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Question
Write a summary of the sonnet. Refer to the earlier poems for the points to be covered for writing the summary.
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal).
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Solution
Upon Westminster Bridge
'Upon Westminster Bridge' is a sonnet composed by William Wordsworth. It is a Petrarchan sonnet consisting of an octave and a sestet. The tone of the poem changes from overwhelmed to calm to excited and amazed by the end.
The poet begins by describing a majestic scene that he has set his eyes upon – the city of London in the wee hours of a morning from Westminster's Bridge. He describes the beauty of the early morning sun adorning the city with sunshine and observes the silence and stillness of the city before its people awake. As he gazes at the structures of the city i.e. ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples, he notes that they lie open to the sky and glitter in the rays of the morning sun. The poet observes that the air is not polluted because it is early in the day and work hasn't begun. He describes the beginning of a new day with the first rays falling on the sleeping city and notices how even the river flows calmly, at its own pace, thus evoking a sense of calm in the poet. Tying up the two contrasting ideas of a busy city and nature, the poet paints a beautiful picture in our minds. He finally ends the poem by calling out to God in sheer amazement and refers to the sleeping city of London as the 'mighty heart' that is lying still. It is a sublime finish to the fourteen-line sonnet.
The poem is a beautiful comparison between a city and nature and how both have a calming effect on a person when they are observed in the silence of the morning. The subject of the poem substantiates the fact that Wordsworth was a true Nature poet. The use of simple language makes it easy to understand and this is the biggest appeal of the poem as it makes the poem attractive to readers.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
A1. Choose two sentences that appropriately mention the theme of the passage :
(1) The extract deals with the writer’s concern over Chaitanya's handicap.
(2) The extract depicts the writer’s proud feelings towards her son’s achievement.
(3) The extract deals with how Chaitanya made the writer see positively towards life.
(4) The extract deals with how the writer helps Chaitanya to buy the bus ticket.
Early in 1997-98, when he returned from state-level inter-school sports, he had two prizes to his credit and a silver medal. He had won his laurels in athletic events and the silver medal in a running race.
When I saw the prizes and read the citation Chaitanya had received, I was stupefied, in total disbelief, then–hugged him, kissed him and cried unabashedly to my heart’s content. That day, I cried for the first time out of joy and a sense of being vindicated. Without practice, he had competed with approximately 1,800 children drawn from various schools all over the state. He was subsequently selected for the marathon race, but he could not participate due to a health problem. “Maybe next year, he would”, I assured myself. And I, as his proud mother, would proudly chronicle his future achievements and success to inspire other - mothers of the world.
Looking back at my own life, I feel that it is the spirit with which we can accept our life gracefully is what
matters ultimately; and it is love that nourishes us. All other things are unimportant. Chaitanya has made me look inwards. His handicap doesn’t disturb me any longer. He and I shall live with it and still be happy. The mental strength which he has given to me is inexhaustible.
One day, as both of us got onto a public transport bus, Chaitanya offered to buy the tickets for us.
“One full, one half ”, he said to the conductor beaming with joy.
Looking at him, I wondered whether he was really only a half? An incomplete person? Was I really full?
Complete in all respects? Why do then normal people feel that they are ‘full’ and others like Chaitanya are ‘half’ or incomplete? Chaitanya’s world is complete in itself, pure and innocent while our lives are full of deceit, jealousies, ill-feelings.
A2. Point out -
Point out two instances where you find Chaitanya's victory over his disability.
A3. Give reasons -
Chaitanya’s silver medal in a running race was very special for the writer, because :
(i) __________________
(ii) __________________
A4. Vocabulary -
Match the pairs of the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’:
| Column ‘A’ | Column ‘B’ | ||
| (1) | stupefied | (a) | official statement about the special act of courage |
| (2) | chronicle | (b) | record events in the order they happened |
| (3) | vindicated | (c) | surprised or shocked |
| (4) | citation | (d) | justified |
A5. Personal response -
Explain, your views about the ill-treatment the special children receive in society.
A6. Grammar -
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) He had won his laurels in athletic events and the silver medal in a running race.
(Rewrite the sentence using ‘not only...but also’.)
(ii) When I saw the prizes, I was stupefied.
(Rewrite the sentence using ‘No sooner.... than’.)
Greenland is the largest island in the world.
(Rewrite: Using ‘larger’.)
Give two examples of alliteration from the poem.
Does the poem have feministic overtones?
What does the word “clipped” mean in this poem?
Fill in the blank with an appropriate word:
The poet's mother was stung __________ a scorpion.
