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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 13 The Dear Departed are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 The Dear Departed.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 The Dear Departed

TextBook Questions

Question 1.
Read an excerpt from the diary of a man of 72 years :

As I sit here alone and waiting
I gaze at people passing me by.
I try to smile and reach out to them But no one notices; no one waits.
They look to me like I am nothing-
Are they afraid to be seen saying “Hi” to an old man like me?
Once my life, it’s like a flower,
I had bloomed into a child.
Now, like the dying flower
Waiting for my one day to come-
It will be then that I am gone,
And yet, I still would not have heard that simple word, “Hi”
That for so long my heart had desired.

• What do you think is he feeling ?
• What situation do you think leads to people feeling so ?
• Can such people be helped ? How ?

Answer:

• He is feeling lonely and sad. ‘
• Uncaring attitude of family and friends lead to this gloomy feeling.
• Yes, we can certainly help a lonely and elderly feel wanted again. Curative, presentative and rehabilitative measures should be the major concern while implementing any programme for the elderly. Clubs for the elderly should be set up where they can engage themselves in various activities that would be helpful in keeping them energetic and boost their stamina.

Question 2.
Read the news story given below.

Discuss in groups :

(a) What are the reasons for the old people being “abused, harassed and abandoned” in India ?
(b) What are the problems faced by the old people as a result ?

Answer:
(a) The news is really an eye-opener in a country like India, where children are expected to take great care of their elderly so as to express gratitude to them. An extended family was the norm where parents and grandparents were revered by their children. However, western influence and dwindling moral values have led to an unpleasant situation where old people are being “abused, harassed and abandoned”. Social and economic development has caused the extended family system to change into a single family system. Old people, generally, find it hard to adjust their way of thinking that results in a clash between them and the somewhat rigid and insensitive younger generation.

(b) Due to this lack of emotional, moral and even financial support, old people are facing many problems.

• a feeling of loneliness and being neglected
• physical and mental impairment
• emotional trauma resulting in sleeplessness and anxiety
• feeling of insecurity and loss of dignity.

(b) These problems are: loneliness, neglect, absence of communication among their own, lack of sympathy, no medical help, growing independence on others, absence of interacting with others at social level, not sharing of grief etc.

Question 3.
Given below are the main incidents in the play. They are in a jumbled order. Arrange them in the sequence in which they occur in the play.

1. Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
2. Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
3. Mrs. Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
4. The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
5. The family sits down to have tea.
6. Henry wears the new slippers of grandfather’s.
7. Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
8. Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.
9. Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
10. They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
11. The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather’s ‘demise’ from the Slaters.

Answer:

1. Mrs. Slater discovers that grandfather is ‘dead’.
2. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
3. Henry wears the new slippers of grandfathers.
4. The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
5. The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfathers ‘demise’ from the Slaters.
6. The family sits down to have tea.
7. They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
8. Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
9. Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
10. Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in a hurry to divide his things between them.
11. Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.

Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly.
1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater is doubtful about her sister and her husband, Jordans arrival at grandfathers demise. Mrs. Slater is also anxious about grandfathers insurance premium and looks for it. She also brings grandfathers bureau down from his room. Before her sister arrived, she tried to have every asset of grandfather in possession. She is a ruthless and self-centered person.

2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer:
Mrs. Slater wants to shift the bureau down because this was a recent purchase and was eye-catching. Moreover, she did not want her sister to even have a look at it. Henry suggested that she should divide the grandfather’s assets mutually between herself and her sister

3. What is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters’ attitude towards each other?
Answer:
Jordans took a long time in getting to reach the Slaters because they had to arrange for the mourning dresses for themselves. Since the readymades did not work for Elizabeth, she might have to get them – stitched. Both the sisters had rivalry between them for every worthless thing. They could not stand each other.

4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as ‘a fatal mistake’ ? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater’s defence?
Answer:
Mrs. Jordan meant by ‘fetal mistake’ that Slater had not called another doctor to examine when grandfather was lying with his eyes closed. She called this as professional etiquette’. But Mrs. Jordan is a hypocrite as she is chiding Mrs. Slater for not calling the doctor but she herself could not make it on time for such a grave occasion.

