Poem 2- The Laburnum Top

Poem 2- The Laburnum Top

 

Find out

1. What laburnum is called in your language?

Ans: In the Hindi language, the laburnum tree is called ‘Amaltaas’.

 

2. Which local bird is like the goldfinch?

Ans: Indian Lutino Ringneck is like the goldfinch.

 

Think it out

1. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?

Ans: At the beginning and the ending of the poem, the laburnum tree was standing still and silent just like death-like.

 

2. To what is the bird’s movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?

Ans: The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of the lizard because she was abrupt, sleek and alert. The same movements were observed when she arrived at the tree and moved to the thickness side of the branch to feed her young ones.

 

3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?

Ans: As the engine is the source to run the machine. The bird is compared to the engine as she is the feeder of her family. As a machine cannot work without an engine, her family can’t last without her.

 

4. What do you like most about the poem?

Ans: I liked the comparison of the state of the tree before and after the goldfinch bird arrives and it makes the death-like tree alive.

 

5. What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean?

Ans: The phrase “her barred face identity mask” means that the bird’s face became her identity and symbol of recognition.

Note down
1. the sound words
2. the movement words
3. the dominant colour in the poem.

Ans:

1.     Twitching, chirrup, chitterings, trillings, whispering

2.     Comes, enters, starts up, flirts out, launches away, tremble, subside

3.     Yellow

 

List the following

1. Words which describe ‘sleek’, ‘alert’ and ‘abrupt’.

2. Words with the sound ‘ch’ as in ‘chart’ and ‘tr’ as in ‘trembles’ in
the poem.

3. Other sounds that occur frequently in the poem.

Ans:

1.     Lizard, machine, and suddenness

2.     Goldfinch, branch, chitterings, chirrup, trillings, twitching, tremors

3.     ‘ing’ sound in words like twitching, chitterings, wings, trillings, whisperings

 

Ch 4- Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues

 

Ch 4- Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues

Understanding the Text

Question 1:
Give reasons for the following:
(i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
Answer:
The mummy of King Tutankhamun has earned world wide fame for the riches it was buried with. There is also speculation about the manner of his death and his age at the time of death. Hence King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.

(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.
Answer:
Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because he used unscientific methods and illegitimate ways. He was focusing more on treasure and less on cultural and historical aspects.

(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.
Answer:
Carter found that the ritual resins had hardened. The result was that Tut’s body had
been cemented to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. Proper force could not move the resins. Even the scorching sun failed to loosen the resins. So he got the resins chilselled away to raise the king’s remains.

(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
Answer:
The people of ancient Egypt believed in resurrection of the dead. Their kings were extremely rich. So Tut’s body was buried with gilded treasures. Their eternal brilliance was meant to guarantee resurrection. Things of everyday use were also buried with the king.

(v) The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Answer:
Tutankhamun means “living image of Amun”. He was a major god in ancient Egypt. King Amenhotep IV who changed his name to Akhonaten smashed the images of Amun and got his temples closed. Tut oversaw a restoration of the old ways. He changed his name to express his belief in Amun.

Question 2:
(i) List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as ‘wacky’.
Answer:
Akhenaten means the servant of the Aten i.e. the sun disc. He moved the religious capital from the old city of the Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten, known now as Amarna. He smashed the images of Amun, a major God and closed his temples. These deeds led Ray Jonson to describe Akhenaten as ‘Wacky’.

(ii) What were the results of the CT scan?
Answer:
The results of the C.T. scan were quite encouraging. 1700 digital X-ray images in cross-section were created. A gray head appeared on screen. Neck vertebrae were quite clear. The images of hand, ribcage and skull were equally bright. These revealed that nothing had gone seriously wrong with Tut’s body

(iii) List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
Answer:
The advances in technology have helped in improving forensic analysis. Many scientific tests can be carried out to determine the causes of crime. These include X-ray, ultrasound, C.T. scan, post mortem, autopsy and biopsy. All these help in diagnosis and provide exact information.

(iv) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned— in death as in life”
Answer:
King Tut’s mummy was the first one to be X-rayed by an anatomy Professor in 1968. On 5 January 2005 CT scan created virtual reality and produced life-like images. King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned. Thus in death as well as in life Tut moved regally ahead of his countrymen.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why is 5th January 2005 significant in Tutankhamun’s saga?
Answer:
On this date for the first time Tutankhamun was removed from his tomb and taken to a C.T. scanner brought there to probe the lingering mysteries surrounding this young ruler.

