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Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Short Stories Workbook Answers Chapter 6 An Angel in Disguise – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

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Comprehension Passages

Passage 1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

This woman had been despised, scoffed at, and angrily denounced by nearly every man, woman, and child in the village; but now, as the fact of, her death was passed from lip to lip, in subdued tones, pity took the place of anger, and sorrow of denunciation.

Neighbours went hastily to the old tumble-down hut, in which she had secured little more than a place of shelter from summer heats and winter cold: some with grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number. Of these, John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased. Two years before a fall from a window had injured her spine, and she had not been able to leave her bed since, except when lifted in the arms of her mother.

“What is to be done with the children?” That was the chief question now. The dead mother would go underground, and be forever beyond all care or concern of the villagers. But the children must not be left to starve.

Question 1.
Why was the dead woman despised and hated by all the people of the village?
Answer:
The dead woman was an alcoholic and despised because of her idleness and addiction to liquor.

Question 2.
Why did the neighbour’s attitude change when they heard the news of her death?
Answer:
The neighbour’s attitude changed when they heard the news of her death because they felt pity for her three children left destitute and with no one to care for them after her death.

Question 3.
What did the neighbours do to help?
Answer:
The neighbours rushed to the dilapidated cottage of the woman to help. Some carried grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number.

Question 4.
Describe the three children.
Answer:
The dead woman had three children. John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased. Two years before a fall from a window had injured her spine, and she had not been able to leave her bed since, except when lifted in the arms of her mother.

Question 5.
What was a matter of concern now that the woman was dead?
Answer:
What concerned the villagers now that the woman was dead was the question of the care of her three children. They were too young to fend for themselves and could not be left alone to fend for themselves.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

After considering the matter, and talking it over with his wife, farmer Jones said that he would take John, and do well by him, now that his mother was out of the way; and Mrs. Ellis, who had been looking out for a bound girl, concluded that it would be charitable in her to make choice of Katy, even though she was too young to be of much use for several years.

“I could do much better, I know,” said Mrs. Ellis; “but as no one seems inclined to take her, I must act from a sense of duty expect to have trouble with the child; for she’s an undisciplined thing—used to having her own way.”

But no one said “I’ll take Maggie.” Pitying glances were cast on her wan and wasted form and thoughts were troubled on her account. Mothers brought cast-off garments and, removing her soiled and ragged clothes, dressed her in clean attire. The sad eyes and patient face of the little one touched many hearts, and even knocked at them for entrance. But none opened to take her in. Who wanted a bed-ridden child?

“Take her to the poorhouse,” said a rough man, of whom the question “What’s to be done with Maggie?” was asked. “Nobody’s going to be bothered with her.”

“The poorhouse is a sad place for a sick and helpless child,” answered one.
“For your child or mine,” said the other, lightly speaking; “but for tis brat it will prove a blessed change, she will be kept clean, have healthy food, and be doctored, which is more than can be said of her past condition.”

Question 1.
Who offered to take John? Why?
Answer:
Farmer Jones offered to take the boy John with him as John was stout and the farmer could make him work in his fields.

Question 2.
Who took Katy? Why?
Answer:
Mrs Ellis took Katy as she had been looking for a bound girl to work in her house. However, Mrs Ellis pretended that she was doing charity as she said the girl would be of no use for several years and would surely cause trouble as she seemed headstrong.

Question 3.
How did the villagers look at Maggie? Why did no one want to take her?
Answer:
The villagers looked at Maggie with pity because she was thin and diseased. They showed concern for the poor child and many mothers even brought cast-off garments and, removed her soiled and ragged clothes and dressed her in clean attire. They felt sympathy and concern for the sad eyes and patient face of the little but none of them wanted to take, her with them as she was disabled and of no use to them.

Question 4.
What solution did the rough man suggest for Maggie? Why would the poorhouse be a good place for Maggie?
Answer:
The rough man suggested that Maggie be taken to a poorhouse which was meant for destitute and orphans like Maggie who had no one to take care of them. It was felt that it would be the best place for her because she would be kept clean, have healthy food, and be doctored, which was more than could be said of her past condition or her life with her alcoholic mother.

Question 5.
Who came to mourn the dead woman? Why did no one follow the dead cart?
Ans.
A few neighbours came to mourn the dead woman but none followed the dead cart because they did not feel she deserved any respect or sympathy.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Its a cruel thing to leave her so.”

“Then take her to the poorhouse: she’ll have to go there,” answered the blacksmith’s wife, springing away, and leaving Joe behind.

For a little while the man stood with a puzzled air; then he turned back, and went into the hovel again. Maggie with painful effort, had raised herself to an upright position and was sitting on the bed, straining her eyes upon the door out of which all had just departed, A vague terror had come into her thin white face.

“O, Mr. Thompson!” she cried out, catching her suspended breath, “don’t leave me here all alone!”           ,

Though rough in exterior, Joe Thompson, the wheelwright, had a heart, and it was very tender in some places. He liked children, and was pleased to have them come to his shop, where sleds and wagons were made or mended for the village lads without a draft on their hoarded sixpences.

“No, dear,” he answered, in a kind voice, going to the bed, and stooping down over the child, “You she’n’t be left here alone.” Then he wrapped her with the gentleness almost of a woman, in the clean bedclothes which some neighbor had brought; and, lifting her in his strong arms, bore her out into the air and across the field that lay between the hovel and his home.

Question 1.
Who said, ‘It’s a cruel thing to leave her so.’ Why did he say this?
Answer:
The wheelwright man named Joe Thompson said this when all the villagers showed that inspite of pity for the disabled child none of them wanted to to take her home and were ready to leave her alone in the hovel.

Question 2.
Describe the feelings and plight of Maggie when she was left alone.
Answer:
Maggie felt desolate and frightened at being left helpless in the rundown cottage that was the only home she had known. Her spine was broken so with a painful effort, she raised herself to an upright position and tried to sit on the bed, in an effort to strain her eyes upon the door out of which all had just departed, uncaring that she was alone and not in a position to help herself. Her thin white face reflected a vague terror at the thought of the dark future she could foresee for herself.

Question 3.
What did Maggie say to Mr Thompson? What do her words show?
Answer:
Maggie pitifully begged Joe Thompson saying, “O, Mr. Thompson! don’t leave me here all alone!” She was almost not able to breathe due to the fear of being left alone.

Question 4.
What assurance did Joe Thompson give Maggie? What did he do?
Answer:
Joe Thompson was a kind man and he assured Maggie by saying, “No, dear,” “You she’n’t be left here alone.” Mr Thompson went to the bed, and stooping down he wrapped her with the gentleness almost of a woman, in the clean bedclothes which some neighbour had brought. He then lifted her in his strong arms and bore her out into the air and across the field to his home.

Question 5.
What idea do we get of the character of Mr Thompson?
Answer:
Mr Tompson is revealed by his actions as a kind hearted man. Although he had a rough exterior, Joe Thompson, the wheelwright, had a heart, and it was very tender in some places. He liked children, and was pleased to have them come to his shop, where sleds and wagons were made or mended for the village lads free of cost without taking anything from their hoarded six pences.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“You haven’t brought home that sick brat!” Anger and astonishment were in the tones of Mrs. Joe Thompson; her face was in a flame.

“I think women’s hearts are sometimes very hard,” said Joe. Usually Joe Thompson got out of his wife’s way, or kept rigidly silent and non-combative when she fired up on any subject; it was with some surprise, therefore, that she now encountered a firmly-set countenance and a resolute pair of eyes.

“Women’s hearts are not half so hard as men’s!”

Joe saw, by a quick intuition, that his resolute bearing h«d impressed his wife and he answered quickly, and with real indignation, “Be that as it may, every woman at the funeral turned her eyes steadily from the sick child’s face, and when the cart went off with her dead mother, hurried away, and left her alone in that old hut, with the sun not an hour in the sky.”

“Where were John and Kate?” asked Mrs. Thompson.

“Farmer Jones tossed John into his wagon, and drove off. Katie went home with Mrs. Ellis; but nobody wanted the poor sick one. ‘Send her to the poorhouse,’ was the cry.”

“Why didn’t you let her go, then. What did you bring her here for?”

“She can’t walk to the poorhouse,” said Joe; “somebody’s arms must carry her, and mine are strong enough for that task.”

Question 1.
What was Mrs. Thompson’s reaction on seeing Maggie?
Answer:
Mrs Thompson showed anger and astonishment when she saw Maggie being brought home by Mr Thompson.

Question 2.
How did Joe counter his wife on her remark about Maggie?
Answer:
Generally Joe kept got out of his wife’s way, or kept rigidly silent and non-combative when she fired up on any subject but her remark about Maggie upset him and he reacted with a firmly-set countenance and a resolute pair of eyes. He said in anger, “I think women’s hearts are sometimes very hard.”

Question 3.
What kind of person does Mrs Thompson appear to be?
Answer:
Mr Thompson was childless, and not a woman of saintly temper, nor much given to self­ denial for others’ good. The author describes her as a ‘vinegar-tempered’ person.

Question 4.
What does Mr Thompson feel about the other women who had left Maggie alone  and gone away?
Answer:
Mr Thompson has nothing but disdain and indignation for the women who had mouthed verbal sympathy for Maggie and then abandoned her alone and helpless in the cottage and gone away.

Question 5.
Does the attitude of the villagers convey some truth about society at large?
Answer:
Yes, the harsh and selfish attitude of the villagers shows that in this world people help only those from whom they can gain something. Very few people like Mr Thompson genuinely are concerned about the destitute and want to help.

Passage 5

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Jane,” said the wheelwright, with an impressiveness of tone that greatly subdued his wife, “I read in the Bible sometimes, and find much said about little children. How the Savior rebuked the disciples who would not receive them; how he took them up in his arms, and blessed them; and how he said that ‘whosoever gave them even a cup of cold water should not go unrewarded.’ Now, it is a small thing for us to keep this poor motherless little one for a single night; to be kind to her for a single night; to make her life comfortable for a single night.”

The voice of the strong, rough man shook, and he turned his head away, so that the moisture in his eyes might not be seen. Mrs. Thompson did not answer, but a soft feeling crept into her heart.

“Look at her kindly, Jane; speak to her kindly,” said Joe. “Think of her dead mother, and the loneliness, the pain, the sorrow that must be on all her coming life.” The softness of his heart gave unwonted eloquence to his lips.

Question 1.
What did Joe want to convey to his wife from his quotes from the Bible?
Answer:
By quoting from the Bible Joe wanted to tell his wife that even their religion advocated love for children. He wanted her to feel sympathy and love for the disable, loney and abandoned Maggie.

Question 2.
Why does the author make the character repeat the phrase, ‘a single night’?
Answer:
The author uses repetition to lay emphasis on the last words of the sentence and to convey his point and to make the story interesting.

Question 3.
What impact does Joe’s words have on Mr Thompson?
Answer:
Joe’s words were so emotional and heart felt that Mrs Thompson melted and a softness crept in her heart.

Question 4.
What did Joe say to his wife?
Answer:
Joe quoted from the Bible and told his wife how Christ had also said that kindness to children would not go unrewarded. He invoked her emotions and her feelings of pity and sympathy by asking her to imagine the plight of Maggie who had lost her mother and the loneliness, pain and suffering which was her fate.

Question 5.
What brought eloquence to Joe’s lips when he spoke to his wife?
Answer:
The kindness and love that Joe felt for the abandoned Maggie, alone in the world and helpless, made Joe emotional and eloquent.

Passage 6

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Mrs. Thompson did not reply, but presently turned towards the little chamber where her husband had deposited Maggie; and, pushing open the door, went quietly in. Joe did not follow; he saw that, her state had changed, and felt that it would be best to leave her alone with the child. So he went to his shop, which stood near the house, and worked until dusky evening released him from labor. A light shining through the little chamber windows was the first object that attracted Joe’s attention on turning towards the house: it was a good omen. The path led him by this windows and, when opposite, he could not help pausing to look in. It was now dark enough outside to screen him from observation. Maggie lay, a little raised on the pillow with the lamp shining full upon her face. Mrs. Thompson was sitting by the bed, talking to the child; but her back was towards the window, so that her countenance was not seen. From Maggie’s face, therefore, Joe must read the character of their intercourse. He saw that her eyes were intently fixed upon his wife; that now and then a few words came, as if in answers from her lips; that her expression was sad and tender; but he saw nothing of bitterness or pain. A deep-drawn breath was followed by one of relief, as a weight lifted itself from his heart.

Question 1.
Why did Joe not follow Mr s Thompson? What had changed her?
Answer:
Joe did not follow Mrs Thompson because she realised that his eloquent words and quotes from the Bible had affected her and her mindset had changed.

Question 2.
What attracted Joe’s attention after he returned from the day’s work?
Answer:
A light shining through the little chamber windows was the first object that attracted Joe’s attention on turning towards the house. He considered it a good sign.

Question 3.
What did Joe see from the window?
Answer:
Joe saw a pleasant scene from the widow. He saw Maggie lying a little raised on the pillow, with the lamp shining on her face which was devoid of any bitterness or pain although it was sad. She seemed to be in conversation with his wife who had her back to the window and it was obvious to him that they were developing a bond.

Question 4.
Why was Joe relieved?
Answer:
Joe felt relieved to see that his wife was no longer resentful of Maggie being in their house and was infect talking tenderly with the child.

Passage 7

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

After washing from his hands and face the dust and soil of work, Joe left the kitchen, and went to the little bedroom. A pair of large bright eyes looked up at him from the snowy bed; looked at him tenderly, gratefully, pleadingly. How his heart swelled in his bosom! With what a quicker motion came the heart-beats! Joe sat down, and now, for the first time, examining the thin free carefully under the lamp light, saw that it was an  attractive face, and full of a childish sweetness which suffering had not been able to obliterate.

“Your name is Maggie?” he said, as he sat down and took her soft little hand in his.
“Yes, sir.” Her voice struck a chord that quivered in a low strain of music.
“Have you been sick long?”
“Yes, sir.” What a sweet patience was in her tone!
“Has the doctor been to see you?”
“He used to come”
“But not lately?”
“No, sir.”

Question 1.
How did Maggie look at Joe when he entered her room?
Answer:
Maggie looked at Joe tenderly, gratefully, pleadingly with her large bright eyes.

Question 2.
What was Joe’s reaction to the look Maggie gave him’
Answer:
Joe experienced a surge of tender emotions. His heart swelled in his bosom and his heartbeats quickened because he was overcome with love and pity for Maggie.

Question 3.
What did Joe notice about Maggie in the light of the lamp?
Answer:
Joe saw Maggie’s thin face under the lamp light. He observed that it was an attractive face, and full of a childish sweetness which suffering had not been able to obliterate.

Question 4.
What does Maggie tell Joe?
Answer:
Maggie tells Joe that she had been sik for a long time and initially the Doctor came but not lately. He back had pained on her hard bed but there was less pain now as the bed in Joe’s house was soft.

Passage 8

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almshouse as sending Maggie there.

