BA English All Poems Contexts

Context of the poem is an integral part and requirement while attempting the question of
reference to the context.Answer remains incomplete if context of the poem is not written
or badly written.

1. LEISURE

                                                CONTEXT:

The poem is about man’s life in this modern world. The poet has presented the idea that modern man is leading a very miserable life because of lack of time and too many cares. The poet laments the sorry condition of life modern man. He is so much busy that he does not enjoy nature, beauty and even smile. Referee

2. TARTARY

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the wishful thinking of the poet. He creates an imaginary world in his mind and wishes to be its lord. It appears he does not want to face reality and wants to take refuge in the world of imagination. Tartary seems to be a perfect place to him. He imagines what would be there if he were the lord of Tartary.

3. NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

CONTEXT:

The poem is about New Year resolutions. The poetess presents the idea that we should make New Year resolutions on the eve of New Year. For this purpose we should sit in a quite atmosphere to purify ourselves. We should try to recognizes our responsibilities and face reality.

4. WOMAN WORK

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the life of a household woman. This woman has a universal character and represents all the married woman of the world. The poet resents the idea that a household woman has to do the same household chores again and again and a time comes when they because mechanical routine. She loses interest and whishes for a breath of fresh air. She wants to rest for the time being and for this purpose she wants to join the company of nature.

5. THE REBEL

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the idea of individuality. The poet presents the idea that individuality is a good thing but it is very difficult to be an individualist. He uses the word rebel for the individualist. This rebel always tries to do opposite of what other people do.

6. PATRIOT INTO TRAITOR

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about a leader whose destiny changed only in one year. He becomes a traitor instead of a patriot in the eyes of the people. The poet presents the idea that people go to the last extent in their love and hatred. They may change their opinion about their most cherished leader without any reason forgetting all his good deeds.

7. THE HUNTSMAN

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the role of fate. The poet presents the idea that fate is very cruel. First it makes people commit mistake and then punishes them. Kagwa was a hunter and he caused his death by reporting a talking skull to the king of his country. He learnt his lesson after his death.

8. ONE ART

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the art of losing things. The poetess presents the idea that we can learn the art of losing things like other art. For this purpose she asks the reader to bear the loss of things. She also advises us to practice losing things. She believes that loss of things does not bring any disaster.

9. THE SOLITARY REAPER

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about the personal experience of the poet. The poet presents the idea that feelings of a person in the form of a song can touch the heart of a complete stranger even if the stranger does not understand his language. Once the poet saw a girl singing and working in her fields. The poet was so much impresses by the song of the girl that the song was imprinted in his mind.

10. ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the seven ages of human life. The poet has presented the idea that human life as well as the period of fame is very short. The poet uses the metaphor of stage and actors to convey his idea. He describes every age of man with all the qualities that he has at that age.

11. DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL

CONTEXT:

 The poem is about commitment and idealism. The poet presents the idea that with commitment and idealism we can make the twentieth century a legacy of benefits for the coming centuries. He urges us to work hard to get this aim. First we find pessimistic and then optimistic point of views.  

12. POISON TREE

CONTEXT:

The poem is about anger and its possible effects. The poet presents the idea that when we do not express our anger it goes on increasing. A time comes when it takes the form of a poisonous tree. This anger is so poisonous that it can take life.

13. BECAUSE I COULD NOT STEP FOR DEATH

CONTEXT:

The poem is about death, its approach funeral and eternal life. Death is a very common subject for the poetry. Death is presented as a hurried thing, but the poetess has presented it as a very kind and coachman. She presents the idea that death is impending. There is nothing to be afraid of it we have our work when death approaches us. She describes her own imaginary experience of death, grave and eternity. She presents death as a kind and polite fellow who stops his carriage and offers her to sit with him to take her to her destination.

14. LIGHTS OUT

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the power of sleep or in deeper meaning the power of death. The poet presents two ideas. Firstly, sleep is very powerful. When it overcomes, everything loses its importance. Secondly, sleep has an equalizing effect. It affects the rich and the poor the good and the evil without any discrimination. Man has no chance against it.

15. AFTER APPLE PICKING

CONTEXT:

The poem is about sleep. In this poem the poet has talked about dreams, coming of sleep and its nature. The poet tells how he was picking apples and how he went to sleep leaving his work unfinished. He tells that he would see apples in his dreams. He is overtired with the big harvest he himself desired. He wants to know whether he is going to enjoy some human sleep or it is like the long sleep of a woodchuck.

16. THE VANISHING VILLAGE

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the importance of village for the existence of the world. In the first part of the poem, the poet presents the idea that village has almost vanished. But in the second part of the poem the poet gives a ray of hope, and believers that the village life will revive.

17. WHEN I HAVE FEARS

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the fears of the poet. His fears relate to his death. Death is the most cherished subject for the poet. When he wrote this poem, he knew that he was going to die very soon because of tuberculosis. In this poem the poet fears that he may die before he is able to write down everything in poetic form that is present in his mind.

18. KUBLA KHAN

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the description of the site and the place that was built on the orders of Kubla Khan. To show the grandeur of the place and the site, the poet gives the poem a supernatural touch. Kubla Khan was once the emperor of china. He was well known and we find that many writers and poets have written about him.In the present poem the poet has not written about Kubla Khan, bit about the site and the pleasure-dome built for him on his orders.

 19. HAWK’S MONOLOGUE

CONTEXT:

The poem is about the wrong ideas of a ruler who thinks that he is all- powerful. The Hawk symbolizes this ruler. The poet presents the idea that a ruler who becomes a dictator thinks that he is a god and the rest of the people are his subject. He can do with them what he pleases. Even the objects of nature are created for his case and to enhance his power.

20. SAY THIS CITY HAS TEN MILLION SOULS

CONTEXT

The poem is about the sense of alienation and isolation of immigrants. The poet presents the idea that immigrants are looked down upon. They are considered good citizens. So they are ignored and deserted. It is considered that they have no rights. The passport is the proof of their existence. If they have no passport they are officially dead. They are considered worse than animals.

21. POLIITICS

CONTEXT

The poem is about the subject of love and politics. The poet presents the idea that politics has no importance in the face of youth and love. The poet talks on the subject of love and politics very beautiful. He wants to make us understand that in the face of a living girl, politics does not have any importance.

22. SNAKE

CONTEXT

The poem is about the conflict between the poet’s sense of appreciation and the voice of his education .The poet presents the idea that the beauty should be appreciated even in lower creatures. Sometimes it happens that the voice our education over-power our sense of appreciation. The poet neonate’s one of his experiences to draw our attention towards this very importance fact of life. We are bound to act according to our education and understanding that we get throughout our lives.

23. IMAGES AND IMPRESSIONS

I-AUTUMN

CONTEXT

The poem is about a graphic glimpse of an autumn night. Through this glimpse, the poet presents the idea of pollution. The rural environment is unpolluted, whereas urban environment is too much polluted.

II-FOG

CONTEXT

The poet describes the coming and moving on of the fog. He says that the fog comes over a city very stealthily. Just like a cat& nobody can be aware of its coming. The poet uses a very beautiful image of cat to maintain the point as to how the fog comes.

III-METRO PARIS

CONTEXT

The poet describes the people in an underground rail station. He says that the faces of people in the crowd are spiritless they appear to him as petals on a wet black bough.