My native land

Objective Type Questions

Q. 1. Who is the writer of the poem, ‘My Native Land’?

Ans. Sir Walter Scott

Q. 2. What does the poem say about the man who has no love for his motherland?

Ans. The soul of such a man must be dead.

Q.3. What is the first duty of man?

Ans. To love his country

Q. 4. What type of a man is as good as dead?

Ans. A man who does not love his country

 

Glossary

 

● Native land: the country of one’s birth

● Strand: country, land

● Boundless: limitless

● Despite: in spite of

● Pelf: wealth, riches

● Forfeit: lose

● Renown: fame

● Vile: low, worthless

About The Poet

 

● Sir Walter Scott (/ Edinburgh / Scotland) was the son of a lawyer. An avid reader of poetry, history, drama and romances, the young Scott read widely in Italian, Spanish, Latin and German. He is well known for his works such as ‘Waverly’, ‘Kenilworth’, ‘Talisman’, ‘Old Mortality’, ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’.

● My native land describes the sad state of a person who does not possess any love or patriotic feelings towards his motherland.

 

Poem

 

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,

Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land!

Whose heart hath ne’er within him burn’d,

As home his footsteps he hath turn’d,

From wandering on a foreign strand!

If such there breathe, go, mark him well;

For him no Minstrel raptures swell;

High though his titles, proud his name,

Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;

Despite those titles, power, and pelf,

The wretch, concentred all in self,

Living, shall forfeit fair renown,

And, doubly dying, shall go down

To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,

Unwept, unhonour’d, and unsung.

 

Summary

 

● This poem is about the quality of patriotism. The poet wonders if there can be any man who does not love his country. A person without the spirit of patriotism has a dead soul. When a man returns home from a foreign land, his heart is naturally charged with love and joy. But if any man does not have such feelings, he must be a wretched creature.

● Such a person may have high titles. He may have a proud family name, boundless wealth, etc. But in spite of these things he is as good as dead.

● No one weeps for him.

 

Explanation of passages

1. Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,

Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land!

Whose heart hath ne’er within him burn’d,

As home his footsteps he hath turn’d,

From wandering on a foreign strand!

 

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the poem “My Native Land” written by Walter Scott. This poem deals with the theme of patriotism.

Explanation: In these lines the poet wonders if there can be any human being who does not love his country. When a person returns home from foreign land, he feels excited, enthusiastic and impatient. He proudly declares “this is my home my native land”. But a man without such feelings is a bad name for the nation. His soul must be dead.

 

Explanation of passages

 

2. If such there breathe, go, mark him well;

For him no Minstrel raptures swell;

High though his titles, proud his name,

Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;

Explanation: In these lines the poet says that patriotism should be first quality of every man. Any native person who does not have these feelings and commitments is not truly alive. Such person is worthless creature. He may have high titles, proud family name and boundless wealth. But nobody praise him or honour him. He is as good as dead.

 

Explanation of passages

 

3. Despite those titles, power, and pelf,

The wretch, concentred all in self,

Living, shall forfeit fair renown,

And, doubly dying, shall go down

To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,

Unwept, unhonour’d, and unsung.

 

Explanation: This poem deals with the theme of patriotism. If a person does not have this quality, all his power, position and possessions are useless. He is a wretched creature. He is dead spiritually. Even after his original death, no one pays tribute by weeping. His physical death is merely a second death. His body mingles with worthless dust. He fails to win any name, fame and respect.

 

Central idea of the poem

● In this poem the poet considers patriotism as a great virtue.

● Without this quality, all other possessions are useless.

● A man who does not love his country is as good as dead.

● He is a wretched creature and he has a dead soul.

● No one cries or respects him when he dies and no one sings a song in his praise.