After Blenheim

                                                                     

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Analysis:

 

 ‘After Blenheim’ by Robert Southey is an anti-war poem that centres around one of the major battles of eighteenth century – the Battle of Blenheim. Written in 1796 in the form of a ballad, it offers deep insights on war and its consequences. The 1704 War of Spanish Succession, in which a coalition of forces including the English defeated the Franco-Bavarian army on the land of Blenheim, a small village in Southern Germany, supplies its ingredients.  In fields around the Bavarian town of Blenheim in southern Germany, an elderly farmer named Kaspar sits in front of his cottage watching his grandchildren, Wilhelmine and Peterkin, at play. Peterkin is rolling an object he found near a stream. He takes it to Kaspar and asks what it is. The old man, who has found many such objects while plowing the fields, replies that it is the skull of a soldier who died in the Battle of Blenheim. Their curiosity aroused, the children ask him about the battle and why it was fought. The English routed the French, he says, in what later generations would call a great and famous victory. However, Kaspar is at a loss to explain the cause of the battle. He does know that thousands died in it—not only soldiers but also townspeople, including children. In fact, the fields were littered with corpses. But such terrible consequences are part of war, he says. They do not negate the glory of the victory. Wilhelmine then comments that the battle was "a wicked thing," but Kaspar tells her she is wrong. “It was a famous victory," he says. Peterkin asks what good came of the fighting. Kaspar says he does not know, but adds, " 'twas a famous victory.

Extract I

And the old man shook his head……..great victory.

 i)    Who was the old man? Who else were with him? Where were they?

Kasper was the old man. His grandchildren Peterkin and Wilhelmine were with him. They were sitting in the sun before their cottage door.

 

ii)  Why did the old man shake his head and had a natural sigh? Who found the skull?

Kasper shook his head with a sigh to reflect his disappointment at the war that took place years ago only to devour innocent lives.

 

iii)  Where was the skull found? Why does the speaker say that the skull was some ‘poor’ fellow?

The skull was found beside the small stream where Peterkin was playing. The skull belonged to one of the many innocent people who lost their lives in the tragic war. The poor fellow became a victim of the war.

 

iv)   How common were the skulls there? At which place many of them could be found?

The skulls were a common sight there. Many of them could be found in the garden or in the field that Kasper used to plough.

 

v)    What victory is referred to in the extract? Who was responsible for the victory?

 

The victory of England in the war of the Spanish Succession (1702-1715) is referred to here. Duke of Marlborough and Savoy’s Prince Eugene were responsible for this victory.

 

 Extract II

Now you tell us what ‘twas…….what they fought each other for

 1.    Which topic is being discussed in the extract? Who were Peterkin and Wilhelmine? Whom was Peterkin questioning?

The cause of the war in which many innocent people were killed is being discussed here. Peterkin and Wilhelmine were innocent grandchildren of old Kasper. Peterkin was questioning his grandfather, Kasper.

 

2. in the context of the poem, what special significance do the adjectives young and little have?

The adjectives ‘young’ and ‘little’ are important to highlight the innocence and purity of Peterkin and Wilhelmine. It is through their innocence that the poet has condemned the war.

 

3.    What is meant by ‘wonder-waiting eyes’? Which figure of speech is used here? Why did Wilhelmine look up with such eyes?

‘Wonder-waiting eyes’ is used for Wilhelmine, who was expecting to know the casue of the war from her grandfather. The figure of speech used here is alliteration.

She looked up with such eyes because she could not comprehend the cause of the war. It filled her with wonder. She anticipated getting a favourable answer from Kasper.

 

4.    Who fought the battle? Was Peterkin given a satisfactory reply? What does the reply show about a common man’s attitude towards war?

The battle was fought between the English and the French forces. Peterkin was not given a satisfactory reply. Kasper did not know the cause of the war but still referred to the victory as great. It shows that a common man’s ignorance and complacency about the cause and purpose of war.

 

5.    Give a brief character sketch of Kaspar.

Kasper was a farmer. He was loving grandfather as he spent time with his grandchildren and tried to answer their queries. Kasper was an old man, who was disappointed with the outcome of the war. However, he was complacent about the cause of war and had accepted the loss of innocent lives as the inevitable price of victory in the war.

