First Year English Notes Sindh Board LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL

LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL

Q 1)    Who wrote the poem ‘The lay of the last Minstrel”?’

The poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” was composed by Sir Walter Scott. He was a famous Scottish historical poet, novelist, playwright and biographer. His work is popular throughout Europe during his time period. He is normally known for his historical novels but he made his reputation and name as a poet. He made a splendid collection of traditional songs and the ballads, The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

Q 2) Who does the poet call “the man with soul so dead”?

The poet plainly is talking about the unpatriotic person who has not emotions and feelings about his native land. This sort of man just thinks about the wishes and the desires which directly relate to his entity. That sort of man always prefer to do and adopt the only actions which is in favor for him and if he is used to living at foreign so at the time his return he has not any excitement and never feels any type of proud and honored to talk about his native soil that’s why the poet calls this sort of man a man which has so dead soul.

Q 3)    Who is wretched as described by Walter Scott?

According to Walter Scott, the person who has not any heart feeling for his country is considered as wretched because his life revolves around his self-wishes and desires because of his selfishness nature. This sort of man never thinks and works for the prosperity of his country and in spite of title, rank, reputation and all materials things of this society.

Q 4)    What happens with an unpatriotic person when he dies?

When an unpatriotic person dies so no one in this world laments his death because such a man did not get the place in people’s heart due to his selfish nature and self-centered attitude. Such a person has ‘Double Death’. Firstly his death is physically and he was buried to the soil from which he is created and at the second hand he has loses his name and respect in the eyes of the people. This sort of man will not be remembered in a good manner after his death and no one will prefer to pay tribute him in form of poetries and stories.

Q 5)    Who will be unwept, unhonoured and unsung?

A person who is quite far away from the sense of patriotism will be unwept, unhonoured and unsung. There will be no one who will lament his death because of his selfish attitude. He is neither-given respect in his life nor paid tribute after his death in form of poetries, songs or stories because such a person never worked for his country’s prosperity and betterment by using his skills, powers and wealth if those have been earned by his country.

Q 6)    What is the message of the poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel”?

The message of the poem “The lay of the Last Minstrel” is that if anyone who is selfish and unpatriotic by nature, will never able to get the real reputation and respect in his country fellows’ hearts. Though he may be wealthy, rich powerful and had dominant personality in the society he neither will be paid respect from the core of the heart of people after his death nor in his lifetime.

“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious”

[
Oscar Wilde

Q 7)    How does Sir Walter Scott denounce an unpatriotic person?

Sir Walter Scott denounced an unpatriotic by describing the person who has not any sense of patriotism and has not any respect for his motherland. Such a person is considered a man with a dead soul. He will be unwept, unhonoured and unsung and there will be no one who will lament on his death and nor will he be given the respect by his country fellow. He will not be remembered in a good manner because of his self-centered attitude and selfish nature.

Q 8)    An unpatriotic man dies a double death according to Sir Walter Scott. Explain.

Explain the phrase doubly dying as used in the poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel”.

The poet, Walter Scott used in his poem a phrase “Doubly dying” for an unpatriotic man because according to him an unpatriotic person has not any good position in this world and also in the heart of people and he sustains only if he has power, status, and rank in this society and when he dies so no one in this world laments for his death because such a man did not get the place in people’s heart due to his selfish nature and self-centered attitude. Such a person has ‘Double Death’. Firstly his death is physically and he was buried in the soil from which he is created and at the second hand he has loses his name and respect in the eyes of the people. This sort of man will not be remembered in a good manner after his death and no one will prefer to pay tribute him in form of poetries and stories.