ncert questions and answers for class 12

Question :
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day ?
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day ?
3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board ?
Answer:
1. Franz was expected to be prepared with lesson on participles because his teacher M. Hamel had said that he would ask them questions about it.
2. Usually there used to be a great hustle and bustle and noise. But that day Franz noticed that it was all so still, calm and quiet.
3. It was put up on the bulletin-board by Germans that only German could be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine in France
Question 1.
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day ?
Answer :
The order from Berlin was that only German language would be taught in the schools of Aslace and Lorraine in France. These two districts had
passed into Prussian hands. It was the last day of the French teacher M. Hamel in the school. French will no more be taught in the school. So M.
Hamel was leaving the school next day. M. Hamel had put on his fine Sunday clothes. The old men of the village were sitting there in the back of
the room. It was their way of thanking M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service. The children now taught the French language and the books
written in that language as old friends.
Question 2.
How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change ?
Answer:
Franz felt sorry for not learning his lessons in French any more. His books that had seemed such a nuisance a short while ago, which he found
so heavy to carry seemed to him old friends now that he could not give up. Franz’s feelings about his French teacher M. Hamel also were
changed. The idea that he was going away, that he (Franz) should never see him again, made Franz forget all about his teacher’s ruler and how
cranky or slightly eccentric he was.
me as a peal of thunder. Franz and others felt sorry for not learning their lessons in French.
His books like French grammar and history of the saints which seemed a nuisance, a short while ago, looked like old friends now that he could
not give up. The old men of the village sitting there in the back of the room had felt sorry about it. The people realised that they must protect the
French language – the most beautiful language of the world, the clearest and most logical. The feeling that they would be deprived of learning
French made them suddenly realise that how precious their language was to them.
Question 2.
Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons”? What could this mean ? (There could be more than one answer).
Answer:

The order from Berlin that only German language would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine in France had a severe reaction from the
people. Though they could not express their grudge openly, yet even little boy Franz felt, “Will they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons” ? When they were having a lesson in writing, there was pindrop silence.
Once some beetles flew in; but nobody paid any attention to them, not even the littlest ones, who worked right on tracing their fish-hooks, as if
that was French too. Then on the roof the pigeons cooled very low and little Franz thought that would they make them sing in German, even the
pigeons.It shows that though the human beings could be forced to learn a language which is not their own language, yet the birds are free from
such pressures. They cannot be forced to sing in a particular way. That way birds are more free than the helpless human beings.
Question 1.
What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps ? Where is he and where has he come from ?
Answer:
Saheb is looking for or trying to find valuable things or money in the garbage dumps. He is in Delhi living at Seemapuri, which is at the outskirts
of Delhi. He has come from Bangladesh.
Question 2.
What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear ?
Answer:
One explanation for the children remaining barefoot is that it is not lack of money but a tradition to remain barefoot. The author feels that this is only an excuse
to explain away a continuous state of poverty.
Question 3.
Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall ? Explain.
Answer:
I do not think Saheb is happy working at the tea-stall. Though he has regular income, yet his face has lost the carefree look and he is no longer
his own master, as the author comments. On this basis we can say that he is not happy working at the tea-stall.
Lost Spring Think as you read (Page 20)
Question 1.
What makes the city of Firozabad famous ?
Answer:
The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.

Question 2.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry ?
Answer:
Working in the glass bangles industry is tedious and unhealthy. They have to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dark cells
without air and light. Working continuously throughout the day under such conditions is too hazardous for the health and eyes, especially for a
large number of children working there. They often lose the brightness of their eyes.
Question 3.
How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family ?
Answer:
Mukesh’s attitude to his situation differs from his family as he wants to be a motor mechanic whereas his family has spent generations working
around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles.
Lost Spring Understanding the text
Question 1.
What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities ?
Answer:
A large number of people are forced to migrate to cities from their villages, looking for various means of livelihood. The land in the villages is
limited for agriculture. When the families grow, they are not able to accommodate all the members in their ancestral agricultural profession. As a
result of it, they go to the cities to earn their livelihood. Sometimes because of frequent natural calamities like storms etc.
which swept away their fields and homes, they are forced to come to big or small cities. However, some villagers also come to the cities being
attracted and fascinated by the facilities which the city life provides. Moreover most of the big industries which provide employment to a large
number of people are in the cities
That is why to seek employment people from villages come there. Many rickshaw pullers and some auto rickshaw drivers also come from the
villages to earn money. Some villagers also start jobs like dairy farming and supply milk in the cities to enhance their incomes.
Question 2.
Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept ? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text ?
Answer:
It is generally seen that promises made to the poor children are most often not kept. For instance, in this lesson the author asks Saheb to go to
school. When Saheb replies that there is no school in the neighbourhood, the author asks him half-jokingly that if she starts a school, then he
would come.

The promises thus made with the poor children are not real or serious or they are made “half-jokingly’. Saheb, like other poor children, takes the
promises made to them seriously, and asks the author if her school is ready. That is why the author says that, ‘But promises like mine abound in
every corner of his bleak world’.
Similarly, promises made to poor children or steps supposed to be taken for their welfare by government or other agencies hardly materialise
either because of lack of sincerity or excuse of having not enough resources.
Question 3.
What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty ?
Answer:
Firozabad is famous for its bangles and bangle industry. There families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass and
making bangles. There are around 20,000 children working in miserable conditions in bangle industry of Firozabad. But the workers involved in
this industry are forced to lead a life of poverty.
They cannot send their children to schools nor they can provide sufficient food for their family-members. Most of them have not enjoyed even
one full meal in their entire lives. It is because the vicious circle of middlemen take most of their profit. They are entrapped throughout their lives
in “a web of poverty” caused by a vicious circle of the moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats and
the politicians. They are entrapped in this web from one generation to another.
Lost Spring Talking about the text
Question 1.
How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream ?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to Firozabad, where every other family is engaged in making bangles. Mukesh’s family also is doing the same job for the last
many generations. But Mukesh does not want to adopt his family profession. Rather, he wants to become a motor mechanic. Mukesh is justified
in thinking so. He has seen that despite working so hard and so steadily under unhealthy and hazardous conditious, his family is so poor that it is
difficult to maintain or provide even the bare necessities of life.
In my opinion, Mukesh can realise his dream of being a motor mechanic because of the indomitable will power and firm determination he seems
to possess. Though his family- members are unlikely to agree to what he wishes to do leaving the long-preserved art of bangles-making, yet I
hope he will be able to overcome the resistance.

He has many reasons to convince his family-members that what he wishes to do is right and ultimately beneficial for him and his family. Besides
economic advantages, Mukesh can convince his family- members that the job of a motor mechanic will be good for his health. Moreover, he
would not face the risk of gradually losing eyesight as he would if he becomes a bangle-maker.
Question 2.
Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer:
It is tedious and unhealthy to do working under unhygenic conditions in the glass bangles industry. They have to work on the furnaces with high
temperature, in dark cells without air and light. Moreover they have to inhale suspended particles of the material used for making bangles.
Working with continuous hours throughout the day and night under such dreary conditions is too hazardous for the health especially for the lungs
and eyes. A large number of children working there are forced to lose their brightness of childhood even.
Question 3.
Why should child labour be eliminated and how ?
Answer:
Child labour is a curse on humanity and civilisation. But unfortunately it has been prevalent in developed, underdeveloped or undeveloped
countries since times immemorial. Not to speak of countries like India, at one time or another it has been prevalent in countries like England a
few centuries ago.
But fortunately now more and more countries are passing laws to eliminate this menace. The worst part is that child labour has been exploited to
a great extent because labour laws were not applicable on them. Moreover the poor and helpless children had been working off the record,
without any protection provided in the labour laws.
For too long a period and even now to some extent, in many industries in India child labour was employed to do various unskilled jobs. Child
labour was engaged in carpet making, ‘beedi’- making, bangles-making and in so many other industries. Now in most of the countries, including
India, child labour has been banned by law. But still there are many kinds of industries where child-labour is engaged.
I think child-labour can be abolished not merely by imposing laws, but also to make the people realise that it is against humanity. A child is
supposed to go to school and develop as a good and useful member of the society. But even this awareness is not enough. We have to realise
why a child is forced to do menial jobs. It is because of poverty. So, not only education of such children should be free, but they should be
provided with other stipends and scholarships also. In any case, they should not be deprived of studying and become worthy of earning when
they grow up.
Question 1.
What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about ?

