Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers Old Man at the Bridge
Old Man at the Bridge Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What is your impression of the old man who was sitting at the bridge ?
Answer:
The old man is the protagonist of the story which is written in the background of the Spanish Civil War. A soldier finds him sitting alone and is curious to know about him. From the conversation between the old man and soldier we come to know that the old man is seventy-six years old. Wearing steel-rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes, he was sitting by the side of the road. He was too tired to go any farther. He had come from San Carlos because of a war which is going on. He was a little sad to leave his town and a few pets behind him.
Question 2.
What do we learn about the old man’s concern about his pets ?
Answer:
The old man has been living in San Carlos without any family. Being deserted by his family, he lives in the company of two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. The artillery entered his home-town and the Captain told him to leave the place at the earliest. Therefore, the old man had to follow the command though he was reluctant to leave his goats, cat and pigeons to their fate. He was worried about the goats and pigeons and didn’t know what would happen to them. So far as the cat was concerned he was least worried since “a cat can look out for itself.” Here, we have an indirect criticism of warfare. Not only human beings but also animals and birds suffer during the war.
Question 3.
Bring out the main thematic concerns of the writer in the story “The Old Man at the Bridge.”
Answer:
Hemingway’s famous short story “The Old Man at the Bridge” is an anti-war story. It deals with the themes of resignation, depression and impending death during the war. A war affects not only human beings but also animals and birds. The terrific sound of bombings and explosions is too much for all living beings. This idea is brought out through the description of an old man of 76 sitting all by himself at a bridge during the Spanish Civil War. He has come all the way from his home-town, San Carlos, and is relaxing at the bridge. Inspite of a threat to his life, he is unwilling to go any farther. A young soldier who has come there to assess the enemy position asks the old man to walk on and catch a truck to reach Barcelona. But the old man expresses his inability to walk due to fatigue. The young soldier feels pity for the old man but has no means to help him. “There was nothing to do about him.” The old man has left ,behind two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. Though he knows that a cat can fend for itself, the others (i.e., the goats and pigeons) are only at the mercy of God.
Question 4.
How has Hemingway painted the scene at the bridge where the old man was sitting ?
Answer: Hemingway has provided a picturesque scene of the bridge and the movement of the army across the river. It was a pontoon bridge (i.e., a temporary bridge made of flat-bottomed boats, floating objects etc.) A long caravan of carts, trucks, men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts were staggering up the steep bank from the bridge with some difficulty. The peasants were also struggling up in the ankle-deep dust. But the old man, the protagonist of this story, sat still without making any signs of willingness to move. He was obviously too tired to go any farther.
Question 5.
“I am without politics”. Explain the implications of this remark made by the old man.
Answer:
During the conversation with the old man, the young soldier asks : “What politics have you ?” In reply, the old man says that he is without politics. His simple reply has far-reaching implications. It implies that a common man is interested neither in politics nor in war. It is the politicians who wage a war and it is the common man who suffers the most in a war. Not only human beings, but also animals and birds suffer in a war. There is a large-scale destruction on both sides. The old man is wise and doesn’t take anybody’s side in the war that is going on. The message of the old man is that one should be above politics for the sake of human well-being.
Question 6.
What is your impression of the narrator of the story ?
Answer:
The narrator of the story is a dutiful soldier during the Spanish Civil War. He is at the bridge to assess the position of the Fascist army on the other side of the river. While doing this duty, his attention is caught by an old man who sits alone on the road-side and who doesn’t seem to be interested in crossing the bridge. Out of his curiosity, he engages himself in a conversation with the old man. All the questions put by him to the old man speak of his sincerity towards the lonely passenger. He wants to know about his where-abouts, his family, his politics etc. He asks about his pets and when the old man tells about his goats and pigeons, the soldier tries to relieve his tension. He asks the old man whether he had left the dove-cage unlocked when the old man replies in the affirmative, the soldier points out : “Then they’ll fly”. It eases some tension from the old man’s mind, though he is still worried about the goats. The soldier is happy to think that the old man is safe for the time being because it was a gray overcast day in which the planes can’t fly easily. The old man is a kind of fatherly-figure for the soldier and he hjes his best to ease out the situation for him. Thus, we have a realistic portrait of the old man as well as the soldier in this wonderful short-story.
Question 7.
Explain why the narrator of the story takes so much time to converse with the old man. Use details from the story in support of your answer.
Answer:
The narrator is a soldier who is doing his field duty during the Spanish Civil War. He notices an old man sitting by the side of the road who seems to be too tired to go any farther. But the soldier’s present business is to cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead on the other side and find out to what point the enemy has advanced. Therefore, he leaves the old man there and moves ahead to finish the task in hand. Having done his duty, he returns over the bridge and notices the old man sitting at the same place. Now, the soldier has ample time to have a hearty chat with the old man. Therefore, he engages him in long conversation to assess his condition. Side by side, he is listening to some signal which would indicate “that ever-mysterious event called contact”.
Question 8.
What statements from the story suggest that the old man is about to give up on life ? Quote specific statements to support your answer.
Answer:
The old man, who is the protagonist of the story, is quite exhausted. He is seventy-six years old and it shows that he doesn’t have much physical strength left in him. He has walked twelve kilometers from the town of San Carlos which is his native town. Now he has left the town because of the coming battle. A captain has asked him to move on for safety. However, the old man has almost resigned himself to his fate. A few statements support this :
“… the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther”.
When the soldier suggests that he can go towards Barcelona, the old man says :
“I know no one in that direction, but thank you very much…”.
He seems to be more worried about his two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. The soldier also knows that he cannot help the old man in any way :
“There was nothing to do about him.”
Question 9.
How does Hemingway show that war disrupts the lives of ordinary people ? Is this portrayal realistic ? Explain why you think so.
Answer:
Hemingway, the great American novelist, is known for his realism. He had himself experienced the agony and horror of war. His first-hand experience as an ambulance-driver in the first world-war gives an authentic touch to his descriptions. All his stories and novels depict the senselessness of war which is a crime against humanity. The present story also brings out the fact that not only the human beings but also animals and birds suffer terribly from the ruthlessness of war. The old man in the story is . indeed a symbol of the countless civilian victims of war who are “without politics”. He perhaps doesn’t know why the war is being fought and yet he is made to suffer. The agony of leaving his home along with his pets is too grim to be described in words. Displaced, disoriented and alone, he is faced with the inevitability of death. Even the soldier who converses with him sympathetically knows that “There was nothing to do about him.” Just as the old man has to leave behind his pet animals and birds, the soldier has also to leave the old man behind (to meet his fate). This is the tragedy of war.
Question 10.
Explain why the narrator takes so much time to converse with the old man. Use details from the story to support your answer.
Answer:
During the Spanish Civil War an old man sat exhausted by the side of a road near a pontoon bridge that crossed the river. The solider who was on duty there engaged himself in conversation with the old man. During the conversation he came to know that the old – man was worried about his animals that he had left behind. The old man told the soldier that he had the charge of two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. The soldier was concerned about the old man’s safety. He took time in conversing with the old man, hoping to change the mind of the old man. He felt that the old man was totally disillusioned. The soldier asked the old man to walk up the road and catch a ride on a truck of Barcelona. But the old man refused to do this. Finally the soldier felt that there was no hope for him. He could not remove the old man’s concern about the safety of his animals. The soldier is aware of the impending death of the old man but he can’t do anything.
Question 11.
What statements from the story suggest that the old man is about to give up on life ? Quote specific statements to back your answer.
Answer:
From the conversation between the soldier and the old man we come to know that the old man is extremely depressed. He is about to give up on life: He is seventy six and he has walked 12 kilometres to reach the pontoon bridge. Now he is totally exhausted. To the queries of the soldier, he gives very brief replies. He tells the soldier that he was the last man to leave the town of San Carlos. He was taking care of animals, his pets and he had no desire to leave them to save his own life. The soldier tells him that that is not a good place to stop. He advises him to take lift in the truck and go to Barcelona. The old man says, “I know no one in that direction.”
Referring to the old man’s pets the soldier says “Why they’ll probably come through it all right.”
The old man only says this “You think so ?” In extreme depression the old man says,” …
It’s better not to think about the others.” When the soldier says, “If you have rested I would go,” the old man simply says ‘Thank you’. He shows no desire to move from the place though he gets up slowly. All this shows he is extremely frustrated and disheartened.
Question 12.
How does Hemingway show that war disrupts the lives of ordinary people ? Is this portrayal realistic ? Explain why you think so.
Answer:
War impacts everyone. It spreads panic, anxiety and scare of death all around. Everyone becomes aware of the impending death. Confusion and chaos prevail everywhere. It may cause depression to some of the people. In this story ‘Old Man at the Bridge’, the old man suffers from depression during the Spanish Civil War. This is reflected in the conversation between a soldier and the old man who had to leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. He is worried about the fate of his animals that he had left behind. The old man tells the soldier that he has no family but is concerned about the fate of his animals. War has also impacted the soldier as he is worried about the safety of the old man. But the old man is worried about the safety of his animals. The soldier tells the old man to get up and catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona to save his life. But the old man who is 76 and has walked 12 kilometers to reach the bridge tells the soldier that he is too tired to walk. He remains obsessed with the thought of his animals’ safety. The soldier assures him that his animals would be fine and that he should not think about them. But the old man is unable to get rid of the thought of his animals’ safety. This gives him depression. It is the result of war. War has shattered his confidence and he lives in fear, panic and anxiety.
The soldier thinks that the old man is sure to be killed once the Fascists advance to the bridge across the Ebro. In this way war makes the soldier aware of the old man’s impending death. He tells the old man to leave the bridge and save his life but he does not look beyond the safety of his animals. The soldier feels pity for the old man – and says that nothing can be done about him and that his death seems certain.
Thus, portrayal of war and its effects is highly realistic. War disrupts the life of not only civilians and soldiers but also of animals and birds. Thinking about his animals the oldman says, “But what will they do under the artillery when I was told to leave because of the artillery.” This means that they are sure to die.
Old Man at the Bridge Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
An old man with steel rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping push against the. spokes of the wheels. The trucks ground up and away heading out of it all and the peasants plodded along in the ankle deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.
(i) Who sat by the side of the road ? Where had he come from ?
Answer: An old man with steel rimmed spectacles and dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. He had come from San Carlos.
(ii) Why did the old man not move from his place ?
Answer: He was so tired that he could not move from his place. Moreover he was a fatalist and did not care about his safety.
(iii) What was the duty of the narrator of the story ?
Answer: His duty was to cross the bridge and find out how far the enemy had advanced.
(iv) What did the narrator find when he returned over the bridge ?
Answer: The narrator found that there were not so many carts now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there.
