Every Morning I Wake Exercise: Questions & Answers | Class 12 English

 Understanding the text 

Answer the following questions.

a. When does the speaker pray to the Lord?

➜ The speaker prays to God every morning he wakes up and at night before he sleeps.

b. What does the speaker pray for?

➜ The speaker prays for the grace and the blessings to the people Living at Milk Wood.

c. Who are the ‘poor creatures’? Why does the speaker call them ‘poor creatures’?

➜ The “poor creatures” in particular are the individuals that live beneath Milk Wood, as well as humanity as a whole. The speaker refers to them as poor creatures because they are comprised of bone and flesh and are born to die.

d. What does Milk Wood sound like? A type of wood or a place? Why?

➜ As there is no article before this term, Milk Wood sounds like a location. Because it is not a type of wood, a grammatical article such as ‘a,’ ‘an,’ or ‘the’ must have been used. Articles are unnecessary before a solitary proper noun referring to a specific location.

e. Why do the inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’?

➜ The inhabitants of Milk Wood bow to the setting sun ‘but just for now’ only to say good-bye for the evening. They are hoping to see the sunshine the next morning. They wish to live another day with God’s grace and the warmth of the Sun.

 Reference to the Context 

a. Discuss “Every Morning When I Wake” as a prayer to the God.

➜ Dylan Thomas’s “Every Morning When I Wake” is a prayer poem. “Dear Lord, a little prayer I make, O please do keep Thy loving eye On all poor creatures born to die,” the speaker prays to God. The speaker is pleading with God to keep his loving eyes on all needy creatures and to shower them with blessings. In a prayer poem, the speaker asks God for blessings and guidance throughout his life, as well as the lives of all humans and animals.

b. Why does the speaker make a prayer to the God, but not to a king, a billionaire or a scientist?

➜ Because God is the supreme deity, the creator, and the primary object of faith, the speaker prays to Him. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. Kings, billionaires, and scientists are all composed of bone and flesh and born to die. They are never compared to God, no matter how much authority they have, how wealthy they are, or how much knowledge they have. They, too, are under God’s control. He is a holy being who created us, saves us, loves us, trusts us, and leads us on the proper path. That is why we worship him to receive his mercy and blessings. A monarch, a rich, or a scientist are all transient beings. They cannot safeguard us in the same way that God does. A king obtains his position as a result of God, a scientist obtains knowledge as a result of Him, and a billionaire obtains a large sum of money as a result of Him.

c. How does the poet highlight the magnificence of the God?

➜ The poet highlights the magnificence of God via the speaker’s daily prayers in the morning and at night. God knows the entire essence of the creature, hence it is god’s blessings that see us through another day.

d. How does the rhyme scheme of the poem reinforce its message?

➜ A rhyme scheme is the ordered pattern of rhyming words that appears at the end of each line of a poem. This poem employs linked rhyme, which means that every two lines of each stanza rhyme together. Line 1 rhymes with line 2, while line 3 rhymes with line 4 in the AABB rhyming scheme. The rhyme system for the entire poem is AABB, CCDD, EEFF, GGHH. These rhymes sound like catchy music. It portrays the innocence of nature due to its simplicity. In the eyes of God, the speaker is a helpless being. The majority of prayer-poems use this rhyme structure to express an innocent appeal to God.

 Reference beyond the text 

a. Does the God exist? Give your opinion.

➜ “Does God exist?” is the most important topic that has been debated since the dawn of civilisation. There are two categories of people on the earth who believe in the existence of God. Some people, referred to as “atheists,” do not think that God exists, whereas “theists” believe that God exists. Regardless of whether some individuals dispute the presence of God, God exists in my opinion. Some say that God does not exist because no one has seen Him physically or because our sensory perceptions do not feel and experience God’s presence. However, this does not imply that objects do not exist if we do not feel or see them with our sense organs. Aside from our five sensory organs, we have a sixth sense that allows us to reach God. Unlike our five senses, it is a perceptual power. We are accustomed to feeling and experiencing the physical world through our five senses. Humans, on the other hand, have a sixth sense, which we do not use. People that use their sixth sense believe in God’s existence. It is our religious sensibility. God’s existence is analogous to the existence of radiation. We only witness the results of it. We don’t see God, but we notice his presence in our lives. Unexpected and miraculous events are evidence of God’s existence.

b. In his Epistle to the author of the book, The Three Impostors (1768), Voltaire says, “Even if the God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Write an essay highlighting the importance of the God in the society.

➜ Importance of God in the Society

“Even if God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Voltaire, a French philosopher of the 18th century, conveyed this concept in his work “The Three Imposters (1768).” He highlights the need of mankind to believe in a divine being God. He is a supreme intelligence with enormous power, as well as the creator or rule of nature. Without God, the world is a shambles. If there is no God, there are fatalities, damages, and destruction. The greatest creator has maintained the beauty of this planet. Every individual in every culture must have faith in Him. A civilised society must be well-functioning. God represents all of our society’s great aspects, while evil represents all of our society’s negative aspects.

God leads us down the righteous path. It teaches us moral qualities like humanity, kindness, love, and compassion, among other things. He teaches us to let go of vengeance, greed, passion, and wants, among other things. People with good qualities contribute to the civilization of any culture. People continue to live in peace and harmony. There is a sense of law and order. Before committing any crime, people have a fear of God. People do not conduct sinful acts because they are afraid of God. As a result, even if God does not exist, it is vital to create an ideal existence for Him.

The majority of those who believe in the presence of our souls after death believe in God. If they do not repent of the sins they do here, their souls will suffer in purgatory. After death, the souls of those who follow the path of upright and moral principles rest happily in heaven. This idea, people continue, stems from a sense of God’s existence. The beliefs and ideals of the individuals who live in any community contribute to society’s civilization. So, God is required for the betterment and health of civilization; else, He must be invented.

Read: Every Morning I Wake Summary