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Question
Why is the poem entitled 'Hawk Roosting'?
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Solution
The poem is about the speaker, the Hawk, who is looking down from where it is roosting, the highest point in the woods. It is a dramatic monologue in a non-human voice. The Hawk boasts of its superiority and is self-assertive. It is symbolic of we humans who tend do not think beyond what has been defined to us by society beyond our perspective. Our ignorance is our bliss as in the case of the Hawk. The Hawk, who narrates its story of how it perceives the world, is personified incarnating it as the most superior of all the beings. The Hawk believes itself to be the center of the cosmos. The whole poem is from the perspective of the Hawk, the bird of prey. The poem is from Hughes' second book, Lupercal, published in 1960. Once in an interview, he explained, “Actually what I had in mind was that in this hawk Nature is thinking. Simply Nature. It's not so simple because maybe Nature is no longer so simple.” in many of Huges' poems animals serve as a metaphor. He takes their help to describe his perspective on life. Ted is known for evoking violent imagery and his description of the ultimate battle of survival. In Hawk Roosting, the Hawk goes on blathering about its inherited supremacy and its ignorance is its bliss, which it celebrates.
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Maggu’s achievements are particularly noteworthy because – as is well known – academic institutions in India are less than sold on the idea of inclusive education. In fact, when Maggu lost her sight in class IV, her school (which she declines to name) expelled her while suggesting she attend a “blind school”. Though shocked, Maggu rejected the advice. “Attending a special school would have tarred me with a handicap forever, which was not how I saw my future. Therefore I did the rounds of other public schools with my father, a small – time merchant, explaining that my case was different Since I had vision till the age of ten,” she recalls.
Impressed by her persistence and ambition, Delhi’s Bluebells School not only admitted her but pulled out all the stops to support her in academics sporting events and also notched up a respectable 73 percent average in the class XII exam with the help of Braille, interactive textbooks and extra coaching.
The respectable average in her CBSE exam paved the way for admission into LSR where again she proved her mettle by winning medals in a slew of inter – collage events (100 200 and 400 metre sprints) high jump, long jump, javelin and discuss throw: resulting in her being declared ‘Athlete of the year’ 2003’ at a sports meet for 100 physically challenged athletes. And the cherry on the cake was the selection to the IBSA Games last year. “It was a tough regimen,” recalls Maggu. “I had to attend sports camps manage my studies and officiates as sports president. But I managed.”
Questions:
(1) What qualities of Maggu are highlighted in this passage?
(2) Why did Maggu refuse to attend a ‘blind school’?
(3) Quote the lines that show that Jyoti Maggu was good in academics as well as in sports.
(4) Use any two phrases in sentences of your own :
(a) To win laurels
(b) To pave the way
(c) To prove one’s mettle
(d) A tough regimen
(5)
(a) I did the rounds of other public schools with my father [Change the voice]
(b) though shocked Maggu rejected the advice [Rewrite as a simple sentence]
(6) Should the physically challenged be sent to special schools? Express your views.
Read the passage carefully.
1. I remember my childhood as being generally happy and can recall experiencing some of the most carefree times of my life. But I can also remember, even more vividly, moments of being deeply frightened. As a child, I was truly terrified of the dark and getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some extremely uncomfortable moments.
2. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my familiar room at night that scared me so much. There was never total darkness, but a street light or passing car lights made clothes hung over a chair take on the shape of an unknown beast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw curtains move when there was no breeze. A tiny creak in the floor would sound a hundred times louder than in the daylight and my imagination would take over, creating burglars and monsters. Darkness always made me feel helpless. My heart would pound and I would lie very still so that 'the enemy' wouldn't discover me.
3. Another childhood fear of mine was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning, I got on the school bus right near my home ‒ that was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the curve, I was terrified that I would get on the wrong one and be taken to some unfamiliar neighbourhood. I would scan the bus for the faces of my friends, make sure that the bus driver was the same one that had been there in the morning, and even then ask the others over and over again to be sure I was in the right bus. On school or family trips to an amusement park or a museum, I wouldn't let the leaders out of my sight. And of course, I was never very adventurous when it came to taking walks or hikes because I would go only where I was sure I would never get lost.
4. Perhaps, one of the worst fears I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. First of all, I was quite shy. Secondly, I worried constantly about my looks, thinking people wouldn't like me because I was too fat or wore braces. I tried to wear 'the right clothes' and had intense arguments with my mother over the importance of wearing flats instead of saddled shoes to school. Being popular was very important to me then and the fear of not being liked was a powerful one.
5. One of the processes of evolving from a child to an adult is being able to recognise and overcome our fears. I have learnt that darkness does not have to take on a life of its own, that others can help me when I am lost and that friendliness and sincerity will encourage people to like me. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps to cope with our lives as adults.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.
(b) Make a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.
Anne's relationship with her mother was never simple. What created the tension and discord? Why
Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
If you do not get lowered in your own eyes
While you raise yourself in those of others,
If you do not give in to gossips and lies
Rather heed them not, saying, 'who bothers?'
You may be the person I am looking for.
