12th std THE TIGER KING by Kalki Krishnamurthy

 

12th std THE TIGER KING by Kalki Krishnamurthy

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1.What gave the astrologers the greatest surprise of their life while they were studying the horoscope of the ten-day old prince? 

Answer. When the astrologers were reading the horoscope of the little prince, they were taken by surprise when the ten-day old infant asked about the manner of his death. When the chief astrologer told him that a tiger would be the cause of his death, the baby retorted with arrogance, “Let the tigers beware!”

Q2. How did the Maharaja please a high ranking officer? 

Answer. A high ranking British officer visited the state of Pratibandapuram and sought permission for tiger hunting from the Maharaja. The Maharaja declined his request, but as he did not want to upset the officer, he sent fifty diamond rings to the officer’s wife which cost the king three , lakh rupees.

Q.3.Why did the Maharaja ban tiger hunting in the state? 

Answer. As the prince was crowned the king, the astrologer’s prediction regarding his (the king’s) death by a tiger reached his ears. This prompted the Maharaja to kill a tiger but the astrologer informed him that he had to successfully kill hundred tigers to escape the prophecy. Thus, in order to reach that mark, the Maharaja banned tiger hunting in the state except for himself.

 

Q4. Why did the Maharaja decide to get married? 

Answer. In order to defeat the astrologer’s prophecy, the Maharaja had to kill a hundred tigers. He had already killed seventy tigers and the tiger population in his state neared extinction. For this reason, he wished to marry a girl in the royal family of a state with a rich tiger population, where he would kill the rest of the tigers.

 

Q5. Why did the Maharaja double the land tax?

Answer. The Maharaja had successfully killed ninety-nine tigers but struggled hard to find the hundredth tiger. Once, there came a news of a tiger being spotted at a hillside village but it turned out to be untrue. This infuriated the Maharaja, who ordered the dewan to double the land tax in order to punish the villagers for the false news.

Q6. How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate? 

Answer. The Tiger King met his end through the wooden tiger, which he had bought as a gift for his son on his third birthday. While he was playing with his son, a splinter of the poorly made toy tiger pricked the king’s hand. The infection turned into a sore, which spread all over his arm. In spite of the best surgeons, the king’s life could not be saved.

The irony is in the fact that in spite of killing nearly all the tigers in the area, he had to face his death by a toy tiger.

Q7. What, sort of hunts did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking Britisho officer What trait of the officer does it reveal? 

Answer. Tiger hunting was banned in Pratibandapuram. When the British official came with a tiger hunt request, the Maharaja told him that he may conduct a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt, but not a tiger hunt. In reply to this, the British officer said that he only wanted to be photographed holding a gun and standing ewer the dead body; the tiger could be killed by the Maharaja. This shows the shallowness of character of the officer.

 

Q8. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger? 

Answer. When the Maharaja was barely ten days old, the chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would be the cause of his death. When the Maharaja was twenty, he killed one tiger. When he asked his astrologer, the astrologer said that he would kill ninety-nine tigers, but he should be fearful of the hundredth tiger. That was the reason why the Maharaja was so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger.

Q9. What warning did the astrologer give the Tiger King when he killed the first tiger?

Did the prediction of the astrologer come to be true? 

Answer. When the Maharaja boasted about killing the first tiger, the astrologer said that he may kill ’ ninety-nine tigers, but must be “very careful with the hundredth tiger.” Yes, the astrologer was absolutely true in this prediction, because finally the Maharaja was killed by the hundredth tiger.

Q10.How did the Dewan manage to arrange the hundredth tiger for the Maharaja?

Answer. The Dewan had brought a tiger from the People’s Park in Madras and kept it hidden in his house. When the Maharaja threatened him with dire consequences, he understood that the only way to save himself was to ‘plant’ a tiger for the kill. So, he and his aged wife dragged the tiger to the forest where the king was hunting. The king took aim and the beast soon collapsed.

 

Q11.Why was the Maharaja sunk in gloom even after having killed seventy tigers?

Answer. During ten years, the Maharaja had managed to kill seventy tigers. As a result, the tiger population became extinct in his kingdom. This made the Maharaja anxious because he thought he would not be able to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers and so his life would be in dangSr.

Q12.What led the Maharaja to start out on a tiger hunt? 

Answer. The Maharaja knew the old saying that killing even a cow in self-defence was no sin. So, in order to save his own life and prove the astrological prediction wrong, he started shooting all his enemies, i.e. the tigers he found in the forests of his state and nearby regions.

Q13.When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? 

Answer. Once, a high-ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. He was very fond of hunting tigers and being photographed with them. However, the Maharaja refused to give him permission to hunt tigers because he feared that other British officers too would turn up with the same request. It was because of his refusal that the Maharaja stood in danger of losing his kingdom.

 

Q14.What happened to the tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb? 

Answer. The tiger provided by the Dewan Saheb was very old and stood in complete submission. The Maharaja look aim and fired, but-actually the bullet missed the tiger and the tiger only fainted from the sharp sound of the bullet. As nobody wanted the Maharaja to know about it, one oflhe hunters himself shot the tiger later on.

Q.15.Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers. 

Answer. The Tiger King made numerous efforts to fulfil his target of killing a hundred tigers. He stayed in the forest for many days. He fired many of his officers for not getting him tigers. He had to spend a ransom of three lakh rupees to impress the British official and discourage him from killing the tigers. He even went to the extent of marrying to kill the population of tigers in the neighbouring state to meet his target. In a way, he did all he could to achieve his goal , of killing a hundred tigers.

Q16.Did the Tiger King shoot the hundredth tiger? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer. The Tiger King actually did not shoot the hundredth tiger. The tiger being a weak one, fainted from the shock of a bullet whizzing past him and the ignorant king celebrated his achievement. Later, when the hunters took a closer look at the tiger, it woke up as if from a deep slumber.

Q.17.How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger?

Answer. When the Maharaja thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger, his joy knew no bounds. The elated king returned to his capital and ordered his staff to bring the dead tiger in a grand procession. The tiger was buried and a tomb was erected over it.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. How did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom? How was he able to

avoid the danger? 

Answer. Once a high ranking British officer visited Pratibandapuram. As he was fond of hunting tigers, he expressed his wish of tiger hunting to the king but the king refused permission. Then the British officer requested that he only wanted to be photographed holding gun and standing over the dead body of the tiger; the Maharaja could kill the tiger. However, the Maharaja denied him this permission also, fearing that it would lead to further similar requests from other officers.

As the Maharaja did not want to upset the British officer and risk losing his kingdom, he sent a fifty diamond rings to the wife of the officer. The lady kept all the rings and sent him a note of thanks. In this way, the king managed to save his kingdom.

Q2.The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this statement? 

Answer. Yes, I agree with the statement that the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true.

The astrologer had predicted that Tiger King would be killed by a tiger and he should be wary of the hundredth tiger.

The statement of the astrologer forced the king to go on a killing spree. The hundredth tiger was not killed by the king himself but by the hunters, who found out that the old tiger had not died by the bullet of the king but only fainted by the bullet whizzing past him.

The hundredth tiger was a wooden toy tiger which the king had presented to his three-year old son. It killed the king merely by a sliver of wood protruding form it that pierced his right hand. The wound developed pus and it soon spread all over the arm. The best surgeons failed to save the king and thus, the astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King proved to be correct.

Q3. How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate? 

