Meditations in Westminster Abbey Questions Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
Q: What is the setting of Addison’s essay?
A: Westminster Abbey.
Q: What does Addison find fills his mind while walking in the Abbey?
A: Melancholy or thoughtfulness.
Q: What do most tombstones in Westminster Abbey record?
A: The dates of birth and death.
Q: How does Addison view these simple inscriptions?
A: As a kind of satire on the departed.
Q: What literary device does Addison compare tombstones to?
A: Registers of existence.
Q: How does Addison describe the life of people mentioned in heroic poems?
A: Celebrated only for being killed.
Q: What does Addison see in every shovel-full of earth while digging?
A: Fragments of bones or skulls.
Q: What does Addison reflect on regarding people buried in the Abbey?
A: Their equality in death regardless of status.
Q: What type of epitaphs does Addison criticize in his essay?
A: Both exaggerated and excessively modest epitaphs.
Q: What does Addison find amusing about the poetical quarter of the Abbey?
A: Poets with no monuments and monuments with no poets.
Q: How does Addison feel about the modern epitaphs he encounters?
A: Delighted by their elegance and thoughtfulness.
Q: What does Addison think about the monuments of Dutch admirals?
A: They show greater taste and politeness.
Q: What has often offended Addison about Sir Cloudesley Shovel’s monument?
A: Its portrayal as a beau rather than a brave admiral.
Q: How does Addison feel about the representation of Sir Cloudesley Shovel on his monument?
A: He feels it misrepresents Shovel’s true character.
Q: What does Addison consider when he sees the tombs of the great?
A: The dissolution of envy.
Q: How does Addison respond to reading epitaphs of the beautiful?
A: He feels that inordinate desires vanish.
Q: What emotion does Addison experience when he sees the grief of parents on a tombstone?
A: Compassion.
Q: What does Addison think about grieving for the deceased?
A: He sees it as vain since we will follow them soon.
Q: What does Addison reflect on when he sees kings buried next to those who deposed them?
A: The futility of worldly competitions and disputes.
Q: How does Addison view the varying dates on tombstones?
A: As a reminder of the future day when all will be contemporaries.
Q: What does Addison hope to examine on another day?
A: The repository of English kings.
Q: How does Addison describe his reaction to deep and solemn scenes in nature?
A: He finds pleasure and improvement in them.
Q: What is Addison’s perspective on melancholy?
A: He does not experience it despite being serious.
Q: How does Addison feel about the combination of beauty, strength, and age in the Abbey?
A: He sees them as undistinguished in death.
Q: What does Addison observe about the mixing of various people in the Abbey?
A: They are all crumbled together in the same mass.
Q: What kind of emotions does Addison feel while walking among the graves?
A: A mix of thoughtfulness and reflection.
Q: What does Addison note about the memorials for people lost in war?
A: They often have monuments without bodies.
Q: What is Addison’s view on the design of monuments in his country versus the Dutch?
A: He finds Dutch monuments to be of better taste and politeness.
Q: What does Addison find interesting about the language used on some epitaphs?
A: They are in Greek or Hebrew and rarely understood.
Q: How does Addison’s perspective on death help him in life?
A: It helps him live with less envy, desire, and grief.
Short Answer Questions
What was the great source of entertainment for Addison when he was in a serious mood?
Addison found walking alone in Westminster Abbey to be a great source of entertainment. He enjoyed reflecting on the tombstones, inscriptions, and the overall solemn atmosphere of the place.
What does the essay Meditations in Westminster Abbey discuss about?
The essay explores themes of mortality, the equality of death, and the nature of human legacy. It reflects on how death brings everyone to the same level, how human achievements are ultimately insignificant, and how people are remembered through inscriptions and monuments.
What are the circumstances that Addison finds common to all mankind?
Addison notes that the common circumstances to all mankind are the dates of birth and death. He observes that these dates are the primary details recorded on tombstones, highlighting the universality of these events.
What did Addison find when he dug the grave?
Addison found fragments of bones or skulls mixed with fresh-mouldering earth. This led him to reflect on the many people buried together and the blending of various lives and statuses in death.
Why does the writer criticize the modern epitaphs?
Addison criticizes modern epitaphs for being either excessively grand or too modest. He feels that some are exaggerated to the point of embarrassment for the deceased, while others are so obscure that they fail to properly convey the person’s character.
What is the common idea that the essayist wants to convey?