5. Ben appreciates grandfather saying ‘its’ a good thing he did’. Later he calls him a ‘drunken old beggar’. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
Answer:
Ben learnt that grandfather went in the morning to pay his insurance premium, he said ‘it’s a good thing he did’ but later when he came to know from Victoria that he had not gone to pay premium but went to meet Mrs. Shorrocks, he commented that he was a drunken beggar

6. What change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
Answer:
The grandfather announced that he would bequeath his wealth to Mrs. Shorrocks whom he was going to marry on the coming Monday and that he would look after him in old age. He also reminded both his daughters about how eager they were to divide his assets when he was still alive.
His daughters were aghast to hear this.

7. What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next?
Answer:
Three things he planned to do are that he would go to his lawyer and change his will, he would go to insurance company and pay his premium, he would also go to St. Philips Church and marry Mrs. John Shorrocks.

Question 5.
Answer the following in detail:
1. Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Answer:
The title of the play ‘The Dear Departed’ literally means that somebody dear has departed/ died and is no more with us. It makes everyone closely connected with the departed person sad and upset. Everyone is at a loss and tries to cope up with the situation. In this case, the title is ironical because nobody in the family loved grandfather. He was dear to no one. They all are relieved that he is no more. They talk of everything from mourning outfit to what all he has left behind but nobody is in a hurry to even go and see him. He is supposed to be dead and lying in his room. They all decide to have tea, discuss the obituary that should go in the newspapers but no one either has tears in his/ her eyes or is missing the grandfather. They are very businesslike and their business seems to be what each one of them will get now that the old man is dead. In no way was he ‘dear’ to his daughters or their husbands. Mrs Jordan had not even visited her father in the last three years since the time he had moved to Mrs Slater’s home. So much for a dear father! If she was there today, it was to show off in the society and to ensure that she gets her share of whatever he has left behind. Ironical, isn’t it?

2. How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth?
Answer:
Both the sisters are discussing about their share and Mrs Slater spills the beans when she tells grandfather that it was her husband who was wearing his slippers and they had brought his bureau downstairs. She also tells him that she was the one who had declared that he was dead. Grandfather is shocked when he comes to know all this. He is upset that his daughters want him to die. He also sees his clock downstairs. He understands that his daughters do not love him. They only want his wealth and belongings. They have no interest, whatsoever, in his well being. For them he is nothing more than a nuisance and they wish that he is out of their lives at the earliest. They are very happy that he is dead. Mrs Slater does not even call the doctor to confirm. She decides, informs her sister and even gives the tailor order for the mourning outfits.

3. Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from the play.
Answer:
Mrs and Mr Slater are seen as a couple who complement each other. But this is on the surface. Mrs Slater is a domineering lady and always wants to have the last word. Henry follows her instructions diligently. When she asks him to wear the grandfather’s slippers, as his are torn, he does not say a word. When it comes to shifting the bureau from grandfather’s room it is her decision. He walks behind her like a lamb. Mrs Slater does not allow him to give his opinion on any issue. He is a meek character who is scared of saying anything in front of his wife.

Question 6.
Bring out the traits in Mrs. Slater’s personality quoting evidence from the play.

Trait	Evidence from the play
greedy
Overpowering/dominating
Blunt/straight talking
impolite
Insensitive

Answer:

Trait	Evidence from the play
Greedy	Henry, I’ve been thinking about that bureau of grandfaher’s that’s in his bedroom. You know I always wanted to have it after he died.
Overpowering/ dominating	I’ll fasten the front door. Get your coat off. Henry; we’ll change it.
Blunt/ straight talking	Promised to your Jimmy/I never heard of that.
Impolite	After all I’ve done for him, having to put up with him in the house these years, it’s nothing short of swindling.
Insensitive	Well, will you go up and look at him now or shall we have tea?

Question 7.
Answer the following with reference to the context.
1. “Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes ?”
(a) What does ‘it’ refer to here?
Answer:
‘It’ here refers to grandfather’s bureau which Mrs Slater plans to keep for herself.

(b) How does Vicky conclude that her parents are ‘pinching it’?
Answer:
Vicky’s parents wanted to get the bureau before Mrs Slater’s sister arrived for the funeral.

(c) Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action.
Answer:
According to her, she wanted the bureau because she liked it very much. Second reason for wanting it was out of jealousy. She did not want her sister to get it.

(d) What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Vicky?
Answer:
Vicky genuinely loved her grandfather. She did not like the way elders are fighting over petty things. They are all money-minded and there is no sensitivity.

