Thursday, August 22, 2024
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Childhood by Markus Natten
Childhood by Markus Natten
Short Answer-type Questions (About 30-40 words each)
Q1. What answer /answers did the poet provide to the question put in the
first stanza: “When did his childhood go?”
Ans. He
answered himself by asking if it was the day when he completed the eleventh
year of his age. It was the time when he had started realising the difference
between ‘Hell and Heaven’. He came to know that ‘Hell and Heaven’ did not exist
(present) anywhere. Those were only the states of mind.
Q2. What answer /answers did the poet
provide to the question put in the second stanza: “When did my childhood go?”
Ans. The
poet answered himself by asking if it was the time when he realised that adults were not
what they all seemed to be. They
appeared that they were not from inside. They talked and preached about love.
But they did not follow what they preached. They were hypocrites.
Q3. What answer /answers did the poet
provide to the question put in the third stanza: “When did his childhood go?”
Ans. He answered
himself by asking if it was the time when he found his mind was really his and
he started using his own thoughts to decide the problems. At that time he had
stopped depending on others for solving his own problems.
Q4. What answer /answers did the poet
provide to the question put in the fourth stanza: “Where did my childhood go?”
Ans. The poet answers
himself by saying that it went to some forgotten place. The line “That’s
hidden in an infant’s face” shows that the poet has searched his
childhood everywhere. At last, he found its reflection on an infant’s face. It
means that the poet has been able to reach the realization that childhood lives
in the innocence reflected in the infant’s face.
Q5. What truth does the poet seem to
realize at the end of the poem?
Ans.
The poet seems to realize the truth that the state of innocence must give way
to the state of experience. The knowledge of worldly wisdom is desirable
for the human mind. Otherwise, it would be difficult for human beings to live
peacefully.
Q6. What does the poet say about the
adults?
Ans. He tells
us about the hypocrisy shown by the adults. He lost faith in the adults because
they did not act on what they preached. They always preached to him to love
others, while they themselves did not love others. They showed to others as if
they were very close and loving to them. But in reality, they criticised and
disliked them. They showed them only mouth honour.
Q7. When did the poet’s mind start
rationalize the thoughts and how?
Ans. In
the third stanza, the poet talks about his adulthood although he does not
mention it. He has gained the wisdom of life. His faculty of mind to
rationalize things has developed. Now he can differentiate between good and
evil; right and wrong. He can make his own decisions and form opinions
about others. He would no longer depend on others’ opinions which are usually full
of prejudice and jealousy.
Q8. What does the poet conclude at the end of the
poem?
Ans.
Thus the poem ends at the poet’s conclusion that his childhood has been
transferred to another child. If a person wants to see his own childhood, he or
she can watch a child’s face and feel glad to see the lost childhood reflected
in it.
(B) Some Important Stanzas for
Comprehension
Stanza 1
When
did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!
Q1. Name the poem and its poet.
Ans.
The poem is “Childhood’ and its poet is Markus Natten
Q2.When did the poet’s childhood come to
an end according to the poet in the above stanza?
Ans.
It came to an end when the poet completed his eleventh year of his age.
Q3. What knowledge did the poet gain
about ‘Hell and Heaven’?
Ans.
He gained the knowledge that Hell and Heaven cannot be found in geography
because these are the states of the human mind.
Q4. Give the meaning of ‘ceased’.
Ans.
Stopped
Stanza 2
When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not
all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!
Q1. What did the adults talk about and preach
to the poet?
Ans.
The adults talked of love and preached of love.
Q2. What knowledge did the poet gain
about the adults?
Ans.
He came to know that the adults did not do what they talked and preached.
Q3. What did the behavior of the adults
show to the poet?
Ans.
It showed their hypocrisy.
Stanza 3
When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really
mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those
of other people,
But my own, and my alone,
Was that the day!
Q1. What does the poet mean by “my mind was really mine”?
Ans. It
means that the poet has become able to depend on his own thoughts.
Q2. What has the poet stopped doing now?
Ans. The
poet has stopped depending on others for taking opinions.
Q3. How does the poet use his own thoughts now?
Ans. He
uses his thoughts in his own way now. He solves his problems himself now.
Stanza 4
Where did
my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.
Q1. Where did the poet’s
childhood go according to the poet in the above stanza?
Ans.
It went to some forgotten place.