The delivery boy was requested to bring the parcel the next day. (Rewrite using direct speech)
Choose two of the passages (a) to (c) and answer briefly the questions that follow:
Raina :
Come away from the window (She takes him firmly back to the middle of the room. The moment she releases him he turns mechanically towards the window again. She seizes him and turns him back, exclaiming) Please! (He becomes motionless, like a hypnotized rabbit, his fatigue gaining fast on him. She releases him, and addresses him patronizingly). Now listen. You must trust to our hospitality. You do not yet know in whose house you are. I am a Petkoff.
The Man: A pet what?
Raina : [rather indignantly] I mean that I belong to the family of the Petkoffs, the richest and best known in our country.
The Man: Oh yes, of course. I beg your pardon. The Petkoffs, to be sure. How stupid of me!
Raina: You know you never heard of them until this moment. How can you stoop to pretend!
The Man: Forgive me. I'm too tired to think, and the change of subject was too much for me. Don't scold me.
(i) Why did the man keep turning to the window?
(ii) Which examples of the social superiority of the Petkoff's does Raina give the man?
(iii) Which opera does Raina mention? With whom does she compare herself? What does this tell you about her?
(iv) In Raina's opinion, what should the man have done instead of threatening her?
(v) What does the man tell Raina about his father? Why does he do so?
(vi) What does the man do at the end of the scene?
Write a composition (350 - 400 words) on the following:
Narrate an incident from your own experience when you expected to do very well, but for some reason were unable to do so. Explain what happened and why it happened. What lesson did you learn from it?
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as though only a moment ago, it had been the last period on Friday; already, Monday was here. He hoped that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust but that my good building, Albert Mission School, had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now.
At nine o'clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”
His mother said, “Why don’t you go to school in a bullock cart?”
“So that I may be completely dead at the other end? Have you any idea what it means to be jolted in a cart?”
“Have you any important lessons today?”
“Important! Bah! That geography teacher has been teaching the same lesson for over a year now. And we have arithmetic, which means for a whole period we are going to be beaten by the teacher............ Important lessons!”
And Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.
At 9:30, when he ought to have been lining up in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.
Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”
“Headache,” Swami replied,
“Nonsense! Dress up and go.”
“Headache.”
“Loaf about less on Sundays, and you will be without a headache on Monday.”
Swami knew how stubborn his father could be and changed his tactics.
“I can’t go so late to class.”
“I agree, but you’ll have to; it is your own fault. You should have asked me before deciding to stay away.”
“What will the teacher think if I go so late?”
“Tell him you had a headache, and so are late.”
“He will beat me if I say so.”
“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”
“Mr. Samuel.”
“Does he beat the boys?”
“He is very violent, especially with boys who come late. Some days ago, a boy was made to stay on his knees for a whole period in a corner of the class because he came late, and after getting six cuts from the cane and having his ears twisted, I wouldn’t like to go late to Mr Samuel’s class.”
“If he is so violent, why not tell your headmaster about it?”
“They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him. He is such a violent man.”
And then Swami gave a lurid account of Samuel’s violence; how when he started caning, he would not stop till he saw blood on the boy’s hand, which he made the boy press to his forehead like a Vermillion marking. Swami hoped his father would be made to see that he couldn’t go to his class late. But his father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn. He became excited.
“What do these people mean by beating our children? They must be driven out of service. I will see…..”
The result was that he proposed to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge. He was also going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami was of any avail: Swami had to go to school.
By the time he was ready, his father had composed a long letter to the headmaster, put it in an envelope, and sealed it.
“What have you written, father?” Swaminathan asked apprehensively.
“Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.”
Swami’s father did not know the truth—that, actually, Mr. Samuel was a very kind gentleman.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. (3)
One-word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
- jolted
- stubborn
- avail
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
- What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be answered? (2)
- Which sentence tells us that Swami’s father was completely unsympathetic to his son’s headache? (2)
- In what way was Swami’s mother’s response different from his father’s? (2)
- Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father? (2)
- In what way did Father’s behaviour take an unexpected turn? (2)
- What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father? (2)
(c)
(i) In not more than 60 words, describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a violent man. (8)
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3
(c). Give a reason to justify your choice. (2)
Re-write the following sentence according to the instructions are given. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of the sentence.
As soon as the function got over. The crowd dispersed.
(Begin: Hardly had……….)
There has been heavy rain in your city/town. You went to school but found that it was closed because of the rain. Describe the sights and sounds near the school and narrate how you finally reached home and spent the rest of the day.
Give reasons for the following.
Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
Give reasons for the following.
List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Based on the text enact your own version of the play. Work in pairs.
How does the bond of affection between Mrs. Croft and the narrator evolve?
It took the narrator quite some time to understand that what he heard as 'piper', in fact, meant 'paper' and the phrase 'mind the gap' in the Tube. What do you think caused the problem?
Describe the cycle of events in Satyajit's life that brought him back to where he began.
The author is a humorist
a. How does the story reflect his sense of humour?
b. What makes his lady friend remark - 'You are quite a humorist'?
c. Give instances of the author's ability to laugh at himself.