What light and blessing did that sick and helpless child bring to the home of Joe Thompson, the poor wheelwright! It had been dark, and cold, and miserable there for a long time just because his wife had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so became soar, irritable, ill-tempered, and self-afflicting in the desolation of her woman’s nature. Now the sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden. As for Joe Thompson, there was not a man in all the neighbourhood who drank daily of a more precious wine of life than he. An angel had come into his house, disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love.

Question 1.
Why did Joe not see the Guardians of the poor on that day or ever again?
Answer:
Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account because Mrs Thompson had changed and had started loving Maggie. They decided to adopt her as their own child.

Question 2.
What had changed Mrs Thompson?
Answer:
The love and tenderness that Maggie gave to Mr s Thompson changed her and she wanted Maggie to stay with them forever.

Question 3.
What kind of person was Mrs Thompson before Maggie came into her life?
Answer:
Mrs Thompson was a bitter and angry person before Maggie came into her life.She had nothing to love and care for out of herself, and so became sore, irritable, ill-tempered, and self-afflicting in the desolation of her woman’s nature.

Question 4.
What changed her ? Describe the change in her.
Answer:
Maggie and her love changed Mrs Thompson. The sweetness of that sick child, looking ever to her in love, patience, and gratitude, was as honey to her soul, and she carried her in her heart as well as in her arms like a precious burden.

Question 5.
Who was the angel? Why does the author say she was disguised?
Answer:
Maggie was the angel who came into their house. She came disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love. The author says she is disguised because her true self of love and beauty was hidden from the eyes of everyone and only when the Thompsons selflessly cared and loved her did the angel shower them with happiness in their lives.

Assignment

Question 1.
Discuss with reference to the story An Angel in Disguise how love has the power to transform.
Answer:
An Angel in Disguise recounts one of the more troubling times in America; set in a small village, where life is made difficult. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who are the “heroes” in the short story, rescue a young child by the name of Maggie, who is ill, bedridden, and unable bodied. Because no one else takes the initiative to help this young child, Mr. Thompson takes it upon himself to. Mr. Thompson is revered as an older quiet, kind soul, who resides with his wife, who is introduced as one who holds a temper, and a bitter attitude. Maggie is the “angel in disguise”, and is an ailing, innocent, young girl, who yearns for love, and acceptance. The root problem that drives the story is the absence of love in both Maggie, and Mr. and Mrs. Thompson’s life. In Maggie’s case, it is the absence of love from a parental figure, and in the Thompson’s situation, it is the absence of love from a child that has plagued their relationship, and their lives; with the passing of Maggie’s mother, also comes the scattering of her siblings into other families, and her foreboding loneliness, the Thompson’s in turn, are unable to bear children, which stimulates the bitter and tempered demeanor of Mrs. Thompson. The gray town is overcome with pity for the children, despite their scorn towards the children’s now deceased mother, they pay their respects and some decide to care for the fending children. However, no one decided to care for Maggie, the bed ridden ill-borne; whispers of pity and charitable words were often uttered, but none were taken into action. That is until, the heart of Mr. Thompson went out to the young ailing girl, who grabbed hold of it in her paling grip, frightened of loneliness. Mr. Thompson returned home with Maggie, and laid her to sleep, at first, his sullen wife did not approve of the harboring of such a child, but after some time spent with her, and the sudden, unexpected rise of resistance from her husband, she grew to care for the child, and the hole in heart which propelled all the waves of bitter anger, and pain of being infertile was filled with what their family so longed for, a child. And in sequence, the child had what she had always so longed for, someone to stay by her bedside. Maggie was their “angel in disguise”. This story was one that held promise of a sombre tale, but it delivered that sombre, sincere quality in a way that was bursting with tender affection. The saying that love binds all things, has never been more legitimate, after reading T.S. Arthur’s An Angel in Disguise. The absence of such love truly did plague the lives of the Thompson’s, and Maggie. Notwithstanding the negative comments against Arthur’s writing, this story was pieced together with articulate brilliance, and honest morale; a realistic depiction of the deprivation of love, in the hearts of both the young, Maggie, and old, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. A tale to remind us of the importance of love in everyone’s lives.

Question 2.
Show with references from the story how T.S Arthur uses direct and indirect characterisation to highlight the traits of the characters.
Answer:
The writer reveals all the characters by means of both direct and indirect characterization. For example, at the very beginning of the story the author introduces us some characters by direct characterization: This woman had been despised, scoffed at, and angrily denounced by nearly every man, woman, and child in the village’; judging by these words, we may assume that the woman’s life was very hard, there was nobody to support her, to help her. About her children the author says: ‘John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased’. Mr. Thompson’s personality is vividly revealed: ‘Though rough in exterior, Joe Thompson, the wheelwright, had a heart, and it was very tender in some places. He liked children, and was pleased to have them come to his shop…’ judging by this phrase we get to know that Mr. Thompson is really a kind- hearted sort of person, who loves to spend his time with children. Then In a nutshell, using direct characterization, the author’s point of view is expressed in black and white.

Using indirect characterization, the author doesn’t give his direct appreciation of what the character does but leaves us to draw conclusions as to the person’s actions. For example: ‘The voice of the strong, rough man shook, and he turned his head away, so that the moisture in his eyes might not be seen. Mrs. Thompson did not answer, but a soft feeling crept into her heart’. The first sentence of this example proves that a man’s strength is not in ‘the voice’, but in the actions. Mr. Thompson is a strong man, but the experience with Maggie touched him greatly, that’s why he cried a little bit. And what is more, those tears proved that he was happy that his wife had changed. This example shows changes in Mrs. Thompson’s personality also. At first, she was absolutely against taking care of Maggie, T.S.Arthur renders her mood by speech characterisation: ‘Why didn’t you let her go, then. What did you bring her here for?’, ‘Then why didn’t you keep on? Why did you stop here?’, but suddenly her heart opened and she loved that small child: ‘What are you going to do with that child? … Mrs. Thompson looked rather strangely at her husband for sonic moments, and then dropped her eyes’. We may just imagine how sad were the Thompsons because they didn’t have children and one day ‘An angel had come into his house, disguised as a sick, helpless, and miserable child, and filled all its dreary chambers with the sunshine of love’.

Farmer Jones and Mrs. Ellis, are minor characters and presented in the story, so to say, just directly: ‘Farmer Jones, after the coffin was taken out, placed John in his wagon and drove away, satisfied that he had done his part. Mrs. Ellis spoke to Kate with a hurried air, ‘Bid your sister good by,’ and drew the tearful children apart ere scarcely their lips had touched in a sobbing farewell’. However, we may imagine what kind of people they are. They weren’t interested in Maggie’s life, they took children as things. They left Maggie alone and no one cared about her future life, to sijnd Maggie to the poorhouse was the easiest way out. There is one more example of indirect characterisation: ‘For a little while the man stood with a puzzled air; then he turned back, and went into the hovel again’. While reading this sentence we imagine Joe Thompson hesitating about his actions, he is not sure what to do: whether to take Maggie or not. Such dreadful situation festers his soul and he can’t be apart from it. The next example is a direct proof to show how Mrs. Thompson was shocked: ‘Anger and astonishment were in the tones of Mrs. Joe Thompson; her face was in a flame’. Actually, she was seething with anger, she couldn’t utter a word.

Maggie, is described as a weak person, but quite experienced. She didn’t talk a lot, the author pays special attention to her personality indirectly, but very masterfully. From the very beginning of the story one can feel how much Maggie was afraid to stay alone: ‘But no one said ‘I’ll take Maggie’. Pitying glances were cast on her wan and wasted form and thoughts were troubled on her account. Mothers brought cast-off garments and, removing her soiled and ragged clothes, dressed her in clean attire. The sad eyes and patient face of the little one touched many hearts, and even knocked at them for entrance’. She kept silent, her eyes told more. By all means, she understood that ‘But none opened to take her in. Who wanted a bed-ridden child?’, thus the author shows us a remarkable piece of realistic character drawing. The author renders the atmosphere of her loneliness very artfully.Usage of such words as ‘tearful’, ‘scarcely’, ‘a sobbing farewell’, ‘refraining from a look’, ‘alone’ evoke an emotional response and the reader gets the vivid notion of the situation described. ‘O, Mr. Thompson!’ she cried out, catching her suspended breath, ‘don’t leave me here all alone!’, it has a very specific emotional colouring and the author conveys much while saying little. The author gives a very bright indirect characterization of Maggie’s personality: ‘…somebody’s arms must carry her, and mine are strong enough for that task’. On the one hand, this example shows how weak and helpless Maggie is and, on the other hand, the example demonstrates Mr. Thompson’s responsibility, his strong character. Besides, the author uses speech characterization to reveal Maggie’s personality. There is a dialogue which shows the personality of a small child, who is in despair, who has just lost her family but now has other parents, who is happy and sad at the same time, who doesn’t know what to expect next. In the dialogue Maggie gives very short replies. For example: ‘Yes, sir’, ‘He used to come’, ‘No, sir’. She is very polite, always said ‘sir’. Thus the author masterfully describes the characters, they are life-like and T. S. Arthur uses indirect and speech characterization to bring his characters alive.

Question 3.
Discuss the conflict in the story, An Angel In Disguise.
Answer:
Two of the major internal conflicts in the story are Joe and Mrs. Thompson’s feelings about Maggie. Joe couldn’t find it in himself to let Maggie go to the poor house all alone and sick so Joe decided to take her home. He tells his wife, “Look at her kindly, Jane; speak to her kindly,” said Joe. “Think of her dead mother, and the loneliness, the pain, the sorrow that must be on all her coming life.” However, Mrs. Thompson had the opposite problem and couldn’t find it in herself to let Maggie stay with them. When she sees Maggie with Joe she loses control and gives vent, “You haven’t brought home that sick brat!” Anger and  astonishment were in the tones of Mrs. Joe Thompson; her face was in a flame. But eventually Mrs. Thompson changed her mind because of Maggie’s kindness towards them. ‘Joe did not follow; he saw that, her state had changed, and felt that it would be best to leave her alone with the child.’

The other conflict that was external were between Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and Maggie. Maggie was ill and bedridden and that caused nobody to want to adopt her. Joe decided that he couldn’t leave her there and took her to live with him and his wife. When Maggie begged him not to leave her alone he with all the compassion inside him answered, “No, dear,” he answered, in a kind voice, going to the bed, and stooping down over the child, “You sha’n’t be left here alone.”

Another conflict was that Mr. and Mrs. disagreed on the idea of adopting Maggie. “What are you going to do with that child?”

“I thought you understood me that she was to go to the poorhouse,” replied Joe, as if surprised at her question.

This was resolved when later in the story Maggie has a positive impact on their lives and they finally decided she would stay. The author tells us, ‘Joe did not see the Guardians of the Poor on that day, on the next, nor on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almshouse as sending Maggie there.

Question 4.
Is the story Didactic and gives a moral?
Answer:
Being born to highly religious parents, many of T. S. Arthur’s works are moralistic in nature. He was also a strong proponent of temperance and the tone of the story is didactic. His short story, An Angel in Disguise features both his characteristic moral message, and his strong views on the consumption of alcohol. It shows that you can always find good in people, despite their lives, and how they look. The man found the pureness of the little girl and called her an angel because to him, she was one, in disguise. The tone to us was peaceful, because everything worked out in the end. The evil people  try and shun a motherless, poor and disabled girl. A man with a mean wife takes in the girl to find that she’s an innocent, pure soul. They tend to her and care for her due to her condition, physically, mentally and emotionally, and see that she’s An Angel in Disguise. The moral of the story is to not judge a book by its cover, and to give people or things a chance before you push it away. The man gave her a chance while everyone judged her for being motherless and disabled and unwashed. He welcomed her into their childless home. He didn’t judge her while everyone else did, and we think that was the intended message.

The author quotes extensively from the Bible to uphold his didactic theme that one must help the disabled and children. Joe lectures his wife on the virtue of selfless benevolence to children. He says, ‘How the Savior rebuked the disciples who would not receive them; how he took them up in his arms, and blessed them; and how he said that ‘whosoever gave them even a cup of cold water should not go unrewarded’.

Thus the story carries a message about love, kindness, human feelings and bereavement.The author’s message is to help other people, because we should be kind, sympathetic and tender. We should help poor and hopelessly diseased children, because there could be an angel in disguise for us. The main theme of the story is that people can change and feel the plight of other people.

 

For More Resources

 

Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Short Stories Workbook Answers Chapter 5 A Face in the Dark – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

EnglishMathsPhysicsChemistryBiology

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Comprehension Passages

Passage 1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Mr. Oliver, an Anglo-Indian teacher, was returning to his school late one night on the outskirts of the hill station of Shimla. The school was conducted on English public school lines and the boys – most of them from well-to-do Indian families – wore blazers, caps and ties. “Life” magazine, in a feature on India, had once called this school the Eton of the East.

Mr. Oliver had been teaching in this school for several years. He’s no longer there. The Shimla Bazaar, with its cinemas and restaurants, was about two miles from the school; and Mr. Oliver, a bachelor, usually strolled into the town in the evening returning after dark, when he would take short cut through a pine forest.

Question 1.
Who was Mr Oliver? Where was he working?
Answer:
Mr Oliver was an Anglo Indian teacher. He was a bachelor and worked in a English medium school located on the outskirts of Simla.

Question 2.
Why was the school where Mr Oliver worked called the Eton of the East?
Answer:
The school where Mr Oliver worked was run on the lines of an English public school. The students belonged mostly to elite families and were supposed to wear blazers, caps and ties. Eton is also a school meant for children of the British royalty and elite class. Hence the comparison.

Question 3.
What did Mr Oliver generally do in the evening?
Answer:
In the evening,Mr Oliver usually strolled into the town to visit the Simla Bazaar with its restaurants and cinemas. The Bazaar was only about three miles from the school.

Question 4.
When did Mr Oliver return from the town?
Answer:
Mr Oliver usually returned after dark.

Question 5.
Which route did Mr Oliver take on his way back?
Answer:
Mr Oliver took the shortcut through the pine forest.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

When there was a strong wind, the pine trees made sad, eerie sounds that kept most people to the main road. But Mr. Oliver was not a nervous or imaginative man. He carried a torch – and on the night I write of, its pale gleam, the batteries were running down – moved fitfully over the narrow forest path. When its flickering light fell on the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr. Oliver stopped.

Boys were not supposed to be out of school after seven P.M. and it was now well past nine. What are you doing out here, boy, asked Mr. Oliver sharply, moving closer so that he could recognize the miscreant.                                         ‘

Question 1.
Why did the people keep to the main road instead of taking the shortcut?
Answer:
The shortcut passed through the pine forest and at night the strong wind seemed to howl and the leaves rustled. All this created an eerie and frightening atmosphere so the people avoided taking the lonely shortcut and followed the main road.

Question 2.
Why did Mr Oliver take the shortcut? What did he carry with him?
Answer:
Mr Oliver took the shortcut because he was not a nervous or imaginative man who would think that the forest hid unnatural things. He was not frightened. He carried a torch with him.

