Poem 1 The Rain Short
Q.1 Who wrote the poem, ‘The Rain’?
Ans. W.H Davies write the poem, “The Rain”.
Q.2 What do the rich leaves” symbolize??
Ans. The leaves on top of the tree are rich leaves as they drink rain directly, and share rain with the poor leaves beneath. They also stand for rich people who have direct access to the pleasures and luxuries of life.
Q.3 What is meant by “poor leaves” in the poem, “The Rain”?
Ans. The leaves that do not receive rain directly are the poor leaves. They depend on leaves on top. Poor leaves also stand for poor people who do not have any access to the pleasures and luxuries of life.
Q.4 How does the poet feel when he hears the rain falling on the leaves?
Ans. The poet enjoys the beautiful rhythm created by the rain-drops falling on the leaves of the tree. He calls the sound of the rain sweet noise as it pleases his aesthetic sense.
Q.5 What according to the poet, will be the effect of sunshine after the rain?
Ans. The poet says that a wonderful light will fill each dark raindrop when the rain stops and the sun comes out to brighten the whole atmosphere. He says that everything will wear a fresh and beautiful look after the rain.
Q.6 What does the poet hope?
Ans. The poet hopes that, when the rain stops, the sun will shine brightly and a wonderful light will fill each dark raindrop. He hopes that the whole panorama will wear a lovely look after the rain.
Q.7 Give a brief summary of the poem, “The Rain”.
Ans. The poet describes a scene of the rain. The raindrops fall on the leaves of the tree and create sweet music. The poet hopes when the rain stops, the sun will shine brightly and a wonderful light will brighten each dark raindrop.
Q.8 What is the theme of the poem, “The Rain”?
Ans. The audio-visual effect produced by the rain is very pleasing to the human senses. The poet believes that the pinching bitter reality of poverty around us is counterbalanced by the regeneration and enrichment which the sunlight brings.
Q.9 How can a rainy day be enjoyed?
Ans. Different people can enjoy a rainy day in different fashions according to their tastes and moods. However, it is pure pleasure to watch nature bathing in rain.
Q.10 Explain the first stanza with reference to the context.
Ans. Reference: These lines have been taken from the poem, “The Rain” by W.H. Davies
Context: The audio-visual effect produced by the rain is very pleasing to the human senses. The poet believes that the pinching bitter reality of poverty around us is counterbalanced by the regeneration and enrichment which the sunlight brings.
Q.11 What is the Main Idea of the Poem The Rain?
The Poem “The Rain” is about 2 classes in society, rich and poor. The poet symbolized rich leaves to rich people who take away all the money and the luxuries of life and give to the poor which is left behind. The poet in this poem has pointed out the difference between the rich and the poor.
Q.12 What do the rich and the poor leaves symbolize?
Rich leaves stand for the rich people and poor leaves stand for the poor people.
Poem 2 Night Mall
Who wrote the poem, “Night Mail”?
Ans. W.H. Auden wrote the poem, “Night Mail”.
What does the Night mail bring?
Ans. The Night Mail brings cheques and postal orders to people living in various parts of the country. The rich and the poor, the shopkeeper at the corner and the girl next door all wait for the Night Mail to bring them letters.
Does the gradient delay the journey of the Night Mail?
Ans. The gradient is against her but it does not delay the journey of the Night Mail. Whether the railway track is an upward ascent or a sloping descent, the Night Mail is always on time.
How do birds and sheep-dogs react as Night Mail approaches?
Ans. As the Night Mail approaches, birds turn their heads to look at her blank-faced coaches, while sheep-dogs continue to sleep as they are unable to change her course.
What happens as the Night Mail passes by a farm?
Ans. No one wakes up as the Night Mail passes by a farm only a jug in a bedroom gently shakes. It does not disturb the peaceful sleep of the people living near the railway track.
Does the Night Mail observe punctuality?
Ans. Yes, the Night Mail observes punctuality. The poet lends human characteristics to the Night Mail. It maintains its steadiness in spite of the difficulties in its way.
How does the Night Mail establish communication across the country?
Ans. The words “crossing the border” indicate that the Night mail links people living across the country. It establishes communication not only across the country but also among the people living in various parts of the country.
What is the theme of “Night Mail”?
Ans. The poet personifies an inanimate and crude object like Night Mail as a vibrant horse. It establishes communication between different segments of society. It maintains its steadiness despite the difficulties in its way.
Poem 3 “Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now”
Q. Who wrote the poem, “Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now”?
Ans. A.E. Housman wrote the poem, “Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now”.
Q. What does the cherry seem to celebrate?
Ans. Hung with flowers, the cherry seems to be wearing a white dress for the celebration of Easter. Coincidentally, the cherry is in full bloom in the same month, March, in which the day of Resurrection of Christ is celebrated.
Q. How old is the poet and what does he mean by saying that twenty years will not come again?
Ans. The poet is twenty years old. Since, according to the Bible, an average man lives up to seventy years, the poet has now only fifty years more to enjoy the beauty of nature. He feels sad at the loss of his earlier life.
Q. Why does the poet think that fifty years are a little time for him?
Or
Q. What is the poet trying to say in the last stanza of the poem?
Ans. The poet says that life is too short to enjoy the beauty of nature. He regrets the loss of the early twenty years of his life during which he could not enjoy the beauty of nature.
Q. What makes Cherry the loveliest of trees?
Ans. Hung with flowers, the cherry seems to be wearing a white dress for the celebration of Easter. The enchanting beauty of the cherry makes it loveliest of all trees. The poet says that even fifty years is a little time to enjoy it captivating beauty.
Q. Where are the cherry trees growing?
Ans. The cherry trees are growing about the woodland ride — a path in the jungle for horse-riders.
