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प्रश्न
Show how Carol Ann Duffy presents a disturbing picture of confinement and exploitation in the poem, The Dolphins. Write your answer in about 200-250 words.
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उत्तर
In Carol Ann Duffy's poem "The Dolphins," the theme of confinement and exploitation is poignantly depicted through the lives of dolphins in captivity. The poem presents a deeply disturbing portrayal of the psychological and physical limitations imposed on these creatures, using the dolphins’ perspective to heighten the impact of their suffering.
The poem begins by highlighting the artificial nature of the dolphins’ environment: "World is what you swim in, or dance, it is simple." This line captures the totality of their world now reduced to the confines of a pool, a stark contrast to the vastness and complexity of the ocean, their natural habitat. Duffy uses the word "element" to emphasize that the pool water is not their natural element, underscoring their displacement and alienation.
The dolphins’ awareness of their captivity is vividly expressed through lines like, "There is a constant flowing guilt," suggesting that they feel a pervasive sense of being out of place, trapped in a scenario for which they bear no responsibility yet suffer the consequences. They recognize the unnaturalness of their performances and routines, "We have found no truth in these waters," Duffy writes, indicating their disillusionment and the lack of authenticity in their new life.
The exploitation aspect is further explored through the motif of the "man" who controls their food and directs their performances. The dolphins are at the mercy of his whims, illustrating a clear dynamic of power and subjugation: "He is in charge of the world of our performances." This line points to the control he holds over their world, dictating their actions and survival, encapsulating the exploitation commercialized entities impose on natural beings for entertainment.
Lastly, the closing lines of the poem, "I am happy," reflect a tragic and forced acceptance, possibly a learned helplessness or a resigned facade. It conveys the deep psychological impact of their captivity, where asserting happiness becomes a necessary delusion to cope with the lack of freedom and self-determination.
Through "The Dolphins," Duffy effectively portrays a chilling narrative of how captivity and human exploitation strip sentient beings of their dignity and freedom, leaving them to exist in a world that echoes their physical and spiritual confinement.
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संबंधित प्रश्न
Your friend has not fared well in the recent examinations. Write a letter to him/her expressing your concern. Give him/her some advice on how to score better marks and offer to help him/her to improve his/her performance.
Fill in the blank with the suitable word.
I ran _____________ my old friend in the market place.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
Read the above lines and answer the question that follow.
According to the poem, how can the free bird be best described ?
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Benedick: I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter. There's her cousin, she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?
Claudio: I would scarce trust myself though I had sworn the contrary if I Hero would be my wife.
(i) Whom is Benedick referring to in the above lines?
(ii) Benedick says: 'I see no such matter.' What does he mean by it?
(iii) Explain the lines:
"There's her cousin, she was not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December".
(iv) What does the comparison of Beatrice with May suggest about Benedick?
(v) What does Claudio mean by 'sworn the contrary'?
(vi) Give the meaning of the following words as they are used in the context of the passage: possessed; fury; intent
(A) Some of the cakes had been eaten by the boys before the party began.
(B) The boys…………………………
You walk home from school one afternoon to find the door unlocked and on entering you are shocked to see the house in total disarray. You call out but get no answer. Describe in detail what you saw, the reason behind your house being in total disarray and how you found your family. Mention also how the experience ended and what impact it had on your life.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as though only a moment ago, it had been the last period on Friday; already, Monday was here. He hoped that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust but that my good building, Albert Mission School, had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now.
At nine o'clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”
His mother said, “Why don’t you go to school in a bullock cart?”
“So that I may be completely dead at the other end? Have you any idea what it means to be jolted in a cart?”
“Have you any important lessons today?”
“Important! Bah! That geography teacher has been teaching the same lesson for over a year now. And we have arithmetic, which means for a whole period we are going to be beaten by the teacher............ Important lessons!”
And Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.
At 9:30, when he ought to have been lining up in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.
Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”
“Headache,” Swami replied,
“Nonsense! Dress up and go.”
“Headache.”
“Loaf about less on Sundays, and you will be without a headache on Monday.”
Swami knew how stubborn his father could be and changed his tactics.
“I can’t go so late to class.”
“I agree, but you’ll have to; it is your own fault. You should have asked me before deciding to stay away.”
“What will the teacher think if I go so late?”
“Tell him you had a headache, and so are late.”
“He will beat me if I say so.”
“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”
“Mr. Samuel.”
“Does he beat the boys?”
“He is very violent, especially with boys who come late. Some days ago, a boy was made to stay on his knees for a whole period in a corner of the class because he came late, and after getting six cuts from the cane and having his ears twisted, I wouldn’t like to go late to Mr Samuel’s class.”
“If he is so violent, why not tell your headmaster about it?”
“They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him. He is such a violent man.”
