Workbook Solutions of The Inchcape Rock by-Robert Southey
Class - 9&10
Board - ICSE
A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories
I.
(i) The Inchcape rock is referred to in the extract. The rock lay
hidden in the sea off the east coast of Scotland. It sometimes
remained hidden under sea water during the high tide.
(ii) The words ‘surge’s swell’ mean the sea-waves moved up and
down and rose high due to the influence of tides. The warning
bell refers to the bell placed on the Inchcape rock by the Abbot
of Aberbrothok, to give a warning to the sailors about the danger
from the rock. The warning bell was placed on a buoy and during
high tides the movement of waves made the buoy to float and
in turn rang the bell and warned the sailors.
(iii) The Rock was said to be perilous because many ships had been
wrecked by it when it remained covered by sea water during
a high tide. Sir Ralph’s ship struck against the Inchcape Rock
and drowned in the sea.
(iv) The Head monk of a monastery or church is known as an
Abbot. The mariners blessed the Abbot Aberbrothok because
he placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock, which gave a warning
to the mariners about the perilous rock and thus, saved them
and their ships from drowning.
(v) A ballad is a long narrative poem that tells a story. It is a
heightened narration that uses narrative technique like rhyme
and figures of speech. The two elements of ballad in the given
extract are the following:
(a) The rhyming pattern followed in this extract is aabb (Swell-
Bell; Rock-Aberbrothok).
(b) There is a repetition of consonant sound at the beginning
of words (alliteration) to facilitate narration:
1. ..... surge’s swell
2. ..... then they
II.
(i) Sir Ralph was a rover or a sea pirate. He was a wicked and
jealous man.
(ii) The pleasant day in the spring season made the Rover sing. But
the real reason was that in a such calm atmosphere he would
be able to carry out his wicked plan of defaming the Abbot of
Aberbrothok by cutting off the bell from the Inchcape Rock and
thereby, loot the wealth from the shipwrecks.
The given lines mean that the Rover’s heart was extremely joyful
but his joy was due to his wicked plan.
(iii) The Rover saw the buoy of the Inchcape Rock like a dark speck
on the green ocean. He asked his sailors to lower the boat and
row him to the Inchcape Rock.
(iv) The Rover wanted to go near the Inchcape Rock to cut off the
warning bell to spoil the fame and reputation of the Abbot of
Aberbrothok, who has placed the bell there and to loot the
wealth from the shipwrecks.
(v) The Rover was in a joyful mood in the extract. His joyful mood
is reflected in the extract by his act of whistling and singing. At
the end of the poem, the Rover was in a mood of despair and
frustration.
III.
(i) The boatmen rowed the boat to the Inchcape Rock.
(ii) The Rover cut off the bell from the Inchcape Rock. He did so
out of jealousy and self-interest. He wanted to spoil the fame
and reputation of the Abbot of Aberbrothok, who has placed
the bell there. It would also allow him to easily loot the wealth
from the shipwrecks, caused by the Inchcape Rock.
(iii) The Rover’s act of cutting the bell from the Inchcape Rock led to
the collision of his ship with the rock and finally, the drowning
of the ship with the Rover.
(iv) After performing the wicked deed of cutting the bell from Inchcape
Rock, the Rover said that from then onwards the mariners who
used to thank the Abbot would no longer thank him.
(v) The Abbot of Aberbrothok had kept the bell there. The bell was
placed on the float because the movement of the float during
the high tide would make the bell ring and warn the sailors of
the danger from the rock.
(vi) The sailors, passing by earlier, blessed the Abbot of Aberbrothok
for placing the warning bell on the Inchcape Rock and thereby,
saving them from the perilous rock.