Answer.The Maharaja of Pratibandapuram, who was also known as the Tiger King tried to go against what was destined in his fate. The result was tragic and ironical. The chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would be the cause of the king’s death and he should specially be wary of the hundredth tiger. The vain king banned hunting of the tigers in the State by everyone except himself and was able to kill ninety-nine tigers. He thought he had killed the hundredth tiger also but somehow the bullet missed its mark and the hundredth tiger survived. Then on his son’s birthday the king bought him a wooden tiger which he felt was a perfect gift for his son. One of the sharp splinter in it pierced the king’s hand and the infection spread all over his arm causing his death. It was indeed ironical that despite killing all the tigers in his kingdom the king did finally become the victim of the hundredth tiger and the astrologer’s prediction did come true.

Q4. Giving a bribe is an evil practice. How did the Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kingdom? How do you view this act of his?

Answer. Bribing the British was an extremely detrimental task performed by the tiger king. The Maharaja had annoyed a British officer by refusing him permission to hunt a tiger in Pratibandapuram, and as a result he was in danger of losing his throne. Later to make amends he bribed the officer by sending about fifty samples of expensive diamond rings to the officer’s wife in the hope that she would keep one or two rings as a bribe. But the greedy lady kept all the rings. So the Maharaja lost three lakh rupees but was still happy because he had managed to retain his kingdom. The Maharaja was absolutely certain of one thing, that he would not let anyone else shoot a tiger in his kingdom. He annoyed the British officer and later paid a heavy bribe to appease the official. Even after losing a large amount of money the Maharaja was happy because he had not only managed to retain his throne but also dissuaded the British officer from shooting a tiger.

Q5.Even today so many among us believe in superstitions. An astrologer predicted about The Tiger King that he would be killed by a tiger. He ‘killed’ one hundred tigers yet was himself ‘killed’ by a tiger. How did the superstitious belief ‘prevail’? 

Answer.The chief-astrologer had forewarned the king that a tiger would be responsible for his death and he should be particularly beware of the hundredth tiger. After killing the hundredth ti-ger the king was relaxed and became careless. He did not know that the hundredth tiger had actually survived because the bullet had missed its mark. Finally it was a tiger who was responsible for the king’s death even though it was a toy-tiger which he had bought as a birthday gift for his son. The carved toy tiger had a rough surface with sharp wooden splinters. One of these sharp splinters pierced the king’s right hand and caused a deadly infection that spread all over his arm. Three surgeons tried their level best but they could not save the king and so the astrologer’s prediction did indeed come true. Despite the fact that the king took every measure to avoid the circumstance of his death the hundredth tiger took its final revenge upon the king as predicted by the astrologer.

Inquiry letter

Inquiry letter

Format

 Sender’s address 

 ……………………. (leave a line)

 Date

……………………..

 Receiver’s Address

……………………..

 Subject of the letter

………………………

 Salutation

...............................

 Body 

Paragraph 1 (introduce yourself and the purpose of writing the letter)

Paragraph 2 (detail of enquiry)

Paragraph 3 (conclude)

………………………

 Complimentary Closing

 Sender’s signature

 (Name and designation)

Some Useful Phrases and lines for an enquiry letter. 

Introduction – Say what your company is or who you are:

 Ours is a Mumbai based telecom company with….

 We an educational institute providing coaching for IAS and NDA…

 I would like to get some courses information regarding the availability of 

hardware produced by your esteemed company…

 We, Green Field School Group, a leading education establishment in India, would 

like to be informed of the terms and conditions…

Body 

 What are the courses that your college offers?

 I believe that these courses are internationally recognized…

 We intend to enter into a long term business relationship…

 Apart from this, we would be glad if you could inform us of the time…

How do you prefer us to pay… Do you accept credit card payments?

 It will be great if I can pay the amount in easy instalments…

Closing

 Your early reply will be greatly appreciated.

 Looking forward to an early reply from you so that we can further discuss the business deals in a week’s time

Sample letter 

Q1. You are interested in learning fashion technology through a correspondence course. Write a letter to the Principal of National Fashion Institute, C. R. Das Road, Nasik, inquiring about the details of the fees and duration of the Correspondence Course in Fashion Technology offered by them. Imagine yourself as Sunidhi Jain who is living at 15, Sangeet Bhavan, Janakpuri.

15, Sangeet Bhavan

Janakpuri

New Delhi-25

2nd June 2022

The Principal

National Fashion Institute

Nasik-20

Subject: Seeking information regarding Correspondence Course in Fashion Technology

Dear Sir,

With reference to your advertisement in 'The Indian Times', dated 10 June 2022, I came to know that your institute offers training in fashion technology through correspondence. I am interested in joining the Fashion Technology Course.  I have just cleared my Class XII Board Examination with an aggregate of 87%.

I am inquisitive to  know about the following details of the course:-

1. Duration of the course

2. Course content

3. Fees for the course and the details of payment

4. Boarding/Lodging facility, if available

In case there is a printed prospectus available, kindly mail it to me at my address.

5. Conduction of examination - will it be semester wise or yearly basis?

6. Also inform about the practical sessions

An early response will be appreciated as I am eager to join the course in the upcoming month.

Thanking you in anticipation. 

Yours sincerely,

Sunidhi Jain

12th std The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlof

 12th std The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlof

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home ?

Answer: The ironmaster spoke kindly to the peddler because he thought that he was the captain and an old regimental comrade who had resigned from the regiment. Thus the ironmaster thought that he was an old acquaintance. That is why the ironmaster invited the peddler to have his company for Christmas.

Q 2. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap ?

Answer: After stealing the crofter’s money, the rattrap peddler did not think it proper to walk on the public highway. So he turned off the road, into the forost. But he got entrapped in a big and confusing forest. He tried to walk in a definite direction, but the paths twisted back and forth in a strange manner.

He walked and walked without coming to the end of the forest. Finally, he realised that he had only been walking around the same part of the forest. Then he recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap. Now his own turn had come. The rattrap peddler thus thought that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap from which he might not be able to escape.

Q3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster?

Answer:

The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster to go to his house. He had stolen thirty Kronors from the house of the crofter who lived in that area. So the peddler thought that going up to the his house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.

Q4. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation ?

Answer:

The peddler accepted Edla Willmansson’s invitation, who was the daughter of the ironmaster. In a very compassionate and friendly manner, Edla Willmansson had won the confidence of the peddler. She told the peddler that he would be allowed to leave just as freely as he would come to their house. She requested him to stay with them only oyer Christmas Eve. Because her genuine and friendly request, the peddler accepted her invitation.

Q5. Why was, Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?

Answer: Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler because the peddler did not prove himself to be a thief and had not taken anything with him at all. He had left behind a little package which Elda was to be kind enough to accept as a Christmas present. He had also kept thirty kronor he had stolen from the crofter’s house.

Q6. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler ?

Answer: The crofter was making his livelihood by selling milk in his old age. He told the peddler that last month he had received thirty kronor in payment. Thinking that the stranger might not believe this, he showed the wrinkled three ten-kronor bills to him from a leather pouch.

Q7. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter ?

Answer: No, the peddler had not expected the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter. It was because he would usually find harsh faces when he knocked the doors of the strangers previously to seek shelter.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament ?

