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About the Poet
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 –1894), was a Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books. His poor health
made regular schooling difficult, but he attended Edinburgh Academy and other schools before, at age 17, entering Edinburgh
University, where he was expected to prepare himself for the family profession of lighthouse engineering. But Stevenson had
no desire to be an engineer, and he eventually agreed with his father, as a compromise, to prepare instead for the Scottish bar. He
had shown a desire to write early in life, and once in his teens he had deliberately set out to learn the writer’s craft by imitating
a great variety of models in prose and verse. He is best known for his novels Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde, and The Master of Ballantrae.
Time to answer
A. Choose the correct option.
1. What does the image of swallows flying to and fro signify?
that they are migratory birds and keep flying
that they do not settle at one place and keep flying
that they are free to travel wherever they please
that no matter where we are, we have a connection with each other through Nature
2. According to the poem, when steady breezes blow, what do they bear?
They bear the swallows that travel to and fro.
They bear great winds that come and go.
They bear perfume.
They bear the emotions of love and kinship across distances.
3. What is the significance of the phrase ‘Severed souls by day and night’ in the poem?
It refers to souls that are physically separated during the day and night.
It tells us that people who are separated by distance can find connection with each
other through Nature.
It describes souls that are lost and disconnected from the world.
It represents souls that are disconnected from the natural world.
4. What is the main message of the poem?
Nature is a chaotic and unpredictable force.
People should avoid wandering and stay in one place.
Human experiences are completely distinct from nature.
There is a universal bond and shared delight between people and the natural world.
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