(v) Which place did the old man belong to ? Why did he leave his place and his animals ?
Answer: The old man belonged to San Carlos. He left his place and his animals because a captain told him to do so because of the artillery fire.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
That was his native town and so it gave him pleasure to mention it and he smiled.
“I was taking care of animals,” he explained.
“Oh,” I said, not quite understanding. “Yes,” he said, “I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos.”
He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said, “What animals were they ?”
“Various animals,” he said, and shook his head. “I had to leave them.”
(i) What was the old man’s native town ? What was his occupation ?
Answer: The name of the old man’s native town was San Carlos. He took care of his animals.
(ii) Comment on the old man’s appearance.
Answer: The old man did not look like a shepherd or a herdsman. He was an old man with a gray dusty face. He wore black dusty clothes and rimmed spectacles on his face.
(iii) Why did the old man leave his hometown ? Why did he leave it reluctantly ?
Answer: The old man left his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. He left his hometown because a captain had told him to leave the town and his animals because of the artillery fire. He left it reluctantly because he did not want to leave his animals behind. He was worried about the safety of his animals. He had to leave it because a captain had advised him to do so.
(iv) What ahimals did the old man take care of ? Why was he worried about them now ?
Answer: He took care of two goats and a cat, four pairs of pigeons, and several other animals. During the war, he was worried about the safety of his animals.
(v) What did the soldier ask the old man to do to save himself ? How did the old man react to his suggestion ?
Answer: The soldier asked the old man to walk up the road and catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona to save himself. The old man told the soldier that he was an old man of 76 and had walked 12 kilometers and was too tired to go any farther.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
I was watching the bridge and the African looking country of the Ebro Delta and wondering how long now it would be before we would see the enemy, and listening all the while for the first noises that would signal that ever mysterious event called contact, and the old man still sat there.
“What animals were they?” I asked.
“There were three animals altogether,” he explained. “There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons.”
“And you had to leave them ?” I asked.
(i) Who is ‘I’ in the above extract ? What duty does ‘I’ perform ?
Answer: ‘I’ is the soldier in the above extract. The soldier who is posted at the bridge has to cross the bridge to find out how far the enemy had advanced. This is the duty that he has to perform as a soldier.
(ii) What animals did the old man leave behind in his hometown ? Why ?
Answer: The old man left behind two goats, a cat and four pairs of pigeons. During the Spanish Civil War, a captain told him to leave the town and his animals because of the artillery fire.
(iii) Describe the scene at the bridge where the soldier was performing his duty.
Answer: It was a pontoon bridge across the river. Carts, trucks, men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge. The peasants plodded along in the ankle deep dust. The old man sat there without moving.
(iv) How old was the old man ? How did he reach the bridge ? Why did he not go farther ?
Answer: The old man was 76. He walked 12 kilometers in order to reach the bridge. He did not go farther because he was too tired to go ahead.
(v) Why did the old man thank the soldier ?
Answer: The soldier had asked the old man to catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona and save his life from the enemies. So the old man thanked the soldier for the concern he showed for his safety.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“I am without politics,” he said. ”I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no further.”
“This is not a good place to stop,” I said. “If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa.”
(i) Why cannot the old man walk further ? Why does he refuse to do so ?
Answer: The old man is 76 and has walked 12 kilometers to reach the bridge. He is too tired to walk any further. When the soldier tells him to catch a ride on a truck and leave this place to save his life from the enemies, he refuses to do so because of fatigue. Moreover he is worried about his animals’ safety whom he had left behind in his hometown.
(ii) How old is the man without politics ? How does his old age affect him ?
Answer: The man without politics is 76 years old. His old age affects him physically. He gets so tired after walking twelve kilometers from his hometown to the bridge that he cannot walk any farther.
(iii) Why does the narrator tell the old man that it is not a good place to stop ?
Answer: The narrator tells the old man that it is not a safe place to stay there because the enemy planes can hit this place any time. There is a danger to his life.
(iv) Why does the narrator ask the old man to leave that place ? Where does he want him to go ?
Answer: The narrator asks the old man to leave that place because there is a danger to his life. The enemy planes can hit that place any time. He wants him to catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona and save his life.
(v) Why does the old man thank the narrator ?
Answer: The narrator had asked the old man to catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona and save his life. He thanks him for showing his concern for his safety.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
He looked at me very blankly and tiredly, then said, having to share his worry with some one, “The cat will be all right, I am sure. There is no need to be unquiet about the cat. But the others. Now what do you think about the other ?”
“Why they’ll probably come through it all right.”
“You think so ?”
“Why not,” I said, watching the far bank where now there were no carts.
“But what will they do under the artillery when I was told to leave because of the artillery ?”
“Did you leave the dove cage unlocked ?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then they’ll fly.”
“Yes, certainly they’ll fly. But the others. It’s better not to think about the others,” he said.
(i) What does the old man worry about ? Why ?
Answer: The old man is worried about the fate of his animals that he had left behind in his hometown during the war. He is worried about them because they could be killed by the artillery fire in the war.
(ii) How does the narrator try to console the old man ? Does it affect the old man in a positive way ?
Answer: The narrator tries to console the old man by saying that nothing will happen to his animals. He tells him that the pigeons will fly and save themselves. When the old man expresses his concern about the other animals, the narrator tells him not to think about the others.
It does not affect the old man positively because he is obsessed with the thought of animals’ safety. Moreover the old man is worried about the goats because they cannot fly and save themselves.
(iii) Why was the old man asked to leave his hometoum ? Why was he the last to leave ?
Answer: The old man was asked to leave his hometown during the war because there was a danger to his life. He was asked to leave his hometown and his animals because of artillery fire. He was the last to leave because he was reluctant to leave his animals behind. He was worried about the safety of his animals and therefore did not want to leave his hometown. But a captain asked him to leave the town and his animals because of the artillery fire.
(iv) Why is the old man not worried about the pigeons ? Why is he less worried about the cats ?
Answer: The old man is not worried about the pigeons because they can fly and save themselves. He is less worried about the cats because they can look after themselves.
(v) Why does the old man express his worry about his two goats ?
Answer: He expresses his worry about his two goats because the goats cannot fly and save themselves.
6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“If you are rested I would go,” I urged.
“Get up and try to walk now.”
“Thank you,” he said and got to his feet, swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.
“I was taking care of animals,” he said dully, but no longer to me, “I was only taking care of animals.”
(i) What did the narrator urge the old man ? Did he accept his advice ?
Answer: The narrator urged the old man to catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona and leave that place to save his life. He asked him to do so because there was a danger to his life. The enemy planes could hit that place any time. No, he did not accept his advice. He told ‘ him that he was too tired to walk any farther.
(ii) Why did the old man thank the narrator ?
Answer: The narrator had asked the old man to catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona and save his life from the enemies. He thanked him for showing his concern about his life.
(iii) Why did the old man sit down again in the dust ? What light does his action throw on his character ?
Answer: The old man had walked 12 kilometers to reach the bridge. He was too tired to walk any farther. He tried to walk but could not do so due to fatigue. So he sat down again in the dust. His action shows that he is a fatalist who has resigned himself to fate.
(iv) What does the narrator think of the old man at the end of the story ?
Answer: The narrator thinks that since the old man cannot get rid of the thought of his animals’ safety, nothing can be done about him. Thus he feels pity for him.
(iii) Why did the old man feel dull and sad ?
Answer: The old man was obsessed with the thought of his animals’ safety. He was scared of the impending death of his animals. He was worried more about his animals’ safety than his own safety. This thought makes him dull and sad.
Old Man at the Bridge Assignment
Question 1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
There was nothing to do about him. It was Easter Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro. It was a gray overcast day with a low ceiling so their planes were not up. That and the fact that cats know how to look after themselves was all the good luck that old man would ever have.
(i) Explain the line “There was nothing to do about him.”
(ii) Why could the planes of the Fascists not fly ? How would it affect the fate of the old man ?
(iii) Why does the old man say that the cats can look after themselves ? Why is he more worried about the goats ?
(iv) Why did the old man not leave the place even when he was advised to do so by the narrator ?
(v) What does the narrator think about the old man’s fate ? Why does he take pity on him.
Question 2. (a) What do the birds and animals mentioned in the story symbolize ?
(b) How does war disturb the life of the common people ? Discuss with reference to the story ‘The Old Mam at the Bridge’.
(c) How does the conversation between the old man and the soldier reflect the anti¬war views of the writer ?
Treasure Trove Short Stories Workbook Answers Chief Seattle’s Speech
Chief Seattle’s Speech Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What is the main difference between the Red Man and the White Man ?
Answer:
According to the speaker, the Red Man is at a disadvantage owing to reduced numbers. The White people are like the grass that covers vast pastures. The tribal people are small in numbers. They resemble the scattered trees in a wind-swept plain. Secondly, the White man doesn’t need the friendship of the Red Man. He wields great power and authority. He appears to be just towards the tribals, even generous to a great extent. There was a time when the tribal people covered the whole land just as the waves cover the sea. But all that is a sad memory now.
Question 2.
What were the hostilities between the white people and the local tribals ? What is the speaker’s attitude to these hostilities ?
Answer:
The speaker recollects the time when there were fights and hostilities between the white invaders and the local tribals. The white people were pushing the local tribals westwards. He wishes that the hostilities may never return. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain against the white people. The younger people among the tribals may think of taking revenge against their white rulers but it would be a fruitless misadventure. The old tribal people are wise and would never like to resume the hostilities against the Whites. He hopes that their good father in Washington (i.e., the White ruler) would protect them and his brave warriors would prove to be a great wall of defence against their traditional enemies who used to frighten their women, children and the old men.
Question 3.
How does Chief Seattle strike a note of reconciliation towards the white people ? Give examples from the text.
Answer:
Chief Seattle delivered a speech at Washington in 1854. In his impressive speech, he pursues the path of accommodation of white settlers in the U.S. State of Washington. He puts forward forceful arguments in favour of ecological responsibility and respect of native Americans and their rights. He is opposed to hostilities between his tribal people (the Red children) and the white people because they lead to revenge, hatred, enmity and death. Therefore, he opts for peace and reconciliation. In the past, there were hostilities between the local tribals and the white invaders. He does not wish for the resumption of those hostilities. He expresses a hope that their good father in Washington would protect them and his brave warriors would prove to be a great wall of strength against their ancient enemies. His brave warriors would not allow the Haidas and Tsimshians (their enemies) to frighten their women, children and old men.
Question 4.
Elaborate the remark : “God loves your people and hates mine !”