2. “7 don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste.”
(a) Who makes this comment?
Answer:
Mrs Jordan makes this comment.

(b) What prompts the speaker to say this?
Answer:
She says this because Henry had started wearing grandfather’s slippers even before he was medically declared dead.

(c) Bring out the significance of this statement.
Answer:
It reveals the pettiness of all the adult characters. They all are trying to show the others, in bad light. Also, here, it is truly in haste as the grandfather is very much alive and not dead.

3. “Now, Amelia, you mustn’t give way. We’ve all got to die some time or other. It might have been worse.”
(a) Who is the speaker of these lines?
Answer:
Ben is the speaker of these lines.

(b) What prompts the speaker to say these words?
Answer:
The speaker says these words when he meets Mrs Slater. He is trying to console her.

(c) What does he mean when he says ‘It might have been worse’?
Answer:
Grandfather had died without giving any trouble to anybody. If he had been bedridden, it would have been worse for everybody.

(d) What does it reveal about the speaker’s character?
Answer:
These lines reveal that the speaker is able to talk about death without getting upset.

Writing Task

Question 8.
Victoria Slater is truly attached to her Grandpa. As she sees the elders in her family quarrel over the inheritance, she is bewildered and upset by their attitude. As Victoria write a diary entry outlining the incident and your feelings. (150 words)
Answer:
Jaunary 9, 20XX
11:00 p.m.
Today, I am feeling really heartbroken to see how money can overpower emotions even among the blood relations. Grandpa was considered dead and my aunt, who had not visited us for ages, rushed on hearing the news presumably out of love but actually out of greed for grandpas property. And mother is also not in any way, different from her. The way she eyed grandpas belongings and the eagerness with which she tried to pocket all the things before aunt’s arrival was really absurd and shocking to me. This showy concern is really annoying and painful. But I am happy that grandpa is alive and has come to realise Sie mercenary nature of all and outwitted them in their planning. I pray to God to give some sense to these people and they mend their ways.
Victoria

Speaking Task

Question 9.
Grandfather says, “It seems to me that neither of you has any cause to feel proud about the way you’ve treated me.” While it is true that the daughters disregard modesty, decency and filial obligation, grandfather cannot be fully justified in practically disowning his family. Besides, Victoria loves him and he seems to have spared no thought for her feelings.

Divide yourselves into groups of four or five and discuss the statement: Grandfather is not entirely right in moving away from his daughters.

After the discussion, a representative from each group will present the views of her/his group to the class in about 3 minutes.
Answer:
Topic: Grandfather is not entirely right in moving away from his daughters.

View 1: Grandpa in the play ‘The Dear Departed’ was considered dead by family members. Instead of mourning, they got engaged in arguments over the belongings of Mr Abel. The discovery that Mr Abel was ‘hale and hearty’ was a bolt from the blue. The old man was aghast to see them in mourning dresses and I think it was natural on his part. It did not take him long to realise their true motives. He played a joke that he would leave all his belongings to whoever he was living with when he died. In fact, that was just a trick to unveil their greedy nature. At that very moment, Abel made a shocking announcement that he would alter his will and get married to Mrs. Shorrock. But, if we look at the matter from a practical point of view, we will realise that Mr. Abel was not fully justified in breaking all ties with his family. He should have behaved in a mature way and spared some thoughts for her granddaughter Victoria who loved him too much. He could even try to make his daughter realize their mistake.

(Students are free to express their views in opposition to the statements also.)

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 13 The Dear Departed help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 The Dear Departed, Nor the Gilded Monuments, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 12 Snake are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 12 Snake.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 12 Snake

TextBook Questions

Question 1.
Snakes generate both horror and fascination. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
Answer:
Snakes generate both horror and fascination because our reasoning often misleads us. Though snakes are creations of nature, we are afraid of them. Snakes also fascinate us but we do not understand the beauty of nature, and being human, we have the impulse to kill it even though we are astounded by its beauty. Snakes are found in different colours and different sizes. They say that nature is more powerful than human beings. But still they generate horror which is just because of small instincts of natural world

Question 2.
Read what W.W.E. Ross feels when he sees a snake and fill in the table given below :

The Snake Trying

The snake trying to escape the
pursuing stick, with sudden curvings
of thin long body. How beautiful and
graceful are his shapes !
He glides through the water away
from the stroke. O let him go over the
water into the reeds to hide without
hurt. Small and green he is harmless
even to children Along the sand
he lay until observed
and chased away, and now
he vanishes in the ripples
among the green slim reeds.

