The Trees

Summary

The Tree is a short symbolic poem and it focuses on the movement of trees that are initially indoors but seeking to escape to freedom in the forest. The trees represent the nature and womanhood in particular. It is written by Adrienne Rich. Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore USA. She was a famous poet, essayist, and feminist.

This poem presents a conflict between men and nature. The poetess suggests here that the trees and plants used in the interior decoration in cities are as imprisoned. They need freedom. These trees want to move out to the forest where trees decreasing day by day due to cutting. The poetess says that everything has a deep desire for freedom. It is necessary for growth and wellbeing. We must follow the nature of laws.

This poem is a voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusion which are not organic to the conventions of a native poem. This poem is demonstrating the unsuitability of language itself as a greenhouse or container of nature. She knows that once the trees move to the forest area, the house will have complete silence.

In this poem, “I” is the voice of the speaker of the poem Adrienne Rich.  Poem The Trees is the voice with a body engaged in the activities and sensing intrusions that are not organic to the conventions of a nature poem.  This is actually an unnatural poem that narrates the struggle of a population of trees to escape the confined surrounding of a greenhouse.  Through the trees, this poem demonstrates the unsuitability of the language itself as a greenhouse. The poetess is the witness for the trees exodus but making distances herself from participating in the making of something out of the spectacle. She can sit and write too.

Even though the speaker addresses the audience, her own head is full of whispers and she is an audience as well.  We, however, the audience to the poem, are compelled with the command. The speaker reaches across the barrier between the poem and the audience. A transaction that occurs on the page, and says for listening.

Poetess articulates her consciousness of the many levels of inner and outer and the blurring of the boundaries between them.  In the poem, the trees are in the house of the poet. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks of the floor in the veranda. The leaves are making efforts to move towards the glass.  An open door is for the night and the whole moon and the sky is available to the speaker. This tree is at the same time, through this door the smell of leaves still reaches back in.  The speaker’s head is another interior and implicitly entered by the whispers.

The poetess is especially intrigued by the image of the trees similar to newly discharged patients. The poet is making a comparison to the long-cramped branches which are shuffling under the roof with the newly discharged patients from the hospital. As they are moving towards the hospital doors after their long illnesses. The branches have cramped under the gaps with the roof. Therefore they want to get out into the open to spread themselves in the fresh air.

Answers to textual questions:

1. (i) Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.

Ans: The three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest according to Adrienne Rich are – the sitting of a bird on trees, the hiding of insects, and the sun burying its feet in the shadow of the forest.

 (ii) What picture do these words create in your mind: “….. sun bury its feet in shadow…..1′? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

Ans: The sun’s ‘feet’ refers to the rays of the sun that fall on the earth. When there is no shadow on the ground, because there are no trees, the rays fall directly on the ground. In a forest with trees, the shadow hides the sun's rays as if the sun is burying its feet in the shadow that falls from the trees.

 2. (i) Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

Ans. In the poem, the trees are trapped in the poet’s house. Their roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves try very hard to move towards the glass and put a lot of pressure on it so that it breaks, while the small twigs get stiff with strain.

(ii) What does the poet compare their branches to?

Ans. The poet compares the branches to newly discharged patients of a hospital. The large branches of the trees become cramped due to the roof above them, and when they get free they rush stumbling to the outside world. While doing so, they look half-shocked like the patients, who wait for a long time to get out of the hospital.

 3. (i) How does the poet describe the moon:

(a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and

(b) at its end? What causes this change?

Ans. (a) At the beginning of the third stanza, the poet says that the full moon is shining in the open sky in the fresh night.

(b)At the end of the stanza, she describes that the moon breaks into pieces like a broken mirror and shines on the heads of the tallest oak trees. As the trees move outside, they cover some of the shine of the moon and it can be seen only in parts. So it seems that the moon has broken into pieces.

 2. What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

Ans. When the trees move out of the house, the glasses break and the whispers of the trees vanish, leaving the house silent.

 3. Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest 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 about this again when you answer the next set of questions.)

