Class 9 English Question Answers - Lord Ullin`s Daughter

Read the following extracts and answer the questions given thereafter :

1. “And by my word! the bonny bride
 In danger shall not tarry;
 So, though the waves are raging white
 I’ll row you o’er the ferry.”

(a) Who speaks the above lines and to whom?
 Ans. These lines have been spoken by the boatman to the chieftain.

(b) Who is the ‘bonny bride’?

Ans. She is Lord Ullin’s daughter who has married the chieftain.

(c) What is the reason for the chief and his beloved to hurry across the ferry?

Ans. They had married each other without the consent of Lord Ullin. So he and his men have been chasing them to separate them.

2. By this, the storm grew loud apace,
 The water-wraith was shrieking;
 And in the scowl of heaven each face
 Grew dark as they were speaking,

(a) What change takes place while they were talking?

Ans. The storm has turned furious.

(b) The word ‘water-wraith’ means :

Ans. It means the spirit or the ghost of the sea.

(c) What does the darkness of the sky symbolise?

Ans. The darkness of the sea symbolises the approaching danger.

3. But still, as wilder blew the wind,
 And as the night grew drearer,
 Adown the glen rode armed men,
 Their trampling sounded nearer.

(a) How does the situation become more risky for the lovers?

Ans. The situation becomes more risky for them because Lord Ullin and his men were approaching nearer and nearer.

(b) ‘Trampling’ suggests :

Ans. It suggests the sound of horses’ hoofs.

(c) Words like ‘Adown, ‘rode’ are :

Ans. These words are extremely old fashioned (archaic).

4. Lord Ullin reached that fatal shore,
 His wrath had changed to wailing.

(a) The adjective ‘fatal’ has been used to describe the shore because :

Ans. It was from that shore that Lord Ullin saw the waves engulfing his daughter.

(b) 'His wrath had changed into wailing', means :

Ans. Forgetting his anger, Lord Ullin started crying over the possibility of his daughter meeting the watery grave.

(c) The reason why Lord Ullin came to the shore was to :

Ans. To stop his daughter from eloping with Chieftain.

5. ‘Now who be ye, would cross Lochgyle,
 This dark and stormy weather?’
 O, I am the chief of Ulva’s Isle,
 And this, Lord Ullin’s daughter.

(a) The person who is uttering the first two lines is :

Ans. The person who is speaking the first two lines is the boatman.

(b) The boatman is a little hesitant at the request because :

Ans. It is a dark and stormy night.

(c) The Chieftain and the Lord’s daughter are in a hurry as :

Ans. Lord Ullin and his men are close on their heels and, if caught, the chieftain will surely be killed.

6. “His horsemen hard behind us ride;
 Should they our steps discover,
 Then who shall cheer my bonny bride
 When they have slain her lover?”

(a) The poetic device used in the first line is :

Ans. The poetic device used in ‘alliteration’.

(b) ‘They’ refers to :

Ans. 'They' here refers to Lord Ullin’s men.

(c) The word ‘bonny’ describes the bride as :

Ans. It describes the bride as ‘lovely’.

7. A Chieftain, to the highland, bound
 Cries, “Boatman, do not tarry!
 And I’ll give thee a silver pound
 To row us o’er the ferry!”

(a) Who is the Chieftain and why is he going towards the highlands?

Ans. He is the Chief of Ulva's Island and he is eloping with Lord Uillin's daughter.

(b) Why is the Chieftain in a hurry?

Ans. He is in a hurry as Lord Ullin and his men are pursuing the young couple.

(c) Why did the boatman tarry?

Ans. The boatman hesitated because of the raging storm but finally relented, much impressed by the Chieftain's young bride.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Lord Ullin is revengeful, having a dictatorial nature, but is soft at heart. Discuss.

Ans. Lord Ullin’s daughter wanted to marry the chieftain of Ulva's Island. He did not approve of it. The lovers elope. Lord Ullin is furious. Along with his boatmen, he goes after them. This picture of a stern father is one side of facts. The other is that he loved his daughter as is evident from the lines his wrath was changed to wailing “Come back! come back! he cried in grief” And I’ll forgive your Highland chief, “My daughter! my daughter!” he cried in grief. His anger cools down as he sees his daughter in danger. He is ready to forgive her and her lover.

