Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Human Seasons Questions & Answers.
Written by John Keats, this poem is a sonnet having one stanza with fourteen lines and presents the different stages of life rendered as the four seasons of the year.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of Journey To The Sundarbans, One Stranded Bus and a Pond and Communication so, you can check these posts as well. I have also shared The Human Seasons Summary so, you can go through that post as well.
The Human Seasons Questions & Answers
Word Galaxy
- Lusty – bursting or overflowing with good health
- Honied – honeyed or full of sweetness
- Cud – partly digested food
- Ruminate – think deeply
- Coves – small sheltered places
- Furleth – wraps or rolls
- Unheeded – neglected; ignored
- Forego – give up; decline
- Mortal – temporal; one that is bound to come to an end or die
Question 1: How has the poet described the spring season of human’s life?
Answer: The poet has described the spring season as beautiful, short and sweet. Spring is the first season of the year which is compared to the first stage of life – childhood. The spring season is described as a season of vigor, energy and enthusiasm which is enjoyed by a human being in his childhood. It is ‘lusty’ symbolizing the overflow of good health, excitement and liveliness in human’s life.
During the spring season which is the childhood of man’s life, we are healthy and our minds are fresh and everything seems possible. During the childhood period, we are carefree and free of thoughts and we take in all the beauty with an easy span with no compulsion or force.
Question 2: According to the poet, what does human think about?
Answer: According to the poet, a human thinks about the sweet things of his childhood in his youth. Man is able to think about what we have done in our childhood as our mind is reflective. These thoughts can be reflected on with more clarity and chewed just like a ruminant or cow who can chew and re-chew its cud. Through these thoughts, man can be totally happy and gains a sense of enlightenment that is “nearest unto heaven.” While growing nearer to heaven, he enters the “quiet coves” of Autumn.
Question 3: When does a human’s soul has quite coves? What does the poet mean by that?
Answer: According to the poet, a human’s soul has quite coves in the Autumn season, when he is old, mature and tired. The poet means that human’s life slows down and becomes calm. He wants shelter in quiet places to let things and time just pass by ignored.
Question 4: What does the poet describe the winter of a human?
Answer: The last stage of man’s life which is old age is compared to the Winter season. It reminds us of the ‘mortal nature’ of man. The phrase ‘pale misfeature’ suggests that at this stage, the man’s physical appearance becomes pale which means physical strength begins to fall, the energy which he used to have is no longer there and he doesn’t look that fresh. At this stage, people become mentally prepared to leave the world that is for death. Death is inevitable and is everyone’s destiny. So, as Winter season closes the year similarly, old age closes our life on earth to eternal rest.
Question 5: Read the lines and answer the questions:
Takes in all beauty with an easy span…
(a) Who takes in all the beauty?
Answer: The human being in his childhood takes in all the beauty.
(b) What does he do?
Answer: During his childhood, the human is healthy, carefree and his mind is freshand free of thoughts. He takes in all the beauty with an easy span with no compulsion or force. He observes whatever is happening around him and accepts everything easily with no confusion.
Question 6: Why has the poet described Autumn so elaborately? Give reasons.
Answer: The third stage of human life which is Middle age is compared to Autumn season which suggests some emotional closure and resignation into one’s own thoughts. The line soul in its Autumn and ‘furleth close’ its ‘wings’ suggests the ability to harness powers of higher imagination and aligns with the wiser years of later adulthood.
This is the very important phase of life as we learn the truth of life and understand the right things. A man at this stage is no longer interested to participate in every activity or thought around him. Keats used the phrase ‘threshold brook’ which implies abstract things and says that the man at this stage is contented to allow things to pass by thereby attaining complete composure of mind. This is the longest stage of life among all so, the poet has described Autumn so elaborately.
So, these were The Human Seasons Questions & Answers.