“Once…Once upon a time…”
Over and over again,
Martha would tell us her stories,
In the hazel glen.
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- एक बार की बात है कि मार्था बारंबार बच्चों को घाटियों में बैठकर कहानियाँ सुनाया करती थी।
Hers were those clear grey eyes
You watch, and the story seems
Told by their beautifulness
Tranquil as dreams.
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- कवि कहता है कि उसकी भूरी आँखों में जादूई शक्ति थी। जब वह कहानी कहती थी तो उसकी कला बच्चों के सामने स्वप्न बनकर प्रकट होता था।
She’d sit with her two slim hands
Clasped round her bended knees;
While we on our elbows lolled,
And stared at ease.
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- कवि कहता है कि वह (मार्था ) अपने दोनों सुन्दर हाथों से अपने घुटने को पकड़ कर बैठ जाया करती और बच्चे ध्यानमग्न मुद्रा में शांत भाव से टकटकी लगाकर कहानियाँ सुना करता।
Her voice and her narrow chin,
Her grave small lovely head,
Seemed half the meaning
Of the words she said.
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- कवि कहता है कि उसकी आवाज और उसकी पतला-सा ठुड्डी तथा छोटा-सा प्यारा-सा सिर ही बिना बोले आधा कुछ कह देता था।
“Once…Once upon a time…”
Like a dream you dream in the night,
Fairies and gnomes stole out
In the leaf-green light.
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- एक बार की बात है कि जैसा कि आप स्वप्न रात में देखा करते हैं ठीक एक स्वप्न की भाँति परियाँ और दूसरे विचित्र प्राणी चोरी-चुपके पत्ते जैसी हरे प्रकाश में बाहर निकल आयी।
And her beauty far away
Would fade, as her voice ran on,
Till hazel and summer sun
And all were gone:
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- मार्था जब अपनी कहानी के चरमोत्कर्ष पर पहुँचती तो उसकी सुन्दरता गायब हो जाती और शाम होने तक वह कहानियाँ कहते रहती।
All fordone and forgot;
And like clouds in the height of the sky,
Our hearts stood still in the hush
Of an age gone by
हिन्दी रूपांतर :- कहानियाँ समाप्त हो गयी और सबकुछ भूला दिया गया। ऐसा लगा मानो किसी शान्त स्थान में हमारा हृदय स्थिर हो ठीक उसी प्रकार जैसे आकाश में बादल।
