XII ENGLISH: 2.3 The Inchcape Rock: Textual Activities

 2.3 The Inchcape Rocks: Robert Southey
ICE BREAKERS

A1. Prepare a word register related to marine life.
Ans: - Sailors; ship; tides; winds; seabed; anchor; captain; submarine; international-waters;

            port; harbour; shipyard; patrol; trawler; sail; port; Starboard; deep-sea, etc.
A2. The functions of a lighthouse are –

Ans:-   

A3. Discuss in pairs the various famous rocks in the world and mention the places where they are.
Ans:-

Famous Rock

Place

1. Balancing Rock (Krishna's butter-ball). 250 tons- balanced on a slope attempts to move it for safety remains unsuccessful  The Trimurti Cave- dedicated to trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Protected by ASI and UNESCO. 2. Ayer's Rock- Called Uluru by Australian Aboriginal has carvings- paintings. Composed of sandstone. The rock changes colour according to position of Sun; most striking at sunset, coloured a fiery orange-red. 3. Giant's Causeway- Most of the columns hexagonal, some- four/ five/ seven/ eight sided made up of some 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, one of the great natural wonders- World Heritage Site. 4. Sigiriya- rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, 200 metres high: UNESCO Heritage Site. Ancient hydraulic system-canals, locks, lakes, dams, bridges, fountains, surface/underground water pumps. In rainy season, water begins to circulate in Sigiriya. Fountains built in Fifth century-oldest in the world.

Mahabalipuram    Central Australia  Northern Ireland     Sri Lanka

 
A4. Narrate in the class a story about someone who destroyed or spoilt someone else's good work.

Ans:- (Points: A bright student-Punctual, cheerful, intelligent- Helpful to classmates, explains and lends notes- Tutored junior class students- Jealous group tears up notes before exams- Is able to study with the friends whom he/she helped-The jealous group is outwitted)

A5. Discuss in pairs and groups the following expressions. Take the help of your teacher.

       (a) As you sow so shall you reap               (b) Crime gets its own punishment
       (c) What goes around comes around         (d) Tit for tat    

       (e) Evil digs a pit for others but falls into the same
(a) As you sow so shall you reap.
Ans. If the ground is well prepared to make it fertile and then the seed is sown, the expected result will be certainly good. But, if the seed is sown in a hurry without doing any hard work to prepare the ground the harvest is bound to suffer. There is no point in repenting at that time since it is too late. In life also, we can expect success if we work for it. Whatever investment we make in the form of hard work, it will be seen in the result. Hard work and proper planning always bear fruit.
(b) Crime gets its own punishment
Ans. Good is always stronger than evil. While committing a crime, the criminal forgets that there is a superpower who observes everything and divine intervention happens at the right time to punish recklessness done willingly. There is no escape from divine Justice which happens in some form or the other to make good win over the evil.
(c) What goes around comes around
Ans. It is important to remember that if we misbehave with somebody, there might be a turn when this misbehavior will come back in some form or the other. Every action has its equal and opposite reaction. So, any misdeed will have its consequences and one must be prepared to handle it. It may not happen immediately but eventually, the law of life is that one bad turn has to come back because it deserves to be paid back.
(d) Tit for tat
Ans. Literally, this proverb means giving a bad behaviour in the same way or retaliates in the same way. The person who is the first one to misbehave immediately realises why he is ill-treated. So, this strategy becomes politically correct. It is better to be careful to commit such mistakes because the consequences will never be criticized.
(e) Evil digs a pit for others but falls into the same
Ans. If you set a trap for others, chances are there that you might fall into it. This happens because with the bad intention of harming others, problems for our own selves are invited. God has equal justice for everyone. If we think negative about someone, the evil thoughts occupy our mind and ultimately that leads to our downfall. This is the pit we fall into when we try to destroy others

Activities given beside the poem

1) Give reasons for the sailor’s appreciation of The Abbot:
Ans:- There were some dangerous rocks near the  Scottish coast. The Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed a buoy and fixed a bell on it, near those rocks. If the sea was rough, sailors could spot the buoy. Even in the darkness the rough seas made the bell ring. So by day or night the Abbot’s bell saved the sailors and their ships from the rocks, and they blessed him.
2)  Guess the meaning of:- ‘wheel’d round:-
Ans:- a flock of birds flying round in circles, which looks like a wheel.
3) Describe the state of mind of Sir Ralf:-
Ans:- Ralph the Rover also felt the effects of the season of spring. He felt very cheerful; he whistled and sang as he walked about on the deck. He was in an extremely happy state of mind but his joy was evil in intentions. 
4) When the Rover spotted the bell, he cut the bell from the buoy. This was an act of-
     i) hatred  ii) anger  iii) jealousy  iv) frustration
Ans:- iii) jealousy 
5) Find the figure of speech in “gurgling sound”:-
Ans:- This is onomatopoeia. The pronunciation of the word resembles the meaning - the sound of an object sinking and bubbles rising and bursting.
6) ‘O Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock’- What made Ralf the Rover to exclaim this line?