Question 2:
How was the atmosphere when Tut’s body was taken for C.T. scan?
Answer:
Violent wind raised ghost like shapes of dust. Bulging clouds moved quickly across the desert sky and hid the stars in the grey sky.

Question 3:
How did the visitors to Tut’s grave pay their respects to him?
Answer:
They gazed at the murals on the walls and peered at Tut’s gilded face on his mummy shaped outer coffin lid. Some visitors read from guide book in whisper. Others stood silently.

Question 4:
What according to A.R. Williams were the thoughts of the visitors who stood silently near Tut’s grave?
Answer:
Perhaps some of them were thinking deeply over Tut’s untimely death in his teens. Others might be trembling with fear and wondering if the Pharaoh’s curse was really true.

Question 5:
What was the Pharaoh’s curse? Who refers to it and in what context?
Answer:
The pharaoh’s curse was that death or misfortune would fall upon those who disturbed him. The silent visitors are the first to refer to it. Later on a guard joked nervously when the million dollar scanner stopped functioning because of sand in a cooler fan.

Question 6:
“The mummy is in very bad condition because of what Carter did in the 1920s.” Who was Carter? What did he do to the mummy?
Answer:
Howard Carter was a British archaeologist. He discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922 after many years of futile searching. Carter’s men removed the mummy’s head and cut off almost every major joint to remove the golden adornments.

Question 7:
What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy ? How did he find a way out?
Answer:
Carter found that the ritual resins had become quite hard. These had fixed Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. The heat of the sun could not melt it. So the solid resins had to be chiselled away to free the King’s remains from the box.

Question 8:
How did Carter defend his action of cutting the mummy free?
Answer:
Carter said that if he hadn’t cut the mummy free, thieves would certainly have found a way of avoiding the guards. Then they would have tom apart everything forcibly to remove the gold.

Question 9:
List some of the adornments and golden objects on Tut’s body.
Answer:
Precious collars, inlaid necklaces and bracelets, rings, amulets, a ceremonial apron, sandals, sheaths for fingers and toes and the inner coffin and mask. All of them were made of pure gold. His coffin was of solid gold.

Question 10:
Why do you think the royals carried so much gold to grave?
Answer:
There were two reasons: first, the royals were extremely wealthy. Secondly, they thought or hoped that they could take their riches with them to the great beyond.

Question 11:
What is so special about the contents of Tut’s tomb?
Answer:
Stunning artifacts in gold found in Tut’s tomb remain the richest royal collection ever found. These caused a sensation at the time of the discovery. Even now they get the most attention.

Question 12:
Which evidence proves the burial of Tut in March or April?
Answer:
Tilt’s shroud was found adorned with faded garlands of willow and olive leaves, wild celery, lotus petals and cornflowers. Since some of them are available only at the end of winter season, Tut must have been buried in March or April.

Question 13:
How did Carter’s men treat Tut’s body while removing gold?
Answer:
They removed the mummy’s head and cut off every joint to remove the golden adornments. Then they reassembled the remains on a layer of sand in a wooden box and filled it with soft material to hide the damage caused by chiselling.

Question 14:
What startling fact came to light in 1968 through X-ray?
Answer:
In 1968, an anatomy Professor X-rayed the mummy. He revealed a startling fact. Tut’s breast-bone and front ribs were missing beneath the resin that covers his chest with a thick layer.

Question 15:
How can CT scan prove more effective than the X-ray?
Answer:
In CT scan, hundreds of X-rays in cross section are put together like slices of bread to create a three-dimensional virtual body. X-ray provides only a two-dimensional image.

Question 16:
Which two questions still linger about Tut?
Answer:
Two questions still remain unanswered. The first is: “How did Tut die?’ The second one is, “How old was he at the time of death?”

Question 17:
How has Archaeology undergone change in the twentieth century?
Answer:
The change is in two ways: approach and techniques. Now Archaeology focuses less. on treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and interesting mysteries of death. Secondly, it uses more sophisticated tools including medical technology.

Question 18:
How was Tut’s body carried to the C.T Scanner?
Answer:
Workmen carried Tut from the tomb in his wooden box. They climbed a ramp and a flight of stairs in the sand outside. Then they rose on a hydraulic lift and went into the trailer that held the scanner.

Question 19:
What snag did the million dollar scanner develop? How was it set right?
Answer:
The million dollar scanner had stopped functioning because of sand in a cooler fan. Two men ran to an office nearby and brought a pair of white plastic fans. These substitute fans worked well enough for the scanner to work.

