Read the following literary passage. Answer Questions:-
No Man is an Island
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of the friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
What is the meaning of the word 'clod'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A lump of earth or clay
A clod is a lump of earth or clay. In the poem, even a clod washed away by the sea makes Europe "the less", just as the death of any one person makes mankind poorer.
Example: The farmer broke the clods with a wooden hammer before sowing the seeds.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: A ship — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: a ship is a large boat; the word "clod" has nothing to do with sailing, and a ship is not part of the land of Europe.
Option 2: A child — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: "Clod" is never used for a child; the image in the poem is of land being worn away by the sea.
Option 3: Jellyfish — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: a jellyfish is a soft sea creature; something washed away by the sea must first be part of the land.