SSC English First Paper | Unit Fourteen | Lesson: 4 | Pleasure and purpose | Time, You Old Gipsy Man

A. Read and answer the following questions.
1 Have you ever seen a gipsy? If yes, where?
2 Do gipsies live in our country?
3 In what ways are they different from the general people?

B. Now read the poem and answer the questions that follow.

Time, You Old Gipsy Man
Time, you old gipsy man,
Will you not stay,
Put up your caravan
Just for a day?

All things I'll give you,
Will you be my guest?
Bells for your jennet
Of silver the best,
Goldsmiths shall beat you
A great golden ring,

Peacocks shall bow to you,
Little boys sing,
Oh, and sweet girls will
Festoon you with may.
Time, you old gipsy,
Why hasten away?

Last week in Babylon,
Last night in Rome,
Morning, and in the crush
Under Paul's dome;
Under Paul's dial
You tighten your rein—
Only a moment
And off once again;
Off to some city
Now blind in the womb,
Off to another
Ere that's in the tomb.

Time, you old gipsy man,
Will you not stay,
Put up your caravan
Just for a day?

Ralph Hodgson

Questions
1 Why does the poet call time an 'old gipsy man'?
2 Make a list of things the poet will offer time if it stays just for a day.
3 What else can you offer time if it stays for a day?

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson: 5 | Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening