Question

Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.

“The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound.’’

(i) What is a ‘lean and slippered pantaloon’?

(ii) What does the phrase ‘a world too wide’ here mean?

(iii) How does the ‘mainly voice’ turn into ‘childish’ in the sixth stage of life?

(iv) What is the sixth stage of man’s life?

Answer 1

(i) It means a thin old man wearing slippers and loose trousers.

(ii) The stockings he bought in his youth have become too loose for his shrunk and thin legs.

(iii) His manly voice turns into childish trebles and whistles when he speaks as he has no teeth in his mouth.

(iv) In the sixth stage of life man plays the role of a ‘lean and slippered pantaloon’.