मराठी

Referring closely to the short story, The Singing Lesson, show how the Headmistress’ summons to Miss Meadows eventually brings the latter out from cold despair to a realm of hope, love and joy. - English Literature

Advertisements
Advertisements

प्रश्न

Referring closely to the short story, The Singing Lesson, show how the Headmistress’ summons to Miss Meadows eventually brings the latter out from cold despair to a realm of hope, love and joy.

थोडक्यात उत्तर
Advertisements

उत्तर

In the initial stages of the short story "The Singing Lesson," Miss Meadows is initially characterized as a distant and stern figure, clearly affected by a letter from her fiancé, Basil. The letter informs her of their broken engagement, causing her to harbor "cold, sharp despair" within her. This emotional turmoil reflects in her demeanor at school, where she withdraws into herself, presenting a facade of coldness. Even the typically cheerful gesture of receiving flowers from Mary Beazley fails to elicit a response.

As the singing lesson unfolds in the classroom, Miss Meadows, lost in thoughts of the letter, attempts to guide her students through a lament song, drawing on the themes of sorrow and grief. However, her mind is predominantly preoccupied with her personal distress.

A turning point occurs when the Headmistress summons Miss Meadows, creating an anticipation of potential tragedy, possibly connected to Basil's letter. However, the telegram she receives brings an unexpected reversal of fortune. Basil has reconsidered, expressing his desire to marry her. This revelation transforms Miss Meadows' emotional state from despair to overwhelming joy.

Returning to the classroom, Miss Meadows undergoes a visible change in attitude. She appreciates the flowers from Mary Beazley, responding positively to the gestures she previously ignored. Encouraging her students to sing a lament from "page thirty-two," she instructs them to infuse the song with happiness, showcasing the shift in her emotional landscape. This transformation underscores the malleability of human emotions, illustrating how a sudden turn of events can bring about a profound change in one's outlook on life.

shaalaa.com
Reading
  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
2022-2023 (March) Official

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

Who had these opinion about Einstein?

He was boring.


Thinking about the Poem

Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?


JUST THINK
 In line 35, the poet has misspelt the word 'amalgum'. Why do you think she has
done that? Discuss.
(The teacher should point out the use of 'me' instead of 'my' and other linguistic
variations that make the poem enjoyable.)


Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?"..... The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

Read the lines given above and answer the following question.

Why was Abou not afraid?


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.

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

How many houses were there in the village?


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.

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

What was the effect of the construction of the highway?


Answer the following question.

The bear grew up but “he was a most amiable bear”. Give three examples to prove this


Is there a room in your house or a house in your neighborhood/locality where you would rather not go alone, and never at night? If there is such a place and a story to go with it, let others hear all about it.


What did Kari eat and how much?


Why did Soapy not like to go to his known persons?


What items of food did Golu take before leaving his home for the Limpopo river?


Which one of the following sums up the story best?


Why did Akbar ask Tansen to join his court?


Complete the following sentence

It is mysterious because ______


Word in the box given below indicates a large number of… For example, ‘a herd of cows’ refers to many cows. Complete the following phrase with a suitable word from the box.
a ________________ of sheep


Why did the little man’s face wrinkle and frown?


Answer the following question.
What was the villagers’ reaction when the aunt explained her case to them?


Answer the following question:

Why was the shop called ‘Lucky Shop’?


Why does the rebel choose to Wear fantastic Clothes?


Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.

courtier


Why does the poet want to peep through the window as he passes it?


Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill in the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.

  • English and Hindi/both/in/he writes
  • and only / a few short stories/many books in English/in Hindi
  • Is/my Hindi / than my English/much better

Ravi Kant is a writer and ………….. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written …………….. . I find his books a little hard to understand ………………… .


Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?


  • Notice the way Mr Gessler speaks English. His English is influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.
  • When Mr Gessler speaks, p, t, k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them?
    It comes and never stops. Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.

What does Prospero intend to do with his book before his interaction with Alonso in Act V of the play, The Tempest?


Referring closely to the short story, The Sound Machine, give specific instances to show how Klausner was obsessed with sound.


“So was I once myself a swinger of birches."

What mood of the poet is captured in the above lines taken from the poem, Birches?


In the poem “Birches,” the poet observes that the birches are bent because ______.


The poem, 'A Considerable Speck’, captures ______.


Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×