Ans: The poet hardly mentions about “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters because it is humans, who did not care for nature in the first place. So, maybe, the poet now thinks that nobody would be interested in knowing about the efforts that the trees are making in order to set themselves free. If other men cared about the trees, they would not have destroyed them. It seems that this whole beauty of trees moving back to forests can be seen and felt only by the poet.

 4. Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here are two suggestions. Can you think of others?

 1. Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned1, and need to ‘break out’?

2. On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings: this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning?

  Ans: Since a poem can have different meanings for different readers and the poet can mean two different things using the same imagery, both these meanings can be justified in the context of the poem:

 1. Yes, the poem presents a conflict between man and nature. Man has always caused much harm to nature, without realizing that it actually is harm to the human race. Humans cut down forests for forest goods, which has destroyed a lot of natural beauty. By keeping trees inside walls and denying them their natural home, they are denying them their freedom. So, the trees want to move out. Similarly, in the poem A Tiger in the Zoo, the poet shows that animals feel bound by cages and they want to get free and run wild in the open.

 2. If trees have been used as a metaphor for human beings, then the poem would mean that like the trees, humans too want to break free of the boundaries that life puts on them. Modern life with all kinds of physical comfort has also brought a lot of moral downfalls. Our lives have become busy and we have become selfish and greedy. Man would also want to enjoy the beauty of nature and go out in the open and be free, just like trees.

A Question of Trust

 (Page 20)

1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.

 

2. Why does he steal every year?

He stole every year so that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to collect. Each year he planned carefully so as to steal enough to last twelve months.

 

(Page 22)

3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

A lady standing in the doorway is speaking to Horace Danby. She is  young and pretty and is dressed in red. She says that she has come just in time, or else her family would have been robbed by Horace. Thus she pretends to be one of the members of the family living at Shotover Grange.

 

4. Who is the real culprit in the story?

The real culprit in the story is the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. She tricks Horace Danby into believing her, and cleverly takes away all the jewels that are kept in the safe.

 

Think About It

(Page 25)   

 

Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so, at what point did you realise this, and how?

Yes, I begin to suspect before the end of the story that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace. This seemed strange. When she did not call the police, and instead asked Horace to take out all the jewels from the safe, even if it meant breaking it open, it seems suspicious. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that she would forget the number combination to open the safe. Therefore it was evident, before the story ended, that the lady was not the person Horace had taken her to be.

 

2. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Her confident walk, her familiarity with the dog Sherry, her act of touching up her make-up, and the ease with which she picks a cigarette from the right place are the subtle ways in which the lady deceives Horace. They are enough to deceive anybody. Horace is very frightened and cannot think properly, so he doesn’t suspect anything.

 

 

3. Horace Danby was good and respectable – but not completely honest”. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why can’t he be categorised as a typical thief?

Horace is not an ordinary thief. His habits are not usual for a thief. He is fond of books. He seals only once in a year and that too only as per his needs. He is a successful locksmith. He only robs the rich. However, an act of theft is still a crime, no matter how well a thief behaves, so this description is apt for Horace. He can’t be categorised as a typical thief because he is not a regular offender like other thieves.

 

 

4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Horace Danby failed to get enough information about the real occupants of the house. He seems to be too occupied with collecting information about the house map, wiring, and location of valuable items. Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name, he overlooked getting information about the occupants of the house. When he landed in trouble with the appearance of the young lady, his clever mind gave way to carelessness, leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.

 

Talk About It

 

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

(or)

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished? (CBSE 2013)

Horace Danby deserved what he got. A crime is a crime, no matter if it is committed for the criminal’s own benefit or for somebody else.

 

2. Do intentions justify actions? Would you, like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less than honestly?

We cannot go on a wrong way to do a good thing. For their own benefit, we should not harm or cheat others. But the real world is different. We know of many examples of people tricking people for quick gains. These acts should be discouraged and punished.

The Feathered Friend

 Reading :1

3. Why did Sven keep the bird a secret from his colleagues?

Sven kept the bird a secret as it is not usual to have a bird in a space station. However, there is no regulation against it.

