Question

herbert henry asquith was both a poet and a statesman. asquith was the first of two prime ministers who led the united kingdom during world war i.

\here lies a clerk who half his life had spent
toiling at ledgers in a city grey,
thinking that so his days would drift away
with no lance broken in life’s tournament:
yet ever ’twixt the books and his bright eyes
the gleaming eagles of the legions¹ came,
and horsemen, charging under phantom skies,
went thundering past beneath the oriflamme².

and now those waiting dreams are satisfied;
from twilight to the halls of dawn he went;
his lance is broken; but he lies content
with that high hour, in which he lived and died.
and falling thus he wants no recompense³,
who found his battle in the last resort;
nor needs he any hearse to bear him hence,
who goes to join the men of agincourt⁴.

\the volunteer\ by h.h. asquith from a treasury of war poetry: british and american poems of the world war 1914-1919. copyright 1917 by oxford university. public domain.

¹gleaming eagles of the legions—symbolic of the roman military
²oriflamme—knight’s banner inspiring devotion or courage
³recompense—reward
⁴agincourt—reference to the battle of agincourt, a famous english victory over france in the hundred years’ war

1. read lines 3-4.

thinking that so his days would drift away
with no lance broken in life’s tournament:

how does the metaphor of a tournament affect the poem?

a it expresses the speaker’s aggressiveness toward others.
b it highlights life as something in which to be actively engaged.
c it illustrates the need to protect oneself from danger.
d it suggests the hopelessness the speaker is facing.

Explanation:

• Option A: The lines don't show aggressiveness; the clerk initially avoids "breaking a lance" (engaging in conflict). Eliminate A.
• Option B: A tournament implies active participation (competing, fighting). The clerk thinks his days will pass without engaging in life's "tournament", highlighting life as something to be actively involved in. This fits.
• Option C: The metaphor is about engagement, not self - protection. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The clerk's initial thought is about a passive life, not hopelessness. Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. It highlights life as something in which to be actively engaged.