POEM -1.

DUST OF SNOW The poet says that once he was in a sad, depressive mood and was sitting
- ROBERT FROST under a hemlock tree. A crow, sitting on the same tree, shook off the dust of
Q1. How did the crow change the poet’s mood? snow, small particles of snow that remained on the surface after the snowfall,
Answer: on the poet. This simple action changed the poet’s mood. He realised that he
The poet was going somewhere in a snowy morning. He was upset. All the had just wasted a part of his day repenting and being lost in sorrow. But the
trees were covered with snow dust. A crow sitting on a hemlock tree shook change in his mood made him realise that he should utilize the rest of the day
the tree in such a way that some dust of snow fell on the poet. This changed in some useful activity. His sorrow was washed away by the light shower of
his mood and he became happy and relaxed. dust of snow. His spirit was revived and he got ready to utilize the rest of the
Q2. What was the reaction of the poet when the dust of snow fell on him? day.
Answer: Q 7.The poet was sad and depressed. But one comical incident lifts his
Normally, people thought both crow and hemlock tree are auspicious. But spirits. He is full of joy and happiness again. Based on your reading of
when the dust of snow from hemlock tree fell on poet, he took it in other way. the poem, write a paragraph on the topic – Happiness is relative.
He was depressed and sorrowful but the moment the crow shook the hemlock Answer:
tree and dust of snow fell on him, he felt unburdened and relieved. No one is always happy. It is just a passing phase of one’s life. It varies from
Q3.How does the poet react to crow and hemlock tree? time to time and place to place. It depends on certain people who you are
Answer: close to. There are times when we are extremely happy or sorrowful. In most
Crow and hemlock tree are considered inauspicious in the west. They are circumstances, our happiness is decided l>y certain moments in our life. Some
generally taken /is bad omen. But the poet did not take them in negative way. light moments can really enliven our mood. The actions of our friends can
They saved his day. His negative outlook changed to the positive one. make us happy or sometimes sorrowful. We must also realize that on every
Q 4.What made the poet change his mood?p cloud there is a silver lining. This means that every sorrowful moment is
Answer: followed by a period of joy and happiness.
A crow on the hemlock tree shook down the dust of snow on the poet. The Q 8.What do the ‘Hemlock’ tree and ‘Crow’ represent? What does the
falling dust of snow on the poet has changed his mood. dust of snow metaphorically stand for ?
Q 5.Why does the poet feel that he has saved some part of the day? ANS— The poet was going somewhere in a snowy morning. He was upset. All
Answer: the trees were covered with snow dust. A crow sitting on a hemlock tree
Crow shook down the dust of snow on the poet. Both crow and hemlock tree shook the tree in such a way that some dust of snow fell on the poet. This
are considered inauspicious. The falling of dust of snow from hemlock tree is changed his mood and he became happy and relaxed.
bad omen. But the poet took it in a positive way. He found himself relieved Q 9.Narrate a similar experience of your life when nature intervened
from sorrow after this incident. Now he could use his entire day in a fruitful and changed your mood. Discuss.
way. Answer:
Q 6.Simple moment proves to be very significant and saves rest of the Normally, people thought both crow and hemlock tree are auspicious. But
day of poet from being wasted. Explain on the basis of the poem ‘Dust of when the dust of snow from hemlock tree fell on poet, he took it in other way.
Snow”. He was depressed and sorrowful but the moment the crow shook the hemlock
Answer: tree and dust of snow fell on him, he felt unburdened and relieved.
‘Dust of Snow’ is a beautiful poem written by Robert Frost. This poem conveys Q 10.What is a “Dust of Snow”? What does the poet say has changed his
that even a simple moment has a large significance. The poet mentioned crow mood? How has the poet’s mood changed?
and hemlock tree in this poem. Crow signifies his depressive and sorrowful ANS— A ‘Dust of Snow” means the fine particles of snow. This ‘Dust of Snow”
mood and hemlock tree is a poisonous tree. Both these signify that the poet changed the poet’s mood. The poet’s mood changed from that of dismay to joy.
was not in a good mood and so he describes the dark, depressive and bitter He was holding the day in regret when this dust of snow fell on him and this
side of nature to present his similar mood. simple little thing brought him some joy.
 POEM -2. FIRE AND ICE we have to save the world we need to learn how to forget and forgive. For this
- ROBERT FROST we need to have enormous amount of love and compassion and be willing to
tolerate the differences and learn to get along with each other.
Q1.What are two different views about the end of the world in the poem Q7.What does ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ stand for and what is the general opinion
‘Fire and Ice’? regarding the world?
Answer: Answer:
The two different views of people regarding the end of the world are—Fire Fire’ stands for fury, desire, lust, anger, avarice, cruelty, greed. Ice is symbolic
and Ice i.e., by desire and hatred. of hatred, coldness,
Q 2.What does the poet think about the end of the world? rigidity, insensitivity and intolerance. The general opinion regarding the
Answer: world is that the world will end in fire and some say in ice. Both the reasons
The poet thinks about the end of the world that people think fire is the main contrast each other and one is equally opposite to each other. People who
cause of destruction. But by the end of the poem he says that both Fire and Ice favour fire believe that it will be the heat and passion which will end the
are equally destructive. Both have the same power of causing destruction. world. On the other side some people think that it will be the ice which will
Q 3.What do ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ symbolize in the poem ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? freeze the world.
Answer: Q 8.There are many ideas about how the world will ‘end’. Do you think
‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ are symbolized here. ‘Fire’ stands for conflict, fury, intolerance, the world will end some day? Have you ever thought what would happen
insensitivity while ‘Ice stands for greed, avarice, lust, rigidity, coldness, if the sun got so hot that it ‘burst’, or grew colder and colder?
indifference, hatred, etc. Answer:
Q 4.How can fire destroy the world? There are many ideas about how the world will end. Robert Frost points out
Answer:‘ two destructive forces—Fire and Ice, they may cause an end to the world. Yes,
Fire’ symbolizes passion or hatred. It will lead to conflicts and ultimately everything is subjected to an end. The world would come to an end someday.
result in the destruction of the world. Fire represents desire that is fervent, The cause may be a war or natural calamity. The sun is the main source of
consuming, always wanting more. Ice represents hatred that is hard and cold. energy. It is life on the earth. If the sun got so hot that it “burst’ or grew colder
Q 5.What message does the poet wish to convey through the poem ‘Fire and colder the life on the earth would come to an end.
and ‘Ice’? Q9.For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for? Here are some ideas:
OR ANS— Robert Frost compares and contrasts two destructive forces Fire and
What is the central idea of the poem ‘Fire and ‘Ice’? Ice. For him ‘Fire’ stands for desire, greed, lust, intolerance conflict etc. These
Answer: vices consume and destroy the fabric of society. ‘Ice stands for hatred, rigidity,
The poet presents two possibilities about the end of the world. It will be either insensitivity, coldness and indifference. Hate is something that causes people
due to ‘Fire and ‘Ice’ he prefers the first as he believes the world will end in to be rigid, unmoving and cold.
fire but the ice will not go away. Q 10.What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? How does it help in
Q 6.Today’s world is conflict ridden. People fight over various issues and bringing out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
there is no peace in the world. Explain/Describe based on your reading ANS— The rhyme scheme of the poem is—ab ab—be—be.
of the poem ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’. The rhyme scheme brings out the contrasting ideas and separates them
Answer: beautifully.