Objective question
1. Martha’ used to tell her stories in the ……………….
(B) forest
(C) cottage
(D) church
| Answer ⇒ A |
2. Martha’s stories were about …………… and fairies.
(A) old men
(B) children
(C) gnomes
(D) witches
| Answer ⇒ C |
3. Who tells her stories over and over again ?
(A) Walter de la Mare
(B) Martha
(C) J. K. Rollings
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ B |
4. What does Martha do in the hazel glen ?
(A) Sleeps
(B) Tells her stories
(C) Writes her stories
(D) Singing Practise
| Answer ⇒ B |
5. Which of the following word stands for Martha used in the poem ?
(A) She
(B) Her
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of the above
| Answer ⇒ B |
6. Which of the following word stands for the watchers used in the poem ?
(A) She
(B) Her
(C) You
(D) Your
| Answer ⇒ C |
7. The ……………… felt that they had travelled back into the past when the incidents of Martha’s stories had taken place.
(A) Fairies
(B) Gnomes
(C) Poets
(D) Listeners
| Answer ⇒ D |
8. The poet knew Martha when he was a
(A) Servant
(B) Child
(C) Shopkeeper
(D) Teacher
| Answer ⇒ B |
9. Martha’s stories were about ……………. and fairies who lived a long time ago.
(A) Gnomes
(B) Children
(C) Ghosts
(D) Adults
| Answer ⇒ A |
10. As Martha continued with her story, her ……………. seemed to fade away.
(A) Chin
(B) Beauty
(C) Hands
(D) Voice
| Answer ⇒ B |
11. Who has composed the poem Martha ?
(A) Puran Singh
(B) Lakshmi Prasad Devketa
(C) Alexander Pope
(D) Walter de la Mare
| Answer ⇒ D |
12. What is the colour of Martha’s eyes ?
(A) grey
(B) white
(C) green
(D) blue
| Answer ⇒ A |
13. Who are staring at ease ?
(A) Martha
(B) the crowd
(C) listeners
(D) none of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
14. Like a dream you dream in the ……………….
(A) day
(B) night
(C) noon
(D) afternoon
| Answer ⇒ B |
15. Fairies and gnomes ……………… Out.
(A) stole
(B) steal
(C) light
(D) ran
| Answer ⇒ A |
16. Our hearts stood still in the ………………… .
(A) bush
(B) hush
(C) push
(D) rush
| Answer ⇒ B |
17. Like a dream you dream …………….. the night.
(A) Away
(B) On
(C) In
(D) out
| Answer ⇒ C |
18. Martha’s eyes were of which colour ?
(A) Clear green
(B) clear grey
(C) white
(D) Black
| Answer ⇒ B |
19. Martha, the poem is composed by ?
(A) Joan Lexau
(B) John Keats.
(C) Walter de la Mare
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
20. The poem, ‘Martha’ creates what kind of atmosphere ?
(A) Stories
(B) Songs
(C) Mystery
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
21. “The Listener’, ‘The Scarecrow’ are the writings of
(A) Joan Lexau
(B) T.S. Eliot
(C) Elizabeth
(D) Walter de la Mare
| Answer ⇒ D |
22. In the poem “Martha’ who are staring at ease ?
(A) Martha
(B) The poet
(C) The Children
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
23. Whom were the children staring at ease ?
(A) Martha
(B) The Children
(C) The book
(D) Martha
| Answer ⇒ D |
24. Martha’s hands were
(A) Clear
(B) Clear grey
(C) Slim
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
25. In the hazel glen, Martha tells her story to some-
(A) Poets
(B) Guardians
(C) Children
(D) None of these
| Answer ⇒ C |
Subjective question
1. What is the colour of Martha’s eyes ?
2. Who are staring at ease ?
Ans. Children are staring at ease.
3. How half of the stories were said ?
Ans. Half of the stories were said by her grave expression.
4. How do they sit to listen Martha’s story ?
Ans. They sit on their elbows to listen Martha’s story.
5. What does Martha do in the Hazel glen ?
Ans. Martha tells the children stories in the Hazel glen.
6. Describe Martha’s physical features.
Ans. Martha is an old woman. Her eyes are clear grey, nice and calm. During telling her stories, she would sit with her two slim hands clasped round her bended knees. Her chin is narrow and her hand is small and lovely. Her expression presents a mysterious scene in the valley.
7. How does the poem Martha end ?
Ans. The poem ends with a grand success. All fordone and forgot. Their hearts stood still in a calm place and in the same way clouds would stand in the height of the sky. It is felt that a period of the age has slide away. All the children felt comfortable and relaxed.
8. Is this poem Martha like a dream ? How can you say that ?
Ans. Yes, I find this poem like a dream. When she begins to tell her stories, she presents a different scene as before. Children get themselves unable to think any other things, except her stories. Her story telling style creates a mystic scene as if all things were happening in a dream.
9. Do you think that Martha and the children are enjoyed the stories ?
Ans. Yes, both Martha and the children enjoyed the stories well. As Martha is the performer of the story, she must enjoy it. The children feel peace and calm when hears the story. It means the children are taking high enjoyment that’s why they are happy.
10. Martha begins with happy and tranquil note and ends with sadness. Does she do so ? Explain.
Ans. The poem begins with happy and tranquil note. Martha starts her story with a great beauty. Her facial expressing presents a fantasy. The children are attract towards her and her stories. But as the story develops, her face presents a dreadful scene. Her beauty loses its existence and the sun sets. All forget everything and were drown in dreamy world.
11. Explain the mood of the poet when he says “Our hearts stood still in the hush of an age gone by”.
Ans. The poet is now in sad mood. As Martha begins her story, the poet feels happy, but as it goes and goes on, her appearance creates a mysterious scene. Beholding this scene the mood of ih poet suddenly changes into sadness. He feels that one age has passed away.
12. Describe poet’s feeling when he started the poem.
Ans. The poet started the poems with pleasant feeling. He chose a lady character who was master as a story-teller. The lady was Martha. Martha had good-looking face and slim hands. Sho was an orator which made the poet happy to think that his poem would get a good style.
13. How did Martha tell her story ?
Ans. Martha narrated a story in front of children in a magical way. She would sit with her slim and beautiful hands clasped round her bended knees. Her narrow chin and nice head’ seemed to all half of the story. Her style was very attractive. She cast a spel the children’s minds so that they lost sight to the real world and face and get lost in the world being described by Martha.