Ans:- Ralph, in order to fulfill his evil desire, had removed the Inchcape Bell which was the life-saver for the sailors during bad weather. Now he himself needed the bell to find the way out. When his ship crashed against the Inchcape Rock, he realised that it was his own misdeed that had brought about his doom. In deep remorse, he uttered these words, remembered God as he could see himself getting punishment for his sinful thoughts of harming others.

BRAINSTORMING

(A1) Narrate in groups the scene described in the beginning of the poem.

Ans:- The poem begins with the description of the calmness of the sea. There was nothing alarming. The ship stood still as the wind blew slowly. The keel of the ship was upright. The Inchcape Rock which was introduced in the second stanza, stood firm. The waves were flowing steadily without affecting the rock. In fact, the waves were lazily moving and so they were not able to rise to the height of the Inchcape Bell. The Abbot's contribution to tie the bell in order to warn the sailors about the existence of the rock and save the ships from disaster is talked about in the third stanza. So, poem begins on a positive note of kindness of a spiritual person, the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

(A2) 

(i) Complete the following statements.
(a) The Abbot of Aberbrothok placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock because..........
Ans. The Abbot of Aberbrothok placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock because he wanted to prevent the ships from getting crashed by the rock during storms when high tides used to hide the rock.
(b) The mariners were grateful to the Abbot of Aberbrothok because............
Ans: The mariners were grateful to the Abbot of Aberbrothok because the bell tied to a buoy by the Abbot forewarned them about the hidden rock. The bell saved the sailors from being caught unaware. The Abbot's wisdom and large-heartedness saved the mariners from destruction.
(c) The result of the thick haze that covered the sky was that..............
Ans: The result of the thick haze that covered the sky was that the sun could not be seen and that made the day dark and grim. The sailors were not able to see the land and were roaming here and there.
(d) The Rover in frustration pulled his hair and cursed himself because........
Ans: The Rover in frustration pulled his hair and cursed himself because he remembered that it was his misdeed that was to bring about his doom. So, in utter helplessness he cursed himself realising the importance of the bell. He was full of remorse but it was too late.
(ii) Given below are the events that give the theme of the poem in a jumbled form. Arrange in a proper sequence as per their occurrence.
(a) The waves were so small that they did not move enough to ring the bell at the Inchcape Rock.
(b) The Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed the bell on a buoy on the rock.
(c) There was a thick haze spread over the atmosphere.
(d) Ralph bent over from the boat.
(e) Sir Ralph cursed himself in despair and in his frustration tore his hair.
Ans:- The proper sequence as per the occurrence of the events is:
(a) The waves were so small that they did not move enough to ring the bell at the Inchcape Rock.
(b) The Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed the bell on a buoy on the rock.
(d) Ralph bent over from the boat.
(c) There was a thick haze spread over the atmosphere.
(e) Sir Ralph cursed himself in despair and in his frustration tore his hair.
 (iii) Describe the qualities of the Abbot of Aberbrothok in your own words.

Ans: 

(iv) 'Jealousy' is the most incurable defect. Justify.
Ans:- Jealousy is one weakness of a person who brings his or her own doom by thinking ill about others. The person loses control of his own self and does things to destroy somebody, which in turn, causes his own downfall. It is incurable because a jealous mind is always occupied with evil intensions of causing damage to others. So, it becomes difficult to make the person understand and change his motive.
(v) 'But the Rover's mirth was wickedness'. Explain this line in your own words with the help of the poem.

Ans:- The bright day of the spring lifted the spirit of the Rover. He felt unusually joyful but unfortunately, behind his cheerful spirit a devil’s mind was working. The evil thoughts were hidden by the happy face. Thus, the outer self and the inner self of the Rover were diametrically opposite.

(A3) Some words in the poem are related to different parts of a ship or a mariner's life. Given below are the meanings of those terms. Identify the word.

Ans:

(A4) (ii) Select the appropriate figure of speech from the box given below and complete the table.