Question 3.
Whom did Mr Oliver meet in the forest?
Answer:
Mr Oiver while walking along the shortcut in the forest saw in the flickering light of his torch a boy, crouched down sitting on a rock and weeping.

Question 4.
What thought ran through Mr Oliver’s mind when he saw the boy?
Answer:
When Mr Oliver saw the boy he immediately thought the boy was a miscreant from his school. He was sure the boy was absconding from school as boys were not allowed to leave the premises after dark.

Question 5.
What was Mr Oliver’s reaction?
Answer:
Mr Oliver questioned the boy as to what he was doing out so late and then he approached closer to the boy in order to recognise the miscreant.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

But even as he approached the boy, Mr. Oliver sensed that something was wrong. The boy appeared to be crying. His head hung down, he held his face in his hands, and his body shook convulsively. It was a strange, soundless weeping, and Mr. Oliver felt distinctly uneasy.

Well, what’s the matter, he asked, his anger giving way to concern. What are you crying for? The boy would not answer or look up. His body continued to be wracked with silent sobbing.

Oh, come on, boy. You shouldn’t be out here at this hour. Tell me the trouble. Look up.

Question 1.
When did Mr Oliver sense that there was something wrong?
Answer:
As soon as Mr Oliver walked closer to the boy he sensed that there was something wrong.

Question 2.
What did the boy appear to be doing?
Answer:
The boy appeared to be crying.

Question 3.
Describe the posture of the boy.
Answer:
The boy was sitting with his head hung down, he was holding his face in his hands, and his body shook convulsively.

Question 4.
Why did Mr Oliver feel uneasy? What was strange?
Answer:
Mr Oliver felt uneasy because the boy was weeping strangely. He was crying silently without sound but his body was racked with silent sobbing.

Question 5.
Why did Mr Oliver’s anger change to concern?
Answer:
Seeing the boy crying so strangely in the dark all alone in the forest made Mr Oliver concerned and he asked him to tell him what was troubling him and to look up.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

The boy looked up. He took his hands from his face and looked up at his teacher. The light from Mr. Oliver’s torch fell on the boy’s face, if you could call it a face. He had no eyes, ears, nose or mouth. It was just a round smooth head with a school cap on top of it.

And that’s where the story should end, as indeed it has for several people who have had similar experiences and dropped dead of inexplicable heart attacks. But for Mr. Oliver, it did not end there. The torch fell from his trembling hand. He turned and scrambled down the path, running blindly through the trees and calling for help. He was still running towards the school buildings when he saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path. Mr. Oliver had never before been so pleased to see the night watchman. He stumbled up to the watchman, gasping for breath and speaking incoherently.

What is it, Sahib? Asked the watchman, has there been an accident? Why are you running?

I saw something, something horrible, a boy weeping in the forest and he had no face.
No face, Sahib?
No eyes, no nose, mouth, nothing.
Do you mean it was like this, Sahib? asked the watchman, and raised the lamp to his own face. The watchman had no eyes, no ears, no features at all, not even an eyebrow. The wind blew the lamp out and Mr. Oliver had his heart attack.

Question 1.
Why did the torch fall from Mr Oliver’s hand? Why was his hand trembling?
Answer:
The torch fell from Mr Oliver’s hand when he saw that the boy had no face,ears, eyes or nose. He was horrified and frightened and the torch fell from his hand.

Question 2.
Why did Mr Oliver tell the boy that he should not be out at that hour?
Answer:
Mr Oliver told the boy that he should not be out at that hour because he thought the boy was a student from the school where he taught and the boys were not allowed out after dark.

Question 3.
What was Mr Oliver’s reaction when he saw the faceless boy? Whom did he stumble into?
Answer:
When Mr Oliver saw the faceless boy he ran in fear towards the school crying for help. It was then that he stumbled into the watchman.

Question 4.
What did the watchman ask Mr Oliver? ‘
Answer:
The watchman asked him the reason why he was running and if there had been an accident.

Question 5.
What was strange about the watchman? What happened to Mr Oliver when the watchman raised the lantern to show his face?
Answer:
When the watchman raised the lantern to his face, Mr Oliver saw that the watchman had no face, just like the boy. He had no face, no ears, no eyes and no nose. He had no features, not even an eyebrow. Seeing this strange and weird thing Mr Oliver fainted in fear.

Assignment

Question 1.
Discuss the art of Ruskin Bond as depicted in the story ‘A face in the Dark.’
Answer:
A Face in the Dark is a short story by Ruskin Bond. It’s the story set on a windy night when Mr Oliver, an Anglo-Indian teacher, dares to walk through the pine forest on his way back to the school after an evening at Simla Bazaar. He comes across a weeping boy who lifts his face, which is not a face but a flat something without eyes, nose or mouth. Mr Oliver runs only to bump into a watchman who again had a face like that of the faceless boy.

In this story Ruskin Bond yet again proves he is a master story teller. He draws on his travels, interactions with people, and his bonding with them gives them the confidence to share their stories with him which then he presents in the same tone and style bringing his silent listener’s great talent in it. His writing skill lies in the way he graphically uses his language and imagination to transport us to the hills and watching the sun setting beautifully and the dark night enveloping the forest with the wind howling in the trees to create an eerie and strange atmosphere. The imagery abounds in supernaturalism and paranormal scenes. The image of a lonely boy in the night in a dark forest amidst the howling wind $nd rustling leaves, sitting on a rock ‘racked by silent weeping’ not only evokes a feeling of strangeness, of impending horror but also of sympathy for a weeping child. Thus a mastery of language helps him to achieve this effect. Ruskin Bond stories are not horror they are like haunting experiences. The experience is not dangerous, life threatening or altering -it is just different. It is honest and believable.

The story is eerie, leaving one haunted in a melancholy sort of way, and is beautifully written. In his stories, ghosts, jinns, witches—and the occasional monster—are as real as the people he writes about. He makes the supernatural appear entirely natural, and therefore harder to ignore.

He adroitly uses language to create his mysterious and strange atmosphere. He opens the story with a everyday, normal occurrence and through the use of words and phrases like ‘sad,’ ‘eerie sounds,’ ‘racked with silent sobbing,’ ‘shook convulsively’ succeeds in creating an atmosphere replete with supernatural and fearful connotations. Thus we can rightly say that he is a story teller par excellence and a master of his craft.

Question 2.
Discuss the theme of supernatural and paranormal as presented in the story?
Answer:
Ruskin Bond graphically uses his language and imagination to transport us to the hills and watching the sun setting beautifully and the dark night enveloping the forest with the wind howling in the trees to create an eerie and strange atmosphere. The imagery abounds in super naturalism and paranormal scenes. The image of a lonely boy in the night in a dark forest amidst the howling wind and rustling leaves, sitting on a rock ‘racked by silent weeping’ not only evokes a feeling of strangeness, of impending horror but also of sympathy for a weeping child. Thus a mastery of language helps him to achieve this effect. Ruskin Bond stories are not horror they are like haunting experiences. The experience is not dangerous, life threatening or altering -it is just different. It is honest and believable.

The story a Face in the Dark exhibits Bond’s interest in the supernatural. It deals with the paranormal depicting the story of a school teacher who while returning from the Simla Bazaar takes a shortcut through the forest and encounters a faceless weeping boy. The boy has no nose, ears or eyes. Mr Oliver runs in fear but to his horror meets the watchman who is also without a face.

Ruskin Bond employs words and phrases like ‘sad,’ ‘eerie sounds,’ ‘racked with silent sobbing,’ ‘shook convulsively’ to create an atmosphere replete with supernatural and fearful connotations. He opens the story with a everyday, normal occurrence and then gradually builds an atmosphere of strangeness and supernatural events through the use of appropriate imagery and language. The very title suggests that something is not right, its suggestive of eeriness. The use of the word dark connotes the paranormal, the supernatural, the weird.

One is transported into the world of paranormal activities without realising but the story is in no way macabre. Bond builds the atmosphere from the ordinary to the surreal. He opens with the description of the ordinary school teacher’s routine, then introduces the eerie atmosphere of the dark forest with the howling wind, then a surprise element of sympathy and anger at the boy out after dark leading to the horror of the faceless entity, a surreal and weird encounter. The narrator writes, ‘He carried a torch -on the night I write of, its pale gleam, the batteries were running down – moved fitfully over the narrow forest path. When its flickering light fell on the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr. Oliver stopped. Boys were not supposed to be out of school after 7 p.m. and it was now well past nine.’ This detail about the torch suggests that something is not right and makes us wait expectantly for the unusual. And such an effect speaks of the superior writing and storytelling skills of Ruskin Bond.

“Raise the possibility of another layer of life outside our material selves – something of the soul-force, the aura of a person that lingers on after the body is no more.” And so lingers on long after it has been read.

Question 3.
What are the techniques used by Ruskin Bond to create an atmosphere of strangeness, mystery and super naturalism in the story? Can Ruskin Bond be called a visual writer? Why?
Answer:
Ruskin Bond is a “visual writer” because for short stories, he first imagines it like a film and then notes it down. The story A Face in the Dark is eerie, leaving one haunted in a melancholy sort of way, and is beautifully written. In his stories, ghosts, jinns, witches— and the occasional monster—are as real as the people he writes about. He makes the supernatural appear entirely natural, and therefore harder to ignore.

The story opens with the description of the ordinary school teacher’s routine, then introduces the eerie atmosphere of the dark forest with the howling wind, then a surprise element of sympathy and anger at the boy out after dark leading to the horror of the faceless entity, a surreal and weird encounter. The narrator writes, ‘He carried a torch -on the night I write of, its pale gleam, the batteries were running down – moved fitfully over the narrow forest path. When its flickering light fell on the figure of a boy, who was sitting alone on a rock, Mr. Oliver stopped. Boys were not supposed to be out of school after seven p.m. and it was now well past nine.’ This detail about the torch suggests that something is not right and makes us wait expectantly for the unusual. And such an effect speaks of the superior writing and storytelling skills of Ruskin Bond.

Ruskin Bond employs words and phrases like ‘sad,’ ‘eerie sounds,’ ‘racked with silent sobbing,’ ‘shook convulsively’ to create an atmosphere replete with supernatural and fearful connotations. He opens the story with a everyday, normal occurrence and then gradually builds an atmosphere of strangeness and supernatural events through the use of appropriate imagery and language. The very title suggests that something is not right, it’s suggestive of eeriness. The use of the word dark connotes the paranormal, the supernatural, the weird.

For More Resources

 

Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Short Stories Workbook Answers Chapter 3 A Horse and Two Goats – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

EnglishMathsPhysicsChemistryBiology

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Comprehension Passages

Passage

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Of the seven hundred villages dotting the map of India, in which the majority of India’s five hundred million live, flourish and die, Kritam was probably the tiniest, indicated on the district survey map by a microscopic dot, the map being meant more for the revenue official out to collect tax than for the guidance of the motorist, who in any case could not hope to reach it since it sprawled far from the highway at the end of a rough track furrowed up by the iron-hooped wheels of bullock carts. But its size did not prevent its giving itself the grandiose name Kritam, which meant in Tamil coronet or crown on the brow of the subcontinent. The village consisted of fewer than thirty houses, only one of them built from brick and cement and painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with

gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade, it was known as the Big House. The other houses, distributed in four streets, were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified material. Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away.

Question 1.
Name the village in which Muni lived.
Answer:
The name of the village in which Muni lived was Kritam. It was “probably the tiniest” of India’s 700,000 villages. Of the thirty houses in the village, only one, the Big House, is made of brick.

Question 2.
What did the Big House look like?
Answer:
The Big House, as it was known, was built from brick and cement and painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade.

Question 3.
How many houses were there in the village?
Answer:
There were thirty houses in the village.

Question 4.
Describe the other houses.
Answer:
The other houses were poor in appearance and were built of bamboo thatch, straw, mud and other unspecified material.

Question 5.
Where was Muni’s house located?
Answer:
Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields.

Question 6.
Describe Muni’s prosperous days.
Answer:
In his prosperous days Muni owned a flock of sheep and goats but was now left with only two scraggly goats which could neither be sold nor eaten.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

He flungs himself down in a corner to recoup from the fatigue of his visit to the shop. His wife said, “You are getting no sauce today, nor anything else. I can’t find anything to give you to eat. Fast till the evening, it’ll do you good. Take the goats and be gone now,” she cried and added, “Don’t come back before the sun is down.”

Question 1.
Where had Muni gone and why?
Answer:
Muni had gone to the shop to get the other things like dal, chilli, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, oil and a potato.

Question 2.
Did The shopkeeper give Muni what he needed? Why/ Why not?
Answer:
The shopkeeper refused to give Muni any more items on credit until he paid off his previous debt. He also humiliated Muni.

Question 3.
How much money did Muni owe to the shopkeeper?
Answer:
Muni owed the shopkeeper five rupees and a quarter.

Question 4.
What lie did Muni tell the shopkeeper?  
Answer:
Muni told the shopkeeper that he had a daughter in another town who had promised to send him some money.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Unleashing the goats from the drumstick tree, Muni started out, driving them ahead and uttering weird cries from time to time in order to urge them on. Me passed through the village with his head bowed in thought. He did not want to look at anyone or be accosted. A couple of cronies lounging in the temple corridor hailed him, but he ignored their call. They had known him in the days of affluence when he lorded over a flock of fleecy sheep, not the miserable grawky goats that he had today.

Question 1.
What did Muni do to urge the goats to move on?
Answer:
Muni uttered weird cries from time to time to urge the goats to move on.

Question 2.
Describe Muni’s prosperous times.
Answer:
In his prosperous days Muni had a flock of 40 sheep and some goats which were healthy.

Question 3.
Why did people prefer sheep?
Answer:
People preferred sheep because they bred fast and people came and bought the fleece in the shearing season.

Question 4.
How had Muni lost the animals?
Answer:
Some pestilence had struck and then Muni could not sell his animals at even half the price to his friendly butcher.

Question 5.
Did Muni know his age?
Answer:
No, Muni did not know his age. It was the shopkeeper who told him that he was seventy.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

The horse was nearly life-size, moulded out of clay, baked, burnt, and brightly coloured, and reared its head proudly, prancing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop; beside the horse stood a warrior with scythelike mustachios, bulging eyes, and aquiline nose. The old image-makers believed in indicating a man of strength by bulging out his eyes and sharpening his moustache tips, and also decorated the man’s chest with beads which looked today like blobs of mud through the ravages of sun and wind and rain (when it came), but Muni would insist that he had known the beads to sparkle like the nine gems at one time in his life.

Question 1.
Describe the horse.
Answer:
It was a big life-size horse made from clay which had been baked, burnt and then coloured brightly. The horse was posed standing proudly with his head reared high, its legs prancing in the air, flourishing its tail in a loop in the air. Next to the horse stood a warrior with sharp, scythe- like moustache, eyes that protruded and a aquiline shaped nose. The image makers had made him have such eyes and nose to depict his strength.