And then Swami gave a lurid account of Samuel’s violence; how when he started caning, he would not stop till he saw blood on the boy’s hand, which he made the boy press to his forehead like a Vermillion marking. Swami hoped his father would be made to see that he couldn’t go to his class late. But his father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn. He became excited.
“What do these people mean by beating our children? They must be driven out of service. I will see…..”
The result was that he proposed to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge. He was also going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami was of any avail: Swami had to go to school.
By the time he was ready, his father had composed a long letter to the headmaster, put it in an envelope, and sealed it.
“What have you written, father?” Swaminathan asked apprehensively.
“Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.”
Swami’s father did not know the truth—that, actually, Mr. Samuel was a very kind gentleman.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. (3)
One-word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
- jolted
- stubborn
- avail
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
- What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be answered? (2)
- Which sentence tells us that Swami’s father was completely unsympathetic to his son’s headache? (2)
- In what way was Swami’s mother’s response different from his father’s? (2)
- Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father? (2)
- In what way did Father’s behaviour take an unexpected turn? (2)
- What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father? (2)
(c)
(i) In not more than 60 words, describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a violent man. (8)
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3
(c). Give a reason to justify your choice. (2)
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I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.
Rewrite the above sentences in prose.
Why does John Ipe consider retirement to be a dishonour?
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The birds _______________ at the snake.
Discuss with your partner and complete the web of different activities related to climbing.
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'Organic farming is the need of the time'. Write your views in favour of and against the statement.
| Views | Counterviews |
| 1. | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. |
State whether the following statement is true or false. Correct the false statement.
Hero-worship leads to dictatorship.
Choose the correct alternative for the given line. Focus on the inference of the poet.
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The line means - __________________.
Discuss with your partner and match the following expressions given in column A with their interpretations in column 'B'.
| Sr.No. | A | B |
| 1. | While Chief Baron Ear sat to balance the laws. | (a) Eyes are refrained from using spectacles. |
| 2. | They are made with the straddle as wide as the ridge of the Nose is. | (b) The responsibility of giving a verdict rested on the shoulders of the hearing organ. |
| 3. | That whenever the Nose put his Spectacles on, by daylight or candlelight Eyes should be shut! | (c) Spectacles are meant for none other than the nose. |
| 4. | So his lordship decreed with a grave solemn tone, decisive and clear, without one if or but. | (d) The judge delivered a firm verdict without any doubt. |
Write a summary of the poem.
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).
Hold a debate on - 'Pets or Pests?'
Write in your own words:
What does the listener do when the poet asks him to just listen? Give 3 points.
Some word have similar sound, but different meaning. Choose the correct word from the option and fill in the blank.
He is our school ______.
Write rhyming words for the words given below. One has been done for you.
- morning - evening
- car
- high
- boots
- heat
- where
Tina goes to her school library to borrow a book. Complete her dialogue with the librarian by using and or or in the blanks.
| Tina | Ma’am, I want to borrow a book. |
| Librarian | Do you want a story book ______a book of poems? |
| Tina | I want a story book. |
| Librarian | Do you like stories about animals ______adventure stories? |
| Tina | I like both. |
| Librarian | Go to the second cupboard. On the first shelf, you will find animal stories ______ on the second, adventure stories. |
| Tina | Ma’am, I want Black Beauty______ Panchantantra Stories |
| Librarian | You can have either Black Beauty______Panchantantra Stories |
The ______of flowers was lying on the table.
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Why did Miss Wyatt summon Miss Meadows to her room?
Identify the list in which Abou Ben Adhem's name appeared right at the top.
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How to use this website:
- If I want to buy a story book on this website, where can I find it?
- In the categories on the left, in the options under Books you will find story books. Click that option. - I want a CD of the dictionary.
- Go to ‘e-learning’. Under that Click the ‘dictionary’ option. - Where can I look for books in the Hindi language?
-You can go to the Languages option on the left and tick the box before Hindi. - How can I find what discounts are available?
- Under the filters on left you will find discounts. - Are there any specific deals/offers on specific days?
- There is a CSY (Chalashikuya) deal. You can click on it and find out the deal of the day. - Can I purchase only one thing at a time?
- No, you can buy many things at a time. Select whatever you want and add to the cart and then browse again for another product. - When will my order be delivered?
- Maximum in 10 working days. You can also track your order by clicking the icon ‘track order.’ - There is one icon ‘Gift Coupons’. What does it mean?
- You can give a gift coupon to your friend by using this icon and he/she can purchase the product of his/her choice with the help of it. - Is this site only for purchasing?
- No, you can also sell your old books and other educational things here. - How can I find out whether the product is good or not?
- You can see the ratings and reviews of users below each product.
Using the given informal letter as a model, write a letter about the topic given below.
Write letter to your father asking permission to go on a educational tour.
