Learn in simple way 2.3 The Inchcape Rock

Learn in simple way 2.3 The Inchcape Rock

 Poem

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea, (stir- movement हलचल)
The ship was as still as she could be, she – any lady
Her sails from heaven received no motion, heaven- wind
Her keel was steady in the ocean. Keel- ship

Without either sign or sound of their shock (waves)
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy (signal) in the storm it floated and swung, (sounds) (बोय/booe)
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell, (waves)
The mariners (seamen) heard the warning bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock, (full of danger or risk),
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

The Sun in heaven was shining gay, (cheerful)
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyance in their sound.

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful (cheerful) to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness. (joy)

His eye was on the Inchcape float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague (damage/ defame) the Abbot of Aberbrothok’.

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row, (travel by a boat.)
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the Bell from the Inchcape float.

Down sunk the bell with a gurgling sound.( bubbling sound.)
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, ‘The next who comes to the Rock
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.’

Sir Ralph the Rover, sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store, (लूट का माल/loot)
He steers (drive)his course (way) for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze (mist) o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the Sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale (storm/आंधी) all day,
At evening it hath died away.

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, ‘It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.’

‘Canst (can) hear’, said one, ‘the breakers roar? (Sound of waves)
For methinks (I think) we should be near the shore’.
‘Now where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish I could hear the Inchcape Bell’.

They hear no sound, the swell is strong; (waves)
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along,
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock (jerk),-(large boat.)
‘O Christ! it is the Inchcape Rock!’

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair;
He curst himself in his despair (desperation);
(archaic spelling of cursed.)
The waves rush in every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear,
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell (sound)

Summary of the poem 

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea, (stir- movement हलचल)
The ship was as still as she could be, she – any lady
Her sails from heaven received no motion, heaven- wind
Her keel was steady in the ocean. Keel- ship

(The sails -a piece of cloth on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship)

[In the first stanza of the poem the poet describes the calmness of the sea. The air, the sea, the ship – all were still. The sails of the ship were getting no motion from the wind. Its keel was steady in the ocean.]

Without either sign or sound of their shock (waves)
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

[The second stanza describes the mild sea waves. The waves were rising and falling so little that they did not make any sign or sound. The waves were gently flowing over the Inchcape Rock without moving or ringing the bell.]

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy (signal) in the storm it floated and swung, (sounds)
And over the waves its warning rung
(बोय/booe)

[The third stanza is about the bell. The ‘good old Abbot of Aberbrothok’ positioned the Inchcape bell there on the Inchcape Rock. During the storms it floated on a buoy and rang wildly swung by the high tides to alert everyone that the dangerous rock was there.]

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell, (waves)
The mariners (seamen) heard the warning bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock, (full of danger or risk),
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

[In the next four lines, the poet tells us how the bell guided the mariners in the bad weather. The seamen could not see the Rock as it stayed hidden under the high waves during the storms. But they could hear the ringing bell and went away from the perilous (dangerous) rock. So the bell saved their lives. Then the seafarers blessed the Abbot for his good job]

The Sun in heaven was shining gay, (cheerful)
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyance in their sound.

[The fifth stanza delivers a cheerful atmosphere, as it generally happens before every disaster. On a particular bright day everything looked joyful. The sea-birds were whirling over the sea and screaming in joy.]

The buoy (बोय) of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck (a small particle) on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover, walk’d his deck,
And he fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

[In the sixth stanza of the poem Sir Ralph is introduced for the first time. On that fine day, the buoy (an anchored floating sign to show the reef) on the Inchcape Rock was clearly visible, as it was a blackish spot in the green ocean. Sir Ralph the Rover went onto the deck of his vessel and gazed at dark spot of the buoy.]

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful (cheerful) to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness. (joy)
(The quality of being evil or morally wrong/ शैतानी)

[This stanza deals with Ralph’s feelings and thoughts. He was delighted at the good spring atmosphere. He was making whistling sounds and singing in joy. He was actually overjoyed. But no one knew that a sinful thought in his mind was behind this happiness.]

His eye was on the Inchcape float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague (damage/ defame) the Abbot of Aberbrothok’

Abbot - a man who is the head of an abbey of monks. मठाधीश
[In the eighth stanza the Rover himself speaks and reveals his desire. His eyes were fixed on the floating buoy on the Inchcape Rock. Sir Ralph the Rover ordered his crew to take the boat to the Inchcape Rock. Then he says that he is going to plague (kill or destroy) the good work of the Abbot of Aberbrothok.]

