Class X poems (Short type)

          MY OWN TRUE FAMILY

1.Who wrote the poem ‘My Own True Family’?

 Ans—Edward James ‘Ted’ Hughes, a famous English poet had written the poem.

2.When did the poet come twice awake?

Ans—When the old woman whom the poet met in an oak wood opened the bag to show a magic, the poet came twice awake.

3 .What did the old woman begin to do ?

Ans—From the poem, ‘My Own True Family’ we come to know that the old woman began to laugh in a shrill way.

4. What did the child begin to do at the woman’s cackle?

Ans—The child began to tremble in fear in the poem, ‘My Own True Family’.

5. What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise?

Ans – If the poet failed to make the promise, the black oak tree would wrinkle over him and rooted him among the oak trees. This way he would die.

6. What was it that altered the poet?

Ans –The dream which the poet saw about the ill fate of oak trees has altered the poet completely. When he awoke from his dream he felt compassionate with the trees.

7. In what sense was the poet child twice awake?

Ans—On his first waking, the poet saw the old woman and in the next phase of his dream he woke up to see the tribe of oaks surrounding him in the poem, ‘ My Own True Family’.

8. What happened when the old woman open her bag?

Ans—When the old woman opened her bag, the child found himself tied to a stake and surrounded by a tribe.

9. What condition did the old woman and the tribe lay down to the child to save himself ?

Ans—The old woman and the tribe compelled the child to make a promise that whenever he saw an oak tree felled, he would plant two oak trees as compensation.

10. What would happen if child did not keep his promise?

Ans—If the child did not keep his promise, the black oak bark would wrinkle over him and root him among the oaks.

11. How was the child altered ?

Ans. When the child came out of the oak wood, though his walk was of a human child, his heart seemed to be a tree itself.

12. When did the poet come twice awake?

Ans. In the poem, ‘My Own True Family’ the poet came twice awake when the old woman opened up her little bag.

13. What are the complaints of the oak trees?

Ans.  The complaints of the Oak-trees were that though they were true family members of mankind, the human beings chop them down, torn them up indiscriminately.

14. What did the old woman say?

Ans. The old woman said that she had the poet’s secret inside her little bag.

15. Who introduced themselves as the poets own true family?

Ans. The oak-tree introduced themselves as the poet’s own true family.

About More--

The poem describes the magical experience of a young child in an Oakwood, and indicates that human beings and trees should thrive as a single family. It focuses strongly on the need to protect our natural environment for the welfare of mankind.

EXPLANATION:  “Once I crept in …to a stake”

The poet once went to an oak wood in search of a deer. There he met with a very weak and feeble old woman. She showed a bag to the poet and said that she knew his secret which perhaps made the poet very curious. Then the old woman began to shake her bag in a magical way and suddenly the poet found himself surrounded by a tribe and he was tied to a stake.

EXPLANATION: “They Said…but never grew”

The tribes were nothing but the oak trees and they said to the poet that they are his own true family. They expressed their unhappiness saying that human beings chop them down, they torn them up. They threatened the poet that they would kill him unless he made a promise to stop this. They made the poet to make promise that from now on he would plant more trees whenever one tree is cut. If the poet would not make the promise then the old oak tree would devour him.

EXPLANATION: “This was my dream…heart was a tree”

But this incident is not a real incident. It is happening in the dreams of the poet.  But when the poet wakes up his inner conscience has already transformed. He feels sorry for the trees. He on behalf of mankind realizes his mistake and his heart is filled with compassion for the trees.

A Short Summary of the poem, ‘My Own True Family’.

        When the author was a small boy, he went to forest full of Oak trees. He was chasing and searching for a stag in the forest.  There he met an old woman. She terrified him with her appearance and words too. She made funny bird-like sounds. He trembled with fear. He fell unconscious and probably dreamt a dream that is of utmost significance to today’s world.  In his dream he was tied to a wooden stake.  He was surrounded by a tribe of Oak trees. They were looking at him angrily.  The Oak trees told him that they were his friends and true family. But when they were cut off and torn up, the author had not opposed it at all.  So they asked him to promise that he would plant two trees when one is felled down. If did not swear so, they would kill him and root him at the same place among oaks where was born. Although he was born there, he did not grow up near the forest. So he was not aware not had an attitude of saving trees. When he woke up, this dream changed his mind and heart.  Though he came back to his fellow camp mates, now he was a tree in his heart. So he was determined to save trees and greenery.  Initially the poem reflected the simple and timid mentality of children. Later on the author introduced a lesson for the humanity through the dream of a small boy.