 

 Extract III

With fire and sword the country……at every famous country.

 

1.    Which country is referred to in the extract? What is meant by ‘was wasted far and wide’?

The country referred to is Blenheim, which is the English name for the German village of Blindheim, situated on the left bank of the Danube River in Bavaria in Southern Germany. It refers to the death and destruction caused by the war.

 

2.    What did the speaker say about the effects of the battle on his own family?

The speaker tells that during the war his father lived by a stream at Blenheim. As a result of the war, his father’s house was burnt which forced him to flee with his wife and child, Kasper. They were thus rendered homeless.

 

3.    What is meant by ‘a childing mother’? Why do you think the poet specifically points out that ‘many a childing mother….newborn baby died’?

‘Childing mother’ is a phrase used for a mother expecting a baby. The poet specifically refers to the deaths of childing mothers and newborn babies to underline not only the horrors of war but also the irony of a famous victory.

 

4.    What do the last two lines in the extract tell you about the attitude of the speaker towards the events that he is narrating? What are your feelings for the speaker?

The speaker has been conditioned by the prepatrators of war in such a way that he readily accepted the loss of innocent lives as the price for victory in the war. I pity for the speaker as he sighed at the sight of a poor fellow’s skull but his conditioning was such that he justified war.

 

5. by referring to the incidents in the poem, state how After Blenheim can be said to be an anti-war poem?

After Blenheim has a scathing criticism of the horrors of war. it shows that international diplomacy, politics and war are matters which are cut off from the lives of common men. In an outburst of praise for the heroes who won the war Old Kasper reveals the typical inability of an ordinary citizen to grasp the reason why the war took place.

  Extract IV

They say it was a shocking…..a famous victory.

 1.    To whom does ‘they’ in the extract refer?

They refers to those who must have reported  the entire battle scene and its after effects to Kasper.

 

2.    Why do you think the sight was shocking even when the battle was won?

The sight was shocking because the war was won at the price of thousands of lives. The sight of many thousand bodies lying rotting in the sun was gruesome.

 

3.    What is the tone of the last two lines of the extract? What, according to you, the poet wants to convey in these lines?

The tone is ironical and sarcastic. The poet wants to question the utility of waging a war, which causes destruction of both human lives and property.

 

4.    What was the occupation of the speaker of these lines? How do you know about his occupation?

Old Kasper appears to be a farmer by profession. He lived in a cottage in a countryside, where there was a stream nearby and he mentioned that he used to find many skulls while ploughing the field. This indicates his profession.

 

5.    State clearly how the poet creates an atmosphere of devastation caused by war in the poem.

The devastation caused by war is reflected through the following:

The presence of skulls all over the field,

Kasper’s family rendered homeless when Kasper’s father’s dwelling was burnt,

The deaths of expecting mothers and newborn babies,

The gruesome sight of dead bodies lying on the battle field and rotting.

 

 Extract V

Great praise the Duke….famous victory

1.    Who was Duke of Marlbro? Why did he win great praise?

Duke of Marlbro was an English General. He was the Commander of British forces in the War of the Spanish Succession. He was prised because he defeated the French forces.

 

2.    Who was Prince Eugene? Why does the poet refer to him as   ‘our good Prince Eugene?

Prince Eugene was an Austrian General, born in France. He is referred to as ‘our good Prince Eugene’ because with Marlborough, he defeated the French at Blenheim.

 

3.    What ‘thing’ according to Wilhelmine was wicked? Do you agree with her comment? Give reason to support your answer.

 Wilhelmine did not approve the praise that Duke and Prince Eugene received because she considered their act of killing innocent people in the name of victory was wicked.

Yes, her comment is appropriate as it is the common man who has to suffer where the politicians and the rulers escape and idly boast of wars.

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

The poem disapproves of any war as it brings with itself death, devastation, loss and grief. The poet conveys that great victories are rendered useless when everything else is lost.

 5.    What according to you is the relevance of the poem in contemporary times? Give reasons to support your answer.

The poem is relevant as it has a universal appeal. The poem is timeless and can be read irrespective of the time it was written. It is the common man and innocent children who suffer in a war. Modern politicians dismiss the deaths of innocent people in war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase: collateral damage.