Describe a recent quarrel that you have had with your brother, sister, or friend. How did it start? What did you quarrel about? How did it end?
What is a space shuttle? Name the shuttle which took Kalpana in space.
Find out from your grandparents or parents the names of vegetables and fruits they had eaten in their childhood and mention how the vegetables and fruits are different from the one's today.
| Name of the vegetable or fruit | Shape | Colour | Taste |
| 1. | |||
| 2. | |||
| 3. |
Refer to a standard dictionary and find out the meaning of the following word:
Reportage
Write a summary of the poem using the following points:
- Title
- Introductory paragraph (about the poem, type, nature, tone)
- Main body (central idea, the gist of the poem)
- Conclusion (opinion, views, appeal)
Pick out the examples of alliteration from the poem and write them down.
The poet has described two different shades of human feelings by using imagery of various forces of Nature in the poem. Pick out the terms or phrases that describe them. Complete the table given below. One is done for you.
| Nature | Feelings |
| Faded forests | Sad/gloomy |
The poem creates a delightful picture of the city, rich in its natural beauty. Work in pairs, groups and pick out the lines from the poem which give the pictorial effect to the poem. Write it in your own words.
Complete the table. One is done for you.
| The World around you | What we should aim to be | |
| 1. | Callous | Caring for people, environment, life |
| 2. | Violent | |
| 3. | Greedy | |
| 4. | Corrupt |
Given in a mixed order below are some good human attributes of the family. Pick out from the box and write it against the line that reflects it.
The father told Fritz, the gourds would make excellent bowls and spoons and they cut them into various utensils ______________________.
Narrate the story of Sushruta in your own words.
Write the rhyme scheme of the poem (Invictus).
Think and write in your own words.
Why did the traveller choose the road less travelled? What attribute of the traveller does it bring out?
Find and write the descriptions of different people given in this story.
Write your opinion, in your own words:-
Why did they appreciate and praise the stranger’s story?
Write 3 to 5 sentences about the following character.
Bertha
Prepare a set of questions to interview-
a person who has just returned from a trek in the woods
The poem describes the sad demise of the Captain. How would you console the son of the Captain? Write a short paragraph using the points given below.
- Expressing grief on the death.
- An act of God.
- Words/sentences giving strengths and courage to face the situation.
- Add your own points.
Answer the following questions in a paragraph about 80 -100 words
It is said, “The choices made by one, shape one’s destiny”. Ponder on the thought and write a paragraph.
Write a paragraph of 100 – 120 words about a memorable anecdote/incident of your life.
Describe the picture in 50 words and give a suitable title. Make use of the words given below.
modern world – left alone – busy – gadgets – cell phones – ignored – feels alone – lonely – sad feeling
Complete the paragraph with suitable words from the box.
| around, across, with, along, to, after, next to, into, from. |
One day, as I was walking ______ the bank of the river, I saw my friend running ______ the field. He was calling my name and waving ______ me. I stopped and waited. ______ sometime he reached where I was standing. He said, “I went all ______ the town looking for you. I have some exciting news to share ______ you. Do you remember the old house ______ the neem tree? Guess who is moving ______ that house? Janak Das, the great magician. Now we can learn lots of magic tricks ______ him.”
Now complete the following suitably.
_______ a dog ran out onto the road.
Use the option to fill in the blank.
The market ______ closed.
The ______of robbers escaped.
As young Khushwant Singh, write a letter to your parents describing your daily routine expressing your thoughts and feelings about staying in the village.
State whether the following statement are true or false
The friends parted one night after watching a movie together.
State whether the following statement are true or false
Bob realised that the tall man was not Jimmy Wells from the shape of his nose.
Describe Mary Kom’s personal experiences during her first International Championship match from the time of selection to winning the medal.
Why was Mary Kom named the ‘Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary'?
Why was Mary Kom named the ‘Queen of Boxing’ and ‘Magnificent Mary'?
You are the School Pupil Leader. Your school organised an Inter-School Sports event at Nehru Stadium. Write a report on the special events conducted, in about 100-120 words for the school souvenir
What changes had the photographer effected on Leacock’s face in the picture?
How would Miss Meadows usually treat Mary? How did her behavior towards the girl change that day?
Fill in the following forms with imaginary details.
Observe the following picture and write a paragraph in about 150 word about each one of them.
"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value."- Thomas Paine
Do we value only what we struggle for? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use examples from your reading, observations, and inputs from subjects such as History, Science and literature)
What was the blue bead?
What do you like better - to listen to a joke, or to tell a joke?
Describe the event that led the narrator, Shankar, to suggest digging the ground under the Deodar tree in the short story, Fritz. Write your answer in a short paragraph of about 100-150 words.
