Class 9 Poem 8 A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal Extra Question 

Question  Who wrote the poem “A slumber did my spirit seal”?

Answer: William Wordsworth wrote the poem “A slumber did my spirit seal”.

Question The poem is dedicated to whom?

Answer: The poem is dedicated to the poet’s beloved. Her name was Lucy.

Question Write the meaning of “slumber”?

Answer: It means sleep.

Question Who is “She” referred in the third line of the poem?

Answer: She is referred to the poet’s beloved Lucy in the third line of the poem.

Question What happened to “Lucy”?

Answer: “Lucy” had been died.

Question What did the poet realise after the death of his beloved?

Answer: The poet realised that his soul was into deep sleep and he had taken the life for granted. That is why he did not realise that one day death may come and take his beloved forever.

Question Explain the line – “Rolled round in earth diurnal course”?

Answer: It means the earth’s daily rotation on its own axis.

Question Who does not have any motion now? Why?

Answer: The poet William Word worth’s beloved does not have any motion now as he died.

Question “Rolled round in earth diurnal course

with rocks and stones and trees” – Explain it?

Answer: Earth’s diurnal course means the earth’s daily rotation on its own axis. Here the poet state his beloved is also rotating with rock, stones and trees as they all are the part and attached with the earth. They all are moving with the earth’s own axis and his beloved is the part of it as she died and after death she has put into the graveyard.

Question What happened to the poet’s beloved?

Answer: The poet’s beloved ‘is no more and for that she has become motionless, forceless. She neither can hear nor can see. She has become the part of the rotation of the earth like rocks, stones and trees.

Question What is the actual realisation of the poet mentioned in the poem?

Answer: Through this poem the poet William Word Worth stated his actual realisation after the death of his beloved. Out of grief he said that he was too much into the worldly pleasure. He could not realised the actual meaning and importance of life. He had take life for granted. But the permanent separation from his beloved made him realised the actual meaning of life.

Question What does the poet mean by ‘spirit’ and in what state was it?

Answer Spirit means the soul of the poet which was at the drowsy stage.

Question What caused the slumber of the poet?

Answer Author could not accept death of his beloved, the harsh reality of life.

Question What changes did the slumber bring in the poet’s feelings?

Answer Slumber has taken him to a drowsy state where he lost all the human fear. He can’t touch her, talk to her. She has reached in a state where earthly years can’t touch her, nor she can hear or see. She is motionless, force less , rolling with the rotational motion of the earth like trees and stones.

Question How does the poet react to his loved one’s death?

Answer The poet is in shock after the sudden death of his beloved, feeling disconnected and numb. A deep sleep has taken over his emotions and consciousness.

Question How does the poet imagine her to be after death?

Answer The poet imagines his beloved living in a very happy state or in heaven. She has become one with nature after death, buried alongside rocks, stones, and trees, and rotating with the Earth.

Question What is the central theme of the poem?

Answer The poet is so sad about the loss of his beloved, but eventually accepts that she is motionless and buried in the earth, where her body will decompose and become one with nature. He finds comfort in the idea that Lucy is still present in a different form, and can be imagined through the rocks and trees.

Question What happened to the poet’s beloved?

Answer: The poet’s beloved was dead. She was not alive now. The poet remembers her beloved through the poem. Her death has sealed or made her spirit peaceful. Her death has ended all human fears. She was no more and was beyond the mortal earthly touch.

Question How does she become an inseparable part of nature?

Answer: She becomes an integral part of nature. She is trapped under the surface of the earth and is rolled round in earth’s course with rocks, stones and trees. She is rolling round in earth’s diurnal course. Actually, she has become one with nature or inseparable part of it.

Question Is she visible? If not, why not?

Answer: No, she is not visible because she is no more. She cannot be perceived with eyes. The poet can visualize her through his soul. She has become a part of the earth’s diurnal course. She has become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Question How will time not affect the poet’s beloved?

Answer: The poet’s beloved is dead and a dead thing becomes immortal. It is a universally accepted fact that immortality is not affected by time or the physical world. She cannot hear or see. She has gone beyond the physical world. She is beyond the touch of earthly years now. She has become a part of nature’s diurnal course.

Question How does the poet react to his beloved’s death?

Answer: The death of the poet’s beloved is so sudden and unexpected that his mind as well as his body seems to be closed off. A deep slumber has taken hold over him. His spirit seems to be sealed. He has lost touch of earthly consciousness. Her death has cut him off from all earthly fears. A deep slumber has engulfed all his wordly feelings.

Question How does the poet imagine her beloved to after her sudden and untimely death?

