The Light of other Days Question and Answer

 The Light of other Days

Thomas Moore

Answer these questions in one or few words.

1. At which stage of life is the poet at present?

Answer: The poet is currently in the final phase of life, that of old age.

2. To what does the poet compare his friends?

Answer: The poet compares his friend to the falling leaves in the winter.

3. Pick out one “fond” memory of the poet.

Answer: The poet looks back on his childhood with “fond” remembrance, recalling happy times from his past, complete with tears of joy and laughter.

4. Pick out one “sad” memory of the poet.

Answer: The time when the poet realizes that his childhood, his friends, and the time he spent sharing his love with those who have passed on are all over and gone.

5. What does the word “slumber” mean in the poem?

Answer: Slumber in this context means sleep.

II. Answer these questions in a few words.

1. What does the poet remember before falling asleep?

Answer: Before sleep, the poet thinks back on his childhood and all the fun times he had there, including the tears and laughter. The time when the poet realizes that his youth, his friends, and the time he spent sharing words of love with those people are all behind him. Happy memories turn instantly bitter.

2. Why does the poet feel like “one who tread alone”?

Answer: While the poet grieves for his departed friends and distant loved ones. He is the only person left in a deserted banquet hall. The lights have been turned off, the garlands have withered, and the guests have left, leaving the speaker to wander the empty hall in a daze.

3. Why is the poet sad?

Answer: The poet’s “fond memories,” which bring him fleeting joy, turn bitter when they are replaced by an overwhelming sense of isolation. The time when the poet realizes that his youth, his friends, and the time he spent sharing his love with those who have passed on are all behind him. All at once, the “happy memories” turn tragic.

4. What is meant by the expression “ere slumber’s chain has bound me” in the poem?

Answer: When the poet tries to drift off to sleep, bittersweet memories of the past emerge, reminding him of the loss and pain he has endured. This is what is meant by the phrase “ere slumber’s chain has bound me.”

5. Why are the cheerful hearts now broken?

Answer: The once-cheerful hearts have become broken because of the loss of past joys. The fond memories of past that are long gone.

III. Answer these questions briefly.

1. What does the poet mourn over in the second stanza of the poem?

Answer: The poet’s “fond memories,” which bring him fleeting joy, turn bitter when they are replaced by an overwhelming sense of isolation. The time when the poet realizes that his youth, his friends, and the time he spent sharing his love with those who have passed on are all behind him. All at once, the “happy memories” turn tragic. Consequently, the poet expresses his sorrow for his departed companions and loved ones who are now so far away.

 

2. Explain “I have seen around me for like leaves in wintry winter.”

Answer: The poet compares his friend to the falling leaves in the winter. He says they were all so close, and now they’re all dying, and he likens it to the leaves falling from the trees in the winter. The time when the poet realizes that his youth, his friends, and the time he spent sharing his love with those who have passed on are all behind him. All at once, the “happy memories” turn tragic. Consequently, the poet expresses his sorrow for his departed companions and loved ones who are now so far away.

3. Describe the banquet hall.

Answer: The banquet hall is deserted, the lights are out, and the garlands have withered after the event has been celebrated. Nobody is left in the empty banquet hall except for the poet. He feels as though he’s the only one left in a deserted banquet hall. After the party has ended, the lights have been turned off, the garlands have withered, and the guests have left, leaving the speaker to wander the empty hall in a daze.

IV. Answer these questions in detail.

1. How has the poet portrayed the theme of friendship in the poem?

Answer: In his poem “The Light of Other Days,” Thomas Moore depicts the theme of friendship by reflecting on the past and recalling “fond” memories of past friendships. He reflects on his boyhood and all that it entailed, both the good and the bad. By reflecting on the past and recalling pleasant associations with friends, the poet paints a vivid picture of the poem’s central theme. There are recollections from two time periods. Death is introduced to us here in the form of once bright eyes that have since faded and disappeared. The heart that was once so full of joy has been shattered. The second stanza recalls recent times spent with close friends. Here, death is depicted as a chum that drops like leaves in the fall. Once again, death is presented as threatening and personal.

2. In your own words, describe the emotions of the poet as reflected in the poem.

Answer: Feeling nostalgic, the poet recalls the good times he’s had with the people who have meant the most to him throughout his life. The poet, nearing the end of his life, is devastated by the loss of loved ones. He claims that whenever he tries to fall asleep, pleasant memories from his past wake him up. Momentary joy washes over the poet as he remembers the times he laughed, cried, and was filled with boundless enthusiasm in his youth. Those “fond memories” quickly turn bitter because of the speaker’s overwhelming loneliness. And then, suddenly, the “fond memories” become tragic. After all the merriment, he feels as though he’s the only one left in an empty dining hall. The once vibrant and colourful hall is now a lifeless grey shadow of its former self. The lights are out, the garlands are wilted, and everyone has left, leaving the speaker to aimlessly wander the empty hall.

V. Additional Questions.

1. Fond memory brings the light of other days around me'

(a) When does this happen?

Ans: It happens when the poet lies down in the bed at night before sleeping.

(b) what do the 'other days' refer to?

Ans: It refers to the boyhood days of the poet.

(c) why does the poet use the word 'fond' for memory?

Ans: It is because the poet has sweet memory of his past days.

2. Why does the poet referred to some of the memories as 'sad'?

Ans: The poet referred to some of the memories as 'sad' because the poet remembers the old days of beautiful life with his boyhood friends but now a days his life is very sad and feels departed from them.

3. "I have seen around me fall

Like leaves in wintry weather,

I feel like one who treads alone

Some banquet- hall deserted."

(a) What does the poet mean by 'fall' whomhas he seen falling?

Ans: By 'fall', the poet means 'lost or 'died'. He has seen falling of his boyhood days and the death of his friends.

(b) What mood of the poet do these lines convey?

Ans: The mood of the poet throughout the poem is very sorrowful.