Understanding the Poem
Find out where the river Alph is.
1. Does the poem have a real geographical location? How does
the poet mix up the real and the imaginary to give a sense of
the surreal?
2. Pick out
(i) contrasting images that are juxtaposed throughout the
poem.
(ii) images that strike the eye and images that strike the ear,
both positive and negative.
(iii) the words used to describe the movement of water.
3. What is the discordant note heard at the end of the third
stanza? Can we relate this to the grandeur and turmoil that
are a part of an emperor’s life?
4. Which are the lines that refer to magical elements?
5. What is poetic ecstasy likened to?
6. The poem is a fragment. What do you think has made it a lasting
literary piece?