All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

Ah, what a trifle is a heart,

If once into love's hands it come!

All other griefs allow a part

To other griefs, and ask themselves but some;

They come to us, but us love draws;

He swallows us and never chaws;

By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die;

He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry.

John Donne, 1633

Which sentence best paraphrases line 5 of the passage above?

The correct answer is

Unbidden pain afflicts us, but we are lured by love.

“They” refers to other griefs, which come to us; love instead draws or attracts us. Therefore the direct paraphrase is “Unbidden pain afflicts us, but we are lured by love.” The alternative about greater damage describes the wider stanza, not the specific contrast in line 5.

Was this answer helpful?

Important Questions from Literature

  1. Gitanjali, a famous collection of poems, was originally written in which of the following languages?
  2. Which of the following languages is most notably associated with the literary contributions of Girish Karnad, exemplified by his acclaimed play 'Tughlaq'?
  3. Which of the following texts is considered the earliest Tamil grammar work?
  4. The drain of wealth theory was a major critique of colonial economic policies. Who propounded the 'Drain of wealth theory' in the late $19^{th}$ century?
  5. Which one of the following plays mock the Restoration drama of Dryden and Thomas Otway?
Need Expert Advice?

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App