1. What is the setting of the poem “A Legend of the Northland”?
Answer:
The poem is set in the Northland, a place where the days are short and the nights are long, particularly in winter. It describes a cold, wintry region where people live in harsh conditions, and reindeer are used for sledging.
2. What unusual story is told in the poem?
Answer:
The poem tells the story of a little woman who is too selfish to share her cakes with Saint Peter, even though he is hungry. As a result, she is transformed into a woodpecker, where she spends her days boring holes in trees for food.
3. Why does the poet describe the children as looking like “bear’s cubs”?
Answer:
The poet describes the children as looking like “bear’s cubs” to highlight how the children are dressed in warm, furry clothes to protect themselves from the cold weather of the Northland, emphasizing the harsh and freezing environment.
4. Why does Saint Peter come to the door of the little woman’s cottage?
Answer:
Saint Peter comes to the door of the little woman’s cottage because he is hungry and faint from fasting. He asks the woman to give him a single cake from her store of food.
5. How does the little woman react to Saint Peter’s request?
Answer:
The little woman reacts by baking a very small cake. However, as she looks at it, she thinks it is too large to give away, so she keeps kneading and baking even smaller cakes, none of which she is willing to give to Saint Peter.
6. What reason does the little woman give for not sharing her cakes with Saint Peter?
Answer:
The little woman believes that her cakes, which seem too small when she eats them herself, are too large to give away. This reflects her selfishness and inability to share with others, even when in need.
7. How does Saint Peter react to the woman’s refusal to give him food?
Answer:
Saint Peter becomes angry and says that the woman is too selfish to live in a human form. He condemns her for being unkind, despite having food and shelter, and punishes her by transforming her into a woodpecker.
8. What punishment does Saint Peter give to the little woman?
Answer:
Saint Peter punishes the woman by turning her into a bird — specifically a woodpecker. She is sentenced to bore into trees for her food, just as she had been too selfish to share with Saint Peter.
9. What is the woman’s transformation in the poem?
Answer:
The woman is transformed into a woodpecker. She flies out of the chimney, her scarlet cap remains, but the rest of her clothes are burned black as coal, symbolizing her punishment.
10. What is the significance of the woman’s scarlet cap after her transformation?
Answer:
The scarlet cap she wears after her transformation symbolizes a part of her former self. It remains unchanged, representing that she retains a connection to her human identity, even though she is now a bird.
11. Where does the transformed woman live now?
Answer:
After her transformation, the woman lives in trees, where she spends her days boring holes in the wood to find food. She remains in the forest, performing the same task over and over again.
12. How does the poem end?
Answer:
The poem ends by stating that even today, every country schoolboy has seen the transformed woman, now a woodpecker, still boring for food in the trees of the forest.
13. What is the lesson the poet wants to convey through the story?
Answer:
The lesson the poet wants to convey is the importance of kindness and generosity. The little woman’s selfishness leads to her punishment, showing that being unwilling to share with others can have serious consequences.
14. Why does the poet describe the woman as having “funny, furry clothes”?
Answer:
The “funny, furry clothes” are used to emphasize how the people of the Northland dress to survive the extreme cold. The use of the word “funny” adds a touch of humor, highlighting the stark contrast between the warmth of their clothing and the severity of the cold environment.
15. What role does Saint Peter play in the poem?
Answer:
Saint Peter serves as a symbol of justice and morality in the poem. His role is to teach the little woman a lesson about selfishness by punishing her for her refusal to share. He acts as the moral authority, showing that selfishness leads to consequences.
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