Answer: In the story The Rattrap’, the peddler goes around selling small rattraps of wine. Thinking of his rattraps, he was struck by the idea that the whole world around him with its lands and seas, its cities and villages-was nothing but a big rattrap. He thought that the world had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people.

The world offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end. This is how the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament. The more we are allured by the worldly things, the more we are entrapped by them. And then there is no way out.

Q2. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter ?

Answer: The peddler was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He was leading a sad and monotonous life of a vagabond. He knocked at the door of the cottage of the crofter who turned out to be an old man without wife and children. He showed his ‘ kindness and hospitality towards him which the peddler had not expected.

But the rattrap peddler stole his thirty kronors. Thus he betrayed the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. The ironmaster, thinking him as an old acquaintance Captain Von Stahle, showed kindness to him and invited him to spend the Christmas evening with him.

But the peddler thought that if the ironmaster thought that he was an old acquaintance, he might give him a couple of kronor. That is why he did not reveal his true identity. Edla Willmansson, the daughter of the ironmaster requested him to go to her home in a very compassionate and friendly manner. He accepted to go to their home. But while he was riding to the manor house, he had “evil forebodings”.

He was feeling guilty for stealing the crofter’s money. The ironmaster, after knowing that he was not the captain, asked him to go out of the house immediately. But due to the insistence of Edla he was allowed to spend the Christmas evening in their house. The peddler wondered why she did it. But he interpreted it as her nobleness, kindness and generosity.

Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.

Answer: The story “The Rattrap’ has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. One dark evening while walking along the road, the peddler saw a light gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask for shelter for the night. Usually under such circumstances he would meet “the sour faces”. But unexpectedly the owner of the house, the crofter, an old man without wife or child, welcomed him cheerfully. He showered his best hospitality by serving food, playing cards with him and taking care of him in all the possible manner.

Thereafter, the peddler was entrapped in the forest and when he thought that he might not find a way out of the forest, he sought shelter at the Ramsjo ironworks. There unexpectedly the ironmaster came and insisted him to spend the Christmas evening at his home.

The ironmaster mistook him as an old regimental comrade. When the peddler declined his offer, quite unexpectedly Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter came there and pursuaded him to go to their house. There the ironmaster realising that he had mistaken the stranger’s identity and asked him to leave his house immediately. But again unexpectedly Edla in a compassionate manner convinced her father to let him stay for the Christmas in the house.

Q4. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us ?

Answer:The peddler was endowed with a great sense of humour. He compares the world about him with a rattrap, which sets baits for the people. As the world had never been kind to him, so it gave him “unwai d joy” to think ill of it in this way. It was his pastime to think Of the people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait. It shows his sense of humour. As he walked alongwith the stolen money of crofter, he felt “quite pleased with his smartness”.

When he was entrapped in the forest he recalled about the world and the rattrap. He thought that “his own turn had come”, which also shows his sense of humour. He thought that he had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. When the blacksmith “nodded a haughty constent” without, uttering a single word, he did not mind.- He thought that he had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep.

He did not reveal his real identity to the ironmaster because he thought that thinking him as an old acquaintance, the ironmaster might perhaps 'throw him a couple of kronor'. While riding up to the manor house he thought that he was sitting in the trap and will never get out of it. When the ironmaster realised that he was not his old acquaintance and threatened to call the sheriff, he told him that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap and the ironmaster began to laugh. His letter written to Edla also shows his sense of humour. His sense of humour serves in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story. It also endears him to us as it evoked our sympathy with him.

11th std. THE ADDRESS by Marga Minco

11th standard THE ADDRESS by Marga Minco

Long answer type questions

Q1. Justify the title of the story ‘The Address’.

Answer: The Address is quite apt and appropriate title for the story. The story starts with the search of ‘the address’ by the protagonist. It ends with the narrator’s departure from ‘the address’ only Moreover her visit to the address brings a change in her life and motivates her to forget the sad past.

The liberation war had broken out in Holland. An old acquaintance Mrs Dorling took away all the possessions from the narrator’s house to keep them safe. The war laid the poor narrator homeless and relationless. She started living in a rented small room. One day she got curious to see her old belongings. She reached the address told by her mother a few years ago.

At first attempt, she had to return emptyhanded. She went there second time. She was let in. But the sight of her old stuff arranged in an ugly manner in a strange atmosphere made her feel horrified. She felt as if she didn’t know the things in spite of the fact those were her familiar things.

So much so to even notice them. She felt, it’s never too late to repair the bum marks in life and realising this, she left in a fresher mood to start her life afresh in her own way without the crutches of the sour past which would pierce sharp into her emotions. She leaves the house feeling dejected from the old things for whom she had seen hunting just to touch.

Q2. Give the pen portrait of the narrator.

Answer: The narrator lives in Holland. Life has changed drastically for her after the liberation war. Her early life. She enjoyed a happy life, with her family. She had all the belongings in her house to make life comfortable and cosy. Transformation in Her Life. The liberation war in Holland brought a sea-change in her life. Earlier, she had all the things to cling to; relations and possessions; now she has none. She even had to leave her house. Now she lives in a rented small room trying hard to collect the loose ends of life.

Her Final Resolve. After war, the life had once again started treading upon the normal ,track. She became curious to have a look, touch of her old stuff lying ‘safe’ in house No. 46 in Marconi Street. She took a train and went there. But Mrs. Dorling refused to recognise her. The girl had no option except to return. But again she tried. This time Mrs Dorling’s daughter, a fifteen year old girl opened the door.

She let her in. The narrator found her old familiar things lying in ugly way in a strange atmosphere. She felt horrified and oppressed.She decided to forget everything about her past and to start her iife in a new way with her rented room and less cutlery. The narrator’s final resolve talks about her optimistic view about life. Life has to go on. Better forget the sour past to make your future a bit easier.

Q3. Give a brief character sketch of Mrs. Dorling.

Answer: Mrs. Dorling appears a very mysterious lady with greedy heart and shrewd mind. She contacted Mrs. S, only at the time when the war in Holland was about to break. She convinced Mrs. S to hand her all the possessions to her sole self to keep them safe. Mrs. S is taken in. She is too simple to question the appropriateness of the demand. Mrs Dorling insisted to take away Mrs S’s all the belongings.

She would come early in the morning so that she could complete her ‘errands’, unnoticed by the neighbours. One by one she took away all the stuff from Mrs S’s house. But she didn’t keep those things ‘safe’. She used them; the narrator came to know about it on her visit.

Her meanness didn’t stop here only. When the narrator (Mrs. S’s daughter) visited her, she refused to recognise her. When the narrator recognised the cardigan as her mother’s she was shrewd enough to hide herself behind the door. It was clear that she didn’t want to return those valuables.

Later when the narrator visited her house the second time, her fifteen year old daughter told that her mother was out on her important ‘errand’.It all clearly proves that Mrs. Dorling was such a fellow who would go to any extent to profit herself. Her character is typical of such rogues who crop, soar at the time of wars. Such people are after gold only.

 

12th std A Thing Of Beauty

 12th std A Thing Of Beauty

Extract based questions

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:

1.A thing of beauty is a joy forever Its loveliness increases, it will never Pass into nothingness; but will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

Questions

(a)Name the poem and the poet of these lines.

(b)How is a thing of beauty a joy for ever ?

(c)What do you understand by a ‘bower’l

(d)What kind of sleep does it provide?

Answers:

(а)The poem is A Thing of Beauty. The poet is John Keats.