Answer: Now his beloved is no more a part of this mortal world. She would be beyond the touch of earthly years. She is beyond the action and reaction of all five senses and the earthly body. However, she will become an inseparable part of nature. She will be rolling round in earth’s diurnal course. She will become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Question Give a brief analysis of the poem ‘A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal’ in your own words.

Answer: In the poem ‘A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal’ the poet describes his beloved after her death. In the first stanza, the poet says that the death of his beloved made him very depressed. He says that his beloved has now become a non-living thing which cannot feel the touch of anything on the earth. In the second stanza, he says that his beloved has no motion. She can neither hear any sound nor can she see any thing. She is trapped under the earth and revolves with rocks, stones and trees.

Question How does the poet react to the untimely, sudden and shocking death of his beloved? What does he imagine her to be after her death?

Answer: The sudden and untimely death of his beloved leaves the poet stunned. It is not easy to express the poet’s feelings in words. Actually, a deep slumber ‘sealed’ his spirit. He fell as if he were in deep sleep. This deep sleep seems to have closed off his body and soul. She is no more and will not be affected by the earthly years as well as by the touch of five physical senses. She will feel no motion, movement or force. Nor will be able to hear or see. Yet she will become an in separable part of nature. Physical death doesn’t mean that will be condemned to an everlasting death. No, she will roll round in earth’s diurnal course. She will become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Question All of us know that nothing is ours permanently, then why do we suffer so much to have more and more?

Answer: It is true that nothing belongs to us permanently because one day we have to leave all the things on the earth. Nevertheless, people crave for more wealth, fame, knowledge, beauty and even commit crime, because this is human nature. We cannot separate ourselves from such things. If we give up our greed to have more and more, the world would be a much better place to live in. People would not go to extremes to achieve something.

A. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

A slumber did my spirit seal;

I had no human fears:

She seemed a thing that could not feel

The touch of earthly years.

Question What does the poet mean by “A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal”?

Answer. The poet implies that a deep slumber (sleep) prevented him from seeing the reality of life.

Question Which human fears does the poet talk about?

Answer. The poet discusses the human fears of dying, being sick and starvation.

Question What did the poet feel about his loved one?

Answer. The poet felt that his loved one was immortal.

Question Which slumber is the poet talking about?

Answer. The poet is talking about the false impression he had about his loved one.

 B. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

No motion has she now, no force;

She neither hears nor sees;

Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course,

With rocks, and stones, and trees.

Question What realization dawns on the poet?

Answer. The poet realises that his loved one’s body is motionless and lifeless.

Question What shocks the poet?

Answer. The realization that his loved one is not alive, shocks the poet.

Question Which words from the poem describe death?

Answer. ‘No motion’, ‘no force’ and ‘neither hears nor sees’

Question Why does the poet compare his loved one to “rocks, stones, and trees”?

Answer. The poet compares his loved one being now a part of the earth, the poet’s loved one now spins with the earth, much like rocks, stones, and trees do.

Question What happened to the poet’s beloved?

Answer. The beloved of the poet was gone. She was no longer a living person. Through the poetry, the poet honours her sweetheart. Her spirit is now tranquil or sealed by death. All human fears were put to rest by her death. She had passed away and was no longer susceptible to human mortality.

Question How does she become an inseparable part of nature?

Answer. The poet’s beloved merges with nature and becomes a part of it. She gets rolled around in the earth’s course by rocks, stones, and trees while stuck beneath the earth’s surface. She is moving in the daily course of the planet. In actuality, she has merged with nature or has become an inseparable component of it.

Question Is she visible? If not, why not?

Answer. No, she is not visible because she no longer exists. She is invisible to the sight. She can be seen by the poet in his soul. She now moves with the planetary diurnal cycle. She has merged with the trees, rocks, and other elements of nature.

Question How will time not affect the poet’s beloved?

Answer. The poet’s beloved is dead and a dead thing becomes immortal. The fact that immortality is unaffected by time or the physical world is a commonly acknowledged truth. The poet’s beloved can neither see nor hear. She has left the physical world behind. She has reached the end of her earthly years. She was absorbed into the daily cycle of nature and became a part of nature’s diurnal course.

Question How does the poet react to his beloved’s death?

Answer. The death of the poet’s beloved is so sudden and unexpected that his mind as well as his body seems to be closed off. A deep slumber has taken hold over him. His spirit seems to be sealed. He has lost touch of earthly consciousness. Her death has cut him off from all earthly fears. A deep slumber has engulfed all his worldly feelings.

Question How does the poet imagine her beloved after her sudden and untimely death?

Answer. The poet’s beloved is no longer a living being in this mortal world. She would be beyond the touch of earthly years. She is beyond the action and reaction of all five senses and the earthly body. She will, however, merge completely with nature. She will be moving with the daily rotation of the planet. She will merge with the trees, rocks, and other elements of nature.