Question

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

He downs his horns and charges straight, with bellow answ’ring bellow. The strains of song are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence, And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden gift of silence.

1. Who is ‘he’? How did he ‘charge’ Bishma, and why? (Understanding)
2. Give one reason to conclude that Bhisma was passionate about singing. How did people react when they heard his song? (Analysis)
3. How did animals react when they heard Bhisma Lochan Sharma? (Understanding)
4. After reading the poem, give any three characteristic features that you can associate with Bhisma Lochan Sharma. (Analysis)
5. How did the world get the golden gift of silence? Mention two ways in which music helps a person. (Understanding and Application)

Answer 1

1. ‘He’ refers to the eccentric billy goat. The goat lowered its horns and charged straight at Bhisma, knocking him down. It did so because it could no longer bear Bhisma’s loud and unpleasant singing.
2. Bhisma was passionate about singing because he sang as though his life depended on it and continued despite repeated requests to stop. The people became dazed, frightened, and exhausted, and pleaded with him to stop singing.
3. The animals reacted in unusual ways. Horses whined in distress, fishes dived deep into the lake, birds turned upside down while flying, and the billy goat finally charged at Bhisma. These exaggerated reactions add humour to the poem.
4. The three characteristic features of Bhisma Lochan Sharma are:
   • He was stubborn and refused to stop singing.
   • He was passionate about singing.
   • He was well-meaning and had no intention of troubling others.
5. The world received the “golden gift of silence” when the billy goat charged at Bhisma, forcing him to stop singing. Silence brought relief to everyone. Two ways in which music helps a person are:
   • It relaxes the mind and reduces stress.
   • It brings joy and refreshes the emotions.