Arts (English Medium) इयत्ता १२ - CBSE Important Questions for English Core

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

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

(a) Whom does the word ‘those’ refer to?
(b) What does the poet mean by : ‘put on clean clothes’?
(c) Describe the irony in the third line.
(d) When can a person walk about with ‘their’ brothers?

Give two reasons why, according to Pablo Neruda, is ‘keeping quiet’ essential to attaining a better, more peaceful world.

Answer the following question in about 120-150 words.

Imagine you are Pablo Neruda, the poet of Keeping Quiet.

What advice might you offer to Robert Frost, the poet of A Roadside Stand, in the context of his conflicted emotions, as displayed in the given lines-

Pen down your advice, in a letter to Frost.

You may begin this way:
Dear Robert
I recently read your poem, "A Roadside Stand," and...

You may end this way:
I hope this advice is helpful to you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support you.
Warmly,
Pablo Neruda

A flowery band to bind us to the Earth,

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways

Made for our searching:

(i) What are we doing everyday? (1)

(ii) Which evil thing do we possess and suffer from? (1)

(iii) What are the circumstances that contribute towards making humans unhappy and disillusioned with life? (1)

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

A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

(a) Which two qualities of beauty are mentioned here?
(b) How does it give calm to a troubled mind?
(c) What does the word ‘bower’ mean?
(d) How does beauty lead to ‘a sleep full of sweet dreams’?

What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?

Rationalize why Keats uses the metaphor ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ in his poem, A Thing of Beauty.

How does Keats’ poem, A Thing of Beauty appeal richly to the senses, stimulating the reader’s inner sight as well as the sense of touch and smell? Write your answer in about 120-150 words.

Read the given extract to attempt the questions with reference to context.

(i) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the first line of the extract. (1)

1. I’m as happy as I can be.
2. Life is a roller coaster ride.
3. Nature is God’s gift to us.
4. The dazzling divas enchanted all.

(ii) What does the phrase ‘a bower quiet’ indicate? (1)

1. serenity
2. morality
3. superiority
4. diversity

(iii) The benefits of a thing of beauty for humans include ______. (1) 

1. healthy body
2. calm mind
3. struggle-free life
4. better relationships
5. hope to carry on

Choose the most appropriate option.

1. Only (v)
2. (i), (ii) and (v)
3. (i), (iii) and (iv)
4. (ii) and (iv)

(iv) Answer in ONE word. (1)

When the poet says that ‘a thing of beauty’ will never pass into nothingness, he means that it is ______.

(v) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below. (1)

(1) We are surrounded by beautiful things.

(2) Beautiful things provide us joy.

1. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
2. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot.
3. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.
4. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract.

(vi) Which of the following is an apt title for the extract? (1)

1. Full to the Brim with Joy
2. Beauty Galore
3. Live Life King Size
4. Hope Floats

What according to Keats are things of beauty? What is their significance in our lives?

What are the things that cause suffering and pain?

The objects of beauty remove the gloom from our lives. Discuss with reference to the poem 'A Thing of Beauty'.

What is the theme of the poem- 'A Thing of Beauty'?

Keat's things of beauty "move away the pall from our darkened spirits". Explain.

Read the given extract and answer the questions.

1. Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?    (1)
   1. The beauty of nature
   2. The power of imagination
   3. The immortality of art and literature
   4. The inevitability of death
2. State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE, with reference to the extract.     (1)
   By referring to the dead as "mighty", the poet emphasizes their importance and the power they exerted on the people.
3. Complete the sentence appropriately.     (1)
   The "endless fountain of immortal drink" is an apt analogy for the tales of the mighty dead because ______.
4. The use of the word "brink" in the extract suggests that the immortality that is being poured onto us is on the verge of overflowing. This creates a powerful image of ______.     (1)
5. Based on the poem rhyme scheme, evident in lines 2-5, of the given extract, which word would rhyme with line 1?     (1)
   

   said

   think

   tombs

6. Select the option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract.      (1)
   1. Creates a sense of continuity and flow that connects the line with the second line.
   2. Encourages the reader to continue reading seamlessly without any pause.
   3. Creates a sense of anticipation and expectation for the reader.
   4. Encourages a revisit to the ideas in the preceding lines.

Read the given extracts to attempt the questions with reference to context.

(i) What is the tone of the poet in the above lines? (1) 

1. aggressive
2. tolerant
3. sarcastic
4. resigned
5. sentimental

Choose the most appropriate option.

1. Only (i)
2. (ii) and (iii)
3. (i), (iv) and (v)
4. Only (iii)

(ii) Identify the phrase from the extract, that suggests the following: (1)

No one bothers to take ‘their’ consent before pushing the promise of a better life, their way.

(iii) What quality of the villagers can be inferred through these lines? (1)

1. gullible
2. futuristic
3. hypocritical
4. ambitious

(iv) Complete the following analogy correctly. Do NOT repeat from used example. (1)

greedy good doers: alliteration :: ______ oxymoron.

(v) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to (1) and (2) given below. (1)

(1) The city dwellers make promises for the betterment of the villagers.

(2) The city dwellers have ulterior motives.

1. (1) is true but (2) is false.
2. (2) is true but (1) is false.
3. (2) is the reason for (1).
4. Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

(vi) Fill the blank with an appropriate word, with reference to the extract. (1)

‘… calculated to soothe them out of their wits’ implies that ‘them’ are being ______.

Why did Aunt Jennifer decide to create animals so different from her own character ? 

Adrienne Rich chose to express her silent revolt through her poem, Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, just as Aunt Jennifer did with her embroidery. Explain.

How can we say that marriage was a compromise for Aunt Jennifer? Support your response with two justifications.

Explain the significance of the 'denizens pacing in sleek certainty' in the poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers'.