A Legend of the Northland

 

A Legend of the Northland

Introduction

‘A legend of the Northland’ narrates the story of a greedy woman who was punished by Saint Peter for her uncharitable behaviour. One day when Saint Peter was hungry, he asked the lady to give him a cake from her store. The woman was very ungenerous; every time she bakes a cake it seems her too large to give away. This angered Saint Peter, and he punished her by transforming her to a woodpecker.

Theme

The poem emphasises on the value of generosity and charity which we must inculcate in ourselves. Some people are blessed with riches in abundance, but there are many people on this earth who are suffering with scarcity in their lives. These people should be helped by those who have sufficient to give away. The poem teaches us the values of charity, generosity and universal brotherhood.

Summary

Once Saint Peter, after wandering and preaching the world came to the door of a woman. He was hungry and weak as he had been walking the whole day. He asked the woman to give him a piece of cake from her store. The woman baked a small cake for him but while doing so she felt that cake was too large to give away. So, she kneaded the dough again and tried to make even smaller cake; but as she was a greedy woman, to her the smaller cake also seemed to larger one and she could not give this one also to Saint Peter. She tried to make even a smaller cake once again but did not offer it to the saint. This made Saint Peter angry and as a result he cursed and turned her to a woodpecker who still lives in the woods and find her food there by boring the trees.

Literary Devices

Repetition.

Example in the poem:

Away, away

Boring and Boring and boring: . tedious, and repetitive task of drilling.

Simile:  .

Example in the Poem:

            Like bear’s cubs

            Black as coal: …………………………………man’s cloths are compared wit

Alliteration: 8h

Example in poem

            Funny, furry

Inversion:

Example: Then up she went through the chimney

Anaphora:

To have both food and shelter

Imagery:

            The poet creates a vivid image of the area and people of the  Northland

Additional Questions

Q1. Why did the old lady knead the dough for another cake? Did she give the cake to Saint Peter?

Q2. Why didn’t she even part with the third cake?

Q3. How did Saint Peter behave when the old lady didn’t give him any cake?

Q4. What was the effect of Saint Peter’s curse on the old lady?

Q5. How do children of Northland appear in winters? Why?

Q6. Why does the poet tell the tale although he doesn’t believe it?

Q7. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.

            He came to the door of a cottage,

            In travelling round the earth,

            Where a little woman was making cakes,

            And baking them on the hearth:

a.    Who came to the door of the cottage?

b.    What was the little woman doing?

c.    Name the poem and the poet.

d.    What had ‘he’ been doing?

Long Answer Question

Q8.  “Greed, in the end, fails even the greedy” Do you think the greedy woman deserve the punishment she got?

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