2. Why do you think the boatman was ready to risk his life, knowing fully well that there was a storm in the sea? (CBSE 2010)

Ans. The boatman was fearless and faithful. He agrees to take them across the lake not for the sake of the silver pound but for the sake of the lovely bride and her chieftain-lover. He shows no fear in the face of the raging waters. The spirit of the water shrieked fury as the boatman took out the boat — a bad omen but the boatmen remained undisturbed and brave.

3. Discuss the dramatic importance of the role played by the boatman. Do you think he was responsible for the tragic death of the lovers?

Ans. No, the boatman was not responsible for the tragic death of the lovers. He lost his life as well. In fact, he took a brave and bold decision to help the young lovers. In any case, they had no option for they were not ready to face Lord Uillin and his men. Maybe if Lord Ullin had caught them he would have slain the Chieftain and the young bride would have been left lamenting.

4.Why was Lord Ullin left lamenting in the end? (CBSE 2010)
 OR
 Why was Lord Ullin in despair at the end of the poem? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans. When Lord Ullin saw his only child perishing in the stormy waters of the lake he was devastated with grief and guilt. He felt that if he had not been so strict maybe his daughter would have lived. The loss of his daughter was a tragedy he was not able to face. When he saw her drawing, he wanted to save her but the stormy waves rose so high that neither he could give them any help nor they could of their own will come back to the safety of the shore, so there was nothing left for him but to lament.

5. Why was the Chieftain of Ulva in a hurry? Who tried to help him? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans. Chieftain of Ulva married Lord Ullin’s daughter against her father’s wishes. So they ran away to escape his wrath. Being chased by Lord Ullin and his men, both the lovers reach the shore of a river. They request the boatman to row them to the other shore. The river was furious with storm. At first the boatman refused but seeing the helplessness of the two lovers he agreed to help them.

6. What did the Chief of Ulva offer the ferryman to row them across? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans. The chief of Ulva and her bonny bride were being chased by Lord Ullin and his men. They reached the shore of a tempestuous river and requested the boatman to row them across the river. When the boatman showed his reluctance, the chieftain offered him a silver coin to row them across.

7. What was the dilemma of the lady in the poem ‘Lord Ullin’s Daughter’? What choice does she finally make? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans. The dilemma that Lord Ullin’s daughter faces is which was the lesser evil — the storming waters or the raging Lord Ullin and his men. Whom to face? Who would give them reprieve? Who would give them a chance to survive? Would the storm be kind to them and let them reach the other shore safely or will Lord Ullin be kind and forgive her and give her lover and herself a reprieve. She chooses the raging sea instead of facing a raging father.

8. What did the Chief of Ulva fear would happen if they did not cross the Lochgyle? [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans. After marrying Lord Ullin's daughter, the chief of Ulva had invited his wrath. They tried to run away from there by crossing river Lochgyle. Lord Ullin and his men were chasing them. The chief of Ulva thought that if they were unable to cross the river, Lord Ulva and his men would kill the chieftain and there would be no one to take care of his bonny bride.

Q9. I’ll meet the raging of the skies;
 But not an angry father.
 Mention the reasons for the speaker’s unwillingness
to meet an angry father. [CBSE 2010 (Term I)]

Ans.
Lord Ullin’s daughter is a determined lady who loves the chieftain, despite many odds. She knew her father’s nature that he would never accept the chieftain as her groom and would never bless her alliance with him. When she elopes with her lover, she is well prepared to face dangers that would result. They have been fleeing for three days. There is no place, where they can escape the wrath of her father unless they cross the Lochgyle. The tempest, the menacing waves, the mighty wind, the dark raging skies do not deter her. She and her lover try to cross the sea. Even when she is in the grip of death, her one arm is around her lover. This was more than she could have bargained for. It was better than being alive and be separated from her lover. At least they were united in death.