The Poem - The Eagle, By Alfred Tennyson - - Paraphrasing, Central Idea and Summary

The Poem “THE EAGLE” By Alfred Tennyson

Original readings (Text):

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

1. The Paraphrasing of the Poem “THE EAGLE” By Alfred Tennyson.

Stanza 1;

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

Line-by-line paraphrasing:

Line 1: “He clasps the crag with crooked hands;”
The poet says that the eagle grips the rocky mountain tightly with its curved claws, showing its strength and power.

Line 2: “Close to the sun in lonely lands,”
The poet describes that the eagle lives high up in the mountains, close to the shining sun, far away from human presence in a lonely place.

Line 3: “Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.”
The poet says that the eagle stands proudly, surrounded by the blue sky all around him, symbolizing his majesty and freedom.

Paraphrasing stanza 1 in a paragraph:

In the stanza-1, the poet describe that the eagle is holding tightly onto a rocky mountain with his strong, curved claws. He lives high above the earth, in a lonely and elevated place, close to the bright sun and far away from human life. Surrounded by the vast blue sky, the eagle stands proudly and alone, symbolizing strength, freedom, and majesty in the natural world.

Stanza 2;

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;

He watches from his mountain walls,

And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Line 4: “The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;”
The poet describes that far below the eagle, the sea looks small and moves slowly, as if it is crawling. This shows how high the eagle is.

Line 5: “He watches from his mountain walls,”
The poet says that the eagle looks down from his high rocky home, carefully observing everything below.

Line 6: “And like a thunderbolt he falls.”
The poet describes how suddenly the eagle dives down from the sky with great speed and force, like a flash of lightning.

Paraphrasing of stanza 2 in a paragraph:

In the stanza-2, the poet further describes that far below the eagle, the sea looks small and moves slowly, as if it is crawling. The poet says that the eagle watches the world below from his high mountain home with sharp eyes. Suddenly, the eagle dives down with great speed and force like a thunderbolt, showing his strength, courage, and power as the king of the skies.

2. The Central Ideas of the Poem “THE EAGLE” By Alfred Tennyson.

1. The central idea of the poem "The Eagle" is the majesty and power of nature, embodied in the figure of the eagle. The poet vividly depicts the eagle's solitary strength and its commanding presence in the natural world, culminating in its powerful, sudden dive that emphasizes its dominance and grace.

2. The central idea of the poem “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson is the majestic power and freedom of the eagle, which represents strength, freedom, and authority. The poet describes how the eagle lives high above the earth, close to the sun, surrounded by the blue sky in a lonely place far from human life. From his high rocky home, the eagle looks down upon the world beneath him and then suddenly dives with great speed and force like a thunderbolt. Through this powerful image, the poet shows the eagle as a symbol of nobility, confidence, and the greatness of nature.

3. The Summary of the Poem “THE EAGLE” By Alfred Tennyson.

“The Eagle” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a short poem that describes an eagle perched high up on a steep rock. The eagle grips the rock tightly and stands alone, very close to the sun and surrounded by the blue sky. The sea far below moves slowly, and the eagle watches from its high perch. Suddenly, the eagle dives down quickly and powerfully, like a lightning bolt, showing its strength and majesty.

2. The poem “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a short but powerful description of the strength, beauty, and majesty of the eagle. The poet presents the eagle as a symbol of freedom and power, living high above the earth on Rocky Mountains, close to the sun and surrounded by the clear blue sky. From this great height, the eagle looks down upon the sea and land far below, watching everything with sharp and confident eyes. The poet describes the sea beneath him as “wrinkled,” showing how high the eagle is above it. In the final moment, the eagle dives suddenly and swiftly, like a thunderbolt, displaying his great power, grace, and control. Through this vivid and majestic image, Tennyson shows the eagle as the ruler of the skies and a powerful symbol of the grandeur of nature.

Short Questions and Answers

Q1. Who is the poet of the poem “The Eagle”?
Ans. The poet of the poem “The Eagle” is Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Q2. What does the eagle clasp in the first line of the poem?
Ans. The eagle clasps the crag, which means a steep, rocky cliff, with its crooked claws.

Q3. Where does the eagle live according to the poet?
Ans. The poet says that the eagle lives high up in lonely lands, close to the sun, and surrounded by the blue sky.

Q4. What does the poet mean by “Ring’d with the azure world”?
Ans. The phrase means that the eagle is surrounded by the blue sky — “azure” means blue. It shows that the eagle lives high above, close to heaven.

Q5. How does the poet describe the sea beneath the eagle?
Ans. The poet describes the sea as “wrinkled” and slowly crawling, showing how small and distant it looks from the eagle’s great height.

Q6. What does the eagle do in the final line of the poem?
Ans. In the final line, the eagle dives down suddenly from the sky like a thunderbolt, showing his power and speed.

Q7. What does the eagle symbolize in the poem?
Ans. The eagle symbolizes strength, freedom, courage, and majesty — the qualities of a true king of the skies.

Q8. How does the poet show the grandeur of nature?
Ans. The poet shows the grandeur of nature through the eagle’s majestic image, describing its lonely power, calm observation, and thunderbolt-like dive.

Q9. What impression of the eagle does the poet give us?
Ans. The poet gives us the impression of the eagle as a powerful, independent, and royal creature, living proudly and fearlessly in its natural kingdom.

Q10. What is the central theme of the poem?
Ans. The central theme of the poem is the majesty and power of nature, represented through the strength and grace of the eagle.