If you crave not for praise when you win
And look not for sympathy while you lose,
If cheers let not your head toss or spin
And after a set-back, you offer no excuse,
You may be the person I and looking for.
(1) What should be your reaction towards gossips and lies?
(2) Who are your role models? Why?
(3) Give the rhyming pairs of words from the first stanza.
(4) Which line is repeated in this extract and what is its effect?
Why are animals considered as intelligent as humans ?
Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?
Number the points.
What were the attempts made by the author to get his watch repaired?
How do the words in bold, in the lines below, illustrate the poet’s ability to convey criticism cryptically?
Our meddling intellect
Misshapes the beauteous forms of things:
We murder to dissect.
Think, choose and fill up the labels with what a ‘sunrise’ symbolizes.
(jewellery/art/hope/birth/anger/new opportunities/good manners/inspiration/new achievements/happiness/misery/bright moments/new aims/money/new surprises)
Rearrange the following events as they occur in the story. Put the correct number in the boxes.
| (a) | Mr Fitzwarren provided shelter to Dick. | |
| (b) | A carter gave Dick a lift to London. | |
| (c) | A cat sailed to the African coast. | |
| (d) | The captain sold the cat for a very high amount of money. | |
| (e) | Dick left his village on foot, to go to London. | |
| (f) | Dick became rich, and later, the Mayor of London. | |
| (g) | Dick was homeless, helpless, cold and hungry. | |
| (h) | Dick bought a cat to get rid of the mice. | |
| (i) | The rats and mice ate up all the dinner, laid for the king and queen. |
A small thought, put in action, led to a great achievement. Pick out the lines from the beginning and end of the poem and explain their significance.
Sue and Johnsy were very close friends.
Say where . . . . . . .
______ do the cows and sheep stand?
Underline the verb in the following sentence and state whether the sentence is in the Active or Passive voice.
England gave Ramanujan great honours.
Birbal thought Akbar was greater than God.
Form pairs. Present in the class, the conversation between Thiruvalluvar and the young man.
Form groups and hold debates on the following topics. Make bulleted lists of points in favour of the topic (pros) and those against it (cons). (3-6 points each)
You should admit your mistakes.
Write a few lines about each character.
Talk about the good qualities of any one person you do not like. (You need not name the person.)
Write the following:
The sights mentioned in the third stanza.
Write the symbol that is used in the poem to represent the following idea.
Equally good options.
Write the symbol that is used in the poem to represent the following idea.
It was tempting and needed to be tried.
Rewrite in your own words.
One event from the story.
Often the brook speaks of itself as if it is human.
For example, 'I bicker down a valley.'
Find two other examples of the human activities of the brook.
Which other things in nature can say –
'For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.'
Write in your own words.
In which professions is a person forced to stay away from his home/ homeland for a long time? Try to guess why the poet is forced to stay away from his home?
Write out a few things that you would really miss about your home if you were to stay away from it for long.
List and say whether the following statement agrees with the passage or not.
In a discussion, you should share your ideas with others.
The poem has rhyming words at the end of the lines. Find and write the pairs of rhyming words in each stanza.
When do the parents feel sorry and become unhappy?
What are search engines?
Guess the meaning of the following word.
magnificent
The rich man was from...
The author left the ties in the taxi.
Read the following line from the poem and answer the question given below.
They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
- What does the word ‘growl’ mean here?
- Why do they find everything amiss?
From the poem ‘The Grumble Family’ what kind of behavior does the poet want the readers to possess?
Read the story again and write how these character reacted in these situation:
Zigzag hardly never sleeps.
Somu………………………
Dr.Krishnan……………………….
Hamid was like one with wings on his feet. This means ______
Hamid’s heart sank because the price of the tongs was______for him.
Read the line and answer the question.
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over
What does the poet want to do after his voyage is over?
Read the story and fill in the grid by ticking each character’s qualities.
Discuss in pairs to rate the characteristic and give marks from 1 to 10 depending on the grade of each quality.
Justify your views in one or two sentences.
| Characteristics | Jane Eyre | Mrs. Reed | Bessie | Helen Burns | Miss. Temple |
| arrogant | |||||
| bitter | |||||
| caring | |||||
| courageous | |||||
| cruel | |||||
| emotional | |||||
| friendly | |||||
| kind | |||||
| sensitive | |||||
| rich | |||||
| poor | |||||
| patient | |||||
| self-disciplined | |||||
| unjust |
Sea turtles come to rest on land.
Where did Raj’s mother send him?
Complete the sentence given below with word/phrase.
The rains came and poured______.
The boar slept until the fading sun told him it was time to get up. What does the phrase until the fading sun mean?
Jaswant managed to kill _________ Chinese soldiers.
Brain of a robot is the______.
Who sews the cloth?
Who will be the fortunate?
How did he win the match?
Will you solve a mystery with friends? Why?
Bala and Janani acted like the______.
Recite the poem 'A Voyage' with correct intonation.
The official visited the rehabilitation centre daily.
What is the one thing you will try and improve after reading the story? How?
Who was burning with curiosity?
Who agreed to help Helen?
Why did the animals think that the jackal was a king?