What is the snake doing?	Words to describe the snake	Poet’s plea

Answer:

What is the snake doing?	Words to describe the snake	Poet’s plea
• The snake is gliding through the water to escape the stroke of the stick. • The snake vanishes in the green slim reeds.	thin, long, beautiful, graceful, small, green, harmless.	to let the snake go unhurt into the reeds

Question 3.
Given below is the summary of the poem Snake in short paragraphs.
However they are jumbled. Work in pairs and put the summary into a logical sequence.
(a) After drinking water to satisfaction, the snake raised his head dreamily and flickered his forked tongue and licked his lips. The snake looked around like a God and then slowly proceeded to curve round and move away from the water trough.
(b) The poet felt much like the ancient mariner who had killed the albatross for no reason. He wishes that the snake would come back. He thinks of the snake as a king in exile who has to be crowned again. He also regrets having missed his opportunity of knowing and understanding one of the lords of life.
(c) As the snake put his head into the hole to retreat into the earth, the poet was filled with a protest against the idea of the snake withdrawing into his hole. The poet put down his pitcher, picked up a log and hurled it at the snake. The snake twisted violently and with great alacrity vanished into the hole in the wall.
(d) A snake visited the poet’s water trough on a hot afternoon to quench his thirst. The poet who had also gone to the trough to fill water in a pitcher waited for the snake since he had come at the trough prior to the poet.
(e) The voices of education inside the poet tell him that it was the fear for the snake that made him refrain from killing him. However, the poet feels that though he was quite afraid of the snake, he did actually feel honoured that a snake had come to seek his hospitality from the deep recesses of the earth.
(f) He is guilt-ridden. He feels that he has to atone for the meanness of his action of throwing a log at the snake.
(g) The snake rested his throat upon the stone bottom and sipped the water into his slack long body. After drinking water, he raised his head just like cattle do and flashed his forked tongue, thought for a moment and then bent down to drink some more water.
(h) Education and social conventions make the poet think that the golden brown poisonous snake must be killed and that as a brave man he must undertake the task of killing the snake.
(i) The poet instantly felt sorry for his unrefined and contemptible act and cursed the voices of education and civilization that had shaped his thought processes and urged him to kill the snake.
(j) However, the poet instinctively likes the snake, treats him like a guest and feels honoured that it had come to drink at his water trough. The poet questions himself and wonders whether his not daring to kill the snake proved that he was a coward and whether his desire to talk to the snake reflected his perversity.
Answer:
The logical sequence will be:
l. – (d)
2. – (g)
3. – (a)
4. – (h)
5. – (e)
6. – (c)
7. – (f)
8. – (b)
9. – (i)
10. – (j)

Question 4.
Based on your reading of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options:
(a) ‘he lifted his head from his drinking as cattle do’—The poet wants to convey that the snake
(i) is domesticated
(ii) is innocent
(iii) is as harmless as cattle
(iv) drinks water just like cattle
Answer:
(iii) is as harmless as cattle

(b) ‘Sicilian July’, ‘Etna smoking’ and ‘burning bowels of the earth’ are images that convey that
(i) there are snakes in volcanic areas
(ii) the poet lived in a hot area
(iii) it was a really hot day when the snake came
(iv) Sicilian snakes are dangerous
Answer:
(iii) it was a really hot day when the snake came

(c) ‘A sort of horror, a sort of protest overcame me’—The poet is filled with protest because
(i) he doesn’t want to let the snake remain alive
(ii) he fears the snake
(iii) he doesn’t want the snake to recede into darkness
(iv) he wants to kill it so that it doesn’t return
Answer:
(iv) he wants to kill it so that it doesn’t return

(d) In the line ‘And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther the phrase ‘snake-easing his shoulders’ means
(i) loosening its shoulders
(ii) slipping in with majestic grace
(iii) moving slowly
(iv) moving fast
Answer:
(iii) moving slowly

