Commerce (English Medium) कक्षा १२ - CBSE Question Bank Solutions

You came across ‘dulcimer’ in the poem ‘Kubla Khan’. Did you note down ‘Psaltery’ as another musical instrument? They are very similar. Look up the illustrations for the two in an illustrated dictionary. Find out in what ways they are different from one another.

How do the ‘trees in their autumn beauty, ‘dry woodland paths’, ‘October twilight’, ‘still sky’ connect to the poet’s own life?

What does ‘the light tread’ and ‘the sore heart’ refer to?

What is the contrast between the liveliness of the swans and human life?

What contributes to the beauty and mystery of the swans’ lives?

What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?

From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?

What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?

Why is the act of nature described as ‘precise’?

Which of the following reflects the poet’s attitude towards communal disharmony

(i) Critical condemnation

(ii) Helpless acceptance

(iii) Wistful lament

Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury?

What makes the depiction of a crumbling village house so authentic in the poem? Is this a common feature of most village houses in the context of rapid urbanization? Is the poet speaking from actual experience?

What aspects of Indian society and history get highlighted in the poem?

Does the poem bring out the contrast between tradition and modernity? Illustrate your answer with examples from the poem.

While the poet respected her grandmother’s sentiments of royal grandeur, we can also see that she revolts against it. Identify the lines which bring this out.

Which lines reveal the poet’s criticism of class distinctions?

Is it ‘selfishness’ and ‘callousness’ that makes the poet break her childhood promise to her grandmother of renovating the house? Why does she do nothing about rebuilding the house?

What do you understand of the conflict in the poet’s conscience?

Comment on the changes in poetic expression in English from the time of Donne to that of Kamala Das with reference to

• prosodic features (rhyme, rhythm and metre)
• vocabulary
• language
• themes.

What are the links between natural jobs, labor, and slavery?