Question 2.
Why had the image makers given the warrior bulging eyes and aquiline nose?
Answer:
The image makers believed that by giving a man bulging eyes and an aquiline nose in a statue they depicted his strength.

Question 3.
What destruction did the village boys do to the things near the statue?
Answer:
The village boys carved and gashed tree trunks with their knives, they tried to topple milestones and made lewd designs on all the walls.

Question 4.
What was the effect of the construction of the highway?
Answer:
Before the highway was made the statue had been closer to the village as the spot had bordered the village but once the highway was laide the village had shifted more inland.

Question 5.
Had anyone seen the splendour of the horse?
Answer:
No one could remember seeing the horse in its pure- white condition with a cover of pure brocade and red and black lace.

Passage 5

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

The village consisted of less than thirty houses, only one of them built with brick and cement. Painted a brilliant yellow and blue all over with gorgeous carvings of gods and gargoyles on its balustrade, it was known as the Big House. The other houses, distributed in four streets, were generally of bamboo thatch, straw, mud, and other unspecified material. Muni’s was the last house in the fourth street, beyond which stretched the fields. In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of forty sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away.

Question 1.
What is the name of the village referred to here? Where is it situated?
Answer:
The name of the village referred to here is Kritam. It is a tiny village, situated far away from the highway at the end of a rough track. ‘Kritam’ in Tamil mean ‘crown’.

Question 2.
Describe the Big House.
Answer:
The Big House was built with brick and cement. It was painted in a brilliant yellow and blue colour. There were carvings of gods and gargoyles on several posts.

Question 3.
What had Muni owned in his days of prosperity? What did he do every morning?
Answer:
Muni had owned a flock of forty sheep and goats in his days of prosperity. Every morning he went out with his cattle to graze them.

Question 4.
What did Muni feed his flock with? When did he come back home? What did he carry home?
Answer:
Muni fed his flock with foliage. He cam back home at sunset. He gathered faggots and dry sticks and carried them home for fuel.

Question 5.
What did Muni’s wife cook for him in the morning? How did she cook it?
Answer:
Muni’s wife cooked balls of millet flour for him in the morning. She boiled water in a mud pot. then she threw a handful of millet flour into it, and added salt in it. then she made balls of millet flour.

Assignments

Question 1.
Show liow Narayan depicts women in the story and their role in a man’s life.
Answer:
When Muni the Indian peasant and the red-faced American meet and converse in “A Horse and Two Goats,” the differences between them are immediately apparent, and these differences inform the main idea of the story, the clash of cultures. One of the few things the two men have in common is kept in the background of the story, but resurfaces frequently—each has a devoted wife on the sidelines, making it possible for them to keep going.

To begin to understand Narayan’s sense of women, it would be useful to look briefly at how Indian and Hindu culture has perceived and shaped women’s lives. It is believed that the ancient Tamil societies may have been matriarchal, that is, ruled and guided by woman. The great Indian epics, composed approximately two thousand years ago, contain stories of several important female characters.

In practical terms, however, the life of a woman in India as recently as one hundred or two hundred years ago was almost unimaginable today, even in comparison to the restrictions placed upon American women in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Hindu law and tradition dictated that women were under the protection of their fathers, and then of their husbands. In fact, although Muni has never kept track of his age, “He was told on their day of wedding that he was ten years old and she was eight. During the wedding ceremony they had had to recite their respective ages and names.” This is the tradition under which Muni had grown up. Women were honored on the one hand, and subordinate on the other—no more simple or straightforward than gender roles in any society.

Muni and his wife were married in a traditional ceremony at a young age and have lived together nearly all their lives. His expectations for their roles in relation to each other, based on tradition, have not been met. He remembers that “he had thrashed her only a few times in their career.” The tone here is casual, without regret; thrashing is what husbands do when wives get out of line. But the balance of power did not hold, at least not in Muni’s eyes: “later she had the upper hand.” In the opening, the narrator shows the town and a typical day. “His wife lit the domestic fire at dawn, boiled water in a mud pot, threw into it a handful of millet flour, added salt, and gave him his first nourishment of the day. When he started out, she would put in his hand a packed lunch, once again the same millet cooked into a little ball, which he could swallow with a raw onion at midday.” It is a spartan meal, the most nutrition for the least money, but there is no mention of her preparing anything for herself. Is the narrator simply not interested in her diet, or does she skip the morning meal to leave more for Muni? “She was old, but he was older and needed all the attention she could give him in order to be kept alive.”

The American’s wife is even more on the periphery of the main action than Muni’s wife; in fact the action could go along just as smoothy without her even being mentioned. But Narayan has a reason for introducing her. The American’s wife’s name is Ruth, the name of an Old Testament figure who stands in Judeo-Christian tradition as a model for wifely loyalty. The Biblical Ruth is loyal to her dead husband’s family; the Ruth in “A

Horse and Two Goats” is loyal to her husband and stands by to prop him up when he is about to do something off-balance. She seems to be a good sport, to support her husband’s whims: “Next day she called the travel agent first thing and told him to fix it, and so here 1 am.”

Having a loyal, grounded wife gives each of the husbands the freedom to move out into the world. Muni goes to the highway each day so he can “watch the highway and see the lorries and buses pass through to the hills, and it gave him a sense of belonging to a larger world.” Ruth has come to India with her husband, but he tells Muni that she is “staying back at Srinagar, and I am the one doing the rounds and joining her later.”

Muni remembers that in his youth he was often chosen for the women’s roles in the plays the community performed. Sometimes he was the Goddess Lakshmi, a nurturer and a model for devoted wives. It is her obedience to Vishnu that gives her power. Muni also played the part of Sita, another incarnation of Lakshmi and the wife of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, an exemplary wife, who remains loyal to Rama in spite of many trials.

A possible reason for Muni’s memories of these plays may lie in town gossip. To the delight of the men in town, the postman’s wife has run off to the city with another man. The postman “does not speak to anyone at all nowadays. Who would if a wife did what she did? In this speech, Muni comes as close as he ever will to stating the truth about wives: it may be annoying when they stay, but it is devastating when they leave. As Muni drives his goats out to the statue in the beginning of the story, he reflects on his age. “At seventy, one only waited to be summoned by God. When he was dead what would his wife do?” In fact, his wife would be lonely, but she is the one in the family with survival skills. The real question is what would Muni do without his wife if she were summoned by God? Where would a man be without a loyal wife?

Question 2.
Show how the story though Indian in context is quintessentially human also. Discuss.
Answer:
Narayan has, on occasions, been criticized for focusing on middle-class urban India in his stories, thereby excluding the poor of rural India who continue to make up the vast majority of the Indian population. But Narayan’s purpose as a storyteller has never been to educate the non-Indian reader about India. So although we can learn specific things about village life in India from this story, it isn’t about Indian problems or about Indian sensibilities as such. While what happens in “A Horse and Two Goats” is accurate to the particular of the Indian experience, it deliberately deals with themes that are quintessentially human, also. William Walsh has suggested it is a story about misunderstanding, a story about the gap between supposed and real understanding, a story about the element of incomprehension in human relationships.

“A Horse and Two Goats” is typical of Narayan’s pre-Modernist, village storyteller style of writing. In a deceptively simple, linear narrative Narayan unfolds the story of Muni, an old goatherd. In keeping with his usual narrative formula, Narayan carefully follows Muni as he goes about his daily, frequently humiliating existence—eating his meagre breakfast, visiting the local shopkeeper in a typically unsuccessful attempt to get a few items of food on credit, and then taking his two scraggy goats to graze near the foot of the horse statue at the edge of the village. He spends the rest of his day crouching in the shade offered by the clay horse, or watching the traffic pass on the highway.

This is where the comedy of misunderstanding takes over. After initially thinking he is being questioned about a crime by the khaki-clad foreigner, whom he assumes must be either a policeman or a soldier, Muni concludes that the man wants to buy his goats. Meanwhile the red-faced American, assuming the Tamil peasant owns the clay horse statute, which to the villagers, as Muni explains, “is our guardian, it means death to our adversaries,” sets about trying to buy it, so he can take it back to the United States to decorate his living room: “I’m going to keep him right in the middle of the room . .. we’ll stand around him and have our drinks.”

Narayan does a very good job depicting the relationships of long married couples. In just a few lines he can make us understand their lives. Maybe there was a time when the man was the boss but those times are long gone. Muni’s main occupation now is taking his goats for long walks where they can hopefully find something to eat. His wife tells him not to come back until the goats are fed and he knows if he is gone long enough she would find some way to put together a meal for him. If he stays out longer maybe she would be in a good mood when he gets home.

Question 3.
How does the story “A Horse and Two Goats” develop the idea of the need to interact with people who have vastly different identities from your own?
Answer:
“A Horse and Two Goats” is a story by Indian author R. K. Narayan. Its main focus is cultural insularity and miscommunication. Although some of the effect of this is comic, it also raises some serious points about the harm that such insularity does to both India and the colonial powers attempting to govern India and help India’s development.

Both Muni and the American do not know each others’ languages and thus have difficulty understanding one another. Muni therefore thinks that the American is trying to buy his goats, while the American thinks that Muni is selling him the statue. If we look at the story more analytically, though, we find that it addresses more complex issues.

Muni is a poor villager, who we feel is justified in having little knowledge of American culture, but we also think that the American, who traveled to India, and is intent on taking back souvenirs to show off his sophistication, should be more sensitive to Indian culture.

We are made aware of different traditions and value systems. Although Muni is a poor villager, he is very knowledgeable about the great Sanskrit epics that are at the center of the Hindu religion. He is himself pious, and understands and explains the spiritual significance of the horse. The American, by contrast, appears crudely materialistic.

In the exchange, both seem unaware of each others’ needs and values. Muni’s misunderstanding of the American leads him to sell off, for a desultory sum, a crucial part of his cultural heritage. In respect to the American, the author is trying to explain that donations of aid in the form of cash will not transform the lives of poor villagers for the better, and that colonialism is actually culturally impoverishing as well as exploitative.

This suggests that in a globalized culture and economy it benefits people in both developed and developing nations to understand each, others’ cultures better.

Question 4.
Besides being an amusing tale about a failure to communicate the story “A Horse and Two Goats” makes some crucial points also. Justify.
Answer:
“A Horse and Two Goats” by R. K. Narayan may simply seem like an amusing tale, but it has a far more profound meaning when read in terms of its cultural context. Narayan was born when India was still ruled by the British. His father was the headmaster of a school, and Narayan was educated in English literature and wrote in English. Many of his stories take place in southern India and reflect upon colonialism and its legacy.

In this story, the misunderstandings between Muni and the American are symbolic of their two cultures. Muni is poor but understands the value of the horse as an important religious symbol, seeing it as the spiritual guardian of the village. The American, who is quite wealthy by Indian standards, sees the horse statue only as a potential material possession, one to be displayed as a way of showing off his wealth and as a form of entertainment at parties.

Although the failure of Muni, who only speaks Tamil, to communicate with the American, who speaks only English, is the source of some humor in the story, it also reflects cultural differences. Even if the two spoke the same language, they might still have been unable to communicate given the differences in their values and world views.

Another issue raised by the story is that of western aid to India and the developing world. Muni is desperately poor. The American gives Muni one hundred rupees, which seems like a trivial amount of money to the American but a small fortune to Muni. Still, at the end of the story, we do not get a sense that Muni’s life has been improved. This suggests that largesse without understanding is unproductive.

Finally, the story suggests what it means to be cosmopolitan or sophisticated. The story opens with a description of the setting:Of the seven hundred thousand villages dotting the map of India. Kritam was probably the tiniest, indicated on the district survey map by a microscopic dot.This suggests that Muni is a poor villager with little contact with the outside world. Yet, as the story progresses, we come to see the ironic point that the wealthy, well-traveled American is just as monolingual and ethnocentric as the poor villager.

Question 5.
Discuss how the author uses comic irony to describe the incident surrounding the statue?
Answer:
Comic irony takes place in the story ‘A horse and two goats’ during the interaction between a very poor Indian man, Muni, and a very rich American tourist because they  lack the ability to communicate. While this might cause anger or frustration in a similar situation, Narayan deftly makes the story amusing.

Muni, an old man who was once ‘prosperous’, spends his days with his two goats— he cannot sell them for money nor eat them for they are worthless. They are, however, his constant companions. One day while Muni is lounging at his regular spot next to the large statue of a horse, a car pulls up and an American steps out, trying to communicate with Muni in English. Muni, who speaks only Tamil does not understand what the foreigner wants. In fact, the only English he knows is “Yes, no.” The narrator shows the reader that the American wants to buy the statue, believing that Muni is the owner. Without knowing it, Muni appears to consent to the sale. However, comically, Muni believes that the American wants to buy his goats. He understood that the red man was actually making an offer for the goats… When he was reflecting thus, the red man shook his hand and left on his palm one hundred rupees…’

Muni is more than happy to sell the goats. Conversely, the American is more than happy to buy the statue.The details of the exchange are lost in translation. Muni takes his money. The American take the horse:

Meanwhile, Muni returns home with his money. Humorously, while he is pleased to bring the money to his wife, she does not believe that he came by it honestly. His wife glared at him and declared, “If you have thieved, the police will come tonight and break your bones. Don’t involve me. I will go away to my parents…’’She has good reason to doubt Muni’s story because the goats he thought he sold had followed him home.

Specifically, the comic irony is that Muni thought he was selling his goats. Without knowing it, he has sold the statue of the horse. However, both men get what they wanted. Muni unexpectedly gets to keep his goats.

Question 6.
Narayan has created a memorable character in Muni. Discuss.
Answer:
Muni is memorable because he is realistic and also comical. The reader can sympathize with Muni because he is faced with the real life struggles of poverty. He sometimes is ridiculed by others in the village, and has insecurities about being able to provide for himself and his wife.

Muni is old and very poor. Although Muni is initially described as poor, the author then goes on to say that he wasn’t always as poor as he is. “In his prosperous days Muni had owned a flock of forty sheep and goats and sallied forth every morning driving the flock to the highway a couple of miles away. There he would sit on the pedestal of a clay statue of a horse while his cattle grazed around. He carried a crook at the end of a bamboo pole and snapped foliage from the avenue trees to feed his flock

More is revealed about Muni during his conversation with the American tourist. His dialogue with the tourist is sincere but amusing at the same time since neither understands much of what the other is saying. They both ramble on as if they understand each other. The only real connection that is made (which also ends in a misunderstanding) is that the American wants to buy something. He wants the statue but Muni thinks he wants the goats.

Since the American is financially sound enough to be able to make trips to India, he is the rich character and Muni is clearly poor by comparison and poor relative to the other villagers. This story becomes like a fairy tale where the poor man stumbles onto some fortune. So, Narayan makes us root for Muni. We sympathize with him and want him to find some success in life.

