Chapter 1 – Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802 Solutions & Q&A

Content Structure

1. About the author – William Wordsworth
2. Summary of the Composed upon Westminster Bridge
3. Word meanings
4. Exercises solutions
5. Additional Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. About the author – William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was a famous English poet who was born in England on 7th April 1770. He was known for his love of nature and his simple, emotional poems that showed his true feelings. He believed that poetry should come from the heart, so it would be easy for everyone to understand. In his poems, he described the beauty of the countryside and natural things like mountains, rivers, and trees. He wrote a famous book called Lyrical Ballads with his friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge while they were in England. In 1843, he became the Poet Laureate. He passed away on 23rd April 1850, but his poems are still remembered and loved by people all over the world.

2. Summary of the Composed upon Westminster Bridge

In this poem, William Wordsworth describes the peaceful and beautiful early morning view of London, which gives him a magical experience. As he stands on Westminster Bridge, he sees the city glowing in a soft, golden light that fills him with wonder and inspires him to write. He is amazed by the calm and quiet beauty of the scene he says he has never seen anything in the world as beautiful as that moment. According to him, anyone who cannot feel the beauty of this view must have a dull or lifeless soul. The buildings appear even more beautiful, as if they are dressed in the peaceful light of morning. The poet notices many man-made structures like ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples shining brightly under the fresh morning sunlight. The air is clean and smokeless, making everything look pure and clear. He even says that natural places like valleys, rocks, and hills have never looked as beautiful as the city does in that magical light. This peaceful scene brings a deep sense of calm to the poet’s heart, a stillness he has never experienced before. He watches the river glide smoothly and freely without any sound or disturbance. The city, which he calls a “mighty heart,” lies quietly at rest before the busy day begins, and seeing this peaceful moment inspires the poet to encourage us to wake up early and enjoy the calm beauty of nature that often goes unnoticed.

WB 11 all notes

3. Word meanings

Word	Meaning
Bare	Empty
Garment	Clothing
Glittering	Shining
Splendour	Beauty
Glideth	Moved smoothly
Mighty	Strong

WB 11 all notes

4. Exercises solutions

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :

1. At what time of the day did Wordsworth observe the beauty of the city of London?
a) At dawn
b) At noon
c) In the evening
d) At night

Ans: a) At dawn

2. What literary device is used in the line, ” The river glideth at his own sweet will”
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Hyperbole
d) Personification

Ans: d) Personification

5. Additional Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. What does the poet compare the beauty of the city to?
(a) A light
(b) A colourful
(c) A garment
(d) A jewel

Ans: (c) A garment

2. Where is the poet when he sees this scene?
(a) On a ship
(b) On Westminster Bridge
(c) On a boat
(d) In the car

Ans: (b) On Westminster Bridge

3. What emotion does the poet express towards nature and the city?
(a) Noisy and polluted
(b) Boredom
(c) Wonder and peace
(d) Fear and doubt

Ans: (c) Wonder and peace

4. What does the poet call “a mighty heart”?
(a) The city
(b) The sky
(c) The building
(d) The people

Ans: (a) The city

5. What is the tone of the poem?
(a) Angry
(b) Joyful
(c) Calm and admiring
(d) Sad and gloomy

Ans: (c) Calm and admiring

6. According to the poet, how does the city appear in the morning?
(a) Polluted and crowded
(b) Dirty and smoky
(c) Calm and beautiful
(d) Bright and noisy

Ans: (c) Calm and beautiful

7. How does London look in the morning?
(a) silent and lonely
(b) silent and bare
(c) lonely and foggy
(d) smoky and soundles

Ans: (b) silent and bare

8. Why does everything in London shine brightly?
(a) foggy weather
(b) rainy weather
(c) sunny weather
(d) smokeless air

Ans: (c) sunny weather

9. Which city is the poet talking about?
(a) Kolkata
(b) Oxford
(c) London
(d) New York

Ans: (c) London

10. In “his first splendour,” who is “his”?
(a) the city
(b) the sky
(c) the sun
(d) the bridge

Ans: (c) the sun

11. How did the sun steep more than ever before?
(a) deeply
(b) sweetly
(c) beautifully
(d) Amazingly

Ans: (b) sweetly

12. Who wrote the poem “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge”?
(a) Wordsworth
(b) Blake
9c) Keats
(d) Longfellow

Ans: (a) Wordsworth

13. What type of poem is “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge”?
(a) lyric
(b) sonnet
(c) ode
(d) Ballad

Ans: (b) sonnet

14. The poet wrote the poem while going to-
(a) Italy
(b) France
(c) Russia
(d) India

Ans: (b) France

15. When does the poet see London in the poem?
(a) in the morning
(b) early in the evening
(c) at noon
(d) at night

Ans: (a) in the morning

16. How is the morning beauty described?
(a) calm, quiet
(b) silent, bare
(c) bright and calm
(d) soft and sweet

Ans: (b) silent, bare

17. What is London wearing like a garment?
(a) fresh atmosphere
(b) beauty of early morning
(c) silence of the atmosphere
(d) none of these

Ans: (b) beauty of early morning

18. Why do things in London look bright?
(a) blazing fire
(b) snow
(c) smokeless air
(d) Smoke

Ans: (c) smokeless air

19. What does “the mighty heart” stand for?
(a) Pacific Ocean
(b) river Thames
(c) London
(d) England

Ans: (c) London

20. How do the houses appear in the poem?
(a) dead
(b) lost
(c) spellbound
(d) asleep

Ans: (d) asleep

21. How do all things in the city look?
(a) bright and glittering
(b) cloudy
(c) dull
(d) dark

Ans: (a) bright and glittering

22. “Mighty heart” refers to which thing?
(a) bridge
(b) city of London
(c) river Thames
(d) England

Ans: (b) city of London

23. The poet personified the river, the Thames, as-
(a) an old woman
(b) a feminine figure
(c) a masculine figure
(d) a neuter thing

Ans: (c) a masculine figure

24. What is “the fairest sight” according to the poet?
(a) the river
(b) the city
(c) the sun
(d) the towers

Ans: (b) the city

25. The person who could pass by would be dull of-
(a) heart
(b) soul
(c) mind
(d) body

Ans: (a) heart

26. In “dull would he be of soul,” what does “dull” mean?
(a) boring
(b) unintelligent
(c) monotonous
(d) insensitive

Ans: (d) insensitive