(e) ‘He seemed to me like a king in exile …’ The poet refers to the snake as such to emphasize that the snake
(i) is like a king enduring banishment
(ii) is like a king due to be crowned
(iii) is a majestic king who came for a while on earth
(iv) is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man
Answer:
(iv) is a majestic creature forced to go into exile by man

(f) ‘I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act’— The poet is referring to
(i) the snake going into the dreadful hole
(ii) the accursed modern education
(iii) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake
(iv) the act of killing the snake
Answer:
(iii) the act of throwing a log of wood at the snake

Question 5.
Answer the following questions briefly:
(a) Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ for the snake.)
Answer:
The poet decides to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking because he thinks that the snake came before him. The poet stands waiting with his pitcher ‘I came down with my pitcher’ and feels that there is some guest at the water trough. The poet feels himself honoured that someone has come to drink water from his trough. This shows that the poet is a lover of nature who sees the snake as a big creation of nature.

(b) In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description?
Answer:
The snake that came to the water-trough down from a fissure in the earth wall was yellow- brown slack, soft-bellied. He sipped with his straight mouth, softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, silently.

(c) How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?
Answer:
It was a hot day. The poet came out in pyjamas because of the heat, to fill his pitcher. It seemed to be a day of ‘Sicilian July, with Etna smoking. The atmosphere was gloomy when the snake emerged from the fissure to drink water at the trough.

(d) What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the ‘burning bowels of the earth’?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey that the snake came out of the dark hell. He means that the snake comes out of the fissure from the bottom of the earth which is all dark and black as hell.

(e) Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet’s presence? How do you know?
Answer:
The snake was not conscious of the poet’s presence for it came very peacefully trailing his yellow-brown belly down over the edge of the stone water trough. It rested its throat upon the bottom where the water was dripping and sipped with his straight mouth softly into his slack long body.

(f) How do we know that the snake’s thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this.
Answer:
The snakes thirst was satiated for, after drinking silendy he lifted his head ‘as catde do’ satisfied and flickered his forked tongue from his lips ‘as one who has drunken’ and slowly proceeded to draw his slow length curving round And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face.

(g) The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake. Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake?
Answer:
On seeing the snake the poet has conflicting emotions. There is something that actually wants him to like the snake but at the same time his education preaches him to kill it as it might be dangerous to him. He also sees it as his guest and feels honoured that a guest has come to drink water. Hence, he is covered with guilt after throwing the log on the poor innocent snake.

(h) The poet is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the “horrid black’, ‘dreadful’ hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.
Answer:
The snake moved slowly into the hole and suddenly the poet ‘picked up a log and threw it at the water-trough to kill the snake’. The snake hearing the ‘clatter’ hastily moved ‘into the black hole’. The poet now regretted his action and blamed himself for acting the way he did. He wished the snake could come back for him to crown it like a king.

(i) The poet seems to be full of admiration and respect for the snake. He almost regards him like a majestic god. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions.
Answer:
The poet is full of admiration and respect for the snake. He respects it like a guest who has come to his water-trough to drink water. He ‘stands and waits’ to fill his pitcher and tells the snake to drink because it came before him. He considers him ‘like a god’ and wishes the snake would come back so that he could crown him ‘like a king’. He feels he had missed his ‘chance with one of the lords’, when the snake recedes back into its hole.

(j) What is the difference between the snake’s movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference.
Answer:
When the snake comes to the water-trough he ‘trails his yellow-brown soft-belly’ smoothly down silently. And when he has drunk the water he looked around like a god slowly proceeding to go into the fissure but when the poet picked up a ‘clumsy log’ and threw at the snake it ‘writhed like lightning and was gone into the black hole’.

(k) The poet experiences feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake. Pick out expressions that suggest this. Why does he feel like this?
Answer:
After hitting the snake the poet has feelings of self-derision, guilt and regret. He blames the voice of education that lures him to hit the snake. He thinks how ‘paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!’ He despises himself and his inner voice curses human education’.

(l) You have already read Coleridge’s poem The Ancient Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner. Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross?
Answer:
The poet places the blame on the voice of education for his action to have tempted him into hitting the snake and hopes he need not pay for his negative action like the sailor that killed ‘the albatross’. The poet wishes the snake to come back for him to crown it like a king but believes it would never do so and sees it ‘like a king in exile’.