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row, (travel by a boat.)
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the Bell from the Inchcape float.

The ninth stanza describes that the Rover’s men took the boat to the Inchcape Rock. There he bent over the boat and cut the bell from the Rock.

Down sunk the bell with a gurgling sound.( bubbling sound.)
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, ‘The next who comes to the Rock
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.’

[The next stanza pictures how the bell was sinking down making the bubbling sound. Bubbles rose and burst around. Sir Ralph was happy thinking that the bell would save no more ships and the seamen would no longer bless the Abbot.]

Sir Ralph the Rover, sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store, (लूट का माल/loot)
He steers (drive)his course (way) for Scotland’s shore.

[Sir Ralph the Rover then sailed away from the rock. Thereafter he had robbed and looted many ships which met accidents crashing to the Inchcape Rock. He is now a rich man with all the looted treasures (संपत्ती). And today he is going to the Scotland shore with his ship.]

So thick a haze (mist) o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the Sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale (storm/आंधी) all day,
At evening it hath died away.

[The twelfth stanza describes the gloomy atmosphere on the day the Rover is sailing to Scotland. The sun is hidden behind the thick fog. Strong winds were blowing all the day, and now, in the evening it has stopped blowing.]

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, ‘It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.’

The next four lines continue the gloom (partial or total darkness.). The Rover is now on the deck of his ship. They can’t see land as it is very dark. Sir Ralph assures that the moon will appear soon and so there will be light.

‘Canst (can) hear’, said one, ‘the breakers roar?(Sound of waves)
For methinks (I think) we should be near the shore’.
‘Now where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish I could hear the Inchcape Bell’.

[In the fourteenth stanza one of Ralph’s men says that he hears the roaring sound of the waves breaking against something. So, he hopes they should be near the shore. He also regrets that the Inchcape Bell is no more, as it could guide them in this situation.]

They hear no sound, the swell is strong; (waves)
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along,
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock (jerk),-(large boat.)
‘O Christ! it is the Inchcape Rock!’

(drift - carried slowly by a current of air or water.)
[But no sound was there. The tides were strong. The Rover and his team are drifting along with the ship. Suddenly the vessel gets a jerking. They all realize that the vessel has hit the Inchcape Rock.]

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair;
He curst himself in his despair (desperation);
(archaic spelling of cursed.)
The waves rush in every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

[Sir Ralph the Rover pulls his hairs in frustration. He curses himself for his evil deeds. Meanwhile the water fills in every corner of the vessel and it starts sinking in the sea.]

But even in his dying fear
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear,
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell (sound)

(मृत्यूसुचक घंटानाद/ the sound of a bell, especially when rung solemnly for a death or funeral.)
[In the last stanza of the poem as the Rover is dying, he hears a sound like the ringing of the Inchcape Bell. It was actually his death knell that the Devil himself was ringing beneath the water.
Thus the Rover gets punishment for his sinful works. Robert Southey is a poet who always delivers a teaching through his poems. This too is not an exception.]

Story of the poem 

The story is about the good Abbot of Aberbrothok and the devilish Sir Ralph the Rover. The Abbot achieved the great feat of installing a bell on the dangerous Inchcape rock that had previously caused many shipwrecks. His bell rang during the storms and issued an alert for the passing ships. So, the seamen knew where the rock is and could avoid the danger of an accident. They blessed the Abbot for his good work.
But it was the Rover who felt jealous at the fame of the Abbot and planned to cut down the bell from the Inchcape rock. And so he did. This Ralph the Rover was actually a sea-pirate. So he needed to destroy the bell to accomplish his desire to rob more ships by putting them in danger. But finally he himself was the victim of the Inchcape rock. One day his ship was left in the midst of storms, lost the direction and crashed against the rock. Thus, the Rover was punished for his sinful work.
Here the poet Robert Southey delivers a message through his poem: As you sow, so shall you reap. So, the poem The Inchcape Rock is didactic in nature like most of Southey’s poems.
The poem is a bit long as the ballads should be. It consists of seventeen stanzas of four lines each. The first two and the last two lines of each stanza rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme is a , a , b, b for each stanza.

