Rain on the Roof

Thinking about the poem (Answers to the questions given on Page 42)

I.

1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.

1. humid shadows

2. starry spheres

3. what a bliss

4. a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start

5. a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof

1. Humid shadows: These are the shadows of different things which become wet during the rainy season.

2. Starry spheres: The area where stars appear in a group in the sky.

3. What a bliss: The poet feels happy when he listens to the rain drops.

4. A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start: The poet starts recollecting the past and finds himself lost in reveries and dreams in the rainy weather.

5. A thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof: The poet recollects hundreds of memories in the rainy season. They weave a weft with the help of air-threads.

2.What does the poet like to do when it rains?

When it rains the poet wants to lie on bed in a cottage and listen to pitter-patter sound of the rain.

3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet’s mind? Who are the “darling dreamers” he refers to?

The poet’s mother is the single major memory that comes to his mind. ‘Darling dreamers’ are those ‘kids’ who remember their mothers like the poet.

4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?

No, the poet is not a child. His mother is no more. But her memories still haunt him.

II.

1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s mother did?

Yes, my mother used to tuck me in when I was a child. Whenever I said that I could not do some work, she embraced me and took me in her lap to get that work done. She used to feel sad and dejected if I was involved in any mishap.

2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?

Yes, I like rain and prefer to expose myself in the rain for some time. But when it rains heavily, I stay inside and enjoy the rain drops falling down. I like to play with paper boats in the puddles made by rain.

3. Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter, etc. during rain.

No, everybody is not so fortunate to have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains. There are some people who live at the railway platforms and bus terminal. They have nothing to give them comfort in the rain.

There are so many animals which don’t have any shelter and tremble under the dark sky in the rainy season.

Literary Devices in the poem

Rhyme scheme of the poem: abcbdefe

Stanza 1

1.Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more consecutive words.

‘Humid Hover’ - ‘h’ sound is repeating.

‘starry spheres’ - ‘s’ should is repeating.

‘press pillow’- ‘p’ sound is repeating.

‘lie listening’ - ‘l’ sound is repeating.

2. Onomatopoeia: The use of sound words to create a dramatic effect and auditory imagery.

‘Patter’ is the use of sound word. It is the sound made by the rain drops falling on the roof top.

3. Personification: Treating a non – living thing as a living being.

darkness has been personified when he says that it is sad.

4. Transferred Epithet: The use of an adjective with a noun when it refers to another noun.

In ‘melancholy darkness’, the darkness is not melancholy, but it refers to the sad people.

Stanza 2

1.Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more consecutive words.

‘busy being’ - ‘b’ sound is repeating

‘their thread’ - ‘th’ sound is repeating

‘rain roof’ - ‘r’ sound is repeating

2. Onomatopoeia: The use of sound words to create a dramatic effect and auditory imagery.

‘tinkle’, ‘patter’ - sounds made by the raindrops

3.  Personification: Treating a non-living thing as a living being.

recollection is personified when he says that they weave dreams.

4. Transferred Epithet: The use of an adjective with a noun when it refers to another noun.

‘dreamy fancies’ – it does not mean that the fancies are dreamy but refers to the people who have dreams.

Stanza 3

1. Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more consecutive words.

‘memory my mother’ - ‘m’ sound is repeating

‘Darling dreamers’ - ‘d’ sound is repeating

2. Onomatopoeia: The use of sound words to create a dramatic effect and auditory imagery.

‘patter’ – sound of raindrops falling on the shingles of the roof.

Yang the Youngest

Answers to the questions given on page no: 169

1. Fill in the graphic organizer to show your understanding of the story.

Main Character	Setting	Problem (Conflict)	Solution (outcome)
Yang Yingtao	School in America	Yang comes from China and faces problems in making friends in his new school.	He meets Mathew Conner and feels less lonely.

 Rising action: Jake runs away with his pen.

Conflict: Yang runs after him to get back his pen.

Climax: The teacher gets involved. Mathew Corner tells her Jake took Yang's pen.

Outcome: He finds a friend in Mathew Conner.

2. Answer the following questions.

a. Why was Yang at a disadvantage when he joined his new school in the USA?

When he joined his new school in the USA the school year was almost over. All the other students knew each other by then. He doesn’t know the language to make friends with other children. So Yang was at a disadvantage.

b. How does the narrator compare his being in school with learning swimming in China?

The narrator had to walk hugging the walls as he feared that the American students would bump into him as they run in the hallways. He remembered that he had to swim near the side of the pool as he feared of the other swimmers who swam like sharks in the middle of the swimming pool. Thus the narrator compared his being in school with learning swimming in China.

c. What was the first cultural change that Yang’s parents noticed in him? Why were they unhappy about it?

Yang learned to learn as fast and shove his way as hard as the other kids in the school.  This is the first cultural change that Yang’s parents noticed in him. They were unhappy because he became rough and started tramping the ground hard.

d. How did Yang’s siblings react to their new school and environment?