Hatred is a predominant issue in today’s world. Neighbour hates his fire – desire
neighbour, brother hates his brother. None is willing to forgive each other or hate – great
tolerate each other. As a result of the hatred we live in a very fragmented twice – ice
world. If hatred continues to rule our lives and world, nothing will remain ice – suffice
intact. All our achievements will perish and the world will come to an end. If
 POEM – 3. A TIGER IN THE ZOO freedom all is in vain. Since the man has come on his earth, he tries to enslave
the weaker sections for his own selfishness. If a bird lives in a golden cage, it
- Leslie Norris cannot become happy. It loves to fly freely in an open sky. In the same way, if ‘
Q 1.How does the tiger feel in the zoo? a man lives in a prison and gets everything, he cannot feel happiness. But if a
Answer: man lives freely, he will be happy even in poor conditions. In this poem, we
The poet describes the feelings of the tiger in the zoo. He keeps on moving find the descriptions of two tigers, one is in a cage and second in an open
from one comer to another. “He stalks in his vivid stripes moving the few field/forest. There is a great contrast between their behaviours.
steps of his cage”. He is not happy. He expresses his silent anger. Q9.Tigers are becoming extinct due to deforestation and poaching. How
Q 2.How does the tiger walk in the cage? can people be sensitized about the need of tiger.
Answer: Answer: Tigers are considered as an endangered species. People are killing
In the cage, the tiger walks stately and furiously. tigers for their skins, bones, claws and teeth. Due to this, the population of
Q 3.What message do you get from this poem? tigers has declined. We should not encroach on their habitat. As we all need
Answer: sheltered home, tigers also need natural surroundings. Forests should not be
From this poem, we come to know that animals like to live freely in the forest. cut down. They (Tigers) must be given more space to move freely around.
The animals do not want to live in the zoo. Their life is pitiable in it. Q 10.‘Freedom’ is a life for both humans and animals. Elaborate.
Q 4.How does the tiger act in the cage? Answer:
Answer: The poet describes the feelings of the tiger in the zoo. He keeps on moving
The tiger is in the cage. He is powerless and helpless. He longs for freedom. from one comer to another. “He stalks in his vivid stripes moving the few
His velvet pads do not make ‘ any noise. He is in the silent anger roaring and steps of his cage”. He is not happy. He expresses his silent anger.
ignoring the visitors. Q 11.Those who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it for
Q 5.What would the tiger do in a forest? themselves. Comment.
Answer: Answer:
In the forest, the tiger can enjoy complete freedom. He would walk around The poet describes the feelings of the tiger in the zoo. He keeps on moving
freely without any fear. He would terrorize the villagers by growling. He from one comer to another. “He stalks in his vivid stripes moving the few
would show his teeth and claws. steps of his cage”. He is not happy. He expresses his silent anger.
Q 6.What does the poet want to convey through this poem?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey that like human beings, animals also like freedom. POEM – 4 HOW TO TELL WILD ANIMALS
They do not want to be caged, they cannot live a miserable life. If their habitat
is destroyed by human beings, these animals cannot survive. - CAROLYN WELLS
Q7.What would the tiger do in a forest? Q1.How can you identify the Asian Lion?
Answer: Answer:
In the forest, the tiger can enjoy complete freedom. He would walk around The poet in the humorous way says that if a person goes to the jungles in the
freely without any fear. He would terrorize the villagers by growling. He east and if a large and brownish wild animal roars while killing him, the
would show his teeth and claws. dying^jnan can know that it is the Asian Lion.
Q 8.“Freedom is a birth right. It is the most beautiful gift of god. It is Q2.How can you identify the Bengal Tiger?
valuable for all human beings as well as for creatures,” Discuss with Answer:
reference to the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo.”. A person can identify the Bengal Tiger when a beast with black stripes on
Answer: yellow body meets and eats him. This is how he can make out that it is the
Freedom is the most beautiful gift of god. Freedom is a birthright, without Bengal Tiger.
Q3.How can a man know that the beast is leopard? humour is the best medicine for every ailment. Do you agree? Comment.
OR OR
Describe some features of the leopard. “Humour is the perfect medicine for all diseases”. Discuss this statement
Answer: by taking examples from the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals”.
Leopard has spots on its body. It is a dangerous and powerful animal. It has Answer:
the quality of leaping again and again. It leaps over its prey at once. It eats its The poet talks about wild animals in a funny manner. All the dangerous, wild
prey. animals like lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, crocodile, chameleon have
Q 4.How does the poet tell us to identify a bear? been portrayed humorously. The poet describes their dangerous activities in
Answer: such a manner that they produce laughter.
The poet says that if, while walking round the courtyard of his house, a person Q9.Does ‘dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that
meets there a creature who hugs him very, very hard, then he be can be sure it does?
that it is a bear. Answer:
Q 5.How does the poet distinguish the hyena from crocodile? No ‘dying does not rhyme with ‘lion’. It is for this reason that the poet has
Answer: used ‘dyin’ so that when we pronounce it, it rhymes with ‘lion’.
The poet tells us how to distinguish a hyena from crocodile. A hyena is an Q 10.How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger?
animals who can laugh. The poet says that if a creature greets a person while When can you do so, according to him?
smiling merrily, then that creature is hyena. If a creature sheds tears while Answer:
swallowing a person, then it is a crocodile. The poet suggests that if a large and tawny beast comes towards us, then it is
Q 6.What does the poet tell us about a chameleon? an Asian lion. We can identify it when it roars at us while, we are dying with
Answer: fear. When while roaming, we come across a wild beast that is yellow in
The poet tells us that a chameleon is found on a tree. It is a creature which can colour with black stripes, it is Bengal tiger. We can identify it when it eats us.
change its colour according to its surrounding. It is very difficult to see a
chameleon on the tree because it changes its colour according to the colour of POEM – 5 THE BALL POEM
the tree.