(b)A thing of beauty is the source of constant joy. Its beauty goes on increasing. It will never pass into nothingness.

(c)A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. It protects persons/animals from the hot rays of the sun.

(d)It provides us a sound sleep, full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing.

2. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, 

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways

Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,

Questions.

(a)Name the poem and the poet.

(b)Why are we despondent?

(c)What removes the pall from our dark spirits?

(d) What are we doing every day?

Answers:

(а)The poet is John Keats. The poem is A Thing of Beauty.

(b)We possess the evil qualities of malice and disappointment. We suffer from the lack of noble qualities. That is why we feel despondent.

(c) Some beautiful shapes or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits.

(d) We are weaving a flowery wreath to bind us to the beauties of the earth.

3. Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,

Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon For simple sheep; and such are daffodils

With the green world they live in; and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make ‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,

Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;

Questions

(а)What removes the pall from our dark spirits?

(b)What sprouts a shady boon for sheep and how?

(c) How do ‘daffodils’ and ‘rills’ enrich the environment?

(d) What makes the mid-forest brake rich?

Answers:

(a)Some beautiful shape or a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness from our hearts or spirits.

(b)Old and young trees sprout to make a green covering. It proves a blessing for simple sheep as it serves them as a shelter.

(c)Daffodils bloom among the green surroundings. The rills or small streams of clear water make a cooling shelter for themselves against the hot season.

(d)The mid forest brake is made rich by the blooming of beautiful musk-roses.

(e)(i) pall, (ii) boon, (iii) rills, (iv) covert.

Textual Questions

Q1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.

Ans: Everything of nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are: the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, mass of ferns and the blooming musk-roses. All of them are things of beauty. They are a constant source of joy and pleasure.

Q2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.

Ans: There are many things that cause us suffering and pain. Malice and disappointment are “the biggest source of our suffering. Another one is the lack of noble qualities. Our unhealthy and evil ways also give birth to so many troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. They act as a pall of sadness on our lives.

Q3. What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’ suggest to you?

Ans: Keats is a lover of beauty. He employs his senses to discover beauty. The link of man with nature is eternal. The things of beauty are like wreaths of beautiful flowers. We seem to weave a flowery band everyday. It keeps us attached to the beauties of this earth.

Q4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?

Ans: There are many things that bring us troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. However, ‘some shape of beauty1 brings love and happiness in our lives in spite of such unpleasant things. A thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness and sufferings. It makes us love life.

Q5. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?

Ans: The mighty dead were very powerful and dominating persons during their own times. Their achievements made them ‘mighty’ and great. Their noble works dazzle our eyes. We imagine that such mighty dead forefathers will attain more grandeur on the doomsday. Hence ‘grandeur’ is associated with the ‘mighty dead’.

Q6. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?

Ans: We feel happy by coming into contact with things of beauty. They make a lasting impression on us. Keats makes it clear at the outset. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is a constant source of joy and pleasure. Its beauty never declines or diminishes. Its loveliness goes on increasing every moment. Its value remains undiminished. It never passes into nothingness. It removes the pall of sadness that covers our dark spirits.

Q7. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?

Ans: John Keats uses a very beautiful image to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. It is the endless fountain of immortal drink. It pours constantly into our hearts from heaven. Thus, the beautiful bounty of the earth is called “an endless fountain of immortal drink.”

Q8. What is the message for the theme of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?

Ans: The very first line contains the message that John Keats, the great Romantic poet, wants to convey. Keats was a worshipper of beauty. For him beauty was truth and truth, beauty. Hence, for him a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it ever devalued. It never passes into nothingness. When we are full of sorrows and sufferings, some form of beauty comes to our rescue. It removes the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and pleasure. Thus, beauty is a boon for human beings.

12th std Deep Water by William Douglas

12th std. Deep Water by William Douglas

Questions and Answers

Question 1. What was the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?

Answer: William Douglas’ traumatic experience in the sea, as a child, made him afraid of water. However, as he was learning to swim in the YMCA pool, he was thrown into the deep end by an older boy. The experience terrified him as he had almost drowned and finally lost consciousness before being hauled out of the water.

Question 2. What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?

Answer: When Douglas was thrown into water, he landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. He was frightened, but planned to jump, as his feet touched the bottom, and bounce to the surface, and paddle to the edge of the pool. His repeated failed attempts left him terrified and exhausted, till he slipped into unconscious and was pulled out of the pool. The author went from fear to exhaustion and finally submission. He showed courage when he planned to reach the surface, however the repeated attempts drained his strength and he was gripped by terror. He eventually gave up and felt resigned before losing consciousness.

Question3. How  did this experience affect him?

Answer: The writer’s experience of near drowning affected him greatly. He felt weak and trembled on his way back home from the pool. He spent many more days in unrest. He never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

Question 4. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

Answer: Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water as he wished to get into the water of Cascades. He felt terrorised by the memories of the pool and regretted being deprived of the pleasures of fishing, canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Question5. How did the instructor 'build a swimmer' out of Douglas?

Answer: The instructor put a belt around Douglas to which a rope was attached. The rope went through a pulley fixed on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope, and made Douglas swim for weeks. Three months later, he taught Douglas to exhale under water, and to raise his nose and inhale, and made him overcome his fear of putting his head under water. Next, the instructor held him at the side of the pool and made him kick with his legs. Gradually, after weeks of practice, his legs relaxed. When Douglas had perfected each hurdle, the instructed coordinated his efforts and gradually built a swimmer out of Douglas.

Question 6. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Answer: To make sure he had conquered fear, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived in and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Only once when he was in the middle of the lake, did the terror return. But he confronted it and swam on. He also swam across Warm Lake to the other shore and back, to make sure that he had conquered his fear of water.

Question 7. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.

Answer: Douglas was pushed into the deep end of the YMCA swimming pool by a strong boy. He landed up in sitting position, swallowing water. He was frightened, but as he was going down to the bottom of the pool, he decided to make a big jump when his feet would hit the bottom of the pool, come up to the surface, lie flat, and paddle to the edge. But his fall seemed unending. The nine feet felt ninety to the little boy, and before his feet touched the bottom, his lungs were ready to burst.

As soon as his feet hit the bottom, he gathered all his strength and tried to spring upwards. Unlike what he had foreseen, he came up slowly. On opening his eyes, he saw nothing but water; he was terrified. There was nothing to hold on to and he felt suffocated. He tried to scream but no sound came. His eyes and nose came out of the water but his mouth was still under the surface. He thrashed at the surface of the water, but merely swallowed more water and choked. When he tried to bring his legs up, they hung like dead weights, refusing to move. He was pulled under water and once again he felt himself sinking back to the bottom of the pool. Breathless, he hit at the water with all his strength. His lungs and head ached and he began to feel dizzy.

He decided to jump when he hit the bottom. However it made no difference. He groped around for something and felt even more terrorized, with his limbs refusing to move. He finally gave up—his legs felt limp and blackness swept his brain. He felt neither anxiety nor fear. On the contrary, he felt quiet and peaceful, but drowsy, and was finally oblivious of everything around him. The writer makes the description vivid by giving graphic details of the situation and of his fear.

Question 8. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

Answer: Douglas overcame his fear of water through sheer determination. The experience he had, as a child of three or four, had left an indelible imprint on his mind. This was aggravated by the experience that he had when he was thrown into the pool. This made him stay away from water for many years. Later when he attempted to overcome his fear, his instructor taught him to swim, yet he felt terror-stricken when alone in the pool. He swam tirelessly up and down the length of the pool but he was not sure that the fear had left.