Q2. Where did the poet find his
childhood?
Ans.
He found it in the infant’s face.
Q3. How does the poet feel after losing
his childhood?
Ans.
He feels sad after losing his childhood.
Q4. Which poetic device has been used in
this poem?
Ans.
It is ‘refrain’.
Thursday, October 12, 2023
The Tale of Melon City by Vikram Seth
Lesson 7.The Tale of Melon City by
Vikram Seth (from Snapshot)
Mixed Type of Questions: Short &
Long Answer-type Questions
Q1. What did the king order to get
constructed on the major thoroughfare? What happened when he rode there?
Ans. The
king proclaimed (announced) that an arch should be built in
commemoration of (in memory of) his victories. It should be erected (built)
at the main road entering the city so that it would edify (motivate) the
spectators (people watching it while passing by).
The workers went
there and built the arch as it was the king’s orders.
Q2. What made the king angry? What
did he do then?
Ans. The king rode off towards the arch so as to edify
(instruct/educate) the spectators there. As he was passing under the arch, his
crown was touched by the arch as it was not made keeping in view the height of
any person riding a horse. So the king’s crown fell down. It was a matter of
dishonour to the king’s crown. So a ‘frown’ of anger appeared on the king’s placid
(peaceful) face. He at once ordered that the chief of the builders must be
hanged for the negligence (carelessness) in building the arch at a low
height.
Q3.Why did the king order that the
chief of the workmen would be hanged? How did he save his life?
Ans. The
chief of the workmen had not constructed the arch of the gate keeping in view
the height of the king while riding his horse. As his crown touched the arch
and fell down, he ordered the the chief to be hanged. But he saved his own
life by blaming the workmen for that fault.
Q4.How did the workmen save their
life? Whom did they shift the blame to?
Ans. They
stood stunned and surprised. They told
the king that it was not their fault as the bricks were made of the wrong size. The king heard the workmen’s plea (appeal/request)
and understood the situation. He forgave them and called the masons.
Q5. What did the masons say to save
themselves from being hanged?
Ans. They
stood trembling in front of the king with folded hands. They also passed the buck on
(to blame someone or make them responsible for
a problem that you should deal with:) the architect. He was
brought in front of the king.
Q6. The architect was also successful
in saving his life from being hanged. What did he say to the king in his
defence?
Ans. He explained to the king that his majesty had made some amendments
(changes) in the map when he had brought the map in front of him. The king gave a patient hearing to the
architect and forgave him.
Q7. Why did the king need the advice
of the wisest man? What was his advice?
Ans. The king was confused a little bit by the
tricky situation. So he announced that he needed some advice in that matter to
reach a justified decision. He ordered that the wisest man of the country must
be brought in front of him. When he was
told to speak on the ‘tricky matter’, he spoke in a quavering voice (shaking
voice) that the culprit (offender/guilty person) must be punished. He
further expressed his opinion saying that the arch was the real offender as it banged
(hit to make it fall) the king’s crown off. So it must be hanged.
Q8. Did the king hang the arch? Who
changed the king’s decision to hang the arch and how?
Ans. The arch was brought to the scaffold (the
wooden structure on which a culprit was hanged to death in the past) and then,
all of a sudden, one of the king’s councillors (ministers) interrupted
the proceedings (series of events) by saying that the arch must not be hanged
as it respectfully had touched the king’s crown.
It would be
a matter of shame for the country if it had been hanged. The king thought (mused) for some time and then he was swayed (influenced) by the logic given by his councillor. He
agreed with his minister on the logic forwarded by him.
Q9. Under what circumstances was the
king hanged?
Ans. The
king did not hang the arch. But the crowd was muttering some words as they were
restless at the delay in hanging. They were in a mood to see someone being
hanged (executed). The king was afraid of the mood of the public. They all
wanted someone to be hanged. The king
declared at once to postpone giving thought to the finer points like
guilt. The noose (/nuːs/: the
rope when tied in such a way that it can be put into a person’s (usually a
criminal’s) neck to kill is called a noose) was set up at some height. Each man’s
height was measured one by one to suit it, but only one tall man was found to
fit the height at which the noose was set. The king was the only one person,
and that was none other than the king himself. So the king was hanged in
compliance with the king’s decree (an official statement that
something must happen:)
Q10. Under what circumstances a melon
was selected as the ruler of the state?
