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Rhapsody Workbook Answers Poem 1 Abhisara-The Tryst

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
“Woman, go on your way; When the time is ripe I will come to you.”- Explain these lines in your own words with reference to the context.
Answer:
On a dark night of August, when everyone was asleep, Upagupta, a young monk, was lying asleep : by the city wall of Mathura. Suddenly a woman’s feet touched his chest and he woke up, startled. In the dim light of the lamp that the woman was carrying, he saw her face. It was Vasavadatta, the beautiful dancing girl who was very proud of her beauty, youth and wealth.

Being the young ascetic lying in the dust, she asked him to come to her place to take rest. She was so proud of herself that she never thought he would reject her. But Upagupta was not at all tempted to accept her invitation.

Though she was extremely beautiful, yet he politely rejected her by saying that it was not a right time to come to her which meant that he was not willing to surrender his will to her flawless beauty. He was pure at heart so he did not want to drive away from his austerity. That is why he told her to go on her way, the time was inappropriate.

Question 2.
Comment on the use of imagery in the poem.
Answer:
In the poem, “Abhisara- the Tryst”, we can see an abundance of imageries that gave richness to the poem. The poem begins by showing a scene of an August night where Upagupta, the young ascetic was found lying asleep by the city wall of Mathura.

The darkness of the night is very well portrayed here. ’ The quietness around, the eerie atmosphere became) more appealing with the dim light of the lamp that Vasavadatta was holding. Vasavadatta’s dazzling jewelleries and elegant dress added richness to her grace.

Also, when she got rejected by Upagupta, the upcoming danger is very well portrayed with the lighting and the storm. Again, in the second part of the story, a picturesque April evening of the spring season is depicted where we can see trees full of blossoms. From afar, nice tunes of a flute where heard in the warm spring air and the town dwellers were seen enjoying the festival of flowers in the woods.

The beautiful images of the full moon and the love-sick koels are also noteworthy. This whole description paints a pictorial spring image to a reader when he/she goes through the lines. As the poem proceeds, a miserable lady is shown lying in the dust. Her body was full of sores of the small-pox and so she was left abandoned. Her miserable condition is a total contrast to the beauty of nature. These images, whether pleasant or grim, enhances the true beauty of the poem

Question 3.
How did Upagupta treat the miserable woman? Why did she call him “the merciful one”?
Answer:
In a spring evening, while Upagupta was walking in the street, he saw a woman was lying miserably as she had sores of the small-pox all over her body. She was abandoned as she was infected with a contagious disease. When Upagupta saw her, he took care of her by placing her forehead on his knees. He made him drink some water and even applied balm on her sores to soothe her body. He wanted to give her relief of pain.

The miserable woman was actually Vasavadatta who I used to be a beautiful dancer, proud of her beauty and youth. Everyone used to praise her beauty and I grace but when she needed help after getting affected by small-pox, she was left abandoned due to the fear of getting affected.

But Upagupta did not do so. He rather took care of her and tried to soothe her body to give her relief from pain. He did not think twice before helping her. He did not think of getting infected. He was just doing his duty. That is why, being awestruck, she called him “the merciful one.”

Question 4.
Compare and contrast the character of Upagupta and Vasavadatta.
Answer:
In the poem, “Abhisara- the Tryst”, we can see two completely different characters, Upagupta, who was an ascetic young man and Vasavadatta, a beautiful dancer. The sudden meeting of them, paved way to the climax of the story. At night, when Upagupta was lying asleep in the dusty road, Vasavadatta stumbled upon him and in this way they two met.

Upagupta, was an austere who did not blink to her beauty. Her youth, beauty, grace or wealth could not shake his personality. He even rejected her invitation to go to her place. His sternness made her intrigued. Though Vasavadatta was a proud lady, she kind of respected Upagupta’s true spirit. But in this sternness, a compassionate heart was also lying hidden that softened at the misery of Vasavadatta, who was now infected with small-pox.

He showed kindness to her and comforted her with compassion. Whereas witnessing the kindness, Vasavadatta was awestruckas she never expected such a great act from anyone. Thus her outlook and wealth got beaten by purity and kindness of mind. Though these two were totally different characters, yet they found each other in a difficult time.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How did Upagupta meet Vasavadatta?
Answer:
On a dark night of August, when everyone was sleeping, Upagupta was lying asleep in the dust by the city wall of Mathura. Suddenly, Vasavadutta’s feet, tinkling with anklets, touched his chest. This made him wake up, startled and saw her. In this way Upagupta met Vasavadatta.