The synonyms/ Vocabulary

1. Stir - Movement, Agitation (हलचल, हालचाल)
2. The sails -a piece of cloth on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship
3. Heaven - Sky, Air (आकाश, वायू)
4. Keel - Base of a Ship, Bottom (जहाजाचा पाया, तळ)
5. Shock - Jolt, Impact (धक्का, परिणाम)
6. Waves - Swells, Billows (लाटा, उधाण)
7. Buoy - Float, Marker (तैरती खूण, संकेत)
8. Surge - Wave, Flood (लाट, पुर)
9. Mariner - Sailor, Seafarer (खलाशी, समुद्रवीर)
10. Perilous - Dangerous, Risky (धोकादायक, जोखमीचा)
11. Gay - Cheerful, Joyful (आनंदी, हर्षोल्लासित)
12. Mirthful - Happy, Cheerful (आनंदमय, हसरा)
13. Wickedness - Evil, Vice (वाईटपणा, दुर्गुण)
14. Plague - Torment, Trouble (यातना, त्रास)
15. Lower’d - Dropped, Descended (खाली केले, उतरले)
16. Gurgling - Bubbling, Burbling (गुळगुळ, बुडबुड)
17. Scour’d - Searched, Roamed (शोधला, फिरला)
18. Plunder’d - Looted, Pillaged (लुटलेला, लुटमार)
19. Steer - Navigate, Drive (चालवणे, मार्गदर्शन करणे)
20. Course - Path, Route (मार्ग, दिशा)
21. Haze - Mist, Fog (धुके, कुंद)
22. Gale - Storm, Tempest (वादळ, आंधी)
23. Breakers - Waves, Surf (मोठ्या लाटा, उधाण)
24. Methinks - I think, It seems (मला वाटतं, असं वाटतं)
25. Shivering - Trembling, Quaking (कापणे, थरथरणे)
26. Curst - Cursed, Damned (शापित, बद्दल)
27. Despair - Hopelessness, Desperation (निराशा, हताश)
28. Knell - Toll, Ring (घणघणाट, घंटानाद)

Some images from poem.

1. A Calm Sea: The sea and air are still, with a ship motionless in the ocean. The sails are limp, and the keel steady in the calm water.

2. Inchcape Rock with Gentle Waves: Waves softly washing over a hidden rock, with no significant rise or fall, and no disturbance to the bell.

3. The Inchcape Bell: A bell mounted on a buoy floating and swinging in a light breeze, signaling mariners with its warning sound.

4. Mariners Spot the Bell: A ship's crew spots the warning bell as waves rise around the perilous Inchcape Rock.

5. Joyful Day at Sea: The sun shines brightly, and sea birds circle overhead, joyfully crying as they swoop around in the wind.

6. Cheerful Sir Ralph: Sir Ralph the Rover is whistling and singing on the ship, reveling in the cheerful spring weather, but with a mischievous glint in his eye.

7. Sir Ralph Plots Mischief: Sir Ralph, standing on deck, plotting to defame the Abbot by removing the Inchcape Bell.

8. Boat Nearing the Inchcape Rock: The boatmen rowing towards the bell in the small boat, with the Inchcape Rock visible in the distance.

9. Sir Ralph Cutting the Bell: Sir Ralph leaning out of the boat, cutting the bell from the buoy, preparing to sink it.

10. Sinking Bell: The bell sinking into the ocean with bubbles rising and bursting around it.

11. Sir Ralph Sailing Away: Sir Ralph's ship sailing away, having removed the bell, as he laughs in triumph over his deed.

12. Rover’s Plunder: Sir Ralph's ship at sea, filled with plundered treasure, sailing toward Scotland's shore.

13. Thick Mist on the Horizon: A thick haze covering the sky, obscuring the sun, with the sea stretching into the distance.

14. Rover in a Storm: The ship battling strong winds and a gale, with waves crashing against the sides, as the evening falls.

15. Sir Ralph Standing on Deck in Darkness: Sir Ralph on the ship’s deck in the darkness, looking ahead, waiting for the rising moon.

16. Listening for the Bell: One of Sir Ralph's crew listening for the Inchcape Bell but hearing only the sound of crashing waves.

17. Ship Drifting Toward Danger: The ship drifting aimlessly as the wind dies down, unaware of its impending danger near the hidden rock.

18. Ship Striking Inchcape Rock: The ship crashing violently against the Inchcape Rock, waves splashing up as it shudders from the impact.

