Class 10 Literature Reader Chapter 9 Extra Question Answers - Chapter 9 - Not Marbles, Nor the Gilded Monuments (Sonnet 55)

Q1) Read the following extract and answer the question that follow. Not marble, nor the gilded monuments of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme; But you shall shine more bright in these contents Than un swept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.
(a) What does the word 'marble' refer to?
(b) What does the phrase 'In these contents' refer to?
(c) What does the phrase "Than un swept stone" mean
Ans: (a) It refers to the 'statues'.
(b) It refers to 'In the Poem'.
(c) It refers to the stone movement that are often not cared for.

Q2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
(a) When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
(b) And broils root out the work of masonry,
(c) Nor mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn The living record of your memory.
OR
(a) What is meant by 'wasteful war'?
(b) What does the word 'mars' in the third line refer to?
(c) What does the phrase, The living record of your memory's mean?
Ans: (a)War is wasteful as it spreads death and destruction.
(b) It refers to the Roman God of war.
(c) It refers to the written document of the memory of the Poet's beloved, which continues even after  death.

Q3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room, Even in the eyes of all posterity That wear this world out to the ending doom.
(a) What is meant by the word 'Gainst'?
(b) Explain "your praise shall still find room".
(c) What does the word 'Doom' refer to?
Ans: (a) It means 'against'.
(b) The poet wants to say that his beloved would receive praise by the future generation.
(c) It refers to the day of the last judgement.

Q4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
So, till the judgement that yourself arise, You live in this and dwell in lover's eyes.
(a) 'you live in this'. What does 'this' refer to?
(b) When does the poet expect that his beloved shall arise?
(c) What is meant by the word 'dwell'?
Ans: (a) This refers to the poem.
(b) The poet's beloved shall arise on the final day of judgement.
(c) It means to remain or reside.

Q5. After reading the poem "Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments" what image of the poet is formed in your mind? What quality of the poet is revealed through the poem?
Ans: The poet creates an image of a great thinker in my mind. He is considered by me to be the greatest dramatist poet of all times. The poem has a musical quality that is height end still further by the use of alliteration. By the poem, he conveys the message that poetry is not affected by time, though marbled and gilded monuments are. Time and death can erase everything but not the words that come out from a true heart. The poet shows the depth of his thoughts by the poem. 
He is an inspired poet, habitually building a world of imagination. I feel that he understands the present and the future as he says that his friend would be remembered and praised by future generations as his memories are preserved in words in the poem. He shows that written memories are immortal and everlasting. The poem also reveals the dedication of William Shakespeare to literature.

Q6. "When wasteful war shall statues overturn, And broils root out the work of masonry." War is destructive in nature. It does not see anything or anybody when it comes to leave villages, towns, cities and kingdoms empty and without people. Now, write an article on the topic 'War is wasteful.'
Ans: War is Wasteful War is always wasteful, as it causes widespread death and destruction. It is never productive or creative to the society. It is fruitless in that it only kills happiness and hope for humanity. In the olden days, the greedy kings followed the way of war to extend their kingdoms and wealth. Their greed for power caused wars. Man's ego, lust for power and false boundaries of region, religion, caste, colour, creed or language etc give birth to the evil of war. 
War is one of the biggest enemies for humanity, as it disturbs the natural life style of a human being. Nobody wins in war, as it does not give real happiness to anybody. Thousands of wars have been fought in human history and hundreds of kings gained power but  to what use? They, too had to bend before death and depart from this world. Were they really the winners ? Actually, they were not. They lost natural happiness that they could get only in  peace.

Q7. "But you shall shine more bright in these contents?" Comment.
Ans: Here, the poet addresses his friend or beloved. He assures her that she would survive in his poem after her death. He describes that neither marble nor the gold plated monuments of princes shall survive more than his strong short poem. He further says that the name of his beloved will shine more bright in these verses than on dust covered gravestones ravaged by time. 
He shows his faith in his verse and expresses that marble monuments and gilded monuments of princes cannot provide the poet's friend the immortality that the poet's verses can. He tells his beloved that his poetry has the power to withstand time's destruction and to confer immortality. The poet knows that time would root out everything completely. But her sweet memories would keep on living forever in the hearts of future generations because she lies immortalized in his poem.

Q8. Write a note on the theme of the sonnet, "Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments."
Ans: The fifty-fifth sonnet of the 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare is written in blank verse. The sonnet highlights the fact that everything would be destroyed some day. But the impression of words always survives in the hearts of the people. The poet feels great pleasure when he says that his beloved shall shine more brightly than all the marble structures or gold plated monuments, which are erected in the memories of powerful people. 
The poem exposes man's desire to be remembered and immortalized in an attempt to overcome death. Hence man get their statues and monuments built. They forget that these monuments are ravaged by time. The poem claims that time forgets everything and seeks to destroy everything. The poem also brings out his faith in his verse and discloses that the poet's beloved would receive praise and respect forever from the people.

Q9. Explain "Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme".
Ans: Here, the poet says that his poetry has great power. He tells that all the marble structures or gold plated monuments, which are erected in the memories of powerful people like the princes, cannot stand against the ravages of time. He believes that his beloved shall outlive these monuments.

Q10. What purpose do the statues and monuments serve?
Ans: A man wants to survive after his death in the form of a statue or a monument. The rich and powerful people believe that the future generations would remember them by these statues and monuments. Hence, the statues and monuments built by some people keep their memories alive for future generations.

Q11. Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
Ans: With time, many factors have a destructive impact on buildings, houses and other structures. These may be weather conditions like strong winds, rain, storms, snow etc. Mostly monuments and statues are made of strong materials like stone or metal, but they do get disfigured, worn out and damaged by weathering.

Q12. Explain "Gainst death and all oblivious enmity".
Ans: The poet says that no enemy will get success over his beloved. Death and time forget everything and seek to destroy everything. But his friend would continue to live.

Q13. Why does the poet refer to time as being sluttish?
Ans: Here the word 'sluttish' means dirty or spoiled. Actually, time spoils the marbled or gilded monuments, discolours them, breaks them or makes them dirty through its agents like winds, rain, sunlight, etc. That is why time is called sluttish.

Q14. Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
Ans: The rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory so that they may be remembered by generations to come and their name be noted in history.

Q15. How would wars prove ineffective in tarnishing the living record of 'your' memory?
Ans: War always comes with destruction and death. It has nothing productive about it. It is a wasteful evil. But war cannot erase the name and fame of those personalities whose images exist in people's hearts. The poet knows that war would not destroy the written memory of his beloved's life.

Q16. The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destory his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed thought these lines?
Ans: The qualities of the poet revealed by these lines are dedication, love and faith in immortality of his poetry. It also reveals the confidence of the poet that he has the power to keep his friend's memory alive forever.

Q17. How does the poet glorify the power of poetry?
Ans: The poet glorifies the power of poetry in an attractive manner. He shows his faith in his poetry and describes that time and death cannot destroy it. The beauty of his poetry is more than that of the statues and gilded monuments of princes.