Question 7.
Examine how cross cultural differences bring out humor in “A Horse and Two Goats.”
Answer:
Cross cultural differences bring out humour in the story as is seen when Muni meets the khaki- clad outsider for the first time. From the initial,greeting of “Namaste! How do you do?” Muni launches into a fairly detailed diatribe regarding his life: “My name is Muni. These two goats are mine, and no one can gainsay it though our village is full of slanderers these days who will not hesitate to say that what belongs to a man doesn’t belong to him.” This difference in cultural and language helps to bring out humor in the initial interactions between both men, that is Muni and the American. Muni’s launch into how the politics of the village maligned his name is about the last thing that the traveller wants to know or cares about. The initial exchange between both men is obscured by cultural differences. The lack of connect through language helps to bring out humour.

Cross cultural differences also reveal themselves in the sense of purpose in both men’s lives. Purpose has been established for Muni. His purpose is so clearly established that it never dawns on him to question it. He has lived his life as a goat herder with his wife in the village for so long that it is embedded within him. By contrast, the foreigner talks about how he is in India because of being trapped in an elevator “on the fortieth floor of the Empire State Building.” The need to “look at other civilizations” is what motivates him to be at the same place that Muni has called home for so long. This cross cultural difference illuminates humour because both men are thrown into the same place at the same moment with such a sense of surreal randomness. There is little in way of logic or rationality to determine why their paths cross. As a result of the cultural condition of both men, reflective humour emerges.

Finally, cross cultural differences reveal humour in the ending of the story. Muni thinks that he has sold his goats and made a profit. The traveller thinks that he has purchased the statue at market price, something at which he can marvel back home. Humour is enhanced by the fact that Muni understands the spiritual significance to the statue, and yet cannot understand the nature of the transaction of which he is a part. This is further enhanced in the fact that the traveller wants the statue for decorating “in his living room,” but fails to understand how it is an avatar of Vishnu that punishes those who have done evil at the end of the world. In the resolution to this misunderstanding, cultural differences in the form of language prevent either one from understanding the other. Yet, both get what they want. Muni gets the money he so coveted. The foreigner gets the statue he coveted. Neither one understands the other, believing opposite to what is true, and yet both find a sense of contentment. The lack of cultural understanding helps to provide an ending that is thought- provoking in its humour.

Question 8.
What is the main message of the short story “A Horse and Two Goats” by R.K. Narayan?
Answer:
The story “A Horse and Two Goats” is about an Indian man Muni, a Tamil peasant who meets a wealthy American tourist. Through a complete lack of communication (as neither can speak the language of the other), the poor man receives a large sum of money from the American who wrongly believes that the Indian man has sold him an enormous statue of a horse that actually belongs to the town, not to Muni.

Muni, who was once a prosperous man, is now destitute, the butt of jokes by the townspeople. He is living with his wife and two goats—goats that are so puny that no one will buy them. The “red-faced” American is extremely wealthy, driving up in a beautiful car with money to spare. Neither man understands the other:Muni and the Red-faced Man are hopelessly trapped discussing entirely different subjects simultaneously.

As the American tries to communicate with Muni, the poor man believes the American wants to buy his goats. Muni’s interest is in how the American intends to move the goats:

‘This will be their first ride in a motor car. Carry them off after I get out of sight, otherwise they will never follow you, but only me even if I am traveling on the path to Yama Loka.

However, while the American believes he and Muni understand each other regarding transportation, in truth, they are not both discussing the statue or the goats.

Whereas he has been unable to sell the goats to anyone else, Muni is more than pleased to take the large sum of money the American offers, and turns to go home, leaving (he thinks) the goats with the American. Meanwhile, the American, believing he has bought the very old statue of the horse, waits for Muni to go get men to help remove the statue so that he can ship it home and put it on display in his house.

When Muni gets home and tells his wife what has happened, she does not believe him…especially when the goats return shortly thereafter, making it seem as if Muni has made up the entire story. This is another entertaining moment: Muni has brought home an unexpectedly large sum of money—but his wife does not appreciate his achievement, finding his story incredible—impossible to believe.

The message at the heart of this tale is unique. Whereas poor communication can divide families or communities, or bring about war between nations, Narayan sees a more positive light in this particular lack of communication—for both parties are quite satisfied with the end result: Neither character can understand the other; the cultures and languages vary greatly, yet both succeed in their interaction.

Perhaps it is the positive way in which the men speak, and their demeanours, which fill in the gaps where language is not present. They are willing to work together (though unaware that they are working at cross-purposes) to overcome their lack of ability to talk to one another, and both leave satisfied with the outcome. Perhaps the author is pointing out that we often communicate without using words at all. Our attitude, gestures and facial features may lack something “in the translation.” However, the spirit of the exchange can be pleasant and positive for people who don’t understand our language—or simply don’t understand our perspectives.

Question 9.
In “A Horse and Two Goats”, how did Muni feel about his married life?
Answer:
In the story, ” A Horse and Two Goats” by R.K. Narayan, the main character Muni struggles to survive. The setting for the story is harsh, rural India. Using third person omniscient narration, the story moves through Muni and the characters that he encounters. He and his wife have been married for some sixty years.

In India, marriage is thought to be for life; consequently, the divorce rate is extremely low. Muni and his wife were ten and eight when they were married. Now after sixty years of life together, the couple have settled into a daily, yet troubled routine.

Muni and his wife live in poverty in a remote Indian village. In his prosperous days, Muni had forty sheep and goats. Now in his old age, Muni has just two goats. Each day he takes his goats out to graze to avoid a wife whose temper was “undependable” in the morning. When he returns, his wife will have prepared a simple meal for him. Life is harsh for Muni and his wife, yet they are surviving. He thinks that he controls the home but actually his wife does—she will go out to work and “conjure” up a meal. He does not know how she does it, but she always does.

This elderly couple have no children to help them in their old age. Because of this, the village looks down on Muni. He has so often been humiliated that he can barely raise his eyes to face the towns people. To hide his humiliation, he even lies to a shop man and tells him that he has a daughter in another town.

Through prosperity and poverty, Muni’s wife has stayed beside him. Although she is gruff with him now, she is willing to indulge his request for a special meal. She works as hard as he does, or harder, getting up at dawn to fix his breakfast. Unfortunately, poverty has worn her down. Each day she prepares a packed lunch and hands it to Muni. Whether it is love or practicality, she wants him to stay alive. Frustrated by his ineptness, she sends him out the door, threatening him with no supper. Muni fears his wife, but he also know that she will in the end take care of him.

After Muni’s encounter with the white man and his fortune tucked safely at his waist, Muni hurries home to share it with his wife, thinking his troubles are over. Sadly, her first reaction when she sees the hundred rupees is to accuse Muni of stealing, threatening him again. This time she will leave him and return to her parents. Obviously, things are not going as well as Muni had hoped.

Muni’s marriage is important to him. He depends on his wife. They have been together for so long that it would be hard for Muni to imagine living with her. It is doubtful whether Muni will survive without his wife because he has lost his ability to manage on his own. Muni wants to share his good fortune with her, probably hoping that she will once again be proud of him.

Question 10.
Make a critical appreciation of the short story, “A Horse and Two Goats,” by R.K. Narayan.
Answer:
The story of R.K. Narayan called, “A Horse and Two Goats,” is about a poor Indian man who meets a wealthy American. The men are not only separated by language, but by their status in society. Muni and his wife have known prosperity in the past, but a string of bad luck and’weather have reduced the old couple to living in one of the many shacks in their village, having great debt, and owning only two goats. Muni belongs to a low caste and cannot improve his lot in life.

The food that Muni and his wife share is meagre fare: they cannot afford anything else. However, one day Muni is able to shake “drumsticks” from a tree and asks his wife to prepare them for him. She sends him to the store for ingredients, but he has no money and the shopkeeper sends a deeply mortified Muni away. When Muni gets home, his wife tells him to forget eating until the end of theday—fasting will be good for him. So Muni walks away to sit next to a statue of a horse, that hps been there for the past seventy years.Soon a large station wagon arrives, carrying an American. Neither man can understand the other, but they carry on a conversation. Each man speaks about what is important to him: the American wants to buy the statue, believing Muni owns it. Muni understands none of this, but neither does the American understand Muni’s story of his life (including a childhood of poverty) and the history of the statue.

The story shows a clash of two very different cultures. By the end of the tale, the American believes he has bought the statue from Muni, and he presses a hundred rupees into Muni’s hand. It is humorous to note that Muni has no thought of the statue, but believes that he has sold the American his old scraggly goats—that are too worthless to be sold or eaten. Muni takes the money and runs to tell his wife. She refuses to believe the story.lt becomes even more difficult when the goats finally find their way home, making the story seem even less credible. The story ends with Muni being verbally beaten down by his wife. They have money, but now Muni has no peace.

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Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Short Stories Workbook Answers Chapter 1 Chief Seattle’s Speech – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

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Comprehension Passages

Passage 1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory. 1 will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our untimely decay, nor reproach my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.

Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often cruel and relentless, and our old men and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever been. Thus it was when the white man began to push our forefathers ever westward. But let us hope that the hostilities between us may never return. We would have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Revenge by young men is considered gain, even at the cost of their own lives, but old men who stay at home in times of war, and mothers who have sons to lose, know better.

Question 1.
What does Chief Seattle tell about the condition of his people earlier?
Answer:
Chief Seattle says that earlier his people occupied the land in large numbers just like water of the sea covers the sea bed.

Question 2.
What hint does he give regarding the cause for the depletion of his race?
Answer:
Chief Seattle said that he did not blame the aggression of the white man for the depletion of his race but he does hint at it being the most plausible reason.

Question 3.
What happened when the tribal young man became angry?
Answer:
Seattle said that youth is impulsive and the young men of his race were no exception. When the young men grew angry at some real or imaginary wrong and they painted their faces with black paint, it denoted that their hearts were up to no good , and then they were often cruel and relentless.

Question 4.
When did the hostilities between the Trials and the White men begin?
Answer:
The hostilities began when the White men started pushing the Trials out of their land and occupying it and the tribal were forced to move westward.

Question 5.
Why did Seattle wanted to end up the hostilities?
Answer:
Seattle wanted the hostilities to end because no one would have any gain rather everything would be lost as the young men considered revenge as gain, even at the cost of their own lives

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. You wander far from the graves of your ancestors and seemingly without regret. Your religion was written upon tablets of stone by the iron finger of your God so that you could not forget. The Red Man could never comprehend or remember it. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors — the dreams of our old men, given them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people.

Your dead cease to love you and the land of their nativity as soon as they pass the portals of the tomb and wander away beyond the stars. They are soon forgotten and never return. Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and ever yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the happy hunting ground to visit, guide, console, and comfort them.

Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them. Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the words of the Great White Chief seem to be the words of nature speaking to my people out of dense darkness.

Question 1.
How do the tribal men regard the ashes of their ancestors?
Answer:
The tribal men regard the ashes of their ancestors as sacred and respect them. The ground where their dead are buried is considered holy by them.

Question 2.
How do the White feel about their dead people?
Answer:
The white people have no respect for their dead and leave their graves unattended.

Question 3.
Where was the religion of the White people written?
Answer:
The religion of the white people was written on stone slabs so that they would never forget but they could never understand its significance.

Question 4.
What is the religion of the Tribal men? How is it different?
Answer:
The religion of the tribal people is the traditions of their ancestors — the dreams of their old men, given to them in solemn hours of the night by the Great Spirit, their God, and is written in the hearts of our people.

Question 5.
Why do the dead of the Tribals never forget them or this beautiful world?
Answer:
The dead of the Tribals never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays, and always yearn in tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living, and often return from the other world to visit, guide, console, and comfort their people.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian’s night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man’s trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.

A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.

Question 1.
How does Seattle predict the future of his tribe to be?
Answer:
Seattle predicts that his tribe might not survive for long. He says that he can see ableak future for his people without a single star of hope. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance and a grim fate seems to be in store for them. But he is sure his people will prepare stolidly to meet their doom whenever they hear the approaching footsteps of their fell destroyer.

Question 2.
How does the speaker differentiate his tribal people from the white people?
Answer:
Seattle feels that although the decay of his people might come earlier , the white people will also not be spared. They too would perish, the only difference being that hty might survive a little longer.

Question 3.
How does the speaker realize that he should not mourn the untimely fate of his people?
Answer:
The speaker realizes that he should not mourn the untimely fate of his people because tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. The cycle of life continues and change is the law of nature. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless.

Question 4.
Why does Seattle say that they maybe brothers after all?
Answer:
Seattle say that they maybe brothers after all because a common fate in the form of ultimate decay awaits both. The decay and death for the white race may be distant, but it would surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, could not be exempted from the common destiny that is death and decay. So being bound by a common destiny made them brothers after all.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

We will ponder your proposition and when we decide we will let you know. But should we accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe^ and when your children’s children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts’that once filled them and still lover this beautiful land. The White Man will never be alone.
Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds.

Question 1.
What is the condition laid by the speaker before he accepts the white man’s proposition?
Answer:
The condition laid by the speaker before he accepts the white man’s proposition is that they will not be denied the privilege of visiting at any time the tombs of their ancestors, friends, and children as it was sacred ground for them.

Question 2.
How is every part of the soil sacred to his people?
Answer:
Every part of the soil is sacred to his people because every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long gone by. Even the rocks, which are now dumb and dead are connected with memories of events from the lives of his people, and the very dust upon which they stand responds lovingly to their footsteps because it is rich with the blood of their ancestors, and their bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch

Question 3.
When will the shores swarm with the invisible dead of the speaker’s tribe? Why?
Answer:
The shores will swarm with the invisible dead of the speaker’s tribe tribe when the white man’s children’s children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, but they will not be alone. And they will not be alone because in all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of the white man’s cities and villages are silent and they think that they are deserted, the fact would be that the streets throng with the returning spirits of his people that had once filled them and still love this beautiful land.

Question 4.
What does the speaker say about death? Explain.
Answer:
The speaker says that death is inevitable and is the destiny of both the races, whether the Indians or the white people. They all have to die one day one may decay earlier than the other but the ultimate fate is death. So he feels that death unites them and they are like brothers. He says that infect there is no death, only a change of worlds.

Question 5.
What plea does the speaker make to the white men?
Answer:
The speaker pleads with the White men to be just and kind to his people.

Assignment

Question 1.
Show how the author uses tone and style to reinforce his memories and make an impact upon his audience.
Answer:
Few speeches have captured the imagination of both Europeans and Americans . .i Chief Seattle’s legendary address has. It was originally made in the Suquamish language as Chief Seattle could not speak English. Reputedly delivered in the 1850s  to Isaac Steven’ the governor of the Washington Territory, it took on a life of its own in the late 20th century when several different versions, many with an emphasis on the environment, surfaced.

Chief Seattle shares his precious land’s memories by forming two different tones. Chief Seattle creates a passionate and a sorrowful tone through diction and imagery. He made his speech passionate and sorrowful to move the audience’s heart and hoping that the people would take care of the land like the chief did.