Metaphor, Alliteration, Repetition, Personification, Inversion, Simile, Apostrophe, Onomatopoeia

Ans:-

Examples	Figure of speech	Explanation
1. Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair.	Alliteration	The close repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
2. No stir in the air no stir in the sea.	Repetition	The expression ‘no stir’ has been repeated.
3. On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung.	Inversion	The word order is changed to maintain the rhyme scheme. The proper order is: In the storm it floated and swung on a buoy.
4. Down sank the bell with a gurgling sound.	Onomatopoeia	The word ‘gurgling’ brings out the effect of the sound of sinking of the bell.
5. The devil below was ringing his knell.	Metaphor	Indirect comparison (likening) of the sound of the funeral bell (knell) with the Inchcape Bell.
6. The ship was as still as she could be.	Personification	The ship is personified.
7. On the deck the Rover takes his stand.	Inversion	The word order is changed. The proper order is: “The Rover takes his stand on the deck”.
8. Oh Christ!	Apostrophe	The speaker speak directly to someone who is not present (Christ) An exclamatory figure of speech.

 
 (A5) (i) Write an appreciation of the poem, 'The Inchcape Rock'.

Ans:- Robert Southey, the Poet Laureate of England wrote the ballad, "The Inchcape Rock, based on the legendary folk tale about the Inchcape Bell that was tied to the rock by a kind-hearted Abbot to save the sailors from shipwreck by crashing with the rock. But unfortunately, the reckless pirate Sir Ralph the Rover felt jealous of the popularity of the Abbot and cut the bell just for sheer personal pleasure of creating disaster for the ships so that he could loot them and people would no longer thank the Abbot.

         The poem started with the description of a day when the sea was calm and the waves were so small that they were not even touching the rock. The Abbot was introduced to the readers as a benevolent person who took initiative to tie the bell to the rock to forewarn the sailors about the existence of the hidden rock during a storm so that they could avoid the shipwreck. On a bright sunny morning, Sir Ralph the Rover, the pirate was passing near the coastline of Scotland. He was in a cheerful mood that matched with the spring morning. But behind his Joyous exterior, the devil in him was planning for something disastrous. As he saw the bell, the evil thoughts came in his mind to cut the bell so that the ships would crash against the rock. Not only would he be able to loot those ships but none would remember the Abbot also for his good deeds. As the bell was cut, it sunk into the water and the poet described the bursting of the bubbles around it as if they were mourning the loss of the bell.

        Rover's intention was fulfilled as he could happily loot all the ships that crashed against the Inchcape Rock in the absence of the Inchcape Bell that kept them informed. On his return Journey he steered his ship towards the shore of Scotland because the destiny of his downfall was waiting there. Some invisible supernatural power wanted to punish him for his sinful act. The day was dark and grim with poor visibility. The sailors were unable to find their way. Ralph hoped for the normality to come back but the divine power had planned otherwise. His ship crashed against the rock. Ralph was full of repentance and frustration. Though the bell was not there but he could hear the noise of the bell continuously. It was his death knell that the devil was singing. Ralph could see himself getting punishment as he knew he deserved it.

         The theme of the poem is poetic justice which shows that crime gets his own punishment. It is a long narrative poem, a ballad which is usually sung by the wandering musicians. So, the poet used the rhyme scheme aabb to give it a lyrical quality. Like a typical narrative poem, it has got a proper beginning describing the calmness of the ship, introduction of the Abbot who tied the bell to save the ships from crashing against the hidden rock, a middle where Sir Ralph cut the bell to destroy the ships and an end talking about the destruction of Ralph for his misdeed. He uses the verbal images of the calm sea and also uses a number of visual images of the sun and the waves. The sound images of the movement of the birds and the drowning of the bell have been used very effectively.

         The story moves from one incident to the other very smoothly providing a clean picture in the minds of the readers. The figures of speech used are sound-related like Onomatopoeia, Alliteration and Repetition. The poet has used Metaphor to bring out the truth that evil deeds are ultimately punished. Inversion and Personification are also used to maintain the lyrical quality.

         The poem is a didactic one where the readers are given a clear message, "As you sow, so shall you reap. It is a poem which cautions the readers about the irony of life as Ralph suffered the same fate which he had planned to destroy others. The readers are gradually prepared for the ultimate message - from calmness in the beginning to destruction at the end. This makes the poem interesting and appealing.