(m) T have something to expiate’-Explain.
Answer:
Although the poet hits the snake under the influence of his education he feels sorry and wishes the snake would come back so the poet could crown it like a king but he misses the chance. He thinks he has to make amends for this petty mistake.

Question 6.
The encounter with the snake and the dual response of the poet to his presence at the water trough reflect a conflict between civilized social education and natural human instincts. The poet writes a diary entry highlighting how he was torn between the two voices. Write his diary.
Answer:
I have a reaction of fear and fascination for the snake. There is a conflict between my natural feelings and my rational thinking. I have feelings of affection as if crushed by our social education. My reasoning often misleads me. Although 1 hit the snake under the influence of my education, yet I feel sorry for my mean act. So my natural instinct prevails in the end.

By nature I am sympathetic, considerate and peace loving but education turns me into a brute and kills the natural man in me. I mean to say this education also makes me egoistic and selfish which urges me to kill the snake to satisfy my social needs.

The nature of the conflict which grips my mind at the sight of the snake draws the conflict between the use of rational powers and intuitive powers. I listen to my rational voice and attack the snake only to regret my mean and vulgar act.

My education with forces of ignorance, cruelty and barbarity makes me think that our rationality and intellect produce in us fears, doubts and superstitions.
It is our instinctive nature which prompts us to do the acts of goodness.

Question 7.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds in words, usually the first sound. Sibilance is a special form of alliteration using the softer consonants that create hissing sounds, or sibilant sounds. These consonants and digraphs include s, sh, th, ch, z, f, x, and soft c.

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it represents for a rhetorical or artistic effect of bringing out the full flavor of words. The sounds literally make the meaning in such words as “buzz,” “crash,” “whirr,” “clang” “hiss,” “purr,” “squeak,” etc.lt Is also used by poets to convey their subject to the reader. For example, In the last lines of Sir Alfred Tennyson’s poem ‘Come Down, O Maid’, m and n sounds produce an atmosphere of murmuring Insects:

… the moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innumerable bees.
Notice how D H Lawrence uses both these devices effectively in the following stanza.
He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,
Silently.

To what effect ffas the poet used these devices? How has it added to your understanding of the subject of the poem? You may record your understanding of snake characteristics under the following headings:
(a) Sound
(b) Movement
(c) Shape
Answer:
(a) Sound:

• He sipped with his straight mouth, Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body, silently-Alliteration (sibilance)

(b) Movement:

• And flickered his two forked tongue from his tips and mused a moment – Alliteration.
• And depart peaceful, pacified and thankless into the burning bowels of the earth. – Alliteration.

(c) Shape:

• And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down over the edge of the stone trough. – Alliteration (sibilance)
• Being garth-brown earth-golden, from the burning bowels of the earth.

Question 8.
The poet has also used both repetition and similes in the poem. For example—‘must wait, must stand and wait’ (repetition) and ‘looked at me vaguely as cattle do’ (simile).
Pick out examples of both and make a list of them in your notebooks. Give reasons why the poet uses these literary devices.
Answer:

Repetition	Simile
• And must wait, must stand and wait	• as cattle do, as drinking cattle do
• to feel so honoured I felt so honoured	• Lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do
• And slowly and slowly very slowly	• He had come like a guest in quiet.
• I was afraid	• And lifted his head dreamily, as one who has tongue.
• I was most afraid	• And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air
• from the burning bowels of the earth	• And looked around like a God
• Into the burning bowels of the earth	•   writhed like lightning •   he seemed to me again like a king.

Question 9.
A calligram is a poem, phrase, or word in which the handwriting is arranged in a way that creates a visual image. The image created by the words expresses visually what the word, or words, say. In a poem, it manifests visually the theme presented by the text of the poem. Read the poem given below. Try to compose a calligram. You could pick a subject of your choice.
Snake
Snake glides
through grass
over
Pebbles
forked tongue
working
never
speaking
but its
body
whispers
listen.
Keith Bosley
Answer:
Kite-A Calligram poem
A Kite is soaring high in sky A dive and a dip It soars like a ship Beautiful and high Tying earth and sky
(Students may create more poems of their own)

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 12 Snake help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 12 Snake, Nor the Gilded Monuments, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Wind Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 9 Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 9 Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 9 Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments

TextBook Questions

Question 1.
Look at the following picture carefully.