The common idea conveyed is that death equalizes everyone and renders worldly achievements insignificant. Addison encourages reflection on mortality to gain perspective on life and to understand the futility of human pride and competition.
Write a note on Addison’s views about the inscriptions on the tombstones in the Westminster Abbey.
Addison views the inscriptions on tombstones in Westminster Abbey as often simplistic and lacking depth. He finds that many tombstones only record the dates of birth and death, which he sees as a minimal and somewhat satirical representation of a person’s life. Addison is critical of both overly grand and excessively modest epitaphs, noting that they often fail to capture the true essence of the deceased.
“The life of these men is finely described in the Holy writ by the path of an arrow which is immediately closed up and lost.” Explain.
This metaphor compares the brevity of human life to the flight of an arrow, which is swift and soon forgotten. Addison uses this imagery to emphasize how quickly lives are lived and how they are eventually closed off and lost, underscoring the transient nature of human existence.
Describe the thoughts that come to Addison’s mind when he visits the Westminster Abbey.
When visiting Westminster Abbey, Addison reflects on the equality of death, as everyone, regardless of their status, ends up as a part of the same mass of matter. He thinks about the blending of various lives and the often-inadequate memorials. His contemplation leads him to consider the futility of human pride and competition, finding solace and perspective in the reflections on mortality.
What is a Satire?
A satire is a literary work that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize and expose flaws or shortcomings in individuals, institutions, or society. The goal of satire is often to provoke thought, promote change, or entertain while pointing out the flaws in its subject.
How does Addison describe the impact of the environment of Westminster Abbey on his thoughts?
Addison describes the environment of Westminster Abbey as solemn and gloomy, which contributes to a kind of thoughtful melancholy. This atmosphere prompts him to reflect deeply on life, death, and the nature of human achievements, finding the setting conducive to serious contemplation.
What does Addison observe about the way people are remembered in Westminster Abbey?
Addison observes that many tombstones simply record the dates of birth and death, providing minimal information about the deceased. He finds this sparse record to be a form of satire, as it underscores the limited impact of individual lives beyond these basic facts.
What is Addison’s view on the difference between modern and historical epitaphs?
Addison notes that modern epitaphs are sometimes excessively grand or modest. He criticizes modern epitaphs for either being overly flattering to the point of embarrassment or so obscure that they fail to convey the deceased’s true character. In contrast, he appreciates more elegant and thoughtful historical epitaphs.
How does Addison use the metaphor of an arrow to describe human life?
Addison uses the metaphor of an arrow to illustrate the fleeting nature of human life. Just as an arrow quickly flies and is soon lost, human lives are short and swiftly forgotten. This metaphor highlights the transient nature of human existence and the inevitability of being lost to memory.
What are Addison’s reflections on the blending of different people in death?
Addison reflects on how death brings together people of various statuses, such as friends, enemies, priests, and soldiers, into a single indistinguishable mass. He observes that beauty, strength, and youth are mixed with old age, weakness, and deformity, emphasizing the equality imposed by death.
How does Addison feel about the inscriptions that are written in Greek or Hebrew?
Addison finds inscriptions in Greek or Hebrew to be excessively modest, as they are not easily understood by most people. He feels that such inscriptions do not effectively communicate the character or accomplishments of the deceased to the general public.
What is Addison’s critique of Sir Cloudesley Shovel’s monument?
Addison criticizes Sir Cloudesley Shovel’s monument for its portrayal of the admiral as a fashionable beau rather than a brave and rough seaman. He feels that the monument misrepresents Shovel’s true character and highlights the flaws in how monuments can fail to honor individuals appropriately.
How does Addison describe his reaction to the modern war memorials in the Abbey?
Addison observes that many modern war memorials are filled with monuments dedicated to individuals whose bodies are not actually buried in the Abbey. These uninhabited monuments serve as a reminder of the disconnect between memorials and the actual resting places of the deceased.
What does Addison think about the role of epitaphs in reflecting national character?
Addison believes that epitaphs and monuments can reflect a nation’s character and sensibilities. He argues that well-crafted epitaphs, reviewed by people of learning and taste, can honor both the living and the dead, whereas poorly done monuments may suggest ignorance or lack of refinement.
How does Addison find pleasure in contemplating the tombs and epitaphs despite their somber nature?
Addison finds pleasure in contemplating tombs and epitaphs because they offer him a chance to reflect on the fundamental truths of human existence and mortality. He views these reflections as a way to gain perspective on life’s fleeting nature, diminish personal envy and desire, and appreciate the equality brought by death.
