A Poem : A Nation's Strength

I.State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
1. The grand structures of wealthy kingdoms cannot endure the ravages of war.
2. There is nothing glorious about nations with great military might.
3. Those nations are great which can boast of a huge army.
4. Wars cause senseless violence.
5. True patriots are those who do not think of their own comfort.
II Read the poem carefully and do the following activities
1. The extract begins with a couple of questions. State the purpose they serve.
2. The nation is described as a structure or building. Explain.
3. Give reasons : Wealthy kingdoms are unstable.
4. Point out the legacy that victories won through wars leave behind.
5. Describe the aftermath of bloody wars.
6. War victories turn 'glory to decay' . Explain.
7. A nation having weapons of mass destruction can be judged as a strong one. Give your opinion.
8. State why the poet says that national pride 'seems' sweet.
9. State the ultimate fate of pride .
10. Point out the kind of men who build a mighty nation.
l l . Enlist the qualities of great men that contribute to the strength of a nation.
12. The poet has tried to create a conversational tone in the poem. Pick out the words or expressions used to create this tone.
III. Poetic Devices
1. In the first line of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas, the words 'gold' and 'sword' denote wealth and strength. The figure of speech where a word is used to represent a class or category of things is known as Metonymy.

2.. Antithesis is a figure of speech wherein two opposite words or ideas occur in the same sentence. Try and identify them in stanzas 2 and 3.
3.. Pick out the rhyming pairs of words in the 4th and 5 th stanzas along with rhyme scheme.
IV. Towards Appreciation
l. Find out type of foundation the poet referring to in the poem.
2. Write your opinion about the underlying message of the poem.