The North Ship Summary

West Bengal Board Class 9 English The North Ship Summary, Lesson Explanation with difficult word meanings from Bliss Book

 

The North Ship– Are you looking for Summary and Lesson Explanation for West Bengal  Board Class 9 English Lesson 9 The North Ship from Bliss Book. Get notes, summary of the Lesson followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words.

 

The North Ship West Bengal Board Class 9 English 

Philip Larkin

The North Ship Introduction

 

The poem “The North Ship” by Philip Larkin tells us about the journeys of three different ships as they sail across the sea. Each ship faces unique challenges and conditions. The first ship heads west and is carried to a rich land by the wind. The second ship sails east but is going to a place of confinement by the wind. The third ship heads north but comes across no wind and struggles in a cold, empty sea. The poem uses these journeys as metaphors for different life paths and the different experiences people face. 

Theme of the Lesson The North Ship 

 

The theme of “The North Ship” by Philip Larkin revolves around In “The North Ship,” the theme is about the different experiences people have based on their choices and circumstances. The poem uses three ships to represent these experiences. The first ship sails west and finds success and wealth, showing a positive outcome. The second ship heads east but faces difficulties and ends up trapped, symbolizing struggle and confinement. The third ship goes north but encounters a harsh, empty sea with no wind to help, representing hardship and isolation. The poem shows us that our life journeys can lead to various outcomes, whether they are successful, challenging, or difficult, depending on the path we take and the challenges we face.

The North Ship Summary

 

The poem “The North Ship” by Philip Larkin talks about three ships on different journeys across the sea, each facing its own set of challenges and conditions. The first ship sets sail towards the west. It is carried by the wind to a rich and successful land. This journey represents a positive outcome where everything falls into place and the ship achieves its goals. It symbolizes success and prosperity. The second ship heads towards the east, but it encounters a rough and unstable sea. The wind chases it aggressively, causing the ship to end up stuck in a place where it can’t move freely. This journey represents struggle and limitation, showing how difficult circumstances can trap one in a challenging situation despite their efforts. The third ship sails north into a cold and dark sea with no wind to help it. The ship faces a harsh and unforgiving environment, struggling with the lack of support and favorable conditions. This journey symbolizes hardship and isolation, where the lack of resources makes the journey difficult and lonely.

The North Ship Summary in Hindi

 

फिलिप लार्किन की कविता “द नॉर्थ शिप” समुद्र में अलग-अलग यात्राओं पर तीन जहाजों के बारे में बात करती है, जिनमें से प्रत्येक को अपनी चुनौतियों और परिस्थितियों का सामना करना पड़ता है। पहला जहाज़ पश्चिम की ओर रवाना हुआ। इसे हवा द्वारा एक समृद्ध और सफल भूमि पर ले जाया जाता है। यह यात्रा एक सकारात्मक परिणाम का प्रतिनिधित्व करती है जहां सब कुछ ठीक हो जाता है और जहाज अपने लक्ष्यों को प्राप्त कर लेता है। यह सफलता और समृद्धि का प्रतीक है। दूसरा जहाज़ पूर्व की ओर जाता है, लेकिन उसका सामना अशांत और अस्थिर समुद्र से होता है। हवा आक्रामक तरीके से उसका पीछा करती है, जिससे जहाज ऐसी जगह फंस जाता है जहां वह स्वतंत्र रूप से नहीं चल सकता। यह यात्रा संघर्ष और सीमा को दर्शाती है, यह दर्शाती है कि कैसे कठिन परिस्थितियाँ किसी को उसके प्रयासों के बावजूद चुनौतीपूर्ण स्थिति में फँसा सकती हैं। तीसरा जहाज उत्तर की ओर ठंडे और अंधेरे समुद्र में चला जाता है, जहां उसकी मदद के लिए कोई हवा नहीं होती। जहाज को समर्थन और अनुकूल परिस्थितियों की कमी से जूझते हुए एक कठोर और अक्षम्य वातावरण का सामना करना पड़ता है। यह यात्रा कठिनाई और अलगाव का प्रतीक है, जहां संसाधनों की कमी यात्रा को कठिन और एकाकी बना देती है।

The North Ship Lesson Explanation

 

Poem: 

I saw three ships go sailing by, 

Over the sea the lifting sea,

And the wind rose in the morning sky,

And one was rigged for a long journey.

