And slowly answer’d Arthur from the barge : “The old order changeth, yielding place to new,

Question

Explain the passages with reference to the context :

And slowly answer’d Arthur from the barge : “The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And *** fulfils Himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.

Answer 1

Reference : This stanza has been taken from the poem The Passing of Arthur composed by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Context : The wounded King Arthur is going on his mysterious journey. He bids goodbye to his favourite knight Bedivere. He is very weak, so he speaks in a very low voice. He consoles him saying that he should not be sad on the ending of the age of chivalry.

Explanation : In this opening stanza the king Arthur speaks to Bedivere in a low voice, “Change is the law of nature. One thing does not remain the same at all times. The old systems change and new systems take their place. *** also changes His ways in fulfilling His purposes. Even a good system may be harmful in the long run if a change is not brought in it in due course. One good system if it continues for a long time, may spoil the whole world.”