Answer:
The author William Douglas was sitting on the side of the pool. As there was no one else there, he was waiting for others to come so that he could start
swimming. Then an eighteen-year-old well-built boy picked him up and tossed him into the deep end of the pool.
Question 2.
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool ? What plans did he make to come to
the surface?
Answer:
William Douglas was thrown into the deep waters of the pool by a big boy. He was frightened but not frightened enough to stop thinking. All the
time, despite having fear of drowning, he kept himself mentally alert. He planned that when his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump,
come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. His strategy helped him save his life.
Question 3.
How did this experience affect him ?
Answer:
This experience of the author about to face death, made him bold and strong. This experience wiped out fear and wiped out terror from the
author’s mind. He felt that there was no more panic and it was all quiet and peaceful. He felt that there was nothing to be afraid of.
Deep Water Think as you read (Page 29)
Question 1.
Why was Douglas determined to get over the fear of water ?
Answer:
Douglas felt handicapped because he was afraid of water. That is why he was determined to get over the fear of water and decided to get an
instructor and learn to swim. That was the only way he could get over the fear of water.
Question 2.
How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas ?
Answer:
First of all, the instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on overhead cable. The instructor
held on to the end of the rope, and they went back and forth hour after hour, day after day, week after week. Then the instructor taught Douglas
to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. Douglas repeated the exercise hundreds of times.

Next, the instructor held Douglas at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. He did just that for weeks altogether. Finally, Douglas was
able to command his legs, which firstly refused to work. This is how, piece by piece, the instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas. When the
instructor had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integral whole.
Question 3.
How did. Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror ?
Answer:
To make sure that he has conquered the old terror of water, Douglas tried to swim alone when nobody was around. So, he went to Lake
Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He swam the crawl,
breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Only once the terror returned, but he overcame it successfully for ever in his life.
Deep Water Understanding the text
Question 1.
How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned ? Describe the details that have made the
description vivid.
Answer:
Once William Douglas went to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool when no one else was there. He was fearful about swimming in the pool alone. So he
sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. He had not been there long when a big boy, probably eighteen-year-old, picked him up and threw
him into the deep end of the pool.
He went at once to the bottom. He was frightened, but not yet frightened out of his wits. So, on the way down he planned that when his feet hit
the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.
Douglas did this until he could possibly hit the bottom and try to paddle to the edge. But he went down, down, endlessly. He was gripped with a
sense of panic as he tells us : “And then sheer, stark terror seized me, terror that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror
that no one can understand who has not experienced it.” He was shrieking under water. He was paralysed under water — stiff, rigid with fear.
Even the screams in his heart were frozen. Only his heart, and the pounding in his head, said that he was still alive. This is how Douglas makes
clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned.
Question 2.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water ?
Answer:
William Douglas for a long period remained fearful of water. This handicap deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming. He used

every way he knew to overcome his fear of water, but it overpowered him. Finally, one October, he decided to get an instructor and learn to
swim.
He went to a pool and practised five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor first put a belt around Douglas. A rope attached to the belt
went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope, and they went back and forth. Then the
instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. Then he taught Douglas how to kick in water
with his legs. This is how Douglas learnt swimming step by step.
However to ensure that he has conquered his fear of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire and dived off a dock at Triggs
Island. He swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He swam the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke.
Only once the terror returned to some extent when he was in the middle of the lake. But he overcame it. Yet to clear his doubt, he went up the
Tietan to Canrad Meadows, and camped in the high meadov by the side of Warm Lake. The next morning he dived into the lake and swam
across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy as he had conquered his fear of water.
Question 3.
Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it ? What larger meaning does he draw from this
experience?
Answer:
As ah adult, Douglas recalls a childhood experience of water terror. He wants to analyse the root cause of this fear, which started when he was
three or four years old. Then his father took him to the beach in California. His father and Douglas stood together amidst the waves between the
rocks and the shore.
He hung on to his father, yet the waves knocked him down and pushed him suddenly. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. He was
frightened. Though his father laughed, but there was strong fear in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves. Thus, from the beginning,
however, Douglas had an aversion to the water when he was in it.
The significance of Douglas’s recount of this childhood experience is that it was the basis on which he made his firm mind to overcome this fear.
He draws a larger meaning from this experience that there is terror only in the fear of death. All one has to fear is fear itself. William Douglas had
experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. He was feeling the will to live somehow grew in intensity.
Deep Water Talking about the text

Question 1.
“All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome ? Share your experience with your partner.
Answer:
It is a fact that all we need to fear is fear itself. The only way to conquer fear is to constantly do the things of which we are afraid. We should not
stop doing such things until we completely overcome the fear of those things. I too had cricket phobia till last year. It all started when I was in
fourth standard. I was playing cricket with my friends in the ground of our colony one Sunday afternoon.
I was batting when the cricket ball hit me on my head. I fell unconscious on the ground. It was only after a fortnight that I recovered completely. I
stopped playing cricket afterwards. On the insistence and encouragement of my friends I started playing cricket again last year. I batted while
wearing a helmet. I was afraid while trying to catch the ball also while fielding. But during my spare time, I played cricket only. In this way,
gradually, I was able to overcome my fear of playing cricket.
Question 2.
Find and narrate other stories about conquest of fear and what people have said about courage. For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela’s
struggle ‘ for freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography.
The story We’re Not Afraid To Die, which you have read in Class XI, is an apt example of how courage and optimism helped a family survive
under the direst stress.
Answer:
The history of human beings is full of stories of courage and conquest of fear. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela fought courageously and
struggled strenously to see, their countries free from British empire and to attain independence.
Nelson Mandela remained in jail for a very long time without having any fear of oppression. Maharani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi fought bravely with
the Mughal empire and sacrificed her life, Bhagat Singh, Chandershekhar Azad, Sukhdev and Rajgurh kissed death willingly and happily for the
sake of freedom of their nation. All these people and many many more had conquered fear with courage.
Maharana Pratap, another hero of Indian history, waged tireless war against Mughal supermacy. He fought many heroic battles against the
Mughal army. All through the changing fortunes of the war Udaipur, Maharana’s seat of government, held its head high and refused to
acknowledge supermacy of Akbar.
Udaipur remained unconquered. The story “We’re Not Afraid To Die” is the story of courage and optimism about the voyage of the author
alongwith his family on their boat. ‘Wavewalker’. They faced the alarmingly high sea waves that broke over the ship, injured him and his daughter
Sue. But none of them lost courage. His small ^ children also showed exemplary courage and conviction. Despite extremely odd circumstances,
they were able to save themselves.

Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans: The peddler had been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. It
existed only to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing in the same manner as the rattrap offered
cheese and pork. As soon as someone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.
Q2. Why was he amused by this idea?
Ans: His own life was sad and monotonous. He walked laboriously from place to place. The world had never been kind to him. So, during his
gloomy ploddings, this idea became his favourite pastime. He was amused how people let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare and
how others were still circling around the bait.
Q3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans: The crofter served him porridge for supper and tobacco for his pipe. He also played a game of cards with him till bed time. This hospitality was
unexpected as people usually made sour faces when the peddler asked for shelter.
Q4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans: The crofter’s circumstances and temperament made him so talkative and friendly with the peddler. Since he had no wife or child, he was
happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. Secondly, he was quite generous with his confidences.
Q5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?
Ans: The crofter had told the peddler that by supplying his cow’s milk to the creamery, he had received thirty kronor in payment. The peddler
seemed to doubt it. So, in order to assure his guest of the truth he showed the thirty kronor to the peddler.
Q6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans: No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. At the very first opportunity that he got, he smashed the
window pane, took out the money and hung the leather pouch back in its place. Then he went away.
THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans: The peddler realised that he must not walk on the public highway with the stolen money in his pocket. He went into the woods. He kept
walking without coming to the end of the wood. Then he realised that he had fallen in the rattrap. He had let himself befooled by a bait and had
been caught in.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Q1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter?
Ans: The peddler interprets the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter differently. He cheats the

crofter as he provides him company in his loneliness and helps him pass time. He wants to get a couple of kronors from the iron master and is
surprised at the contrasting style of behaviour of father and daughter. He is touched by the kindness, care and intervention of Edla on his behalf.
Q2. What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different from that of his daughter in many
ways?
Ans: The ironmaster is impulsive* whereas his daughter is cool, logical, kind and thoughtful. In uncertain light he (iron master) mistakes the
stranger as his old regiment comrade. He invites him home and takes care of his feeding, clothing etc. When he sees him in broad day light he
calls the man dishonest, demands an explanation and is ready to call in the sheriff. His daughter is more observant. She notices the fear of the
stranger and thinks that either he is a thief or a run away prisoner. Inspite of that She is gentle, kind and friendly to him. She treats him nicely
even after knowing the mistake in identity.
Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these
surprises.
Ans: The peddler is surprised at the warm welcome, generous supper, cheerful company and intimate confidences by the crofter. The
ironmaster addresses the peddler as Captain von Stahle. He is surprised when the ironmaster calls him “Nils Olof. The ironmaster assumes his
declining the invitation a result of embarrassment caused by his miserable clothing. The peddler’s comparison of the world to a rattrap makes the
ironmaster laugh and he drops the idea of calling in the sheriff.
The peddler looks at Edla in boundless amazement when she tells him that the suit is a Christmas present. She also invites him to spend next
Christmas with them. She does all this even after knowing the mistake about his identity.The crofter is robbed by his guest, the rattrap peddler, in
return of his hospitality.
Q4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Ans: Edla Willmansson treated the tramp in a friendly manner. She was nice and kind to her. She interceded on his behalf when her father was
about to turn him out. She still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him. She offered him the suit as Christmas present and
invited him to spend the next Christmas with them. Her love and understanding aroused the essential goodness in the peddler and finally he
changed his ways.
Q5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Ans: The world entices a person through the various good things of life such as riches and joy, shelter and food, heat and clothing. These were
just like the baits in the rattrap. Once someone is tempted by the bait, the world closed on him.The peddler was tempted by thirty kronor of the
crofter. It makes him hide himself. He walks through the wood. He is afraid to go to the Manor house. He gets peace only after returning the bait
(money).
Q6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How7 does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the
theme of the story and also endear him to us?

