11th class Poem "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind"
BY
Original Readings
"Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind"
BY William Shakespeare
Blow Blow Thou Winter WindThou art not so unkindAs man's ingratitude;Thy tooth is not so keen,Because thou art not seen,Although thy breath be rude.Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:Then heigh-ho, the holly!This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,That does not bite so nighAs benefits forgot:Though thou the waters warp,Thy sting is not so sharpAs a friend remembered not. Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:Then heigh-ho, the holly!This life is most jolly.
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Paraphrase of the poem **"Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind"** by William Shakespeare:
Stanza-1Blow Blow Thou Winter WindThou art not so unkindAs man's ingratitude;Thy tooth is not so keen,Because thou art not seen,Although thy breath be rude.Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:Then heigh-ho, the holly!This life is most jolly.
Simple and easy Line by Line paraphrasing of stanza-1:
Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
→ The poet says to the cold winter wind that to blow strongly.
Thou art not so unkind
→ The poet says that the wind is not as cruel or harsh—
As man’s ingratitude;
→ —As the ungrateful nature of human beings.
Thy tooth is not so keen,
→ The poet says the wind’s bite or coldness is not very sharp—
Because thou art not seen,
→ —Because the wind is invisible and cannot be seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
→ The poet admits that the wind’s cold breath feels rough and unpleasant.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
→ The poet joyfully sings under the green holly tree.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
→ The poet says most friendships are false and love is often foolish.
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
→ The poet repeats his cheerful song to the holly tree.
This life is most jolly.
→ The poet concludes that life is still cheerful and worth enjoying despite human faults.
Simple and easy paraphrasing in a paragraph of stanza-1:
The poet asks the cold winter wind to blow strongly, saying that it is not as cruel as the ungrateful nature of human beings. He feels that the sharp bite of the wind is less painful because the wind is invisible and cannot be seen. He says that the wind’s breath may be rough and unpleasant, but at least it is natural and honest — unlike false friends. The poet then sings joyfully under the green holly tree, saying that most friendships are fake and most love is foolish. In the end, he remarks that despite all these disappointments, life is still joyful and worth enjoying.
Stanza-2Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,That does not bite so nighAs benefits forgot:Though thou the waters warp,Thy sting is not so sharpAs a friend remembered not. Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:Then heigh-ho, the holly!This life is most jolly.
Simple and easy Line by Line paraphrasing of stanza-2:
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
→ The poet tells the cold and bitter sky to freeze everything.
That does not bite so nigh
→ The poet says the sky’s coldness does not hurt as much—
As benefits forgot:
→ —As when people forget the kindness or good deeds done to them.
Though thou the waters warp,
→ The poet admits that the cold sky can freeze and twist water into ice,
Thy sting is not so sharp
→ But says its sting is still not as painful—
As a friend remembered not.
→ —As being forgotten by a true friend.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
→ The poet again sings happily under the green holly tree.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
→ The poet repeats that most friendships are fake and most love is foolish.
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
→ The poet cheerfully sings again under the holly tree.
This life is most jolly.
→ The poet ends by saying that even with false friends and cold weather, life is still joyful.
Simple and easy paraphrasing in a paragraph of stanza-2:
The poet tells the cold, bitter sky to freeze everything around, saying that even its chill is not as painful as when people forget the kindness or good deeds that others have done for them. Even though the sky can freeze and twist the water into ice, its sting is still not as painful as the sorrow of being ignored or forgotten by a friend who was once close. Once again, the poet sings cheerfully under the green holly tree, repeating that most friendships are false and most love is foolish. In the end, he concludes that despite human insincerity, life remains cheerful and should be enjoyed with a happy heart.