Answer:
This remark forms a part of Chief Seattle’s speech. It brings out an element of self¬pity and anger in the mind of the speaker. He clearly says “Your God is not our God.” According to him, God (i.e., the Christian God) folds his arms protectingly about the pale-face i.e., the white people and leads them by the hand just as a father leads a child. But it is a pity that he has forsaken his Red children i.e., the native people of America. These natives look like orphans who can look nowhere for help. How can they feel on brotherly terms with the white people who are making more and more progress.
Question 5.
“Day and night cannot dwell together”. Comment.
Answer:
Chief Seattle believes that the Red people are poles apart from the white people. It is difficult to presume that they can put up with each other without any conflict. Taking an example from the world of nature, he says that the day and night cannot dwell together. The rays of the sun chase away the darkness of the night. Similarly, the Red Man has ever fled the approach of the white man as the morning mist disappears before the morning sun. However, Chief Seattle is ready for some kind of peaceful coexistence inspite of the apparent differences.
Question 6.
What is the speaker’s mood when he says : “The Indian’s night promises to be dark” ?
Answer:
Chief Seattle is rather depressed at the present scenario. His mind is clouded by dark thoughts. In a desperate voice he says : “Not a single star of hope hovers above the horizon.” The Red Indians originally occupied the whole land of America. But after the discovery of America by Columbus, the European nations began to occupy more and more of the land and the Red people had to move away farther and farther for their security. Now the situation is dismal for the native tribals. The speaker says in a melancholy manner that nobody knows where the natives will pass the remnant of their days. Of course, they will not be many. Sad-voiced winds are already moaning in the distance. These are the winds of change. Grim Fate is hounding out the Red Man. The Red Man is more like a doe which has been wounded by the hunter. The speaker is apprehensive about the future. It is possible that the original natives of this land will be completely wiped out by the invading forces and nobody will be left behind to mourn over the graves of the dead. But then the speaker checks himself and asks : “But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people ?” He consoles himself by philosophising that nothing is permanent in this world. Tribe follows tribe and nation follows nation. It is the law of nature.
Question 7.
On what condition does the speaker accept the proposition of the white man ?
Answer:
The proposition made by the good father in Washington is that if the tribals follow their white leaders, they will be given total protection. The brave warriors of the white people will prove to be a strong wall of defence and their wonderful ships of war will protect the harbours against the enemies.
However, the Red Man puts forward a condition to accept this proposal. The condition is that they will not be denied access to the tombs of their ancestors, friends and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of the local tribals. Therefore, the white man should not exile them in their own land.
Question 8.
What are the salient aspects of Chief Seattle’s character which come out in his speech ?
Answer:
Chief Seattle is a well-known figure among the tribal people. He is a powerful orator and when he addresses an audience, his voice is loud and clear. His speech shows his qualities as a man and as a leader of his people. His speech is brilliant, argumentative and logical. He is not rash or short-tempered. He advocates peace and stability. He knows that anger will lead to more blood-shed and destruction. He is quite wise, profound and philosophical. Though his mood changes during the speech, yet he does not forget his main line of argument. Here and there he speaks like a poet who makes use of apt similes and metaphors to drive home his point.
Question 9.
How does Chief Seattle conclude his speech ?
Answer:
Chief Seattle fondly remembers the members of his tribe who lived in this dear land in the yesteryears. There were fond mothers, happy maidens and dear children who are now living in their graves. The speaker envisions a time in the distant future when the last Red Man shall have perished and the memory of his tribe will have turned into a myth among the White Men. It is then that these shores will be filled up again with the invisible dead of his tribe. When the coming generations of the white people will think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop or anywhere else, they will find the returning hosts who once inhabited these places. The speaker firmly says : “The White Man will never be alone”. He believes that in all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. His only wish is that the White ruler is just and kind to his people. For him, death is meaningless. As he puts it : “There is no death, only a change of worlds”.
Thus the speech of Chief Seattle comes straight from his heart and goes right to the hearts of the audience.
Chief Seattle’s Speech Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often cruel and relentless, and our old men and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever been. Thus it was when the white man began to push our forefathers ever westward. But let us hope that the hostilities between us may never return. We would have everything to lose and nothing to gain.
(i) When do the young men grow angry ?
Answer: The young men grow angry when they perceive some real or imaginary wrong done to them.
(ii) How do the young men react when they are angry ?
Answer: They often become cruel and relentless and even their old men and old women are unable to restrain them.
(iii) What was the situation when the tribal young men became angry and cruel ?
Answer: When the white men began to push the tribal young men’s forefathers westward, they became angry and cruel.
(iv) What does the speaker hope for ?
Answer: The speaker hopes that the hostilities that existed between the tribal people and the white people earlier do not return again.
(v) Why does the speaker want an end to hostilities between the tribal people and the white people ?
Answer: The speaker wants an end to hostilities because he thinks that they (the tribal people) would lose everything and gain nothing.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The white man’s God cannot love our people or He would protect them. They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help. How then can we be brothers ? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness ? If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children whose teeming multitudes once filled this vast continent as stars fill the firmament. No; we are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between us.
(i) Why do the Red Children regard themselves as orphans ?
Answer: The Red Children feel that the God of white people loves his own people and hates the Red Children (tribal people). He has abandoned them and does not protect them. Thus they regard themselves as orphans who can look nowhere for help.
(ii) Why can’t the Red Children and the white children become brothers ?
Answer: The Red Children and the White Children cannot become brothers because they are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little common between them.
(iii) What did the white man’s God give them ?
Answer: The white man’s God showered his love on his people and gave protection to them. He gave them laws which brought them prosperity and greatness.
(iv) What did the white man’s God deprive the Red Children of ?
Answer: The white man’s God deprived the Red children of his love and protection. He did not make laws for them which could bring them prosperity and greatness.
(v) Why is there little in common between the Red children and the white children ?
Answer: There is little in common between the Red children and the white children because they belong to two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors – the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people.
(i) How do the tribal people regard the ashes of their ancestors ?
Answer: The tribal people regard the ashes of their ancestors as sacred and their resting place as a hallowed ground.
(ii) How do the white people feel about their dead ancestors ?
Answer: The white people are indifferent to their ancestors and they keep themselves away from the graves of their ancestors. They neglect them and pay no respect to them.
(iii) Where was the religion of the white people written ? Why were their dead people soon forgotten ?
Answer: The religion of the white people was written upon the tablets of stone. Their dead people ceased to love them and the land of their nativity. So they were soon forgotten.
(iv) Comment on the religion of the tribal people.
Answer: The religion of the tribal people is the traditions of their ancestors. It constituted the dreams of their old men and was written on the hearts of their people.
(v) What do the dead tribal people not forget? What do they still love ?
Answer: They do not forget their beautiful world. They still love its grassy valleys, musical rivers, magnificient mountains and lakes.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Your dead cease to love you and the land of their nativity as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond the stars. They are soon forgotten and never return. Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and ever yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them.
(i) When do the dead white people cease to love their childred ?
Answer: The dead white people cease to love their children as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond stars.
(ii) What is the attitude of the white people towards their dead ancestors ?
Answer: The white people are indifferent to their dead ancestors and they keep themselves away from the graves of their ancestors. They neglect them and pay no respect to them. Their approach is casual towards their dead ancestors.
(iii) What did the dead tribal people give the living tribal people ? What did they love in this world ?
Answer: The dead tribal people gave the living tribal people their being. They loved the grassy valleys, the musical rivers, the magnificient mountains and lakes in this world.
(iv) How does the speaker react to the new proposition sent by the White Man ?
Answer: The speaker reacts favourably to the proposition sent by the White Man. He thinks that his people will accept it because it seems to be fair and reasonable.
(v) How will the tribal people live after they accept the proposition ? What does the speaker think about the words of the Great White Chief ?
Answer: After accepting the proposition sent by the White Man, the trial people will live in peace. The speaker thinks that the words of the Great White Chief are the words of nature speaking to his people out of darkness.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny.
(i) What does the speaker expect from the father in Washington ?
Answer: The speaker expects that the father in Washington would protect his tribal people and his brave warriors would prove to be a great wall of strength against their ancient enemies.
(ii) How does the speaker differentiate his tribal people from the white people ?
Answer: The speaker says that the tribal people and white people are two distinct races with separate origins and separate destinies. There is little in common between the two. Moreover, the religion of the white people is different from that of the tribal people. The attitude of the white people towards their dead ancestors is different from that of the tribal people.
(iii) How does the speaker realize that he should not mourn at the untimely fate of his people ?
Answer: The speaker thinks that death is inevitable.
When he observes that tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, he realizes that he should not mourn at the untimely fate of his people because it is the order of nature.
(iv) Where was the white man’s religion written ? Why ?
Answer: The white man’s religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron fingers of their God. It was written there so that he would not forget it.
(v) What comment does the speaker make about the destiny of the white people ?
Answer: The speaker remarks that the white people cannot escape decay for a long time. It is their ultimate destiny. Even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common decay.
6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
We will ponder your proposition and when we decide we will let you know. But should we accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood’ of our ancestors, and our bare feet are .conscious of the sympathetic touch.
(i) What is the condition that the speaker puts forward before taking the decision on the white man’s proposition ? Why is he hopeful in accepting the proposition ?
Answer: The condition is that the tribal people will have full freedom to visit the tombs of their ancestors, friends and children at any time. He is hopeful because the proposition seems to be fair and reasonable.
(ii) How is every part of the soil sacred to his tribal people ?
Answer: Every part of the soil is sacred to his tribal people because it is associated with some past sad or happy event. It is sacred to them because it thrills them with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of his people.
(iii) What has made every hillside, every valley, every plain and grave sacred ?
Answer: The association of some past sad or happy event of life has made every hillside, every valley, every plain and grave sacred to the tribal people.
(iv) What do the rocks thrill with ? How does the dust respond ?
Answer: The rocks thrill with the memories of stirring events connected with the lives of the tribal people. The dust responds lovingly to the footsteps of the tribal people.
(v) Why does the dust upon which the white people stand now respond more lovingly to the footsteps of the tribal people than those of the white people ?
Answer: The dust upon which the white people stand now respond more lovingly to the footsteps of the tribal people than those of the white people because it is rich with the blood of the ancestors of the tribal people and the bare feet of the tribal people are conscious of the sympathetic touch.
Chief Seattle’s Speech Assignment
Question 1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children’s children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. The White Man will never be alone.
(i) When will the shores swarm with the invisible dead of the speaker’s tribe ? Why ?
(ii) Why will the children’s children of the white men not feel alone in the field, the store, the shop, etc. ?
(iii) Comment on the speaker’s line : “In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude.”
(iv) What will the deserted streets be thronged with ? Why ?
(v) What does the speaker say about death? Explain.
Question 2.
(a) What does the Chief Seattle say to prove that ‘Youth is impulsive’ ?