Q. What is the keen desire of the poet?
Ans. The keen desire of the poet is to enjoy the beauty of the cherry. He longs for a long life to feast his eyes on the charm of the cherry.
Q. What do you understand by three score years and ten?
Ans. Three score years and ten means seventy years. The poet is twenty years old and he desires a long life to see the beauty of nature.
Q. When does the cherry bloom?
Ans. The cherry blooms in spring and fills the atmosphere with captivating beauty. Coincidentally, the cherry is in full bloom in the same month, March, in which the day of resurrection of Christ is celebrated.
Q. Explain the first stanza with reference to context.
Ans. Click here for all Stanzas explanation with reference to the context.
Q. What time of the year is mentioned in the first stanza?
Ans. The word “Eastertide” in the first stanza of the poem indicates that it is spring time.
Q. What is the theme of “Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now”?
Ans. The cherry loaded with white blossom is a source of pleasure for the poet. However, he also feels saddened at the shortness of earthly life to enjoy this enchanting sight of pleasure.
Poem 4 “O Where you Going”
Q.1 Who wrote the poem, “O Where you Going”?
Ans. W.H. Auden wrote the poem, O Where you going.
Q.2 What does the poet want to say in the poem, “O Where you Going”?
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What is the theme of the poem “O Where you Going”?
Ans. Two opposite forces are at work in the mind of a person heading towards his goal. Negative forces are fear and uncertainty while the positive are courage and determination. The poet says that the brave cannot be discouraged by destructive forces.
Q.3 What does the fearer say to the farer?
Ans. The fearer says that the death in the guise of dusk will come to the farer. He says that the evil spirits and other destructive forces will attack the rider unawares, and the signs of a horrible disease will frighten him to death.
Q.4 What is the effect of the reader’s words on the rider?
Ans. the rider remains resolute and the evil designs of the fearer fail to make him dispirited and demoralized. The reader’s discouraging words do not succeed in dissuading the traveler from the way to his destination.
Q.5 What kind of feelings does the poet create in the minds of the readers?
Ans. The poet breathes a spirit of steadfastness and determination into the minds of the readers. He creates the feelings of manliness and hopefulness in the readers.
Q.6 What does the title of the poem signify?
Ans. The title of the poem signifies a feeling of fear, uncertainty and insecurity. The title seems to suggest that someone is calling us to make us aware of the danger.
Q.7 What do you feel after reading the poem?
Ans. After reading the poem, we feel that courage, fortitude and determination lead us to our goal. A cowardly person dies every moment, while a fearless person paves his way through hardships.
Q.8 What is the fatal disease described by the horror?
Ans. The horror tries to horrify the hearer by warning him that a fatal skin disease will overpower him. The words ‘socking disease’ in the poem refer to the extreme fear in the mind of the frightened person.
Q.9 Why, according to the reader, will the rider not be able to cross the valley?
Ans. The reader warns that the rider will not be able to cross the valley because there will be unbearable heat like that of hell which will burn him to death. He says that there will come a huge gap on his way that will prove the rider’s grave.
Q.10 How, according to the horror, will the strange figures terrify the hearer?
Ans. The horror tries to terrify the hearer that ghostly figures will chase and attack him. The horror warns that death, in the guise of invisible creatures like demons and witches, will come to the traveler.
Poem 5 “In the Street of the Fruit Stalls”
Q. Who wrote the poem, “In the Street of the Fruit Stalls”?
Ans. Jan Stallworthy wrote the poem, “In the Street of the Fruit Stalls”.
Q. Write a critical note on the poem, “In the Street of the Fruit Stalls”.
Ans. The poet paints a gloomy picture of the world which is threatened with the darkness of war, poverty and misery. However, he says that all these threats have failed to crush man’s love for pleasures of life.
Q. What are the feelings of the poet standing in the dark?
Ans. The poet feels saddened at the sight of the poverty and misery caused by war. The spontaneous enjoyment and lively jubilation of the dark children only heightens the gloomy mood of the poet.
Q. Why does the poet compare the fruits to cannon balls?
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Why does the poet use “cannon balls” to describe the fruit?
Ans. The poet is so horror-stricken that even the fruits piled up in a conical form appear to be bombs to him. Fruits glowing red-hot and gold-hot, like cannon balls point to the devastation of war in the surroundings.
Q. What does the poet say about the children in the poem, “In the Street of the Fruit Stalls”?
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What do dark children do and what do they stand for?
Ans. Dark children come into the street of the fruit stalls where dark dew is falling. They have a coin to buy the fruit. They enjoy themselves, unmindful of what is going around. They stand for the continuity of life.
Q. How do the children enjoy the fruit?
Ans. The children are full of life, and are least conscious of what is going around. They come to a fruit stall, buy melon, guava, and mandarin, break them open and let the gushing juice wet their mouths, fingers, cheeks and chins.
Q. What do the children symbolize?
Ans. The children symbolize freedom from care and worries of life. They stand for the continuity of life. Their jubilation shows that the threats of war and poverty have failed to crush man’s love for pleasures of life.
Q. How does the poet inspire the readers?
Ans. The poet inspires the readers by presenting children as the continuity of life. In spite of the dark picture of the world and the gloomy mood of the poet, there is a touch of optimism, simple pleasures of life will continue to have attraction for us.
Q. Paraphrase the last stanza of five lines in your own words.
Ans. Dark children come into the street of the fruit stalls. They buy fruit with the coin they have. They break it open and let the gushing juice wet their mouths, fingers, cheeks and chins. Children enjoy the fruit and are least conscious of the miserable situation that saddens the poet.
Q. Make a list of all fruits mentioned in the poem.
Ans. The fruits mentioned in the poem are melon, guava and mandarin.