The first part of Seattle’s speech of the land is packed with memories and what they mean to his people. He says that if he sells the land everybody must remember that they should treat “every” part of the land as if they were their “brothers”. The tone of his words is sorrowful because he focused on what he’s going to lose, the things and values that are precious to him – everything in his memory, his brothers.
Every detail of the land, part of the land came from his memories. Seattle uses detailed words or imagery such as every “shining” pine needle, every “humming” insect, and every “perfumed” flower. Seattle uses detailed words to describe a scene that had impacted him. His imagery centers and puts deeper meanings to his speech that he is going to miss the land.

The second part of Seattle’s speech presents is not his memory – it is what Seattle wants the inherent of the land to do and not to do and what the land means to him. He says to love and to care for the land because it is precious to everyone and all things are united and harming the land is the same thing as to have contempt for its creator. The tone of his words is passionate because the land is very precious to him and he wants everyone to take care of the land. Seattle uses repetition of “love” and “care” in the sentence: “love it as we have loved it, care for it as we have cared for it.” Repeating the two words emphasizes them and it makes it sound that he is really passionate about the land. Seattle says that “No man, be he Red Man or White Man can be apart.”

Question 2.
Mention and discuss the versions of Chief Seattle’s speech.
Answer:
The speech given by Chief Seattle in January of 1854 is the subject of a great deal of historical debate. The most important fact to note is that there is NO VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT IN EXISTENCE. All known texts are second-hand.
Version 1 appeared in the Seattle Sunday Star on Oct. 29, 1887, in a column by Dr. Henry A. Smith. He makes it very clear that his version is not an exact copy, but rather the best he could put together from notes taken at the time. There is an undecided historical argument on which native dialect the Chief would have used, Duwamish or Suquamish. Either way all agree the speech was translated into the Chinook Jargon on the spot, since Chief Seattle never learned to speak English.
Version 2 was written by poet William Arrow smith in the late 1960s. This was an attempt to put the text into more current speech patterns, rather than Dr. Smith’s more flowery Victorian style. Except for this modernization, it is very similar to Version 1.
Version 3 is perhaps the most widely known of all. This version was written by Texas professor Ted Perry as part of a film script. The makers of the film took a little literary license, further changing the speech and making it, into a letter to President Franklin Pierce, which has been frequently reprinted. No such letter was ever written by or for Chief Seattle.
Version 4 appeared in an exhibit at Expo ’74 in Spokane, Washington, and is a shortened edition of Dr. Perry’s script (Version 3).

Question 3.
How does Seattle justify his religion as opposed to what the white men had said about it?
Answer:
Chief Seattle also responds to the charge of “godlessness” circulated by the conquerors by comparing his religion with Christianity. He exclaims, ‘Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! … If we have a common Heavenly Father He must be partial, for He came to His paleface children. We never saw Him. He gave you laws but had no word for His red children.’

These statements highlight the absurdity of expecting the American Indians, having been isolated from the Europeans for thousands of years, to have adopted the same religion. In place of Christianity, Seattle introduces the religion of his people: “Our religion is the tradition of our ancestors… ” . He points out several areas in which his religion is superior to Christianity. He says, “Your religion was written upon tablets of stone… so that you could not forget… Our religion… is written in the hearts of our people”. Similarly, “Your dead cease to love you… Our dead never forget this beautiful world thai gave them being”. These comparisons pose a direct challenge to the earlier portrayals of the Indians as godless and devil-worshiping. Furthermore. Chief Seattle also responds to the Euro-American belief that the Indians had no claim to the land by expressing their profound attachment to it. He declares, “The very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to [our] footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors.” In direct opposition with Euro-American representations, Seattle demonstrates that the Natives, like the Europeans, have a complex religion and culture.

Question 4.
Discuss trans-culturation as represented in Seattle’s speech.
Answer:
It has elements of trans-culturation. Although Seattle tended to emphasize the differences between Native Americans and Euro-Americans, the Euro-American idea that the Native Americans were going to become extinct surfaced throughout his speech.This idea of the inevitable extinction of the Native Americans as a race originated from the colonists. This idea served the colonists quite conveniently. It justified what Ring calls the “transfer of real estate,” the process in which European settlers gradually moved into established Indian communities as the Indians “disappeared”. Apparently, killing and stealing from an already-doomed race was easier to accept.

Throughout his speech, Chief Seattle indicates his acceptance of this belief that the Native Americans would become extinct. He refers to their “untimely decay” and laments, “It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many”, although he does not provide any concrete reasons for these sentiments. Instead, Seattle settles with the warning, “When the last Red Man shall have perished… these shores will throng with the invisible dead of my tribe… The White Man will never be alone”. In accepting the ultimate defeat of the Indians, Chief Seattle adopted an element of the dominant, Euro- American thought, demonstrating the trans-culturation predicted

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Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 9 Abou Ben Adhem – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

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Comprehension Passages

Stanza 1

Read the lines given above and answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us that one night Abou Ben Adhem awoke from a peaceful dream and saw an angel in his room. The room was bright with moonlight and the angel look like a Lily in full bloom. The room was more brightened by the presence of the angel. The angel was writing something in a book of gold. Abou was much delighted and asked the angel what he wrote.

Question 2.
Name the poet of the given lines.
Answer:
These lines are from the poem Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt.

Question 3.
What was the angel doing when Abou bin Adhem saw him within the moonlight in his room?
Answer:
He was writing in a book of gold..

Question 4.
What did Ben Adhem sec one night in his room, when he was awakened?
Answer:
One night, when Ben Adhem was awakened from a deep dream of peace he saw that his room was filled with moonlight, making it appear rich (bright) like a lily in bloom. He also saw an angel writing something in a book of gold.

Question 5.
What does the poet mean when he says “may his tribe increase”?
Answer:
The poet means that the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem should increase in this selfish and wicked world.

Question 6.
What was Abou dreaming about?
Answer:
Abou was dreaming about peace in the world.

Stanza 2

Read the lines given above and answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come -again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us how Abou spoke to the angel. As there was too much peace Abou was not afraid. He became bold and asked the angel what he wrote. The angel raised his head and looked at Abou in a friendly way. He replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God.

Question 2.
What did Abou Adhem ask the angel?
Answer:
He asked the angel, “What are your writing?”

Question 3.
What did the angel tell Abou bin Adhem?
Answer:
The Angel told Abou Ben Adhem, “I am writing the names of those who love God.”

Question 4.
Why was Abou not afraid?
Answer:
He was not afraid because he was a pious and holy man who believed in God. The peace he felt in the presence of the vision made him bold enough to ask the question.

Stanza 3

Read the lines given above and answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed, Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.
In these lines the poet tells us that Abou asked the angel if his name was written in the list. The angel replied that his name was not in the list. Abou did not loose heart and asked the angel in a low but cheerful voice to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen.

Question 2.
What did Adhem ask the angel again when the angel told Adhem that he was “writing the names of those who love the Lord?”
Answer:
He requested the angel to write his name among those who love His fellow men.

Question 3.
What did the angel tell Adhem?
Answer:
The angel told Adhem that his name was not among the names of those who loved the Lord.

Stanza 4

Read the lines given above and answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us that Abou asked the angel if his name was written in the list. The angel replied that his name was not in the list. Abou did not loose heart and asked the angel in a low but cheerful voice to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen.
In these lines the poet tells us that when Abou requested the angel to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen, the angel wrote something in the book and disappeared. The angel came again to Abou’s room next night. The angel showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was on the top of the list. It means that Abou was nearer to God because he loved His fellowmen.

Question 2.
What did Adhem beg the angel to write about him?
Answer:
He begged the angel to write his name as lover of the human beings.

Question 3.
Did the angel appear again?
Answer:
Yes, the angel appeared again the next night.

Question 4.
Where was Abou’s name written amongst those who loved God?
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem’s name was at the top of the list.

Question 5.
Mention two other words used by the poet to refer to the angel.
Answer:
The two other words used by the poet to refer to the angel are ‘the vision’ and ‘the presence’.

Project

Question 1.
What lesson do you learn from this poem?
Answer:
From this poem I learn that devotion to God is directly related to one’s love for his fellow beings. One cannot hate his fellowmen whom he has seen and love God whom he has not seen. God resides in the core of every human being.

Question 2.
What does the poem “Abou Ben Adhem” convey?
Answer:
The poem, written by Leigh Hunt, tells of a conversation between an angel and Abou.The angel, seen writing in a golden book, lists the names of all the people who love God. When Abou hears he is not on the list, he prays that the angel add his name to the list of people who love their fellow man. The following night the angel returns and tells Abou that not only has he made the list, he “led all the rest.” Hunt uses the language of the poem to convey the idea that loving your fellow man is the way one loves the Lord and is what allows an individual to become truly alive. He uses the simile “a lily in bloom” to convey flowering of the human spirit that occurs when men look beyond themselves. The poem’s message explains the best way man loves God is to love others, which brings God’s blessing. The “book of gold” symbolizes the richness a man encounters when he loves the Lord, a richness of spirit that transcends this life

Question 3.
Identify the figures of speech in the following lines from the poem.
(a) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace.
(b) Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom.
Answer:
In the first line alliteration is used where the ‘d’ sound is used to convey sound and peaceful sleep. In the second line the poet has used simile to make comparison.

Question 4.
Write a short note on Abou bin Adhem.
Answer:
In this poem the poet describes an even in the life of Abu Ben Adhem. He was a pious man and the leader of a tribe. He had a meeting with an angel who was writing the names of those people who loved God. Abou’s name was not in it. Abou requested the angel to write his name as one who loved his fellowmen. The angel did so and vanished. The next night the angel came again into his room and showed him the names of those who had been blessed by God’s love. Abou bin Adhem’s name was at the top of the list. It means if you want to get God’s love, you should love your fellow beings.

Question 5.
Explain briefly how Abou Ben Adhem demonstrated his love for God.
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem, a pious man, demonstrated his love for God by expressing his love for mankind. He believed that to love god you need to love your fellow-beings first.

Question 6.
What is the message of the poem?
Answer:
The poem tries to convey the idea to us that a man cannot have the love of God unless he loves his fellowmen. It means that to love god we must first learn to love our and serve our fellow beings. Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living. The poem’s message explains the best way man loves God is to love others, which brings God’s blessing.

Extra Questions

Question 1.
Explain ‘may his tribe increase.’
Answer:
The phrase, ‘may his tribe increase,’ means that may the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem increase in this selfish and wicked world.

Question 2.
What kind of person was Abou Ben Adhem?
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem was a pious man who believed in loving God by serving his fellow men.

Question 3.
Which poetic device is used in the line: ‘Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,’
Answer:
The poet has used a simile to compare the pure white light emanating from the angel to a white lily. The poet uses the simile “a lily in bloom” to convey flowering of the human spirit that occurs when men look beyond themselves.

Question 4.
Describe the angel. How did he look at Abou?
Answer:
The angel was emanating peace and looked pure in the white light around him. He looked at Abou in acceptance and willingly told him that he was writing a list of those who loved God.

Question 5.
What does the book of gold symbolize?
Answer:
The “book of gold” symbolizes the richness a man encounters when he loves the Lord, a richness of spirit that transcends this life.

Question 6.
What surprises Abou the next night? What message has the poet conveyed to all of us?
Answer:
The next night the angel came again into his room and showed him the names of those who had been blessed by God’s love. Abou bin Adhem’s name was at the top of the list. The message the poet conveys to us is that if you want to get God’s love, you should love your fellow beings.

For More Resources

 

Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 6 Daffodils – ICSE Class 10, 9 English

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

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Comprehension Passages

Lines 1-2

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem ‘Daffodils’ written by William Wordsworth. The poem expresses Word worth’s love for nature and how he sought solace in it from the woes and worries of this world.
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker is feeling lonely and sad. As he walks along, he sees a large area of daffodils along the side of a lake, blowing in the breeze with bright yellow flowers reflected in the water in spite of the waves due to the wind. The sight of the flowers on the shore and their reflection cheers him greatly.

Question 2.
Who wandered like a lonely cloud and where ?
Answer:
The poet William Wood sworth wanders like a lonely cloud over the valleys and hills .

Question 3.
Who does he come across while wandering ?
Answer:
While wandering among the valleys and hills the poet comes across the host of the golden daffodils flowers .

Question 4.
Where were the daffodils and what where they doing ?
Answer:
The daffodils were by the side of the lake under the trees. They were fluttering under in the breeze as if they were dancing like human beings expressing their joy and energy.

Lines 7- 12

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem ‘Daffodils’ written by William Wordsworth. The poem expresses Word worth’s love for nature and how he sought solace in it from the woes and worries of this world.
There are as many daffodils as there are stars in the sky–so many they can’t be counted. He says in one glance he saw “ten thousand,” which is a large number used to express how large the bed of flowers was . They seem to be dancing in the breeze.

Question 2.
What is being compared to the stars and why ?
Answer:
The host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake under the tree are being compared to the stars. A milky way is a cluster of stars which shine brightly across a huge stretch of space . Similarly like the stars in the milky way the poet feels that the daffodils are not only uncountable but also they are dancing with full energy and joy in never ending line along the margin of the lake .

Question 3.
How many did the poet see at a glance?
Answer:
The poet saw maybe ten thousand at a glance.

Question 4.
What were the daffodils doing? Which literary device is used here?
Answer:
The daffodils were dancing merrily in the breeze. The poet is using personification here when he compares the movement of the daffodils in the breeze to dancing humans.

Lines 13-18

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem ‘Daffodils’ written by William Wordsworth. The poem expresses Word worth’s love for nature and how he sought solace in it from the woes and worries of this world.
The waves of the lake lap at the shore, but the sound the daffodils make as they dance in the wind outdos the sound of the water. The poet can’t help being happy when he is in such joyful (jocund) company. He looks at them for a long time, but he doesn’t yet appreciate what experiencing these flowers has done for him.

Question 2.
Which wealth is referred to by the poet?
Answer:
The wealth which is referred to here by the poet means wealth of joy and happiness; which actually comes from happy and fond memories when the poet saw a host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake beneath the trees.

Question 3.
Whom did the daffodils out do and how ?
Answer:
The daffodils outdid the waves in the lake. The daffodils seemed to be dancing like human beings expressing their joy and energy when the breeze blew over them. Both the flowers and waves seem to be in competition to show their feelings and expressions.

Question 4.
Which jocund company is the poet referring to ?
Answer:
The poet is referring to the jocund company of the host of golden daffodils dancing in joy by the side of the lake under the trees. Along with them the waves in the lake too were dancing by the side of the daffodils . A poet was bound to be happy in such a joyful company of the daffodils and the waves.

Question 5.
Which wealth is referred to by the poet?
Answer:
The wealth which is referred to here by the poet means wealth of joy and happiness; which actually comes from happy and fond memories when the poet saw a host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake beneath the trees.