4. How was the presence of the bird discovered?

The presence of the bird was discovered by the narrator. He heard her musical whistle beside his ear. He thought that the sound was from the intercom. Later he realized that it was from the bird. 

5. Why did the crew want to hide the bird from the VIPs from the Earth? How did they deal with the issue?

The crew wanted to hide the bird from the VIPs from the Earth as the bird had become a general pet to them. They didn’t want to risk the discovery of the bird as it might be taken away from them.

They dealt with the issue by keeping it in various hiding places of the space station. They had to explain the curious peeps and whistles of the bird as she got noisy when upset.

6. What was the alarm meant for? What had caused its failure?

The alarm was meant to warn the crew of the space station when the air quality becomes poor. A rare eclipse by the earth’s shadow made the equipment freeze and it caused the failure of the alarm.

7. How is life in space different from life on Earth?

There is no gravity or air in space. The environment is controlled. We need to acquire the skill of working under these conditions. The available air is limited and it is purified and recycled. 

Reading 2

1. Did Sven do the right thing by getting a bird into the spaceship? Why do you think so?

Yes. I think that Sven did the right thing by getting a bird in the spaceship. I think so because the bird made them realize that there was something wrong with the air in the space station. That knowledge saved all the people there. The bird became a general pet to all and there was no regulation against getting birds into the spaceship.

2. Based on your reading, justify the title of the story?

The title, “The Feathered Friend” is quite appropriate. A canary bird becomes a general pet of a spaceship crew. Canary birds cannot survive in poor-quality air. One day, the bird almost died. She is revived by the crew with help of oxygen. Then the crew found out that the quality of air in the spaceship is poor. Thus, the bird saves the crew and proves that a friend in need is a friend indeed. 

3. What according to you, is a better choice - carrying a canary or an alarm system? Why do you think so?

I think carrying a canary is a better choice. I think so because there is no foolproof alarm system. 

4. Who saved the lives on board: Sven or the Canary? Why do think so?

I think both Sven and the Canary saved the loves on board. Because of Canary’s illness, the crew came to know about the poor quality of the air. It was Sven who found the Canary in a near-death position. So, both saved the lives on board. 

On a Night of Snow

2: Who is the speaker of stanza one? What does the speaker want to convey?

The owner of the cat is the speaker of stanza one. The speaker wants to convince the cat to stay indoors because the weather outside is stormy and cold.

 3: How does the speaker try to coax Cat?

Answer: Mistress tries to coax Cat by making her aware of the stormy weather outside. She describes the chilliness of the night. She tells Cat that the streets are covered with snow that would make his feet cold. She even tries to tempt Cat by offering a warm fireside and a saucer of milk.

 4: Why does Cat want to go out? What does that reflect about Cat?

Cat wants to go outside to enjoy the wild blowing winds. He wants to go out in dark night to hear the strange whisperings in the trees, play in the meadow grasses filled with snow and look for magical omens in the air.

It shows that Cat is adventurous and wants to experience the thrill. He is not afraid of stormy weather and dark night.

 5. The poem has two stanzas with two very different perspectives. Explain the two contrasting points of view presented by Mistress and Cat in this poem. Whose point of view do you agree more with?

The poem has two stanzas. The first one tells us about the perspective of Mistress and the second one tells us about the perspective of Cat.

According to Mistress, Cat should avoid going out in the cold stormy weather. The second stanza gives us an entirely different perspective. Cat wants to go out and experience the thrill. He is not afraid of stormy weather and dark night.

I agree with Cat’s point of view more.

 6. Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to something not human or representation of an abstract quality in human form. Pick this literary device in the poem and explain it.

The poet used the literary device called personification in this poem, ‘On a Night of Snow’. Cat, an animal, is given human qualities in the poem. The poet gives the power of speech and the power of reasoning to Cat. In the first stanza, Cat is addressed as a human. In the second stanza, Cat expresses his point of view.

 

Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast

2. Answer the following questions. 

a. Where does the Colonel encounter the ghost? Is he prepared for this meeting?

