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Question
Thinking about the poem
What do you think the last two lines of the poem mean? (Looking back, does the poet regret his choice or accept it?)
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Solution
The last two lines of the poem mean the acceptance of reality. The poet made a choice and accepted the challenging path. He took an unexplored path in his life. He wanted to do something different, so he chooses the less travelled road. He is not disappointed by his decision. For a common man, the phrase reflects the everyday dilemma one must face to make different choices. No matter, how far the choices take a man in life, one shouldn’t regret not taking the other path and wondering if life could have been better than what it is.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these
definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the
words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.
1. the home of royal people (1) _____ .
2. the state of being alone (5) _____ .
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2)_____ .
4. to do something not done before (5) _____ .
5. without much effort (13) _____ .
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) _____ and _____ .
Irony is when we say one thing but mean another, usually the opposite of what we say. When someone makes a mistake and you say, Oh! That was clever!” that is irony. You’re saying ‘clever’ to mean ‘not clever’.
Expressions we often use in an ironic fashion are:
• Oh, wasn’t that clever!/Oh that was clever!
• You have been a great help, I must say!
• You’ve got yourself into a lovely mess, haven’t you?
• Oh, very funny!/How funny!
We use a slightly different tone of voice when we use these words ironically.
Read the play carefully and find the words and expressions Gerrard uses in an ironic way.
Then say what these expressions really mean. Two examples have been given below.
Write down three such expressions along with what they really mean.
| What the author says | What he means |
| Why, this is a surprise, Mr – er – |
He pretends that the intruder is a social visitor whom he is welcoming. In this way he hides his fear. |
| At last a sympathetic audience! | He pretends that the intruder wants to listen to him, whereas actually the intruder wants to find out information for his own use. |
Thinking about the poem
Is there any difference between the two roads as the poet describes them
(i) in stanzas two and three?
(ii) in the last two lines of the poem?
Pick out word from the text that mean the same as the following word or expression. (Look in the paragraph indicated.)
a strong desire arising from within : _________
Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
"Now tell us what it was all about"
Young Peterkin, he cries.
And little Willhelmines looks up
With wonder - waiting eyes,
"Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for".
- After Blenheim, Robert Southey
(i) Who are Peterkin and Wilhelmine? How does the poet describe the scene at the beginning of the poem?
(ii) What did Young Peterkin find and where? Describe it?
(iii) Who is referred to as "each other"? What did they fight for?
(iv) To whom are the words in the extract addressed? How was this person's family affected by the war?
(v) What, according to the poet, are the consequences that are often associated with great and famous victories? What message does the poet want to convey to the readers?
How old were Kari (the elephant) and the narrator?
Why did the narrator’s Grandfather visit Lucknow?
The king rewarded the shepherd twice. How and why?
Give a character sketch of the shepherd. What qualities pleased the king?
How did the monkey save himself?
Complete the following sentence
The chatter is electrical because ______
What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
What makes the child comfortable the next time he sees the garden snake?
Answer the following question. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)
In what subjects did the little man need help to do Patrick’s homework? (5, 6)
Multiple Choice Question:
What does the phrase pick their noses’ mean?
What are some of the notable features told about snakes in the lesson?
Multiple Choice Question:
How are thoughts like prisoners?
In the poem, The Darkling Thrush, the poet uses the words “evensong" and “carolling” to describe the thrush's song because ______.
In Stephen Leacock’s ‘With the Photographer’, while waiting for the photographer, the narrator spent time ______.