 (ii) Compose 4 to 6 lines on 'sea'.
Ans:- The sea is calm with slowly moving waves,
          It's eye-soothing blue colour everyone raves.
          The birds are wheeling around in the bright morning,
          Fishermen's boats are in search of livelihood earning.
 (A6) (i) Expand the ideas on your own on the following topics.
(a) Pride goes before a fall.             (b) Time and tide wait for none.
(c) Man proposes, God disposes.    (d) Look before you leap.
(a) Pride goes before a fall.

Ans. This proverb basically means that pride is the cause of one's downfall. Pride comes from overconfidence. One must be fully aware of one’s capabilities. If we know our strengths and weakness, we will act accordingly and there is less chance of failure.

         Pride also makes a person inconsiderate as he feels a superiority complex and starts ignoring others’ talents and achievements. He is so occupied with himself that he forgets about other's abilities. Pride is a weakness of one's character. One has to learn to overcome it. Otherwise, a time will come when people will start thinking about a proud man as an empty vessel which 'sounds much’. The best way is to use one's talent successfully and let the world recognise the success.

(b) Time and tide wait for none.

Ans. We are familiar with the saying, "A stitch in time saves nine”. If a small repair is needed for one's garment and it is not attended in time, it will turn into a bigger job to mend the cloth. While we are idling, time slips away and opportunities are wasted. An idle person always blames his luck for not achieving what he deserves. But, "Man is the architect of his own fortune”. If timely action is taken, there are less chances of failure.

       Hence, we need to make up our mind to act promptly because a capable man is ready at all times to take immediate steps. Action taken early means less labour, better success, less chance of loss or damage. That is why, the wise man Benjamin Franklin said. "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today” because Mr. Tomorrow is a dangerous boy.

(c) Man proposes God disposes.

Ans. This proverb stresses on the fact that the ultimate decision of a man's action lies with the God Almighty. God has his plan for everyone and He allows man to carry out His plan according to the need of that particular person. The divine power knows what is good for us and things move based on the decision of the master planner.

        Sometimes we plan things in advance and expect everything to go on smoothly. But, if God does not want that to happen, things will materialise as per the plan. We have to understand that it has gone against God's will and we need to accept it. This is the design of human life which the master designer gives the final shape. God is the supreme power. But, that does not mean that man sits idle leaving everything in the hands of God. God helps those who help themselves. He is constantly watching and extends his helping hand to those who are sincere.

(d) Look before you leap.

Ans. There are circumstances when action needs to be deferred. Hasty decisions may cause serious damage as the saying goes, “Haste is waste”. We should never sacrifice our wisdom and experience to haste and invite our downfall. There is no point in repenting afterwards. We have to be wise before it is too late.

       It is always sensible to be cautious. We should never do anything in passion. What is done in passion may have to be undone and the cost will be heavy. A premature action is unwise, because it can be unnecessarily risky. It might take us to a point of no return. That is why, the elders always advice us to think twice before taking any final decision. There may not be time to look back and rectify the mistake. A decision which is carefully thought gives one time to consider the pros and cons of the matter. It is always better to wait and watch than decide in a hurry.

 (ii) The poem begins with:    'Without either sign or sound of their shock,
                                                  The waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock.'
       It ends with:                     'Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock.'
On the basis of these lines explain the change in mood of the poem.

Ans:- The poem opens with the description of the calm sea and the ship standing peacefully. The closing lines of the poem talks about death and destruction. So, the change of the mood of the poem indicates that the evil intentions of a person can disturb the smooth movement of life. The ships were safely moving even when the weather was not favourable because the Inchcape Bell, tied by the Abbot, cautioned them about the hidden rock. Rover's sinful act of cutting the bell caused disaster to many, but ultimately he had to pay the price for his wickedness by his own death.

(A7) (i) Read the following tree diagram and find out more information about opportunities in 'on and off the shore' the Indian Navy.

 

Ans:- विद्यार्थ्यांनी Indian Navi विषयीची अधिकाची माहिती Internet वर शोधून वहीत लिहायची आहे.

 

(ii) Required qualifications and various fields / opportunities for women to join in the Navy.

Ans:- विद्यार्थ्यांनी Indian Navi मध्ये महिलांसाठी असलेल्या संधीविषयीची अधिकाची माहिती Internet वर शोधून वहीत लिहायची आहे.
 
(iii) Colleges that provide education in oceanography -
Ans:-

National Institute of Oceanography, Goa
National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai
MBA (Logistic Shipping Management), IIKM Business School, Calicut, Kerala
Indira Gandhi College of Distance Education IGCDE, Tamil Nadu