Ans: The peddler has a subtle sense of humour, which is revealed during his interactions with the ironmaster and his daughter after the truth
about him becomes known. He is neither afraid of being turned out in cold in rags nor of being sent to prison. He makes the ironmaster laugh
with his metaphor of the rattrap. His letter with the Christmas present to Edla is a fine example of his capacity to make others laugh at him. Thus,
he lightens the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endears himself to us.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic and present the views of your group to the whole class.
Q1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Ans: The peddler wins our sympathy for his way of life and how the world treats him. It is an admitted fact that the underdog always runs away
with sympathy, so does the peddler with the rattraps. He begs the material like wire for his rattraps. His business not being specially profitable,
he resorts to begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together.
His life is sad and monotonous. He plods along the road lost in his own meditation. The world has never been very kind to him and he feels
happy in calling it a rattrap. Whenever, he asks shelter for the night, he meets sour faces. He is an unwelcome, unwanted and undesirable figure.
The blacksmiths at forge glance at him only casually and indifferently. The master blacksmith nods a haughty consent without honouring him with
a single word.
The old and lonely crofter finds him an enjoyable company. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old regimental comrade. Only Edla Willmansson
behaves with him in a kind, friendly manner. Her nice treatment arouses the tramp’s goodness. He redeems himself Hy returning the stolen
money and wins our admiration. Thus, we see that the sympathy is not only well earned but well justified too.
Q2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Ans: There are at least three characters in the story who suffer from loneliness and express the need to bond with others. They represent three
strata of the human society as well. The peddler with the rattraps, the old crofter and the ironmaster all suffer from loneliness. The peddler is
called a tramp, a vagabond and stranger at various points of the story. He moves wearily from one place to the other. He is lost in his own
thoughts. He seeks shelter for night and people look at him with sour faces. Even the blacksmiths look haughtily at him and nod consent. The old
crofter suffers from loneliness as he has neither wife nor child with him. Hence, he feels happy when he gets the peddler to talk to in his
loneliness.
The ironmaster is also lonely in his manor house. His wife Elizabeth has died and his sons are abroad. There is no one at home except his oldest
daughter and himself. His requests to Captain von Stehle to accompany him show his need for human bonding. He admits frankly that they didn’t
have any company for Christmas. The stranger turns down the request not because he is against bonding with others but because he fears
being caught with stolen money.
Q3. Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Ans: Yes, I know how the kindness of a Bishop transformed a hard-hearted beastly convict into a man again with faith in God and human values.
The story is presented in the form of a famous play ‘The Bishop’s Candlesticks’

The Bishop provides food and shelter at midnight to a runaway convict who threatens him with a knife. Long years of imprisonment and harsh
treatment in the prisonship has transformed the man into beast and he is devoid of all human feelings now. The convict runs away with the
Bishop’s silver candlesticks, but is caught by the police.
In order to save the convict from further punishment and torture, the Bishop tells the police officer that the fellow is his friend and he had himself
given him the candlesticks. This kind act of the Bishop melts the hard heart of the convict. He sobs and weeps. He promises to be a man again.
Q4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical. Discuss.
Ans: The story entertains us by providing glimpses into human nature and how people react to various situations. The actions of the peddler
after stealing thirty kronor are quite amusing. The reactions of the blacksmiths to the tramp’s request for shelter show how casual and indifferent
human beings can be.
The U-turn in the ironmaster’s attitude towards the stranger reveal how selfish and ignorant human beings can be. Mistaking the vagabond for
his old regimental comrade, whom he thinks he has run across unexpectedly, he asks the stranger to accompany him home and spend
Christmas with them. When the stranger refuses to go with him, the ironmaster sends his daughter. With her better persuasive power she makes
him follow her.
The ironmaster is annoyed on seeing the stranger in broad daylight. But instead of realising his own mistake, he puts the blame on the man. He
talks of handing him over to the sheriff. The metaphor of the world being a rattrap saves the situation for the tramp, but the ironmaster wants to
turn him out. His daughter’s comments are quite entertaining and philosophical. She wants the tramp to enjoy a day of peace. Secondly, she
does not want to chase away a person whom they had invited home and had promised Christmas cheer.
Question 1.
Strike out what is not true in the following :
(a) Rajkumar Shukla was
(i) a sharecropper
(ii) a politician
(iii) delegate
(iv) a landlord
b) Rajkumar Shukla was
(i) poor
(ii) physically strong
(iii) illiterate
uestion 2.
Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’

Question 3.
Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant ?
Answer:
(a) (i) a sharecropper
(iii) delegate
(b) (i) poor
(iii) illiterate.
2. Rajkumar Shukla is being described as “resolute” because he was determined to do something against the landlord system in Bihar. That is
why he followed Gandhiji whereever he went. For weeks he never left Gandhiji’s side. Rajkumar Shukla earnestly wanted that Gandhiji should
visit Champaran to solve their problems.
3. Gandhiji was always dressed in a simple dhoti like poor people of India. That is why the servants thought Gandhiji to be another peasant.
Indigo Think as you read
Question 1.
List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer:
Between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran, Gandhiji visited Cawnpor (Kanpur), his ashram at Ahmedabad, Calcutta,
Patna, Muzaffarpur, and from there arrived at Champaran.
Question 2.
What did thA peasants pay the British landlords as rent ? What did the British now want instead and why ?
Answer:
Most of the land which was fit for ploughing in the Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian
tenants. Indigo was the chief commercial crop. The landlords compelled all tenants to plant three- twentieths or 15 per cent of their holdings with
indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract.
Question 3.
What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo ?
Answer:
The landlords learned that Germany had developed synthetic indigo. They thereupon obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them

compensation for being released from the 15 per cent arrangement. They did so because the synthetic indigo prices would be cheaper than the
prices of natural indigo.
Question 1.
The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi’s method of working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to his
ideas of satyagraha and non-violence ?
Answer:
First of all Gandhiji began by trying to get the facts. For this purpose he visited the secretary of the British landlords’ association, but he refused
to give any information to an outsider. Next he called on the British official commissioner of the Tirhut division in which Champaran district lay.
The commissioner bullied him and advised him to leave Tirhut. This shows that Gandhiji was a staunch seeker and believer in truth.
But Gandhiji did not leave and rather proceeded to Motihari, the capital of Champaran. He mobilised the support of lawyers and peasants. He got
an official notice to quite Champaran immediately. But he disobeyed the order and war summoned in the court. Thousands of farmers’
spontaneous demonstration around the court was their liberation from fear of the British.
Gandhiji just wanted the civil disobedience or Satyagraha in a non-violent manner. Later on, for India’s freedom struggle Satyagraha and non-
violence became his pillars of strength. He always followed the path of truth and acted according to the voice of his conscience. Thus
Champaran was for him a test case in which he was fully successful.
Question 1.
Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers ?
Answer:
According to Gandhiji the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender a part of the
money and with it, part of their prestige. The peasant learned courage and how to defend his rights. Keeping it all in view, Gandhiji agreed to a
settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers. He was right because within a few years the British planters abandoned their estates, which
reverted to the peasants.
Question 2.
How did the episode change the plight of the peasants ?
Answer:
Gandhiji never contented himself with large political or economic solutions. He saw the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran

village. He wanted to do something about it immediately. He appealed to teachers and their wives and teachers from various cities and
volunteered them to teach. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Some sort of medical services were also started. This is how the
episode of Champaran changed the plight of the peasants.
Indigo Understanding the text
Question 1.
Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life ?
Or
How did the Champaran episode prove to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life ?
Answer:
In 1917 Gandhiji fought with the British government successfully to get justice to the Champaran peasants. He remained in Champaran for an
initial uninterrupted period of seven months. Then again he had been going there for several shorter visits. The Champaran episode was a
turning-point in Gandhi’s life. He explained that what he did was an ordinary thing. “I declared that the British could not order me about in my own
country.” But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance.
It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large number of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern. His policies were
intertwined with the practical day-to-day problems of the millions. Moreover, in# everything Gandhi did, he tried to mould a new free Indian who
could stand on his feet and thus make India free. That is why Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life.
Question 2.
How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers ? Give instances.
Answer:
Gandhiji on his way to Champaran, stopped at Muzaffarpur to obtain more complete information. Muzaffarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief
him. They frequently represented peasant groups in court. He scolded the lawyers for collecting big fees from the sharecroppers. When Gandhi
received summons to appear in court, he telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with influential friends. Thousands of peasants had
gathered around the court house.
Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishor Babu, Maulana Mazharul Huq and several other prominent lawyers had arrived from Bihar. They conferred with
Gandhi. Gandhi asked them what they would do if he was sentenced to prison. The senior lawyer replied that they had come to advise and help
him. If Gandhi went to jail there would be nobody to advise and they would go home.
Then Gandhiji asked them what about the injustice to the sharecroppers. Then they thought among themselves that Gandhiji was totally a
stranger, and yet he was prepared to go to prison for the sake of peasants. They being not only the residents of the adjoining districts but also
those who claimed to have served those peasants, should go home, it would be quite shameful abandonment. Then they went back to Gandhi

and told him that they were ready to follow him into jail. Gandhi said that the battle of Champaran is won. This is how Gandhi was able to
influence the lawyers.
Question 3.
What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home-rule ?
Answer:
Home-rule is the right of a country or region to govern itself, especially after another country or region has governed it. In those jiays India was
ruled by the British Empire. So, the persons like Gandhi wanted freedom of their country and the right of India to govern itself. So they were
advocates of home-rule. British rulers thought such persons as their enemies. While on his way to Champaran Gandhiji decided to go first to
Muzaffarpur to obtain more complete information.
So he sent a telegram to Professor J.B. Kriplani, of the Arts College in Muzaffarpur. He had seen Professor Kriplani at Tagore’s Shantiniketan
school. The train arrived at midnight, 15 April, 1917. Gandhi stayed there for two days in the home of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a
government school.
That is why Gandhiji commented that it was an extraordinary thing in those days for a government professor to harbour a man like him who was
an advocate of home-rule. In smaller localities the Indians were afraid to show sympathy for advocates of home-rule.
Question 4.
How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer:
No freedom movement can be successful until the common people are involved in it. Leaders can guide the 5th aments, but the movements can
only be successful if the general public is whole-heartedly involved in it. To fight for the justice to the peasants or sharecroppers of Champaran,
who were being exploited by the Englishmen landlords, Gandhi led the movement. Many eminent lawyers and other leaders were also involved.
But the “spontaneous demonstration” by the peasants and their involvement contributed a lot to the freedom movement. It was the beginning of
their liberation from fear of the British. They learned the virtue of courage and became conscious of their rights. So, within a few years the British
planters abandoned their estates, which were returned to the peasants. Thus the ordinary common people too contributed to the freedom
movement.
Indigo Talking about the text
Discuss the following :

Question 1.
“Free from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor.” Do you think that the poor of India are free from fear after Independence ?
Answer:
Fear is a negative trait which makes us cowards. Only a fearless person can be a courageous man. In case there is oppression of any kind being
inflicted on us then the foremost factor that can help us is the freedom from fear. For the poor persons especially, who have suffered centuries of
oppression and slavery, freedom from fear is more important than the legal justice. For instance, during the British rule in India, the people were
oppressed. They were just like slaves to whom justice was denied. Legal course of action was so costly and time-consuming that many would
not prefer to go by it.
Under such circumstances, what Mahatma Gandhi did was the best. He made the peasants of Champaran and later the people of India free from
fear. This made them conscious of their rights. Freedom from fear made them courageous and they were not afraid of fighting with the mighty
British Empire to see their country free.
Such a great mass movement based on ‘Satyagraha’ and non-violence could not be successful if they would have been waiting for the legal
justice. I think after independence the poor of India are free from fear. Our constitution grants all the citizens of India, whether poor or rich, equal
rights and opportunities. The right to vote is granted to them. Now they have freedom of expression which makes them fearless.
Question 2.
The qualities of a good leader.
Answer:
A good leader is essentially a person having high principles in life. He takes utmost care of his country and its people. He is admired by the
people. He should have the capability to influence the world and to change the flow of time with his or her great thoughts and personality. Like
Mahatma Gandhi he should be a prince of truth and the , emissory of peace. He should have firm faith in non-violence.
He should fight for equality and justice without caring for the caste, creed and religion. He should struggle for the unity of the mankind and
against any kind of racial discrimination. In this age of atomic weapons, we need a leader who can mobilise the world opinion in favour of world
peace.
He must believe that all mankind is one. A good leader must possess the virtuous qualities of simplicity, truthfulness, honesty and strong will
power. He should strive to abolish poverty from his country and the world. He should act as a friend, philosopher and guide to the people he is
committed.
Question 1.
Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school ?

Answer:
After school the two girls Sophie and Jansie were most likely to find work in the biscuit factory.
Question 2.
What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of ? Why does Jansie discourage her from having such dreams ?
Answer:
The options Sophie was dreaming of were to have a boutique, to be a manager till she has enough money to open a boutique, to have the most
wonderful shop in the city or to be an actress. She seems to be a daydreamer.
Jansie, who seems to be more realistic, used to discourage Sophie from having such dreams. She knew that Sophie can never arrange enough
money to have a boutique. Jansie knew that they won’t make Sophie a manager straight off. She tells Sophie to be sensible as they don’t pay
well for the shop work. Jansie discouraged Sophie from having such dreams which are not possible for Sophie to fulfil under the present
circumstances.
Going Places Think as you read (Page 81)
Question 1.
Why did Sophie wriggle when Geoff told her father that she had met Danny Casey ?
Answer:
Sophie had shared the secret of her meeting Danny Casey with her brother Geoff. When suddenly Geoff told his father that Sophie had met the
renowned player Danny Casey, she wriggled or twisted her body to and fro. She did so because of the possible contempt of her father. She was
also afraid that her father would never believe about it.
Question 2.
Does Geoff believe what Sophie says about her meeting with Danny Casey ?
Answer:
Firstly Geoff did not believe what Sophie had said about her meeting with Danny Casey. He says that it can never be true. He also says that he
does not believe it. Then Geoff questions what Danny Casey looks like. He seems to have partly believed Sophie when she tells him about
Danny’s green and gentle eyes and about his height. Perhaps that is why he tells his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey. He also tells his
father that it is true.
Question 3.
Does her father believe her story ?
Answer:
When Geoff told his father that Sophie had met Danny Casey, he looked at her with an expression of scorn or contempt. It had no effect on him

when Geoff said that it is true that Sophie had met Danny in the arcade. Her father told Sophie that it was another of her “wild stories.” He tells
her that one of these days she is going to talk herself “into a load of trouble.” Thus it is obvious that Sophie’s father did not believe her story.
Question 4.
How does Sophie include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future ?
Answer:
Geoff was an apprentice mechanic. He would travel to his work each day to the far side of the city. She fancied the places where he might be
going but which were unknown to her. She was fascinated not only about the places but also with the people who might be there and who might
be unusual and exciting. She indulged in dreaming that some day her brother might take her there with him. She was conscious of a vast world
out there waiting for her.
She knew instinctly that she would feel, as it home there as in her own city. She imagined herself riding there behind Geoff. He wore new,
shining black leathers and she a yellow dress with a kind of cape or a short cloak that flew out behind. In her fantasy she felt that there was the
sound of applause as the world rose to greet her. This is how Sophie would include her brother Geoff in her fantasy of her future.
Question 5.
Which country did Danny Casey play for ?
Answer:
Danny Casey played for Ireland.
Going Places Think as you read (Page 85)
1. Why didn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her story with Danny ?
2. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey ?
3. Which was the only occasion when she got to see Danny Casey in person ?
Answer:
1. Sophie did not want that Jansie should know about her story with Danny. She had requested Geoff not to tell about it to anybody. Sophie was
afraid that Jansie would tell about the story to all of her neighbourhood. That is why Sophie told Jansie that it was meant to be a secret.
2. Though Sophie’s brother Geoff partly believed in her story and her father did not believe at all that she had met Danny, yet I think that Sophie
had really met Danny Casey.
3. I think the only occasion when Sophie got a chance to see Danny Casey in person was when she met her in the first part of the story. In the
story when she meets him again she is just imaging about him or was creating his image in her mind. It is because in the second meeting the