The Colonel encountered the ghost in the old castle which he had bought recently. He was not prepared for the meeting.

b. What was the ghost's first reaction on seeing Colonel Fazackerley?

The ghost shot out of the chimney and shouted 'beware' furiously on seeing Colonel Fazackerley. 

c. Who did the Colonel mistake him to be? Why do you think so?

The Colonel mistook the ghost as a person who was going to a Fancy Dress Ball. I think so because the ghost came out of the chimney.

d. What did the ghost do to scare the Colonel?

The ghost floated about between ceiling and floor. He walked through the wall and returned through a pane. He went up the chimney and came back. He did all these things to scare the Colonel.

e. Why was the Colonel feeling weak?

The Colonel laughed merrily at the actions of the ghost to scare him. So he felt weak.

f. Why did the ghost disappear?

The ghost disappeared as all his efforts to scare the Colonel were in vain.

g. What did the Colonel feel? Why he could not call back the ghost?

The colonel felt pity as the ghost had disappeared. He could not call back the ghost as he didn't know his name.

h. What part of the poem did you find the funniest?

Instead of being afraid, the Colonel wanted to invite the ghost to his house-warming party. Then the ghost lost his wits and rattled his chains and clattered his bones filling the whole caste with terrible sounds. The Colonel asked the ghost to it once again. I find this part of the poem the funniest.

Lob's Girl

 2. Answer the following:

a. A simile is a literary device that compares two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

The simile ‘like a sand-colored bullet’ is used to describe Lob. In your own words, what does this simile mean?

This simile means that sand-colored Lob ran as fast as a bullet to fetch the stick to Sandy.

b. For both Sandy and Lob it was love at first sight. Give reasons to support your answer.

Lob found Sandy on the beach. He started licking Sandy affectionately and with enthusiasm. Sandy wasn’t afraid of the unknown dog licking her. She thought that he is beautiful and started playing with him. She threw a driftwood stick and he fetched it. Thus, it was love at first sight for both Sandy and Lob.

c. How does Lob show his devotion to Sandy as he continuous to return to her throughout the story?

Lob showed his devotion to Sandy by walking about 400 miles two times. Even after death, Lob appeared at the hospital to see Sandy. Such was Lob’s devotion to Sandy.

d. Describe Sandy’s condition before and after Lob’s visit. What does reveal about the strength of their bond?

Before Lob’s visit Sandy’s condition was very critical. At the sound of Lob’s whine, Sandy stirred and opened her eyes. She moved her broken left arm to pat Lob. It reveals that the strength of their bond helped in the recovery of Sandy.

e. Sandy and Lob developed an inseparable bond. This communicates the message that true loyalty and strong relationships can withstand any circumstances -  natural or supernatural. Explain.

The bond between Sandy and Lob was inseparable. When Lob was taken away by his owner, Lob took a risky four hundred mile walk two times. This separation was natural. Lob was killed as he was hit by a speeding truck. After his death, Lob visited Sandy who was in critical condition at the hospital. This is quite supernatural.

f. Justify the title of the story.

The title of the story is “Lob’s Girl”. It is very appropriate as Lob had chosen Sandy as his owner. He risked a four hundred mile walk two times to be with her. He ever appeared to help in the recovery of Sandy supernaturally after his death. It is Lob who was devoted to his owner, Sandy.

The Stalled Ox

 

1. Why Theophil Eshley is called a cattle painter by force of environment?

Eshley was a talented painter. He started painting cattle not because of his love for cattle, but because of the circumstances and environment in which he lived. His home was in a villa dotted, semi-suburban, park-like area. A neighbor's cows grazed in a nearby meadow. Eshley saw cows, gardens, flowers, grass and walnut trees and started painting cows. Thus Theophil Eshley was called a cattle painter by force of environment.