Yang’s eldest brother had trouble in making friends with others. He found comfort in music. His second sister felt the loneliest because she was popular in China. In America, no one paid any attention to her. So she was cranky and sad. His third sister had no trouble at all in making friends. She began chatting with other kids even before she could speak much English.

e. What made Yang feel a little less lonely?

Yang met a friendly boy, Mathew Conner at his school. This made him feel less lonely.

f. During your reading of the test, which facts did you notice about the Chinese culture? How do some of these contrast with the American culture?

Students in China behave differently. They stand up when a teacher enters the class as a mark of respect. They do not run in the walkways. They do not shove people rudely. They have a different idea of beauty as the narrator’s second sister is considered beautiful. All these things are in contrast with the American culture.

Reading:2

1. The fact that China had invaded Korea is history, and it happened in the distant past. Why does Yang feel that the Korean girl might personally 'hold it against him'?

When China had invaded Korea, the Chinese had caused the Koreans a great deal of pain and damage. It is natural that the Koreans hate Chinses. So, Yang felt that the Korean girl might personally hold the fact against him.

2. Yang says that his poor English was only one of the reasons behind his difficulty in adjusting to the new school. Based on your reading of the text, list the other reasons which added to Yang's difficulty.

The cultural differences confused Yang. He was afraid of the students yelling loudly and running in the hallways. They made fun of him when he stood in respect as the teacher entered the classroom. He had no friends in his new school. These are the reasons for Yang's difficulty.

3. Third sister seems to be the quickest to learn that one needs to adapt in order to survive in an alien culture. Pick out evidence from the text to support this statement.

Third sister had no difficulty in making friends. Even before she could speak much English, she began chatting with other kids. She could always fill in the gaps with laughter. This shows that she was the quickest to learn that one needs to adapt to survive in an alien culture.

 

Jamaican Fragment

 Reading 

1. What did the narrator like when his walk from his home to the tramcar lines?

The narrator liked his walk from his home to tramcar lines. It is pleasant to walk on the road flanked by red and green roofed bungalows, green lawns, and gardens.

2. How does the narrator describe the two boys whom he sees one morning?

The narrator saw two boys one morning. The elder of them is five years of age and the younger of them is of four years. The elder boy is sturdy and dark skinned with black eyes and matted coarse hair. The younger boy is white skinned with hazel eyes and light brown hair. Both of them are dressed in blue shirts and khaki pants.

3. What were the questions that arose in the narrator’s mind when he saw the two boys engaged in their game for the first time?

The narrator felt sure that since both the boys dressed in the same way they belong to same social class. He couldn’t understand why the big black boy was following the orders of the younger white boy. The narrator thought that both the black boy and white boy knew about their social positions and behaved accordingly. It was usual that white people order black people as whites were supposed to be superior and blacks were inferior.

4. What were the questions that arose in the narrator’s mind when he saw the two boys at their game again?

When the narrator saw the boys at their game second time, the black boy was giving commands to the white boy and the white boy was following the orders. Then the narrator realized that they were playing a game in which both the boys become commander and follower one by one.

5. What does the narrator imagine when sees a white man standing at the gate and watching the two boys?

The narrator sees a white man standing at the gate watching the two boys. He feels that the white man may be thinking that the black people are superior to white people. The narrator is of the opinion that the white man is also assuming just like what he himself assumed the day before.

6. ‘This is Jamaica, I said in my heart, this is my country, my people’. With what feelings does the narrator say this and why?

The narrator feels very proud after learning about the boys’ family. He thinks very high of Jamaican culture where different people like happily together.

7. The story shows us the stereotypes can make us narrow-minded in our thinking, whereas the reality around us can be full of pleasant surprises. Explain this statement in the context of the events in the story.

When the narrator saw the boys at play for the first time, he thought that the game they were playing was racially prejudiced. He saw a younger white boy giving orders to an elder black boy and the black boy was obeying the orders. In fact, the boys were playing a simple game. The narrator thought like a stereotype and that led to his narrow-minded conclusion. The next day, he saw the boys again. The scene was reversed then. The black boy was giving orders and the white boy was obeying. The narrator realized his mistake. He was surprised and felt proud of the Jamaican culture.

The Plate of Gold

 

Poem appreciation (Answers for questions given on page no 42)

1. What did God want to test in human beings by sending the amazing gift?

God wanted to reward people who love their fellow beings truly and who do generous and selfless deeds.

2. Why did the plate of gold change into lead the moment people touched it?

The plate of gold changed into lead the moment people touched it because the people who touched it were not the true lovers of their fellow beings.

3. In what hope had all the beggars gathered around the temple gate?

All the beggars gathered around the temple to receive alms from the people who came to the temple hoping that they would get the gift of the gold plate.

4. What does the poet highlight in the attitude of those who freely gave away coins to the poor?

The people who gave away coins to the poor were only showing their generosity. They were not the true lovers of human beings. The poet wants to highlight this kind of attitude of the people who came to the temple in the hope of winning the gold plate. 