author has mentioned, ‘coming through the arcade she pictured him again outside Royce’s. Here the word ‘pictured’ is used in the sense to
imagine or create someone’s image in one’s mind.
Going Places Understanding the text
Question 1.
Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story
Answer:
Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. Both of them belonged to mediocre families. Yet Sophie was much more ambitious than Jansie.
Sophie told Jansie that she is going to have a boutique. Jansie, who is more practical and realistic, tells Sophie that a lot of money is required to
have a boutique.
Sophie says that she will find the money. Then Jansie tells her that it takes a long time to save that much of money. Then Sophie says that to
begin with, she will be a manager till she has got enough money. Jansie tries to make Sophie understand that they will not make Sophie a
manager straight off. Sophie still says that she will have the most wonderful shop in the city. So Sophie besides being impractical had a wavering
mind also.
Jansie felt sad thinking that both of them Eire most likely to work in the biscuit factory after school. Jansie also tries to make Sophie understand
that she should be sensible as they do not pay well for shop work. Sophie insisted that she would become an actress and have a boutique
beside that. She said that she might be a fashion designer. Thus we find that Sophie is over-ambitious, impractical and rather a day dreamer.
But, on the other hand, Jansie is more practical and has a firm mind.
Question 2.
How would you describe the character and temperament of Sophie’s father ?
Answer:
Sophie’s father is an authoritarian, somewhat short-tempered person who is a sports lover also. He seems to be fun-loving also because when
the United team wins, he goes to the pub to celebrate. He had a plump face. When Geoff told his father that Sophie met Danny Casey, he looked
at her with an expression of contempt. Then he starts discussing about the young, talented Irish player Danny Casey.
When Sophie said that Danny Casey is going to buy a shop, he made an ugly expression with face to show disgust. He said to Sophie that it was
another of her wild stories. He did not believe at all that Sophie might have met Danny Sophie seems to be somewhat scared of her father.
Sophie tells Jansie that there will be a “right old row” if her father gets to hear about it. She also says to Jansie about her father- “You know what
a misery he is.”

Question 3.
Why did Sophie like her brother Geoff more than any other person ? From her perspective, what did he symbolise ?
Answer:
Sophie was very much fond of her elder brother Geoff, who was an apprentice mechanic. He would travel to his work each day to the far side of
the city. He was almost grown though he left school three years ago. Geoff spoke very little. Sophie felt that when he was not speaking it was as
though he was away somewhere – out there in the world in those places she had never been.
These places had a special fascination for Sophie because they were unknown to her and remained out of her reach. She thought that there
were also exotic and interesting people of whom Geoff never spoke. She longed to know them. She wished that her brother some day might take
her there with him. Thus, from Sophie’s point of view her brother symbolised a person who could acquaint her with “the vast world out there,”
which was totally unknown to her. Her love and likeness is shown by the fact that s she told Geoff only when she met Danny Casey.
Question 4.
What socio-economic background did Sophie belong to ? What are the indicators of her family’s financial status ?
Answer:
From the story ‘Going Places’ it emerges that Sophie belonged to a mediocre or rather poor socio-economic background. She aspires to have a
boutique, but she has no means or money to fulfil her dreams. After school she is most likely to work in a biscuit factory.
When she says that if ever she has money she will buy a boutique, her father says that if she ever has money, she would better buy them a
decent house to live in. That shows that their house must have been in a shabby condition. The small room of their house was “steamy from the
stove and the dirty washing was filed up in the corner. Her brother Geoff was an apprentice mechanic.
He had to travel to his work each day to the far side of the city. Her father had a bicycle which we came to know when Sophie saw it propped
against the wall of the pub. Thus we can say that Sophie belongs to a poor family. Their social life seems to be confined to watching the matches
played by the United team.
Going Places Talking about the text
Discuss in pairs
Question 1.
Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.
Answer:
For discussion in pairs in class. However a specimen reply is given :
Sophie belongs to a poor, mediocre family. But she aspires to have a boutique though she has neither means nor resources for it. Then she

wants to be a manager till she saves enough money to buy a boutique. Jansie, who is more practical, tells Sophie to be sensible because it will
take a very long time to save for that purpose. Then she thinks that she would be an actress because there is real money in it. Besides it, she
can then open a boutique.
Sophie is a sort of day-dreamer. She wants to achieve in her dreams what the life has denied her. Her social life is confined to her school only.
So she craves to see the vast world about which she is totally unaware. She dreams of meeting persons like Danny Casey, a talented Irish
sportsman. But nobody believes her when she says that she met him. She imagines meeting Danny when she waits in the park. But he did not
turn up. Thus we can say that Sophie’s dreams and disappointments are all in her mind.
Question 2.
It is natural for teenagers to have unrealistic dreams ? What would you say are the benefits and disadvantages of such fantasying ?
Answer:
For discussion in pairs in class. However a specimen answer is given below :
Most of the teenagers indulge in dreams or day-dreams. Some indulge in fantasying also. It is because they find realities of life quite tough and
bitter. So what they cannot get in their real lives, they want to achieve it in their dreams. Some teenagers dream of having good jobs, some
dream of being good human beings, some dream of being good leaders or good managers. If they work hard to achieve their aims in life, then
these can be called realistic dreams.
But some teenagers may have unrealistic dreams, which are normally difficult to fulfil under the circumstances they five in. Though it is natural for
teenagers to have unrealistic dreams, but I think they should avoid these and not waste their precious time. This is the turning point in their lives
when they can make or mar their lives. They should work hard, without wasting their time, to achieve what they want to achieve. Unrealistic
dreams or fantasying about fanciful life without working hard will lead the teenager nowhere in life.
My Mother at Sixty-six Think it out
Question 1.
What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels ?
Answer:
The poet (here poetess) is deeply attached to her mother who is pretty aged, weak and pale. She is troubled to think that the old mom might
depart in her absence.
Question 2.
Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’ ?
Answer:

The young trees running spiritedly stand in sharp contrast to the aged and pale looking mother. The trees symbolise youth and life, whereas the
old mother is slipping towards the grave.
Question 3.
Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children spilling out of their homes ?
Answer:
The little children are full of life, hope and cheerfulness. They have just begun life and have a long way to go. The old and weak mother of the
poetess, however, is fast losing hold on life. She could breath her last any day in near future. The image of cheerful children makes the sight of
the mother all the more painful
Question 4.
Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
Answer:
ThQuestion 5.
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify ?
Answer:
The poetess is taking leave of her mother. She is going to fly to some distant place. She is not sure of meeting the old lady again. But she hides
her fears, smiles and assures mother that they would meet again.
My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions and Answers
My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions Short Answer Type
Question 1:
How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Answer:
Kamala Das finds it hard to accept the fact of her mother growing old, as it brings back to her mind her childhood fear of losing her mother. She
makes a deliberate effort to drive or put away such thoughts by looking outside the car at the sights passing by.
Question 2:
What was the poet’s childhood fear?
Or
What were the poet’s feelings at the airport? How did she hide them?
Or
What were Kamala Das’fears as a child? Why do they come back when she is going to the airport?

Answer:
During her childhood, Kamala Das was insecure about losing her mother just as all young children often are. The same old feelings come back to
haunt her when she sees her mother’s pale and lifeless face. She is tortured by the fact that she may not see her alive again. She hides her
feelings by smiling.
Question 3:
What do the parting words of Kamala Das and her smile signify?
Answer:
The parting words of the poet reflect the poet’s feeling that she wants to meet her mother again. But she wears a smile on her face to mask her
pain and to give hope, happiness and reassurance to her mother.
Question 4:
Why has the poet’s mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon?
Answer:
Just as a ‘late winter’s moon’ looks hazy and appears to lack brightness and lustre due to mist and fog, similarly, the poet’s mother, who is now
old, looks pale and devoid of exuberance. Her face looks dull and colorless due to old age.
Question 5:
Why are the young trees described as’sprinting1?
Answer:
The car was moving when the poet looked outside at trees. They appeared to be ‘sprinting’ because the car was speeding past in the opposite
direction. The ‘young’ trees represented life in contrast to her mother’s approaching death.
Question 6:
What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer:
The poet’s parting words, ‘See you soon, Amma’, signify hope and assurance, not only to her but to her mother also, that they will meet again.
Question 7:
Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children Spilling out of their homes?
Answer:
The poet has used this imagery to bring out the contrast between children, who ard’energetic and full of life, and her mother, who is old, pale and
lifeless.