Question 2.
Describe the appearance of Vasavadatta.
Answer:
Vasavadatta was a young and very beautiful girl who was very much proud of her beauty, youth and wealth. Vasavadatta was wearing a pale blue mantle. She was wearing anklets and her body was studded with jewels. She was carrying a lamp in her hand which enhanced her luscious appearance even more.

Question 3.
Briefly discuss the role of nature in the poem.
Answer:
In the poem, the nature plays a vital role. It reflects the very theme of the poem. At the beginning of the poem, the scenario of the month of August is depicted where the scene of the rainy season is portrayed that heightens the mood of the poem. “The storm growled from the comer of the sky” expresses the inner turmoil of the poem and the spring season mentioned in the poem gives a picturesque image that paves way to the climax of the poem.

Question 4.
Why did the poet show that youth and beauty never last long?
Answer:
Youth and beauty are transitory; they change with time and fade away eventually. The poet showed this very fact in his poem because he wanted to make us understand that the beauty of mind is everlasting. He wanted us to believe that kindness and compassion should be a person’s tme identity, not his outlook or appearance or social status. A person’s inner beauty is much appreciated than his/hers outlook.

Question 5.
How was the April- evening depicted in the poem?
Answer:
The April-evening was depicted picturesquely. As it was the spring time, the branches of the wayside trees were full of blossoms. From afar, sweet notes of a flute were coming and the citizens were many making by celebrating the festival of flowers in the woods.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Logic-Based Questions

Complete the following sentences by providing a REASON for each:

Question 1.
In the poem “Abhisara- the Tryst” lamps were all out and the doors were closed because______
Answer:
It was the night time and everyone was asleep.

Question 2.
Upagupta woke up from his sleep, startled because ______
Answer:
Feet of a woman touched his chest all of a sudden.

Question 3.
Vasavadatta was proud of her youth because
Answer:
She was very beautiful, gorgeous and also wealthy.

Question 4.
Vasavadatta invited Upagupa to her house because____________
Answer:
According to her, the dusty road was not a suitable place for him to sleep.

Question 5.
The young ascetic rejected her invitation because___________
Answer:
He was not provoked by her beauty and also he had a clean heart.

Question 6.
The woman shook in fear because _____________
Answer:
She was scared of the uncertain future.

Question 7.
The woman was driven out from her town because_________
Answer:
She had sores of small-pox all over her body which were contagious.

Question 8.
Upagupta took her head on his knees because___________
Answer:
He wanted to comfort her.

Question 9.
Upagupta applied haJm on her sores because _____
Answer:
He wanted to give her relief from pain.

Question 10.
Upagupta told Vasavadatta “the time, at last, has come to visit sores because_____
Answer:
She was helpless and needed attention and proper care.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem About the Poet Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861, in the Jorasanko mansion in Calcutta, India. Rabindranath Tagore belongs to a Royal family of that era, the loyalist “Prince” Dwarkanath Tagore, who employed European estate managers and visited with Victoria and other royalty, was his paternal grandfather. He was raised mostly by servants, as he lost his mother at a very early age, and his father mostly have official trips outside the city. In his childhood days, Rabindranath avoided classroom schooling.

At the age of only 8 years Tagore started poetry. And at the age of 16 years, he released his first substantial poems and after that, this process continues into uncountable poetry, music, stories writing. In 1890, Rabindranath Tagore began managing his vast ancestral estates in Shelaidaha. Here he released his first known work ‘Manasi poems’. For Gitanjali he was honored with a Nobel Prize in November 1913. The period from 1932 to 1941 was considered as his most productive years.

He was the man who rejuvenated Bengali music and literature in the late 19th and early 20th century and them their recognition into this world. He was the first nonEuropean to win Noble Prize for his work in Literature. He is the person who gave the national anthem of India and Bangladesh.

Rabindranath Tagore received his nickname “Gurudev”, out of respect by his pupils at his very unique and special school, which he established in Shantiniketan, called “Visva Bharati University” Santiniketan was developed and founded by the Tagore family. This little town was very close to Rabindranath Tagore.

During the last years of his life, Rabindranath Tagore was actively involved in Indian Nationalist movements. During these days he wrote “Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo” (“Where the Mind is Without Fear”) and “Ekla Chalo Re”, these two were politically charged lines that gained mass appeal during the fight for Independence. Rabindranath Tagore took his last breath on 7 th August 1941.

