Learn English with Tushar sir : 12th The Inchcape Rock

12 TH CLASS NEW SYLLABUS

2.3 THE INCHCAPE ROCK

WRITE AN APPRECIATION OF THE POEM CONSIDERING THE
FOLLOWING POINTS:

About the poem, poet and title.

This poem ‘The Inchcape Rock’ is a ballad. It’s the story of the Abbot of Aberbrothok to install a warning bell on Inchcape, about 11 miles (18km) off the east coast of Angus, Scotland. The poem tells that ‘those who do wrong things will meet with due punishment’ . The poet of this poem is Robert Southey who was an English poet of the Romantic school. He was famous for his historian , biographer, essayist and poet. His poems are very popular with the school children. The entire story moves around the legendary rock. Thus the title - The Inchcape Rock is very suitable.

Theme/ summary/gist of the poem.

we know that Evil digs a pit for others but falls into the same. In our life what goes around comes around. So always remember, as you sow so shall you reap. The central idea of the poem is that those who do bad things will ultimately get punished or one pays for ones misdeed .

Poetic style/ language, poetic devices used in the poem.

It is a narrative type of poem, narrating a story of two characters. It is a lyrical ballad . The poem has seventeen stanzas. It is a satiric, & adventurous poem. The poet has used clear very simple language. A number of poetic devices like ‘ Alliteration, Inversion, Metaphor, Simile, Onomatopoeia, Repetition, Apostrophe, Personification etc. ‘ are used to convey a moral lesson,- ‘as you sow so shall you reap’.

. Here, first line of each stanza rhymes with the second line and the third line with the fourth line.. All stanzas carry the same rhyming pattern that is ‘’ábab’’

Special features/ novelties/ focusing elements.

The poem, The Inchcape Rock, provides natural images of the sea, the Sun, the waves, birds, rock, bell etc. In this way the ballad glides from one incident to another very smoothly, providing vivid pictures of our minds. It creates the special effects on the readers mind. The poet has used descriptive and narrative techniques to enhance the effect of the poem.

Message/ values/ morals in the poem.

The poem, The Inchcape Rock, gives a valuable message that , '‘crime gets its own punishment’’. So message is that we have to think before doing any thing ., control over our anger, emotions & behaviour are necessary , Otherwise one day we will get same reactions from others. The poem gives us a valuable message of wisdom & reality.

Your opinion about the poem.

Though the poem is very long ,I am really inspired by reading this poem. I understood the cycle of action & its reaction very well. I personally learnt not to harm anyone or play with their emotions.it is thought provoking poem .

Lastly I understood the principle of life, - ‘Live and let live ’