So he went to Lake Wentworth, in New Hampshire, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Only once did he feel afraid, when he was in the middle of the lake, but he confronted it and swam on. To ascertain if he had overcome his fear completely, he went up to Meade Glacier, and swam across the Warm Lake. This assured him that he had accomplished his desire to overcome his fear of water.

Question 3. Why does Douglas, as an adult, recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?

Answer: Douglas, as an adult, recounts his childhood experience of terror and how he conquered it. He recalled his ordeal as a child about how he almost drowned in a swimming pool. He narrated his journey, under his trainer, where he learnt to swim and finally how he swims across Warm Lake. The account does not attempt to glorify his accomplishment as a swimmer, but celebrates his efforts of conquering his fear of water.

The writer shares with his readers how the experience held a deep significance for him. He writes that he had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror it produces. He came to realize the value of life through this incident. The account also sheds light on his take on adventure. Adventure calls on all the faculties of the mind and the spirit. It develops self-reliance and independence. Adventure is, however, enjoyed when one is rid of fear. Fear cripples an individual and limits one’s scope. One stays tethered by strings of doubt and indecision and has only a small and narrow world to explore. Douglas shared his experience as a useful lesson and called upon his readers to conquer their fears.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1.Douglas’s first experience in water was not a happy incident. Why?

Answer: Douglas’s first experience in water was very unhappy. It left an indelible imprint on his young mind. As a three or four-year-old, his father took him to the beach in California. As they were surfing, the waves pushed him down and swept over him. He felt buried in water and felt suffocated and frightened. All he could recall later was clinging to his father out of fear. The terror caused by the force of the waves resulted in fear and insecurity that he associated with water.

Question 2. What were the writer’s complexes that he needed to overcome in order to learn swimming at the YMCA?

Answer:The writer had developed a fear of water at an early age that was associated with the bitter memory of the Yakima River. He had gone surfing and had almost drowned in the river. Secondly, he hated walking naked into the pool with his bare skinny legs. To overcome this complex, he had to hold back his pride.

Question 3.What was the writer’s misadventure in the pool at YMCA?

Answer:The writer was still battling with his complexes in order to learn swimming when another misadventure befell him. He was sitting on the poolside waiting for others when a boy of about eighteen years old came up to him and asked him if he wanted to be “ducked”. Before the writer could react, the older boy picked him up and tossed him into the deep end of the pool.

Question 4.Douglas had planned on coming out of the pool. Why did his plan fail him?

Answer:When Douglas was pushed into the pool of water, he planned to jump to the surface and paddle to the edge of the pool. But before he touched bottom, he felt that his lungs were ready to burst. He tried to spring up, but came up slowly. He could see and feel nothing but water. He was too suffocated to scream for help as his mouth did not surface out of the water. As fear gripped him and his legs seemed paralyzed. His attempts to shoot up were thwarted and before he knew he was sinking back to the bottom.

Question5. How did Douglas feel when he sank into water the second time?

Answer: Douglas was petrified of water and the fear worsened when he could not rise to the surface of water. His first attempt to rise was thwarted and he sank back to the bottom. He attempted again but felt a force pulling him under water. He seemed to sink down endlessly. He tried to open his eyes but saw nothing but water with a yellow glow. Fear gripped him and he could not shout out.

Question 6. Why did his second attempt to come out of water fail?

Answer: Douglas’ second attempt to come out of water failed although he sprang from the bottom and came up like a cork to the surface. He planned to lie flat on the water and strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs. Keeping that in mind he decided to jump when he hit the bottom. However when he attempted to jump, it made no difference. His helplessness made him shiver with fright. His limbs refused to move as if he was paralyzed, he tried in vain to call for help.

Question 7. Where did Douglas find himself when he regained his memory?

Answer:When Douglas’ repeated attempts to come out of water failed, he felt drowsy and lost consciousness. His next memory was of being carried. He got the feeling of floating in space and also felt tender arms lulling him to sleep.On regaining his consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool on his stomach and vomiting. He recalled that the boy who threw him claimed that he was “only fooling”. He vividly heard someone giving instructions to carry him to the locker room.

Question 8. How did the drowning experience affect Douglas?

Answer: After the drowning experience, Douglas felt weak and was trembling as he walked home. That night he shook and cried in bed and could not eat. A haunting fear gripped his heart for days the slightest exertion upset him, made him unsteady in the knees and sick to his stomach. The experience affected him so adversely that he started dreading the sight of water and avoided it.

Question 9.When did Douglas try to go into water again after the pool episode? What was the outcome?

Answer:A few years after the misadventure in the pool, Douglas learnt of the waters of the Cascades. He tried to wade across the Tieton. He even attempted bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks. But all his attempts reminded him of the terrifying experience in the pool, and he would get paralyzed with fear.

Question10. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?

Answer:The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas gradually. First he put a belt around him to which a rope was attached. The rope was hung through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He went into water holding on to one end of the rope. Three months later, the instructor taught Douglas to exhale under water. He also taught him to raise his head and inhale. The instructor taught him next to put his legs to use. With practice, he learned to coordinate his efforts and learnt to swim.

Question 11.The instructor was satisfied but not the writer. Why?

Answer:The instructor was satisfied with Douglas’ progress, but Douglas was still apprehensive about facing his fears alone. Although after about six months of training, the instructor felt he had succeeded in teaching Douglas the technique, Douglas felt differently. He wondered how he would react when alone in water. He, thus, attempted to swim alone but his old terror kept coming back. He decided to practise some more to overcome the fear.

Question 12. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Answer:To conquer his old terror of water, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire and swam for two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. He felt the old terror return but he confronted it and swam on. He practised the crawl, the breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Then he swam across Warm Lake to the other shore and back. It was only then that he was sure of having conquered his fear of water.

Question 13.What was the biggest lesson that the writer learnt during his swimming lessons?

Answer:The biggest lesson that the writer learnt during his swimming lessons was the need to conquer his fear. He learnt that in death there was peace but in terror there was the fear of death alone. The writer endorsed Roosevelt’s views: “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Being free from terror was being released.

Long Answer Questions

Question 1.Recount the experiences that made the writer terrified of water? How did he plan to overcome his fear?

Answer:Two experiences made the writer terrified of water. As a child of three or four, he had gone with his father to a beach in California. They had been surfing and the waves knocked him down and swept over him.He remembered having felt buried in water and was gasping for breath. Later, when he was ten or eleven years old at the YMCA in Yakima, he was pushed into the pool by an older child. He had been saved from drowning but the experience had petrified him. The writer planned to overcome his fear by learning to swim in order to conquer his fear of water.

Question 2.Why did Douglas’ second attempt to come out of the pool fail?

Answer:Douglas’s second attempt to come out of the pool failed. As he sank to the bottom of the pool, the nine feet seemed like ninety. Before he touched the bottom of the pool, his lungs were ready to burst. Although Douglas mustered up all his strength and made a spring upwards, he came up slowly. On his way up, he saw nothing but dirty yellow water. He tried to latch on to something but he was surrounded by water. He felt suffocated and could not scream. As he reached up, his eyes and nose were out of the surface of water, but his mouth was still below the surface. His legs hung like dead weights and soon he sank back to the bottom of the pool.