Abhisara-The Tryst About the Poem

“Abhisara- the Tryst” is one of the remarkable creations of Rabindranath Tagore that talks about the fleeting nature of beauty and youth. This poem shows the readers the importance of being humble and spiritual. The poem shows two phases of life through the change of weather.

In the first part of the poem, we see a young girl named Vasavadatta, a dancing girl who meets a young ascetic named Upagupta. She is a beautiful and luscious girl who is hard to refuse. She invites Upagupta to get place but he politely refuses her beauty telling her that he will come to her when the time will be appropriate. The atmosphere is described here as dark and gloomy but when we look at the second part, we see the glimpses of the spring season. With the passing of time, monk Upagupta is again seen in the same city.

Once, he meets a woman who is suffering from sores of small pox and she is lying on the ground, unattended. She was also driven out from her town. Upagupta, feels sympathy for her, takes her head on his knees, moistens her lips with water and applies balm on her sores. When asked, he tells her that the appropriate time has come and he is the same person whom she met a long time ago. Thus, the poem ends on a blissful note that tells us that one should be compassionate throughout his life-span. Compassion is more valuable than youth and beauty that eventually fade out with time.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem in Detail

The poem “Abhisara- the Tryst” was written by one of the most celebrated Bengali poets Rabindranath Tagore in 1899 and came out in a collection called “Katha O Kahini”, inspired by Rajendralal Mitra’s masterpiece “Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal.” In this poem, we see a Buddhist monk named Upagupta who was a disciple of Lord Buddha.

We also see here a very beautiful girl named Vasavadatta who is an incredible dancer. She was extremely proud of her youth, beauty and wealth whereas monk Upagupta was kind, wise, selfless and all the more, pure at heart. Once, Upagupta was sleeping on a dusty road in a dark night, by the city wall of Mathura. It was the month of August.

There was full of darkness without any light around and the atmosphere was very calm and quiet. People of Mathura were already in deep sleep when suddenly Upagupta woke up, startled. He saw Vasavadatta, a dancing girl who got stumbled over the body of Upagupta. The light coming from the woman’s lamp fell on the “forgiving eyes” of Upagupta.

He saw her, in front of him, shining with jewels, wearing a nice dress. It seemed she was extremely proud of her beauty and youth. She lowered her lamp, saw the young ascetic and got extremely intrigued by his austerity. She politely tells him to come to her place as “the dusty earth is not a fit bed” for him.

But Upagupta refused her invitation and told her “when the time is ripe I will come to you.” Suddenly the weather changed. The storm started blowing with a roaring sound and the woman shook in fear of some impending danger. Within a year, we see a different scenario.

It was the evening of a day in April and it was Springtime. The branches of the trees were full of beautiful blossoms and the environment around was pretty amazing. “Gay notes of a flute” was coming from far away and Upagupta was seen passing through the city gates again. He was seen standing on the base of the city.

wall that was made for security and protection. All of a sudden, he saw a woman lying on the dusty ground at his feet. She had sores of small-pox all over her body and so she had been driven away from her town to cease the spread of the disease through her. She looked miserable. Upagupta came near her, sat by her side, took her head on his knees and wetted her lips with water.

He also applied balm on her sores. When the woman asked him who he was, he replied that the appropriate time had come to visit her and so he was there. He addressed her Vasavdatta which enfolded that he had recognised the woman whom he had met some time back.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Line Wise Explanation

“Upagupta, the disciple of Buddha, lay asleep in
the dust by the city wall of Mathura.
Lamps were all out, doors were all shut, and stars
were all hidden by the murky sky of August.
Whose feet were those tinkling with anklets,
touching his breast of a sudden?
He woke up startled, and the light from a womans’s
lamp fell on his forgiving eyes.”:

Monk Upagupta, a disciple of Lord Buddha was lying asleep on a dusty street by the city wall of Mathura. Darkness prevailed everywhere as everyone was asleep, there were no lights around and the doors of the houses were all shut.

As it was the month of August, there were no stars in the sky as they were all hidden “by the murky sky.” Suddenly the ringing tune of anklets washeard. It was a dancing girl named Vasavadatta who appeared with a lamp in her hand there and tripped over Upagupta’s body. At this, Upagupta awoke abruptly and saw the beautiful dancer in front of him. He was surprised to see her.
“It was Vasavadatta the dancing girl, starred with jewels.