Q 7.The poet has used some special qualities to describe the animals and - JOHN BERRYMAN
create humour in the poem. Each of us also has some special qualities Q 1.How was the boy’s hall lost?
which make us quite different from others. Do you agree with this Answer:
statement? Comment with reference to the poem ‘How to Tell Wild The boy was playing with his ball. The ball bounced and it went down the
Animals’. street. From the street the ball fell into the water. This is how the boy lost this
Answer: ball.
The poet has used the selected words and expressions to describe the animals Q 2.How did the boy react after losing the ball?
and to create humour. For example she says, “A noble beast greets you’ for Answer:
“The Bengal Tiger”, “A bear – hugs you” “Crocodiles weep” and ‘Hyena smiles’. The boy was very much upset after losing the ball. He was filled with sadness,
Like these animals, each of us has some special qualities which make us quite which affected him greatly. Stunningly he stood in a stiff manner,
different from others. For example, we face many people in a day, but even overpowered with grief, trembling and staring down where his ball was lost.
then we can easily recognize them only through their voice or through their Q 3.How does the boy ‘Senses first responsibility?
special habits. These distinctive qualities give them a unique identification. Answer:
This, statement is absolutely right. The boy loses his ball and gets upset. This was his first lesson in sensing first
Q8.The poet uses humour in a perfect manner in her poem—‘How to Tell responsibility. He has the experience of losing something and learning how to
Wild Animals’ to bring smile on the face of readers. In our daily life also cope up with the loss. He understands the nature of loss or what it means to
lose something. He now will be more responsible and vigilant to avoid losing Q 9.Why is it important for everyone to experience loss and to stand up
something in future. after it?
Q 4.What do you think the poet means by the following lines? OR
People will take Balls, There’s always loss and there’s always disappointment. When someone
balls will be lost always, little boy. is learning from loss, he is moving towards achievement. Elaborate.
And no one buys a ball back. OR
Answer: It’s often been said that you learn more from losing than you do from
We think the poet, in these lines, conveys a great message. Losing ball here winning. You learn a lot from a loss. It really gets your attention and it
symbolises miseries arising out of the losses one suffers in life. In this really motivates. Described.
materialistic world, there is cut throat competition. So losses are bound to OR
happen some day or the other. You have to make up for your own losses. No Loss is an essential and significant experience of one’s life. Explain.
body else will, do it. Answer:
Q 5.What does the poet mean by “epistemology of loss”? Everyone experiences a loss at some point in one’s life. It might be the loss of
OR a beloved, or a parent or a close relative or even a pet. Humans have a
How important is the learning to “epistemology of loss” for the boy? tendency of getting attached to things and the loss of things or people close to
Answer: heart causes grievance. But one must not let that pull us down. Loss is an
According the poet, the epistemology of loss is the greatest lesson, the boy is essential and significant experience of one’s life. And one must learn to deal
learning. It teaches him to value and preserve his cherished things. It also with it and move on.
teaches him to recover from the loss and move on with , his life. When we try If we keep thinking about it or grieve over that loss, we can never come out of
to understand what it means to lose something, we are more vigilant to check it. It will only affect us psychologically and can have severe consequences.
the further losses. Thus it helps us to be self-reliant and stand up on our own Brooding over a loss will never help in bringing things back to normal. Loss is
feet. inevitable sometimes. Once a loss occurs, one must grieve, but only for a short
Q 6.Why is it important for everyone to experience loss to stand up after while. Thereafter one must get over it and move on in life.
it? Q10.Write the central idea of the poem “The Ball Poem”.
Answer: Answer:
The poet believes that nothing is eternal. Everyone must experience the loss The poet John Berryman “The Ball poem” describes the grief of a boy over the
to help him bear it. It also teaches him how to recover from it and stand up. It loss of his ball. This loss makes him realise his first responsibility. The poet
will remind him to protect and preserve his possessions. wants us to understand that in this materialistic world nothing is forever. We
Q 7.Why does the poet say that ‘Money is external’? will be forced to give up things which we love and even in time of problems,
Answer: we have to learn to stand up. We have to learn to accept fate of our life.
The poet believes that money cannot buy each and everything. It can bring Q 11.Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him’? Why doesn’t
just external happiness by buying us possessions but it cannot make a boy he offer him money to buy another ball?
recover from his unhappiness due to loss of a loved one or valued thing. Answer:
Q 8.What does the poet say about “A world of possessions”? The poet wants the boy to experience the loss. He should learn that it is the
OR part of life. That is why the poet does not want to interfere and wants the boy
Why does the poet call the world ‘A world of possessions’? to be strong and handle the situation himself and does not want to offer him
Answer: money to buy another ball.
The poet calls the world ‘A world of possessions’ because man values and is Q 12.staring down/ All his young days into the harbour where/His ball
valued on the basis of his worldly possessions. All his feelings and his whole went…” Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked
life are dominated by his possessions. to the memories of days when he played with it?
Answer: Amanda imagines herself or wishes to be free like a mermaid, which is moving
Yes, it seems like the boy has had the ball for a long time. When it bounced slowly in a state of bliss in the sea, which is green like an emerald.
into the water, all his memories of the days of childhood flashed in front of Q 3.What instructions were given to Amanda about her homework, room
him. This led to a realization that those moments would not come back, just and shoes?
like the ball. He can buy new balls and can create new similar moments, but Answer:
those that are gone, and would not ever return. Amanda had been commanded or advised to finish her homework and keep
Q13.What does “in the world of possessions’ mean? her room neat and clean. She is also instructed to clean her shoes.
Answer: Q 4.How and why does Amanda say that she is an orphan?
“In the world of possessions’ means people like to possess all sorts of things in Answer:
the world. Money is an external thing because it can buy only material objects. Amanda seems to be fed up with continuous instructions and naggings. She is
It cannot buy everything that one loses or cannot bring back your long lost feeling that her freedom is curtailed. So, she imagines herself to be an orphan
memories. street child who leaves imprints caused on the soft dust by her bare feet. She
Q14.Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words feels that silences is golden or precious and freedom is sweet.
that suggest the answer. Q 5.What impression do you form about Amanda, after reading the poem
Answer: ‘Amanda’?
No, it seems that the boy has not lost anything earlier. The words that suggest Answer:
so are, “senses first responsibility in a world of possessions”. Amanda feels suffocated because she is controlled and instructed not to do
Q15.What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? one thing or the other. She feels that her freedom is curtailed. But Amanda
Try to explain this in your own words. wishes to be free to live in her own world. She is a very sensitive girl who
Answer: indulges in daydreaming quiet often. She highly values silence and freedom.