Ans. The King was hanged in compliance with the orders
issued by him. It was a royal decree to hang someone. The ministers thanked God
as they found a suitable person for hanging.
After some time, the king was dead and the Ministers uttered loudly: “Long
live the King!’ The King is dead”
Then they thought deeply about the situation and
decided to find out the next King for the throne to sit on it.
Since they
were practical-minded persons, they sent messages here and there, declaring
that any person passing the City Gate would select the next ruler of the
state according to the custom of the state. The custom will be followed with
due ceremony. Then, the guards stopped a man
passing by the City Gate and asked him to name the next king to the throne of
that country. He was an idiot, so he cried ‘A Melon’. The idiot liked melons,
so replied to all the questions asked to him ‘He liked melons’. After that, the
ministers crowned a melon and said that it was their King now. Then they
carried the melon to the throne and respectfully set it down there.
Q11.What was the tradition of the
state described in The Tale of Melon City about selecting the king?
Ans. The
incident of making a melon their king belonged to the remote past. If anyone
now asks the people of that city as to why their king looks like a melon and
how it happened, they reply that it was a decision taken due to a custom.
They have no objection if their king likes to be a melon. They have no
right to question the king as to how he looks. They are bothered about their
peace and liberty. They are happy because the principle of ‘laissez faire (lɛseɪˈfɛː)’
is followed there. It is the policy of leaving things to take their own course,
without interfering.
Note: [ What
is "a laissez-faire attitude to
life”?
When things
are allowed to happen of their own and people are allowed to make their own decisions without the govt.’s
interference, this type of policy is called ‘laissez-faire’.]
A Photograph by Shirley Toulson
Poem 1: A Photograph by Shirley Toulson
(A) Short
Answer-type Questions (About 30-40 words each)
Q1.Why does
the poetess use ‘cardboard’ for the photograph? Whose photograph is being
described here? Why is the word ‘cardboard’ used here?
Ans. The poetess uses the ‘cardboard’ for the photograph of
her mother. The photograph was very old. So it has been called cardboard. In the old days, cardboard was
used to paste a photograph on it. It gave the photograph a firm base.
Q2. What has
the camera captured?
Ans. The camera captured three
girls in their teenage. They were standing with their smiling faces in the
shallow water of the sea beach. The narrator’s mother stood in the middle,
while her cousins stood on both sides of her.
Q3. The
poetess’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
Ans. It shows that the mother was amused to see
her photograph along with her two cousins. She might have thought about how
they looked at that small age in their dresses. It is natural to laugh when one
watches his or her childhood photograph.
Q4. How does
the poetess describe the photograph? Who were there in it?
Ans. The poet describes three girls in the photograph.
The tallest of them was the poet’s mother. She was about twelve years old at
that time. The girls who stood on both sides were her cousins. Each of them
held the mother’s hands. They were out on the beach to enjoy the cool touch of
the wet sand.
Q5. What
does the phrase “...some twelve years or so” mean?
Ans. The phrase “...some twelve years or so” shows that the
poetess was not definite about the exact age of her mother. She might have been
approximately twelve years.
Q6. How were
the three girls posing for the photograph? Who was the person clicking it?
Ans. All three girls stood motionless smiling through
their hair when their uncle was about to click the photograph from his camera.
They were holding the hands of the girl who stood in the middle.
Q7. What
does the phrase ‘smile through the hair’ mean?
Ans. The words ‘smile
through the hair’ show that the wind was moving the hair that was falling
on their faces. So the moving hair might
have been covering the lips also. That is why the word ‘through’ has been used
here.
Q8. What
does the poetess say about her mother’s face? What has not changed yet?
Ans. The poetess says that her mother’s face was sweet at
the time when she (the poetess) was not born. It went through a change after
that with the passage of time. One grows older as time passes. But the sea has
undergone fewer changes since that day on which the photograph was clicked.
Q9. What is
the symbolic significance of the words ‘transient feet’ and ‘the sea’? What is the role of Time in the
physical world?
Ans. Here ‘the sea’ stands for nature that is long-lived.
The words ‘transient feet’ stands for human life, that is mortal Time has its
ravaging (destroying) effect on mortal (perishable: those are
prone to die) things only. There is
alliteration in the words: ‘....terribly transient’.