2. What did Adela expect Eshley to do? Was it fair of her to expect so? Give reasons.

Adela was a neighbor of Eshley. She knew that Eshley painted cows. One day an ox strayed into her garden and started eating her flower plants. She was alone and she went to Eshley seeking help in driving away the stray ox. She expected Eshley to remove the ox from her garden. It was not fair of her to expect so. Eshley was only a painter of dairy cows and he had no experience in managing stray ox.  

3. What was Theophil Eshley's connection with cows and oxen?

Theophil Eshley lived in a villa dotted, semi suburban, park-like area. A neighbor's cows grazed in a nearby meadow. Eshley saw cows, gardens, flowers, grass and walnut trees and started painting cows. He became a well-known painter of dairy cows. He has no experience of any king with ox.

4. Theophil Eshley studied the ox like an artist. What all did he notice?

Theophil Eshley was an artist. He took to painting cows. One day his neighbor asked him to remove an ox from her garden. He went to her garden and saw a huge spotted ox in the garden. The ox was dull red about the head and shoulders. The ox's flanks and hindquarters were dirty white. The ox had shaggy ears and large blood-shot eyes.

5. What efforts did Theophil Eshley make to drive the ox away? What was the reaction of the ox?

Theophil Eshley tried to drive away the ox by making sound by clapping and shooing. The ox hadn't given any indication of moving. Then Eshley picked up a pea stick and flung it towards the ox. Realizing that he had to move the ox pushed its way through the French window into Adela's morning-room. 

6. Why was Adela disappointed at having sought help from Eshley?

Adela thought that Eshley could be good at changing an ox away as he paints cows. She had mistakenly assumed that Eshley would know about managing an ox. She realized her mistake when Eshley failed to remove the ox from her garden. So, she was disappointed at having sought help from Eshley.

7. The episode was the turning point in Eshley's artistic career. Which episode is being talked about here? How was it a turning point?

The episode of Eshley's efforts to drive the ox away from Adela's garden resulted in the remarkable picture, "Ox in a morning-room, late autumn," It  was one of the sensations and successes of the next Paris Art Exhibition, and when it was later exhibited at Munich it was bought by the Bavarian Government.  From that moment, his success was continuous and assured. 

8. Discuss the title of the story.

The title of the story, 'the stalled ox' is quite appropriate. The word 'stalled' means to stop suddenly. In the story an ox had stalled in a neighbor's garden. The ox enters Adela Pingsford's garden and starts eating her flower plants. The ox refuses to leave in spite of Eshley's efforts to shoo him away. Instead of going out, the ox enters the morning-room and stays there long enough for Eshley to paint his masterpiece.

Her First Party

Reading [Page 64]

2. Answer the following questions.

a. Why had Mother given her consent to her children to attend the party?

Millie and her brother Bob had convinced Mother that it was the first-ever grown-ups party that Millie would attend. They further told her that there would be charades, tableaus, and recitations in which Millie was to take a leading role. So, Mother had given her consent.

b. Why were Bob and Millie looking forward to the party?

Millie and Bob were looking forward to the party as it was being given by Bob’s class at the College Hall. Moreover, there would be charades, tableaus, and recitations in which Millie was to take a leading role.

c. What were Millie’s apprehensions about the party?

Millie was afraid that something might go wrong and prevent her from going to the party. She feared that the weather might be bad, the party dress might catch fire, or she might sprain her ankle. In addition to these, her aunt Mildred was ill.

d. A dread that for the moment made her feel faint took possession of Millie.

i. What had alarmed Millie?

A letter from aunt Jane alarmed Millie.

ii. What was her fear?

She feared that there would be some bad news about her aunt Mildred in the letter.

iii. Was her dread misplaced?

No. Her dread was not misplaced. It turned out that the doctors had given up hope on Mildred’s recovery.

e. What did Millie do with the letter? What were her thoughts that made her decide so?

Milled hid the letter by keeping it in her pocket. She thought that one day would not make any difference.

f. What were Millie’s first thoughts as she dressed for the party?

Millie thought of delivering the letter to her mother as she dressed for the party.

g. What made Millie change her mind?

The joyous and merry time that she would have at the party made Millie change her mind.

h. How did the mood at home change after Mother read the letter?