Question 8:
What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Answer:
The poet is pained to see her mother’s dull and colorless face. She is hurt to see that her mother’s face looks like that of a dead body. She is
afraid of the fact that she may not see her alive next time.
Question 9:
Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us?
Answer:
Aged people usually undergo pangs of loneliness and need companionship. They long only for our love, care and attention. They expect their
children to share the happenings in their lives with them and take their suggestions for making significant decisions. This will encourage them to
live life enthusiastically.
Question 10.
Give the sum and substance of the Kamala Das’s poem My Mother at Sixty Six.
Answer:
The mother of the poetess is not yet very old. She is sixty-six. But some how because of illness or so, she looks pale and ash-coloured like a
dead body. The poetess is in a hurry to catch her flight. She is deeply concerned about the aged woman. She can’t be sure to find her alive on
her next visit. She looks out of the car at the young trees children. By contrast, the sight of the mother looks critical. She casts a last look a at the
airport. In order to cheer up the old mother, she smiles and smiles to hide her own n -s and promises to see the old woman again.
Question 11.
All I did was smile and smile and smile. Why does the poetess repeat the word smile thrice ?
Answer:
The smile of the poetess at the time of parting from her emanciated mother only hides her tears. She is not certain of meeting the old woman
again. The mother is already ash-coloured like a dead body.
Question 12.
What is the significance of the parting word of the poet and her smile, in “My mother at Sixty-six?” ?
Answer:
See answer in Textbook Questions (Page 226).
My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions Long Answer Type

Question 1:
Bring out the significance of the smile of the poet as she bade farewell to her mother.
Answer:
The poet smiles as she bids farewell to her mother and assures her that they would meet again. As she looks at her mother, who looks pale and
weak due to old age, her heart is pained to think that her mother might not live long. She smiles, but her smile is only an effort to cover up the
hidden fear and pain in her heart.
It is a smile put on deliberately to hide her tears. Her situation is quite ironical. Though she tells her mother that she’ll see her soon, she doubts if
she will ever see her alive again. The repetition of the word ‘smile’ shows that it is a long and cheerful one. The smile is also significant because
it must have comforted both the mother and the daughter and kindled in them the hope that the mother would survive long enough for the two to
meet again.
Question 2:
Bring out the poetic devices used in the poem.
Answer:
The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ captures the complex subtleties of human relationships in a texture of symbols, imagery and other poetic
devices.
The entire poem is structured in the frame of a single sentence, punctuated by commas. It indicates a single string of thought that runs
throughout. There is a simile in the explicit comparison of the ashen face of her mother to that of a corpse. We find another simile in the
comparison between the pale visage of her mother and the late winter’s moon, as her face has lost its brightness.
There is the use of personification in the line “Trees sprinting’, where trees are attributed with the quality of running swiftly, for enhancing the
poetic effect. The poet has used alliteration in the use of the words ‘familiar’ and ‘fear’ with the repetition of the consonant sound |f|. It also
suggests the poet’s familiarity with her childhood fear and the sorrow of losing her mother to death.
My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions Value Based Type
Question 1:
Analyse the concept of losing our dear ones on account of old age in the context of the poem.
Answer:
The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ brings out the natural complexities of the human mind and the natural fear of losing our parents, which is
common to the hearts of all humans. Ageing is an indispensable part of human life which we have to accept, irrespective of the pain it cultivates
in our hearts. The poet speaks about her mother who is growing old and has a pale and weak face.

Her mother sleeps while travelling, as we realize that she requires rest. The poet recalls how even as a child she has experienced the fear of
losing her mother. Now her fear has changed into the fear of losing her mother to death. Her attention is arrested by her mother’s failing health
and yet she smiles, only with the hope of meeting her soon.
My Mother at Sixty-six Extra Questions Extract Based Type
I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
of a corpse and realized with pain
that she was as old as she looked …”
Question 1:
Name the poem and the poet.
Answer:
The name of the poem is, ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ and the poet is Kamala Das.
Question 2:
Where was the poet driving to?
Answer:
The poet was driving from her parents’ home to Cochin airport on a Friday morning.
Question 3:
What did she notice about her mother?
Answer:
The poet noticed that her mother was sleeping with her mouth open and the mother’s face was the colour of ash, just like that of a dead body.
Question 4:
Why was her mother’s face looking like that of a corpse?
Answer:
Her mother’s face had lost all its glow and colour of youth due to ageing. It looked pale, faded and nearly lifeless. That was why it was looking
like a corpse’s face.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
saw my mother, beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she looked but soon
put that thought away, …………
Question 1:
What worried the poet when she looked at her mother?
Answer:
Her mother looked pale and faded, just like a corpse, which worried the poet. This indicated that her mother may die very soon. .
Question 2:
Why was there pain in her realisation?
Answer:
The poet felt pain in the realisation that she would not see her mother again, as she may die soon.
Question 3:
Why did she put that thought away?
Answer:
The poet put that thought away because she got distracted from driving the car by thinking about her mother’s impending death.
Question 4:
Identify the figure of speech used in these lines.
Answer:
Simile is used in these lines when the colour of her mother’s face is ashen, like that of a corpse.
III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
And looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, ……….
Question 1:
How can the trees sprint?
Answer:
The car was moving when the poet looked out so the trees appeared to be running in the opposite direction. Thus, the trees have been described
as ‘sprinting’.
Question 2:
Why did the poet look at her mother again?
Answer:
The poet looked at her mother again to bid her goodbye.
Question 3:
What did she observe?
Answer:
She observed that her mother looked lifeless and dull like a late winter’s moon.
Question 4:
Answer:
The figure of speech used in these lines is simile; her mother’s pale appearance is compared to that of a late winter’s moon.
IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
… but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes,…
Question 1:
What thought did the poet drive away from her mind?
Answer:

The poet realised that her mother had become very old and her mother was pale and lifeless like a dead body. She drove this disturbing thought
away from her mind.
Question 2:
What did she see when she looked out of the car?
Answer:
The poet saw the trees moving past the moving car and also saw the children rushing out of their homes to play. Both the trees and children
were full of life in comparison to her mother, who was pale and lifeless beside her.
Question 3:
How do you know that the joyful scene didn’t help her drive away the painful thought from her mind?
Answer:
We know that the joyful scene didn’t help her drive away the painful thought from her mind because soon afterwards, at the airport, when she
looked at her mother, the painful thought came back again.
Question 4:
What does the phrase trees sprinting signify?
Answer:
The phrase ‘trees sprinting’ signifies time, which has passed at a fast pace.
V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear, ……………
Question 1:
Who is ‘her?
Answer:
‘Her’ refers to the mother.
Question 2:
Why did the poet look at’her’again?
Answer:
The poet looked at ‘her’ again because of the insecurity of losing her mother.

Question 3:
What was the poet’s childhood fear?
Answer:
The childhood fear was that of losing her mother.
Question 4:
Answer:
The figure of speech used in these lines is simile; her mother’s pale appearance is compared to that of a late winter’s moon.
VI. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“But after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon.”
Question 1:
Who went for security check and who is ‘her’ in the above lines?
Answer:
The poet, Kamala Das, went for security check at the airport. ‘Her’ in the above lines refers to the poet’s mother.
Question 2:
What does the poet compare her mother’s face to and why?
Answer:
The poet compares her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon. Just as a ‘late winter’s moon’ looks colourless and dull because of mist and fog,
the poet’s mother’s face looks pale and lacks brightness due to old age.
Question 3:
Explain ‘late winter’s moon’.
Answer:
‘Late winter’s moon’ refers to the moon dining the late winter season, which appears pale and lusterless because of mist and fog. The poet has
compared her mother’s face to the late winter’s moon because it seems to have lost all its sheen.
VII. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that did .
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile
Question 1:
What was the poets child hood fear?
Answer:
The poet’s childhood fear was the insecurity about losing her mother. Looking at her mother’s pale and dull face when leaving her, the poet was
again gripped by the same insecurity.
Question 2:
What were the poets parting words?
Answer:
The poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, suggesting hope to herself and her mother that they will meet again.
Question 3:
What is the poetic device used in these lines?
Answer:
The poetic device used in these lines is simile; her mother’s wan, pale face is compared to a late winter’s moon.
Question 4:
Explain, ‘late winter’s moon’.
Answer:
The poet has compared her mother’s face colour to the colour of a late winter’s moon, which is pale, as her skin has lost all its sheen and looks
pale.
eQuestion 1.
What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve ?
Answer:
The poet suggests that the people should discontinue their nasty activities and nonsensial chating for some time. This silence will give us time to introspect, to
understand ourselves and to shape our destiny properly. old mother is pale and cheerless. The moon also in late winter loses its shine or brightness. So she
has been compared to the winter’s moon.