Lines 19-24

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem ‘Daffodils’ written by William Wordsworth. The poem expresses Word worth’s love for nature and how he sought solace in it from the woes and worries of this world.
In the final stanza, the poet knows how much the flowers have affected him. Often, when he is lying on his couch or when he is in a thoughtful (pensive) mood, an image of the daffodils comes to him, and then his heart fills with pleasure and “dances with the daffodils.”

Question 2.
What happens to the poet when he is sometime in a pensive mood?
Answer:
Whenever the poet lived on his couch in a unoccupied and sad mood the fond and happy memory of the daffodil flowers flushed upon his eye of imagination which is a source of joy and inspiration to the poet in such his lonely mood.

Question 3.
What is the bliss of solitude referred to here?
Answer:
By the term ‘bliss of solitude’ the poet wants to express that he felt really happy in the joyful company of the daffodil flowers and the waves. They seemed to compete with each other in such a mood. The poet caught the joyful mood and thus became a part of nature itself. He only kept on watching the scene, unable to decide what wealth of joy, he had received from it. The greatest benefit of this experience was that whenever the poet lay on his couch in an unoccupied and sad mood, the fond and the sweet memory of the daffodils crashed upon his eye of imagination; which a source of joy and inspiration to’the poet in his lonely and pensive mood.

Question 4.
What does he mean by the ‘inward eye’?
Answer:
The inward eye refers to the eye of his imagination , his soul which can provide him the sight of the daffodils in his memory and he can once again experience the same joy which he had experienced when he had seen the daffodils.

Project

Question 1.
Describe in your own words the poet’s feelings when he sees the host of golden daffodils ?
Answer:
The poet was thrilled to see a host of golden daffodils by the side of the lake under the trees moving their head in a joyful dance. They seemed to be dancing like a human being expressing their energy and joy. When the poet saw the flowers, his imagination traveled to another world to find a comparison. He was reminded of the stars twinkling in the milky way at night. The long line of the daffodils flowers bore comparison with the bright stars seen across the night sky.

Question 2.
Why does the poet say I gazed and gazed but a little thought / what wealth that show to me had brought?
Answer:
The poet was alone. He was moving about aimlessly over the high valleys and hills watching the beautiful scenes of nature. Suddenly he saw a great number of golden coloured flowers by the side of the lake under the trees moving their heads in joyful dance. The waves in the lake, by the side of the flowers, were also dancing but the daffodils had outdone the waves in their expression of joy. A poet felt happy in such a joyful company of the dancing flowers and the waves. In sheer delight and surprise he could not decide what joy this sight had brought for him. He could perhaps gaze at the pleasure of the present moment but he could not imagine how again and again in the future he would recall and re-live this experience and what ecstasy that memory would bring for him.

Question 3.
Mention the two moods of the poet?
Answer:
The two moods of the poet are:

1. Happy mood when he is free from worries.
2. A pensive mood when he is serious and thoughtful.

Question 4.
How can the heart dance?
Answer:
The heart can dance when a man feels happy. His heart is filled with great pleasure and he feels great thrill. Then it is said that his heart dances.

Question 5.
How is the last verse different from the other verse? Is the poet deriving a different mood than that expressed in the previous verse?
Answer:
The last verse of the poem ‘Daffodils’ explores the poet’s feelings when he reminisces the scene of daffodils he witnessed much earlier. The first three verses describe the host of golden, happy and beautiful daffodils he saw one day. The last verse discusses what an enriching experience that had been. That sight still plays on in the mind of the poet and gives him inner peace andinspires him.

Question 6.
What does Wordsworth compare himself to? Why?
Answer:
Wordsworth is comparing himself to a cloud in the sky, wandering without a destination, as can be seen in Line 1 of the poem “I wandered lonely as a cloud”. Since he is in the sky like a floating cloud the poet is able to see all the things and events in the world. He has a comprehensive view but he can only observe the world at a distance. There is the suggestion of perfect detachment.

In addition the poet compares himself with the wandering cloud in the beginning of the poem because he perceives himself as aimless and as passive as a cloud, which depends completely on the weather and nature for its direction and speed. Being lonely like a floating cloud in the sky, the poet experiences freedom and loneliness at the same time. The freedom allows the poet to appreciate the beauty of the world whole-heartedly, such as the daffodils. As a powerless and aimless cloud, the poet could only watch and appreciate, but he could not join the daffodils in dancing and fluttering in the breeze.

The reader might conclude that the poet recognizes himself as an outcast in his society; that he feels he can only watch silently from afar. The continuing use of the image may further suggest to us that the poet may not be satisfied with what he observes of social affairs and is away from the social trend as he is looking at things from a distance. There is always a distance, psychologically and physically, between the daffodils and the poet. At the end the poet remains living in solitude, but the moment of the daffodils is in his heart, treasured and appreciated.This comparison is quite effective in a sense that it captures the helplessness and a sense of lost of the poet, it also captures the infinite distance between the passive pensive aimlessly cloud (the poets’ solitude) and the active cheerful daffodils (happiness).

Question 7.
How is he affected by the experience of seeing the daffodils?
Answer:
He is delighted by the wonderful sight. This is explicitly revealed in the use of diction of ‘bliss’ and ‘pleasure’, and he is so happy that his heart seems to dance with the daffodils. He also feels the bliss of solitude, because it is peaceful and comfortable to be alone sometimes in such a huge open area, and seeing the flowers, he wants to become a part of them. In the beginning, he’s aloof and prefers to stay in his comfort zone, “Which is the bliss of solitude”. But when he witnesses the “gay” daffodils, he has a desire to be part of the world he has been observing, to join the “crowd” and to belong to the happiness.

“And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.” The fact that only his heart “dances with the daffodils suggests that spiritually, he feels like he belongs to the group; physically, he still doesn’t dare to step out from his little world. Though it may seem that he has stepped out of his comfort zone, still it is only a desire in his heart. Again this may suggest that he enjoys living in a better little world on his own rather than the harsh reality of existing in society degraded by humans although he can still feel the beauty of nature.

Question 8.
How does the poem make use of contrast? Consider the contrast between the poet and the daffodils, and between his feeling before, while and after seeing the daffodils.
Answer:
The poet was wandering lonely and aimlessly as a cloud while the daffodils were together as a crowd and lively. He was a bit lost.He floats with the wind as a cloud purposelessly. Everything he saw and felt, eg. the breeze, the daffodils, effect his thoughts. He ‘wandered’, ‘floats’,’gazed’, he took a more passive and quiet way to observe the world. In contrast, the daffodils, took a more active part, they ‘fluttering and dancing’,’stretched…along the margin of a bay’,’tossing their heads’.they are enjoying in the breeze and the nice weather by energetically joining and responding to it.

‘They out-did the sparkling waves in glee’, this may suggest that the daffodils even make the world a more wonderful place to live in. The sparkling waves represent the mother nature while the daffodils symbolize human beings. The poet thinks that the dance of the daffodils is more attractive than the the waves. Somehow, deep down in the poet’s heart, he desires to join the daffodils and be as happy and joyful as they are. Futher more, the daffodils have roots deep down in the earth.

They are already tightly bound with each other. In contrast, the loneliness of the poet is then enhanced because everyone is enjoying being together, while he has no company at all. Before he sees the daffodils, he is lonely and detached and uses the word “wandering” to describe his aimless floating. As soon as he sees the crowd of “sprightly” daffodils, he is brought to think about the meaning of his life. After seeing the daffodils, he finds out that his heart is filled with pleasure. He feels a lot more relieved. However, he still has not joined the daffodils and the nature completely.The experience he had of the nature and daffodils is good memory to him and his heart ‘opened’ a bit, but overall he is more or less the same with his ‘vacant or in pensive mood’.

Extra Questions

Question 1.
What does Wordsworth compare the daffodils to? Is the comparison appropriate?
Answer:
The writer is amazed by the daffodils’ number and beauty, thus he compares the daffodils
with the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way continuously, and also refers them as personified characters, a crowd that dances and flutters in the breeze, and tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

Question 2.
Identify examples of the following devices in the poem: alliteration, personification, rhyme, rhythm. How do these devices contribute to the overall effect of the poem?
Answer:
The use of Alliteration is evident in: “Beside” and “Beneath” (stanza l),”Ten” and “Thousand”
(stanza 2).”Tossing their heads in sprightly dance”, are the uses assonance, of “s” sound which sounds soft and comfortable. Simile is used when daffodils and stars are compared. Emphasis is evident in the the lively pace of the flowers’ “continuously”. The poet uses personification: daffodils dancing, tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The flowers share the same happiness as the poet has. Repetition is used with the word gazed to emphasize that he wanted to join in the hilarious dance of the flowers.
The literary device of inversion:

1. “Continuous as the stars that shine… the margin of a bay”
2.  “Ten thousand saw I at a glance”

Question 3.
What do you think is the poet’s attitude towards the following 3 things: nature, memory, loneliness?
Answer:
The poet clearly shows appreciation and love for nature and it is very influential.However his strong feeling of loneliness never fades away even when he sees the beautiful .absorbing and cheerful sceneries of the daffodils. He is deeply impressed by the beauty of nature, and it remains a very good memory to him. Whenever he is in his ‘pensive mood’ and feeling ‘vacant’, perhaps emotionally and physically, the good memory of the daffodils flash back to him as a ‘bliss’ and ‘pleasure’, which release him for a while from the loneliness and ‘solitude’ that he is experiencing.

Question 4.
Which line(s)/stanza(s) do you enjoy most? Why?
Answer:
The lines I enjoy the most are:

1. A host, of golden daffodils;
   Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
   Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
2. Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
   Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

These lines impress because they create a colourful, lively and beautiful word picture which uplifts the mood and spirit of the reader.

Question 5.
Who are ‘they’ referred to in the third line of the last stanza? When had the poet come across them?
Answer:
The ‘they’ referred to in the third line of the last stanza are the lively and beautiful dancing daffodils. The poet had earlier seen them when he was wandering in solitude over hills and valleys and he had suddenly come across a multitude f daffodils beside a lake dancing in the breeze.

Question 6.
Explain the phrase ‘bliss of solitude’ in the context in which it has been used.
Answer:
The phrase ‘bliss of solitude’ implies that solitude is pleasant as it gives the poet the opportunity to dwell on the memory of the daffodils dancing in the breeze. lt is only when he is free and alone that the sight of the daffodils flashes upon his imagination and he can once again experience the happiness he had earlier felt. But this happens only in solitude.

Question 7.
What do you think is the message of the poem?
Answer:
The message of the poem is that the little moments in life could be the most profound. He felt that nature gives man peace and joy and is a constant source of happiness. He believed that man and nature are one.

Question 8.
Why does the poet use the word ‘wandered’?
Answer:
“Wandered” means roaming around without a purpose, like when you explore something. So it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But in its metaphorical use, “wandered” can mean feeling purposeless and directionless in general.

Question 9.
The poet uses the word lonely in reference to a cloud. Explain.
Answer:
The first concept that we want to take a look at is that the cloud is “lonely.” Are clouds lonely? Well, maybe the ones that float about valleys (“vales”) and hills are lonely. It’s more likely, the speaker is projecting his own loneliness on the clouds. But that still doesn’t explain the strange image, because clouds usually travel in groups. Maybe a cloud is lonely because it is so far above the rest of the world. Its thoughts are just so “lofty,” and maybe the speaker’s thoughts are, too.Also, the cloud could be lonely because it floats over a natural landscape with no people in it. Maybe the speaker has thought of hills and valleys because he happens to be “wandering” through such a landscape.

Question 10.
Explain the use of words like ‘fluttering’ and ‘dancing’ as used by the poet.
Answer:
“Fluttering” suggests, flight, which could bring us to angels or even birds or butterflies.”Dancing” is something that usually only humans do. The daffodils are given the qualities of humans and also of some kind of otherworldly creatures, perhaps.

Question 11.
The poet compares the flowers to the milky way. Is the comparison apt?
Answer:
Like the Milky Way , the flowers are roughly concentrated in a line that seem to stretch as far as the eye can see (“never-ending”). The flowers line the shore (“margin”) of a bay of the lake, which must be a relatively large lake.The Milky Way appears to be a band that has more stars and a brighter appearance than the night sky around it. It’s not a perfectly clear line, but more like a fuzzy approximation of a line. We imagine the same effect with the flowers. It’s not as if there are no flowers outside the shore of the lake, but most of them are concentrated on the shore. So to a large extent the comparison is apt.

Question 12.
How does the poet describe the flowers by using personification?
Answer:
The speaker takes in “ten thousand” dancing flowers at once. The flowers “toss their heads” while dancing to the wind. By “heads” we think he means the part of the flower with the petals, the weight of which causes the rest of the flower to bob. “Sprightly” means happily or merrily. The word derives from “sprite,” which refers to the playful little spirits that people once thought inhabited nature. “Sprites” are supernatural beings, almost like fairies. The day that inspired this poem was a stormy one, so the waves on this medium-to-large sized lake must have been larger than usual. Maybe they were even cresting into whitecaps.The point is that the entire scene has suddenly been invested with a joyful human-like presence. Since waves do not bring as much joy as the yellow flowers, the flowers “out-did” the water with their happiness. The waves “sparkle,” which creates yet another association with the stars. Everything seems to be gleaming and twinkling and shining-and sparkling.Despite his earlier loneliness, the speaker now can’t help but feel happy, or “gay,” with such a beautiful vision to look at.Or, as he puts at, with such joyful and carefree (“jocund”) “company” to hang out with. The flowers and waves feel like companions to him.

Question 13.
Explain the following:
They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude;
Answer:
Whenever the poet gets in a pensive mood, the image of the daffodils “flashes” through his mind. The “inward eye” or his imagination expresses what Wordsworth felt to be a deeper, truer spiritual vision. A person cannot share his or her own spiritual vision completely with others, and so it is a form of “solitude.” But its truth and beauty make it “blissful.” When the memory of the flowers and the lake flashes into his head, he feels happy again. It’s almost like the same experience he had while “wandering” through nature at the beginning of the poem, when the real daffodils pushed the loneliness out of his head.The memory of the daffodils is as good as the real thing. His heart is set to dancing, just like the flowers. He dances along “with” them – they are his cheerful companions once again.

Question 14.
Analyse the symbol of Clouds, Sky, and Heavens.
Answer:
“I wandered lonely as a Cloud” has the remote, otherworldly atmosphere that is suggested by the title. The speaker feels like a cloud, distant and separated from the world below. But this distance becomes a good thing when he comes upon the daffodils, which are like little stars. It’s as if the problem at the beginning is that he hasn’t ascended high enough.The beginning of the poem makes a simile between the speaker’s wandering and the “lonely” distant movements of a single cloud. Clouds can’t be lonely, so we have another example of personification.The second stanza begins with a simile comparing the shape and number of the daffodils to the band of stars that we call the Milky Way galaxy.

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Treasure Trove A Collection of ICSE Poems Workbook Answers Chapter 4 After Blenheim- ICSE Class 10, 9 English

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Comprehension Passages

Stanza 1 and 2

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from the poem ‘After Blenheim’ which is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. An elderly farmer named Kaspar sits in front of his cottage watching his grandchildren, Wilhelmine and Peterkin, at play. Peterkin is rolling an object he found near a stream. He takes it to Kaspar and asks what it is.