Clouded with a pale blue mantle, drunk with the wine of her youth
She lowered her lamp and saw the young face, austerely beautiful.
‘Forgive me, young ascetic,’ said the woman,
‘Graciously come to my house. The dusty earth is not a fit bed for you’
The young ascetic answered, ‘Woman, go on your way;
When the time is ripe I will come to you.”

Vasavadatta was an exquisite beauty and a vibrant youth.Her body was studded with jewels and she was wearing a blue dress. She was extremely proud of her beauty and her youth. She noticed Upagupta in the light of her lamp and got extremely intrigued by his austerity. She asked his forgiveness for tripping over him and graciously told him not to sleep on the dusty street but to come to her house. But he politely rejected her by saying “When the time is ripe I will come to you.”

Suddenly the black night showed its teeth in a flash of lightning.
The storm growled from the corner of the sky, and the woman trembled in fear.
A year had not yet passed.
It was evening of a day in April, in the Spring.
The branches of the wayside trees were full of blossom.

Suddenly lightning struck in the darkness of the night and a violent storm appeared. The woman shook in fear and hurried home. Within a year, another scenario was described. It was an evening of April and the branches of the trees were full of blossoms, celebrating the season of autumn.
A year had not…lonely street.

The nature was full of colour and beauty and the environment was pleasing. Suddenly Upagupta was seen walking in the “lonely street”, passing through the gates of the city.

“While overhead…young ascetic.”He saw a woman was lying at his feet in “the shadow of the mango grove”, in the dusty street. Her body was full of the sores of the smallpox. She had been driven away from her town as she was diseased so that her poisonous contagion could be avoided.

Upagupta, came near her, sat by her side, took her head on his knees and wetted her lips with water. He also applied balm on her sores. When the woman asked him about his identity, he informed that the right time had come at last and he was there. Addressing her as Vasavadatta, he let her
know that he recognised her and also enfolded himself.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Theme

The poem “Abhisara – the Tryst” is one of the finest creations of Rabindranath Tagore that brings forth the very fact that beauty and youth is not eternal as they are going fade out with time. But a person’s kindness and compassion is everlasting that reflect a person’s humanity.

The dancing girl Vasavadatta who was very proud of her youth and beauty once, realized that these are not permanent when she was struck with an epidemic and was abandoned by everyone who had used to praise her, earlier. When she no longer remained beautiful due to the sores on her body, she got a warmth of compassion from Upagupta.

Thus the selfless service to humanity is also shown to the readers. Though Upagupta was not charmed by her beauty and rejected her invitation, he served her with empathy when she was in great need. He soothed her wounds and comforted her. This act of his kindness and generosity made Vasavadatta realise the true beauty of a person’s inner-self.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Word Meaning

Disciple — A person who believes in the ideas and principles of someone famous and tries to live the way that person does or did.
Tinkling — Make or cause to make a light, clear ringing sound.
Anklets — A chain or ring worn as jewellery around the ankle
Startled — Surprised and slightly frightened
Forgiving — Ready and willing to forgive
Austerely — In a way that is very simple or plain, without decoration or unnecessary details
Ascetic — Avoiding physical pleasures and living a simple life, often for religious reasons Graciously Politely and pleasantly
Dusty — Dry dirt in the form of powder that covers surfaces inside a building, or very small dry pieces of soil, sand, or other substances
Ripe — Completely developed and ready to be collected or eaten
Storm — An extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and often thunder and lightning
Growled — To make a low, rough sound, usually in anger
Trembled — To shake slightly in a way that you cannot control
Fear — An unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen
Flute — A tube-shaped musical instrument with a hole that you blow across at one end while holding the tube out horizontally to one side
Woods — An area of land covered with a thick growth of trees
Gazed — To look at something or someone for a long time, especially in surprise or admiration, or because you are thinking about something else
Rampart — A large wall built round a town, castle, etc. to protect it
Grove — A group of trees planted close together
Poisonous — Very harmful and able to cause illness or death.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Critical Appreciation

The poem “Abhisara – the Tryst” highlights the superiority of compassion and kindness over youth and beauty. The poem is divided in two parts that portray two different seasons. The first part of the poem showed a scene set in the month of August, possibly it was the rainy season. Here, we see Upagupta who was a disciple of Lord Buddha. He was lying asleep in the dusty street of Mathura.