                                                                               FABLE

1.Who wrote the poem, ‘Fable’?

Ans—The poem, ‘Fable’ was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson./ “Fable” is a short poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1847.

2. What does ‘little prig’ mean ?

Ans. The word, ‘Little prig’ means a small creature that is fussy and self-righteous in an irritating manner.

3. What does the poem ‘Fable’ mean to say ?

Ans. In the poem, ‘Fable’ the word fable means to say that talents differ and everyone, big or small, has a role to play on earth.

4. What do all sorts of things and weather make ?

Ans—All sorts of things and weather make a sphere or the earth and a year in the poem, ‘Fable’.

5. What is not disgrace to the squirrel?

Ans. It is not a disgrace to the squirrel to be so small and to occupy a small place.

6. Where does the squirrel make ‘squirrel track’?

Ans—In the poem, ‘Fable’ the squirrel makes it’s track in the forest that grows on the mountain’s back.

7. What are the positive qualities of the squirrel ?

Ans—From the poem, ‘Fable’ we come to know that the squirrel is spry or lively, confident and speak articulately for himself.

8. What, according to the squirrel, are the limitations of the mountain ?

Ans—According to the squirrel, the mountain is not half as spry as the squirrel and cannot crack nuts.

9. What does the term ‘all sorts of things’ refer to ?

Ans. The term, ‘all sorts of things’ refers to both the living and non-living things of nature.

10. Who is called ‘little prig’ in the poem, ‘Fable’ ?

Ans. The squirrel is called ‘little prig’ by the mountain in the poem, ‘Fable’.

Analysis of the poem

     

 Fable" is a poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A "fable" is a short tale to teach a lesson.. Emerson wrote the poem with a very obvious theme in mind: Everyone is unique and everyone possesses different talents. This becomes increasingly apparent at the end of the poem. Emerson is screaming to the reader that there is no shame in being your unique self. Although there will always be bigger or more talented people in certain aspects, they are not perfect and you are better than them in different ways. A "prig" is someone who is self-righteous. In this tale, Emerson tells us to not judge others and try to understand that people unlike us also have qualities that we don't have. For example, the mountain may be able to carry forests on his back but he can't crack a nut like a squirrel. "Fable" is written as one stanza with 19 lines. The rhyme scheme is AABCBDDEEFFGHHIJKJK. As you can see, not all the lines rhyme. This is Emerson's way to put importance on a line and change the rhythm to change emotion.

                                                                                                          Sea Fever

1. Name the poet and the poem from which this line has been taken.

 Ans.  The poem is Sea Fever and it is written by John Masefield.

2. What do you think the title of this poem means? What is the fever?

Ans. ‘Sea Fever’ expresses the deep desire of the poet to be at sea. He uses the word ‘fever’ to express the urgency of this desire, which cannot be satisfied unless he experiences it.

 3. What all does the poet ask for when he is at sea?

Ans.  The poet asks for a tall ship, a star to steer her by.

4. What according to the poet are the pleasures of sailing?

 Ans. The poet enjoys the wheel’s kick, the wind’s song and the white sails shaking, a grey mist on the sea’s face and a grey dawn breaking, white clouds flying, flung spray, blown spume and the sea-gulls crying.

 5. Quote the line that has been repeated in the poem.

 Ans. “I must go down to the sea again”, is the often repeated line.

6. Why has this line been repeated?

 Ans. This line has been repeated because it expresses his deepest desire and urgency to return to sea as a sailor. He feels the sea is calling, for the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that cannot be denied. He wishes to be one with the sea. Everything about the sea is a source of delight and excitement.

7. What sort of a life does the poet desire to lead at sea?

 Ans. The poet visualizes a vagrant gypsy life where he can feel a sense of freedom like the gulls and whales, in the sea.