(b) What condition does the Chief lay down before conveying his decision on the proposition ? Why does he lay down this condition ?
(c) What do you think, is the message, conveyed by the writer in ‘Chief Seattle’s Speech’ ?
Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers Nine Gold Medals
Nine Gold Medals Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The athletes had come from so many countries
To run for the gold, and the silver and bronze
Many weeks and months in training
All building up to the games.
(i) What event is referred to here by the poet ?
Answer: The poet refers to a ‘Special Olympics’ meant for differently abled persons.
(ii) What kind of athletes were they ?
Answer: They were differently abled athletes and had come to participate in various sports events.
(iii) What was their aim ?
Answer: Their aim was to win a medal, gold, silver or bronze.
(iv) How had they prepared themselves for the special event ?
Answer: They knew that the competition had to be tough. So they put in a lot of their time in preparation and training.
(v) Who won the race in the end, as described later in the poem ?
Answer: Nine young differently abled athletes participated in a hundred-metre race. All the nine won the race. Each one was awarded a gold medal. All were rewarded for a rare act of empathy.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
All round the field spectators were gathered
Cheering on all the young women and men
Then the final event of the day was approaching
The last race about to begin.
(i) What sports event is referred to earlier in the context ?
Answer: A hundred-metre race.
(ii) How was the event a special one ?
Answer: The hundred-metre race was the special event because it was the final event of the day. The spectators sitting all around the field were as enthusiastic and excited as the participants were. They cheered up the young athletes in every way.
(iii) In what mood were the spectators ?
Answer: The spectators were in a jubilant mood. They sat all around the field and were as enthusiastic and excited as the participants were. They cheered up the young athletes.
(iv) Which event was about to begin ?
Answer: A hundred-metre race was about to begin.
(v) How did the last event turn out to be special ?
Answer: Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. All of them ran as fast as they could. However, one contestant who was weaker, could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. Instead of moving ahead, they turned and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet. This gesture of theirs was indeed praiseworthy. They all walked hand-in-hand to the finishing line. This made the event special. The poet remarks that the words on the banner ‘Special Olympics’ turned out to be true.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The loudspeakers called out the names of the runners
The one hundred metres the race to be run
And nine young athletes stood there determined
And poised for the sound of the gun.
(i) What do you understand by ‘The Special Olympics’ ?
Answer: ‘The Special Olympics’ was meant for differently abled persons. The athletes from different countries came to participate in various sports events. They participated in the events to win a medal, gold, silver or bronze.
(ii) What kind of athletes came to take part in it ?
Answer: The differently abled athletes came to take part in ‘The Special Olympics’.
(iii) Which race was the last event of the day ?
Answer: A hundred-metre race was the last event of the day.
(iv) Who stood on the starting line ? In what state of mind were they ?
Answer: Nine young athletes stood on the starting line. They were determined to win a medal.
(v) What stopped the race after it had taken off?
Answer: When the race started, all the nine contestants ran as fast as they could. However, one contestant who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. So the race stopped.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The signal was given, the pistol exploded And so did the runners on hearing the sound
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered
And he fell on his knees to the ground.
(i) Which sports event was to start ?
Answer: A hundred-metre race was to start.
(ii) How was it started ?
Answer: Nine young athletes stood on the starting line. They were waiting for the pistol shot as a starting signal. When the signal was given, and the pistol shot was heard, the participants moved fast. Thus the race started.
(iii) What happened to one of the athletes ?
Answer: Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. One of the contestants who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track.
(iv) What was the reaction of the other contestants in the race ?
Answer: Nine contestants participated in the hundred-metre race. One of the contestants who was weaker could not run. He fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They were expected not to stop but to continue the race. But they all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They showed their empathy for the fallen athlete.
(v) Why did they come to the help of the fallen athlete ?
Answer: They came back to the fallen athlete and lifted him to his feet. They showed their empathy for the fallen athlete. This gesture of theirs was indeed praiseworthy. It was a rare act of sportsmanship.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I’m standing here telling the story
Now it’s a strange one, but here’s what occurred.
(i) Who is ‘he’ referred to here ?
Answer: ‘He’ here is referred to one of the nine contestants who participated in the hundred-metre race. He could not run and fell on the track. He was distressed and gave out a cry in frustration because his hard work had come to nothing. His dream was shattered.
(ii) What made him cry out ?
Answer: Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. He was one of them. He could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. He was distressed as his dream to win a medal was shattered. So he gave out a cry in frustration.
(iii) What strange thing happened ?
Answer: Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. One of the contestants who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They were expected not to stop but to continue the race. But a strange thing happened. They all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet.
(iv) Why did the eight contestants give up their competitive spirit ?
Answer: When one of the nine contestants in the hundred-metre race fell on the track, the other eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They were expected not to stop but to continue the race. But they all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet. They showed empathy for the fallen athlete and gave up their competitive spirit. This gesture of theirs reflected a rare act of true sportsmanship.
(v) Why were all participants in the race awarded with gold medals ?
Answer: Nine young athletes participated in the hundred-metre race. They ran as fast as they could. However, one contestant who was weaker could not run. His legs gave in and he fell on the track. The remaining eight contestants stopped and looked back at their fallen companion. They were expected to continue the race, but they all turned round and came back to the fallen athlete. They lifted him to his feet. They all walked hand-in-hand to the finishing line. The race turned into a ‘walk’. The race ended and all were thus rewarded for a rare act of empathy and true sportsmanship.
6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
That’s how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And the banner above and nine smiling faces
Said more than these words ever will
Said more than these words ever will.
(i) Which race is referred to here ?
Answer: The race referred to here is one hundred- metre race in a ‘Special Olympics’.
(ii) How did the participants reach the finish line ? Why did they not compete against one another ?
Answer: One of the participants fell on the track. The other participants came to his help. They all together walked to the finishing line. They did not compete against one another out of empathy for the fallen.
(iii) What was the banner about ?
Answer: The banner was about ‘The Special Olympics’ meant for the differently abled persons.
(iv) In what sense did the words on the banner turn significant ?
Answer: The words on the banner turned to be significant. ‘The Special Olympics’ became really special when each participant was declared to be the winner and awarded a gold medal.
(v) What is the message of the poem ?
Answer: The poem’s message is that we should be helpful and cooperative in life. We should be able to understand the feelings of another person from his point of view, and be ready to mitigate his pain and sorrow.
Nine Gold Medals Assignment
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they turned round and came back to help him
And lifted the lad to his feet.
(i) What happened earlier in the context ?
(ii) What made the eight athletes stop the race ?
(iii) What was their surprise move ?
(iv) What human value is displayed by their action ?
(v) What rhyming words are used in this passage ? In what way are they significant ?
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Then all nine runners joined hands and continued
The one hundred metres reduced to a walk
And the banner above that said “Special Olympics”
Could not have been nearer the mark.
(i) Which sports event was in progress ?
(ii) What made the athletes stop the race ?
(iii) What was quite surprising to the spectators ?
(iv) How did the race come to an end ?
(v) What is the theme of the poem ? How is it conveyed ?
Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers Abou Ben Adhem
Abou Ben Adhem Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold
(i) What kind of person was Abou Ben Adhem ?
Answer: Abou Ben Adhem was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He always thought . of the good of others. He was a peace-loving and brave person as he did no wrong.
(ii) Explain : ‘may his tribe increase!’
Answer: The narrator wishes that the number of persons like Abou Ben Adhem should increase because he was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He always thought of the good of others.
(iii) What did Abou discover in his room ?
Answer: One night Abou was having a peaceful sleep. He woke up and discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. The angel looked as beautiful as a lily in bloom. He was writing something in a golden book.
(iv) Which poetic device is used in the fourth line here ? What is its significance in the context ?
Answer: Simile. The poet wants to convey that the angel looked as beautiful as a lily in bloom. It signifies that the angel looked as calm and gentle as a lily in bloom.
(v) How did Abou react on knowing that his name was not among those who love God ? Was he depressed or disappointed ?
Answer: One night Abou discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. He looked beautiful and calm. Abou asked him what he was writing. The angel looked up and said that he was writing the names of those persons who love God. Abou asked him if his name was in the list. The angel said that it was not. Abou seemed to be a bit shocked but he was not depressed or disappointed.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
“What writest thou?”-The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, “The names of those who love the Lord.”
(i) In whose presence did Abou become bold ? What made him bold ?
Answer: One night Abou discovered an angel in the moonlight in his room. In the presence of an angel in his room he became bold and took courage and asked him what he was writing. He was a noble, selfless and virtuous person. He was a peace- loving person. He became bold because he never did any wrong and so was not afraid of the heavenly presence in his room.
(ii) What did he want to know ?
Answer: He wanted to know from the angel what he was writing in his golden book.
(iii) Describe the angel. How did he look like ?
Answer: The angel appeared in Abou’s room at night. He was calm and had a soothing look. He was carrying a golden book in his hand. He looked as beautiful as a lily in bloom.
(iv) What was he writing in his book of gold ?
Answer: He was writing the names of those persons in his book of gold who love God.
(v) What made Abou pray to the angel to include his name among those who love their fellow men ?
Answer: Abou asked the angel what he was writing in his golden book. The angel told him that he was writing the names of those persons who love God. Abou asked him if his name was in his list. The angel said that it was not. Abou was a bit shocked. Since his name was not in that list, he prayed to the angel to include his name among those who love their fellow men.
3. Read the extract given below and answer
the questions that follow :
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blest,
And lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.
(i) What had the angel told Abou earlier in the context ?
Answer: The angel had told Abou that his name did not figure in the list of those who love God.
(ii) What request was made by Abou ? Was it accepted ?
Answer: Abou’s request to the angel was to include his name among those who love their fellow men. Yes, his request was accepted.
(iii) What did the angel show to Abou the next night ?
Answer: The angel showed Abou the next night the list of those who are blessed by God.
(iv) What came as a great surprise ?
Answer: It was a great surprise that Abou’s name topped the list of those blessed and loved by God.
(v) What does the poet want to convey through this poem ?
Answer: The poet wants to convey that we must love mankind if we want to receive God’s love and blessings. God loves those who serve humanity selflessly.
Abou Ben Adhem Assignment
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, “I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men.”
(i) What did Abou find the angel doing in his room one night ?
(ii) What was the angel writing ?
(iii) Did the angel’s answer depress Abou ? How did he conduct himself ?
(iv) What request did Abou make to the angel ?
(v) What surprises Abou the next night ? What message has the poet conveyed to all of us ?
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad :
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.
(i) Who is the speaker here ? Where is he, and in what condition ?
Answer: The speaker here is the patriot. At present he is in a very bad condition. He has been arrested and is being led to the scaffold to be hanged for his misdeeds. He is passing through some street in a town.