Question 3.When Douglas went down the third time, he could barely recall anything. What does he recall of the episode?

Answer:When Douglas went down the third time, he remembered very little of it later. He saw nothing but dark water all around. It terrified him. Screams froze in his throat. He felt lifeless and the only sign of life was his beating heart and the pounding in his head. He was determined to push himself up when he hit the bottom but it made no difference.

He lost hope around that time. He shook and trembled with fright and his limbs were paralyzed. When he regained his consciousness next, he was lying on his stomach and vomiting. He overheard the boy who pushed him into the water claim that he was “only fooling.” Douglas also heard someone say that he had almost died. He was the carried into the locker room.

Question4. How did the instructor help Douglas learn swimming?

Answer:Douglas’ instructor helped build him as into a swimmer. He did this bit by bit. Douglas practised with him five days a week, for an hour each day. Each day the instructor put a belt around his waist, attached to a rope that was strung through a pulley on an overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope as Douglas swam. Initially, each time the instructor relaxed his hold, the old terror returned.

However, after three months the tension began to ease. The instructor also taught him to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale till he had eventually learnt to put his head under water. His instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. The stiffness of the legs gradually relaxed and finally he could command a use over them. Thus piece by piece, the instructor built him into a swimmer.

Question 5.Why was Douglas not satisfied even after the instructor finished his job of teaching him to swim? How did he help himself?

Answer: The instructor was satisfied once Douglas learnt to swim. But Douglas still had his apprehensions. He wondered if he would be terror-stricken when was alone in the pool. He tried swimming the length of the pool but was still terrified. He went to Lake Went worth in New Hampshire and also dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island; in the middle of the lake, he put his face under water. Although he was scared, he swam on. It was when he dived into the Warm Lake and was . able to swim across that he shouted with joy at having conquered his fear of water.

Value Based Question

Question 1.Often, the key to the cause of a certain fear or phobia is the same as the key to conquering it. How does the story “Deep Water” justify this?

Answer: Douglas, the narrator, had been scared of water as a boy. As a child, he was terrified of getting into water. In his attempt to overcome his fear, he tried to learn swimming. At YMCA, he was hurled into the deepest part of the pool by a big strong boy. He was almost drowned, and thereafter he lived a life of overwhelming fear of water. He was so petrified that the sight of water made him sick. Consequently he lost out on various water sports such as fishing or canoeing. He decided to overcome the constricting dread and with grit and determination, he found an instructor who trained him to swim, bit by bit. He successfully overcame his fear and felt liberated. He put his grit and determination to test. The experience of overcoming his fear of water was life-changing for the narrator.

12th std Keeping Quiet

 KEEPING QUIET 

BY PABLO NERUDA

Keeping Quiet

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

1. Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the Earth

let’s not speak in any language,

let’s stop for one second,

And not move our arms so much.

Questions

(a) What is the significance of the number ‘twelve’ ?

(b) Which two activities does the poet want us to stop ?

(c) What does the poet mean by ‘let’s not speak in any language’ ?

(d) Describe the pun on the word ‘arms’.

Answers

(a) There are twelve hours on the face of the clock and also there are twelve months in a year. The poet also

refers to the number twelve. He wants us to suspend our activities for twelve seconds.

(b) The poet wants us to stop talking and moving our arms.

(c) The poet wants us to give a universal message. He wants that all the people of the world irrespective of their nationality should suspend their activities for a few seconds. Not to use any language to communicate.

(d) The poet has used the word arms for two purposes. He wants us to keep still for a few seconds and not move our arms. The second meaning of the word arms is weapons. The poet wants us to stop the use of arms and ammunitions against anyone.

2. It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness

Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales.

and the man gathering salt

would look at his hurt hands.

Questions

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) Which moment has been referred to here and how it will be significant ?

(c) How would we feel during that moment ?

(d) What does the poet want from the fishermen ? 

Answers

The name of the poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’ and the name of the poet is Pablo Neruda.

(b) The moment of quiet introspection has been referred here. It is significant in the sense that it brings all of us together and we have a feeling of oneness.

(c) We would feel all together and have a feeling of sudden strangeness.

(d) The poet wants that the fishermen should not kill whales for sometime.

3. Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,

victory with no survivors,

would put on clean clothes

and walk about with their brothers –

in the shade, doing nothing.

Questions

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) What does the poet mean by green wars ?

(c) What types of wars does the poet mention ?

(d) What does the poet want from the lovers of the war ?

Answers

(a) The name of the poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’ and the poet is Pablo Neruda.

(b) It means the war against the environment or defores-tation.

(c) The poet mentions green wars, wars with gas and wars with fire.

(d) He wants them to wear clean clothes and walk lei-surely with their brothers.

4. What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about;

I want no truck with death.

Questions

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

(b) What should not be confused with total inactivity ?

(c) What does the poet mean by …. I want no truck with death ?

(d) What is the gist of this stanza ?

Answers

(a) The name of the poem is ‘Keeping Quiet’ and the name of the poet is Pablo Neruda.

(b) Keeping quiet and remaining still should not be con-fused with total inactivity.

(c) The poet wants to say that stillness and quietness is not death. He wants to restart his activities again after introspection of a few seconds.

(d) In this stanza the poet says that quietness is not death. Rather it helps us to restart our activities in a fresh way.

5. If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,

and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness

of never understanding ourselves

and of threatening ourselves with death.

Questions

(a) Whom does ‘we’ refer to in the above lines ?

(b) Why does the poet want us to ‘do nothing1 for once ?

(c) What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem ?

(d) How can a huge silence do good to us ?

Answers

(a) ‘We’ in this stanza refers to the human beings who are self-centred and who only think about themselves.

(b) By doing nothing for once, we can have ample time to introspect ourselves and analyse our actions.

(c) When people don’t introspect themselves, they fail to understand themselves, then ‘sadness’ arises.

(d) Huge silence helps in analysing ourselves. In this way, we can introspect ourselves.

6. Perhaps the Earth can teach us

as when everything seems dead

and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve

and you keep quiet and I will go.

Questions

(a) What does the earth teach us ?

(b) Why does the poet count up to twelve ?

(c) What will keeping quiet help us achieve ?

(d) How does the earth teach us that there is activity even in apparent stillness ?

Answers

(a) The earth teaches us that there is life in what we think that is dead.

(b) The poet wants to introspect by counting twelve.

(c) Keeping quiet help us to recuperate our energy. In this way, we can start our activities with fresh zeal and energy.

(d) We think that the earth is dead as it remains still But many changes are kept taking under the surface of the earth. A seed that seems dead germinates under the earth and a new life springs from it. The earth always seems in motion.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death ?

Answer:

No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He only wants us to keep quiet for a few seconds and suspend all our activities for a few seconds. In this way we can introspect our¬selves and restart our activities with fresh energy and zeal.

2. What does the poet want us to convey in the poem ?

Answer:

The poet wants us to tell that by keeping quiet and remaining still for few moments, we will be able to do our work in a more effective way. We can analyse our past actions and not repeat our past, mistakes.

3. How would keeping quiet affect the life in and around the sea ?

Answer:

It will affect the life in and around the sea in two ways. The fishermen will stop fishing for some time. It will help the number of the fish to recuperate. The man gathering salt will get some time to see his hurt hands get healed.

4. What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve ?

Answer:

Counting upto twelve and keeping still gives us time to introspect ourselves. In this way, we can recuperate our energy and restart our activities with fresh energy and zeal.

