Comprehension
As you set out for Ithaka
hope the journey is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon – don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon – you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope the voyage is a long one,
may there be many a summer morning when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbours seen for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind –
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey,
without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Question: 1
Which of the following best reflects the central theme of this poem?
Which of the following best reflects the central theme of this poem?
Show Hint
Ask what the poet wants us not to do with the journey, and where the poet says our wealth comes from. Then see which option says the same thing.
Updated On: Nov 7, 2026
- If you don’t have high expectations, you will not be disappointed.
- Don’t rush to your goal; the journey is what enriches you.
- The longer the journey the greater the experiences you gather.
- You cannot reach Ithaka without visiting Egyptian ports.
Show Solution
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The central theme is the one big idea that the whole poem keeps returning to. It is not a detail from a single stanza. So we look for the message that runs from the first line to the last line.
Step 2: Trace the idea through the poem:
The poem opens with "hope the journey is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery." The poet wants the journey to be long, not the arrival to be quick.
The third stanza repeats "Hope the voyage is a long one" and lists what the journey gives: harbours seen for the first time, fine things, perfumes, and "stores of knowledge" from scholars.
Then comes the key advice: "Keep Ithaka always in your mind... But do not hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years."
The last stanza says Ithaka "gave you the marvelous journey" and "has nothing left to give you now". The wealth was gathered "on the way", not at the island.
So the message is: do not hurry towards the goal, because the journey itself is what makes you rich.
Step 3: Check option (1):
The poet never asks us to lower our hopes. In fact the poet says to "keep your thoughts raised high". The line about "not expecting Ithaka to make you rich" is about the end point only. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
This matches Step 2 exactly. "Do not hurry the journey" is the first half, and "wealthy with all you have gained on the way" is the second half. So (2) is correct.
Step 5: Check option (3):
This is partly true, because a longer journey does give more to gather. But the poem is not measuring length against experience. It is setting the journey against the destination. Option (3) is a narrow detail and it misses the contrast, so it is not the central theme.
Step 6: Check option (4):
Egyptian cities appear only as one example of a place to gain knowledge ("may you visit many Egyptian cities"). It is a wish, not a condition for reaching Ithaka. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The poem tells us not to rush towards the goal, because the experiences on the way are the real reward. This is option (2). \[ \boxed{2} \]
The central theme is the one big idea that the whole poem keeps returning to. It is not a detail from a single stanza. So we look for the message that runs from the first line to the last line.
Step 2: Trace the idea through the poem:
The poem opens with "hope the journey is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery." The poet wants the journey to be long, not the arrival to be quick.
The third stanza repeats "Hope the voyage is a long one" and lists what the journey gives: harbours seen for the first time, fine things, perfumes, and "stores of knowledge" from scholars.
Then comes the key advice: "Keep Ithaka always in your mind... But do not hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years."
The last stanza says Ithaka "gave you the marvelous journey" and "has nothing left to give you now". The wealth was gathered "on the way", not at the island.
So the message is: do not hurry towards the goal, because the journey itself is what makes you rich.
Step 3: Check option (1):
The poet never asks us to lower our hopes. In fact the poet says to "keep your thoughts raised high". The line about "not expecting Ithaka to make you rich" is about the end point only. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
This matches Step 2 exactly. "Do not hurry the journey" is the first half, and "wealthy with all you have gained on the way" is the second half. So (2) is correct.
Step 5: Check option (3):
This is partly true, because a longer journey does give more to gather. But the poem is not measuring length against experience. It is setting the journey against the destination. Option (3) is a narrow detail and it misses the contrast, so it is not the central theme.
Step 6: Check option (4):
Egyptian cities appear only as one example of a place to gain knowledge ("may you visit many Egyptian cities"). It is a wish, not a condition for reaching Ithaka. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The poem tells us not to rush towards the goal, because the experiences on the way are the real reward. This is option (2). \[ \boxed{2} \]
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Question: 2
The poet recommends a long journey. Which of the following is the most comprehensive reason for it?
The poet recommends a long journey. Which of the following is the most comprehensive reason for it?