It was a dark night and everyone was asleep. Suddenly, a young and beautiful girl named Vasavadatta tripped over him. In the lamp light, her face looked tempting. She invited Upagupta at her house to take rest but Upagupta politely rejected her by saying “when the time is ripe I will come to you.” Her dazzling beauty could not tempt him. With the passing of time, Upagupta met her again, but the situation was a different that time. It was the season of spring when we can see Upagupta again, walking in the street of Mathura.

Suddenly he saw a woman lying in the dust outside the wall of Mathura. She was the victim of small¬pox and her body was full of sores. Upagupta comforted her and gave him some water and then applied balm on her sores. The awestruck woman when asked Upagupta who he was, he enfolded his identity by saying “The time, at last, has come to visit you, and I am here, Vasavadatta.”

Thus it was clear that the woman was actually Vasavadatta who was once a proud lady became a prey of fate and turned into a helpless person. In this poem, the poet had used darkness and light symbolically which though changed with the scenario, but the inner light of the holy person, Upagupta, never changed, no matter how changeable the outer world was.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem Style

In this poem, the poet had used a lucid but traditional style of narrating the story. Though there was no such rhymed words, it depended on the perfect rhythm for its effect. Some imageries were also used in this poem like the merky August sky, the dark night, the fascinating dim light of Vasavadatta’s lamp, her dazzling jewellery, the flashing thunder and so on. These imageries can be considered as sensuous too.

The picturesque spring season is also depicted here. In this poem, the figure of speech like personification, alliteration and foreshadowing are also used to give enrichment to the poem. The inanimate things like ‘August’, ‘black night’, ‘time’ etc. are given life by using personification, the repetition of the consonant sounds are shown by using alliteration and the cues of the events of future are expressed by using foreshadowing. Thus, it can be said that the style of writing this poem is one of a kind.

Abhisara-The Tryst Poem MCQs

Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:

Question 1.
When was Rahindranath Tagore born?
a. 7 May 1861
b. 12 June 1858
c. 22 March 1865
d. 31 August 1871
Answer:
a. 7 May 1861

Question 2.
Where was Upagupta lyingasleep?
a. On the ground
b. On the footpath
c. In the dust
d. On the ice
Answer:
c. In the dust

Question 3.
Where does Upagupta live?
a. Kolkata
b. Mathura
c. Assam
d. Delhi
Answer:
b. Mathura

Question 4.
From where did the tinkling sound come?
a. From sky
b. From outside
c. From forest
d. From anklets of a woman
Answer:
d. From anklets of a woman

Question 5.
Who woke up, startled?
a. Upagupta
b. Buddha
c. Vasavadatta
d. None of them
Answer:
a. Upagupta

Question 6.
Who has the forgiving eyes?
a. Vasavadatta
b. Upagupta
c. The narrator
d. None of these
Answer:
b. Upagupta

Question 7.
Who was holding the lamp?
a. The narrator
b. Upagupta
c. Vasavadatta
d. the poet
Answer:
c. Vasavadatta

Question 8.
What was Vasavadatta’?
a. A singer
b. A house wife
c. An actor
d. A dancing girl
Answer:
d. A dancing girl

Question 9.
“Forgive me, young ascetic—Who said this?
a. a villager
b. Vasavadatta
c. Upagupta
d. none of these
Answer:
b. Vasavadatta

Question 10.
Who should not sleep on the dusty earth?
a. Vasavadatta
b. Upagupta
c. The town dwellers
d. The narrator
Answer:
b. Upagupta

Question 11.
“Woman, go on your way” — Who is the woman?
a. Vasavadatta
b. A miserable woman
c. Upagupta
d. A beggar
Answer:
a. Vasavadatta

Question 12.
Who showed its teeth?
a. The dancing girl
b. Upagupta
c. Black night
d. Sunny evening
Answer:
c. Black night

Question 13.
From where did the storm growl?
a. From the cloud
b. From the middle of the sky
c. From the sea
d. From the comer of the sky
Answer:
d. From the comer of the sky

Question 14.
Why has the citizens gone to the woods?
a. To see the dancing girl
b. To enjoy the festival of flowers
c. To enjoy the festival of colours
d. To look for something
Answer:
b. To enjoy the festival of flowers

Question 15.
“The young ascetic was walking in the ________street,”How was the street?
a. Crowded
b. Muddy
c. Lonely
d. Dangerous
Answer:
b. To enjoy the festival of flowers

Rhapsody: A Collection of ISC Poems Workbook Answers