(ii) What happened a year ago ?
Answer: Just a year ago the patriot had been welcomed on his return. He was hailed as a hero for his glorious victory.
(iii) How was he welcomed ?
Answer: Roses and myrtles were strewn over the path to be trodden by the patriot. Roses, being the symbols of love, reveal the people’s love for their hero. People crowded over the roof-tops to have a glimpse of the patriot. The church bells were rung in his honour.
(iv) What brought about the change in his life ?
Answer: People misunderstood him. He was arrested for his misdeeds. He was fated to be hanged. This misunderstanding on the part of the people brought about the sad change in his life.
(v) ‘The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway’. Explain.
Answer: The town was cramped with houses, as was common in Victorian times. When the crowds of people climbed over the house-roofs they seemed to be shaken and swayed. People thronged there to have a better view of their hero.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The air broke into a mist with bells,
The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.
Had I said, “Good folk, mere noise repels –
But give me your sun from yonder skies !”
They had answered, “And afterward, what else ?”
(i) Who is reminded of his past ? Why ?
Answer: The patriot. The patriot has been arrested and is being led to the gallows for his misdeeds. As he is being led, he recalls how just a year ago, he was hero- worshipped by the same people who are now treating him like a villain.
(ii) What happened a year ago ?
Answer: A year ago, the patriot was worshipped like a hero. He was accorded a warm welcome on his return after a glorious victory. His path was strewn with flowers. The church-towers were decorated with victory-flags. Huge crowds were there to welcome him.
(iii) What ‘bells’ are being referred to here ? Why were they rung ?
Answer: A year ago, the patriot was worshipped when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. The church-towers were decorated with victory-flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of church-bells rung in his honour. The church-bells were rung to honour the patriot and to celebrate his glorious victory.
(iv) What tells you that the speaker was swayed by the enthusiasm of his admirers ? What proves him wrong ?
Answer: The speaker was welcomed a year ago when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with flowers. The people were mad in their zeal and enthusiasm. The church-towers blazed with victory-flags. All this shows that he was swayed by enthusiasm. But just after a year he has fallen on evil days. The same people who admired him have become his enemies. He has been arrested and is being led to the gallows. He recalls how he did his best to serve the people. People have proved to be fickle-minded. The fickle-mindedness of the people has proved him wrong.
(v) Why is the patriot punished ? What makes him sad ?
Answer: The patriot is punished for some misdeeds done by him during the year. It is sad and ironic that they have completely forgotten his good deeds. It makes him sad to recollect that these very people who worshipped him like a hero a year ago have turned against him. They have forgotten all he had done for them. He feels sad about the fickle-mindedness of the people.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give it my loving friends to keep !
Nought man could do, have I left undone :
And you see my harvest, what I reap
This very day, now a year is run.
(i) Why was the patriot welcomed as a hero ? How was he welcomed ?
Answer: The patriot was welcomed because he had won a grand victory. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen. And he did his best. He was welcomed like a hero. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. The church-towers blazed with victory- flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of church-bells, rung in honour of the patriot. The crowd surged with joy.
(ii) In what mood is the speaker now ? Where is he at present ?
Answer: The speaker is in a very sad mood. He is dejected to see that the people have forgotten all that he had done for them. At present, he is being led to the gallows to be executed in public.
(iii) What tells you that the patriot was over- ambitious ? What was the result ?
Answer: The patriot was overambitious as he says that he tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his admirers. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen and he did his best. But the result was dismal. He was arrested and being led to the gallows to be executed in public. He feels sad that the people have forgotten all that he had done for them.
(iv) What do you mean by ‘harvest’ ? What had the speaker reaped ?
Answer: Here it means reward. The speaker tried to do the impossible for the pleasure of his admirers. He did whatever he could do for his countrymen and he did his best. But what reward had he got ? He was arrested for some misdeeds and was being led to the gallows to be executed in pubic. He felt sad that people had forgotten all that he had done for them.
(v) Where is he being led to ? What thought makes him reconcile with his fate ?
Answer: He is being led to the gallows to be executed in public for some misdeeds that he had committed. He reconciles himself with his fate by thinking that if he has not been rewarded by the people, he is certain to be rewarded by God in heaven. He feels safe in the bosom of God.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
There’s nobody on the house-tops now—
Just a palsied few at the windows set,
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the Shambles’ Gate — or, better yet,
By the very scaffold’s foot, I trow.
(i) What has made most of the people leave the town ?
Answer: People have left the town and gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. Only a few paralysed persons are sitting at the windows.
(ii) Who is being led to gallows ? What has he done ?
Answer: The patriot who was hero-worshipped a year ago is being led to the gallows to be executed in public. He has done some misdeeds for which he is being led to the gallows.
(iii) Why do the people try to be at the Shambles’ Gate or near the scaffold ? What do you mean by the Shambles’ Gate ?
Answer: The people try to be at the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. It means the gate that leads to the place of execution.
(iv) Explain the line : ‘Just a palsied few at the windows set’.
Answer: Most of the people have gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. Only the paralysed persons are sitting at the windows because they are unable to walk upto the place of execution.
(v) The poet here brings out a sharp contrast between the past and the present of the patriot. How ?
Answer: The poet brings out a sharp contrast between the past and the present by saying that people thronged to have a glimpse of the patriot a year ago, but now nobody is there on the house-tops. Most of them have gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold in order to have a better view of the patriot’s execution. Only a few paralysed persons are sitting at the windows.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
I go in the rain, and, more than needs,
A rope cuts both my wrists behind;
And I think, by the feel, my forehead bleeds,
For they fling, whoever has a mind,
Stones at me for my year’s misdeeds.
(i) Who is the speaker here ? Where is he at the present ?
Answer: The patriot is the speaker here. At present he is being led to the gallows to be executed in public.
(ii) What tells you that he is being treated very harshly ?
Answer: He is being led to the gallows. A long rope has been used to tie his hands tightly on the back. The rope is so tight that it cuts both his hands. His forehead is bleeding. It is due to the stones hurled at him by some callous and cruel fellows. All this shows that he is being treated very harshly.
(iii) Why have some people hurled stones at him ?
Answer: Some people have hurled stones at him to show their resentment for the so-called misdeeds done by him during the year.
(iv) How had the same people treated him a year ago ?
Answer: The same people had welcomed him a year ago when he came back after his grand victory. His path was stream with fragrant roses. The church-towers blazed with victory-flags. The whole atmosphere resounded with the sound of the church- bells rung in his honour. The crowd surged with joy and thronged to have a glimpse of his face. They worshipped him as a hero.
(v) What do you think of the crowd mentality ?
Answer: The poem illustrates the fickle-mindedness of the crowd. The crowd welcomed the patriot a year ago. They worshipped him as a hero when he came back after his grand victory. His path was strewn with fragrant roses. They were mad in their zeal and enthusiasm. The church-bells were rung in his honour. But just after a year he has been arrested for some misdeeds and is being led to the gallows. The same people who thronged to have a glimpse of his face a year ago have now gone to the Shambles’ Gate or quite near the scaffold to have a better view of his execution. The same people have proved to be fickle-minded.
The Patriot Assignment
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead.
Paid by the world, what dost thou owe “Me?” – God might question; now instead,
‘Tis God shall repay : I am safer so.
(i) Explain : ‘Thus I entered, and thus I go !’
(ii) What would have happened if the patriot had died in excess of joy at his tumultuous welcome after his grand victory ?
(iii) What thought makes him feel ‘safer’ ?
(iv) ‘I am safer so’. What irony is involved here ?
(v) Is the patriot’s optimism unrealistic ? What do you think about it ?
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
I go in the rain, and, more than needs,
A rope cuts both my wrists behind;
And I think, by the feel, my forehead bleeds,
For they fling, whoever has a mind,
Stones at me for my year’s misdeeds.
(i) What treatment is meted out to the patriot by the people after a year ?
(ii) Explain the line :
‘And I think, by the feel, my forehead bleeds’.
(iii) Why has the speaker fallen on evil days ?
(iv) How was the speaker treated by the people a year ago ?
(v) Where is he being led to ? How does he console himself ?
Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
(i) How does the poet describe the world of nature ?
Answer: The poet describes the natural beauty of the sunset. The free bird (suggestive of a white American) leaps on the back of the wind, that is, he flies and sways with the wind in the evening against the orange sky. He has the right to claim the sky. As he flies, he dips his wings downstream.
(ii) What is the symbolic significance of the sun, sky and wind here ?
Answer: The sun, the sky and the wind symbolically represent freedom, free space and power respectively.
(iii) Describe the image of the bird as presented in this stanza.
Answer: The poet describes the free bird which leaps on the back of the wind, that is, he flies and sways with the wind in the evening against the orange sky. As he flies, he dips his wings downstream. The description creates the image of the free bird.
(iv) What is the free bird metaphor for ?
Answer: The free bird is a metaphor for the white American. The white American, like the free bird, enjoys all the freedom, privileges, luxuries and leisure.
(v) How does the caged bird behave and why ?
Answer: The caged bird can hardly move in his narrow cage and see through his ‘bars of rage’. He is in anger but is helpless. He only opens his mouth to sing, as no one can stop him from doing so. Thus the caged bird cannot have a glimpse of the sky. He behaves in this way because his wings are clipped and his feet are tied.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
(i) What does the free bird ‘claim’, and why ?
Answer: The free bird that leaps on the back of the wind, flies and sways with the wind in the evening against the orange sky. He claims the sky as he flies and dips his wings downstream.
(ii) How does the encaged bird behave ?
Answer: The encaged bird feels miserable in the cage. He can hardly move in his narrow cage and see through his ‘bars of rage’. He is very angry but is helpless. He only opens his mouth to sing as no one can stop him from doing so. Thus the caged bird cannot have a glimpse of the sky.
(iii) Is his state of captivity natural ? Why / Why not ?
Answer: No. The caged bird is a metaphor of African-American who does not have the same liberty and equality as the white American has. The African-American faces racial discrimination in America. He is denied basic rights. There are several restrictions on him in the society. Thus his state of captivity is not natural. He is forced to live in captivity.
(iv) What do ‘bars of rage’ stand for ?
Answer: The caged bird is kept in a cage which is made of metal or wooden bars. These bars prevent his free movement. When he is denied free movement, he gets angry. (Here it stands for restrictions and discriminations). The caged bird can hardly move in his narrow cage and see through the ‘bars of rage’. So he is angry but helpless.
(v) What does the encaged bird sing about ?
Answer: The encaged bird sings about freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom. His song contains his longing for freedom and equality. The poet means to say that the black Americans long for freedom and equality. They oppose restrictions imposed on them. They hate suppression.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
(i) How does the poet reveal the plight of the encaged bird ?