After Blenheim Comprehension Passages

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.

(i) What kind of situation is presented here ?
Answer: The situation described here is common place and familiar. It was a summer evening. An old man Kasper having finished his day’s work was sitting before his cottage door. His little granddaughter Wilhelmine was playing near him on the green grass.

(ii) Where was the old man sitting ? What mood was he in ?
Answer: The old man was sitting before his cottage door. He was in a quiet and calm mood.

(iii) Who were two grandchildren of old Kaspar ? What do you think of them ?
Answer: 1. His granddaughter named Wilhelmine.
2. His grandson named Peterkin.
The two grandchildren of Kaspar were inquisitive and curious as they wanted to know about the war fought at Blenheim. They were eager to know why it was fought.

(iv) How did Kaspar react when his grandchildren wanted to know about the war fought at Blenheim ? Whom did people give credit for the victory ?
Answer: Kaspar was puzzled and said that he only knew that the English defeated the French badly and that it was a ‘famous’ victory. He told the children that the people gave credit to the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene for the victory.

(v) Why were they confused about the claims of their grandfather about the war ?
Answer: When their grandfather told them that it was a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory of the English over the French in a battle fought at a small village named Blenheim, they were confused. They did not understand why their grandfather was calling it a ‘great’ victory when so many people had died in the war. When his granddaughter told him that war was a wicked thing, he tried to correct her by saying that it was a ‘famous’ victory. When his grandson asked him about the outcome of the war, he again repeated that ‘it was a famous victory.’ Thus the children remained confused about the claims of their grandfather.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet In playing there had found;
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.

(i) Whose family has been referred to earlier in the context ?
Answer: The family of an old man, named Kaspar, has been referred to earlier in the context. Kaspar has two grandchildren – a grand daughter named Wilhelmine and a grandson named Peterkin.

(ii) Who was Wilhelmine ? What was she doing ?
Answer: Wilhelmine was the granddaughter of Kaspar. She was playing on the green grass near her cottage.

(iii) What did she see Peterkin doing ?
Answer: She saw her brother Peterkin rolling something that was large and round.

(iv) Why had he come home ?
Answer: He had been playing near a rivulet. While playing he had discovered a thing by the side of a rivulet. The thing was large and round. He did not know what it was. He had brought home that thing by rolling it. He had come home to know what it was.

(v) What did his grandfather tell him ?
Answer: His grandfather looked at the thing, shook his head in sorrow and sighed. He told him that it was somebody’s skull. The person must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. He called the battle a ‘great victory’. He was proud of the victory won by the English over the French.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow : (ICSE 2018)
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.”
(After Blenheim, Robert Southey)

(i) Who is the old man ? What causes him to sigh ?
Answer: The old man is Kasper, a farmer. The memory of the past causes him to sigh. When he went to plough in his field, he dug many skulls out of the earth. They were the skulls of those thousands of men who were killed in the battle of Blenheim.

(ii) What incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim ?
Answer: The old man’s grandson had brought somebody’s skull. The person whose skull he brought must have been killed in the battle at Blenheim. The incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim.

(iii) How did the battle affect the old man’s family ?
Answer: The old man’s father lived at Blenheim. His house was burnt down and he had to flee with his family. Thus the battle badly affected the oldman’s family.

(iv) Name the two countries that fought each other in the battle. Which army won ? What reason does the old man give for the victory ?
Answer: England and France fought each other in the battle. The English army won the battle. According to the old man, England won the battle due to the joint strategy of the Duke of Marlbrough, Prince Eugene and the English military commanders.

(v) 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 ?
Answer: The refrain in the poem is :
‘It was a famous victory’
It has ironic effect on the readers. The poet is against war because war causes bloodshed, death and destruction on a very large scale.

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
7 find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out!
For many thousand men,’ said he,
‘Were slain in that great victory.’
(i) Peterkin had brought something home earlier in the context. What was that ?
Answer: Peterkin had been playing near a rivulet. While playing he had discovered a thing by the side of a rivulet. He had brought it home. The thing was large and round. It was the skull of somebody who must have died in the battle at Blenheim.

