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प्रश्न
Explain the following lines with reference to the context.
Once upon a time, son They used to laugh with their eyes:
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उत्तर
- Reference: These lines are from the poem, “Once upon a time” written by Gabriel Okara.
- Context: The poet says these words to his son while discussing his own happy, childhood days.
- Explanation: The poet compares the behaviour of people in the past and those in modem times. He tells his son that people in the past used to laugh with their eyes. There was an expression of genuine warmth among f people when they laughed.
APPEARS IN
संबंधित प्रश्न
How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
Interpret each of the following expression used in the poem, in one or two line.
shake hands without hearts
Read the line given below and answer the question that follow.
‘Most of all, I want to relearn How to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror Shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!’
- Why does the poet want to relearn how to laugh?
- Whom does the poet want to relearn from?
- Mention the figure of speech used here.
The poet does not wish to exchange position with the runners. Why?
Explain the following with reference to the context in about 50–60 word each.
Athletes, I’ll drink to you, Or eat with you, Or anything except compete with you…
Find out the rhyme scheme of the given stanza.
One infant grows up and becomes a jockey
Another plays basketball or hockey
This one the prize ring hates to enter
That one becomes a tackle or center…
Would you like to exchange your place with someone else? Why/why not?
If you go to a village, what scenes would you observe?
Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with the words given below.
The poet, in a relaxed state of mind, is sitting in a (1) ______. He reflects on how his mood brings (2) ______thoughts, which are inevitably followed by (3)______ones. He feels connected to all of nature, and senses an inherent joy in all (4)______. He has faith in the fact that all the primroses and periwinkles around him (5)______ the air they breathe. He feels that every bird in the grove moves with (6)______. As the twigs catch the breezy air, they do so with the same pleasure (7)______ all life on earth. This joy of nature seems to be heaven-sent. Nature’s holy plan is to offer joy and peace to all forms of life on earth. The poet’s pleasant train of thought slowly leads to the sad reflection of how mankind alone has wrought sorrow and (8)______ upon itself. He firmly believes that man is meant to spend his days blissfully taking part in the vitality and joy surrounding him in (9)______. He therefore concludes rhetorically, emphasizing that he has good reason to (10)______ the distress, man unnecessarily brings upon himself.
| creations | abundance | savour |
| pleasant | suffering | grove |
| lament | pervading | sorrowful |
| ecstasy |
Does Nature affect a person’s thoughts and feelings? Explain.
The poet finds joy in various objects of Nature. Explain.
The poem is set in a ______.
Listening Activity
Some phrases have been left out in the poem below. First, read the poem. Then, fill in the missing words on listening to the reading or the recording of it in full. You may listen again, if required
To Autumn
O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my ______, there thou may’st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my ______;
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the ______of fruits and flowers.
“The ______opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her ______;
Blossoms hang round the brows of morning and
Flourish down the ______of modest eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And ______strew flowers round her head.
The spirits of the air live on the smells
Of fruit; and joy, with ______, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.”
Thus sang the ______as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his ______.
William Blake
What scene in nature gives you pleasure? Talk for a minute describing a natural scene that gave you a lot of joy. What did you see, hear, smell or feel, that gave you joy?
Work in groups of 4−6. Discuss how you would preserve the environment and protect Nature. One or two representatives may share their ideas with the class.
Mention any two qualities of Macavity.
Describe the appearance and qualities of Macavity.
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity
- How is the cat described in this line?
- Explain the phrase ‘monster of depravity’.
Read the given lines and answer the question that follow.
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
- Which cat is being talked of here?
- How is he different from the rest?
Identify the following personalities and their fields of achievement.
| Name | Field | |
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- Mention a remarkable achievement of any of these personalities.
- What quality do you admire the most in each of these achievers?
- What are the qualities that you may share with them?
- Name a few more popular personalities who have made our nation proud.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
- ______.
Why does the speaker say ‘Everest is not the only peak’?
Read the given line and answer the question that follow.
Honour is a property, common to all: In dignity and pride no one need to be poor.
- Who are considered rich?
- What is their asset?
Discuss the following topics in groups of five and choose a representative to sum up the views and share them with the class.
To succeed in life, one must have a single-minded devotion to duty.
The historical background:
The poem is an extract from William Shakespeare’s play King Richard the Second. The play is based on true events that occurred towards the end of the 14th century.
Richard II was crowned the King of England in the year 1367. He continued to be the British Monarch until 1399, when he was deposed by his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, who crowned himself King Henry the Fourth in the same year. Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic rendition of the last two years of King Richard II’s life. In this brief span of time, he was ousted from his royal position and sent to prison, where he died in captivity.
The following extract is set in the Coast of Wales. King Richard and some of his followers awaited the arrival of the Welsh army [after facing defeat at the hands of his cousin, Bolingbroke], of about 10000 warriors. But to their shock and surprise, they received the message that the army was not coming to their rescue. His followers tried to boost their King’s courage against the news, only in vain. When Richard came face to face with the reality of his terrible fate, he spoke the following verse, famously known as the “Hollow Crown” speech in theatrical circles. In it, King Richard is reminded of the power of Death that overshadows everything else, including the power of rulers, and renders them as powerless as any commoner at a moment’s notice.
What do the three words, ‘graves, worms and epitaphs’, refer to?
What hides within the crown and laughs at the king’s grandeur?
What does ‘flesh’ mean here?
Based on your reading of King Richard’s speech, answer the following questions in about 100 - 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required to present and justify your point of view.
Death has been cited in many ways in this monologue. Identify the poetic devices used in those references.