Answer: The encaged bird is afraid of many unknown things. His condition is miserable. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. He can hardly move in his cage and see through the bars of rage. He is angry but helpless. Though he is afraid, he gives expression to his dream of freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom.
(ii) What is the encaged bird fearful of ?
Answer: The encaged bird is fearful of many unknown things. But this fear does not prevent him from giving expression to his dream of freedom.
(iii) ‘His tune is heard on the distant hill’. Explain.
Answer: Though the encaged bird is afraid of many unknown fears, he does not stop from giving expression to his dream of freedom. His voice is heard far and wide as he sings of freedom.
Here the poet wants to convey that the voice of the oppressed people, their longings and aspirations cannot be suppressed. No fear can stifle his voice; rather his voice is now heard in distant countries.
(iv) What do you mean by ‘fearful trill of things unknown’ ?
Answer: The encaged bird is fearful of many unknown things, but still he gives expression to his dream of freedom. The poet means to say that the African- American (the encaged bird) leads a fearful life because he is a victim of oppression, exploitation, racism, inequality and discrimination. Though fearful, he continues to give expression to his dream of freedom.
(v) What idea do you get about the African- American from this stanza ?
Answer: We find that the voice of the oppressed people, their longings and aspirations cannot be suppressed. No fear can stifle this voice; rather this voice is now heard in distant countries. Though he is fearful of many unknown fears, he continues to give expression to his dream of freedom and equality.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
(i) How is the free bird described earlier in the context ?
Answer: The free bird is shown to be freely floating on the back of the wind and enjoying everything. He feels as if he were the owner of the whole sky.
(ii) In what way is the encaged bird different from the free bird ?
Answer: Unlike the free bird who has freedom to dream and be happy, the encaged bird lives on the grave of his dreams, that is, his dreams are dead.
(iii) Explain : ‘But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams.’
Answer: The encaged bird cannot have any freedom. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. He is different from the free bird who has no restrictions on his movement.
(iv) What does the encaged bird sing about ?
Answer: The encaged bird sings about freedom and equality.
(v) What does the poet actually want to convey through the use of her metaphorical birds ?
Answer: The poet wants to convey that the suppressed and oppressed, especially the black Americans, do not enjoy equal rights and opportunities of growth in any field. They face many discriminations and hardships in life.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Assignment
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own.
(i) Which Tors of rage’ put restrictions on the movements of the encaged bird ?
(ii) What is the significance of the phrase ‘another breeze’ here ?
(iii) What do ‘trade winds’ and ‘fat worms’ symbolise ?
(iv) Why does ‘he names the sky his own’ ?
(v) How does the poet use the contrast between the two birds to reveal racism in American society ?
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
(i) What was the poet doing ? In what sense was he like a floating cloud ?
Answer: The poet was wandering idly. Like a cloud freely floating over hills and valleys, he was wandering freely without any purpose. He was as lonely as the cloud in the sky.
(ii) What pleasant sight attracted his attention ?
Answer: A beautiful sight of daffodils attracted his attention. The golden daffodils were in a large number, growing under the trees and spreading along the bank of a lake.
(iii) Why does the poet compare himself to an object of nature and an object of nature to a human being ?
Answer: The poet does so in order to convey the idea that there is an inherent unity between man and nature.
(iv) The poet later uses a simile to describe the beauty of the daffodils. What is that simile ?
Answer: The poet later uses a simile to compare the beauty of the daffodils to the beauty of the twinkling stars in the Milky Way in the sky. He also uses the simile to underline the large number of daffodils, comparable to the numerous stars in the Galaxy.
(v) Whom did the daffodils seem to surpass in vigour and liveliness ?
Answer: The daffodils seemed to dance in the gentle breeze. The waves in the lake, too seemed to dance in the wind. However, their dance was surpassed by the dance of the daffodils in vigour and liveliness.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay :
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
(i) Why does the poet compare the daffodils to the stars ?
Answer: The poet compares the daffodils to the stars in order to underline the large number and the beauty of the flowers.
(ii) ‘They stretched in never-ending line’. Explain.
Answer: The poet wants to say that the daffodils growing beside the lake seemed to form an endless line. He wants to emphasize the large number of daffodils.
(iii) Explain the lines :
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
Answer: The daffodils growing beside the lake seemed to form an endless line. They were in a very large number. They tossed their heads to and fro in the breeze as if they were engaged in a lively dance.
(iv) “Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.” What literary device has the poet used here ? Explain.
Answer: Personification. The daffodils are personified as human beings ‘dancing’ and tossing their heads. This personfication underlines the inherent unity between man and nature.
(v) When does the sight of daffodils come to the poet’s mind later in the poem ? What does he get by recollecting that sight of daffodils ?
Answer: When the poet is in a sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens when he is all alone. The recollection of the sight of daffodils fills the poet’s mind with joy. His heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee :
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company :
I gazed-and gazed-but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought:
(i) How had the poet described the daffodils earlier in the poem ?
Answer: The poet had described the daffodils as golden. They had grown under the trees near the lake. The flowers were beautiful and they tossed their heads in breeze as if in a dance. They were in large numbers.
(ii) Whose waves had the poet in mind ? What did he notice about them ?
Answer: The waves in the lake were in the poet’s mind. He noticed that they were shining and dancing in the breeze.
(iii) Why does the poet compare the dance of the daffodils to that of the waves ?
Answer: The poet compares the dance of the daffodils to that of the waves in order to point out that the dance of the daffodils surpassed the dance of the waves. He wants to say that the dance of the daffodils was more lively than that of the waves.
(iv) Who could not help being happy in the presence of the beautiful objects of nature ?
Answer: The poet feels that no sensitive person could help feeling delighted in the company of such joyful companions (the beautiful objects of nature). He recalls how he continued to gaze at the beautiful scene. He could not think what wealth of joy had brought to him.
(v) What ‘wealth’ has the poet referred to here ? When did he realize its worth ?
Answer: ‘Wealth’ here is referred to the great joy that the poet got by continuously looking at the beautiful sight of daffodils. Whenever the poet felt sad, the beautiful scene of daffodils flashed across his mind and filled it with joy. Then he realized the true worth of the beautiful sight of daffodils.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
(i) Who are ‘they’ referred to in the third line here ? When had the poet come across them ?
Answer: They are the beautiful daffodils that the poet had seen earlier.
The poet and his sister Dorothy had come across a large number of golden daffodils ‘ during a walk in the woods.
(ii) What makes the poet become happy again ?
Answer: Whenever the poet lies on his couch in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens when he is all alone. Then the memory of the beautiful scene makes the poet become happy again.
(iii) Explain the phrase ‘the bliss of solitude’ in the context in which it has been used.
Answer: The poet had once come across a large number of beautiful daffodils. The sight of the beautiful daffodils had a great impact on his mind. But now whenever the poet lies on his couch in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. But this happens only in solitude. The memory of the beautiful scene of daffodils removes his sadness and makes him happy again. Thus, solitude is a great blessing because in solitude, the poet recollects the beautiful scene of daffodils and feels happy.
(iv) Explain :
“And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”
Answer: The poet says that whenever he recollects the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier, it fills his heart with joy. The memory of the beautiful scene makes him so happy that his heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils.
(v) What do you think is the message of the poet conveyed through these lines ?
Answer: The poet says that whenever he is in a free or sad mood, the beautiful scene of daffodils seen by him earlier flashes across his mind. This happens only in solitude. The memory of the beautiful scene of daffodils fills the poet’s mind with joy. Then his heart begins to dance with the dancing daffodils. Thus, the poet conveys a message that nature has the power to remove our melancholy mood and make us happy.
Daffodils Assignment
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
(i) What does the poet refer to in the previous stanza ? What is the figure of speech used in the first line ? Explain the figure of speech.
(ii) Explain the expression ‘in sprightly dance’.
(iii) ‘Ten thousand saw I at a glance.’ Why does the poet use the number ‘ten thousand’ ? What literary device is used here, and why ?
(iv) What was peculiar about the dance of the daffodils ?
(v) Why does the sight of daffodils come to the poet’s mind later in the poem ?
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
(i) Who are ‘we’ referred to in the first line here ?
Answer: ‘We’ refers to the poet and the persons of his opinion.
(ii) Who are being addressed to by the poet ?
Answer: The poet addresses the parents to convince their children about the negative impact of watching television on their minds.
(iii) What is the idiotic thing ? Why is it called idiotic ?
Answer: Television. It is called idiotic because it makes the viewers dull, stupid and idiotic.
(iv) What is the advice of the poet ?
Answer: The poet advises that children should not be allowed to watch the programmes on the television.
(v) Is there any relevance of this advice in our present-day world ?
Answer: His advice seems to be an exaggerated one. In the present-day world, the new generation gets every type of knowledge, information and entertainment from television. The viewers get visual as well as auditory pleasure. Though Dahl’s viewpoint has been endorsed by several emiment persons, it is generally rejected by the new generation. Thus Dahl’s advice has only a few takers these days.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
(i) What advice is given by the poet to the parents earlier in the context ?
Answer: The poet advises the parents to convince their children about the negative impact of watching television on their minds. He tells them that television is an idiotic box. It makes the viewers dull and stupid. So children should not be allowed to view the programmes on television.
(ii) How has the poet described the television?
Answer: The poet calls the television ‘an idiot box’ because it makes the viewers stupid and dull. So the children should not be allowed to view the programmes on television.
(iii) What has been observed in every house ?
Answer: It has been observed that children sit or stand before the television set lazily and stare at the screen continuously. They go on watching television until their eyes seem to come out.
(iv) When do eyes pop out ?
Answer: When the children stare at the screen continuously, their eyes seem to pop out.
(v) Which figure of speech has been used in the last two lines, and how ?
Answer: Metaphor : we saw/A dozen eyeballs on the floor.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
They sit and stare and stare and sit Until they’re hypnotised by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch And wash the dishes in the sink —
(i) Who are being addressed to in the poem ? Why ?
Answer: The parents whose children watch television excessively have been addressed to in the poem. It is the parents who will convince their children about the negative impact of watching television on their minds.
(ii) What is the poet’s main concent ?
Answer: The poet’s main concern is that those children who watch television continuously for a long time tire their eyes. Their eyes seem to bulge out. When they go on staring at the television screen, they seem to be hypnotised. But what they get out of this activity is useless and harmful stuff.
(iii) Explain the phrase ‘that shocking ghastly junk’.
Answer: When children stare at the television screen in order to watch the programmes, they get hypnotised by the programmes. But what they get is frightening, useless and harmful stuff. The programmes on the television contain horrible and meaningless contents.
