Poem 03 Lines From The Deserted Village

LINES FROM THE DESERTED VILLAGE (OLIVER GOLDSMITH) 1728 – 1774

Q:1.What does Oliver Goldsmith recall from his past?
In the poem, the deserted village the poet recalls the days of joy and merriment. Auburn was a beautiful village of a plain. Goldsmith used to loiter on the grassy lands, sit under the cool shades of the trees, and visit the windmills and the church, which was on the top of a small hill. Life in the village was so joyous that even toiling in the field pleased the hamlets. He longs for those days of joy. 

Q:2.Why does the writer say that the spring season paid an early visit to his village and the summer too lingered on the village?
Oliver goldsmith says this in order to tell the reader that his village was so beautiful that the seasons were in love with it too. The spring season came earlier than its time because it wanted to stay there for a long time, and the summer season did not want to leave the beautiful land, so it lingered on.

Q:3.What did people use to do during the interval from their toil?
During the interval from their toil, the people use to have regular sports and dances. They made fun with one another. The young indulged themselves in variety of games; whereas the old sat and watched them happily. Every new game was more joyous than the previous, and they participated in it whole-heartedly.

LINES FROM THE DESERTED VILLAGE 

Introduction of the poet 

Oliver Goldsmith was born in Ireland and acquired education from Trinity college but  failed to settle down to any regular professional career. Some great writers like Ben  Johnson and Charles James encouraged him to write then became very popular with the  publication of a long poem traveler and with the popular novel “The Vicar of Wake-field”.  The lines from the deserted village describe his memories about his village. 

Introduction of the poem 

In this poem Oliver Goldsmith is describing a great contrast between the past and the  present. He describes how people lived their live in calm atmosphere but now people  don’t have time to enjoy it. It occurs due to the industrial revolution. 

SUMMARY 

The author of this poem is Oliver Goldsmith, who is regarded for his simple and graceful  expression. In this poem he tells about his native land the village of south of England.  The poet memorize his past life which he spent in his village ,poet says they were very  happy with the simple delights of life , they enjoyed good health and the climate of the  village was very pleasant, there were places under bushes where they use to sit and  lovers gossip there and the old talks about the matter of village , there were the covered  cottage the harvested fields and never stopping canal of water and a busy mill , and  every evening they all gather over a place in village and celebrate a small kind  of festival in which they enjoy different kind of programs and discuss the problem of  village , the poet in the last says now the charms of village are vanished  because government imposed very high rate of revenue up on formers and major portion  of their production goes in hands of government in shape of taxes so their  living standard of villagers is going down day by day. 

(CENTRAL IDEA) 

This poem emphasizes that the importance of a bold peasant cannot be ignored who is  the backbone of the economy of his country. A humble country man living a contented  life does a great goal for his country. 

“Multiple Choice Questions” 

1. The poem “The Deserted village” is composed by ______________. 

Oliver Goldsmith Wordsworth Alfred Tennyson Shelly 

2. Oliver Goldsmith was born at ______________. 

Ireland Scotland New Zealand England 

3. Oliver Goldsmith was born in ______________. 

1728 1729 1749 1751

4. Lines from the deserted village was published in ______________. 

1774 1772 1770 1769

5. ______________ is the name of the native village of Goldsmith. 

Liverpool Leyden Auburn Eton 

6. Auburn village is in ______________. 

Scot land Holland Canada England 

7. In the poem “Lines from the Deserted village” a word swain means ____________.

Rich people Poor people Humble country man 

8. A word talking age means ______________. 

Young people Talkative Old people who are fond of talking 

9. Where ______________ happiness endeared each scene.  

Humble Social Cultural Natural 

10. The never failing ______________, the busy mill. 

Stream Canal Brook River 

11. The bashful ______________ side long looks of love  

Maid Virgin Girl Lass 

12. These were thy______________, sweet village, sports like these.  

Beauty Dullness Charm Joy 

13. Where wealth ______________ and men decay. 

Altered Accumulate Change Satisfy 

14. But a bold ______________, their country’s pride. 

Labors Peasantry Works People 

15. Oliver Goldsmith was died in ______________. 

1728 1770 1774 1780

“QUESTIONS & ANSWERS” 

Q#1 What was the name of the “Poet Village” & why could he not forget her beauty? 

Ans. Auburn was the name of the “Poet’s Village” and he couldn’t forget her beauty  because he spent his childhood and youth in the course of enjoyment in the  same village.  

