Poem (4) O WHERE ARE YOU GOING : Book 3

 

 Poem (4) O WHERE ARE YOU GOING

“W.H Auden”

 

Word	Meaning	Synonym
1.      Fatal	causing death	Causing death, deadly, lethal
2.      Yonder	the far distance.	Far, remote, distant
3.      Midden	a dunghill or refuse heap.	Dunghill, refuse, a heap of rubbish
4.      Odor	a distinctive smell,	Smell ( unpleasant),  stink, reek, scent
5.      Dusk	grow dark.	Twilight, evening, sunset
6.      Diligent	having or showing care and conscientiousness	Careful, duteous, attentive, constant
7.      Twisted	the act of rotating rapidly	Turned, tangled, knotty, winding

 

 Reference:

This poem is taken from the poem, “O WHERE ARE YOU GOING” written by “W. H. Auden”

Context:

This poem is a dialogue between the reader and the rider. The reader (cowardly person) stops a brave one who is ready to go to a far destination. However, the rider (brave man) listens to him and carries on to his destination. The poem is psychological.

Explanation:

In these lines, the poet wants to say that he is now extremely fed up by the reader. He rejects his ideas and asks him severely to be quiet.  He says that the valley is full of dangers. He makes him afraid of doubts, dangers, super-natural elements, and bad luck. He adds that piles of garbage and rubbish were laid on his journey. But the way to it is vague and full of twists which make the journey difficult.

 

Write Down the Answers to the Following Questions:

Q.1: What kind of man the Rider is? OR What does the Rider stand for or represent?

ANS: The Rider is a bold and fearless person. He is determined and ambitious. He is not afraid of the problems of life.

Q.2: What kind of feelings does the poet create in the minds of the Readers?

ANS: The poet gives us the lesson of courage and valor. He urges us not to be afraid of the troubles of the world. The fears are for the cowards only. He urges us to take bold steps.

Q.3: What lesson you get after reading the poem?

ANS: We feel excited. We get ready to take bold steps. We become courageous and brave. We learn that we should not be cowards.

Q.4: What does the title of the poem signify?

ANS: The title of the poem signifies a sense of alarm. The title asks a psychological question in its nature. We suddenly feel that we are going in the wrong direction and someone is trying to stop us.

Q.5: What does the Reader stand for or represent? 

ANS: The Reader stands for or represents people who have experience of life through reading. He is one of the people who are good readers and can be men of learning.