19. Sir Ralph in Despair: Sir Ralph tearing his hair in despair as the ship starts to sink, water rushing onto the deck from all sides.

20. The Devil Ringing the Bell: As the ship sinks, a haunting image of the devil ringing a bell from below, representing Sir Ralph’s impending doom.

 Brainstorming (Questions and Answers)

(A1)Narrate in groups the scene described in the beginning of the poem.
Ans.: In the beginning of the poem the poet depicts the scene of ocean. The air, the sea and the ship were peaceful and calm means motionless. And keel of the ship was also steady.
The waves were rising and falling so little that they did not make any sound. The waves were gently flowing over the Inchcape Rock without moving or ringing the bell.

(A2) (i) Complete the following statements.
1] The Abbot of Aberbrothok placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock because -----------
Ans.: His bell will ring during the storms and alert about the hidden rock and avoid the danger of an accident.
2] The mariners were grateful to the Abbot of Aberbrothok because -----------
Ans.: he saved them from the wrecking their ship by placing a bell on the Inchcape Rock
3] The result of the thick haze that covered the sky was that -----------
Ans.: Sir Ralph the Rover and his crew could not see the sun in the sky to get direction or could not see the land or rock nearby to save from them.
4] The Rover in frustration pulled his hair and cursed himself because -----------
Ans.: he himself was the victim of the Inchcape rock due to his misdeed. Finally his ship was crashed against the Inchcape rock.
5] The waves didn't move the Inchcape bell because -----------
Ans.: The waves were small and there was no stir in the air or sea therefore they did not move the Inchcape bell.
6] The bell was placed on the rock because -----------
Ans.: The bell was placed on the rock so that sailors could know that they are close to the Inchcape Rock hidden under the waves and prevent crashing into it.
7] The birds sounded happy that day because -----------
Ans : The birds sounded happy that day as the day was bright and sunny.
8] The sailors couldn’t tell where they were because -----------
Ans: There was a lot of haze and darkness engulfing the ocean due to which the sailors couldn't see where they were.
9] At the end of the stanza the ship -----------
Ans: The ship crashes against the Inchcape rock and Sir Ralph died.
10] Sir Ralph the Rover heard the bell was ringing as the ship sank -----------
Ans.: Sir Ralph the Rover believed he heard the Devil ringing the bell

(ii) Given below are the events that give the theme of the poem in a jumbled form. Arrange in a proper sequence as per their occurrence.
1] The waves were so small that they did not move enough to ring the bell at the Inchcape Rock.
2] The Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed the bell on a buoy on the rock.
3] There was a thick haze spread over the atmosphere.
4] Ralph bent over from the boat.
5] Sir Ralph cursed himself in despair and in his frustration tore his hair.
Ans.:
(2) The Abbot of Aberbrothok had placed the bell on a buoy on the rock.
(1) The waves were so small that they did not move enough to ring the bell at the Inchcape Rock.
(4) Ralph bent over from the boat.
(3) There was a thick haze spread over the atmosphere.
(5) Sir Ralph cursed himself in despair and in his frustration tore his hair.

(iv) Describe the qualities of the Abbot of Aberbrothok in your own words.

(v) List words from the given lines that reflect happiness.

(vi)The word sail'd means 'sailed', but is written in a different way. Find other such words in the given lines and also state their modern spelling.
Ans: (1) scour'd: scoured, (2) plunder'd: plundered, (3) o'er: over

(vii) Write two conditions that lead to the wreckage of the ship.
Ans: The following two conditions caused the ship to crash against the rock.
1] Bad weather and
2] the absence of the Inchcape bell.

(viii) Compare and contrast the character of Sir Ralph the Rover with that of the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

(ix) Explain: The devil below was ringing his knell Ans: The Rover was feeling as it was a hallucination (भ्रम) when his ship was sinking and he was sure to die. As he heard the bell ringing under the sea, he was feeling guilty for cutting it and carrying other people to danger. The poet has given the Biblical reference here that it was as if the Devil was ringing his death knell and calling him to the hell for his evil deeds. This is an example of poetic justice, where Ralph the Rover got what he deserved for his wrong deeds.

(x) Write the lines which indicate that the ocean was calm and steady
Ans: The lines
1] 'No stir in the air, no stir in the sea' and
2] 'So little they rose, so little they fell' indicate that the ocean was calm and steady.

