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Q & A: Laugh and Be Merry

Q & A for 'Laugh and be merry'

Short Answers:

1. How can we make this world a better place to live in?

The world can be a better place to live in if man is cheerful and when injustice is meted out to him.


2. What is man's span of life compared to?

Man's life is compared to a thread. The poet thereby says that man's life is as slender as a thread and he has a short span of life.


3. What did God feel when He created the earth?

God was immensely pleased with the creature of earth and He filled it with His happiness.


4. Who are the guests and where do they stay?

We, human beings are the guests and the earth we live in is the inn.


5. What is referred to as beautiful inn?

The earth is described as a beautiful inn.


6. How should man treat his fellow beings?

Man should treat his fellow beings as his own brothers.


7. "Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends." - Explain.

Man must be cheerful and merry while he lives on earth.


8. "So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky." - Mention the figure of speech.

The deep blue cup of the sky is a metaphor. The sky is compared to a deep blue cup.


9. "Laugh till the game is played" - What is the game referred to here?

The game of life is referred to in this line.



Detail Answer:

1. Write an appreciation of the poem in about 100 words.

"Laugh and Be Merry" is written by John Masefield, a poet laureate of England. He had started writing from the age of 19. He was a versatile writer and his works "Salt Water Babies", "Manchester Guardian" and "The Everlasting Mercy" are notable. He died at the age of 89.

In this poem, the poet urges us to be cheerful and enjoy the life to the fullest. He wants us to make the world a better place to live in; to fight injustice aggressively and as our life on Earth is only for a short stay, he asks us to be proud members of the human race.

"God made Heaven and Earth for joy." The poet declares that the good Lord made Heaven and Earth. He filled both with red wine of his joy. So we should enjoy being in this great world with its blue sky and scintillating stars. He asks us to battle against all odds, work sincerely and enjoy this great green Earth to the fullest.

He compares this great Earth to an inn where travelers rest a while. The travelers revel in the inn dancing and singing, till the time for their departure comes. Likewise people are born in this great world to live and enjoy and depart when the time comes. "Laugh till the game is played" – He asks us to be merry till we come to the end of our journey of life.

The poem is vibrant with words which depict a merry mood. It has a rhyme scheme of AABB throughout. The poem has poetic devices (figures of speech) like alliteration, similes and metaphors. Metaphorically the poem compares life to a short length of thread, which might snap anytime.

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