The boy has lost his ball while playing. The poet says that from this loss, the Q 6.What type of life does Amanda wish for?
boy will learn in his years, what it means to lose something. Thus he will Answer:
understand the nature of loss or how to face and cope up with losses one Amanda feels that her freedom has been curtailed. She is leading a controlled
suffers in life. This experience of losing something will enable him to learn to life under constant nagging. She wishes for a life free from all the restrictions.
be self- reliant and to stand up on his feet in the life where losses do occur, She wants to lead a life like a fairy, a mermaid or an orphan. Like a mermaid
though they might not be important enough to worry about. she wants to drifts blissfully. For, silence is golden and freedom is sweet.
Q 7.I am an orphan, roaming the street.
POEM – 6 AMANDA Is Amanda an orphan? If not, why does she say so?
Answer:
- ROBIN KLEIN No, Amanda is not an orphan. There are many restrictions on her. She does
Q 1.What does the poet ask Amanda not to do in the poem” ‘Amanda’? not like this life. She wants freedom. She feels that there is no one to
Answer: understand her feelings. She is all alone. This is the reason she says that she is
The poet advises Amanda not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders and an orphan.
not to eat chocolate. She advises her to sit straight and take care of her acne. Q 8.Don’t eat that chocolate Amanda!
She further advises her to keep herself clean. Remember your acne, Amanda!
Q 2.In which way does Amanda imagine herself to be mermaid? . Why is Amanda forbidden to eat chocolate?
Answer: Answer:
Mermaid is believed to be a creature with a woman’s head and body, and a Amanda is a little child who wants freedom from all restrictions of life. She
fish’s tail instead of legs. loves to eat chocolate but she is forbidden to eat them as these will affect her
health adversely. She is advised to take care of her acne.
Q 9. Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, They don’t trust their child’s capability to do things independently. However,
Who do you think is speaking to Amanda? the parents may control the children and guide them as long as it is necessary.
Answer: Equipped with knowledge and confidence they will be able to face the world
The poet is speaking to Amanda. She had put many restrictions on her. She boldly. Gradually the child should be allowed to grow on its own and be
advises her to take care of her health and acne. She is advised to follow a responsible for its actions. When parents give freedom to their children they
controlled and disciplined life. gain confidence and learn to do things in a better way.
Q 10. life in a tower is tranquil and rare; Q 13.How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair’. Answer:
Why does the poet say that life in a tower is tranquil and rare? Whose Amanda is a teenager. This is the age when a child wants to have freedom.
life is he talking about? Teenagers do not like nagging and want to have free life. The poet advises
Answer: Amanda to take care of her acne which commonly appears on the face of a
The poet feels that life in a tower is peaceful and full of freedom because there teenager.
is no one to nag you. She is talking about Rapunzel who lives in a peaceful Q 14.What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
tower. Answer:
Q 11. Why does Amanda imagine to be If Amanda were a mermaid, then she would drift slowly in a languid emerald
(i) a Mermaid (ii) an orphan, and (iii) Rapunzel, sea. She would be the sole inhabitant of relaxed green sea and would move
What does it show about her? slowly on it.
Answer: Q15.Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
(i) Amanda imagines herself to be a mermaid so that she may drift in the Answer:
silent sea and enjoy the loneliness and peace there. She yearns for freedom. No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she wants to be alone and
(ii) She wishes to be an orphan so that she may play bare feet in the dust enjoy being herself she wants to roam around in the street alone and pattern
without receiving several instructions or scolding. She wishes for her dust with her barefeet. She finds silence ‘golden’ and freedom ‘sweet’. It is for
independence and freedom. this reason that she calls herself an orphan.
(iii) Amanda is fascinated by the lonely and tranquil life of Rapunzel in a Q16.Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be
closed tower. She wishes for such a life so that her nagging mother may not Rapunzel?
reach there. Here also, she yearns for her freedom from nagging. Answer:
Q 12. “Don’t bite your nails, Amanda! Rapunzel was a mythological figure, who was absolutely carefree, leading a
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!” calm and quiet life in tower, Amanda wishes to lead a carefree, calm and quiet
Amanda’s parents were over anxious about her. She often found their life like Rapunzel.
instructions very stifling. Reading the poem and based on Amanda’s Q17.What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about
experience, write a paragraph on the topic “Should parents be allowed Amanda?
to control children?” Answer:
Answer: The girl (Amanda) yearns for a life of freedom. The poem tells us that she is an
It goes without saying that no child can survive the early years of its life imaginative girl who is constantly nagged by her unimaginative mother.
without the care and protection of its parents. But some parents are so over Q 18.Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
protective and over anxious about their children that they don’t let their Answer:
children live in peace. They don’t allow them to explore and find out things on No, Amanda is neither sulking, nor she is moody. She is simply longing for her
their own. Such parents kill the child’s initiative in learning. These parents freedom. She wants to go out and play wherever she likes.
always boss around and irritate their children.
 POEM – 7 ANIMALS Answer: The poet means that animals do not pray to God or to ancestors and
all of them are equal, hence no one is more respectable than the other. The
- WALT WHITMAN good values of animals and the lack of social conventions make them happy.

Question 7. Why do you think the poet has called the desire to own things, a
mania? Is the poet right in doing so? Write your own views.
Q1. Why does the poet like animals? Answer:
The poet uses words such as ‘demented’ and ‘mania’ for never ending desire
The poet likes animals for their self-contained and quiet nature. The fact that of human beings to own things. These words show that poet is comparing this
animals are not like human beings and satisfied with their lives appeals to the desire to madness. The poet stands right in doing so as this desire makes us so
poet a lot. greedy and traps us in a vicious circle of aspiring more and more. Animals
that are free from any possession are also free from sins, worries and
Question 2. Explain the satisfaction that animals have and humans complaints. In order to gain more wealth, all the important values such as
don’t. [CBSE 2014] morality and kindness are left behind.
Answer:
Animals do not have the desire to possess worldly things. Whereas, the more Question 8. What according to you should be the virtues that humans should
humans own, the more their desire to own grows, leaving them dissatisfied possess?
forever. The absence of this greed in animals keeps them satisfied and its Answer:
presence keeps humans dissatisfied. Human beings should be gentle not only to their own kind but also to
everyone and everything. Virtues such as kindness bring along other
Question 3. Why do animals not weep for their sins? important values like innocence and honesty that together make the world a
Answer: better place to live. The lack of such values results in a corrupt society where
Animals do not weep for their sins because they do not need to do so. They people commit sins and weep over them in dark. This situation makes them
are innocent creatures that commit no sins. It is humans, who weep yet dissatisfied and unhappy in life. Human beings probably had these virtues in
commit sins. them but along with civilisation processes, they have left them behind and
adopted greed and cunningness.
Question 4. What makes the poet sick?