(ii) What was told by the old man ?
Answer: The old man told him that it was somebody’s skull. He must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim.

(iii) What is the irony used in the last two lines here ?
Answer: The old man told Peterkin that thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. The English had won victory over the French in the battle. Kaspar who was on the side of the English boasted of the victory. Though thousands of men were killed in the battle, Kaspar called it a ‘great victory’. The irony lies in the use of the words ‘great victory.’

(iv) How did Wilhelmine react to the old man’s description of the war ?
Answer: The old man told his grandchildren that though thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim, it was a great victory of the English over the French. Wilhelmine, the little girl, disagreed with him and said that war was nothing but ‘a wicked thing’, but the old man tried to correct her by saying that it was a ‘famous victory’.

(v) What do you think of the old man’s point of view ?
Answer: The old man’s point of view is obsolete, conservative and narrow. He admits that thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. His father’s house was burnt down and he had to flee with his family. He had no place to take shelter. The war caused ruin and destruction in every part of the country. Still he boasted of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly called it a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory. It is ironical to say that though thousands of men died in the war, it was a great victory. Thus the old man’s point of view is conventional and outdated.

5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘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 ?’

(i) What was the curiosity in young Peterkin’s mind ?
Answer: Peterkin who had brought home a large round thing that he had found while playing near a rivulet was curious to know what it was.

(ii) Explain the expression ‘wonder-waiting eyes’.
Answer: The young Peterkin brought home somebody’s skull. He was anxious to know all about the incident connected with the skull. Wilhelmine, too, looked at the skull with surprise and wanted to know all about the war. The expression ‘wonder-waiting eyes’ refers to Wilhelmine’s surprise and her eagerness to get a reply from her grandfather.

(iii) “What they fought each other for ?” This is the most puzzling question in the context of all wars. Explain.
Answer: The young Peterkin and his little sister are eager to know all about the war and what they (the English and the French) fought for. The children want to know the reason for the war. Kaspar simply says that it was the English who defeated the French and that it was a famous victory, but he does not know what they fought for. He simply boasted of the victory. His point of view is conventional and outdated. It was a puzzling question at that time. In fact, it is a puzzling question in the context of all wars.

(iv) What answer did the old man provide ?
Answer: When Peterkin and Wilhelmine wanted to know all about the war and asked the old man what they (the English and the French) fought for, he had no cogent answer. He boasted of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly said that it was a ‘famous’ and ‘great’ victory. He only repeated what people generally said. His point of view is conventional and not his own.

(v) Why did the old man’s reply fail to satisfy the young children ?
Answer: When the young children wanted to know all about the war and asked the old man what they (the English and the French) fought each other for, the old man boasted of the victory of the English over the French and replied that it was a great victory. When little Wilhelmine told him that war was nothing but a wicked thing he weakly asserted that she was wrong and that it was indeed a . ‘famous victory’. The old man’s reply failed to satisfy the young children because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man’s response to war was conventional and outdated. Thus the old man’s conventional point of view failed to satisfy the young children.

6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘It was the English,’ Kaspar cried,
‘Who put the French to rout;
But what they fought each other for,
I could not well make out;
But everybody said,’ quoth he,
‘That ’twas a famous victory’.

(i) What had Kaspar told about the battle of Blenheim before in the context ?
Answer: Kaspar had told the children that the battle of Blenheim had been fought between the English and the French. The English had defeated the French badly and it was a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory of the English over the French. Though thousands of men had died in the war, it was a ‘famous’ victory.

(ii) What was the query posed to him by the young Peterkin ? What did he reply ?
Answer: The young Peterkin asked his grandfather to tell him what they (the English and the French) had fought for in the battle of Blenheim. He simply replied what people generally said that it was a ‘famous victory’ of the English over the French.

(iii) Why is the word ‘cried’ used by the poet in the first line ?
Answer: The word ‘cried’ is used because Kaspar wants to shout loudly in order to emphasize that the English had defeated the French badly and that it was a famous victory.

(iv) What did Kaspar tell about the ‘famous victory’ ? In what sense was it famous ?
Answer: Kaspar told his grandchildren that the English defeated the French in the battle of Blenheim and that though thousands of men were killed in war, it was a famous victory. In fact, Kaspar repeated what the people generally said that it was a famous victory. It was ‘famous’ because people praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene and the English commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the victory and repeated what people generally said that it was a famous victory.

