11th std Childhood

 

11^th std Childhood

Question 1
What are the poet’s feelings towards childhood?
Answer:
The poet regards childhood as an important stage in the process of growing up. Childhood is a period of make-believe. Children readily accept whatever the elders say. The poet does not feel any regret or sense of loss on losing his childhood.

Question 2
Which, do you think are the most poetic lines? Why?
Answer:
The following lines in the poem are most poetic:
It went to some forgotten place That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.
These lines beautifully sum up the process of growth and the disappearance of a particular stage of life. These lines have a figurative or metaphorical meaning also. The infant’s innocent face hides many things behind its smiles. Perhaps the childhood lies hidden in some forgotten place lying buried deep inside a child’s consciousness.

Question 3
What did the speaker learn about the existence of Heaven and Hell ?
Answer:
As the speaker grew to be mature, he acquired reasoning power. He realized that Hell and Heaven could not be found in Geography books or Atlas. Since they could not be located anywhere in the world map, he concluded that they did not exist. He would believe only what he could see and find.

Question 4
How did the speaker realise the hypocrisy of the adults?
Answer:
The speaker noticed a wide gulf between what adults appeared to be and what they actually were in real life. There was apparent contradiction between their words and deeds. They talked of love and advised others to love, but they never acted lovingly.

Question 5
How did the realization of being the master of his own mind helped him ?
Answer:
The realization that he was the master of his own mind, and could use it in any way he liked, filled him with self confidence. He could now think independently and need not repeat parrot like thoughts of others.

Question 6
‘Childhood is an essential state in the process of growing up, but it can’t go on forever.” Discuss.
Answer:
Childhood is an important stage in the process of growing up of every person. The human infant is totally dependent on others, but during childhood he gains physical, emotional and mental strength.

As the tiny baby grows bigger in size, other faculties, traits and qualities also develop. This stage is an important landmark in man’s growth, but it can’t go on forever.
Childhood being a stage, must give way to another stage. It is followed by adolescence or early youth. Now all the faculties are fully developed. The person acquires reasoning power. His rationalism helps him to decide truth or falsehood, fact and fiction. He acquires a fine capability of analysis and discrimination. Now he can see through persons and things. He begins to understand the hypocrisy of adults. He gains confidence and becomes an independent thinker.

Question 7
Is independent thinking a step towards adulthood? If yes, then how? Explain with reference to the poem ‘Childhood’.
Answer:
Of course, independent thinking is a step towards adulthood. As a child, one is not able to make one’s own decisions and one’s thinking is always influenced and directed by parents or guardians . A child is so innocent that it is not able to distinguish between truth and imagination.

As a child’s thinking is influenced by others, it has no individuality. Moreover, it is prone to manipulations which lead to fickle-mindedness. Independent thinking makes us what we are. It enhances and shapes our personality and we are known among people through what our mind thinks and what decisions we take.

If we want to stay away from evil people who try to influence our thoughts for their selfish purposes, then only independent thinking can help us. We cannot claim to be an individual if we cannot take decisions ourselves.

I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follows.

A) When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!

Question 1.
At what age does the poet think he lost his childhood ?
(a) After he crossed the age of eleven
(b) After he crossed the age of twelve
(c) After he crossed the age of ten
(d) After he crossed the age of nine
Answer:
(a) After he crossed the age of eleven

Question 2.
What did the poet realise?
(a) That hell and heaven are geographical places
(b) That hell and heaven are one and the same thing
(c) That hell and heaven are not any geographical places
(d) That hell and heaven are located on the Earth itself
Answer:
(c) That hell and heaven are not any geographical places

Question 3.
………. in the extract means the same as discontinued
(a) Realised
(b) Therefore
(c) Ceased
(d) Stopped
Answer:
(c) Ceased

B) When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!

Question 1.
Who is ‘my’ in the above lines?
(a) ‘my’ refers to the poet, Markus Natten
(b) ‘my’ refers to the poet’s childhood
(c) ‘my’ refers to the poet’s friend
(d) ‘my’ refers to the poet’s father
Answer:
(a) ‘my’ refers to the poet, Markus Natten

Question 2.
Why is ‘I’ confused?
(a) Because ‘I’ do not seem to understand when he lost his childhood
(b) Because ‘I’ could not search heaven and hell in geography .
(c) Because T is getting a lot of negative thoughts
(d) Because T has lost his mind
Answer:
(a) Because ‘I’ do not seem to understand when he lost his childhood

Question 3.
Explain “But did not act so lovingly”.
(a) It means that children talk about love but their actions are not loving
(b) It means that adults talk about love but their actions are not loving
(c) It means that adults talk about love and their actions reflect the same
(d) It means that children talk about love and their actions reflect the same
Answer:
(b) It means that adults talk about love but their actions are not loving

C) When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine, To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of .
other people, But my own, and mine alone Was that the day!”

Question 1.
Explain “my mind was really mine”.
(a) It means that his mind was influenced by others
(b) It means that his mind was not influenced by others
(c) It means that his mind was influenced by his parents
(d) It means that he was not confused
Answer:
(b) It means that his mind was not influenced by others

Question 2.
What did the poet realise?
(a) He realised that his mind belonged to his parents
(b) He realised that his mind was controlled by his friends
(c) He realised that his mind was controlled by his teachers
(d) He realised that his mind was his, and he had his own individuality
Answer:
(d) He realised that his mind was his and he had his own individuality

Question 3.
The poet ……….. find an answer to his question.
(a) did
(b) did not
(c) can
(d) may
Answer:
(a) did