1.

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow :The quality of mercy is not strain’d;It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest :It blesseth him that gives and him that takes;‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown :His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,The attribute to awe and majesty;Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;But mercy is above this sceptred sway,It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,It is an attribute to God himself;And earthly power doth then show likest God’sWhen mercy seasons justice.[Mercy is a chief human quality. It cannot be forced upon a person. It springs from a noble heart and blesses both the giver and the recipient. The merciful behaviour of a person shows his divine nature. Justice clad in mercy shines brighter.]1. What does the poet mean by ‘twice blest’ ?2. Write two qualities of mercy.3. What does the word ‘It’ mean in the poem ?4. When does the temporal power become Godly power ?5. List the similes the poet has used in the poem.

Answer»

1. Mercy blesses both the giver and the recipient because both find themselves on a higher level of life.

2. Mercy makes a person spiritually great. A merciful person enjoys heavenly bliss.

3.‘It’ stands for the quality of mercy.

4. The temporal or worldly power becomes Godly power when the worldly person becomes merciful.

5. Two similes:

  • It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.
  • And earthly power doth then show likest God’s.


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