Question 2.
Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death ?
Answer:
No, the poet clarifies that he does not favour inactivity or total idleness. Inaction means death. Life means action for the good of our race. What
the poet advocates is a full stop to war and the race for self-gain.
Question 3.
What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem ?
Answer:
The people and the nations are unfortunately engaged in producing weapons of mass destruction. This is a sad feature of our modem civilisation.
We all are a part of a blind race, working for collective suicide. Let us take a breath and look within.
Question 4.
What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness ?
Answer:
If the poet’s suggestion is accepted, there will be temporary stillness. But it doesn’t mean death. It is a short interval for renewed life and activity.
We can see it in nature. The earth under the snow looks dead, with no activity and no growth. But let the spring blows its bugle, the snow will
melt away and the seeds will sprout, the grass will grow. All activities of life will start again.
Keeping Quiet Try this out
Question 1.
Choose a quite corner and keep still physically and mentally for about five minutes. Do you feel any change in your state of mind ?
Answer:
If life is a long struggle, tension and sufferings are unavoidable parts of life. Most people are running a mad-race for pleasure and paise, but they
get only pain and restlessness. No amount of comforts and entertainments can keep you cool and at ease. It is through Yoga and a quite
meditation that you can keep away your tension. A five minutes daily exercise is enough to regain your cool.
Keeping Quiet Extra Questions and Answers
Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Short Answer Type
Question 1:
‘Life is what it is all about; ‘ How is keeping quiet related to life?
Answer:

Keeping quiet does not mean total inactivity, but stillness and quietness to introspect on what we are
doing. This means stopping our normal day-to-day activities to reflect on our actions. Thus it is related to life, although this may not be visible
outwardly.
Question 2:
Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet?
Answer:
Normally people are active and sounds of machines are heard. When we keep quiet and introspect, it will be a strange and unfamiliar moment;
thus, we will feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ at this moment.
Question 3:
How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment?
Answer:
Keeping quiet and introspecting will initiate peace and brotherhood among men, halting all destructive activities like waging wars which harm
people besides damaging the environment. Thus, the environment will be protected.
Question 4:
What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
Answer:
Counting up to twelve and keeping still will help us to get some time to stop all our normal activities and self-introspect our actions, helping us
change our destructive ways and promote brotherhood among men.
Question 5:
What symbol from nature does the poet invoke that there can be life under apparent stillness?
Answer:
The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. An example from nature is the Earth itself,
as, when everything seems dead, it later proves to be alive.
Question 6:
What will possibly be the effect of keeping quiet?
Or
How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life?
Answer:
Keeping quiet will help us to introspect on our destructive actions like waging wars or otherwise harming the environment. This will give us a
better idea of the consequences of the actions, thus changing our attitude to life.

Question 7:
Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet?
Answer:
The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment because it will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no
movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no violence.
Question 8:
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet?
Or
What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The poet refers to the sadness that arises from the failure to understand ourselves. Today, we are so engrossed in achieving materialistic
success that we have no time to introspect about our actions and their consequences. Hence, we often end up hurting ourselves, and this results
in sadness.
Question 9:
Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’show that the poet condemns violence?
Answer:
The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea and wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate victory show that the poet
condemns violence. The poet’s refusal to have any association or dealings with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of violence.
Question 10:
What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars?
Answer:
The poet writes about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the kinds of wars
mentioned in the poem. Neruda’s attitude towards war is one of rejection. He feels that such wars may bring victory but there are no survivors to
celebrate the victory.
Question 11:
How can suspension of activities help?
Answer:
The suspension of activities will give people time to introspect and analyse their actions. This will help them in solving their problems and
conflicts. They will develop a new understanding and hence will mend their destructive ways.

Question 12:
Do you think that the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer:
No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He clarifies that he has no truck with death. According to him, life is meant to be lived to
the fullest. He just wants the inhuman and destructive activities to stop.
Question 13:
According to the poet, what is it that human beings can learn from nature?
Answer:
Life under apparent stillness in attitude is the message which human beings can learn from nature. The Earth is never in a state of total inactivity.
Nature continues to breathe and work even when there is stillness all around.
Question 14:
What does the title of the poem suggest to you? What do you think the poem is about?
Answer:
The title of the poem suggests the importance of silence. The poem is about the importance of quiet introspection for all. Our speech and
activities often bring about trouble and suffering, so they need to be controlled.
Question 15.
Bring out the underlying message and appeal of the Pablo Neruda’s poem ‘Keeping Quiet’. Why does he call upon all the people to keep quiet ?
Answer:
Keeping Quiet is a poem with a historic message. The poet calls upon all the people of the world to observe a short silence, to suspend all their
activities, to stand still and quietly analyse what they are doing to kill themselves. The poet talks about the necessity of suspending all war
industry and an attack on animals.
It will be a strange experience for the people when they become free from tension and mad rush.” They will get time to understand their
neighbours and the needs of their families. But the poet is not calling for total activity. Life, after all, must go on in quiet way. Even when
everything seems dead in nature, the seeds of life remain alive in the earth.
Question 16.
Elucidate and bring out what the Pablo Neruda wants to convey through the following :
(i) Life is what it is about.
(ii) As when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.
Answer:
(i) The poet urges all the people to observe silence and stand still for a while. He wants this time to be utilised for quiet introspection and to

create better understanding among human beings. He does not suggest the stillness and silence of death. Life, after all, has to go on. The
normal and necessary activities cannot be suspended.
(ii) In nature the seasons change regularly. In cold winter when it snows, the earth’looks all dead no greenery, no flowering, no movement of
birds and beasts. But this situation is misleading. After a month or so, the earth proves itself better equipped for a new life.
Question 3.
According to Pablo Neruda, what is it that human beings can learn from Nature ?
Answer:
The human beings can learn to be quiet and still from the Nature that teaches to grow at one’s own place. We should be contented what we had
but not bother about the others’ wealth.
Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Long Answer Type
Question 1:
Analyse the importance of the dramatic count to twelve in ‘Keeping Quiet.’
Answer:
The poem opens with the poet’s appeal to begin with a count to twelve followed by a moment of silence. The poet links silence with hope for a
moment of togetherness. The repetition of the poet’s request to count to twelve in the first and the last stanzas creates a personal space of
silence in the poem. The poet seeks this moment of silence as a moment to introspect and meditate, to share a feeling of oneness.
The poet wishes that in this selected moment, the fishermen would not kill the whales and the men gathering salt would give rest to their injured
hands. The threat of destruction of the world would come to a halt. In this chosen moment we would have time for self assessment. The number
‘twelve’ is dramatically significant to represent our clock time, a moment in real life.
Question 2:
How is the poet’s appeal for keeping quiet different from absolute sluggishness ?
Answer:
The poet, in his appeal for keeping quiet, emphasizes the importance of self-introspection in a man’s life. He urges us to seek a moment to
understand ourselves and analyse our actions as we experience the sadness of death. The poet’s appeal for a moment of silence or stillness
should not be mistaken as a plea, as a moment of inactivity or absolute sluggishness.
He seeks a silence where people are not obsessed with work and give a personal moment of time to think about their actions. This moment of
silence will help them to overcome their woes and defects. The poet even feels that the Earth will enlighten men in this process, as silence is only
a moment captured where there is activity under apparent stillness.

Question 3:
Analyse the poetic devices that the poet adopts in the poem.
Answer:
The poet has incorporated the use of repetition in the line ‘let’s not speak’ and let’s stop for one second’ to create the poetic effect of emphasis
on his readers. Even the phrases ‘count to twelve’ and ‘count up to twelve’ are symbolic, as the poet repeats his request to keep quiet for a
second time. The word ‘twelve’ symbolizes a measure of time representing our clock time of real life, capturing a moment from our present time.
The phrases ‘hurt hands’ and ‘clean clothes’ are examples of alliteration. Man will cleanse his soul, heart and mind in the process. The word
‘brothers’ here implies brotherhood and synecdoche is used by using a concrete object instead of an abstract concept. There is use of metaphor
in ‘put on clean clothes’, as the poet wants the warmongers to shed their blood-soiled clothes (meaning, stop wars) and put on fresh clothes
(meaning, follow brotherhood).
Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Extract Based Type
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.”
Question 1:
Name the poem and the poet.
Answer:
The poem is Keeping Quiet, and the poet is Pablo Neruda.
Question 2:
How long does the poet want to stay still?
Answer:
The poet urges each one of us to count up to twelve and remain still for one second.
Question 3:
What does he hope to achieve by keeping quiet?

