Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day Poem Solution – West Bengal Council of Higher Education (WBCHSE) Class 12 English Multiple Choice Questions Answers Download PDF. WB Board English Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day MCQ, SAQ, LAQ suggestions along with solution is given in this page.
Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare. If you have any questions regarding the solutions, do comment below.
1) “So long lives this ……” the word this refers to –
Answer : The poet’s verse .
2) Shakespeare celebrates in his sonnet ‘Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?’ –
Answer : the beauty of his friend .
3) That beauty is never lasting is the:
Answer : Law of nature .
4) To whom does the sonnet refer to ?
Answer : young man .
5) A summer day indicates:
Answer : a beautiful day in summer .
Short Answer Questions Solution
1) What will make the beauty of the poet’s friend eternal?
Answer : The timeless verses of the sonnet will immortalize the beauty of the poet’s friend.
2) How, according to the poet, has his friend been immortalized?
Answer : According to the poet, his friend has achieved immortality through the potency of poetry.
3) Why does the poet use the word ‘grow’st’?
Answer : With this word, the poet conveyed that the beauty of his friend would be enhanced through his timeless verses.
4) What are the disadvantages of the summer’s day mentioned in Sonnet No. 18?
Answer : Summer’s duration is brief, and the winds ravage the budding blossoms.
5) ”Shall I compare thee summer’s day?” – Does the speaker think the comparison proper or worthy?
Answer : No, the speaker does not find the comparison appropriate or deserving.
Long Answer Question (LAQ)
1) ‘But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st.’ – Whose ‘eternal summer’ is being referred to here? What does ‘eternal summer’ mean? What conclusion does the poet draw at the end of his poem?
Answer : ‘Eternal summer’ of Shakespeare’s friend is being referred to here.
The term “eternal summer” symbolizes the enduring beauty and youthfulness of the poet’s friend.
The poem concludes on an optimistic note, as the poet expresses a desire to defy the natural course of change in order to preserve his friend’s beauty. The poet predicts that the immortal verses he has penned will continue to exalt his friend for as long as humanity inhabits the earth.
2) How is the poet’s friend different from a summer’s day ?
Answer : The author draws a contrast between his friend’s beauty and the beauty of a summer day in the first line of the sonnet, emphasizing the differences between the two. While summer beauty is prone to vagaries and can be tarnished by “rough winds” or unfavorable weather, his friend’s beauty is characterized as more lovely and persistently moderate. The splendor of summer is fleeting and prone to abrupt shifts, from intense heat to clouds and storms. His friend’s beauty, on the other hand, never changes. Summer’s “lease” is brief, emphasizing how transient it is, yet his friend’s beauty is considered timeless. The poem itself is a timeless archive that guarantees his friend’s beauty will always be preserved and vibrant for as long as the poem is around.