(iv) Why do the parents let their children watch television uninterrupted ?
Answer: The parents let their children watch television uninterrupted because they remain quiet and do not disturb them.
They do not climb out of the windows and they do not fight with one another. They leave their parents free to cook lunch or wash utensils lying in the sink.
(v) How does television watching make the children dull ?
Answer: Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots their minds and fill them with useless thoughts. It destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes children dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. Their brains become soft and they lose the power to think and imagine things.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot ?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
(i) Why do the parents let their children watch television for long ?
Answer: The parents let their children watch television for long so that they remain quiet and do not disturb them. They do not climb out of the windows. They also do not fight with one another. They leave their parents free to cook lunch or wash utensils lying in the sink.
(ii) What harm does television watching do to the mental powers of the children ?
Answer: Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots the minds of the children and fills them with useless thoughts. It destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes children dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. Their brains become soft and they lose the power to think and imagine things.
(iii) How does television watching make children unimaginative ?
Answer: Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots the minds of the children and destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes the children dull and they lose the power to imagine things. Thus it makes them unimaginative.
(iv) What is the activity, referred to later in the poem, that sharpens the brain ?
Answer: Reading books is a fruitful activity. It makes the minds of the children active. It helps them think new thoughts. It sharpens the brain.
(v) Do you agree with the poet that television kills our imagination ? Why / Why not ?
Answer: The poet is right in saying that television kills our imagination. Television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It rots our minds and fills them with useless thoughts. It destroys our imaginative faculty. It makes us dull as we cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. We lose the power to think and imagine things.
5. Read the extract given below and answer
the questions that follow :
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK – HE ONLY SEES!
(i) What advice has the poet given to the parents earlier in the context ?
Answer: The. poet has advised the parents not to allow their children to watch television.
(ii) Why do the parents let their children watch the television ?
Answer: The parents let their children watch television to get freedom to do domestic chores and to keep them busy so that they may not do any mischief.
(iii) How does the television kill imagination ?
Answer: When we watch television we are not actively engaged with the stuff we watch. We receive the material passively. We do not think or imagine. Slowly television kills our imagination. We accept only what we see.
(iv) What harm does the television do ?
Answer: The television makes us dull, unimaginative. We no longer possess original thinking. We do not go beyond what we see on the screen.
(v) Do you agree with what the poet says ? Why / Why not ?
Answer: We do not fully agree with the poet. Controlled TV watching can be beneficial rather than harmful.
6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘All right!’ you’ll cry. ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,’
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children ? Please explain !’
(i) What important lesson does the poet say he has learnt at the start of the poem ?
Answer: The poet says that he has learnt an important lesson about television. It is that television is an idiot-box. It makes the viewers stupid and dull.
(ii) Describe some of the scenes that the poet says he has seen in houses which have televisions.
Answer: The poet says that he saw children sitting or standing before the TV, watching lazily. A week ago he saw a dozen eyeballs of the children lying on the floor due to excessive TV watching (an exaggeration to create humour).
(iii) List the ways in which television viewing affects the mind of a ‘beloved tot’.
Answer: Television watching blocks fresh thinking. It rots the minds of the children and destroys their imaginative faculty. It makes them dull.
(iv) What other activity does the poet recommend to entertain children ? Mention two ways in which this activity would benefit them.
Answer: The poet recommends reading of books on adventure fantasy for the children. Such books would entertain them. Reading of books would sharpen their brain and it would help them think new thoughts. It would also give them entertainment.
(v) What does the poet advise readers to do at the end of the poem ? What does he assure them would happen if they followed his suggestion ? What would you say is the central idea in this poem ?
Answer: The poet advises the readers to throw away the television set and in its place install a bookshelf and fill in with books. The central idea of the poem is that excessive TV watching is very harmful. It should be replaced by reading of books.
7. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Have you forgotten ? Don’t you know ?
We’ll say it very loud and slow :
THEY … USED … TO … READ! They’d READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
(i) What is the parents’ response to the poet’s advice to them about their children watching television ?
Answer: The parents’ response to the poet’s advice is not very positive. They will ask the poet that if the television set is removed there will be no means left with them to entertain their children. They do not know how to entertain them.
(ii) What does the poet remind them of ?
Answer: The poet reminds them that as children they used to read and read. The nursery shelves were full of books. They would spend half of their lives reading books. Reading books was the only and the main source of entertainment in the past.
(iii) What did the books which were placed in the rooms of children contain ?
Answer: The books contained wonderful stories about huge monsters, gypsies, queens, princesses, whales and treasure islands.
(iv) Why does the poet use all capital letters in the line : ‘THEY … USED … TO … READ!’ ?
Answer: The poet uses all the capital letters in this line to emphasize the importance of reading as a substitute to watching television. The poet wants to remind the parents that as children they used to read and read and read.
(v) Why does the poet recommend reading of books to the children ?
Answer: The poet recommends reading of books because reading activates the minds of the readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It also entertains the children. It is, in fact, a very fruitful activity.
8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
(i) What anxiety has the poet shown regarding the watching of television by the children ?
Answer: The poet expresses his anxiety by saying that watching of television blocks the fresh thinking of children. It rots the minds of children. It destroys their imaginative facutly. It makes them dull as they cannot distinguish between the real and the fantastic. It hampers their power to think and imagine things.
(ii) What does he want children to do ?
Answer: The poet wants children to give up
watching television and start reading books. The poet exhorts the children to read books which contain wonderful stories. He tells them that books will provide them entertainment.
(iii) In what way is reading of books better than watching television ?
Answer: Reading of books is better than watching television because it activates the minds of the readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It also entertains them. In fact, it is a fruitful activity. On the other hand, television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking. It makes the children dull. It destroys their imaginative faculty.
(iv) What kinds of stories captivated the young minds in the past ?
Answer: The stories that told about huge monsters, gypsies, queens, princesses, whales and treasure islands captivated the young minds in the past. The stories about elephants and the cannibals also fascinated the young minds in the past.
(v) Do you agree with the poet that reading is . better than TV watching ? Why / Why not ? Answer: Yes, the poet is right in saying so because reading activates the minds of the readers.
It helps them to think new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It also provides them entertainment. In fact, it is a fruitful activity. On the other hand, television watching is a passive activity. It blocks fresh thinking and makes children dull. It destroys their imaginative faculty.
9. Read the extract given below and answer
the questions that follow :
And cannibals crouching ’round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it’s Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
(i) Why has the poet recommended reading books to children ?
Answer: Reading of books activates the minds of readers. It helps the children to think about new thoughts. It sharpens their brains and their imaginative faculty. It provides entertainment to the children. It is a fruitful activity.
(ii) What kinds of stories interested the children in the past ?
Answer: The stories about huge monsters, gypsies, queens and princesses, whales and treasure islands interested the children in the past. The stories about elephants and cannibals fascinated the children.
(iii) What dish did the cannibals eat in the stories ?
Answer: The cannibals ate a very sweet smelling dish named after Penelop who was the faithful wife of great Greek hero Odysseus.
(iv) Who was Beatrix Potter ? Why was he popular with children ?
Answer: Beatrix Potter was a British writer who was famous for his animal stories. He was popular with children because he told the stories about Mr Tod and his dirty dog, the squirrel Nutkin, the small pig named Bland or about Mrs Tiggy-Winkle. These stories were very fascinating. They were about camel’s getting the hump on his back or about the monkey losing the rear part of his hairy body.
(v) The poet refers to some of the animal characters in the stories of Beatrix Potter. Name a few of them.
Answer: Dog, squirrel, pig, camel, monkey.
Television Assignment
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They’ll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start — oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts.
(i) Who are being addressed to here, and in what context ?
(ii) What action of the parents would evoke protest by their youngsters ?
(iii) What should the parents ignore ?
(iv) Why does the poet use the exclamation – ‘oh boy, oh boy!’ ?
(v) How will the youngsters gain from reading books ?
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
They’ll wonder what they’d ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid Will love you more for what you did.
(i) How would the children react in the absence of the television set ?
(ii) How would they come to entertain themselves ?
(iii) What would fill their minds with joy ?
(iv) What change would occur in their minds ?
(v) Why is the poet so much against watching television ? Give two reasons.
Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers After Blenheim
After Blenheim Comprehension Passages
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
It was a summer evening,
Old Kaspar’s work was done,
And he before his cottage door
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
(i) What kind of situation is presented here ?
Answer: The situation described here is common place and familiar. It was a summer evening. An old man Kasper having finished his day’s work was sitting before his cottage door. His little granddaughter Wilhelmine was playing near him on the green grass.
(ii) Where was the old man sitting ? What mood was he in ?
Answer: The old man was sitting before his cottage door. He was in a quiet and calm mood.
(iii) Who were two grandchildren of old Kaspar ? What do you think of them ?
Answer: 1. His granddaughter named Wilhelmine.
2. His grandson named Peterkin.
The two grandchildren of Kaspar were inquisitive and curious as they wanted to know about the war fought at Blenheim. They were eager to know why it was fought.
(iv) How did Kaspar react when his grandchildren wanted to know about the war fought at Blenheim ? Whom did people give credit for the victory ?
Answer: Kaspar was puzzled and said that he only knew that the English defeated the French badly and that it was a ‘famous’ victory. He told the children that the people gave credit to the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene for the victory.
(v) Why were they confused about the claims of their grandfather about the war ?
Answer: When their grandfather told them that it was a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory of the English over the French in a battle fought at a small village named Blenheim, they were confused. They did not understand why their grandfather was calling it a ‘great’ victory when so many people had died in the war. When his granddaughter told him that war was a wicked thing, he tried to correct her by saying that it was a ‘famous’ victory. When his grandson asked him about the outcome of the war, he again repeated that ‘it was a famous victory.’ Thus the children remained confused about the claims of their grandfather.
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round,
Which he beside the rivulet In playing there had found;
He came to ask what he had found,
That was so large, and smooth, and round.
(i) Whose family has been referred to earlier in the context ?
Answer: The family of an old man, named Kaspar, has been referred to earlier in the context. Kaspar has two grandchildren – a grand daughter named Wilhelmine and a grandson named Peterkin.
(ii) Who was Wilhelmine ? What was she doing ?
Answer: Wilhelmine was the granddaughter of Kaspar. She was playing on the green grass near her cottage.
(iii) What did she see Peterkin doing ?
Answer: She saw her brother Peterkin rolling something that was large and round.
(iv) Why had he come home ?
Answer: He had been playing near a rivulet. While playing he had discovered a thing by the side of a rivulet. The thing was large and round. He did not know what it was. He had brought home that thing by rolling it. He had come home to know what it was.
(v) What did his grandfather tell him ?