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The Summary of " Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare
1. In the poem "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind," Shakespeare compares the harshness of the winter wind to the cruelty of human beings. He says that the cold wind may feel bitter and rough, but it is still less painful than the unkindness and ingratitude of people. The poet believes that false friendship and foolish love hurt more than the coldest weather. Through cheerful lines and a lively song, he expresses the truth that most human relationships are insincere. However, instead of being sad, the poet encourages everyone to stay joyful and enjoy life despite its disappointments. The poem teaches us to accept life’s realities and remain happy even when people are ungrateful or unkind. 2. In the poem "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind," Shakespeare compares the harshness of winter weather to the coldness of human relationships. He says that the biting winter wind, though unpleasant, is not as painful as human ingratitude and forgotten friendships. The wind and cold are natural and expected, while the hurt caused by people is deeper and more painful. The speaker reflects on the falseness of most friendships and love, calling them insincere or foolish. Despite these harsh truths, the poem ends on an ironic note, saying that life is still "jolly," as if to accept the reality of human nature.
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The central idea of the Poem " Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare
1. The central idea of the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” is that the cruelty of nature is less painful than the unkindness and ingratitude of human beings. The poet compares the cold winter wind and the freezing sky to false friends and selfish people, saying that natural harshness can be tolerated, but human cruelty and forgetfulness hurt more deeply. Through this poem, Shakespeare highlights the falsehood found in most friendships and love, yet he ends on a cheerful note, suggesting that despite life’s bitterness, one should remain joyful and take life lightly.
Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
→ The poet says to the cold winter wind that to blow strongly.
Thou art not so unkind
→ The poet says that the wind is not as cruel or harsh—
As man’s ingratitude;
→ —As the ungrateful nature of human beings.
Thy tooth is not so keen,
→ The poet says the wind’s bite or coldness is not very sharp—
Because thou art not seen,
→ —Because the wind is invisible and cannot be seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
→ The poet admits that the wind’s cold breath feels rough and unpleasant.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
→ The poet joyfully sings under the green holly tree.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
→ The poet says most friendships are false and love is often foolish.
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
→ The poet repeats his cheerful song to the holly tree.
This life is most jolly.
→ The poet concludes that life is still cheerful and worth enjoying despite human faults.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
→ The poet tells the cold and bitter sky to freeze everything.
That does not bite so nigh
→ The poet says the sky’s coldness does not hurt as much—
As benefits forgot:
→ —As when people forget the kindness or good deeds done to them.
Though thou the waters warp,
→ The poet admits that the cold sky can freeze and twist water into ice,
Thy sting is not so sharp
→ But says its sting is still not as painful—
As a friend remembered not.
→ —As being forgotten by a true friend.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
→ The poet again sings happily under the green holly tree.
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
→ The poet repeats that most friendships are fake and most love is foolish.
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
→ The poet cheerfully sings again under the holly tree.
→ The poet ends by saying that even with false friends and cold weather, life is still joyful.
2. The central idea of the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” is that the harshness of nature is less painful than the cruelty and ungratefulness of human beings. The poet says that the cold winter wind may bite and freeze, but it is still not as hurtful as the false friendship and forgotten kindness of people. He feels that nature’s coldness only affects the body, while human ingratitude wounds the heart deeply. Through this comparison, the poet expresses his disappointment in mankind’s lack of sincerity and love. Yet, he ends the poem with a cheerful tone, encouraging us to accept life as it is. The poet believes that despite all human weaknesses, we should live happily and find joy in every situation.
Short Questions and Answers of the Poem " Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare
Q1. Who is the poet of the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”?
Ans. The poet of the poem is William Shakespeare.
Q2. What does the poet compare the winter wind with?
Ans. The poet compares the winter wind with the ungratefulness of human beings.
Q3. Why does the poet say that the winter wind is not so unkind?
Ans. The poet says this because the winter wind’s cruelty is less painful than the unkindness of people.
Q4. What hurts the poet more than the cold wind?
Ans. The poet feels human ingratitude and false friendship hurt him more than the cold wind.
Q5. What message does the poet give at the end of the poem?