Answer: Question 9. It is not complaining but accepting a situation, the key to
The fact, that humans commit all kinds of sins and still discuss their duty to happiness in life. Elaborate in context of the poem Animals’. [CBSE 2015]
God, makes the poet sick. This shows the hypocrisy of humans, who on one Answer:
hand do wrong and on the other pray to God. The poet Walt Whitman in his poem ‘Animals’ compares animals to human
beings and differentiates between them on the basis of their characteristics.
Question 5. Differentiate between humans and animals in terms of desire. Animals have been ranked much higher than humans in poet’s perception.
Answer: Since animals do not complain about their situation, they are considered to be
Animals are very different from humans as they have no desire to own things. much happier than humans. Animals live in natural surroundings, they accept
They are happy without an unending greed while humans become maniacs in their natural lives. Humans, on the other hand, have never accepted nature,
their greed for possessing valuables. i.e., they complain about it and try to change it, leading to an unhappy life.

Question 6. What does the poet mean by, “Not one is respectable or unhappy Question 10. The poet in the poem Animals’ laments the loss of certain values
over the whole earth”? on the part of human beings, whereas animals seem to have retained them
and are self contented. Analyse the cause of degeneration of values in today’s Answer:
hard times. The poet can hear the voices of the trees talking to each other, asserting their
Answer: right to be free and the sounds of their moving out. It may also be her inner
In the modern civilised world, human beings have achieved a lot of material voice that reprimands her for imprisoning the trees. The whispers will be
values but lost the real virtues. The more developed and modern human silent tomorrow as the trees will move out into the forest and will be free.
beings became, the more they lost the essence of their characters. Animals, Question 5.
whereas, never adapted to any material goods and always remained natural. What does the poetess compare the bough with and why?
This natural aspect of animals has helped them maintain their values. Answer:
Humans, in order to possess more and more have forgotten kindness and The boughs are long and cramped. The poet compares the boughs with the
innocence. patients who have been recently discharged and are moving out of the clinic
doors because the boughs also move out in the same semi-dazed state as if
POEM – 8 THE TREES they are under a spell.
Question 6.
- ADRIENNE RICH The poem ‘The Trees’ presents a conflict between Man and Nature. Discuss.
Answer:
The poem ‘The Trees’ presents the rebellion of the tree against the human
oppression and imprisonment within walls. The forest is the natural habitat of
Question 1. Why do the trees need to move out? Where have they been and the trees. The trees feel suffocated in houses. They rebel against it and move
why? out.
Answer: Question 7.
The trees in the forest have been cut and man has planted trees in his Why is the poet writing long letters? Why does she not mention the departure
courtyard for his selfish decorative purposes. It makes the trees feel of the trees?
suffocated and out of place. So they need to move out into the forest. They Answer:
have been in the city houses as men have imprisoned them there. The poet can feel the sorrow of the trees imprisoned in the cities. So, she is
Question 2. What makes the forest empty? What cannot happen in a-treeless writing long letters or poems voicing the trees’ right to be in their natural
forest? habitat i.e., the forest. She does not mention the departure of the trees in her
Answer: letters as she is too embarrassed for imprisoning them ever.
Man’s cutting the trees of the forest at an uncontrollable speed has resulted in Question 8.
the empty forests. In a treeless forest, birds and insects cannot find shelter How does the changing forms of moon relate to the moving out of the trees?
and make their homes there. The sun cannot cool its rays in the shadow there. Answer:
Question 3. How do the trees rebel against their imprisonment at the hand of The moon also changes its forms with the moving out of the trees. In a treeless
the man? forest it appears as a whole, closed body. But with the trees moving out into
Answer: the forest, the moon also appears as a broken mirror. Its pieces flash light on
Man has imprisoned the trees of the forest in his houses in cities. The trees the tallest of trees.
rebel against their imprisonment. The roots come out of the floors by Question 9.
breaking them. The leaves come out of the windows by breaking the glasses. Describe the symbolism in the poem “The Trees”.
The long cramped branches start expanding themselves. Thus, the trees move Answer:
out into the forest. The poet uses trees as a metaphor for human beings. The human beings feel
Question 4. suffocated and sad under the oppression and dependence. They yearn for
What kind of whispers can the poet hear? Why will these be silent tomorrow? their freedom and independence. They rebel against the oppression, slavery
and exploitation to be free and be on their own. The trees also rebel against Question 12.
imprisonment to return to the forest. Thus, they are apt symbol for human After reading the poem ‘The Trees’ we come to conclude a definite point that
beings. there is clear conflict between nature and human beings and the reason is
Question 10. behaviour of human beings. Describe.
Conflict between human and nature is always there. Nature is also rebelling Answer:
against civilization and becoming destructive. Explain. Man’s cutting the trees of the forest at an uncontrollable speed has resulted in
OR the empty forests. In a treeless forest, birds and insects cannot find shelter
A conflict between man and nature is going on, in this civilization pursuit, men and make their homes there. The sun cannot cool its rays in the shadow there.
are disregarding the natural growth of plants and trees. In total confinement, Question 13.
nature also rebels against civilization and becomes destructive. Elaborate. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.
Answer: (ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: … “sun bury its feet in
Man has been destroying nature due to personal and material pursuits. He is shadow…”?
endlessly playing havoc with nature. He is trying to harness wind, solar (ii) What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet”?
energy and flora. In this pursuit man has forgotten that excessive destruction Answer:
can carry us to any situation. Man is cutting trees and destroying the natural (i) The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest Eire the sitting of a
habitat. This is causing global warming with overall rise in temperature. If bird on tree, the hiding of insects and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of
these practices go unchecked, we might soon be drowned due to melting of ice the forest.
from polar caps. Man should wake up and save the planet earth from (ii) The sun radiates heat and the given words create a picture of the hot,
destructive forces of nature. radiating sun cooling its feet in the cool shadow of the forest. The sun’s feet
Question 11. refer to its rays that reach the earth.
The trees in the poem stretch out their branches, break remove common Question 14.
barriers and struggle hard even out in the open in their natural environment. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves and
Analyze the efforts one puts into breaking sway captivity and striving for their twigs do?
freedom. (ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?
OR Answer:
Freedom is the basic theme of happiness for all creatures as well as plants. (i) In the poem, the trees are in the poet’s house. Their roots work all night to
Explain this statement with reference to the struggle of the branches to come disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves make
out in open in the veranda of the poet’s house. efforts to move towards the glass, while the small twigs get stiff with exertion.
Answer: (ii) The poet compares the ‘long-cramped’ branches that have been shuffling
It is true that freedom is the basic theme of happiness in this universe. under the roof to newly discharged patients who look half-dazed as they move
Freedom is the true law of nature. This idea can be found everywhere and in towards the hospital doors after long ill¬nesses and wait to get out of the
all spheres, even the palace of gold is useless without freedom. We have read hospital. The branches also have cramped under the roof and want to get out
about so many national heroes who have sacrificed their everything for into the open to spread themselves in fresh air.
freedom and to make their country free. Freedom is the very first need for all Question 15.
for human beings as well as for animals. “ (i) How does the poet describe the moon:
In this poem, the poet has described the deep feelings of the trees that want to (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and
become free from human beings’ prison. The description of struggle made by (b) at its end? What causes this change?
the branches to come out in open from the floor is too real and heart touching. (ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out Of it?
