Know Then Thyself –Alexander Pope
Q1. What is a paradox? Find two instances of
paradox in the poem.
Ans. A paradox is a statement having two opposite
ideas placed together. The statement seems very strange but it gives a
deeper meaning. For example, man has been called ‘darkly wise’
and ‘rudely great’;
Q2. How is a man stuck between an angel and an animal?
Ans. The poet says that man has been placed in a middle state on
this earth. He is neither an angel nor is he an animal. He possesses both,
divine and animal instincts. Sometimes he behaves like an angel showing
kindness, sympathy, and compassion to others. But sometimes he is full of
cruelty. He behaves like a wild animal.
Q3. How is it that man cannot be stoic?
Ans. A stoic
is a person who is not disturbed by any type of emotion. He bears all pains
silently but never complains about it. He remains silent in both joys and
sorrows. But Pope says that a human being cannot be a stoic. He starts crying
and complaining if a tragedy happens in his life. He cannot remain calm in odd
situations. He starts jumping if he gets the slightest joy in life..
Q4.How is
man a confused being?
Ans. The poet says that Man is many a time troubled by his
tendency of indecision. He is always in doubt about whether to act or not to act or
not to do an action. Sometimes he may think of himself as a god and while at other times, he behaves like a beast. He doubts his own thoughts and then he
acts under the pressure of his emotions. Sometimes he is guided by his mind
(i.e. opinions) while other times by his body (i.e. emotions). Thus man is a
confused being.
Q5. What are
the doubts that trouble man?
Ans. Man is
always troubled by his own doubts. Sometimes he starts believing that he is the
wisest being on earth. But another time, he doubts his own decisions. He is
unable to make a balance between his thoughts and emotions. He is always in
doubt to act or not act.
Q6. Explain:
‘The glory, jest and the riddle of the world’.
Ans. Man is a glorious creature on earth. He commits so many
errors while passing his judgments on others. Many a time, he does not pass
fair judgment as he may be under the influence of his personal motives. But
sometimes he commits funny acts. Thus he is the riddle that cannot be solved.
He is always unpredictable.
Q7. What is
the rhyme scheme used in the poem?
Ans. The poet has used a heroic couplet in this poem. In
this poetic form, two lines rhyme together. There is a total of nine couplets in
this poem. But each couplet has a different rhyming scheme. See the following
couplet:
‘Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The proper
study of mankind is the man.’
In the above couplet, the lines
ending with the words ‘scan’ and ‘man’ rhyme.
B. Long
Answer-type Questions
Q1. ‘Man is
a confused being,” says Pope. Where, according to Pope, does the root of man’s
confusion lie? CDLU 2015 Or Where,
according to Pope, does the root of man’s confusion lie? (MDU 2018)
Ans. Alexander
Pope, in the very beginning states the root cause of Man’s confusion. He always
tries to scrutinise the outside world. He tires to study and unravel (disclose)
the ways of God. He tries to pass his judgments on others. He thinks himself
superior to other creatures on this earth. That is why he considers himself the
boss on this planet earth. He behaves like a wise person, but still, his mind
is a bundle of contradictions. His judgments are not always fair. Sometimes he
is influenced by his own selfish motives or ignorance. He is also unable to
differentiate between his thoughts and emotions. He is many times unreasonable
in his behavior. In his pride, he thinks himself a god, but another time, he
suffers the pangs (pains) of emotions. He boasts of being a stoic. But his
emotions are not under his control.
He is full of
doubts. One time he is full of confidence, but another time, he shows doubts on
his own decisions. Sometimes he behaves like a god, but other times he stoops
(lowers) to the level of a beast.
Q2. What is
Pope’s concept of Man? Or What is Pope’s view about man, that is created in the
poem ‘Know Then Thyself’.
Ans. The poet says that man has been placed in a middle state on
this earth. He possesses both, divine and animal instincts.
He is a
being (living form) that is wise but still ignorant of God and Universe. He is
great but in his pride he behaves rudely with others. It is because he loses
his self control very easily.
He has too
much knowledge but still he is skeptic (disbeliever, doubtful) of his potential
(power). He may take pride in achieving a stoic’s position, but still, he is
full of weaknesses.
He is always
in doubt to act or not to act; to do or not to do an action. Sometimes he may
think himself a god and while at another time, he behaves like a beast. He
doubts his own thoughts and then he acts under the pressure of his emotions.
Sometimes he is guided by his mind (i.e. thoughts) while another time by his
body (i.e. emotions)
He is
habitual of using his reasoning power but in that process he is prone to commit
mistakes.
He is unable
to know whether is being guided by his thoughts or emotions. As he tries to
reach a conclusion, then another idea, maybe guided by reasoning or his
passion, contradicts the previous one. In this manner, man remains in a
confused situation. He is, thus, abused by his own thoughts and emotions
Many a time,
he does not pass fair judgment as he may be under the influence of his personal
motives. The ultimate fate of Man is that he has to die. He is not an immortal
being. Thus he is the riddles that cannot be solved. He is always
unpredictable.
