1. Where is Dobbin? What is he doing there?
Dobbin is in a field, near a lane. He is leaning over the hedge, watching the world go by.
2. What does dwindling fields mean?
“Dwindling fields” means the fields are becoming smaller or fewer in number, probably because towns or cities are expanding and taking over the countryside.
3. What is the snip-snap that Dobbin hears? What does he notice?
The snip-snap is the sharp, clean sound of a new horse’s hooves hitting the hard road. Dobbin notices that this new horse has a neat appearance.
4. What does the sight remind Dobbin of?
The sight of the new horse reminds Dobbin of his own younger days when he was strong, proud, and well-groomed .
5. Why has Dobbin been turned out?
Dobbin has been turned out to the field because he has grown old and is no longer useful for work. A newer, younger horse has replaced him.
6. Why does Dobbin’s old heart ache?
Dobbin’s heart aches because he feels sad and useless. Seeing the new horse reminds him of his past glory, highlighting his own current age and loneliness, which feels like a heavy burden.
7. In the line, A snip-snap trot, what do the words snip-snap express?
The words snip-snap express the quick, sharp, and lively sound of the new horse’s hooves on the road. It sounds energetic and precise.
8. Complete the table with these imageries.
| Dobbin | New Horse | |
| a. Visual imagery | “His head is bent low”, “old and gray” | “so trig and so neat” |
| b. Auditory imagery | (He is silent) | “A snip-snap trot” |
9. Identify the words that reflect Dobbin’s melancholic mood.
Words that reflect Dobbin’s sad mood include: “old,” “gray,” “bent low,” “aches,” “heavier load,” “forgotten,” and “alone.”
10. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
His old heart aches
With a heavier load
a. What is this heavier load?
The “heavier load” is not a physical weight. It is the emotional burden of sadness, memory, and feeling useless and replaced in his old age.
b. Is the word load a metaphor?
Yes, “load” is a metaphor. Dobbin’s sadness and heartache are being compared to a heavy physical burden that he has to carry.
11. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB. This means the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the next two lines rhyme with each other, and so on.
Example: low/go (A), gray/day (B), neat/street (A), jet/forget (B).