The trees don’t want to live in these surroundings. So they do their best to (iii) Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest
come out of the floor and window. from the house” in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about
important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think Answer:
about this again when you answer the next set of questions.) The fog-comes to a city stealthily just like a cat. It makes no noise. It spreads
Answer: over the harbour and the city and settles over them for sometimes. There, it
(i) (a) In the beginning of the third stanza of the poem “The Trees”, the poet rises high and moves away. In this way the fog arrives over a city, observes it
describes the moon at its perfection. She tells us that full moon shines in an and then leaves it to move away.
open sky. Question 4.
(b) In the end of the third stanza, the poet describes that the moon is broken Difficulties come but they are not to stay forever. They come and go. Comment
like a mirror. The cause of this change is that the poet imagines that the forest referring to the poem “Fog’.
or trees and plants are moving out from her home. When the forest was in her Answer:
home the moon seemed full to her. But when the trees are moving out of the None can deny that fact that after every nightfall, there is sunshine. In other
house into the forest, the moon seems fragmented to her. words sorrows follow happiness. Life has many ups and downs. We must all
(ii) When the trees move out of the house, the poet feels that the glass is accept that problems as a part of life. We should strengthen ourselves so
breaking and the trees are partially falling towards the front in the night. much that we are able to face them and stand up to solve these problems. We
Winds rush to meet and welcome the trees. should not get carried away. We should learn that time and tide wait for none.
(iii) When the trees are moving out of the poet’s house, she is writing long Fog is also symbolic of darkness but it comes quietly like a cat and goes away.
letters. But in the letters the poet does not mention about the departure of the It symbolises that if we are not disturbed by difficulties then life will itself
forest from the house. I think the poet does not mention about moving out of move to lighter side and things will be easy to confront. We should always
the trees because howsoever she may not want it, yet it happened so hastily remember that, we must face all the problems boldly.
and unexpectedly that she felt embarrassed. That is why she could not Question 5.
mention about it in her letter. Write the central idea of the poem “Fog”.
Answer:
POEM – 9 FOG The poet Carl Sandburg in his poem ‘Fog’ describes fog as a cat. Fog is treated
to be a living creature. Fog comes quietly and stealthily like a cat. Fog sits
- CARL SANDBURG looking over the harbour like a cat does. Then it moves to settle somewhere
else. Just as cat doesn’t settle at one place and in the same way fog keeps on
Question 1. moving and finally vanishes.
How does a Cat behave? Question 6.
Answer: The poet is able to visualize the image of a cat in the fog. Similarly there is an
A cat is very quiet. It comes quietly and stealthily on its little padded feet. It inseparable connection between native and all creations in it. Based on the
sits on the haunches and observes the city and the harbour. Then, it moves on reading of the poem, write a paragraph on the topic—“God lives in His
silently without making any noise. creations in native”.
Question 2. Answer:
How is the fog like a cat? God is omnipresent and nature is a gift of God to us. Nature has both, the
Answer: power to sanctify and power to destroy. He makes his presence which
The poet finds the fog like a cat. The fog comes stealthily like a cat. It sits provides us with the vital oxygen, the food that grows beneath and above the
looking over the harbour and city as a cat does. Later, it moves on just like a ground, the water that satisfies out thirst etc. He has made everything and
cat to settle somewhere else. These things prove that the fog’s comparison to everyone with a purpose and he lives in all of them. Nature cannot exist on its
a cat is appropriate. own. It is because God’s reflection falls on each of his creation that we, mere
Question 3. mortals survive and thrive on this planet. Thus, we must always respect, love,
How does the fog spread over the harbour and the city? and care for all of God’s creations.
Question 6. Question 1.
(i) What does Sandburg think the fog is like? The Fog comes on little cat feet.
(ii) How does the fog come? (i) Name the poem and poet.
(iii) What does ‘it’ in the third line refer to? (ii) How does the fog come?
(iv) Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that (iii) Who is the fog compared to?
tell us that the fog is like a cat. (iv) What is the meaning of the phrase “Little cat feet”?
Answer: Answer:
(i) According to Sandburg, the fog is like a cat. (i) These lines have been taken from the poem ‘Fog’ composed by Carl
(ii) The fog comes on little cat’s feet. Sandburg.
(iii) In the third line ‘it’ refers to the fog that has covered the city and it seems (ii) The fog comes stealthily.
as if it is looking over the city like a cat. (iii) The fog is compared to cat.
(iv) No, the poet does not actually say that the fog is like a cat. However, he (iv) Fog comes stealthily and silently, as a cat. Therefore the arrival of fog is
has used cat as a metaphor for describing the fog. He says that the fog comes described as if it is coming like a walking cat.
on its little cat feet, which implies that the fog, like a cat, comes slowly. He also Question 2.
says that the fog looks over the harbour and the city and then moves on, It sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
implying that the fog has covered the city and is sitting and looking at it, (i) What does ‘it’ refer to?
thereby again comparing it to a cat. (ii) Where does it settle over?
This is reiterated when he says that the fog looks over the city sitting on (iii) What is ‘it’ compared to?
‘silent haunches’. This also shows the reference to a cat as a cat always sits (iv) Name the poem and poet.
with its knees bent. Hence, he has compared the fog to a cat without actually Answer:
saying so. (i) It refers to the fog.
Question 7. (ii) ‘It’ settles over the harbour and the city.
You know that a metaphor compares two things by transferring a feature of (iii) ‘It’ is compared to the cat.
one thing to the other (iv) The poem “Fog” composed by “Carl Sandburg”.
(See Unit 1).
(i) Find metaphors for the following words and complete the table below. POEM – 10 The Tale of Custtard Dragon
Also try to say how they are alike. The first is done for you.
Storm tiger pounces over the fields, growls - OGDEN NASH
Train Gush of wind Very fast movement
Fire Anger Danger that surrounds both on the basis Question
of their intensities.
1. What were the names of Belinda’s pets?
School Gateway Leads to adulthood and a life of responsibility.
Answer
Home Nest Provides hospitable, loving environment.The names of Belinda’s pets were Ink, a little black kitten; Mustard, a little
Question 8. yellow dog; Blink, a little grey mouse and a dragon whose name was Custard.
Does this poem have a rhyme scheme? Poetry that does not have an obvious
rhythm or rhyme is called ‘free verse’. Question 2. Why did Belinda cry for help? Who came to her help?
