b) Did he quit his trying? How can you say?
Answer:
No, he did not quit his trying. The lines ‘And though his efforts never slack. And though he twists and twirls and tacks” shows that he did not stop his trying.

3. ‘He mused upon this curious case’

what is the figure of speech used in this line?
Answer:
The figure of speech used here is hyperbole, as it exaggerates the simple foolish thing of changing the position of his pigtail to a curious case.

4. Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning. It may also be a situation that ends up quite different from the actual meaning. It may also be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and reality.

Can this poem be called an ironic poem? Justify your answer.

Answer:

Yes, this poem is an ironic poem because the word ‘sage’ is used in an ironic sense to refer to a person who is dull-witted. It insists on how learned men lack practical sense.

Explanation:

This poem can be called an ironic poem. The character in this poem is a wise man. He has a handsome Pigtail. Naturally, it will hang behind the person. In spite of being wise, he decides to change his position. He knows it well. But he tries to change its position. He wants it to hang on his face.

How funny the idea is! The ways he follows to changes its place are full of irony. He turns him round and round, out and in, he spins all day. It all ends in vain. But he does not want to give up his trying. The poet ends the poem by saying. The Pigtail remains faithful to his back. So the poem ends with irony.

C. Fill in the table with the appropriate poem lines. A few lines may be used more than one time. (Text Book Page No. 108)

D. The summary of the poem is given. But there are some words missing. Fill in the blanks with the help of the box given below. (Text Book Page No. 108)

faithfully, change, pigtail, round, sage, down, slack, out, hung, place, behind, wain, face

Once upon a time, there lived a sage. He had a handsome pigtail. He was worried and pondered over his pigtail’s place. He wanted to change its place. He wanted it hanging on his face. He didn’t like it hanging there behind him. So he turned right and left and roundabout, up and down, and in and out but it still hung behind him. However he tried, his efforts were in vain. But he didn’t slack in his efforts. Nevertheless, his pigtail hung faithfully behind him.

A Tragic Story About the Author in English

William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly. Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.

A Tragic Story Summary

The poem ‘A tragic story’ written by William Makepeace Thackeray is a humorous poem which revolves around a foolish act done by a sage. Throughout the poem, the poet laughs at this wise man, who does not have any practical knowledge, but uses his theatrical knowledge and does foolish things.

The poet narrates to us about a sage, who lived in the past with a beautiful pigtail. He was worried about his pigtail, being hung behind him. He thought about this for a long time and swore that he would change the pigtail’s place, which is apparently impossible and funny.

He would like to have it on his face and not dangling there behind him. This small thing is a serious problem for this wise man. He said that he had found a solution to change the position of his pigtail. So he turned him round continuously without stopping, throughout the day. He turned in different directions – he turned right and left, out and in, up and down. But the pigtail didn’t change a bit. Though his efforts were not slackened, and though he twisted, twirled, and tacked, his pigtail hung faithfully and steadily behind him. Thus, this poem is amusing and the poet brings out the theme

“How learned man lacks practical common sense.”

A Tragic Story Additional Questions

I. Poem Comprehension and Poetic Devices.

1. ‘There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore ’.

a. Who lived long ago?
Answer:
A sage lived long ago.

b. What did he have?
Answer:
He had beautiful pigtail.

c. Pick out the rhyming words in these lines.
Answer:
The rhyming words are ‘yore – wore’.

2. ‘And swore he’d change the pigtail s place,
And have it hanging at his face
Not dangling there behind him.

a. What did the sage swear?
Answer:
He swore that he would change his pigtail’s place.

b. Where did he want to have it?
Answer:
He wanted to have it hanging on his face.

c. Pick out the alliterated words in these lines.
Answer:
The alliterated words are:
(1) pigtail’s – place
(2) have – hanging – his

3. ‘Then round and round, and out and in
All-day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain – it mattered not a pin
The pigtail hung behind him.

a. What did the sage do?
Answer:
He turned round and round, out and in all day.

b. Why was the sage puzzled?
Answer:
He was puzzled because he could not change the position of his pigtail, even though he turned round and round all day.

c. What Is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme is ‘a a a b’.

4. ‘Alas! Still faithful to his back’.

a. Who Is faithful?
Answer:
The pigtail is faithful.

b. Why did the poet use the word, Alas’?
Answer:
He criticizes the sage’s ignorance and pities him in a serious tone, using the word ‘Alas’.

c. Whose back is referred to here?
Answer:
The back of the sage is referred to here.