After Blenheim

AFTER BLENHEIM
-ROBERT SOUTHY
Extract Based Questions

Extract I
And then the old man shook his head,
And, with a natural sigh,
“Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,
‘Who fell in the great victory.”
1. Who was the old man? Who else was with him? Where were they?
2. What time of the day was it? What was Wilhelmine doing? Who found the skull?
3. Where was the skull found? Who did the skull belong to?
4. Where did old Kaspar say they could find many skulls?
Extract II
‘Now tell us what ’twas all about,’
Young Peterkin, he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up
With wonder-waiting eyes;
‘Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for.’
1. Whose ‘wonder-waiting eyes’ are referred to in the extract? Why did this person look up with
such eyes?
2. What response does old Kaspar give to the question asked of him by the children? What does the
reply show about a common man’s attitude towards war?
3. What victory is referred to in the extract? Who was responsible for the victory?
Extract III
‘With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.
1. Which country is referred to in the extract? What is meant by ‘was wasted far and wide’?
2. Where did old Kaspar’s father live?
3. What was the consequence of the war on his family?
4. What is meant by ‘a childing mother’? Who all were affect by the war?
Extract IV
‘They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;
After a famous victory.
1. Why do you think the sight was shocking even when the battle was won?
2. What ‘thing’ according to Wilhelmine was wicked? Do you agree with her comment? Give
reason to support your answer.
3. What question does little Peterkin ask his grandfather at the end?
4. State briefly the moral of the poem, After Blenheim.
5. What according to you is the relevance of the poem in contemporary times? Give reasons to
support your answer.

Extract V
It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
1. What kind of situation is presented here?

2. What tells you the serene atmosphere about Old Kaspar's home?
3. Where was the old man sitting?What mood was he in?
4. Who were two grandchildren of Old Kaspar?What do you think of them?
5. Why were they confused about the claims of their grandfather about the war?
Extract VI
And then the old man shook his head,
And with a natural sigh –
“’Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,
“Who fell in the great victory.”
1. Who is the old man? What causes him to sigh?

2. What incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim?
3. How did the battle affect the old man’s family?
4. Name the two countries that fought each other in the battle. Which army won? What reason does
the old man give for the victory?
5. Point out the refrain in the poem. What effect does the refrain have on the reader? What do you
think is the poet’s attitude to war?
Extract VII
“Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’ won,
And our good Prince Eugene.”
“Why, ’twas a very wicked thing!”
Said little Wilhelmine.
“Nay… nay… my little girl,” quoth he,

“It was a famous victory.
1. Why did Kaspar praise the Duke of Marlbrough and Prince Eugene?
2. What was the wicked thing?Why was it wicked?
3. Who was Wihelmine?Why was she horrified by the account of war given by her grandfather?
4. There are two pauses in the line "Nay…….Nay……my little girl" quoth he. What do these
pauses show?
5. Why did Kaspar stick to his stand that it was a famous victory?
Extract VIII
“They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;
After a famous victory.
1. Who is the speaker? What is he telling about?

2. What did the people say about the war?
3. Bring out the irony inherent in the speaker's utterance?
4. What is the rhyme scheme followed in the poem?
5. Comment upon the contrasted viewpoints in the poem?
Analytical Questions
1. What does the tone of Kaspar's words suggest?
2. Why does the poet use a skull?
3. What words show that there were many such skulls to be found there?
4. Quote the lines that show the children weree curious about the battle and its outcome?
5. Did the children wonder about the reason for the war?
6. What does Kaspar's attitude signify?
7. Kaspar describes the horrors of war but how can his attitude be described?
8. How does Kaspar justify the thousands of death in the war?
9. How does the poet describe the scene on the field after the battle?
10. How do the skulls symbolize the theme in 'The Battle of Blenheim'?
Reflective Questions
1. Does this poem have any contemprory relevance?
2. Can it be argued that this is an anti-war poem?
3. Why does the poet use repetition in the poem?
4. Discuss the themes in the poem?
5. In the battle of Blenheim why are Whilhelmine's words "twas a very wicked thing" ironic?
6. Comment on the contrasted viewpoints in the poem?
7. Do you agree with his justification of the war. Why / Why not?

After Blenheim

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After Blenheim

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AFTER BLENHEIM

Extract Based Questions

And then the old man shook his head,

And, with a natural sigh,

“Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,

‘Who fell in the great victory.”

‘Now tell us what ’twas all about,’

Young Peterkin, he cries;

And little Wilhelmine looks up

With wonder-waiting eyes;

‘Now tell us all about the war,

And what they fought each other for.’

reply show about a common man’s attitude towards war?

‘With fire and sword the country round

Was wasted far and wide,

And many a childing mother then,

And new-born baby died;

But things like that, you know, must be

At every famous victory.

2. Where did old Kaspar’s father live?

3. What was the consequence of the war on his family?

‘They say it was a shocking sight

After the field was won;

For many thousand bodies here

Lay rotting in the sun;

But things like that, you know, must be

After a famous victory.

reason to support your answer.

4. State briefly the moral of the poem, After Blenheim.

support your answer.

It was a summer evening,

Old Kaspar’s work was done,

And he before his cottage door

Was sitting in the sun,

And by him sported on the green

His little grandchild Wilhelmine.

1. What kind of situation is presented here?

And then the old man shook his head,

And with a natural sigh –

“’Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,

“Who fell in the great victory.”

1. Who is the old man? What causes him to sigh?

“Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’ won,

And our good Prince Eugene.”

“Why, ’twas a very wicked thing!”

Said little Wilhelmine.

“Nay… nay… my little girl,” quoth he,

“They say it was a shocking sight

After the field was won;

For many thousand bodies here

Lay rotting in the sun;

But things like that, you know, must be

After a famous victory.

1. Who is the speaker? What is he telling about?

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