(a) What has Time been portrayed as? Why?
(b) What are the other symbols associated with Time?
Answer:
(a) Time has been portrayed as a mysterious man wearing a loose cloak with a scythe in one hand and an hour-glass in other. Time is shown to have been fleeting fast. Time is the greatest conqueror.
(b) Tides, bubble of water, wind, sand, money, etc.

Question 2.
(a) What are the things that last for centuries ? List a few things around you that will survive four to five hundred years into the future.

Answer:

(b) Think of things that will perish and/or be forgotten with the passage of time.
Answer:

Question 3.
On the basis of your understanding of Shakespeare’s sonnet, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.
(a) The rich and powerful got ornate monuments made in order to _____
(i) show off their wealth
(ii) display their power
(iii) show their artistic talent
(iv) be remembered till posterity.
Answer:
(iv) be remembered till posterity.

(b) The poet addresses his sonnet to _____
(i) time
(ii) war
(iii) the person he loves
(iv) powerful rulers.
Answer:
(iii) the person he loves

(c) In the line ‘The living record of your memory’, living record refers to _____
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend
(ii) an existing statue of his friend
(iii) his friend who lives in the poet’s memory
(iv) the autobiography of the poet’s friend.
Answer:
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend

(d) The poet’s tone in the poem is _____
(i) despairing
(ii) optimistic
(iii) loving
(iv) admiring,
Answer:
(iv) admiring,

(e) The poem is set in _____
(i) the place where the poet meets his friend
(ii) a battlefield where Mars is fighting a battle
(iii) a city ravaged by war
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing.
Answer:
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing.

Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
Answer:
Rich and powerful believe that by erecting statues and monuments people will remember them even after their death. They do not realise that people will remember them for their deeds and not for huge structures. It is their pride and ego which makes them do all this.

(b) Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
Answer:
Monuments and statues remade of stone and cement which are strong and structures constructed with these can stay for centuries. They can withstand extreme weather conditions such as rain, storm, severe heat, etc.

(c) Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish?
Answer:
Time has been referred to as ‘sluttish’ because time waits for no one. It passes by. We have to learn to value time. Time treats everyone in the same way. It does not treat a rich and poor man differently. “Sluttish” can also mean whorish as time cares for no individual; it is immoral and will finally pass. The grand memorials will become eroded, and the people memorialised will eventually be forgotten.

(d) The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destroy his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed through these lines?
Answer:
The poet is an optimistic individual. He has immense confidence in himself as well as in his ability to write poems which will be remembered till eternity. We also see his confidence in these lines- When marble statues topple and stone buildings and other “works of masonry” are destroyed, the poetry will live on.

Question 5.
Shakespeare’s sonnet has been divided into three quatrains of 4 lines each followed by a rhyming couplet. Each quatrain is a unit of meaning. Read the poem carefully and complete the following table on the structure of the poem.

Rhyme	scheme	Theme
Quatrain 1		Comparison between poetry and monuments.
Quatrain 2		Ravages of time on monuments contrasted with
Quatrain 3		The recorded memorv of posteritv
Couplet		Poetry immortalises friend

Answer:

	Rhyme Scheme	Theme
Quatrain 1	a, b, ab
Quatrain 2	cd cd	the living record of the memory of poet’s friend.
Quatrain 3	ef ef	the poet’s friend will be remembered and praised till posterity
Complet	gg	–

Question 6.
(a) The poet uses alliteration to heighten the musical quality of the sonnet. Working in pairs* underline the examples of alliteration in the poem.
(b) Identify Shakespeare’s use of personification in the poem.
Answer:
(a) Examples of alliteration

• When wasteful war shall statues overturn
• Not marble, nor the glided monuments
• But you shall shine more bright in these contents.
• Even in the eyes of all posterity
• That wear this world out to the ending doom.

(b) Use of personification

• When wasteful war shall statues
• And broils root out the work of masonry.
• Here war and broils are shown to have powerful hands that are capable of causing destruction.
• Your praise shall still find room.

Praise has been shown as a person taking his place somewhere.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 9 Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 9 Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

The Power of Determination Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 8 Mirror are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 8 Mirror.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 8 Mirror

TextBook Questions

Question 1.
In pairs discuss the following questions :
(a) When do you generally use a mirror?
(b) Is a mirror essential for us?
(c) Given below is a list of possible reasons why a person uses a mirror.

