The Decline Of The Victorian Era

an unruly crowd of people: rout pleasant and of a kind nature: benignant relating to the earth: terrestrial a strong feeling or expression: fervor a ghost or an apparition; a terrifying image: spectre a horizontal beam used to support a door or a window: lintel difficult to manage due to its size or weight: cumbrous bending with ease: lithe Explanation: The word fervor means "a strong feeling or expression." The word benignant means "pleasant and of a kind nature." The word lintel means "a horizontal beam used to support a door or a window." The word lithe means "bending with ease." The word rout means "an unruly crowd of people." The word spectre means "a ghost or an apparition; a terrifying image." The word cumbrous means "difficult to manage due to its size or weight." The word terrestrial means "relating to the earth."

The poem is a tribute to an athlete who died at a young age. The narrator proposes that it may be better to die young, when you are at the peak of your life, than to die at an old age, when the memory of your achievements has faded. Although the poem is about an athlete, it targets a general audience. All readers can relate to the idea of young people having moments of glory or achievement. The poem's theme of the fading memory of accomplishments is also something many readers can understand, even if they have not participated in athletics.

The first two stanzas, with the images of a sunset, a frosty evening, and barren tree stems, reflect a gloomy and desolate mood. The implicit comparisons of humans to ghosts and the references to a crypt and to a death-lament reinforce the grim, somber mood. Hardy uses these grim images as metaphors for the end of the nineteenth century. The mood changes markedly in the second half of the poem. The last two stanzas do not sound as grim as the first two, though the tone is still contemplative. The description in the last two stanzas relies heavily on the effect of the thrush's sound, which is both the symbol and the voice of hope. The old, diminutive thrush filling the gloomy surroundings with a melody is a poignant image of an individual doing his or her best regardless of the dimness of the immediate prospect. The stanzas subtly suggest that such an attitude is divinely inspired, and it represents the main source of hope for a better future.

Sample Answer: Attitudes toward race have changed significantly in the twentieth century. At the beginning of the century, many thinkers continued to express the idea that the British were racially superior to the people in the colonies they ruled. The idea of racial superiority was probably favored by those who held political power because it provided some justification for the state's conquest and colonization of other lands. For this reason, writers who openly suggested that their race was superior to other races did not have much reason to fear censure by the authorities (in contrast, for example, to writings that were considered blasphemous). Further, such an opinion would not have offended the sentiments of the white majority in Britain. The idea of racial superiority would not have met with much opposition except, perhaps, from a minority of individuals. In other words, the idea could be voiced without provoking outrage. However, after World War II, the task of governing the colonies came to be seen as a burden, and soon the British granted many colonies political independence. As Britain became less significant as a world power and countries with non-white populations grew in prominence, the idea of racial superiority became less defendable, and it gradually lost favor among political thinkers. The idea of racial superiority receded from mainstream intellectual discussion further in the latter part of the twentieth century as Great Britain and other nations embraced multiculturalism. The post-war age also allowed historians to examine the negative impact of British colonial rule. The negative effects of colonialism began to be accepted more widely among intellectuals. Today, in Great Britain (and elsewhere), public statements about racial superiority are associated with extreme political opinions and fringe movements. Today racial bias and a colonialist viewpoint are likely to offend many readers who believe in equality and the rights of nations to govern themselves. Any trace of racial prejudice in books for young readers is unacceptable to educators, publishers, and parents.

Like many Asian and African countries, India was under British rule during Kipling's lifetime. Colonialism was a major economic and political factor in establishing the role of Britain as a world power. And it was a subject of great interest to the upper classes in Britain. Colonial India offered Kipling a context in which to examine the relationship between the British rulers and the people they ruled. We have reason to believe that Kipling was in favor of colonialism. However, he may have used this provocative setting to explore subtleties about power, superiority, and colonialism, especially by presenting the story from the viewpoint of Kim, who was British by birth but lived among the Indians. India is also an excellent place to set a story for a young reader. A faraway country is an intriguing place to set stories of mystery, adventure, and unusual experiences.

Kim's identity is particularly complicated. He is European by birth, but he has been immersed the culture of India his whole life. Kim displays the traits of both the British and the Indians, but he considers the British superior to the natives, as seen in this interaction with an Indian friend: "There was some justification for Kim—he had kicked Lala Dinanath's boy off the trunnions—since the English held the Punjab and Kim was English." However, Kim is not comfortable with the idea of interacting with Europeans, partly because of the kind of life he leads: As he reached the years of indiscretion, he learned to avoid missionaries and white men of serious aspect who asked who he was, and what he did. For Kim did nothing with an immense success. . . . [and] missionaries and secretaries of charitable societies could not see the beauty of [what he did]. Kim avoids British men and women who live in India. Since he has grown up with the natives, he shares their mistrust of the Europeans.

If you agree with the claim, you might include some of the following points in your answer: One major purpose of reading literature and literary fiction is to expand one's horizons. A novel such as Kim encourages readers to construct a mental picture or an understanding of a different culture. While many details may be challenging to understand, readers can always refine their reading of the novel with research about the setting. In the process, they are likely to come away with useful facts or insights. The novel has a timeless appeal as a coming-of-age story and as a tale of adventure and intrigue. The novel explores issues of identity in a setting where people of different races mix together. These issues are relevant in today's world. Novels such as Kim allow readers an opportunity to examine alternative viewpoints on topics of social and historic importance (such as life in a colonized country and the relationship between the rulers and the natives) and compare their viewpoints and attitudes to those of a writer from a different period. If you disagree with the claim, you might include some of the following points in your answer: For readers who seek literature that offers insight into their life experience, a novel set in India at the turn of the century lacks relevance. The enjoyment of reading a novel such as Kim may be significantly diminished because most readers cannot relate to a protagonist with a social identity very different from their own. Contextual details and topical references in such a novel are likely to be lost on modern readers. They are unlikely to follow plot details that rely on the context. They may also miss important nuances in the writing because of the unfamiliar setting. Kim is written from the viewpoint of an author who accepted colonization. To modern readers, the writing seems to lack sensitivity to the concerns of people living in a colonized country.

A. restrained elegance in art, fashion, and architchture.

C. the grim outlook in the late Victorian era

The narrator is full of grief the poem ends on a pessimestic

C. the short-lived nature of glory

I glanced aloft and halted, pleasure-caught To see the contrast there: The ray-lit clouds gleamed glory; and I thought, "There's solace everywhere!"