Answer the following short-answer type/ objective questions on the poem “After Blenheim” by Robert Southey.
What victory is referred to in the poem? Who was responsible for the victory?
The ‘victory’ referred to here is the victory of the English Army in the Battle of Blenheim. The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene were responsible for the victory.
Where was the skull found? Why does the speaker say that the skull was of ‘some poor fellow’?
The skull was found beside the rivulet in the village of Blenheim. Kaspar says it to be “some poor fellow’s skull” because it is the skull of one of the unfortunate soldiers who died in the war, namely the Battle of Blenheim.
Does Old Kaspar belong to English or French? How do you know?
Old Kaspar is an Englishman. That is why he takes pride saying “It was the English / Who put the French to rout;” and “Great praise the Duke of Marlbro’ won, / And our good Prince Eugene.“
Later,too,the old man uses the expression ‘famous victory’.Why?
The old man repeats the war as a famous victory because being a Bavarian he sides with the English and says that it was something natural and the victory was something to be proud of. Also he thinks conventionally and has no original thinking about the war.