Chapter 8 Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh (Poem)
Question 1. Write a summary of the poem in your own words.
Answer: Pertab Singh was the king of Jodhpore. He had a friend who was an Englishman. Suddenly, the friend died. Pertab Singh himself carried his friend’s bier. He did not care for the warning of priests who said that he would lose his caste by carrying the bier of an Englishman.
Question 2. What is the central idea of the poem ?
CENTRAL IDEA
A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh – Sir Henry Newbolt
This is a very beautiful poem. It gives a very good message. The poet says that all castes are man-made. All men are same in this world. All noble persons belong to one caste of brotherhood.
Question 3. Who was Sir Pertab Singh ?
Answer: Sir Pertab Singh was the king of Jodhpore. He lived in the Red-rose House. He was a true friend. He did not believe in the caste system. For him, the caste of a soldier was the only true caste.
Question 4. Why did Pertab Singh immediately like the English soldier ?
Answer: The Englishman looked every inch a soldier. Pertab Singh himself was a true soldier. That was why he liked him immediately. He did not believe in any differences of caste. For him the caste of a soldier was the only true caste.
Question 5. How did the two comrades spend their days ?
Answer: The two comrades spent their days together. They would go riding in the morning and in the evening. They told each other stories of love and adventure. Thus they passed their days happily. Then one day the English soldier died suddenly.
Question 6. Why was Pertab Singh asked to send a sweeper when the Englishman died ?
Answer: Four men were needed to carry the Englishman’s bier. But in Jodhpore, they could find only three Englishmen. No one from the Hindu castes was supposed to carry the bier of a non-Hindu. So Pertab Singh was asked to send a sweeper. A sweeper has no caste to lose.
Question 7. What was the problem that arose when the Englishman died ?
Answer: Four men were needed to carry the Englishman’s bier. But in Jodhpore, they could find only three Englishmen. No one from the Hindu castes was supposed to carry the bier of a non-Hindu. Thus a problem arose to find the fourth bearer.
Question 8. What, according to the priests, had Pertab Singh lost ? Why?
Answer: The priests said that Pertab Singh had lost his caste. He had carried the bier of a foreigner. Religion did not allow this. Pertab Singh had defied religion. He had made himself impure and thus lost his caste. However, Pertab Singh did not care what the priests said.
OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS:
POEM 3: A BALLAD OF SIR PERTAB SINGH
Q1. Sir Pertab Singh lived in _____ House.
i) Red-rose ii) Black-rose iii) Rose-red iv) Rose-blood
Q2. Sir Pertab Singh’s friend was ______ soldier.
i) an Indian ii) a Chinese iii) an English iv) a Pakistani
Q3. According to the priests, Pertab Singh lost his caste forever. (True/ false)
ANSWER KEY:
A1. Sir Pertab Singh lived in Rose-red House.
i) Red-rose ii) Black-rose iii) Rose-red iv) Rose-blood
A2. Sir Pertab Singh’s friend was an English soldier.
i) an Indian ii) a Chinese iii) an English iv) a Pakistani
A3. According to the priests, Pertab Singh lost his caste forever. (True)
Objective Type Questions
Question 1. Sir Pertab Singh lived in …………… House.
(i) Red-rose
(ii) Black-rose
(iii) Rose-red
(iv) Rose-blood.
Answer:
(iii) Rose-red
Question 2. Sir Pertab Singh’s friend was ……………. soldier
(i) an Indian
(ii) a Chinese
(iii) an English
(iv) a Pakistani.
Answer:
(iii) an English
Question 3. According to the priests, Pertab Singh lost his caste forever. (True False)
Answer: True.
Answer each of the following in one word / phrase / sentence :
Question 1. Who wrote the poem, ‘A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh’ ?
Answer: Sir Henry Newbolt.
Question 2. What was Sir Pertab Singh’s house called ?
Answer: It was called Rose-red House.
Question 3. Who came forward to carry the bier of Pertab’s English friend ?
Answer: Sir Pertab Singh himself.
Question 4. What did the Brahmins tell Sir Pertab Singh when he carried his English friend’s bier ?
Answer: They told Pertab Singh that he had lost his caste.
Question 5.What does the poem, ‘A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh’ bring out ?
Answer: It brings out the folly of caste system.
Reading Comprehension
(1) In the first year of him that first
Was Emperor and King,
A rider came to the Rose-red House,
The House of Pertab Singh.
Q1. Name the poem and the poet.
Ans 1. The name of the poem is ‘A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh’. The poet is Sir Henry
Q2. Who came to Pertab Singh’s house ?
Ans 2. A young English rider came to Pertab Singh’s house.
Q3. What was the house called ?
Ans 3. The house was called Rose-red House.
4. How long had Pertab Singh been the King ?
Ans 4. He was yet in the first year of his rule
(2) Beneath the morning stars they rode,
Beneath the evening sun,
And their blood sang to them as they rode
That all good wars are one.
Q1. Who were the riders ?
Ans 1. The two riders were Pertab Singh and an English soldier.
Q2. How did they feel while riding together ?
Ans 2. They felt very brave and happy.
Q3. How did they feel about wars ?
Ans 3. They felt that all good wars are one.
4. How long did the two continue riding together ?
Answer: They kept riding from early dawn till it was evening.
(3) So ran their joy the allotted days,
Till at the last day’s end
The shadow stilled the Rose-red House
And the heart of Pertab’s friend.
Q1. Who was Pertab’s friend ?
Ans 1. Pertab’s friend was an English soldier.
Q2. What happened to the friend ?
Ans 2. The friend died suddenly.
Q3. How did the two feel while living together ?
Ans 3. They felt very happy while living together.
Q4. Explain : “The shadow stilled the Rose-red House.?
Ans 4. Pertab’s heart was filled with sorrow over his friend’s death. The whole palace was covered in the shadow of grief.
(4) There were three of his race and creed,
Three only and no more :
They could not find to bear the dead
A fourth in all Jodhpore.
‘O Maharaj, of your good grace
Send us a sweeper here;
A sweeper has no caste to lose
Even by an alien bier.’
Q1. “There were three of his race and creed. Which race has been mentioned here ?
Ans 1. The race and creed of the Englishman has been mentioned here.
Q2. What could they not find in all Jodhpore ?
Ans 2. They could not find a fourth one of the English race and creed in all Jodhpore to carry the bier of a foreigner:
Q3. What did they request the king to do ?
Answers3. They requested the king to send a sweeper to carry the bier of a foreigner.
(5) What need, what need ?’ said Pertab Singh,
And bowed his princely head.
‘I have no caste, for I myself
Am bearing forth the dead.’
Q1. What need does Pertab Singh refer to ?
Ans 1. It was the need of a fourth person to carry the bier.
Q2. Who came forward to carry the bier ?
Ans 2. Pertab Singh himself came forward to carry the bier.
Q3. Whose bier was it ?
Ans 3. It was the bier of an English soldier who was Pertab Singh’s friend.
Q4. Why did Pertab Singh say, “I have no caste.” ?
Answer: 4. He said this because he did not believe in the caste system
(6) “God only knows,’ said Pertab Singh,
“That which I lose today :
And without me no hand of man,
Shall bear my friend away.’
Q1. Name the poem and the poet.
Ans 1. The name of the poem is ‘A Ballad of Sir Pertab Singh’. The poet is Sir Henry Newbolt.
Q2. How did he feel over this loss ?
Ans 2. He felt very unhappy over the loss.
Q3. What did he decide to do ?
Ans 3. He decided to carry his friend’s bier himself.
Q4. What did Pertab Singh say he had lost ?
Answer: 4. He said he had lost a very dear friend.