Questions and answers of the poem "NATURE"

                           NATURE
                                                                                                                                    Henry Wordsworth Longfellow

1. How does Nature prepare us for the ultimate rest?
  
   Ans: Through our life, we, the human beings, remain busy with our earthly possessions.  But at the end of our life, we feel tired and sleepy. Nature, like a fond mother, takes away all these possessions one by one and prepares us gently for the ultimately rest. Thus we are led to the unknown world of eternity.

2. what according to Longfellow, are the feeling of the child being led away to bed?
  
  Ans: The child is playing with his old and dear playthings. So when his mother leads him to bed at the end of the day, he is unwilling to leave his playthings and go with his mother. He gazes at his broken playthings through the open door. His mother promises him of more splendid toys instead of broken ones. But he is not fully comforted.

3. ‘’So Nature deals with us, ----‘’---- How does Nature deal with us?
 
  Ans: Like a fond mother, Nature takes away our earthly possessions one by one. She holds our hands and gently leads us towards eternal sleep. We became so tired that we feel sleepy. We cannot understand where Nature leads us to.                       
                                                                              OR, 
  
  Ans:  Here the poet Longfellow presents Nature as a loving mother. At the end of the day, a fond mother leads her child to bed. The child is unwilling to go to bed. Similarly, at the end of our life, Nature takes away our dear possessions one by one and prepares us for ultimate rest.
                                                                                                                                                               
4. Why is the child half-willing and half-unwilling go to bed?

     Ans: The child has played whole day with his playthings. He feels tired and sleepy now. So he is half-willing to go to bed with his mother. But he does not want to leave his playthings. So he is half-unwilling to go to bed.

5. ‘’Which, though more splendid, may not please him more.’’---- What is referred to as ‘which’? Why may it not ‘please him more’?

     Ans: The poet here refers to the new playthings which the mother promises to give.
         The new playthings, though more splendid, may not please the child more because he has great attraction for his old playthings.

6. Why is ‘Nature’ compared to a fond mother?

Ans:  In order to highlight the motherly influence of Nature on human life, Longfellow compares Nature to a fond mother. At the end of the day a fond mother takes away the playthings from the child and gently leads him to bed. Nature also takes away our earthly possessions one by one and prepares us for ultimate rest.

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Questions and answers of the poem "The Moon"

                       THE MOON
                         Percy Bysshe Shelley

1. ‘’Like a dying lady lean and pale,
       Who totters forth wrapped in a gauzy veil’’
---- Explain ‘lean and pale’, ‘gauzy veil’.
 
       Ans: Here the poet refers to the whitish colour of the moon. It is as if the lady has been suffering long from a serious illness. This has made her look lean and pale.
         The expression ‘gauzy veil’ means a piece of transparent cloth used to hide a woman’s face or protect it from the sun, dust etc.

2.    What is meant by different birth?                                                                                         3Marks
 
Ans: Different birth means different origin. The poet wants to mean that the moon belongs to the solar system which is ruled over by the sun. But the stars have a different origin.

3.  ‘’Among the stars that have a different birth’’--- Explain the line. / Explain the scientific truth of this line.                                                                                                                                                 5Marks

    Ans:  The moon belongs to the solar system which is ruled over by one star--the sun. In fact, the stars are all separate suns. According to Shelley, each of these suns has its own family of planets and satellites. So, the source of the stars and the moon are not the same.

4. ‘’And ever changing, like a joyless eye.’’---Explain the idea in the quoted line.
  
  Ans: By ‘ever-changing’, Shelley, the poet of the poem ‘’The Moon’’, wants to mean that the moon constantly changes its shape and position from the new moon to the full moon. These shapes are compared to the sad eyes of a person. So the moon looks pale and dejected.

5. ‘’Art thou pale for weariness—?’’ --- Explain the cause of the moon’s ‘weariness’.

     Ans: The moon is pale. It has lost its brightness. So P.B. Shelley imagines that the moon is pale because, it is weary of climbing to the sky and gazing on the earth. It is also tired of wandering alone in the sky in search of a worthy lover.  

6. How is the moon is compared to a dying lady in the first stanza of Shelley’s poem ‘’The Moon’’?

      Ans: In the first stanza of Shelley’s poem ‘’The Moon’’, the moon is compared with a dying lady. She is lean and pale. She comes out of her chamber unsteadily. Her face is covered with gauzy veil. Similarly the moon rises slowly in the dark eastern sky. It is also partially covered with a thin layer of clouds.        