Long Answer Questions and Answers

Q1. Describe how Alfred Lord Tennyson presents the eagle in the poem.
Ans. In the poem “The Eagle,” Alfred Lord Tennyson presents the eagle as a symbol of strength, freedom, and majesty. The poet describes how the eagle lives alone on a high mountain cliff, close to the sun and surrounded by the vast blue sky. From this great height, the eagle looks down upon the world below, watching everything calmly and confidently. When it finally dives, it falls like a thunderbolt, showing its great speed and power. Through this description, Tennyson portrays the eagle as the king of the skies, representing the grandeur and authority of nature.

Q2. What picture of nature is presented in the poem “The Eagle”?
Ans. The poem “The Eagle” presents a vivid picture of nature’s strength and beauty. The poet describes the eagle living high above the earth in a peaceful, lonely place, surrounded by the bright blue sky. Below him lies the wrinkled sea, moving slowly and quietly. This calm and majestic scene shows the power and harmony of nature. The eagle’s sudden, powerful dive at the end symbolizes the dynamic and energetic side of nature, reminding us that nature is both calm and forceful.

Q3. How does the poet use imagery to describe the eagle and its surroundings?
Ans. The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson uses strong visual imagery to make the eagle and its surroundings come alive in the reader’s mind. Phrases like “He clasps the crag with crooked hands” and “Ring’d with the azure world” help us picture the eagle gripping a rocky mountain and standing against the bright blue sky. The image of the “wrinkled sea beneath him crawls” shows the great height of the eagle’s position. Finally, the line “like a thunderbolt he falls” creates a powerful image of sudden movement and energy. This use of imagery makes the poem short yet very expressive.

Q4. What does the eagle symbolize in the poem, and how does the poet highlight its qualities?
Ans. The eagle in the poem symbolizes power, freedom, courage, and majesty. The poet highlights these qualities by describing how the bird lives high above the earth, close to the sun, far from human life. Its lonely and powerful position shows independence and strength. The eagle’s calm observation of the sea below represents wisdom and control, while its sudden fall “like a thunderbolt” symbolizes its unmatched speed and force. Through these descriptions, Tennyson shows the eagle as a representation of nature’s royal beauty and strength.

MCQs on “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

1. Who wrote the poem “The Eagle”?
A) William Wordsworth
B) Robert Frost
C) Alfred Lord Tennyson
D) John Keats
✅ Answer: C) Alfred Lord Tennyson

2. What does the eagle clasp with its crooked hands?
A) A tree branch
B) The crag
C) A mountain peak
D) The sky
✅ Answer: B) The crag

3. The word “crag” means —
A) A high rock or cliff
B) A tree branch
C) A river bank
D) A forest hill
✅ Answer: A) A high rock or cliff

4. The eagle lives —
A) In the forest
B) In the sky
C) High on the mountain
D) Near the sea
✅ Answer: C) High on the mountain

5. What does the phrase “Close to the sun” suggest?
A) The eagle flies at night
B) The eagle lives very high
C) The eagle loves sunlight
D) The eagle fears darkness
✅ Answer: B) The eagle lives very high

6. What is meant by “Ring’d with the azure world”?
A) Surrounded by forests
B) Surrounded by the blue sky
C) Trapped in a cage
D) Covered by clouds
✅ Answer: B) Surrounded by the blue sky

7. The poet compares the eagle’s fall to —
A) A storm
B) A thunderbolt
C) A waterfall
D) A shooting star
✅ Answer: B) A thunderbolt

8. The phrase “crooked hands” refers to —
A) The eagle’s claws
B) The eagle’s wings
C) The eagle’s beak
D) The eagle’s feathers
✅ Answer: A) The eagle’s claws

9. How many stanzas are in the poem “The Eagle”?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
✅ Answer: B) Two

10. How many lines are in each stanza of the poem?
A) Two
B) Three
C) Four
D) Six
✅ Answer: B) Three

11. The total number of lines in the poem is —
A) 4
B) 5
C) 6
D) 8
✅ Answer: C) 6

12. What does the sea appear to do beneath the eagle?
A) Dance
B) Crawl
C) Shine
D) Roar
✅ Answer: B) Crawl

13. What kind of poem is “The Eagle”?
A) A narrative poem
B) A lyric poem
C) A humorous poem
D) A ballad
✅ Answer: B) A lyric poem

14. What does the eagle symbolize in the poem?
A) Peace and love
B) Weakness and sadness
C) Power and freedom
D) Beauty and music
✅ Answer: C) Power and freedom

15. The phrase “He watches from his mountain walls” means —
A) The eagle guards his home
B) The eagle looks proudly from his height
C) The eagle is trapped in walls
D) The eagle builds nests
✅ Answer: B) The eagle looks proudly from his height

16. The word “azure” in the poem means —
A) Red
B) Golden
C) Blue
D) White
✅ Answer: C) Blue

17. Which sense does the poem mainly appeal to?
A) Taste
B) Smell
C) Sight
D) Touch
✅ Answer: C) Sight

18. What does the eagle’s dive “like a thunderbolt” suggest?
A) Slow movement
B) Sudden and powerful action
C) A gentle flight
D) A playful fall
✅ Answer: B) Sudden and powerful action

19. What is the mood of the poem?
A) Joyful and light
B) Majestic and powerful
C) Sad and lonely
D) Dark and fearful
✅ Answer: B) Majestic and powerful

20. What is the main theme of the poem?
A) The beauty of the sea
B) The power of nature through the eagle
C) The weakness of animals
D) The sadness of life
✅ Answer: B) The power of nature through the eagle