Literature-In-English Paper 3 May/June 2015

Question 12

    Comment on the errand of the soul in “The Soul’s Errand”.


Observation

A good number of candidates attempted this question. Some of them were able to make references to lines in the poem.

The required answer should include the following points:

  • The poet in acknowledging human frailty vis-à-vis the sacredness and immortality of the soul, sends it on an errand to defend the truth against human lies and machinations in all places, high and low.
  • The errand involves speaking against the perversion of intellectual, moral, emotional and other forms of human behaviour.
  • The poet’s worry that institutions uphold the reverse of the fundamental values of their existence.
  • The poet’s comfort in knowing that “No stab the soul can kill”.
  •  

    Candidates’ performance in this question was fair.