7. How does the poet describe the rising of the moon in the east?

   Ans: At dusk the moon slowly rises in the east. Then the eastern sky is partially covered with a thin layer of the cloud that makes the moon look like a shapeless mass. The rising moon looks pale and lean. It has been compared to a dying lady coming out unsteadily of her chamber, covered with veil.

8. Show how Shelley has created myth out of a natural phenomenon in the poem ‘’The Moon’’.

   Ans: Myth is an imaginative piece of work where natural phenomenon is presented as a living being. Shelley, in his poem ‘The Moon’ has presented the moon through different myths. In the first section he presents the pale moon as a dying lady wrapped in a transparent veil. The second section depicts her as a maiden wandering alone in search of a worthy lover.

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Questions and answers of the play 'The Bishop’s candlesticks'.

The Bishop’s candlesticks
                                                                                                      Norman mckinnel

1.   "I’m too old a bird to be caught with chaff"--- What does the speaker mean by this?

  Ans:  The convict is the speaker here. He means to say by this that he is an experienced criminal. He is like an old bird that knows well what may go against him. So he cannot be deceived easily.

2. What did the Bishop do for Mere Gringoire?

     Ans: Mere Gringoire could not pay her house rent. She sought the Bishop’s help. The Bishop had no money. So he disposed of the silver salt cellars to pay the house rent of Mere Gringoire.

3. ’" Brother I am frightened."---- Why is Persome frightened?

   Ans: When the Bishop calls his sister Persome for the keys of the cupboard, she enters and finds a man standing there with a knife in his hand. He had a wild look in his eyes. So Persome is frightened.

4. "Well, for my part I believe that charity begins at home"---

    Ans; The Bishop sells all the valuable things to serve the poor and the ailing. He does not care Persome. So Persome thinks that the primary duty is to help and care his family and then to others.

5. "Ah, you are admiring my candlesticks. I am proud of them."—Why is the Bishop proud of his candlesticks?

   Ans: The Bishop was proud of his candlesticks because his mother gave them to him on her death bed and told him to keep them in her memory.

6."For the first time in thirty years"--- Who is the speaker here? What happened for the first time in thirty years?

      Ans: The doors and windows of the Bishop’s cottage remained open so that people could come in to seek his help. But the convict shut them all. So the Bishop said that such thing happened for the first time in thirty years.

7. How did the convict escape from the prison?

      Ans:  The convict was chained up in the prison like a wild beast by the jail authorities. One day they were careless and forgot to chain him up. He took this chance and escaped from the prison.

8. "No, no, sister, not my candlesticks"--- Why did the Bishop not wish to sell the candlesticks?

     Ans: The Bishop did not wish to sell the candlesticks because his mother gave them to him on her death bed and told him to keep them in her memory.

9. Who was the convict originally?    What was he convicted for?                               

     Ans: The convict was originally a poor peasant.

     The convict lived in a village cottage with his wife and there was no sufficient food for them. He had no work. His wife became ill. He stole to buy her food. He was caught and sent for jail. Thus he was convicted.

10. How does the Bishop succeed in winning the convict’s trust?

     Ans: The convict lost his faith in man. But the Bishop Wins the partial trust of the convict by his kind and sympathetic look. His affectionate and kind words help him to win the convict’s trust. The Bishop gave him food and shelter which he needed most. He shows sympathy for his sufferings. Above all, by his gentle and friendly behavior the Bishop was able to win the convict’s trust.

11. Show how the Bishop’s character is different from the characters of Persome.   

OR    Persome is presented as an ordinary woman, while her brother is a saintly person. Show how the Bishop’s character contrasts with hers. 

  Ans: The Bishop and his sister Persome are two contrasting characters. The Bishop is an ideal Christian, who can sacrifice everything for the sake of the suffering humanity. He has no attachment to any earthly thing. But Persome is an ordinary woman with a practical outlook. She is fond of her household articles. This contrast is evident in their attitudes to the convict too. Persome hates him, but the Bishop pities him for his misery.

12. Describe the mental conflict before stealing the candlesticks.
 
Ans:  When the convict saw the beautiful candlesticks of the Bishop, he could not control his temptation to steal them. At first he hesitated to steal from his benefactor. Later he thought that his chain mates would ridicule him for his goodness. So he decided to steal them and not to listen to the Bishop’s religious sermon.

13. "That was when I was a man, now I am not a man."--- Describe the life of the speaker when he was a man.

Ans:  The convict was originally a poor peasant. He lived with his wife Jeanette happily in a little village cottage. In a bad year he had no work, no food. But his wife fell ill. So, he had to steal to buy food for his dying wife. But he was caught and sent to prison.