The mood at home changed to sorrowfulness after Mother read the letter.

i. Do you empathize with Millie’s preoccupation with attending the party? Why/Why not?

Yes. I empathize with Millie’s preoccupation. She could not miss the party and at the same time, she could not forget that she hid the letter.

j. “It seems to me she has gained something.” What had Millie gained?

Millie had gained the wisdom of coping with the realities of life. One cannot enjoy when one’s near and dear are not okay.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Reading 1 Page 106

2. The three men were walking on bones; yet the scene Is not gruesome. Why?

The three men were drawn by enthusiastic curiosity to find out the marvels in the bowels of the earth. That is why the scene is not gruesome.

3. Describe the mastodons and their keeper.

Mastodons were gigantic animals that look like elephants. They were tearing down large boughs and eating masses of leaves and green branches. The keeper of these mastodons was a human being. He was above twelve feet tall. His head was as big as the head of a buffalo. He carried a branch of a tree to be used as a crook.

4. Why do you think was the dagger left behind? Was it done on purpose?

The dagger was left behind to indicate the right road to the interior. It was done on purpose. The dagger might have belonged to Arne Saknussemn, who ventured into the earth before them.

5. There are three different terrains described in the story. How are these different from each other?

Bone-filled ground, illuminated forest, and the shore of the central sea are the three different terrains described in the story.

Bone-filled ground contained scattered hills over the ground occupied by the plain of bones. It appeared like a tropical country area during midday summer.

The forest contained wild vegetation of the Tertiary period. It has gigantic mammals and the land was covered with mosses and ferns.

The shore of the central sea had certain groups of rocks. Streams and cascades fell over the projections of rocks.

6. What was the most important discovery in this story? Why do you think so?

I think that the finding of the dagger was the most important discovery in this story. The dagger proved beyond doubt that a sixteenth-century explorer, Arne Saknussemm had travelled there before.

Reading 2 Page 107

1. Foreshadowing is an advance sign or warning of what is to come in future. Before the men spot huge creatures, you are in a way anticipating something like this. Quote words/phrases from the story that you feel prepare you for this.

We can find foreshadowing in the following sentence.

‘Since nature had shown herself capable of producing such stupendous vegetable supplies, why might we not meet with mammals just as large, and therefore dangerous?’

2. In the extract, it is perseverance that guides the men along the way. As a result, they gain knowledge. Justify.

The men in the story ventured into unknown depths of the earth by braving several hardships. They overcame physical tiredness, dangerous grounds, gigantic animals, and all sorts of difficulties. Because of their perseverance, they could finish their adventurous journey successfully and gain knowledge.

3. The lesson you just read is a piece of fiction but it also has some scientific truths. What are they?

The scientific truths that are evident in the fictional lesson are 1. Craters made by extinct volcanos lead to the underground. 2. The existence of giant elephant-like mammals. 3. Earth is covered by a thin layer of upper crust.

Imagination

2. What games did the poet play as a child? What impact did they have on him?

The poet used to play pirates and sail seven seas. He used to imagine himself as a cowboy. These simple things made him happy.

3. The poet’s life is unlike the books he reads. Quote from the poem to validate this?

The poet’s life is unlike the books he reads. His life is an ordinary life whereas the lives of the characters of the books he read were heroic lives. His own words in the poem, …..’I discovered the joy of reading, And escaped the daily grind’ validate this.

4. What was the impact of science fiction on his life?

The poet had read a science-fiction book written by Jules Verne. He felt that he went on to the moon just to take a look. He continued to be attracted by such books even after he became an adult.

5. Allusion is a figure of speech in which an object or circumstances briefly and directly refers to another person, place, thing, or object. In the fifth stanza, the speaker alludes to two people. Find out who they are. What do these allusions convey?

David Livingstone and Huckleberry Fin are the two people mentioned in the fifth stanza. David Livingstone was a famous explorer of the African continent. Huckleberry Fin was a mischievous fictional character in Mark Twine’s book. These allusions conveyed that the poet liked the spirit of adventure, mystery, and mischievousness.