Question 21:
How was the atmosphere when the CT scan of Tut was over?
Answer:
It was nearly midnight. The wind that blew in the evening had now stopped. The dust storm and clouds had. cleared off. The winter air lay cold and still. Just above the entrance to Tut’s tomb stood Orion—the soul of Osiris, the god of afterlife.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
How has Tut’s mummy fascinated the scientists and commoners alike over the previous decades?
Or
Give a brief account of the exploration of Tut’s mummy from 1922 to 2005.
Answer:
King Tutankhamun was the last of his family line. His funeral marked the end of a dynasty. He was laid to rest laden with gold as the royals in Tut’s time were extremely wealthy and thought they could take their riches with them. His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter, a British archaeologist in 1922, more than 3000 years after his death. The rich royal collection’ of jewellery and golden artifacts fascinated Carter. Visitors thronged the boy King’s tomb. The particulars of King Tut’s death and its aftermath are not clear. In 1968, more than 40 years after Carter’s discovery, an anatomy Professor X-rayed the mummy. He revealed a startling fact. The breastbone and front ribs of Tut were missing. On 5 January 2005 a CT scan was done to obtain precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of King Tut. It was hoped that it would offer new clues about his life and death. Thus Tut’s mummy has been the centre of fascination throughout the previous decades.

Question 2:
“He was the last of his family line.” What do you learn about Tut’s dynasty from the extract ‘Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues’?
Answer:
Tut’s grandfather, Amenhotep III, was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost four decades at the height of the dynasty’s golden age. His son Amenhotep IV promoted the worship of the Aten, the sun disc. He changed his name to Akhenaten, or “Servent of the Aten”. He moved the religious capital from the old city Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten. He further shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, breaking his images and closing his temples. Thus the wacky king started one of the strangest periods in the history of ancient Egypt. After Akhenaten’s death, a mysterious ruler named Smenkhkare appeared briefly and departed without leaving any sign. Then a very young Tutankhaten took the throne. He is widely known today as king Tut. The boy king soon changed his name to Tutankhamun, “Living image of Amun.” He supervised the restoration of the old ways. Tutankhamun ruled for about nine years and then died unexpectedly. The details of his passing away are not available. The modem world has speculated about what happened to him. How did he die and how old was he at the time of his death?” are two unanswered questions.

Question 3:
Why did Tut’s body have to undergo a C.T. scan? How was it carried out and what results did it yield?
Answer:
A veil of mystery surrounded Tut’s life and death. Old methods of archaeology did not provide satisfactory clues to the circumstances of his death and his age at the time of demise. An X-ray of the mummy in 1968 further complicated the confusion. CT scan was undertaken to create a three dimensional virtual body.
A scanner was taken in a trailer to the sandy area near Tut’s tomb. Tut’s body was carried there from his tomb in a box. The CT machine scanned the mummy head to toe, creating 1700 digital X-ray images in cross section. Tut’s entire body was scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices.
The C.T. scan produced clear images of Tut’s head, neck vertebrae, ribcage, hand and skull. The results proved satisfactory. A team of specialists in radiology, forensics and anatomy are busy probing the secrets lying buried in Tut’s grave with his body.

Ch 2- The Address

Ch 2-The Address

A. Reading With Insight

Question 1:

‘Have you come back?’ said the woman, ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it?

Answer:

Yes, this statement gives some clue about the story. During the early part of the war Mrs Dorling had shifted the important belongings of her acquaintance Mrs S. from her house to 46, Marconi Street. These included table silver wares, antique plates and other nice things such as the iron anukkah candle-holder, woollen table cloth and green knitted cardigan with wooden buttons. Since Mrs S. had died during the war, Mrs Dorling did not expect anyone to come back and claim her costly belongings as she thought no one else knew her address.

The statement indicates the greedy and possessive nature of Mrs Dorling. She did not open the door to the daughter of her former acquaintance nor did she show any signs of recognition. She did not let the girl in. She refused to see her then saying it was not convenient for her to do. The narrator had gone to this address with a specific purpose—to see her mother’s belongings.

Even when she told Mrs Dorling that only she had come back, the woman with a broad back did not soften a bit. Thus the clash of interests is hinted at by the aforesaid statement.

Question 2:

Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?