14.   Who do you think is the central character in the play---the Bishop or the convict? Give reason for your answer.

   Ans: According to me, the characters of the Bishop and the convict are equally important in the play. Of them, the Bishop is certainly the central character. His kind and generous treatment turns the convict into an honest man from a criminal. The main aim of the writer was to show how a criminal is changed into an honest man. The main architect behind this is the Bishop, who can sacrifice everything for the benefit of the suffering humanity.

 15. What is the Bishop’s parting speech to the convict?

Ans: When the convict is about to leave the Bishop’s house for Paris, the Bishop puts his hands on his shoulder and advises him to always remember that the poor human body is the Temple of Living God.

16." I am a fool, a child to cry--- "---- Why did the speaker call himself a fool?                    

Ans: The convict lost all faith in mankind as he was badly treated in jail. But the kind and sympathetic treatment got from the Bishop made him feel that still there was goodness in the world. He called himself a fool as he was unable to control the emotion and cried like a child.

17. "If people lie to me they are poorer not I"---- Who is the speaker? What does the speaker mean to say?

Ans: The Bishop is the speaker here.
      The Bishop means to say that if people tell lies to get his help, they became morally poorer. They are the losers. But he by good to them would be blessed by God.

                                                               

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Questions and Answers 'LIFE AT MOKAMEH GHAT'.

                                              LIFE AT MOKAMEH GHAT                                          

                                                                                                                 Jim Corbett

1.  ‘’The idea originated with Ram Saran.’’---- What was the idea? How was the idea implemented?

Ans: The idea was to open a school for the sons of workmen and the lower paid railway staff.

                Ram Saran’s idea of opening a school was implemented with all sincerity. Corbett and Ram Saran rented a hut, appointed a teacher and started the school with twenty boys.

2. ‘’I said I would try to satisfy his curiosity’’—who said this and to whom? How did he satisfy the other person’s curiosity?

Ans:  Jim Corbett said this to the readers.

     Jim Corbett satisfied his companion’s curiosity by describing the passengers of the lower deck. At first he describes three Brahmans carrying holy water from the Ganges. Next to them was a Mohammedan dhoonia sitting with a harp-like instrument beside him. Two Tibetan lamas were returning from pilgrimage.  Four Nepalese pilgrims were also carrying water of the Ganges. His friend was going to plough his fields. A Mohammedan hide merchant was on his way to Muzaffarpur.

3. Why does Corbett enjoy the crossing of the river?

Ans: Corbett enjoyed the crossing of the river. Because, it gave him time to rest his legs and have a quiet smoke. Besides, it gave him an opportunity to study human beings. It was one of his hobbies.                                                                                                                                                                       

4. ‘’Caste prejudices were the first snag we ran up against’’------ How was the problem of ‘caste prejudices’ solved at Ram saran’s school?

Ans: The teacher solved the problem of caste prejudices by removing the wall of the hut. The students of different castes were unwilling to sit together in the same hut. But they had no objection to sit under the same hut.

  5.  ‘’My tan hid my blushes’’----- Who says this? What made him blush?                            

Ans; Jim Corbett said this.                                                                                                          

          Corbett described the gentleman sitting on the bench as a Mohammedan hide merchant who was travelling from Gaya to Muzaffarpur. Corbett thought that the gentleman did not know English. But the gentleman said in perfect English that he was a tobacco merchant and not a hide merchant. This made him blush.

6. ‘’I am thankful that my men and I served India at a time when the interest of one was the interest of all.’’----- How has Corbett contrasted India of the past and India of today in the concluding paragraph of ‘’Life at Mokameh Ghat’’

 Ans:   Corbett remarks that he served India at a time when people of all castes and religions could live, work and play together in perfect harmony. It grieves him that labour unrest, strikes and communal disorders are quite rampant in present India. So, he opines that communal harmony could be restored today if agitators were eliminated

7. Describe the work that Corbett and his fellow workers had to do at Mokameh Ghat.

 Ans: Jim Corbett and his fellow workers had to work hard to clear goods accumulated at the Mokameh Ghat. But gradually they became accustomed to this strenuous work. They earned reputation by clearing the goods. So their work became easy and smooth. They worked collectively to retain the reputation.

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Give the substance of the poem "The Sick Rose".

     Give the substance of the poem "The Sick Rose".