6. What impact did growing up have on the poet?

Growing up means leaving childhood and becoming an adult. The poet says that as he grew up, his childish world has ended. His imagination gave way to practical thinking. He says that though he still loves mystery, his outlook has changed.

Emperors on Ice

 2. What did the scientists want to establish after studying the eggs?

The scientists wanted to establish that the analysis of the emperor penguin’s embryos would reveal links between all birds and their reptile predecessors. It was incorrectly thought that the emperor penguin was one of the most primitive birds of our planet earth.

3. What additional benefits did they expect to achieve through this journey?

Henry Bowers, Edward Wilson, and Apsley Cherry-Gerrard took the journey to Cape Crozier. They wanted to bring some penguin’s embryos for some scientific experiments. Additionally, they would gain some knowledge to continue further pole journeys. They could try out various combinations of sledging rations under extreme filed conditions. They could collect data from the Great Barrier in winter to use in the predictions of weather.

4. What motivated Wilson to undertake this difficult journey?

The chance of continuing the study of the breeding biology of birds is the motivation for Wilson to undertake this difficult journey.

5. What was the curator’s first reaction when he saw the eggs?

The curator of the American Museum of Natural History insulted Cherry-Gerrard who presented the eggs by asking him who he was and informing him that the museum was not an egg shop.

Refugee Blues

 Page 86

2. Where do the narrator and his companion want to go? Why are they unable to do so?

The narrator and his companion want to go to a safe place to live as they were sent out of their country. They are unable to do so because they are not allowed to enter any country.

3. Why did the consul bang on the table? Why was he angry?

The consul banged on the table because the narrator and his companion were attempting to enter the country. He was angry as they did not have any passports.

4. What was the refugee offered by the committee and what did they ask him? What was his reaction?

The refugee was offered a chair by the committee. They asked him to come next year. The refugee reacted by saying where should they go on that day.

5. What did the narrator see at the harbor?

The narrator saw fish swimming at the harbor. The refugee saw singing birds in the woods.

6. What did the refugee see in his dream?

The refugee saw a building with a thousand floors. It has a thousand windows and a thousand doors. Sadly, none of them were theirs.

7. Who is looking for the refugees?

Ten thousand soldiers are looking for the refugees.

8. What is the setting of the poem?

The setting of the poem dates back to the second world war. Jews were driven out of Nazi Germany. Millions of Jews fled seeking refugee around the world. No country was ready to accept them.

9. The poem talks about human rights violations suffered by a pair of German-Jewish people during the second world war. What are the difficulties that they faced?

The right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture are basic human rights.

The pair of German Jewish people were homeless. They had no place. They did not have basic facilities. They were hunted by the German army and nobody gave them shelter. These were the difficulties faced by them.

A Day in the Country

 Reading 1 (Page 44 and 45)

On the basis of your understanding of the text, answer the following questions.

a. Why was Fyokla looking for Terenty?

i. The weather has changed.

ii. She was scared of the storm.

iii. Her brother had an accident.

iv. all of the above.

b. Why did the little girl came looking for Terenty?

i.. He knows a lot about nature.

ii. He was tall and sturdy.

iii. He could run very fast.

iv. He was kind and helpful.

2. What was the effect of the change of weather on the following?

a. the sky: The sky became dark with clouds. There was lightning. There was a rumbling sound faraway.

b. the grass and trees: The grass was moving as the wind blew playfully. The wind forced the trees to bend.

c. the people of the village: The people of the village became busy as the rain was coming. They took shelter in their huts.

3. What happened to Danilka? What caused the accident? How did Terenty help him?

Danilka had an accident. His hand had stuck in a hole in a tree trunk. Terenty had snapped off the broken piece of the tree trunk which obstructed Danilka’s hand.

4. What had Terenty learnt about Ants and Bees?

Terenty had learned that the downpour had damaged the ant heap and the ants had learned not to settle on low grounds another time. He also learned that the swarm of bees had settled on a branch of a tree as the rain started while they were flying looking for a home.