Answer:

The narrator remembered the address her mother had told her only once. It was number 46, Marconi Street. Her mother’s acquaintance Mrs Dorling lived there. She had stored the valuable belongings of the narrator’s mother there. After her mother’s death, the narrator had an urge to visit the place. She wanted to see those things, touch them and remember. She went to the given address twice. She was successful in her second attempt to enter the living room. .

She found herself in the midst of things she wanted to see again. She felt oppressed in the strange atmosphere. Everything was arranged in a tasteless way. The ugly furniture and the muggy smell that hung there seemed quite unpleasant. These objects evoked the memory of the familiar life of former time. But they had lost their value since they had been separated from her mother and stored in strange surroundings. She no longer wanted to see, touch or remember these belongings. She resolved to forget the address. She wanted to leave the past behind and decided to move on.

A. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:

How did Mrs Dorling react when the narrator said, m Mrs S’s daughter”?

Answer:

Mrs Dorling held her hand on the door as if she wanted to prevent it opening any

further. Her face showed no sign of recognition. She kept staring at the narrator without uttering a word.

Question 2:

What two reasons did the narrator give to explain that she was mistaken?

Answer:

She thought that perhaps the woman was not Mrs Dorling. She had seen her only once, for a brief interval and that too years ago. Secondly, it was probable that she had rung the wrong bell.

Question 3:

How did the narrator conclude that she was right?

Answer: The woman was wearing the green knitted cardigan of the narrator’s mother. The wooden buttons were rather pale from washing. She saw that the narrator was looking at the cardigan. She half hid herself again behind the door. Her reaction convinced the narrator that she was right.

Question 4:

What was the outcome of the interview between Mrs Dorling and the narrator?

Answer:

The interview was a flop as far as the narrator was concerned. Mrs Dorling refused

to see her and talk to her in spite of the narrator’s repeated requests.

Question 5:

Who had given the narrator the address, when and under what circumstances?

Answer:

The narrator’s mother had given her the address, years ago during the first half of

the war. The narrator came home for a few days and missed various things in the rooms. Then her mother told her about Mrs Dorling and gave her the address.

Question 6:

What did the narrator learn about Mrs Dorling from her mother?

Answer:

Mrs Dorling was an old acquaintance of the narrator’s mother. The latter had not seen her for several years. Then she suddenly turned up and renewed their contact.

Every time she left that place she took something with her—table silver, antique plates, etc. –

Question 7:

What reason did Mrs Dorling give for taking away the precious belongings of the narrator’s mother?

Answer:

Mrs Dorling suggested to the narrator’s mother that she should store her belongings at a safer place. She wanted to save all her nice things. She explained that they would lose everything if they had to leave the place.

B. Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:

How did the narrator come to know about Mrs Dorling and the address where she lived?

Answer:

Years ago, during the first half of the war, the narrator went home for a few days to see her mother. After staying there a couple of days she noticed that something or other about the rooms had changed. She missed various things. Then her mother told her about Mrs Dorling. She was an old acquaintance of her mother. She had suddenly turned up after many years. Now she came regularly and took something home with her everytime she came. She suggested that she could save her precious belongings by storing them at her place. Mother told her address, Number 46, Marconi Street. The narrator asked her mother if she had agreed with her that she should keep everything. Her mother did not like that. She thought it would be an insult to do so. She was worried about the risk Mrs Dorling faced carrying a full suitcase or bag.

Question 2:

Give a brief account of the narrator’s first visit to 46, Marconi Street. What impression do you form of Mrs Dorling from it?

Answer:

In the post-war period, when things returned to normal, the narrator became curious about her mother’s possessions that were stored at Mrs Dorling’s house. Since she wanted to see them, she took the train and went to 46, Marconi Street. Mrs Dorling opened the door a chink. The narrator came closer, stood on the step and asked her if she still knew her. Mrs Dorling told her that she didn’t know her. The narrator told her that she was the daughter of Mrs S. Mrs Dorling kept staring at her in silence and gave on sign of recognition. She held her hand on the door as if she wanted to prevent it opening any further. The narrator recognised the green knitted cardigan of her mother that Mrs Dorling was wearing. Mrs Dorling noticed it and half hid herself behind the door. The narrator again asked if she knew her mother. Mrs Dorling asked with surprise if she had come back. She declined to see the narrator or help her.