         In the poem "The Sick Rose" the poet says that the rose is sick. An invisible worm has crept into its bed in a howling storm and under the cover of night. The dark secret love of this worm has destroyed the life of the rose. As a result, the rose looks pale.

        In the poem "The Sick Rose" William Blake gives a complex vision of love symbolized by rose. The theme of the poem is not merely about a rose losing its colour gradually after being attacked by a worm. While the rose symbolizes innocence, the worm symbolizes the Devil. The rose becomes destroyed by the worm's dark secret love. The theme of the poem therefore suggests the destruction of love by selfishness, killing of innocence by experience and the end of real love by social love. The secrecy of love is a disease that destroys life.

        Rose is a conventional symbol of love and beauty. Poets through the ages have imagined the similarity between a beautiful girl and a sweet rose. Traditionally, qualities and virtues like innocence, purity and modesty are attached with the rose. In fact rose exists as one of the most beautiful natural creations.

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Questions and Answers of AFTERWARDS.

                                      AFTERWARDS –---- Thomas Hardy

1.       Write a note about Hardy’s attitude to life and nature.    (  Substance)

OR, Write a short note on the poet’s desire to be remembered after death in ‘Afterwards’

Ans: Hardy was a great lover of nature and of the innocent birds and beast. He wishes that after his death his friends will remember him as such.

       The poet loved the beauties of Nature. The month of May came with soft, green leaves on the trees. The poet saw these things and felt very happy. He notices the dewy evening scene, when a hawk silently came down on an upland thorn tree. He loved to see the timid hedgehog moving about stealthily over the lawn on a dark night. He tried to save them from cruelty of men. He loved to watch the mysterious starry sky of winter. He noticed the rise and fall of the sounds of a church-bell at the death of some persons.

        From this poem we also learn that Hardy deeply though over human mortality.

2.       Write a short note on the title of the poem, ‘Afterwards’

Ans: The poet Thomas Hardy thinks what would happen after his death. If he dies in summer when nature is bright, the neighbours would say that the poet had a keen eye for such scenes. If he dies at dusk when hawk sits upon the thorny plant, a gazer would say that he had a great love in his heart for such familiar sights.  If the poet dies at night when the hedgehog tries to find out a safe place, somebody would remark that the poet thought of these innocent animals and tried to save them. As a great lover of nature the poet wants to live in the mind of his neighbours after his death. So the title is appropriate.

3.       How does Hardy describe the May month in the poem ‘Afterwards’

Ans: The poet was a lover of all sweet sounds and pleasant scenes of nature. He loved to the beauty of nature during the month of May. He imagines that after his death the May month will come again. The green leaves will fill the branches of the trees in the month of May. The new leaves appearing in spring presents a very beautiful sight. They appear to be as beautiful as silk that has been newly woven.

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Questions and Answers of Prankster of the Sea.

                          Prankster of the Sea -- Jack Denton Scott

1.      How do porpoises fight shark?

     Ans:  Porpoises generally fight shark collectively. They surround the shark in the water. They continue their attack one by one like a torpedo, punching behind the gills and the stomach. Finally the shark dies and sinks into the water

2.      “There have many stories ………….. Lives” Describes one of the stories about saving human life.

Ans: Once a woman was walking through waist deep water off the Florida Coast. Then a under-tow pulled her down. But she felt something that saved her on to the beach. But when she got up, she saw a porpoise leaping about. A man standing nearby said that the porpoise had saved her ashore. Marine scientists point out that the porpoise’s spirit of play is responsible for such incident.

3.      What evidence is there that porpoises were known as friendly creatures in Roman time?

Ans: The ancients called the porpoise a dolphin and knew it as friendly. Plutarch wrote that the porpoise loved man for its own sake. Pliny the Elder wrote about the porpoise that it took a boy for a ride at Hippo. The Roman coins bear the imprint of dolphin. These are the evidence that prove the porpoises were known as friendly creatures in Roman time.

4.      Where does porpoise’s voice come from? OR. What is the source of porpoise’s voice?

Ans: The porpoise has a single nostril. It is crescent-shaped blowhole stop in his head. It closes when it touches water. The porpoise breathes its nostril. The porpoise can vibrate it like a human lip. This is the source of porpoise’s voice.

5.      What do you know about the assistant mother?

Ans: A female porpoise is the assistant mother. She takes care of an expectant mother during her pregnancy and for several weeks after the birth. She helps the mother porpoise bring up the baby and protect it from sharks. When a baby porpoise attacked by a shark the mother and the assistant mother make a whistle sound for help and many porpoise come up. They surround the shark and begin to attack till his death.

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