Lesson No. 17 - A Fragment

A Fragment
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Awake! Arise! The hour is late!
Angles are knocking at the door!
They are in haste and cannot wait,
And once departed come no more.
Awake! Arise! the athlete's arm
Loses its strength by too much rest;
The fallow land, the untilled farm,
Produces only weeds at best.

Words - Meaning
fragment - piece, portion
haste - speed, swiftness
depart - to leave, here it means not living, one who has left.
fallow - barren, unplanted

Paraphrase
Awake and rise from your bed. It's too late now. The angels are knocking at your door. They are in hurry and cannot wait for you any more. Once they go away, they won't come back.
Awake and rise up without any delay. If you continue taking rest you will lose your strength and become unless like a barren land and uncultivated farm that produces nothing but the weeds only.

EXERCISES

Q: 1

i) Write down the rhyming words used in the poem.
(late, wait), (door, more), (arm, farm), (rest, best)

ii) Write two more rhyming words in each line.
(a) arise, wise, disguise.
(b) knock, Shock, rock
© weed, reed, deed

Q: 2
Answer the following questions.

i) What does the poet advice to the late riser?
Ans: The poet advises the late riser to rise up without any delay. He tells him that if he continues taking rest he will lose his strength and become useless like a barren land and uncultivated farm that produces nothing but the weeds only.

ii) What is the benefit of early rising?
Ans: An early riser gets blessings of God.

iii) What is meant by fallow land?
Ans: "Fallow land" means barren and unplanted land. In this poem it means who does not make the best use of his abilities and remains idle.

iv) What is the theme of the poem?
Ans: We should get up early in the morning to get blessings of God. Too much rest wastes our abilities.

v) Explain the last two lines of the poem.
Ans: Same as above (iv)

Q: 3

Use the following words in sentences of your own.
Awake, wait, departed, strength, produce.

Awake

Awake and rise from your bed early in the morning.
Wait

Time and tide wait for none.
Departed

We should pray for our departed friends and relatives.
Strength

Union is strength.
Produce

A barren land produces nothing.

Q: 4 Fill in the blanks.

i) Angels are knocking at your door.
ii) They cannot wait for you.
iii) They will not come back after their departure.
iv) The athlete loses his strength by taking too much rest.
v) Fragment means separate or in a part.

Q: 5 Ask five advantages from your class fellow about early rising

Ans: 1. It is said that early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy
and wise.
2. An early riser has the best time to pray to God and he is blessed with His blessings.
3. He can enjoy a morning walk.
4. He can make a preparation for his daylong activities at proper time.
5. He has enough time to do all his work of the day in time and properly.

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