The first ship turned towards the west,

Over the sea, the running sea,

And by the wind was all possessed

And carried to a rich country.

The second turned towards the east,

Over the sea, the quaking sea,

And the wind hunted it like a beast

To anchor in captivity.

 

Word Meanings:

rigged (v): a boat or a ship equipped for a long journey

quaking (v): stirring

captivity (n): imprisonment

sail (v): when a boat or a ship sails, it travels on the water

possessed (v): to have or own something

anchor (v): to lower an anchor into the water in order to stop a boat from moving away, to secure firmly 

 

Explanation: The poet sees three ships sailing by over the sea. The sea is described as “lifting,” meaning it is dynamic or changing. The wind rises in the morning sky, indicating that it is an active and strong force. One of the ships is also prepared for a long journey. The first ship sails towards the west. The sea it travels on is described as “running,” which means it is lively or moving quickly. The wind is very strong and completely controls the ship’s movement. Because of this, the ship is carried easily to a rich country. This shows us that the journey is successful, symbolizing success and achievement. On the other hand, the second ship heads towards the east. The sea in this direction is described as “quaking,” meaning it is unstable or rough. The wind aggressively moves in the direction of the ship, almost as if it is hunting the ship. As a result, the ship ends up being stuck and unable to move freely. This journey represents struggle, showing that despite its efforts, the ship ends up in a difficult situation.

Poem: 

The third ship drove toward the north,

Over the sea, the darkening sea,

But no breath of wind came forth,

And the decks shone frostily.

The northern sky rose high and black

Over the proud unfruitful sea,

East and west the ships came back

Happily or unhappily.

But the third went wide and far

Into an unforgiving sea

Under a fire-spilling star,

And it was rigged for a long journey.

 

Word Meanings:

darkening (v): to become dark

decks (n): a flat area for walking on, built across the space between the sides of a boat

frostily (adverb): in an unfriendly way

unfruitful (adj.): not producing any good or valuable result

unforgiving (adj.): not willing to forgive people for things they do wrong

 

Explanation: The third ship heads north, sailing over a sea that is becoming darker and giving out a feeling that something bad is going to happen. Unlike the previous ships, this one encounters no wind, which means it lacks the necessary force to help it move forward. This lack of wind makes the journey very challenging. The decks of the ship are described as “shining frostily,” meaning that it is cold and icy. This suggests that the ship is facing harsh and uncomfortable conditions. The sky in the north is described as “high and black,” which here means a big and dark environment. This adds to the sense of loneliness and difficulty that the ship faces. The ships traveling east and west return after their journeys, whether their experiences were good or bad. However, the third ship does not return; instead, it continues on a difficult journey further The third ship sails into a very tough and harsh sea. The “fire-spilling star” in the sky here means a dangerous or threatening situation. Even though the journey was very tough, the third ship was ready for a long trip, despite the harsh conditions it faced.

 

WBBSE Class 9 English Lesson 9 The North Ship Figures of Speech

 

  1. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature.
  • “The sea, the darkening sea”- The sea is described as darkening, which can symbolize growing difficulties or challenges.
  • “Under a fire-spilling star”- The star is described as spilling fire, which metaphorically represents a harsh and dangerous environment.

 

  1. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. 
  • “The decks shone frostily”- This imagery creates a visual and sensory picture of cold and harsh conditions on the ship.
  • “The northern sky rose high and black”- This creates a visual image of a dark and foreboding sky, adding to the sense of isolation and challenge.

 

  1. Alliteration: Alliteration is a literary device that uses similar consonant sounds in continuity to make an effect.
  • “The sea, the quaking sea”- The repetition of the “s” sound emphasizes the instability of the sea the second ship faces.
  • “Fire-spilling star”- The repetition of the “s” sound enhances the vividness of the imagery of the star.

 

  1. Symbolism: It is a literary device in which a person, situation, word, or object is used to represent another thing.
  • “The rich country”: Represents success and prosperity.
  • “The place of captivity”: Symbolizes struggle and confinement.
  • “The unforgiving sea”: Symbolizes extreme hardship and relentless challenges.

 

  1. Personification: Personification is the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc., as in art and literature.
  • “The wind hunted it like a beast”- The wind is described as if it were a predator chasing the ship, giving it human-like qualities to emphasize the aggressive and relentless nature of the wind.