Question 3:

In what respect was the second visit of the narrator to 46, Marconi Street different from the first one? Did she really succeed in her mission? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer:

The second visit of the narrator to 46, Marconi Street, was different from the first one in one respect. Dining the first visit, the narrator could not get admittance in the house, whereas during the second one, she was led to the living room, where she could see and touch some of the things she had wanted so eagerly to see. She had visited this place with a specific purpose—to see her mother’s belongings. The touch and sight of familiar things aroused memory of her former life. These objects had now lost their real value for her since they were severed from their own lives and stored in strange circumstances. Thus her mission to see, touch and remember her mother’s belongings was partly successful. She resolved to forget these objects, and their past and move on. This is clear from her decision to forget the address.

 

A Thing of Beauty

 Poem 3-  A Thing of Beauty

Q1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
Ans: Everything of nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure. Some of them are: the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, mass of ferns and the blooming musk-roses. All of them are things of beauty. They are a constant source of joy and pleasure.

Q2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.
Ans: There are many things that cause us suffering and pain. Malice and disappointment are “the biggest source of our suffering. Another one is the lack of noble qualities. Our unhealthy and evil ways also give birth to so many troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. They act as a pall of sadness on our lives.

Q3. What does the line, ‘Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth’ suggest to you?
Ans: Keats is a lover of beauty. He employs his senses to discover beauty. The link of man with nature is eternal. The things of beauty are like wreaths of beautiful flowers. We seem to weave a flowery band everyday. It keeps us attached to the beauties of this earth.

Q4. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Ans: There are many things that bring us troubles and sufferings. They dampen our spirits. However, ‘some shape of beauty1 brings love and happiness in our lives in spite of such unpleasant things. A thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness and sufferings. It makes us love life.

Q5. Why is ‘grandeur’ associated with the ‘mighty dead’?
Ans: The mighty dead were very powerful and dominating persons during their own times. Their achievements made them ‘mighty’ and great. Their noble works dazzle our eyes. We imagine that such mighty dead forefathers will attain more grandeur on the doomsday. Hence ‘grandeur’ is associated with the ‘mighty dead’.

Q6. Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression on us?
Ans: We feel happy by coming into contact with things of beauty. They make a lasting impression on us. Keats makes it clear at the outset. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is a constant source of joy and pleasure. Its beauty never declines or diminishes. Its loveliness goes on increasing every moment. Its value remains undiminished. It never passes into nothingness. It removes the pall of sadness that covers our dark spirits.

Q7, What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Ans: John Keats uses a very beautiful image to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. It is the endless fountain of immortal drink. It pours constantly into our hearts from heaven. Thus, the beautiful bounty of the earth is called “an endless fountain of immortal drink.”

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Ans: According to John Keats a thing of beauty is a joy of forever. It is a constant source of happiness and pleasure. Its loveliness increases every moment. It will never pass into nothingness. In other words, a thing of beauty is never devalued.

Q2. How does a thing of beauts provide us shelter and comfort?
Ans: John Keats is a great Romantic poet. He is rich in sensuous imagery. Nature provides us things of rare beauty. It keeps a bower quiet for us. A bower is a pleasant place in the shade under a tree. A thing of beauty also provides us peace and security. We enjoy a sound sleep which is full of sweet dreams, health and peaceful breathing.

Q3. How do us bind our self to the earth every morning?
Ans: All the Romantic poets stress upon the relationship between man and nature. Keats believes that there is an unbreakable bond which binds man with nature and the earth. The beauties of the earth fascinate man. Every object of nature is a source of beauty and happiness. Everyday we are weaving a wreath of flowers. This flowery band binds us to the beauties of this earth.

Q4. What are the things that cause miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man ?
Ans: Man himself is the root cause of all his sufferings. We suffer from malice and distress because we lack human qualities that makes us inhuman. Our life becomes gloomy. We cultivate unhealthy and evil ways. All such things bring miseries, sorrows and sufferings to man.

Q5. What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed?
Ans: Man is the creator of his woes. His own nature and actions make his life miserable. He faces miseries and pains. A pall of despondence covers his dark spirits. A thing of beauty provides a ray of hope to man. Some shape of beauty works wonders amid these sorrows and sufferings. It is a thing of beauty that removes the pall of despondence over our dark spirits.

Q6. Name the beauties of nature that are constant source of joy and happiness to man.
Ans: Nature is a store house of beauty. The beauties of nature are endless. The sun, the moon, old and young trees, beautiful daffodil flowers and green surroundings are some of such beautiful things. Small streams with clear water, thick mass of ferns, thickets of forest and musk-rose are some other things of beauty. All such things of beauty are a constant source of joy and happiness to man.