(xi) Why has the rock been called perilous in the poem?
Ans: Perilous means dangerous. The Inchcape rock was perilous because it wasn’t clearly visible to the sailors while sailing in the sea and thus it caused many shipwrecks and deaths in the sea.

(xii) What were the motives behind the rover’s wish to put Abbot of Aberbrothok into trouble?
Ans: Sir Ralph the Rover clearly wanted to put the passing ships into trouble, because he was jealous of the Abbot of Aberbrothok’s fame that he achieved by tying the bell to the Inchcape rock. That is why he wanted to cut the bell and make an end to the Abbot’s growing popularity. The purpose of looting the ships in danger was another reason behind this thought.

(xiii) What is your opinion on the poem Inchcape rock by Robert Southey?
Ans: Robert Southey’s poem ‘The Inchcape Rock’ is a didactic poem where he narrates the legendary story surrounding the Inchcape Rock. The Abbott wanted to do some good to the mankind by tying a bell to the rock to alert the passing ships of the danger of the rock. But the Rover Ralph got jealous at the popularity of the Abbott. So he cut the bell from the rock and looted the ships that suffered due to bad weather and hit the rock. In the end, the rover himself got punished when his own ship lost the way and hit the same rock, causing his death. This is called poetic justice in literary term. The poet has delivered a great message through the poem: ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’.

(xi) 'Jealousy' is the most incurable defect (weakness). Justify.
Ans. 'Jealousy means 'envy and negativity. The reason for jealousy is lack of self-confidence and poor self-image. It turns friends to foes/ enemies. People get jealous for the success, fame and achievement of others. They don’t try to achieve the same but take pleasure in harming good people. A lot of self-training is required to get rid of the negative emotion of jealousy. As long as a person holds negativity, he/she can never change. Thus, jealousy is the most incurable defect.

(x) 'But the Rover's mirth was wickedness'. Explain this line in your own words with the help of the poem.
Ans. Sir Ralph the Rover was overjoyed to see the Inchcape bell. But there was a sinful thought in his mind, behind this happiness to damage the good work of the Abbot of Aberbrothok. Sir Ralph thought that if he cuts the bell, it will save no more ships and the seamen will no longer bless the Abbot. So this attitude shows that Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

(A3) Some words in the poem are related to different parts of a ship or a mariner's life. Given below are the meanings of those terms. Identify the word.
1] Helps in steering the ship - Sail
2] The lowest part of the ship - Keel
3] Floating object that shows direction - Buoy
4] Another name for a ship - Vessel / boat
5] Sinking sound - Gurgling

(A4) (i) Ballad
A ballad is a song that tells a story, and it can be dramatic, funny or romantic. It has been considered a folkloric (traditional) verse (poem) which has strong associations with communal dancing. From the 18th century onwards, ballads’ began to be made. A typical ballad consists of stanzas that contain a quatrain/ क्वाट्रेन (a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes.), or four poetic lines. Some ballads have a refrain just like a song does. The rhyme scheme adds musical quality to the poem.

(ii) Select the appropriate figure of speech from the box given below and complete the table.

(iii) Find and explain figures of speech….
1) No stir in the air, no stir in the sea
Repetition because here the word 'no stir' is repeated.
Alliteration because here the sound of letters 'n'&'s' are repeated.
2) The ship was still as she could be
Personification because here the ship is personified.
Alliteration because here the sound of letter ’sh’ is repeated.
3) Her sails from heaven received no motion
Personification because here the ship is personified.
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is - Her sails received no motion from heaven.
4) Her keel was steady in the ocean.
Personification because here the ship is personified.
5) So little they rose, so little they fell
Repetition because here the word ‘little' is repeated.
Antithesis because here the opposite words (rose and fell) are used.
Personification because here the waves are personified.
6) On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung.
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is -It floated and swung on a buoy in the storm.
Alliteration because here the sound of letter 's' is repeated.
7) And over the waves its warning rung.
Alliteration because here the sound 'w' is repeated.
Personification because here the waves are personified.
Inversion because here sentence is not in the correct prose order. The correct prose order is 'Its warning rung over the waves."
8) When the Rock was hide by the surge’s swell
Alliteration because here the sound of letter 's' is repeated.
Personification because here the rock is personified.

