Excelsior
SUBMITTED BY:
Teacher Name
Jaspal Singh (English Tea)
Class: 9th
Subject: English
Govt.Sr.Sec.School Dhingi
Excelsior
H.W.Longfellow
Excelsior
OBJECTIVES
This poem gives a message of perseverance
One should keep marching towards one’s goal
with a fixed determination.
Excelsior
The shades of night were falling fast. A young
man was passing through a village on the
Alps. He was going through snow and ice. He
had a banner in his hand. The banner had on
it a strange motto. It was:' Excelsior !’
Excelsior
The young man looked sad. But his eyes were
shining like a word that has been taken out of its
sheath. The youth was unknown in that place.
But his voice was ringing like a silver clarion. He
was saying:’ Excelsior!’
Excelsior
He saw the fires burning in the happy homes of the
village. The fires were gleaming. They were bright
and warm. Above him, he could see shining
glaciers. They were frightening like ghosts. But
from the lips of the young man, there came a deep
cry. It was:' Excelsior!’
Excelsior
An old man of the villages saw him. He warned him
not to go that way. He said that a dark tempest was
rising overhead. The deep roar of the torrent could
be heard all around. But the youth replied in his
clarion voice. He said,' Excelsior!’
Excelsior
Then a maiden of the village saw him. She
invited him to rest his weary head on her
breast. A tear of love appeared in the bright
blue eyes of the youth. But he took a deep
sigh and answered,' Excelsior!’
Excelsior
The last one to meet him that night was a peasant. He
warned him to beware of the withered branch of the pine
tree (that was hanging down). He warned him to beware
of the fear full avalanche (mass of snow, ice and rock
that slides rapidly down the side of a mountain). But the
youth replied from above the height, ‘Excelsior!’
Excelsior
At break of day, the holy monks of Saint
Bernard were saying their usual prayers.
Then a voice came through the disturbed
air. It was the cry of, ‘Excelsior!’
Excelsior
The traveler's body was lifeless yet it looked
beautiful. It lay there in the cold twilight. The
sky was calm and clear. A voice came
suddenly from the high sky. It came like a
falling star. It was saying, ‘Excelsior!’
Excelsior
A faithful hunting dog found the body of
travelers. It lay half-buried in the snow. The
traveler was still holding the banner in his hand
of ice. It was the same banner that had on it the
strange motto of ‘Excelsior!’
Excelsior
Answer the following question in brief:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write a brief summary of the poem.
What is the central idea of the poem?
Explain the meaning of the word ‘Excelsior’.
What was the chief quality of the youth
discussed in this poem ?
5. What lesson dose the poem give us?
GLOSSARY:
Excelsior (ad): higher
Falchion (n): short, curved convex-edged sword.
Clarion (adj): clear and shrill, inspiring
Spectral (n): ghostly, frightful
Torrent (n): stream of water flowing very quickly
Pious (adj): very religious or dutiful.
Startled (v): shocked
Avalanche (n): large mass of snow or ice sliding
shuddery down from a mountain slope.
Fill In Blanks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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9.
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11.
The shades of night were ____________ fast.
He had a ___________ in his hand.
The banner had on it a ___________ motto.
The young man looked ____________.
The_____________ were gleaming.
They were____________ like ghosts.
__________ man of the villages saw him.
It lay ____________ in the snow.
The sky was ________ and_________.
It came like a ___________ star.
It was saying, __________!
Fill In Blanks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
The shades of night were falling fast.
He had a banner in his hand.
The banner had on it a strange motto.
The young man looked sad.
The fires were gleaming.
They were frightening like ghosts.
An old man of the villages saw him.
It lay half-buried in the snow.
The sky was calm and clear.
It came like a falling star.
It was saying, ‘Excelsior!’
Tick ( )the correct answer:
1. The youth was –
(A) Timid
(B). A shirker
(C) Bold and courageous
(D) lazy
shI jvwb
A~gy
glq jvwb
ip~Cy
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