Show Hint
List everything the poet says the long journey brings. Then pick the option that holds the most different kinds of benefits, not just one kind.
Updated On: Nov 7, 2026
- You can gain knowledge as well as sensual experience.
- You can visit new cities and harbours.
- You can experience the full range of sensuality.
- You can buy a variety of fine things.
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question does not ask for any reason. It asks for the most comprehensive reason, which means the one that covers the largest part of what the poet lists. So the job is to see what the poet says a long journey gives, and then find the option that holds the most of it.
Step 2: List what the poet says a long journey gives:
From the poem we can pick these benefits:
(a) "adventure" and "discovery".
(b) "harbours seen for the first time" and "many Egyptian cities".
(c) "fine things" to buy at Phoenician stations, such as mother of pearl, coral, amber and ebony.
(d) "sensual perfume of every kind".
(e) "stores of knowledge" gathered from scholars.
Step 3: Check option (1):
It names two benefits: knowledge, which is item (e), and sensual experience, which covers the perfumes and the fine goods in items (c) and (d), as these are pleasures of the senses. It also fits "discovery". This covers the widest range, so (1) is the most comprehensive.
Step 4: Check option (2):
New cities and harbours is item (b) only. It is true, but it leaves out learning and sensual pleasure. So it is narrower than (1).
Step 5: Check option (3):
The full range of sensuality is items (c) and (d) only. The Egyptian scholars and their knowledge do not fit here. So it is narrower than (1).
Step 6: Check option (4):
Buying fine things is item (c) only, one single activity at one kind of stop. It is the narrowest of the four.
Final Answer:
Option (1) joins knowledge with sensual experience, so it covers more of the poet's list than any other option. \[ \boxed{1} \]
The question does not ask for any reason. It asks for the most comprehensive reason, which means the one that covers the largest part of what the poet lists. So the job is to see what the poet says a long journey gives, and then find the option that holds the most of it.
Step 2: List what the poet says a long journey gives:
From the poem we can pick these benefits:
(a) "adventure" and "discovery".
(b) "harbours seen for the first time" and "many Egyptian cities".
(c) "fine things" to buy at Phoenician stations, such as mother of pearl, coral, amber and ebony.
(d) "sensual perfume of every kind".
(e) "stores of knowledge" gathered from scholars.
Step 3: Check option (1):
It names two benefits: knowledge, which is item (e), and sensual experience, which covers the perfumes and the fine goods in items (c) and (d), as these are pleasures of the senses. It also fits "discovery". This covers the widest range, so (1) is the most comprehensive.
Step 4: Check option (2):
New cities and harbours is item (b) only. It is true, but it leaves out learning and sensual pleasure. So it is narrower than (1).
Step 5: Check option (3):
The full range of sensuality is items (c) and (d) only. The Egyptian scholars and their knowledge do not fit here. So it is narrower than (1).
Step 6: Check option (4):
Buying fine things is item (c) only, one single activity at one kind of stop. It is the narrowest of the four.
Final Answer:
Option (1) joins knowledge with sensual experience, so it covers more of the poet's list than any other option. \[ \boxed{1} \]
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Question: 3
In the poem, Ithaka is a symbol of
In the poem, Ithaka is a symbol of
Show Hint
Split the poem into the voyage, the dangers and the island. Think about which of these the poet says you are destined to arrive at.
Updated On: Nov 7, 2026
- the divine mother.
- your inner self.
- the path to wisdom.
- life’s distant goal.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
A symbol is something that stands for a bigger idea. The poem is about a sea voyage to an island called Ithaka, so Ithaka must stand for something in a person's life. We find out what by looking at how the poet describes the island.
Step 2: What the poem says about Ithaka:
The poet writes: "Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you are destined for." So Ithaka is the place we are heading towards, our final point.
The poet also says "do not hurry", so the island is far away and the road to it is long.
At the end the island is called poor and has "nothing left to give you now". So it is only the end of the road, not where the riches are.
The last line speaks of "these Ithakas", in plural, which means each person has such a goal.
Step 3: Check option (1):
Nothing in the poem treats Ithaka as holy or as a mother. It is a place to arrive at, and it can be found poor. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
The inner self does appear in the poem, but through the monsters carried "inside your soul". Ithaka is not inside us. It is a place we sail towards, so (2) is wrong.