5. In God’s eyes, the poor peasant truly deserved the gift of gold. Why?

In God’s eyes the poor peasant deserved the gift of gold truly because he was the true lover of fellow human beings. He wept for their poverty and sat down to comfort one of them. He had not come to win the prize. He didn’t want to show off his generosity.

6. What is the poet trying to tell us through this poem?

Love for our fellow beings is more valuable than any kind of material wealth. Kindness and true love are good qualities we all should possess. We should be like the poor peasant, who is ready to give whatever he has with true love and kindness. This is the point that the poet wants to tell us through this poem.

The Old Wife and the Ghost

Poem appreciation (answers to questions given on page no: 150)


1. On the basis of your reading of the poem, select the best option for the following.

a. What does the ghost do first upon entering the old wife’s kitchen?

i. potters round

ii. bangs pots and pans

iii. eats for the larder

iv. blows up the kitchen fire

b. What was the old woman’s solution to the problem?

i. getting up late

ii. sleeping soundly

iii. getting a rat trap

iv. getting a cat

c. What is the tone of the poem?

i. angry

ii. funny

iii. perplexed

iv. frightened

2. Here’s a summary of the poem. The sentences have been jumbled up. First, fill in the blanks with words or phrases to complete the sentences. Then, number them from 1 to 10 so that the events are in the right sequence.



_____ One bright night, a ghost entered an old woman’s __________.

_____ The ghost ran up and down and screamed _____ ____ ____ ___ ______.

_____ The ghost _____ round in her ____ ____ _______ kitchen.

_____ The old wife slept through it all because ______ _____ _______.

_____ The ghost ran about and _____ _____ the cupboards.

______ The pots and pans went jangle and bang as he _____ __________ ______ all around.

_____ He _____ _____ ____ and bumped on the floor.

_____ At last the old wife woke up and _______ _________ ________ for creating nuisance.

_____ He began to ________ ______ from the larder shelf.

______ The next day the old wife went off to Hitchin and ______ _____ ______ to keep the mice at bay.



Answers:

1. a. i. potters round b. iv. getting a cat c. ii. funny

2. The first number indicates the sequence.

1. kitchen

8. like a storm at sea

2. pottered round / neat and clean

3. she was deaf

5. peeped into

7. was throwing them

6. rattled the door

9. cursed the mice

10. fetched a cat

Amanda - Answers to Textual Questions

Thinking about the Poem. Answers to the questions given on Page 62.

1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

I think Amanda is around 12 or 13. It is clear from the ‘acnes’ she has. Usually, boys or girls at this age have them on their faces.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her?

One of her parents is speaking to her. Maybe, it is her mother. The range of instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda’s mother.

3. Why are stanzas 2, 4, and 6 given in parenthesis?

Stanzas 2, 4, and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner thoughts of Amanda. They can be taken as the reaction of the child to the instructions given in other stanzas.

4. Who is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4, and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 7?

Speaker of the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda. No, she is not paying any attention to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3, and 5 as she is lost in a world of her own.

5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Amanda could swim in the calm emerald sea blissfully if she were a mermaid.

6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so much stressed with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them. She wishes to roam around the streets and draw patterns with her bare feet.

7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Rapunzel is a character in a fairy tale. She lives on a high tower.  She is happy and satisfied. She has long golden hair, using which a prince comes to meet her.  Amanda wants to live lonely like Rapunzel. So, she would never let her hair down for anyone to climb to her.

8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

The girl wants freedom. She wants to lead her life the way she likes. She has certain natural habits. Everyone has these at that age. But her parents do not like these to be there in her.

Amanda has these habits. But she is an obedient and understanding girl. There are certain restrictions in her life as in every household.

9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?

Amanda is sulking as it is given in the last stanza. But it is ‘sulking’ for the speaker only. Amanda herself is not sulking. It is clear in the sentence “Anyone would think … at you”. It means the speaker is conscious that the girl is ‘nagged’ unnecessarily.

Be the Best

 Answers to textual questions given in page in 105

2. Answer the following questions.

a. The poem works through a contrast of the ‘the high’ and ‘the low’. Can you give examples from the poem and explain this statement?

The poet uses phrases like a hill and a valley, a bush and a tree, bush and grass, Muskie and bass, captain and crew, highway and trail, sun and star to highlight contrast. The poet makes it clear that we can remain where we are and yet be the best.

b. What should be our attitude towards our work?

We must always try to do our best in whatever we do.

c. The poet makes effective use of the repetition of the refrain ‘If you can’t be ….’. What kind of an effect does this have on the reader? Does the repetition help the poet influence the reader in any way?

Yes. The poet is effective in using the repetition of the refrain. By repeating it, the poet stresses the point that we have to be the best.

d. Do you believe that some occupations are ‘low’ while some are ‘high’? Give reasons to support your answer.

No. I don’t believe that one occupation is ‘low’ and the other occupation is ‘high’. Every job is equally important. A gatekeeper is as important as the boss of the company. Both have specific works to do and each work plays a role for the smooth running of the company.