Q#2 How did the villagers enjoy holiday before the village was deserted? (2013) 

Ans. The villagers enjoyed their holiday by participating in the various types of game  before the village was deserted. They used to play the game of strength and the  game of tricks under the soothing shade of the tree. While young men was  playing these games, the old men eagerly watched them to rectify them, or to  get fun. 

Q#3 Explain in your own words the meaning of the lines. ill fares the land to  hastening, ill a prey when the wealth accumulates & men decay? 

Ans. Oliver Gold Smith is expressing his view about the village that all the beauty  of the land turn into the nuisance. He means to say that evil is increasing with the  passage of the time, where the wealth is dominating over the people and the men has  lost their glory which they had. 

Q#4 What building was to be seen on the nearly hill? 

Ans. The building of the decent church was to be seen on the nearly hill. 

Q#5 What is the central Figure of the poem? 

Ans. Villagers are the central figure of the poem “Lines from the Deserted  Village”. Basically 18th century was the ripest age of the industrialism. He was  comparing his former age to the 18th century by saying that in the past villagers  were living a peaceful lives in their own way but at that time they are facing the  cudgels of the time due to the increase of industrialism. 

Q#6 At what period in his life was the poet familiar with Auburn? 

Ans: The poet passed the period of his boyhood & youth in his darling village Auburn. 

Q#7 In what kind of country-side was Auburn set? 

Ans: Auburn was a beautiful small green village among the hills. 

Q#8 Where did the villagers congregate for their rural sports? 

Ans: All the villagers assembled under the heavy, spreading tree to be entertained by  their local sports.  

Q#9 What happened to the village that Goldsmith had loved?

Ans: The village had lost its innocence, joy, delight and charms that Goldsmith loved  and admired very much. 

Q#10 What, in brief, were Goldsmith’s views on ruin of such a village as  Auburn? 

Ans: Goldsmith was very much disheartened and distressed to see the ruins of his  darling and beautiful village, and came to the conclusion that a society, which  becomes plutocratic and materialistic, and runs after wealth, and forgets human  values and welfare, love, sincerity and simple joys of life, will soon degenerate  and fall down and never be able to revive. 

Q#11 What is the name of Oliver Goldsmith’s Village and where it is situated?  

Ans: Auburn is the name of Oliver Goldsmith’s Village, where he was born; this  village is very much dear to him because he spent his childhood in the same  village. Auburn is situated in Ireland and in the west of Scotland and in the south of  England. 

Q#12 What is described by Goldsmith in the poem “Lines from the descried  village”? (2011) 

Ans: Goldsmith describes the serene beauty of his village in the poem “Lines from  the descried Village. Firstly, he admires the beauty of sheltered cottages, the  cultivated farm, the ever flowing stream, decent church and the hill which  touches the domes of the church. He discusses the beauty of the games which  were played in the ground without fail. Furthermore, he describes the attitude of  the young and the old people before the industrial revolution secondly, he laments on  the present circumstances when all the beauty is victimized and the people have become  materialistic. They all are running behinds the wealth.  

Q#13 Explain a word “Talking age”? What was their behavior towards the  youngsters?  

Ans: A word “talking age” refers the old people. They are fond of talking a lot. They  put the vigilant eye at them in the course of play only to tell them about their  mistakes in the life. 

Q#14 Briefly explain the lines ill fare the land, to hastening ills a pray, where  the wealth accumulate and men decay? (2015) 

Ans: In these lines he (Poet) describes the current scenario of the 1800 century. He  says that country is in the great trouble and all the diseases are increasing  very fast. Where the wealth has value and the him an being is invaluable.  According to him, industrial revolution is the responsible of the entire scenario  where the wealthy people are becoming wealthier while poor have become poorer. 

Q#15 Is this poem a criticism on industrial revolution? How? 

Ans: Yes, the poem is a severe criticism on the industrial revolution. The poet  describes the beauty of the village in the first half of the poem. In the second  half he laments on the present when all the green fields and the bold  peasantry are victimized. They have become the tops in the hand of the lords.  

Q#16: Briefly describe the beauty of Auburn before it was deserted. (2019/2010/2009) 

Ans: Auburn was the native village of Augustan Poet, Oliver Goldsmith. Auburn was full  of natural beauty with green meadows, trees and never failing brook. There was a church  as well in the village that topped the neighboring. In Auburn, there was a large tree.  Under that tree, villagers play so many games during their holidays.