(v) What could Kaspar not make out ?
Answer: Kaspar’s response to war. was conventional and not his own. Though thousands of men were killed, women became widows and children became orphans in the battle of Blenheim, people praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene and the English Commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of this grand victory. He could not make out that war caused deaths, destruction and ruin and therefore repeated what people generally said.

7. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little stream hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.

(i) Old Kaspar told his grandchildren about the ‘famous victory’ earlier in the context. What was it ?
Answer: Kaspar told his grandchildren that the English defeated the French in the battle of Blenheim and that though thousands of men were killed in war, it was a famous victory. In fact, Kaspar repeated what the people generally said that it was a famous victory. It was famous because people praised the Duke of Marlbrough, the Prince Eugene and English military commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the victory and repeated what people generally said.

(ii) What were the results of the ‘great victory’ ?
Answer: The great victory of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim resulted in the deaths of thousands of men, women and children. The old man’s father lived at Blenheim. His house was burnt down, and he had to flee with his family. The war, won by the English, caused widespread ruin and destruction.

(iii) How was the ‘great victory’ a personal tragedy for Kaspar family ?
Answer: The ‘great victory’ of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim was a personal tragedy for Kaspar family because the house of Kaspar’s father was burnt down. He had to flee with his family. He had no place to take shelter. It ruined Kaspar’s family.

(iv) What made Kaspar praise a horrible incident ?
Answer: The battle of Blenheim between the English and the French was a horrible • incident because thousands of men, women and children were killed. But Kaspar praised that war because the English defeated the French and he called it a great victory. People praised the Duke of Marlbrough, the Prince Eugene and the English military commanders for having won a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the grand victory and repeated what people generally said. Moreover, his response to war was conventional and not his own. So he praised the war, though it was a horrible incident.

(v) Why did his children fail to understand his viewpoint ?
Answer: Kaspar boasted of the victory of the English over French in the battle of Blenheim and called it a famous victory. In fact, he repeated what people generally said that it was a famous victory. When Wilhelmine told her grandfather that war was nothing but a wicked thing, he weakly asserted that she was wrong and that it was, indeed, a ‘great victory’. The children failed to understand the old man’s viewpoint because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man’s response was conventional and outdated.

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘And everybody praised the Duke Who this great fight did win.’
‘But what good came of it at last ?’
Quoth little Peterkin.
‘Why that I cannot tell,’ said he,
‘But ’twas a famous victory.’

(i) What is this conversation about ?
Answer: This conversation is about the battle fought at Blenheim and its horrible consequences.

(ii) Which is the ‘great fight’ referred to here ? Who won it ?
Answer: The ‘great fight’ referred to here is the Battle of Blenheim fought between the English and the French. The English, along with the Austrians and the Bavarians, won the battle.

(iii) What is Peterkin’s query, and what has prompted it ?
Answer: Peterkin wanted to know what good came out of the war at last. The question cropped up in his mind when his grandfather Kaspar continued to praise the war despite its widespread ruin and destruction and mass casualties.

(iv) What is the response of Old Kaspar ?
Answer: The response of Old Kaspar is that he does not know what good came out of the war, but he still feels it was ‘a famous victory’.

(v) What is it that makes the poet’s antiwar stance effective here ?
Answer: The old man fails to satisfy his grandchildren as to why the war was fought and what good came of it. This stark failure on his part brings about the horrors of war, and strengthens the poet’s anti-war stance felt throughout the poem.

After Blenheim Assignment

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘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.
(i) Who is the speaker ? What did he describe in the preceding lines ?
(ii) How was the country affected by the war ?
(iii) What is most tragic about the war hinted here ?
(iv) Why and how did the speaker try to justify the war ?
(v) Do you agree with his justification of the war ? Why/Why not ?

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘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.
(i) Who is the speaker ? What is he telling about ?
(ii) What did the people say about the war ?
(iii) Bring out the irony inherent in the speaker’s utterance.
(iv) What is the rhyme scheme followed in the poem ?
(v) Comment upon the contrasted viewpoints in the poem.