5. Danilka looks at Terenty and greedily drinks in every word.

a. What is Danilka’s mood here?

Danilka was very curious to know everything about nature.

b. Where were they?

They were walking about the fields and talking about nature.

c. What was Terenty telling him?

Terenty was telling Danilka about thunders ants, bees Spanish flies healing herbs stream engine and answers all his questions.

6. Describe the change in Fyokla’s mood in the story.

In the beginning of the story she was worried about the safety of her brother Danilka. He had an accident. She searched for Terenty. She felt relieved when she saw him and requested him to help her brother Danilka. The man and the boy started moving around fields and talking about nature. She was bored as the two did most of the talking. She followed them. She was tired and slept peacefully on the straw in the community barn.

7. The story reflects Terenty’s love for the children. Give three reasons to prove this.

The story shows Terenty’s love for the children. Here are the three reasons to prove this point. 1. Terenty talks with Fyokla tenderly and agrees to help her brother. 2. He answers all the questions asked by Danilka and patiently tells him about nature. 3. He leaves bread secretly under the children’s heads while they were sleeping on the straw in the community barn.

8. The children were impoverished but joyful. Justify this statement.

It is clear that the children were impoverished as Terenty secretly leaves bread under their heads while they were sleeping. But they were joyful because they could move freely in the countryside enjoying all the natural wonders. They had people like Terenty to protect them and teach them about nature.

Reading 2

1. Describe the setting of this 20th century Russian village.

This 20th century Russian village was surrounded by fields and woods. It had a river running by. The villagers knew many things about nature. There was a railway track nearby the village. The villagers used to store their crops in the community barn. There was a church in the village.

2. Terenty was unschooled but nature had been his greatest teacher. What lessons had Terenty learnt from nature?

Though Terenty was unschooled he learned that we should not settle in low ground. If we want to make a bee to be still, we have to sprinkle some water. He knew about the power of steam. He knew the names of wild flowers animals and stones. He knew the herbs that cure people. 

A Newspaper Is a Collection of Half-Injustices

 1.What is the contrasting picture that the poet creates in stanza one?

In the first stanza, the poet created the contrasting picture of merciful and well as sneering men. These are people who sneer at the stories carried by the newspapers or are sympathetic towards them.

2. Why is the newspaper compared to a court?

A newspaper is like a court because everyone is kindly and unfairly tried by a group of honest men who too much importance to moral and ethical considerations.

3. How is the newspaper a game?

A newspaper is like a game because one person's error brings victory to a player while another's skill results in death. A misstatement made by a reporter can change the outcome of a particular game while another person’s skilled reportage could lead to someone's death.

4. What do you think are the injustices a newspaper can do?

The newspaper may give fake news so that it can hide the important news. That may lead to several unwanted circumstances. Newspapers give importance to celebrities and negative news. Real news which is useful to common people is neglected by newspapers.

5. The poem uses a number of metaphors, for example, A newspaper is a market. What does it sell?

A newspaper is a market because here the truth is sold and compromised for the selling of the newspaper.

Explain four metaphors used in the poem.

1. A newspaper is a court.

A newspaper is a court because honest men who give undue importance to righteousness judge everyone.

 2. A newspaper is a market.

A newspaper is a market where truth is sold to falsehood and rumors.

3. A newspaper is a game.

A newspaper is a game because it can change the outcome of any game by its reporting,

4. A newspaper is a symbol.

A newspaper is a symbol as it symbolizes deceit, popularity, indifference and far-off news.

6. Do you think the poem indicates the poet's disbelief about this medium of communication? Give reasons.

Yes. I think the poem indicates the poet’s disbelief about newspapers. The poet calls a newspaper a collection of half-injustices as it is a collection lies.

7. If Stephen Crane were alive during the 21st century, would he have still found the same problems that he immortalized in the nineteenth century?

Yes. If Crane was alive today, he still would have problems that he immortalized in the nineteenth century. Journalism has become more biased. Commercial importance and financial necessities made newspapers unreliable.