Lesson – 1 Dust of snow – Robert Frost
About the Poet
Robert Frost was an American poet who published his poems in England before publishing them in America.
He was born on 26th March, 1874 and died in 1963.
Some of his works are "Mending Wall," "The Road Not Taken," "Christmas Trees," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," etc.
Answer the Following Questions:-
Q1. What do the crow and hemlock symbolize?
Ans:The crow and hemlock symbolize sorrow and depression.
Q2. When was the mood of the poet changed?
Ans:The poet was totally depressed and was about to put an end to his life, but he saw a crow sitting on a hemlock tree, shook off the dust of snow on him, which changed his mood into happiness.
Q3. What is the dust of snow, and who shook it off?
Ans:A dust of snow is the fine particles of snow that settle on each surface after a snowfall. A crow shook off the dust of snow which had settled on the leaves of the hemlock tree.
Q4. Have there been times when you felt depressed and hopeless? Have you experienced a similar moment that changed your mood that day?
Ans:One day, I was very much upset due to a tough talk with my brother. Then, I went to the garden and sat for some time. There, I saw beautiful butterflies flying from flower to flower. This changed my mood and I became energetic and went back with a fresh mind.
Q5. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follows:
"Has given my heart
A change of mood (dust of snow)"
Q.What is the poet's mood now?
a) appreciative of nature
b) Thoughtful
c) Happy
d) Cool
Ans: (c) Happy
Lesson – 2 Fire and Ice
Q. 1. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follows:
Some say the world will end in fire some say in ice.
From what I have tested of desire I hold with these who favour fire.
a) What do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
Ans: ‘Fire’ stands for vitality and ‘ice’ stands for indifference/cold behavior.
b) What is the rhyming scheme of the stanza?
Ans: The rhyming scheme is abaa.
c) What does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
Ans: The poet holds with those who favour fire because they are optimists and have high hopes in life.
Lesson – 3 A tiger in the Zoo
Q. 1. Read the stanzas given below and answer the question/complete the statement that follows:
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws, terrorizing the village
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
i. Studying the following statements:
A. The villagers don’t feel happy that the tiger is caged.
B. We feel sad that the tiger is caged.
C. The tiger is happy that he doesn’t have to hunt for his food.
Ans: (b) (B) is right and (A) is wrong.
ii. We should protect the tigers as:
a) They are majestic to look at.
b) They attract visitors to the zoo.
c) They are ferocious.
d) They are part of our environment.
Ans: (d) They are part of our environment.
iii. The tiger terrorizes the village as:
a) By killing their cattle.
b) As he does not like to be hunted.
c) As they have cleared his habitat.
d) As he has got tired of being in the forest.
Ans: (a) By killing their cattle.
iv. ‘A tiger in the zoo ignoring visitors’ is an example of:
a) Metaphor b) Simile c) Irony d) Personification
Ans: (c) Irony
v. The tiger is reacting to his imprisonment in the zoo by:
a) Quietly walking in the cage.
b) Showing his anger openly.
c) Stalking in the cage.
d) Ignoring visitors.
Ans: (d) Ignoring visitors.
Q. 2. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follows:
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
a) Who is ‘he’ referred to here?
Ans: ‘He’ is referred to as a tiger.
b) Why is ‘he’ sliding through the long grass?
Ans: ‘He’ is hiding in the long grass to attack a deer.
c) Why does the poet refer to deer as ‘plump deer’?
Ans: The poet imagined the tiger to get a plump deer so that he could feast on it.
Lesson – 4 How to tell wild animals
Q.1. Why does the poet use the term ‘nobel’ and ‘wild’ for the tigers? (How to tell wild animals)
Ans: The poet has ironically used the two contradictory terms, ‘noble’ and ‘wild,’ for the Tiger in the poem 'How to tell wild animals.' The tiger is a wild beast. It hunts and kills its prey only when it is hungry. Unlike other wild animals, a tiger doesn't hunt or kill its prey for pleasure. The poet has cleverly brought out the humor through these words.
Lesson – 5 The ball poem
Q.1. The loss of a possession should make one feel:
(a) angry (b) responsible (c) sad (d) careless
Ans: (b) responsible
Q.2. Why does the poet not offer the boy money to buy another ball?
Ans: The poet does not offer the boy money to buy another ball because he wants the boy to understand that money cannot buy everything. He wants him to be responsible enough to let go of things which he lost and move on in life.
Q.3. ‘He senses first responsibility’ – What responsibility is referred to here?
Ans: The responsibility referred to here is that in this world of possessions, the boy has not only to learn to take care of his things but also cope with the loss of his favorite ball.
Lesson – 6 Amanda
Q.1. Mention any two issues over which Amanda was nagged and scolded?
Ans: Amanda, a young school-going girl, was continuously nagged and scolded by her mother over one or the other issue. Amanda’s mother was annoyed with her daughter’s habit of biting nails and sitting in a slouching position.
Q.2. Amanda did not agree with the restrictions put on her. Give two reasons to support the statement.
Ans: Amanda’s annoyance at being rebuked constantly makes her turn indifferent to her mother. Her indifference is a silent protest against the chiding and sermonizing by her mother. Her only escape is to go into the world of imagination where she wants to be all alone, free from any interference of others.
Q.3. ‘I am an orphan, roaming the street.’ Why does Amanda visualize this?
Ans: Amanda imagines herself to be an orphan roaming about bare-footed in the street. Her mother’s persistent nagging irritates her, and she feels that life would be enjoyable if she were an orphan with no parent to curb her freedom.
Q.4.
The End
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