5. What is the ‘sadness’ that the poet refers to in the poem?

Answer:

When people don’t introspect themselves they fail to understand themselves, then ‘sadness’ arises. The poet wants that people should overcome this sadness by introspecting themselves.

6. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness ?

Answer:

In this poem, the poet uses the symbol of the earth to say that there can be life under apparent stillness. He says that the earth appears to be dead in the winter season. But when the spring season comes it becomes alive with all its new plants. It never takes rest.

7. What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars?

Answer:

The poet says that there are green wars. He means t to say that the people who destroy forests also wage a war against their own coming generations. There are wars with fire, chemical weapons and poisonous gases. The wars bring so much destruction that no side could be called victorious. The poet wants that all these wars should be stopped. These wars bring nothing but destruction.

8. How does the earth teach us that there is activity even in apparent stillness ?

Answer:

We think that earth is dead as it remains still. But many changes are taking place under the surface of the earth. A seed that seems dead germinates under the earth and a new life springs from it.

9. How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment ?

Answer:

Keeping quiet helps us to stop wars. In this way it helps to prevent destruction of environment due to wars. Also, it prevents deforestation. In this way, we can say that keeping quiet is the only way to prevent our environment from all types of pollution.

10. What does the poet mean by saying ‘victory with no survivors’ ?

Answer:

According to the poet the wars cause a lot of destruction. A lot of people die from both the sides. Therefore, no one can claim that their side has won, since the so called victor also has to face a lot of causalities.

11. Justify the title ‘Keeping Quiet’.

Answer: 

The title of the poem is quite appropriate and logical. It suggests the necessity of quiet introspection. The people of the world are overactive and always on the move. Their activities have caused untold troubles and sufferings. Keeping quiet will do them a lot of good. It will save them from many harmful and violent activities. Moreover, it will help in reflecting over the fate of man and help in creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.

12. Under the apparent stillness there is life. Justify this statement giving an example from the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’.

Answer: 

Neruda does not equate stillness with total inactivity. He believes that under this apparent stillness there is life. We can learn it from the earth. When everything seems dead, the earth still remains alive. The earth is never dead. The life on the earth goes on as usual under the apparent stillness.

13. How might a huge silence interrupt the sadness of men?

Answer: 

Men never understand themselves. Nor are they ever sure of their actions. They face another tragedy. Due to their own actions, they are threatening themselves with death. This realisation makes them helpless and sad. Only a huge (long) silence might interrupt this sadness and do them some good.

14. How does the poet distinguish ‘stillness’ from ‘total inactivity’? Why does Neruda saw I want no truck with death?

Answer: 

Pablo Neruda is in favour of stillness or silence. We remain still and quiet for sometime. On the other hand, total inactivity is a permanent suspension of work. It is just like death. ‘Stillness’ should not be Confused with ‘total inactivity’. Life goes on as usual. There can’t be anything like total inactivity. The poet refuses to associate with death or deal with it.

15. What is the exotic moment the poet Pablo Neruda wishes for? (Delhi 2009)

Answer: 

Pablo Neruda wishes for that exotic moment when mankind will be free from greed, cruelty and harmful actions. Unnecessary rush and noise have caused unpleasantness and troubles. The poet wishes the noise of engines and machines should cease and peace and tranquility should prevail.

POETIC DEVICES 

Keeping Quiet

 `Count to twelve’ — symbolizes a measure of time. The clock has twelve markings on it, the year has twelve months and the day has twelve hours. `Fishermen in the cold sea…hurt hands’-symbolic image showing how man is ruthlessly destroying nature for his selfish need. The ‘hurt hands’ of the salt gatherer symbolises how he is harming himself by his mindless activities.

 Fisherman and whale stand for the oppressor and oppressed respectively. ‘Cold sea’ — transferred epithet.

Put on clean clothes’- Alliteration

Introspection will make us comprehend the destructive nature of wars. Man would cleanse his heart purging it of hatred.

`Brothers’ — a symbol of mankind

`In the shade’ — metaphor — just as shade protects us from the harsh sun, we will protect and shelter each other as brothers, thus live in peace and harmony.

`Clean clothes’ symbolise peace and change in one’s perspective.

`Earth can teach us as when everything’ — Personification. Earth is personified as a teacher

THEME

The urgent need for mankind to introspect, buy time to start afresh.

To put an end to all destructive activities, be at peace, in universal brotherhood.

The need to live in peaceful co-existence with nature, to stop harming animals and avoid annihilation of the human race.

IMAGERY 

Use of repetition with a difference in the first and last lines of the poem.

‘put on clean clothes’ metaphorical—cleanse one’s soul, remove traces of bloodshed.

Image of the earth-nurturer and life-giver.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Write the central idea of the poem.

Answer:

In this poem, the poet tells us about the value of quiet introspection. He wants us to keep quiet for twelve seconds and stop every movement of the body. He implores the fishermen not to harm the whales. He also wants the man gathering salt to stop his activities for a few minutes, since he has hurt his hands. The poet says that wars are useless.

These wars leave no survivors. However the poet doesn’t advocate total inactivity. He says that something that appears to be dead now later proves to be alive. Total inactivity is death, the poet just wants us to suspend our activities for a few seconds.

Figures of speech

Figures of speech

Figures of speech are also known as figures of rhetoric, figures of style, rhetorical figures and figurative language.

What are figures of speech?

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that means something more or something other than it seems to say— something different or opposite of a literal expression.

It is a deviation from the ordinary use of words in order to increase their effectiveness.

The purpose of using figures of speech is to add richness to writing that will have an effect on the reader. By using these comparisons, it allows the reader to have a greater understanding and ability to imagine the situations being described in the writing.

Basically, it is a figurative language that may consist of a single word or phrase.It may be a simile, a metaphor or personification to convey the meaning other than the literal meaning.

Types of figures of Speech

The figures of speech list is over a hundred but some commonly used types are given along with examples.

Common figures of speech with examples:

1. SIMILE

In simile two unlike things are explicitly compared. For example, “She is like a fairy”. A simile is introduced by words such as like, so, as etc.

2. METAPHOR

It is an informal or implied simile in which words like, as, so are omitted. For example, “He is like a lion (Simile) “and “He is a lion (metaphor)”. In the following examples, metaphors are underlined.

She is a star of our family.

The childhood of the world; the anger of the tempest; the deceitfulness of the riches: wine is a mocker.

She is now in the sunset of her days.

3. PERSONIFICATION

Personification is an attribution of personal nature, intelligence or character to inanimate objects or abstract notions. For example, in some phrases we use, the furious storm, the thirsty ground, and the pitiless cold. Some other examples are:

Little sorrows sit and weep. (Boccaccio)

The dish ran away with the spoon. (Blake)

4. METONYMY

Metonymy is meant for a change of name. It is a substitute of the thing names for the thing meant. Following examples will clarify the concept.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

From the cradle to the grave. = from childhood to death.

I have never read Milton. = the works of Milton.

5. APOSTROPHE

It is a direct address to some inanimate thing or some abstract idea as if it were living person or some absent person as if it were present. 

Example, “Boy’s mother loved him very much.”

6. HYPERBOLE

Hyperbole is a statement made emphatic by overstatement. 

For example, “Virtues as the sands of the shore.”

