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Maharashtra State BoardSSC (English Medium) 10th Standard
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Syllabus

Choose the correct alternative. The click of tongues reflects their __________ to the predicament. - English

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Question

Choose the correct alternative.

The click of tongues reflects their __________ to the predicament.

Options

  • individual response

  • collective response

  • group response

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Solution

The click of tongues reflects their collective response to the predicament.

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Night of the Scorpion
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Q 3. (10)
Chapter 3.1: Night of the Scorpion - English Workshop [Page 104]

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Balbharati English Kumarbharati [English] Standard 10 Maharashtra State Board
Chapter 3.1 Night of the Scorpion
English Workshop | Q 3. (10) | Page 104

RELATED QUESTIONS

After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you.

Lines What is happening?
1-7 The scorpion comes into the home to escape the rain and stings the poet’s mother.
8-33  
34-48  

Complete the following table.

Scorpion
Many images of the scorpion contrast in the opening lines of the poem. Find examples of each and add them to the columns below.
Timid Dangerous

(1) hides _________

(2) ___________ back

(i) Diabolic ____________

(ii) ____________

Choose the correct alternative.

The child is afraid but admires ____________.


Choose the correct alternative.

The poem is titled ‘Night of the Scorpion’, for, the major part of the poem _______________.


Choose the correct alternative.

The peasants chant the name of God to _______________.


From the poem provide evidence for the following:

Stages Evidence (lines from the poem)
(a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain.  
(b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion  
(c) the reaction of the rational father.  
(d) the various superstitions versus the ‘scientific’  
(e) evil versus good.  

Read the poem and complete the table showing the qualities of the father and mother giving sufficient evidence from the poem.

Qualities
Father Mother
   

The poet has used various kinds of imagery to create an image that appeals to our senses. Pick out various kinds of imagery and complete the table.

Visual imagery appealing to the eye Tactile imagery (sense of touch) Sound imagery Internal sensations, feelings, and emotions
(1) Scorpion crawling beneath a sack of rice (1) _________
____________
___________		 (1) buzzed the name of God (1) fear
(2) ___________
___________
___________		 (2) Father pouring paraffin on the toe 2) ___________
___________
___________		 2) ___________

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format:

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.
Parting with his poison - flash
of diabolic tail in the dark room -
he risked the rain again.
The peasants came like swarms of flies
And buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One.
With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him: he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
moved in Mother's blood, they said.
May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
more insects, and endless rain.
My mother twisted through and through,
groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing,
powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.
My mother only said
Thank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my children.

Points:

  • The title and the poet of the poem
  • Rhyme scheme
  • Figures of speech
  • Central Idea/Theme

Read the following extract and do the given activities.

A1. Match the following:

(1) Misfortunes mud-baked
(2) Ambition bad luck
(3) World goal
(4) Wall unreal

 

With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him : he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
moved in Mother's blood, they said.
May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.

-Nissim Ezekiel

A2. Write two words ending in "on".

A3. Give an example of "metaphor" from the extract.


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