Step 5: Check option (3):
The poem says wisdom comes from the journey ("wise as you will have become"). The journey is the path, and Ithaka is its end. Calling Ithaka the path mixes up the two. So (3) is wrong.
Step 6: Check option (4):
This fits every clue: a destination, far away, long awaited, and the thing we are destined for. So (4) is correct.
Final Answer:
Ithaka stands for the distant goal of a person's life. This is option (4). \[ \boxed{4} \]
A symbol is something that stands for a bigger idea. The poem is about a sea voyage to an island called Ithaka, so Ithaka must stand for something in a person's life. We find out what by looking at how the poet describes the island.
Step 2: What the poem says about Ithaka:
The poet writes: "Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you are destined for." So Ithaka is the place we are heading towards, our final point.
The poet also says "do not hurry", so the island is far away and the road to it is long.
At the end the island is called poor and has "nothing left to give you now". So it is only the end of the road, not where the riches are.
The last line speaks of "these Ithakas", in plural, which means each person has such a goal.
Step 3: Check option (1):
Nothing in the poem treats Ithaka as holy or as a mother. It is a place to arrive at, and it can be found poor. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
The inner self does appear in the poem, but through the monsters carried "inside your soul". Ithaka is not inside us. It is a place we sail towards, so (2) is wrong.
Step 5: Check option (3):
The poem says wisdom comes from the journey ("wise as you will have become"). The journey is the path, and Ithaka is its end. Calling Ithaka the path mixes up the two. So (3) is wrong.
Step 6: Check option (4):
This fits every clue: a destination, far away, long awaited, and the thing we are destined for. So (4) is correct.
Final Answer:
Ithaka stands for the distant goal of a person's life. This is option (4). \[ \boxed{4} \]
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Question: 4
What does the poet mean by ‘Laistrygonians’ and ‘Cyclops’?
What does the poet mean by ‘Laistrygonians’ and ‘Cyclops’?
Show Hint
Look at the lines that say when you will or will not meet these monsters. Ask where the poet says they come from.
Updated On: Nov 7, 2026
- Creatures which, along with Poseidon, one finds during a journey.
- Mythological characters that one should not be afraid of.
- Intra-personal obstacles that hinder one’s journey.
- Problems that one has to face to derive the most from one’s journey.
Show Solution
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops are giants and monsters from the Greek story of Odysseus, who sailed to Ithaka. The question asks what the poet means by them here, so we must see how the poet uses them, not how the old myth uses them.
Step 2: Read the lines that explain them:
The poet says "you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high".
Then the poet repeats: "you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you."
So these monsters are not outside. They come from our own mind and soul, such as fear, doubt and a low spirit. They stand for obstacles that we create inside ourselves.
Step 3: Check option (1):
This says one finds these creatures on the journey. The poet says the opposite: we will never find them unless we bring them. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
It is true that they are mythological and that the poet says "don't be afraid of them". But this describes only the surface. The question asks what they mean, and the poet means something inner. So (2) is wrong.
Step 5: Check option (3):
"Intra-personal" means inside one person. "Obstacles that hinder one's journey" fits fear and doubt that slow us down. This matches the poet's words about the soul. So (3) is correct.
Step 6: Check option (4):
This suggests that we need to face these problems to gain from the journey. The poem says we meet none of them if our thoughts stay high, so they are not a needed part of the journey. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The Laistrygonians and Cyclops stand for obstacles that come from within a person. This is option (3). \[ \boxed{3} \]
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops are giants and monsters from the Greek story of Odysseus, who sailed to Ithaka. The question asks what the poet means by them here, so we must see how the poet uses them, not how the old myth uses them.
Step 2: Read the lines that explain them:
The poet says "you'll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high".
Then the poet repeats: "you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you."
So these monsters are not outside. They come from our own mind and soul, such as fear, doubt and a low spirit. They stand for obstacles that we create inside ourselves.
Step 3: Check option (1):
This says one finds these creatures on the journey. The poet says the opposite: we will never find them unless we bring them. So (1) is wrong.
