Class 12 Optional English Note || Summary of No Second Troy by W.B. Yeats

Summary of No Second Troy by W.B. Yeats

‘No Second Troy’ was composed by W.B. Yeats. In the poem, the poet expresses his feelings of sadness and disappointment toward a woman named Maud Gonne, whom he loved. She was actively involved in Irish nationalist politics. The poem explores themes like love, frustration, and the conflict between personal desires and what society expects.

The speaker wonders if he should blame Maud Gonne for teaching violent ways to people and causing chaos in the streets. He questions if others had the courage to avoid these actions. The speaker thinks about why she couldn't have a peaceful mind and compares her qualities to things like fire and a tightened bow. He finds her high-minded and stern, which he thinks is unusual for the current time. The speaker also wonders if there was any other place for her to cause trouble, comparing it to the ancient city of Troy.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1.Who is the speaker addressing in the poem?
a) His friend
b) A woman
c) The people of Troy
d) A deity

2. What emotion does the speaker express towards the woman?
a) Admiration mixed with frustration
b) Pure hatred
c) Joy and gratitude
d) Complete indifference

3. What did the woman teach ignorant men?
a) Knowledge of history
b) Most violent ways
c) How to build streets
d) The art of love

4. What metaphor does the poet use for the woman’s beauty?
a) A delicate flower
b) A tightened bow
c) A serene lake
d) A blazing sun

5. What characteristic of the woman’s mind made it unpeaceful?
a) Her lack of education
b) Her nobleness
c) Her love of nature
d) Her compassion

6. How does the poet describe the woman’s beauty?
a) Natural for the age
b) High, solitary, and stern
c) Fragile and tender
d) Common and ordinary

7. What does the poet suggest about the times they live in?
a) It is an age of peace and simplicity
b) It is an age unfit for her kind of beauty and nobility
c) It is a time of great prosperity
d) It is a period of artistic renaissance

8. What historical or mythological reference does the poem make?
a) The fall of Rome
b) The Trojan War
c) The Odyssey
d) The Greek gods

9. What does the poet mean by “Was there another Troy for her to burn?”
a) The woman’s actions caused destruction like Helen of Troy
b) She literally burned a city
c) She wanted to lead a war against Troy
d) She was a pacifist

10. What is the tone of the poem?
a) Angry and resentful
b) Calm and reflective
c) Playful and lighthearted
d) Admiring yet regretful

Answers:

1. b) A woman

2. a) Admiration mixed with frustration

3. b) Most violent ways

4. b) A tightened bow

5. b) Her nobleness

6. b) High, solitary, and stern

7. b) It is an age unfit for her kind of beauty and nobility

8. b) The Trojan War

9. a) The woman’s actions caused destruction like Helen of Troy

10. d) Admiring yet regretful