Answer: His grandfather looked at the thing, shook his head in sorrow and sighed. He told him that it was somebody’s skull. The person must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim. He called the battle a ‘great victory’. He was proud of the victory won by the English over the French.
3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow : (ICSE 2018)
And then the old man shook his head,
And with a natural sigh
“Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” said he,
“Who fell in the great victory.”
(After Blenheim, Robert Southey)
(i) Who is the old man ? What causes him to sigh ?
Answer: The old man is Kasper, a farmer. The memory of the past causes him to sigh. When he went to plough in his field, he dug many skulls out of the earth. They were the skulls of those thousands of men who were killed in the battle of Blenheim.
(ii) What incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim ?
Answer: The old man’s grandson had brought somebody’s skull. The person whose skull he brought must have been killed in the battle at Blenheim. The incident prompted the old man to give an account of the Battle of Blenheim.
(iii) How did the battle affect the old man’s family ?
Answer: The old man’s father lived at Blenheim. His house was burnt down and he had to flee with his family. Thus the battle badly affected the oldman’s family.
(iv) Name the two countries that fought each other in the battle. Which army won ? What reason does the old man give for the victory ?
Answer: England and France fought each other in the battle. The English army won the battle. According to the old man, England won the battle due to the joint strategy of the Duke of Marlbrough, Prince Eugene and the English military commanders.
(v) Point out the refrain in the poem. What effect does the refrain have on the reader ? What do you think is the poet’s attitude to war ?
Answer: The refrain in the poem is :
‘It was a famous victory’
It has ironic effect on the readers. The poet is against war because war causes bloodshed, death and destruction on a very large scale.
4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
7 find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;
And often when I go to plough,
The ploughshare turns them out!
For many thousand men,’ said he,
‘Were slain in that great victory.’
(i) Peterkin had brought something home earlier in the context. What was that ?
Answer: Peterkin had been playing near a rivulet. While playing he had discovered a thing by the side of a rivulet. He had brought it home. The thing was large and round. It was the skull of somebody who must have died in the battle at Blenheim.
(ii) What was told by the old man ?
Answer: The old man told him that it was somebody’s skull. He must have died in the battle fought at Blenheim.
(iii) What is the irony used in the last two lines here ?
Answer: The old man told Peterkin that thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. The English had won victory over the French in the battle. Kaspar who was on the side of the English boasted of the victory. Though thousands of men were killed in the battle, Kaspar called it a ‘great victory’. The irony lies in the use of the words ‘great victory.’
(iv) How did Wilhelmine react to the old man’s description of the war ?
Answer: The old man told his grandchildren that though thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim, it was a great victory of the English over the French. Wilhelmine, the little girl, disagreed with him and said that war was nothing but ‘a wicked thing’, but the old man tried to correct her by saying that it was a ‘famous victory’.
(v) What do you think of the old man’s point of view ?
Answer: The old man’s point of view is obsolete, conservative and narrow. He admits that thousands of men were killed in the battle of Blenheim. His father’s house was burnt down and he had to flee with his family. He had no place to take shelter. The war caused ruin and destruction in every part of the country. Still he boasted of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly called it a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory. It is ironical to say that though thousands of men died in the war, it was a great victory. Thus the old man’s point of view is conventional and outdated.
5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘Now tell us what ’twas all about,’
Young Peterkin, he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up With wonder-waiting eyes;
‘Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for ?’
(i) What was the curiosity in young Peterkin’s mind ?
Answer: Peterkin who had brought home a large round thing that he had found while playing near a rivulet was curious to know what it was.
(ii) Explain the expression ‘wonder-waiting eyes’.
Answer: The young Peterkin brought home somebody’s skull. He was anxious to know all about the incident connected with the skull. Wilhelmine, too, looked at the skull with surprise and wanted to know all about the war. The expression ‘wonder-waiting eyes’ refers to Wilhelmine’s surprise and her eagerness to get a reply from her grandfather.
(iii) “What they fought each other for ?” This is the most puzzling question in the context of all wars. Explain.
Answer: The young Peterkin and his little sister are eager to know all about the war and what they (the English and the French) fought for. The children want to know the reason for the war. Kaspar simply says that it was the English who defeated the French and that it was a famous victory, but he does not know what they fought for. He simply boasted of the victory. His point of view is conventional and outdated. It was a puzzling question at that time. In fact, it is a puzzling question in the context of all wars.
(iv) What answer did the old man provide ?
Answer: When Peterkin and Wilhelmine wanted to know all about the war and asked the old man what they (the English and the French) fought for, he had no cogent answer. He boasted of the victory of the English over the French and repeatedly said that it was a ‘famous’ and ‘great’ victory. He only repeated what people generally said. His point of view is conventional and not his own.
(v) Why did the old man’s reply fail to satisfy the young children ?
Answer: When the young children wanted to know all about the war and asked the old man what they (the English and the French) fought each other for, the old man boasted of the victory of the English over the French and replied that it was a great victory. When little Wilhelmine told him that war was nothing but a wicked thing he weakly asserted that she was wrong and that it was indeed a . ‘famous victory’. The old man’s reply failed to satisfy the young children because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man’s response to war was conventional and outdated. Thus the old man’s conventional point of view failed to satisfy the young children.
6. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘It was the English,’ Kaspar cried,
‘Who put the French to rout;
But what they fought each other for,
I could not well make out;
But everybody said,’ quoth he,
‘That ’twas a famous victory’.
(i) What had Kaspar told about the battle of Blenheim before in the context ?
Answer: Kaspar had told the children that the battle of Blenheim had been fought between the English and the French. The English had defeated the French badly and it was a ‘great’ and ‘famous’ victory of the English over the French. Though thousands of men had died in the war, it was a ‘famous’ victory.
(ii) What was the query posed to him by the young Peterkin ? What did he reply ?
Answer: The young Peterkin asked his grandfather to tell him what they (the English and the French) had fought for in the battle of Blenheim. He simply replied what people generally said that it was a ‘famous victory’ of the English over the French.
(iii) Why is the word ‘cried’ used by the poet in the first line ?
Answer: The word ‘cried’ is used because Kaspar wants to shout loudly in order to emphasize that the English had defeated the French badly and that it was a famous victory.
(iv) What did Kaspar tell about the ‘famous victory’ ? In what sense was it famous ?
Answer: Kaspar told his grandchildren that the English defeated the French in the battle of Blenheim and that though thousands of men were killed in war, it was a famous victory. In fact, Kaspar repeated what the people generally said that it was a famous victory. It was ‘famous’ because people praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene and the English commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the victory and repeated what people generally said that it was a famous victory.
(v) What could Kaspar not make out ?
Answer: Kaspar’s response to war. was conventional and not his own. Though thousands of men were killed, women became widows and children became orphans in the battle of Blenheim, people praised the Duke of Marlbrough and the Prince Eugene and the English Commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of this grand victory. He could not make out that war caused deaths, destruction and ruin and therefore repeated what people generally said.
7. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little stream hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.
(i) Old Kaspar told his grandchildren about the ‘famous victory’ earlier in the context. What was it ?
Answer: Kaspar told his grandchildren that the English defeated the French in the battle of Blenheim and that though thousands of men were killed in war, it was a famous victory. In fact, Kaspar repeated what the people generally said that it was a famous victory. It was famous because people praised the Duke of Marlbrough, the Prince Eugene and English military commanders for having a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the victory and repeated what people generally said.
(ii) What were the results of the ‘great victory’ ?
Answer: The great victory of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim resulted in the deaths of thousands of men, women and children. The old man’s father lived at Blenheim. His house was burnt down, and he had to flee with his family. The war, won by the English, caused widespread ruin and destruction.
(iii) How was the ‘great victory’ a personal tragedy for Kaspar family ?
Answer: The ‘great victory’ of the English over the French in the battle of Blenheim was a personal tragedy for Kaspar family because the house of Kaspar’s father was burnt down. He had to flee with his family. He had no place to take shelter. It ruined Kaspar’s family.
(iv) What made Kaspar praise a horrible incident ?
Answer: The battle of Blenheim between the English and the French was a horrible • incident because thousands of men, women and children were killed. But Kaspar praised that war because the English defeated the French and he called it a great victory. People praised the Duke of Marlbrough, the Prince Eugene and the English military commanders for having won a grand victory. So Kaspar also boasted of the grand victory and repeated what people generally said. Moreover, his response to war was conventional and not his own. So he praised the war, though it was a horrible incident.
(v) Why did his children fail to understand his viewpoint ?
Answer: Kaspar boasted of the victory of the English over French in the battle of Blenheim and called it a famous victory. In fact, he repeated what people generally said that it was a famous victory. When Wilhelmine told her grandfather that war was nothing but a wicked thing, he weakly asserted that she was wrong and that it was, indeed, a ‘great victory’. The children failed to understand the old man’s viewpoint because their response to war was natural and instinctive whereas the old man’s response was conventional and outdated.
8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘And everybody praised the Duke Who this great fight did win.’
‘But what good came of it at last ?’
Quoth little Peterkin.
‘Why that I cannot tell,’ said he,
‘But ’twas a famous victory.’
(i) What is this conversation about ?
Answer: This conversation is about the battle fought at Blenheim and its horrible consequences.
(ii) Which is the ‘great fight’ referred to here ? Who won it ?
Answer: The ‘great fight’ referred to here is the Battle of Blenheim fought between the English and the French. The English, along with the Austrians and the Bavarians, won the battle.
(iii) What is Peterkin’s query, and what has prompted it ?
Answer: Peterkin wanted to know what good came out of the war at last. The question cropped up in his mind when his grandfather Kaspar continued to praise the war despite its widespread ruin and destruction and mass casualties.
(iv) What is the response of Old Kaspar ?
Answer: The response of Old Kaspar is that he does not know what good came out of the war, but he still feels it was ‘a famous victory’.
(v) What is it that makes the poet’s antiwar stance effective here ?
Answer: The old man fails to satisfy his grandchildren as to why the war was fought and what good came of it. This stark failure on his part brings about the horrors of war, and strengthens the poet’s anti-war stance felt throughout the poem.
After Blenheim Assignment
1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.
(i) Who is the speaker ? What did he describe in the preceding lines ?
(ii) How was the country affected by the war ?
(iii) What is most tragic about the war hinted here ?
(iv) Why and how did the speaker try to justify the war ?
(v) Do you agree with his justification of the war ? Why/Why not ?
2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;
But things like that, you know, must be
After a famous victory.
(i) Who is the speaker ? What is he telling about ?
(ii) What did the people say about the war ?
(iii) Bring out the irony inherent in the speaker’s utterance.
(iv) What is the rhyme scheme followed in the poem ?
(v) Comment upon the contrasted viewpoints in the poem.