Ans. The poet advises us to remain cheerful and enjoy life despite people’s selfishness and false love.
Q1. Who is the poet of the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”?
Ans. The poet of the poem is William Shakespeare.
Q2. What does the poet compare the winter wind with?
Ans. The poet compares the winter wind with the ungratefulness of human beings.
Q3. Why does the poet say that the winter wind is not so unkind?
Ans. The poet says this because the winter wind’s cruelty is less painful than the unkindness of people.
Q4. What hurts the poet more than the cold wind?
Ans. The poet feels human ingratitude and false friendship hurt him more than the cold wind.
Q5. What message does the poet give at the end of the poem?
Ans. The poet advises us to remain cheerful and enjoy life despite people’s selfishness and false love.
Long Questions and Answers of the Poem " Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare
Q1. What is the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” about?
Ans. The poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” is about the poet’s disappointment with human nature. He says that the cold winter wind, though harsh, is still kinder than the ungratefulness of people. Nature’s cruelty only affects the body, but human unkindness hurts the heart. The poet also mentions that most friendships are false and most love is foolish. Despite this, he ends the poem on a happy note, encouraging us to stay cheerful and enjoy life no matter how people behave.
Q2. How does the poet compare nature with human behaviour?
Ans. The poet compares the cold winter wind and bitter sky to human unkindness. He says that the harshness of nature is not as painful as man’s ingratitude. While the wind may be rough and freezing, it is honest in its nature, unlike humans who pretend to be kind and loving but are often false. The poet believes that natural forces may cause physical pain, but human betrayal causes emotional pain. Therefore, he prefers nature’s honesty over human cruelty.
Ans. The poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” is about the poet’s disappointment with human nature. He says that the cold winter wind, though harsh, is still kinder than the ungratefulness of people. Nature’s cruelty only affects the body, but human unkindness hurts the heart. The poet also mentions that most friendships are false and most love is foolish. Despite this, he ends the poem on a happy note, encouraging us to stay cheerful and enjoy life no matter how people behave.
Q2. How does the poet compare nature with human behaviour?
Ans. The poet compares the cold winter wind and bitter sky to human unkindness. He says that the harshness of nature is not as painful as man’s ingratitude. While the wind may be rough and freezing, it is honest in its nature, unlike humans who pretend to be kind and loving but are often false. The poet believes that natural forces may cause physical pain, but human betrayal causes emotional pain. Therefore, he prefers nature’s honesty over human cruelty.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) of the Poem " Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind" by William Shakespeare
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Who wrote the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”?
a) Robert Frost
b) William Wordsworth
c) William Shakespeare ✅
d) John Keats
-
What does the poet say is worse than the winter wind?
a) The summer heat
b) Man’s ingratitude ✅
c) The cold rain
d) The darkness of night
-
What does the word “unkind” in the poem mean?
a) Polite
b) Gentle
c) Cruel or harsh ✅
d) Cold
-
What does the poet call most friendship and love?
a) Honest and pure
b) False and foolish ✅
c) Kind and sincere
d) Short but true
-
What attitude does the poet show at the end of the poem?
a) Sad and hopeless
b) Angry and revengeful
c) Cheerful and positive ✅
d) Cold and distant
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-
Who wrote the poem “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”?
a) Robert Frost
b) William Wordsworth
c) William Shakespeare ✅
d) John Keats
-
What does the poet say is worse than the winter wind?
a) The summer heat
b) Man’s ingratitude ✅
c) The cold rain
d) The darkness of night
-
What does the word “unkind” in the poem mean?
a) Polite
b) Gentle
c) Cruel or harsh ✅
d) Cold
-
What does the poet call most friendship and love?
a) Honest and pure
b) False and foolish ✅
c) Kind and sincere
d) Short but true
-
What attitude does the poet show at the end of the poem?
a) Sad and hopeless
b) Angry and revengeful
c) Cheerful and positive ✅
d) Cold and distant
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