7th English Poem – 8
The Convergence of the Twain
(Lines on the loss of the “Titanic”)
Glossary :
convergence : coming together towards a common point.
twin : two (old use, poetical).
smart : elegant, fashionable
stature : size and importance
grace : quality of being beautiful.
Titanic : (n) name of the ship, it comes from “Titan’’ (in Greek legend) one of a family of giants who ruled the world.
hue : the degree of brightness in colour.
iceberg : a large piece of ice floating in the sea, most of which is below the surface.
titanic : (adj) of great strength, size, power,
importance etc.
alien : here, so different as to be the opposite of one another; incompartible.
shadowy : here, hidden, causing a feeling
of mystery and fear.
In shadowy silent distance : This phrase makes the
reader feel something mysterious and fearful.
No mortal eye could see : no one could foretell.
intimate welding : close joining.
history : here, story.
anon : adv. (old use, poetical) in a short time, soon.
Spinner of the years : fate.
consummation : the point at which something is made complete.
Come, let us talk about this poem.
Take turns with your partner to ask or answer the questions given below. Explain to him or her why you think your answer is correct. Quote from the poem if necessary. Write down your answers.
- In the first three lines the poet speaks of two things. What are they?
Answer: In the first three lines the poet speaks about smart ship and iceberg.
- The poet uses the word “grew” twice. What does he mean in each case?
Answer: The poet uses the word “grew” twice. The word ‘grew’ once signifies the ship’s development and construction, signifying its increasing size and sophistication as it was built. In second time the word ‘grew’ means the iceberg gradually coming closer to the ship in the vast ocean, highlighting the unseen danger and the growing potential for a collision. The first ‘grew’ describes the science and technology and the second ‘grew’ describes the growth of danger in the sea.
- What does he say about the ship’s qualities?
Answer: He says that the ship has grown into a greater height and also the quality rendered being beautiful to look at, and also the degree of brightness in colour is also grown.
- What is mysterious and fearful? What phrase expresses this idea?
Answer: Mysterious means something that is not known and fearful means something to be afraid of. The phrase ‘In shadowy silent distance grew the iceberg too’ expresses this idea.
- In what way are the ship and the iceberg “alien”? Explain.
Answer: The ship and the iceberg are considered “alien” because they are entirely different words and opposite to one another. The ship is a man-made construct of human technology, while the iceberg is a natural phenomenon from the remote. The ship is a product of human, while the iceberg is a purely natural creation.
- When you are playing with a top, you spin it and make it spin on the floor. The force of spinning also makes it go round and round in a circle. Now, our earth also does the same. It goes round and round the sun, spinning. So, who is “the Spinner of the years” :- a. the earth? b. the sun? c. the Almighty? d. the fate?
Answer: The Fate.
- Two things became historical facts in navigation. What were they?
Answer:
In Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Convergence of the Twain,” the two historical facts that converged are the construction of the Titanic, representing human hubris and technological pride, and the simultaneous formation of the iceberg that would ultimately sink it, signifying the indifferent power of nature; essentially, the collision between human achievement and the natural world.
8. The Atlantic Ocean is vast . The Titanic and the iceberg are mere splash in it. Yet, one obstructs the other in its course. There was a head-on collision. This was the amazing event. (Supply the missing words)
9. The iceberg and the ship were alien. They were like the two hemispheres. Explain what this means.
Answer: The iceberg and the ship were alien. They were like the two hemispheres. Here it means they are different from one another one is natural and the other one is artificial, man-made, as to be the opposite of one another. The two sides purposefully created by the mysterious creator and they have ever since been coming close to their ultimate clash, this sentence gives the idea that human pride was shattered when the ship sank.
10. The event that brought death and destruction was like play to someone. Which two lines say so?
Answer: Till the Spinner of the Years… Said “Now!” and each one hears” these two lines show the event that brought death and destruction was like play to someone.
11. Consider the words – ‘‘……And each one hears …..” This means there were two/three/many who heard. (Underline the correct word)
Answer: Two
12. Consider the word “consummation”. At what point of time in the short life of the ship was the consummation?
a. When the ship stood in the dock in all its glory.
b. When it began to leave and the passengers on the deck were cheered by the people on the ground.
c. When it reached its maximum speed in the open sea.
d. None of the above.
Answer: b) When it began to leave and the passengers on the deck were cheered by the people on the ground.
13. In describing the collision the poet has used three phrases and one word. Scan the poem and find them.
Answer: The three phrases and one word used by the poet when describing the collision.
- Consummation
- Paths coincident
- Twin halves
- Jar two hemispheres
D. Writing
Write a short summary of the poem in your own words.
Answer; Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. He described the Titanic incident in this poem. The smart ship named Titanic is being built with stature, grace and hue the iceberg is also taking shape far away. Both, ship and iceberg are totally different like Alien to each other and when they came together it became history. It was a coincident that their paths are bent towards each other and one day it happened, the ship and the iceberg came together and consummation took place and the incident happened. In this incident or accident all the passengers in the Titanic were died.