9) The sun in heaven was shining gay.
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is -The sun was shining gay in heaven.
10) The sea-birds scream'd as they wheel's around.
Alliteration because here the sound of letter ‘s’ is repeated.
Onomatopoeia
11) The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row.
Climax because here the words are arranged in the ascending order
Alliteration because here the sound of letter ‘b’ is repeated.
12) And to the Inchcape Rock they go
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is -And they go to the Inchcape Rock.
13) Sir Ralph bent over from the boat.
Alliteration because here the sound ‘b’ is repeated.
14) And he cut the Bell from the Inchcape float.
Alliteration because here the sound ‘f’ is repeated.
15) Down sunk the Bell with a gurgling sound.
Onomatopoeia because here the word gurgling suggests sound.
Inversion
16) The bubbles rose and burst around.
Onomatopoeia because here the word burst suggests sound
Alliteration because here the sound of letter ‘b’ is repeated.
Climax because here the words are arranged ascending order.
17) He scour’d the seas for many a day.
Alliteration because here the sound ‘s’ is repeated.
18) On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is -The Rover takes his stand on the deck.
19) For there is the dawn of rising Moon.'
Paradox because here two contradictory ideas are used.
20) 'Canst hear', said one, 'breakers roar?'
Interrogation because here the question mark is used here.
21) For methinks we should be near the shore.
Alliteration because here the sound of letter‘s’ is repeated.
22) Now where we are I cannot tell.
Inversion because here the sentence is not in correct prose order.
The correct order is -I cannot tell where we are now.
23) Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
Alliteration because here the sound of letter 's' is repeated.
Transferred Epithet because here the adjective ‘shivering’ transferred from human to shock.
Personification because here the word shock is personified.
24) O Christ! it is the Inchcape Rock!
Apostrophe because here god has been addressed.
Exclamation because here the exclamatory mark is used.
25) The waves rush in every side
Personification because here the waves are personified.
26) But even in his dying fear
Transferred Epithet because here the adjective dying is transferred from human to fear.
Personification because here the fear is personified.
27) A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell
Simile because here the sound of sinking ship is directly compared with sound of sinking the Inchcape Bell.
Name and explain the figure of speech in the lines:

(A5) Inchcape Rock'. Compose 4 to 6 lines on 'sea'.
Ans. I like the blue Arabian Sea
I give more time to see the sea
In Mumbai, I meet her everywhere
Taking the tea sitting on shore,
(Philosophically, the sea has been personified as female.)

Poetic Appreciation

(B) Write an appreciation of the poem.
Ans. About the poem/poet and the title:
Robert Southey was born in Bristol, England. He was a Poet Laureate of England from 1813 to 1843. His short poems like ‘The Scholar’. ‘The Battle of Blenheim’, ‘Bishop Hatto’ and ‘The Inchcape Rock’ are very popular.
‘The Inchcape Rock’ is a ballad. It is a story of a pirate, Sir Ralf the Rover who cut the bell placed by the Abbot of Aberbrothok on the Inchcape Rock, 18km away from the coast of Scotland. The title of the poem is very suitable because the rock is a central point of the whole poem.

The theme:
The theme of the poem is on the proverb ' Evil digs a pit for others but falls into the same Here Rover felt jealous at the fame of the Abbot because the seamen blessed him for the bell and he cut it down from the Inchcape rock. But finally he got a punishment for it.

Poetic style:
'The Inchcape Rock' is a ballad of seventeen stanzas and each stanza consist four lines. There are some archaic (old) words used in the poem, such as quoth, canst, blest, hath, curst etc.

The language/ poetic devices used in the poem:
The language of the poem is very simple and easy to understand. The poem consists of different figures of speech such as personification, simile, repetition, paradox, alliteration, onomatopoeia, apostrophe, inversion etc. The poem consists vivid imagery of the 'bright, shining sun', 'hazy sky’, the 'steady ship', 'green ocean', 'birds wheeling around', 'sinking ship'. etc. The use of symbolism also adds to the beauty of the poem where the Abbot is the symbol of good, while Sir Ralph is the symbol of evil.

Special features:
It is didactic poem which conveys a moral through the story depicted in it. The poet employs here poetic justice and gives the Biblical reference to convey the message 'As you sow, so shall you reap'.
Message /Opinion:
The poem gives us a message that those who do wrong things will meet with due punishment. In my opinion the poem is the best moral for all the human being which is applicable for the current society to stop crimes and evil deeds.