Comprehension

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
What needs my Shakespear for his honour’d Bones,
The labour of an age in piled Stones,
Or that his hallow’d reliques should be hid
Under a Star-ypointing Pyramid?
Dear son of memory, great heir of Fame,
What need’st thou such weak witness of thy name?
Thou in our wonder and astonishment
Hast built thy self a live-long Monument.
(On Shakespear. 1630)

Question: 1

What does the phrase 'his honour'd Bones' indicate about the poet's attitude towards Shakespeare?

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In seventeenth-century elegiac poetry, references to a writer's “honoured bones” indicate that their intellectual contributions have elevated them to a status of timeless authority.

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026

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Question: 2

Why does the poet question the need to bury Shakespeare's hallowed reliques?

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To analyze rhetorical questions in elegies, look for the underlying assumption: the subject is too great for conventional, physical modes of remembrance.

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026

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Question: 3

What is a Star-ypointing Pyramid?

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The prefix “y-” in “Star-ypointing” is an intentional, archaic Spenserian participle used by Milton to evoke a sense of ancient grandeur and classic permanence.

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026

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Question: 4

What does the poet call as 'weak witness of thy name'?

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To identify reference pronouns or phrases in poetry, trace backwards to the preceding lines to find the physical objects being evaluated.

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026

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Question: 5

How has Shakespeare built himself a 'live-long Monument'?

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A “live-long monument” represents the concept of literary immortality—the idea that a writer's true survival depends on their work being read and appreciated over time.

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026

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Question: 6

Which word is an apt antonym of 'astonishing'?

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When choosing antonyms, match the intensity of the word. Since “astonishing” represents high intensity, its antonym must represent complete ordinariness (“unremarkable”).

Updated On: Jun 23, 2026