 8. What kind of a life does the poet lead at sea?

 Ans. The poet leads a wandering life that of a vagrant gypsy. His only companions are the sea gulls and the whales.

9. A sailor is in the company of nature most of the time but, being a human being, he might also wish to have human company at times. What kind of human company does this sailor want?

Ans. The poet longs for the company of a laughing fellow rover with whom he can share his stories and experiences.

10. Quote the lines from the poem which tell us what the poet wants to do after his voyage is over.

 Ans. The lines are: “And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.”

 11. Explain the line-“Where the wind’s like a whetted knife.”

 Ans. Out in the open seas the winds are icy cold and blow very strongly. The poet feels very cold and feels that the icy winds cut him like a sharp knife.

12. What does wheel’s kick refer to ?

Ans. It refers to the force of the wheel against the helmsman’s hand.

13. What is the sea-wind compared to?

Ans. The sea-wind is compared to a whetted knife.

14. What kind of life does the poet aspire to?

Ans. The poet aspires to a vagrant gypsy life in his poem, ‘Sea Fever’.

15. What does the wind’s song refer to?

Ans. It refers to the rhythm of the sea wind whistling by.

16. How is the call of the running tide?

Ans. The call of the running tide is loud, clear and irresistible in the poem, ‘Sea Fever’.

17. What happens to sea-bed as the ship moves?

Ans. There are flung spray and blown spume on the seabed as the ship moves.

18. What does the poet ask for to steer his ship?

Ans. The poet asks for a star to steer his ship.

19. When does the poet want to enjoy quiet sleep?

Ans. The wants to enjoy quiet sleep after the journey is over.

20. Where does the poet wishes to go and why?

Ans. The poet wishes to go on a sea voyage to the lonely sea and the sky above to enjoy the excitement of sea voyage.

21. What does the poet need in the voyage?

Ans. For the voyage, the poet needs to take a tall ship and a star for guidance at night.

 a star to steer her by: the north star is a kind of sailor’s compass, guiding the direction of the ship.

wheel’s kick: While turning a ship’s steering wheel, a sailor has to stop after each full or half turn, and the wheel jerks back a little every time he does so. This kick- back of the wheel is therefore a very familiar experience in sailing.

spume: foam or froth.

vagrant: wandering, travelling.

 the gull’s way and the whale’s way..: Both the gull and the whale are creatures of the sea. The gull’s way is mostly above the sea in the wind, mist and spray. The whale’s movements are in the depths of the ocean. The sailor experiences both these.

whetted: sharpened

 yarn: story rover: wanderer

trick: here, a period of duty at the wheel of the ship.

 

                                                           THE SNAIL

1.Who wrote the poem, ‘The Snail’?

Ans. The poem, ‘The Snail’ has written by William Cowper.

2. What are the qualities of the snail?

Ans. From the poem, ‘The Snail’ I come to know that the snail is quite, self-sufficient and resilient.

3. What is not the snail afraid of?

Ans. The snail is not afraid of falling from a high place.

3. When does the snail hide himself?

Ans. The snail hides himself if he anticipates any danger of storm or other harm.

4. When does the snail shrink himself into his own house?

Ans. The snail shrinks himself into his house when it is touched in its horns.

5. How does the snail feel when someone touches his horns?

Ans. The snail feels disturbed and shrinks himself into his house when someone touches his horns.

6. What does the snail possess as his personal?

Ans. The snail possesses nothing as his personal except himself.

7. How does the snail find satisfaction?

Ans.  The snail finds satisfaction to be his own treasure himself in the poem, ‘The Snail’.

8. Which lesson do you get from the snail?

Ans. From the poem, ‘The Snail’ we come to learn to be self-content and independent from the snail. We also learn to avoid worthless worldly matters and grow strong within for self-protection.

9. Why does the snail have no fear of falling?

Ans. From the poem, ‘The Snail’ written by William Cowper, the snail sticks close to a grass or a leaf or a fruit or a wall, so the snail has no fear of falling.

10. How does the house help the snail?

Ans. The house helps the snail from any danger of storm or other harm.

11. How does the snail stick to its place?

Ans. The snail sticks to its place closely lest it should fall in the poem, ‘The Snail’.

12. What kind of a life does the snail live?

Ans. The snail lives a lonely life in own place.

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