7. SYNECDOCHE

Synecdoche is the understanding of one thing by means of another. Here, a part is used to designate the whole or the whole to designate a part. 

For example, “I have the Viceroy, love the man.”, and “All hands (crew) at work.”

8. TRANSFERRED EPITHETS

In transferred epithets, the qualifying objective is transferred from a person to a thing as in phrases. 

For example, “sleepless night”, “sunburn mirth”, and “melodious plain”.

9. EUPHEMISM

The euphemism rhetoric used to change words or expressions about a concept that might offend other people is used to make words that might be rude, harsh, or disagreeable more polite.

 “porcelain throne” for toilet

 “economically struggling” for poor people

“to sleep” is used for killing someone 

10. IRONY 

In this mode of speech, the real meanings of the words used are different from the intended meanings. 

For example, the child of cobbler has no shoe.

11. PUN

This consists of a play on the various meanings of a word. Its effect is often ludicrous. 

For example,

Is life worth living? It depends upon the liver.

Obviously, the constitution is against prostitution and congress is against progress. (con means against and pro means for)

12. EPIGRAM

It is a brief pointed saying. It couples words which apparently contradict each other. The language of the epigram is remarkable for its brevity. 

Examples are as under:

The child is the father of the man. (Wordsworth)

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

The art lies in concealing art.

Silence is sometimes more eloquent than words.

Conspicuous by its absence.

13. ANTITHESIS

In antithesis, a striking opposition or contrast of words is made in the same sentence in order to secure emphasis. 

For example,To err is human, to forgive divine.

Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.

14. OXYMORON

It is a figure of speech which combines two seemingly contradictory or incongruous words for sharp emphasis or effect. 

For example, “darkness visible” (Milton);

“make haste slowly” (Suetonius)

“loving hate” (Romeo and Juliet)

15. LITOTES

In Litotes rhetoric, which is used to describe a positive expression, claim, or statement, the same thing is expressed by using the sentence that should actually be used in a positive way, in a negative way. Let’s take a look at the examples to understand this better:

The sports car Alice just bought wasn’t cheap. (Normally, we should have written this sentence as “The sports car Alice bought was quite expensive”, but we preferred to use Litotes rhetoric by putting this sentence in a negative way.)

A litotes by definition is a form of understatement for emphasis through the use of a double negative. Instead of saying, for instance, that the weather is good today, one would employ a litotes by saying that the weather isn't bad today.

It is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true. The paradox is a rhetorical device used to attract attention, to secure emphasis.

Example-

He loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.

16. INTERROGATION

This is a rhetorical mode of affirming or denying something more strongly than could be done in ordinary language. Examples,

Who is here so base that would be a bondman?

Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman?

Who is here so vile that will not love his country? (Shakespeare)

17. EXCLAMATION

It is used for strong expression of feelings. For examples, O lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud I fall upon the thorns of life; I bleed!

18. CLIMAX

It is an arrangement of a series of ideas in the order of increasing importance. 

For example, “What a piece of work man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties! In action, how like an angel!”

19. ANTICLIMAX OR BATHOS

This is the opposite to climax and signifies a ludicrous descent from the higher to the lower.

A man so various, that he seemed to be. Not one, but all mankind’s epitome; who in the course of one revolving moon; was lawyer, statesman, fiddler, and buffoon.

20. ALLITERATION

The repetition of the same letter or syllable at the beginning of two or more words is called alliteration.

For example, 

By apt Alliteration’s artful a

Glittering through the gloomy g

The furrow follows f

21. ONOMATOPOEIA

The formation of a word whose sound is made to suggest or echo the sense as in cuckoo, bang, growl, hiss.

The moan of doves in immemorial elms and murmur of innumerable bees.

Rend with the tremendous sound your ears as under with guns, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss, and thunder.

22. CIRCUMLOCUTION

This consists of expressing some fact or idea in a roundabout way, instead of stating it at once. 

For example,

The viewless couriers of the air. =(the wind)

That statement of his was purely an effort of imagination. = (a fiction)

23. TAUTOLOGY OR PLEONASM

Tautology is meant for repeating the same fact or idea in different words. For example, “It is the privilege and birthright of every man to express his ideas without any fear.”

24. UNDERSTATEMENT

Understatement art, which is used to express incomplete sentences, is the deliberate mistake of some writers and artists. In fact, the main purpose of this art of speech, which cannot be called a mistake, is to show a certain situation as less important than it is.

He is not very successful in his classes. (Actually, he’s quite unsuccessful in his classes, but the author tries to make it clear that it doesn’t matter.)

The wind blew stronger than usual. (Actually, there was a storm serious enough to rip up the power poles, but the author ignored it.)

25. METONYMY

When an object or idea is in close association with another object or other idea and replaces the other idea or object, it is called metonymy rhetoric. 

So, metonymy rhetoric, means a name change but expresses more than that, is frequently used by many poets, and we frequently encounter it in our daily life.

It is a metonym for our use of the word Hollywood to refer to the film industry.

Academics is a word that includes all schools, colleges, universities, classes, courses, and everything related to education. This is an important example of metonymy that we may encounter in daily life.

26. SYNECDOCHE

Synecdoche, which is rhetoric used to indicate a part of anything on a subject, is actually rhetoric that can be used for the opposite. 

Although this rhetoric, which has passed from Greek to English as a noun origin, can be explained as a simultaneous meaning, it is not such simple rhetoric. In fact, Synecdoche rhetoric is rhetoric by writers or poets that deals with a particular aspect of that word to express any word or an idea in a different way.

Although the White House is a word that refers to the president of the United States, it got this name because it is a white house.

Pentagon is a word denoting America’s military leaders, and the synecdoche rhetoric is masterfully used here.

27. PERIPHRASE

It is a use of longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression. The definition of periphrase is very similar to that of circumlocution, which also means talking around something by adding more words.

It is a single word that can express a great multitude of complexity by itself.

The viewless couriers of the air. (winds)

His prominent feature (his nose) was like an eagle’s beak.

He resembled the animals that browses on thistles. (an ass)

28. ANTITHESIS

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Example: As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

29. IDENTICAL STATEMENT

This figure of speech is an indirect mode of describing the fact that is not appearing on the surface.

Examples

Fact is fact.

I am what I am.

Do whatever you want to do.

Sensation is sensation.

30. Pun

​A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words.

Example: Joellien looked up from her breakfast and said, "A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat."

31. PARADOX

A paradox is a figure of speech in which a statement appears to contradict itself. This type of statement can be described as paradoxical. A compressed paradox comprised of just a few words is called an oxymoron. 

An oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words (as in Shakespeare's line from Romeo and Juliet, "Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!"). A paradox is a statement or argument that seems to be contradictory or to go against common sense, but that is yet perhaps still true—for example, "less is more."

Paradox examples:

Save money by spending it.

If I know one thing, it's that I know nothing.

This is the beginning of the end.

Deep down, you're really shallow.

I'm a compulsive liar.

32. Asyndeton

Asyndeton is a literary device that excludes conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) to add emphasis. 

It is one of several rhetorical devices that omit conjunctions. The definition of asyndeton is simple enough: It is a sentence containing a series of words or clauses in close succession, linked without the use of conjunctions. 

 

For example:

1. A dime, another ball, is worthless.( Ball Poem)

2. Julius Caesar used asyndeton when he famously wrote, “Veni, Vidi, Vici” or “I came, I saw, I conquered.”