Baltimore
When I sailed out of Baltimore,
With twice a thousand head of sheep,
They would not eat, they would not drink,
But bleated over the deep.
Inside the pens, we crawled each day, 5
To sort the living from the dead;
And when we reached Mersey’s mouth,
Had lost five hundred head,
That had no fear of man or sea,
Struck through the bars its pleading face, 10
And I stroked it.
And to the sheep-men standing near,
“You see”, I said, “this one tame sheep ?“
It seems a child has lost her pet,
“And cried herself to sleep.” 15
And every time we passed it by,
Sailing to England’s Slaughter-house;
Eight ragged sheep – men – tramps
training and thieves
Would stroke that sheep’s black nose. 20
— William H. Davis
Read the above poem carefully and answer the questions that follow-
1. With what or whom did the poet start from Baltimore?
2. What was the condition the animals in the beginning?
3. What had to happen when they reached Mersey’s mouth?
4. Why was there one wailing sheep?
5. There was one sheep in particular. Why was it particular?
6. How did the narrator react to it?
7. Find words/phrases poem which means the same as the following: (2 marks)
(a) a place where sheep are kept
(b) shepherds
Answers
Answer- 1. The poet started with two thousand sheep.
Answers-2. They would neither eat nor drink.
Answer- 3. Five hundred sheep had died.
Answer- 4. The sheep was wailing because it had lost its little one.
Answer- 5. The sheep was particular because it had no fear of man or sea.
Answer-6. The narrator stroked it fondly
Answer 7- a- pen b- sheep-men
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