Answer: Answer
No, this poem does not have a rhyme scheme. It is written in ‘free verse’ Belinda cried for help because she was afraid of the pirate. The custard came
Fog Extra Questions and Answers Reference to Context to her help.
Read the following stanza and answer the questions that follow:
Question 3. What did the custard do at last?
Answer Question 2. ‘Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears’. Identify two poetic
Custard saved Belinda and the other pets from the pirate. He showed his devices used in the above line.
braver side and attacked the pirate and gobbled him up. Finally, Custard Answer
showed that he was not as coward as others. (i) As brave as a barrel – Simile
(ii) Brave as a barrel full of bears – Alliteration
Question 4. How did each of Belinda’s pets react at the sight of the pirate?
Answer Question 3. How did Belinda’s pets, other than Custard, face the pirate?
Each of Belinda’s pets ran away and hid. They were scared at the sight of the Answer
pirate. All the animals other than the dragon used to boast about their bravery and
made the fun of the dragon. But when the pirate entered the house, all got
Question 5. Why did everyone make fun of the dragon? scared and ran away and disappeared except Custard, the dragon.
Answer
Everyone in the house used to laugh at the dragon because he always cried for Question 4. How did they say their admiration for the dragon after the death
a safe cage, whereas others used to boast about their bravery. of the pirate?
Answer
Question 6. Give a brief description of the pirate in the poem, ‘The Tale of They became very happy. Belinda embraced him. Mustard licked him. Ink and
Custard the Dragon’. Blink jumped round surrounding him. They expressed their joy in this way.
Answer No one
The pirate entered from the window. He had pistols in his left and right hand. mourned for the pirate.
He held a bright cutlass in his teeth. His beard was black and one leg was
wood. Question 5. What did they say about their bravery after the pirate’s death?
Answer
Question 7. Where did Belinda live? Which animals lived with her? Mustard said that he would have been twice as brave if he had not got
Answer nervous. Ink and Blink said that they had been three times as brave as he. But
Belinda lived in a little white house. Some animals also lived with her. They Custard said that he agreed with them. He said that they were braver than
were: a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog and little pet him.
dragon.
Question 6. How did the pirate look?
Question 8. Who all lived in a white house with Belinda? Answer
Answer The pirate held a pistol in his left hand and another pistol in his right hand. He
Belinda lived in a white house with Ink – a black kitten, Blink – a grey mouse, had black beard and his one leg was of wood. He held a bright cutlass in his
Mustard – a yellow dog, Custard – a dragon and a red wagon. teeth. It was clear that his intentions were not good.

Short Answer Type Questions Question 7. Who among them was actually brave? How did he show his
Question 1. Why did the Belinda cry for help? bravery?
Answer Answer
Belinda was scared to see the pirate who had pistols in his hands and had a Custard, the dragon, was the only one who was actually brave. The others
bright cutlass in his teeth. There was something bad in his appearance and were all cowards. They disappeared when they saw the pirate. But the
intention. Therefore Belinda was afraid of the pirate and cried for help. dragon-faced him bravely and swallowed him up.
Question 8. Why did the Custard, the dragon cry for a nice, safe cage? Long Answer Type Questions
Answer Question 1. Everyone believed that the Custard was a coward; but when an
Custard, in fact, was very brave but still he kept asking for a nice, safe cage. It opportunity came he showed exemplary courage. Based on y our reading of
made people think him to be cowardly. He might be crying for a nice, safe cage the poem, write a paragraph on the topic: ‘Courage is a Mind, not of Muscle’.
so that he might not harm anyone when in anger or he might be proving that a Answer
little safety cage averts a disaster. The others thought that he cried for a cage Mark Twain once said that ‘Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not
as he was a coward. absence of fear’. Courage is not merely a show of power but the ability to
overcome fear and not allow it to paralyze our minds. Most of us tend to
Question 9. How is ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ a ballad? generalize and call people who shy away from a physical show of power as
Answer being cowards.
A ballad is a poem that tells a story. The theme of a ballad is an adventure, But the truth lies in the fact that those who indulge in physical aggression are
bravery, romance, etc. Then it is highly musical due to its rhyme scheme. This the ones who are the most insecure. David was barely one-fourth of Goliath,
poem has these qualities. But it is a parody of a ballad. The poet shows these the giant. Yet David succeeded, in killing him. He had used his presence of
qualities in a humorous way. mind and stood successful over an entire army. Thus, we must remember that
Question 10. What terrified the pirate? Who killed him and how? courage is a matter of mind, not muscle.
Answer
Custard, the dragon, jumped up, snorting and clashing his tail. He was making Question 2. Why did Custard cry for a nice, safe cage? Why the dragon is called
a lot of clatter and clankering and he was squirming. He attacked the pirate. It “cowardly dragon”?
terrified the pirate. He fired at Custard and missed. Custard killed him by Answer
swallowing him up. It shows that he was brave. Custard cried for a nice, safe cage because it was a coward. It is called a
‘cowardly dragon’ because everybody else in the house was brave. Belinda
Question 11. How does the poet describe Belinda and her animals’ bravery? was as brave as a barrel of bears. Ink and blink are described as so brave they
How was Custard different from them? chased lions down the stairs and Mustard was as brave as a tiger in rage.
Answer Compared to them, Custard cried asking for a nice and safe cage, which is why
The poet says that Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink it is called a coward.
followed lions down the stairs. Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage. But
Custard was a coward. He kept crying for a nice safe cage. Question 3. When the pirate attacked Belinda, ail of her brave friends—Ink,
Blink and Mustard ran away. Only Custard fought with the enemy. Based on
Question 12. How did the animals make fun of the dragon? your reading of the poem, write a paragraph on the topic: ‘A friend in Need is
Answer a Friend Indeed’.
They laughed at the dragon. Belinda teased the dragon. She tickled him very Answer
hard. Ink, Blink and Mustard called him Percival. They sat in the red wagon Man is a social animal and we all have survived throughout the civilization
and laughed at the cowardly dragon. through the process of socialization. The beginning of any friendship is when
one tries to socialize with the other. But not all socializations result in
Question 13. How did the pirate react when the dragon attacked him? friendship. Some people walk past us in the journey of life, and some stay back
Answer and see us grow. The ones, who walk away when the clouds are cast, are the
The pirate looked at the dragon with an open-mouth. He swallowed some ones who will never stick around when we need them the most.
liquor from his pocket flagon. He fired two bullets. But they did not hit the
dragon. The dragon attacked him and swallowed him. Question 4. Describe the fight between the dragon and the pirate.