Step 4: Check option (2):
It is true that they are mythological and that the poet says "don't be afraid of them". But this describes only the surface. The question asks what they mean, and the poet means something inner. So (2) is wrong.
Step 5: Check option (3):
"Intra-personal" means inside one person. "Obstacles that hinder one's journey" fits fear and doubt that slow us down. This matches the poet's words about the soul. So (3) is correct.
Step 6: Check option (4):
This suggests that we need to face these problems to gain from the journey. The poem says we meet none of them if our thoughts stay high, so they are not a needed part of the journey. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The Laistrygonians and Cyclops stand for obstacles that come from within a person. This is option (3). \[ \boxed{3} \]
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Question: 5
Which of the following best reflects the tone of the poem?
Which of the following best reflects the tone of the poem?
Show Hint
Notice the kind of sentences the poet uses: wishes, advice and reassurance to a traveller who is just starting out. Ask which word fits a speaker who encourages someone to act.
Updated On: Nov 7, 2026
- Prescribing.
- Exhorting.
- Pleading.
- Consoling.
Show Solution
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
Tone is the attitude of the speaker towards the listener. To find it we look at how the poet speaks: with commands, wishes, requests or comfort. Then we match it with the four words.
Step 2: Meaning of each word:
"Prescribing" means laying down a fixed rule or treatment. "Exhorting" means urging someone strongly and warmly to do something good. "Pleading" means begging for something. "Consoling" means comforting someone who is sad.
Step 3: How the poet speaks:
The poet uses lines such as "Hope the voyage is a long one", "may you stop at Phoenician trading stations", "Keep Ithaka always in your mind", "do not hurry the journey at all" and "don't be afraid of them".
These are encouraging pushes: go, enjoy, learn, do not fear, do not rush. The speaker is confident and wants the traveller to act.
Step 4: Check option (1):
The poet does give advice, but not as a strict rule or instruction. The words are wishes ("may you..."), warm and full of joy. A prescribing tone would be cold and rule-like. So (1) is not the best fit.
Step 5: Check option (2):
Urging with warmth and encouragement is exactly what the poet does. So (2) is correct.
Step 6: Check option (3):
Pleading would show a weak speaker begging the traveller. The poet is calm and wise, and does not beg. So (3) is wrong.
Step 7: Check option (4):
Consoling would need a sad listener. The traveller in the poem is excited and setting out. Only the single line about finding Ithaka poor offers a little comfort. That is too small a part to set the tone of the whole poem. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The poet urges and encourages the traveller throughout, so the tone is exhorting. This is option (2). \[ \boxed{2} \]
Tone is the attitude of the speaker towards the listener. To find it we look at how the poet speaks: with commands, wishes, requests or comfort. Then we match it with the four words.
Step 2: Meaning of each word:
"Prescribing" means laying down a fixed rule or treatment. "Exhorting" means urging someone strongly and warmly to do something good. "Pleading" means begging for something. "Consoling" means comforting someone who is sad.
Step 3: How the poet speaks:
The poet uses lines such as "Hope the voyage is a long one", "may you stop at Phoenician trading stations", "Keep Ithaka always in your mind", "do not hurry the journey at all" and "don't be afraid of them".
These are encouraging pushes: go, enjoy, learn, do not fear, do not rush. The speaker is confident and wants the traveller to act.
Step 4: Check option (1):
The poet does give advice, but not as a strict rule or instruction. The words are wishes ("may you..."), warm and full of joy. A prescribing tone would be cold and rule-like. So (1) is not the best fit.
Step 5: Check option (2):
Urging with warmth and encouragement is exactly what the poet does. So (2) is correct.
Step 6: Check option (3):
Pleading would show a weak speaker begging the traveller. The poet is calm and wise, and does not beg. So (3) is wrong.
Step 7: Check option (4):
Consoling would need a sad listener. The traveller in the poem is excited and setting out. Only the single line about finding Ithaka poor offers a little comfort. That is too small a part to set the tone of the whole poem. So (4) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The poet urges and encourages the traveller throughout, so the tone is exhorting. This is option (2). \[ \boxed{2} \]
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