.
Mrs White Oh, thank goodness! Thank goodness for that! Thank-(She breaks off, suddenly
understanding, and stares at the Stranger in growing horror.)”

a. Who is the 'he referred to in the extract? How, according to the stranger, did he get hurt?
In the extract, Herbert is being referred to as he. He was caught in the machinery, and got
injured.

b. Why does Mrs White first react to the stranger's news with Thank goodness and then with
growing horror?
At first, Mrs White had assumed that Herbert was only injured, so she expressed her relief with Thank
goodness. Eventually, she realized the implication of the stranger’s words when he said, ‘Badly hurt. But he
is not in any pain.’

c. What does the stranger go on to tell them which causes Mrs. White to scream and Mr. White to
faint? Why do you think Mr. White faints, and not Mrs. White?
Mr White faints because he realizes Morris’ words ring true and that he has paid for his greed/wish with his
own son’s life especially since it was he himself who made the wish. The grief, guilt and horror made him
faint.

“Mrs White (crying and laughing hysterically) I only just thought of it. Why didn't i think of it
before? Why didn't you think of it?
Mr White Think of what?
Mrs White The other two wishes. We've only had one.
Mr White (fiercely) Wasn't that enough?
Mrs. White No! We'll have one more. Go get it down and wish our boy alive again.”
a. What does Mrs. White want her husband to do? How does he try to dissuade her? What happens
immediately after Mr. White complies with his wife's wishes?
Mrs White suddenly realizes that they have only made one wish of the monkey’s paw. She demands that
Mr White make another wish—to bring Herbert back from the dead. He tries to dissuade his wife by saying
that their first wish had caused them enough harm. When that failed, he tried to convince her that it was
only a coincidence that their first wish had come true.
Immediately after he complies with his wife’s wishes, he drops the paw and sinks into a chair, trembling.

b. What happens a short while later that causes Mrs. White to jump up? What does she go on to do?
There is silence for a while, broken only by the creaking of stairs, ticking of clocks and finally a soft
knocking on the door. Upon hearing this, Mrs White starts walking towards the stairs so that she may go
downstairs and open the door.

c. Describe how Mr. White uses his third wish and what follows then.
Mrs White rushes to open the door as Mr White scrambles to find the paw and make another wish to send
Herbert back to wherever he had come from. When the door opens there is no one to be seen and we can
never be sure if the monkey’s paw had worked at all. All this adds up to create a sense of the mysterious
and the supernatural in the play. One is left wondering whether Herbert actually came back from the dead
to knock on the door and whether the knocking stopped because of the effect of the third wish, sending
Herbert away. The author, with great narrative skill, keeps us guessing.

1. Summarize all the facts about the monkey's paw as revealed to the Whites by Morris
behavior.
Morris tells the Whites that the monkey’s paw is ruled by magic. He tells them that it has a spell on
it put by an old holy man who wanted people to learn that fate ruled people’s lives and anyone who
interfered with that natural order would pay. The spell was such that three people could have three
wishes from it. He told them that the first owner of the paw had had two wishes granted to him,
but the third wish he made was for death.

2. What was Morris' experience with the monkey's paw and what was his attitude towards it?
Morris experience seemed to be one of fear and disdain. When Mr. White rescues the paw from the
fire, Morris warns him of its consequences before he leaves. Overall, Sergeant-Major Morris seems
to fear the monkey's paw and genuinely believes that it is magic. He views it as an ominous talisman
and knows that it is dangerous, which is why he throws it into the fire.

3. How does Morris try to dissuade Mr. White from keeping the paw and using it? What mood
do his words and attitude at this time inject into the play?
 Morris tries to dissuade the Whites by saying that nothing good comes of it, and he only got hold of
the paw when the previous owner died. His words turn the play dark and gloomy.

4. How do the three members of the White family react to the monkey's paw? Which of them
can be blamed for what happens to the family later in the play?
Mr White takes Morris most seriously in one respect. He seems to believe that the paw does have
magical powers. When Morris throws the paw into the fire, Mr White retrieves it and asks Morris
to instruct him on how to use it. Later, he even makes a wish on the paw.

Mrs White was not totally convinced by what Morris had said. She felt it was nonsense. Her
husband had just used the monkey’s paw to wish for two-hundred pounds and nothing had
happened, strengthening her conviction that Morris’s stories about the magical powers of the paw
were nonsense.
Herbert seemed to believe in the power of the monkey’s paw in a slightly condescending manner.
5. Describe the reactions of each of the members of the family after Mr. White makes the first
wish and nothing happens. Why is Herbert's attitude ironic?
When they first learn about the monkey's paw, Mrs. White and her son are full of questions as to
who has benefitted from having their wishes granted. Mr. White shows his keen interest in the paw
by pulling it out of the fire after Sergeant-Major Morris has thrown it in. Herbert’s attitude was very
light-hearted and a little mocking and condescending. Herbert White's attitude toward the paw is
filled with sarcasm and disbelief. He mocks the idea that the paw will somehow grant wishes, It is
ironic because in the end it was he who paid for it with his own life.

6. A play consists mainly of dialogue-characters talking to one another in common everyday

speech. Such speech is usually characterized by the use of idioms or colloquial expressions.
What do the following expressions mean?

 Yarn- story
 holed up- to hide as if one is in a hole or a cave
 time flies- the swift movement of time
 the Arabian Nights- One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern, West
and South Asian folk tales that was compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It
came to be known as Arabian Nights after the first English edition of 1706, titled The
Arabian Nights’ Entertainment.
 jumping to conclusions- presuming something without knowing the actual circumstances

 Long Answer Type Question:

Do you think the granting of the first wish-and its connection with Herbert's death-was a
coincidence or the effect of the curse of the monkey's paw? Would things have been different if
 Sergeant Major Morris had not visited the White's home or if Mr. White had not rescued the
monkey's paw from the fire?
Our lives are guided by fate and destiny. Most events in our life seem to take place according to a
plan that we may not be aware of. In that case, perhaps Herbert would have died regardless of his
wishing on the monkey’s paw. The granting of the first wish and its connection with Herbert’s death
immediately after seems much too eerie to be a coincidence. It is strange that Herbert’s death would
grant the Whites the exact sum of money that the required to pay off their loan.
Also, Morris had warned the Whites of the consequences of wishing on the monkey’s paw.
Assuming it is the curse of the monkey’s paw that took Herbert’s life, things would have been very
different if Morris had not visited the White home.

 Value Based Question:

Many people visit fortune tellers in an attempt to find out what is in store for them in the
future. Is it possible to determine what is going to happen in the future? Is it wise to attempt to
do so?
I think it is not possible to determine what is going to happen in future. Our actions may give us an
idea of the outcomes of certain behaviours or attitudes. However, it is not possible for us to know,
say, how our life will be two years hence.
It is unwise to do so, since that may make our life more complicated. In this case, uncertainly seems
like a better bet.
***************