Answer:
The poet hopes that by keeping quiet we will get an opportunity to introspect. The strange stillness will give a feeling of togetherness.
Question 4:
What does the poet mean by ‘not move our arms’ so much?
Answer:
The poet wants us not to move our arms so much because physical activity leads to stopping our introspection. Not moving our arms also
suggests stopping all kinds of violence.
II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.”
Question 1:
What would be an‘exotic’moment? Why?
Answer:
The moment of stillness and quietness would be an ‘exotic’ moment. The moment will be ‘exotic’ because it will initiate peace and brotherhood.
In the strange moment there would be quietness all around.
Question 2:
How would we feel at that moment?
Answer:
In the strange and exotic moment, we would feel a sense of togetherness. There would be peace and stillness. We together will experience the
silent moment.
Question 3:
Point out the words from the extract which mean
1. exciting
2. machines
3. at once

Answer:
1. exotic
2. engines
3. sudden
III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.”
Question 1:
What does the poet expect of the fishermen and why?
Answer:
The poet expects that, in the moment of stillness, the fishermen will get time to introspect. They would not harm the whales at that time.
Question 2:
What will the man gathering salt do?
Answer:
The man gathering salt will stop for a while and tend to his wounded hands.
Question 3:
What do the ‘hurt hands’ imply?
Answer:
‘Hurt hands’ imply the destruction that humans have caused to themselves and the environment in pursuit of their selfish needs.
Question 4:
What should the fishermen not do?
Answer:
The fishermen should not hurt the whales in the sea.
IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers,
in the shade, doing nothing.”
Question 1:
Name the different kinds of war mentioned in the above lines. What does the poet mean by ‘Green wars?
Answer:
Green wars i.e. wars against nature, wars with poisonous gases and wars with firearms are the different kinds of war. ‘Green wars’ means wars
against the environment. Warring nations keep on developing new ‘weapons’ to wage war against the environment.
Question 2:
Explain ‘victory with no survivors’.
Answer:
The poet wants to convey the message that war brings destruction and leaves none to celebrate victory. No one can gain anything by waging
wars.
Question 3:
What does the poet want the warmongers to do?
Answer:
The poet wants the warmongers to put on clean clothes, the clean clothes symbolising shedding their evil ways to make peace with their
brothers.
V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“What I want should not be
confused with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.”
Question 1:
What should not be confused with ‘total inactivity?

Answer:
Stillness and quietness should not be confused with total inactivity.
Question 2:
What is ‘life’ about?
Answer:
‘Life’ is about living it to the fullest. It is not meant for wasting it by sitting idle.
Question 3:
Why does the poet say “I want no truck with death’?
Answer:
The poet clarifies that he wants no association with death. He is advocating stillness and quietness to introspect, not total inactivity or death.
Question 4:
What does the poet not want himself to be?
Answer:
The poet doesn’t want himself to be confused with advocating total inactivity.
VI. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.”
Question 1:
Who does ‘we’refer to in the above lines?
Answer:
“We’ refers to the human beings who are always thinking about their own progress and advancement.
Question 2:
Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing1 for once?

Answer:
The poet wants us to ‘do nothing’ for once so that our minds can be at peace and we are able to introspect and analyse our own actions.
Question 3:
What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?
Answer:
The poet refers to the ‘sadness’ which arises due to the fact that people fail to understand themselves. They have no time to introspect about
their actions and their consequences.
Question 4:
How can a huge silence do good to us?
Answer:
A huge silence can do good to us because we are able to achieve peace in this silence. It helps us in analysing ourselves and our actions,
interrupting the sadness of threatening ourselves with death.
VII. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
“Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go”.
Question 1:
What does the Earth teach us?
Answer:
The Earth teaches us that there is life under apparent stillness. It means that we can still be alive even if we appear to be ‘still’ or ‘calm’.
Question 2:
What does the poet mean to achieve by counting upto twelve?
Answer:
The poet wants to achieve peace by counting upto twelve. He wants us to introspect in a moment of silence.
Question 3:
What is the significance of’keeping quiet?

Answer:
Keeping quiet doesn’t mean keeping mute. It means that we should avoid all such activities which hurt nature and, in turn, harm us.
Question 4:
What is always alive when everything seems dead?
Answer:
Only the Earth is alive when everything else appears to be dead.
Keeping Quiet Extra Questions Value Based Type
Question 1:
What kind of an imaginary and ideal world does the poet visualise?
Answer:
The poet longs for a calm, quiet and peaceful world, devoid of all forms of violence, as he visualises ‘togetherness’ of the people in a moment of
silence and tranquillity. According to the poet, this moment will give us time in silence for self-introspection, when we can spiritually attain our
moral self through a moment of meditation.
This moment will bring an end to all destructive activities in the world. The fishermen will not be killing whales and the men gathering salt will
have time to rest their injured hands. Environmental degradation will come to an end. The warmongers will be silenced in a moment of
brotherhood to meditate and cleanse their souls. The poet hopes that it will be an ideal world where man will be able to come out from his self-
centred attitude to gain moral peace.
IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1.A thing of beauty is a joy forever Its loveliness increases, it will never Pass into nothingness; but will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Questions
(a)Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
(b)How is a thing of beauty a joy for ever ?
(c)What do you understand by a ‘bower’l
(d)What kind of sleep does it provide?
Answers:
(а)The poem is A Thing of Beauty. The poet is John Keats.
(b)A thing of beauty is the source of constant joy. Its beauty goes on increasing. It will never pass into nothingness.

(c)A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. It protects persons/animals from the hot rays of the sun.
(d)It provides us a sound sleep, full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing.
2. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Questions [All India 2014]
(a)Name the poem and the poet.
(b)Why are we despondent?
(c)What removes the pall from our dark spirits?
(d) What are we doing every day?
Answers:
(а)The poet is John Keats. The poem is A Thing of Beauty.
(b)We possess the evil qualities of malice and disappointment. We suffer from the lack of noble qualities. That is why we feel despondent.
(c) Some beautiful shapes or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits.
(d) We are weaving a flowery wreath to bind us to the beauties of the earth.
3. Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make ‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;
Questions
(а)What removes the pall from our dark spirits?
(b)What sprouts a shady boon for sheep and how?
(c) How do ‘daffodils’ and ‘rills’ enrich the environment?
(d) What makes the mid-forest brake rich?
Answers:
(a)Some beautiful shape or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits.
(b)Old and young trees sprout to make a green covering. It proves a blessing for simple sheep as it serves them as a shelter.
(c)Daffodils bloom among the green surroundings. The rills or small streams of clear water make a cooling shelter for themselves against the hot
season.
(d)The mid forest brake is made rich by the blooming of beautiful musk-roses.
(e)(i) pall, (ii) boon, (Hi) rills, (iv) covert.

4. And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
Ml lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink
Questions [Delhi 2014]
(a)Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
(b)Explain: ‘the grandeur of the dooms’.
(c)What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines’?
(d)What image does the poet use in these lines?
Answers:
(а)The poem is A Thing of Beauty. The poet is John Keats.
(b)The magnificence that we imagine for our mighty dead forefathers on the dooms day.
(c)The lovely tales of mighty men are mentioned in these lines.
(d)The poet uses the image of ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. The earth has bestowed us
with sun, moon, flowers, rivers, greenery etc.
QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
Q1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
Ans: Everything of nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are: the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil
flowers, small streams with clear water, mass of ferns and the blooming musk-roses. All of them are things of beauty. They are a constant source
of joy and pleasure.
Q2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.
Ans: There are many things that cause us suffering and pain. Malice and disappointment are “the biggest source of our suffering. Another one is
the lack of noble qualities. Our unhealthy and evil ways also give birth to so many troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. They act as
a pall of sadness on our lives.
Q3. What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’ suggest to you?
Ans: Keats is a lover of beauty. He employs his senses to discover beauty. The link of man with nature is eternal. The things of beauty are like
wreaths of beautiful flowers. We seem to weave a flowery band everyday. It keeps us attached to the beauties of this earth.

Q4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Ans: There are many things that bring us troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. However, ‘some shape of beauty1 brings love and
happiness in our lives in spite of such unpleasant things. A thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness and sufferings. It makes us love life.
Q5. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?
Ans: The mighty dead were very powerful and dominating persons during their own times. Their achievements made them ‘mighty’ and great.
Their noble works dazzle our eyes. We imagine that such mighty dead forefathers will attain more grandeur on the doomsday. Hence ‘grandeur’
is associated with the ‘mighty dead’.
Q6. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?
Ans: We feel happy by coming into contact with things of beauty. They make a lasting impression on us. Keats makes it clear at the outset. A
thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is a constant source of joy and pleasure. Its beauty never declines or diminishes. Its loveliness goes on
increasing every moment. Its value remains undiminished. It never passes into nothingness. It removes the pall of sadness that covers our dark
spirits.
Q7, What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Ans: John Keats uses a very beautiful image to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. It is the endless fountain of immortal drink. It pours constantly into
our hearts from heaven. Thus, the beautiful bounty of the earth is called “an endless fountain of immortal drink.”
IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree:
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Questions
(a) Name the poem and the poet of these lines.
(b) What are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers doing? How do they look like?
(c) Where do they live? Are they fearless? Give an example.
(d) How do they pace?
Answers:
(а) The poem is Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers. The poet is Adrienne Rich.
(b) They are jumping across a screen or a wall. They look like shining yellow topaz.
(c) They live in green forests. They are fearless. They don’t fear the men under the tree.
(d) They run with a well-groomed, honourable confidence.

ncert questions and answers for class 12

ncert questions and answers for class 12

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