Q7. Why and how is ‘grandeur associated with the ‘mighty dead’?
Ans: The dooms day is considered the day of judgement, when the dead will receive what is due to them. Our mighty dead forefathers earned name and fame with their noble deeds. It is hoped that they will be rewarded with rare magnificence and grandeur.

Q8. How is a thing of beauty lovelier than all the lovely tales we have heard and read?
Ans: All beautiful things of nature are a boon for humanity. The magnificence and beauty of objects of nature surpasses the grandeur of dooms that we have imagined for our mighty dead forefathers. It is lovelier than all the lovely tales that we have heard or read.

Q9. What is the source of the ‘endless fountain’ and what is its effect?
Ans: A fountain of eternal joy’and immortality pours into the heart and soul of man. It flows right from the heavens brink and pours into the human heart. It is like an immortal nectar. The immortal drink that nature’s endless fountain pours into our hearts is a source of immense joy for us.

Q10. What is the message for the theme) of the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Ans: The very first line contains the message that John Keats, the great Romantic poet, wants to convey. Keats was a worshipper of beauty. For him beauty was truth and truth, beauty. Hence, for him a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it ever devalued. It never passes into nothingness. When we are full of sorrows and sufferings, some form of beauty comes to our rescue. It removes the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and pleasure. Thus, beauty is a boon for human beings.

My Mother at Sixty-six

 Poem 1- My Mother at Sixty-six

Q1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain or the ache returns. Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood. Ageing is a natural process. Time and ageing spare none. Time and ageing have not spared the poet’s mother and may not spare her as well. With this ageing, separation and death become inevitable.

Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans:  The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting. The poet presents a contrast—her ‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’ young trees.

Q3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ ?
Ans: The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to present a contrast. The merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers present an image of happiness and spontaneous overflow of life. This image is in stark contrast to the ‘dozing’ old mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and pale like a corpse. She is an image of ageing, decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images enhances the poetic effect.

Q4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. Similarly the late winter’s moon looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. The comparison is quite natural and appropriate. The simile used here is apt as well as effective.

Q5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her real feelings. The parting words: “See you soon, Amma” give an assurance to the old lady whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her continuous smiles are an attempt to overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?
Ans: The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s mother had comfe to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her mouth open. The words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of dynamic activity and static passivity respectively.

Q2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? 
Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way, the poet’s fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.

Q3. What does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify her ageing decay?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth open to overcome breathing problems. Her face looked pale and faded like ash. Actually, she is an image of death as her ‘ashen’ face looks like that of a corpse.

Q4. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look outside?
Ans: The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.

Q5. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?
Ans: The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and activity.

Q6. Why does the poet look outside? What does she see happening outside?
Ans: The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face looking like a corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a distraction, a diversion and therefore she looks outside. She watches young trees. These trees speed past them and appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of their houses and making merry.

Q7. How has the poet contrasted the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside?
Ans: The poet has used beautiful images to highlight the stark contrast between the scene inside the car and the activities going on outside. The ‘ashen’ face of the poet’s mother is pale and lifeless. It looks like that of a corpse. She is dozing and lost to herself. The image of the ‘dozing’ mother is contrasted with the ‘spilling’ of children. The ‘ashen’ and ‘corpse¬like’ face is contrasted with the young trees sprinting outside.

Q8. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?
Ans: They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the poet stands a few yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she looks at her mother again. Her face looks pale and colourless like the late winter’s moon. She presents a picture of ageing and decay.

Q9. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans: The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the similarity of ageing and decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks shine and strength. The poet’s mother has an ‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. The comparison reinforces the impact.

Q10. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?
Ans: The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with ageing comes decay and death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like face arouses “that old familiar ache” in her heart. Her childhood fear returns. She is also pained and frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these things herself.

Q11. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Ans: Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her mother. The old lady seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The poetess turned away her attention from her mother and looked outside. The outside world was full of life and activity. The young trees seemed to be running fast. The children looked happy while moving out of their homes.

Q12. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother ?
OR
With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on the face, the poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does the poet put on a smile?
Ans: The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay and death. It brings that old familiar fear of separation back. She fears the ultimate fate of human beings. But she has to put on a brave face. She regains self-control. She composes herself and tries to look normal. She utters the words of assurance that they will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.

Q13. What poetic devices have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Ans: The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The face of the poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like that of a corpse’. The poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the mother is compared to ‘a late winter’s moon’.
The poem excels in contrasts. The old ‘dozing’ lady inside is contrasted with the young trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.