Question 2.
Who was playing on the grass near Kasper?
Answer:
His grandchild Wilhelmine was playing on the grass nearby.

Question 3.
What was Peterkin doing?
Answer:
Peterkin was playing beside a small stream.

Question 4.
What did Peterkin find?
Answer:
Peterkin found an object that was large,smooth and round.

Question 5.
Who was Peterkin?
Answer:
Peterkin was Old Kasper’s grandson and Wilhelmine’s brother.

Stanza 3 and 4

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from the poem ‘After Blenheim’ which is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. The old man, who has found many such objects while ploughing the fields, replies that it is the skull of a soldier who died in the Battle of Blenheim. He tells them that lie found many such skulls as a large number of soldiers had died in the war which was a great victory.

Question 2.
What did Old Kasper do when Peterkin came to him with the object?
Answer:
When Peterkin came to him with the object, old Kasper shook his head and sighed.

Question 3.
What did Kasper say?
Answer:
Kasper said that it seemed to be a skull of some soldier who had died in the great victory of the Battle of Blenheim.

Question 4.
What words show that there were many such skulls to be found there?
Answer:
Kasper comments that:

‘I find them in the garden,
For there’s many here about;” For many thousand men,” said he,
“Were slain in that great victory” which shows that many people had died in the battle.

Question 5.
What does the tone of Kasper’s words suggest?
Answer:
It is evident from Kasper’s answer that he was not upset about the death of thousands in the battle, rather the only thing that concerned him was that it was a great victory.

Question 6.
Why does the poet use a skull?
Answer:
Southey uses a skull, as it is the most unique part of the human body. This makes you recognise that the skull was once part of a human body that was ruthlessly killed, and again emphasises the pointlessness of war.

Stanza 5 and 6

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from the poem ‘After Blenheim’ which is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. Their curiosity aroused, the children ask him about the battle and why it was fought. The English routed the French, he says, in what later generations would call a great and famous victory. However, Kaspar is at a loss to explain the cause of the battle but he is complacent and says that everyone said that it was a great victory and that is all that mattered to him.

Question 2.
Quote the lines that show the children were curious about the battle and its outcome?
Answer:
The lines that show the curiosity of the children are:

“Now tell us what ’twas all about,”
Young Peterkin, he cries;
And little Wilhelmine looks up
With wonder-waiting eyes;

Question 3.
Did the children wonder about the reason for the war?
Answer:
The children asked Kasper as to why was the battle fought. They asked:

“Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for.”

Question 4.
Name the two opposing sides. Who won?
Answer:
The battle was fought between the English and French. The French were defeated.

Question 5.
Why does Kasper repeat the line ‘twas a great victory?
Answer:
Old Kasper continuously repeats this sentence as this is all he knows about the war. Although it is constantly mentioned that it was a great victory this is not what the poem is saying. Southey is using this phrase to emphasise the exact opposite, that it wasn’t a great victory.

Stanza 7 and 8

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from the poem ‘After Blenheim’ which is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession.He does know that thousands died in it—not only soldiers but also townspeople, including children. In fact, the fields were littered with corpses. But such terrible consequences are part of war, he says. They do not negate the glory of the victory.

Question 2.
What happened to Kaspar’s family in the war?
Answer:
In the war ,Kaspar’s house was burnt down and his father had to flee alongwith his wife and children.

Question 3.
What does Kasper’s attitude signify?
Answer:
Old Kaspar unquestioningly accepts the loss of innocent women and children in the Battle of Blenheim as one of the prices of the glorious victory. His complacent attitude is not unlike that of modern politicians who dismiss the deaths of innocent civilians in arenas of war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase “collateral damage.”

Question 4.
Explain the lines:

“With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,’

Answer:
Old Kaspar tells his grandchildren that due to the war the entire countryside was ravaged. Many people were killed by the sword and their houses burnt to the ground.

Question 5.
Kaspar describes the horrors of war but how can his attitude be described?
Answer:
Kaspar can describe what the war was like at Blenheim, but he cannot explain why the belligerents went to war. Nor does he seem curious about the causes. All that matters to him is that Austria and England won a glorious victory. He seems complacent and uncaring about the inhumanities of war ,all that he is concerned with is that it was a great victory for his country.

Stanza 9, 10, and 11

Read the lines given above and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from the poem ‘After Blenheim’ which is an antiwar poem in the form of a ballad. Robert Southey wrote and published it in 1798. It centers on the most famous battle in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Wilhelmine then comments that the battle was “a wicked thing,” but Kaspar tells her she is wrong. “It was a famous victory,” he says. Peterkin asks what good came of the fighting. Kaspar says he does not know, but adds, ” ’twas a famous victory.” The narrator does not know why the battle was fought, why thousands died, why his father’s cottage was burned or what good came of it but ironically it was a famous victory.

Question 2.
How does kasper justify the thousands of death in the war?
Answer:
Old Kaspar unquestioningly accepts the loss of innocent women and children in the Battle of Blenheim as one of the prices of the glorious victory. His complacent attitude is not unlike that of modern politicians who dismiss the deaths of innocent civilians in arenas of war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase “collateral damage.”

Question 3.
How does the poet describe the scene on the field after the battle?
Answer:
The poet poignantly describes the horrible and devastating effects of the war when he write:

“They say it was a shocking sight After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here Lay rotting in the sun;

Question 4.
What is Wilheinien’s reaction to the description of the war?
Answer:
Wilhelmine is upset by the horrific effects described and comments that the battle was “a wicked thing,” but Kaspar tells her she is wrong. “It was a famous victory,” he says. Peterkin asks what good came of the fighting. Kaspar says he does not know, but adds, ” ’twas a famous victory.

Question 5.
How do the skulls symbolize the theme in “The Battle of Blenheim”?
Answer:
The skulls show how serious the loss of life was. They are treated without respect, just as the reasons for the war are no longer remembered. They represent the grandfather’s commitment to the cause of freedom.

Question 6.
In “The Battle of Blenheim,” why are Wilhelmine’s words “twas a very wicked thing” ironic?
Answer:
Wilhelmine’s words “twas a very wicked thing” are ironic because although she innocently is telling the truth, but her grandfather says she is wrong. She, a child will never understand issues of war and death but the poet makes her his mouthpiece to comment on war.

  Project

Question 1.
Define the following terms from the poem: rivulet, plough share (plowshare), yon, and childing.
Answer:
A rivulet is a small stream suggesting a beautiful and calm environment far removed from
the horrors of war. A plowshare is the main cutting blade of a plough, behind the coulter,

Question 2.
Research the Battle of Blenheim. Then write an essay defending Wilhelmine’s position that the battle was a “wicked thing” or Kaspar’s position that it was a “great victory.”
Answer:
The battle was fought near the village of Blenheim, in Bavaria, on the left bank of theriver Danube, on August 13, 1704. The French and Bavarians, under Marshall Tallard and Marsin, were defeated by the English and Austrians, under the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene. After thousands of casualties, and vast civilian destruction, the battle ended. It was arguably among the most important battles of the 18th century, and the  turning point of the War of the Spanish Succession.

Southey uses a skull, as it is the most unique part of the human body. This makes;  you recognise that the skull was once part of a human body that was ruthlessly killed, and again emphasises the pointlessness of war

After finding the skull, Peterkin immediately asks what it is. Kaspar tells him that it is part of the remains of a soldier who died at Blenheim. Wilhelmine then asks Kaspar to describe the war and explain its causes. Kaspar can describe what the war was like , at Blenheim, but he cannot explain why the belligerents went to war. Nor does he seem curious about the causes. All that matters to him is that Austria and England won a glorious victory.

Old Kaspar unquestioningly accepts the loss of innocent women and children in the Battle of Blenheim as one of the prices of the glorious victory. His complacent attitude  is not unlike that of modem politicians who dismiss the deaths of innocent civilians in   arenas of war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase “collateral damage.”

Question 3.
Why does the poet use repetition in the poem?
Answer:
The poet uses repetition as at the end each verse he repeats the ironic saying:“But ‘twas a famous victory.” Old Kasper continuously repeats this sentence as this is all he knows about the war. Although it is constantly mentioned that it was a great victory this is not i     what the poem is saying. Southey is using this phrase to emphasise the exact opposite, that it wasn’t a great victory. It is one of Southey’s most famous poems. The internal repetition of but ’twas a famous victory juxtaposed with the initial five lines of each stanza, establish that the narrator does not know why the battle was fought, why thousands died, why his father’s cottage was burned. The often-quoted closing lines are:

“But what good came of it at last?”
Quoth little Peterkin.
“Why that I cannot tell,” said he,
“But ’twas a famous victory.”

Question 4.
Can it be argued that this is an anti- war poem?
Answer:
The poet uses imagery to describe the soldiers in war who die fighting for the survival of kingdoms. Is this what human life has come to as a result of war? Worth nothing. The poet’s feelings about war is that they are catastrophically phenomenal, and leave hundreds of people without their homes, and without each other, completely destroyed. Wars affect everyone on a large scale. In ‘After Blenheim’, the poet repeats that the Battle of Blenheim was a huge and great victory for the English. He is saying that he believes that wars always end for one side in a great victory, usually achieved for a good cause but for the other side they are a total failure and the costs are huge. The poet poignantly describes the after effects

“They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;’ 
Wilhelmine even comments that the battle was “a wicked thing,”

Question 5.
Explain and discuss the themes in the poem.
Answer:
The poet has artfully woven in diverse themes into the poem. He speaks of Man’s Inhumanity to Man. War represents the worst form of human behavior and its cruelty to our fellow beings.: The skull Peterkin finds, as well as those that Kaspar regularly unearths while plowing, are mute testimony to the truth of “Man’s inhumanity to man” , a phrase originated by poet Robert Burns. The poem implies that the perpetrators of war cannot or will not suppress wayward ambitions that provoke a violent response. The children—as yet uncorrected by adult thinking—readily perceive war for what it is.

The poet also hints at Kaspar’s lack of curiosity as opposed to curiosity depicted by the children. After finding the skull, Peterkin immediately asks what it is. Kaspar tells him  that it is part of the remains of a soldier who died at Blenheim. Wilhelmine then asks Kaspar to describe the war and explain its causes. Kaspar can describe what the war was like at Blenheim, but he cannot explain why the belligerents went to war. Nor does he seem curious about the causes. All that matters to him is that Austria and England won a glorious victory.

Kaspar displays a sense of complacency in the face of the horrors of war. He unquestioningly accepts the loss of innocent women and children in the Battle of Blenheim as one of the prices of the glorious victory. His complacent attitude is not unlike that of modem politicians who dismiss the deaths of innocent civilians in arenas of war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase “collateral damage.”

Extra Questions

Question 1.
What tells the reader the serene atmosphere about old Caspar’s home.
Answer:
The seremne atmosphere about Kaspar’s home is conveyed by the fact that he was sitting relaxing in the sun and his grandchild was playing on the grass nearby.

And he before his cottage door 
Was sitting in the sun,
And by him sported on the green
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.

Question 2.
Why were the children confused about their grandfather’s claims about the war?
Answer:
The children were confused becuse he could not explain to them whwhy the war took place and what good resulted from it. All he could say to them was that it was a great victory

Question 3.
Whose family has been referred to earlier in the context?
Answer:
Old Kaspar’s family has been referred to. His house was burnt down in the war and his family had to flee.

Question 4.
Name Kaspar’s grandchildren? Why did the boy come home?
Answer:
Wilhelmine and Peterkin were the grandchildren. Peterkin came home as he had found a skull while playing.

Question 5.
What made the old man shake his head and sigh?
Answer:
The old man shook his head in sadness for the people who had died in the war.

Question 6.
What was the great victory? Who had won the victory?
Answer:
The Battle of Blenheim was a great victory and it was won by Austria and England.

Question 7.
Later, too, the old man uses the expression famous victory? Why?
Answer:
Old Kasper continuously repeats this sentence as this is all he knows about the war. Although it is constantly mentioned that it was a great victory this is not what the poem is saying. Southey is using this phrase to emphasise the exact opposite, that it wasn’t a great victory.

Question 8.
What do you think of the old man’s point of view?
Answer:
Kaspar can describe what the war was like at Blenheim, but he cannot explain why the belligerents went to war. Nor does he seem curious about the causes. All that matters to him is that Austria and England won a glorious victory. Old Kaspar unquestioningly accepts the loss of innocent women and children in the Battle of Blenheim as one of the prices of the glorious victory. His complacent attitude is not unlike that of modem politicians who dismiss the deaths of innocent civilians in arenas of war by referring to them with the impersonal phrase “collateral damage.”

Question 9.
Explain the expression, ‘wonder-waiting eyes.’
Answer:
The expression, ‘wonder-waiting eyes.’ refers to the surprised and questioning attitude of the grandchildren who wanted their grandfather to explain to them the reasons for the war and what good was achieved by it.

Question 10.
Why is the word ‘ cried’ used by the poet in the line, ‘It was the English, Kaspar cried’?
Answer:
The word cried is used ironically to tell the reader that although Kaspar keeps repeating that it was a famous victory won by the English yet he in his heart was sad at the futility and destruction of the war.

Question 11.
How was the great victory a personal tragedy for Kaspar?
Answer:
Kaspar’s house was burnt down and his father had to flee with his wife and children.

Question 12.
How was the country affected by the war?
Answer:
In the war not only did the soldiers die but many innocents, children and pregnant woman were also killed. Houses and fields of crops were burnt and people had to flee their homes to save themselves.

Question 13.
Do you agree with his justification of the war? Why/ why not?
Answer:
No I do not agree. War is a curse. War represents the worst form of human behavior and its cruelty to our fellow beings.: The skull Peterkin finds, as well as those that Kaspar regularly unearths while plowing, are mute testimony to the truth of “Man’s inhumanity to man”, a phrase originated by poet Robert Bums. The poem implies that the perpetrators of war cannot or will not suppress wayward ambitions that provoke a violent response. The children—as yet uncorrupted by adult thinking—readily perceive war for what it is.

Question 14.
There are two pauses when Kaspar tells Wilhelmine in the last stanza that it was a famous victory. Nay … nay…my little girl, quoth he.What do these pauses show?
Answer:
These pauses show that Kaspar was doubtful about the greatness of the war and the victory . But he was so used to believing blindly the popular belief that it was a great victory that he did not refute it although in his heart he did not believe his own words.

Question 15.
Comment on the contrasted viewpoints in the poem.
Answer:
The poet makes the children oppose Kaspar’s viewpoint that it was a great victory. Wilhelmine says the it was a very wicked thing and Kaspar refutes it. Dialogue is used to bring out the clash in the two viewpoints. The writer keeps it impersonal and like in any ballad the suspense is maintained in the tale. The open-ending makes it truly objective  and powerful simultaneously in its ant-war stance.

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