Answer POEM – 11 FOR ANNE GREGORY
The dragon had big sharp teeth, and spikes on top of him and scales
underneath, but everyone laughed at him as he always cried for a safe cage, - WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
whereas everyone boasted about their bravery. But when the pirate entered,
all were scared and ran away, except Custard who faced him boldly, attacked
him, hit him hard with his forceful tail and gobbled every bit of him. All of Very Short Answer Type Questions
them later felt obliged to Custard for saving their lives. Question 1. Why is the youth in despair in the poem “For Anne Gregory”?
Answer
Question 5. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a The young man loves Anne. He is attracted towards her external beauty. He
light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer. feels that young men are in despair because of her exquisite beauty.
Answer
The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a light-hearted poem. It is almost a parody. Question 2. What makes a young man not to love the woman referred to in the
The names of the pets of Belinda are all rhyming and funny. Belinda has been first stanza?
compared to a barrel full of bears. The kitten and mouse, both little, could Answer
chase lions down the stairs. The little yellow dog was as brave as a tiger, while The woman has beautiful yellow hair. But the outer part of her ears is not
the dragon was a coward and they all teased him. However,when the pirate attractive. The poet says that men shall never love her only for herself.
came to their little house, all of them were engulfed in fear and had hidden
themselves. Question 3. What did the religious man tell the poet?
Ironically, the ‘cowardly’ dragon came to their rescue and jumped snorting Answer
like an engine. It clashed its tail and charged at the pirate like a robin at a The religious man told the poet that he found a book to prove that only god
worm and ate him up. Even as everybody became happy to see the bravery of could love her for her spiritual beauty and not for her physical beauty.
the dragon, they again came back to glorifying themselves that they could
have been twice or thrice braver than the dragon. Finally, at the end of the Question 4. What does the woman say she can do to make herself more
poem, the situation again came back to the other pets being brave and the desirable to young men? What does this show?
dragon being the coward. Answer
The woman says that she would dye her hair brown, black or carrot colour.
Question 6. Why do you think Custard, the dragon was called a coward? How This shows that young men give more importance to physical appearance
was Custard able to save all his housemates from the pirate? What values than inner beauty.
should Belinda have possessed, so that Custard too could have been among
her favourites? Short Answer Type Questions
Answer Question 1. What does the religious man tell the poet about God’s love for
The dragon appeared to be a coward as he always cried for a safe cage, so he man?
was called a cowardly dragon. Later, when the pirate entered the house with Answer
pistols in his left and right hand, everyone was scared and ran away and The religious man has told the poet that he has found a religious text.
disappeared, except Custard who faced him boldly and attacked him, hit him According to that, God loves a person, not for his or her physical qualities, but
hard with his forceful tail and gobbled every bit of him. Belinda should have for their inner qualities.
been nice to him. She should have made him feel comfortable and safe in the
house, instead of laughing and making fun of him with other pets. Belinda Question 2. The young woman’s hair is yellow coloured. She is ready to
should have been protective towards him. change her hair colour to another colour. Why would she want to do so?
Answer
The young woman is ready to do so because she wants someone to love her. beyond it. Man, on the other hand, falls for all things that appear pretty from
Moreover, she wants that someone should love her for her inner beauty and outside and never bothers about what lies inside.
not for the colour of her hair.
Question 2. The poet in the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys that we should
Question 3. What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she give importance to the inner beauty and not to the physical appearance.
can change it to? Why would she want to do so? Explain with reference to the poem.
Answer Answer
The young woman’s hair is of yellow colour. She says that she could get her It is an accepted fact that external beauty is short lived but inner beauty
hair dyed to brown, black or carrot colour. She would change the colour of her remains forever. Inner beauty gives satisfaction and joy. We should thus learn
hair so that the young men in despair would love her only and not her yellow not to accept things at their face value. We should try to discover the inner
hair. She wanted them to love her for what she was and not for her beauty and strength of a person, though it is not easy to do so. We should
appearance such as her hair colour. accept the person with positive and negative values.
As the time passes relations are strengthened. In the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’
Question 4. What is the central idea of the poem, ‘For Anne Gregory’? the beloved wants that her lover should love her for herself not the colour of
Answer the hair. She wants to strengthen this fact that inner beauty is more important
The poem conveys the idea that physical beauty may be important for young than external beauty.
men or human beings, but God does not love human beings for their physical
beauty. In this poem, the poet gives an example of a lover who loves the Question 3. The poet in the poem, ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys that we should
yellow hair of a young lady but does not like her ramparts. The lady give importance to the inner beauty and not the physical appearance.
disapproves his love. Elaborate with reference to the poem.
Question 5. What was not liked by the young men? Answer
Answer In the conversation that takes place between Anne Gregory and another
The young men do not love the real person but love appearances. Everyone speaker, the poet has tried to show that inner beauty is real beauty, whereas
wants one should be loved for his actual personality and not by what he looks physical appearance is changeable and hence, unimportant. The first speaker
like. The young man does not like grey or yellow hair, and they do not care for says to Anne that young men love her for her beautiful yellow hair and may
inner beauty but love. never love her for what she really is. To this, Anne replies that her hair-colour
can be changed into black, brown or carrot, meaning that external beauty is all
Question 6. What does the old religious man say? superficial and men should not love her for that. Through Anne’s reply, the
Answer poet has made clear his preference for internal beauty over physical
The old religious man says that he has found a text which proves that only appearance.
God could love us for ourselves alone and not for physical beauty. He is the
one who truly loves us. Question 4. What does the young man mean by “great honey-coloured /
Ramparts at your ear?” Why does he say that young men are “thrown into
Long Answer Type Questions despair” by them? ”
Question 1. Why do you think, the other speaker mentioned the old religious Answer
man and the text that proves that only God can love Anne for herself alone? The “great honey-colored / Ramparts at your ear” refers to the beautiful
Answer yellow coloured hair that falls at the woman’s ear and cover it like a wall
It is so because the speaker wanted to tell Anne that her desire that men around a fort. He says that the young men are “thrown into despair” by them
should not see her outer beauty is not going to be fulfilled. The speaker tells because they look so beautiful on the women that her beauty gets thoroughly
Anne that only God can be so great as to avoid external beauty and look
enhanced. The young men fall in love with her and feel despair. He says that it
is not possible that someone would love her alone and not her yellow hair.

Question 5. How right or wrong is it to judge someone on the basis of his/her

physical appearance?
Answer
Physical appearances never give the true account of a person as it can be
changed with the help of clothing, make-up and other such things. Something
which is not true and real should not be used to judge the person carrying it. A
person must be judged on the basis of his behaviour that shows the true
characteristics of his personality. This is explained by Anne in her reply to the
first speaker that her beautiful hair-colour which attracts men is changeable,
hence, men should not fall in love with her based on her hair colour.