Tick (✓) the ones you agree with :
(i) to check one’s appearance
(ii) to look beautiful
(iii) to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out.
(iv) to check for a pimple or a grey hair
(v) to apply make-up
(vi) to make a phone call
(vii) as a decorative item at home.
Answer:
(a) We generally use a mirror to see our reflection while getting ready for office or going out.
(b) Yes, a mirror is essential for us to make our appearance better.
(c) (i), (iii),(iv), (v), (vii)

Question 2.
On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice.
(a) When the mirror is being described as being ‘unmisted by love or dislike’ we understand that the mirror is ……….
(i) not misted
(ii) not prejudiced
(iii) has four angles
(iv) is silver in colour.
Answer:
(ii) not prejudiced

(b) The other word for ‘contemplation’ is……..
(i) contempt
(ii) meditation
(iii) mediation
(iv)thoughtful
Answer:
(ii) meditation

(c) When the mirror says ‘it has no preconceptions’ it means that ………..
(i) it reflects back an image objectively
(ii) it modifies an image as it reflects it
(iii) it beautifies an image as it reflects it
(iv) it gives a biased view of a person/object
Answer:
(i) it reflects back an image objectively

(d) The mirror has been called ‘a four-cornered god’ because ……………..
(i) it is square shaped
(ii) like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
(iii) it reflects back all that it sees
(iv) it never stops reflecting
Answer:
(ii) like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles

(e) The ‘speckles’ refer to …………….
(i) a pink object
(ii) the opposite wall which has spots on it
(iii) a person with pink pimples
(iv) pink spots in general
Answer:
(ii) the opposite wall which has spots on it

(f) The phrase ‘agitation of the hand’ suggests that the person is ……………
(i) very ill
(ii) very upset
(iii) very angry
(iv)very happy
Answer:
(ii) very upset

(g) By saying ‘Now I am a lake’ the narrator wants to show that ………………….
(i) the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
(ii) the lake can also reflect surfaces
(iii) the depth of the lake is important
(iv) the lake does not show as exact an image as a mirror
Answer:
(ii) the lake can also reflect surfaces

Question 3.
Answer the following questions briefly
(a) What is the poetic device used when the mirror says ‘I swallow’?
Answer:
The poetic device used here is personification.

(b) How does the mirror usually pass its time?
Answer:
Mirror usually passes its time by meditating on the opposite wall.

(c) What disturbs the mirror’s contemplation of the opposite wall?
Answer:
Faces and darkness disturb the mirrors contemplation of the opposite wall.

(d) Why does the mirror appear to be a lake in the second stanza? What aspect of the mirror do you think is being referred to here?
Answer:
The mirror appears to be a lake because the lake can reflect surfaces. The mirror displays the true and objective images as it is truthful.

(e) What is the woman searching for in the depths of the lake?
Answer:
The woman is searching for her reflection, her face.

(f) How does the narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at her reflection in the lake is deeply distressed?
Answer:
The woman is weeping, has tears and is upset. She is also showing her protest with agitation of hands.

(g) What makes the woman start crying?
Answer:
The woman starts crying because she is not happy with her image reflected by the lake.

(h) What do you think the ‘terrible fish’ in the last line symbolizes? What is the poetic device used here ?
Answer:
The ‘terrible image’ symbolises the old, worn out face of the woman. The poetic device ‘Simile’ is used here

Question 4.
Read the poem silently and answer the following questions:
(a) List out the adjectives that have been used to describe the mirror. Add a few more adjectives to the list.
Answer:
silver, exact, unbiased, unmisted by love or dislike, not cruel, truthful, eye of a little god, four- cornered, meditator The mirror is used as a human. So the word ‘swallow’ has been used.

(b) In the second stanza why has the narrator replaced the mirror with a lake? What is he/she trying to focus on?
Answer:
The poet has done so because the lake also reflects images as the mirror does. The woman is not happy with her image told by mirror, so she has turned to the lake. She is trying to focus on the fact that a woman cannot accept the fact she has aged and does not look as charming as in her young age.

Question 5.
Find the various instances of personification used in this poem.
Answer:
Instances of personification in the poem.

• Whatever I see I swallow immediately.
• I have looked at it so long I think it is a part of my heart.
• I see her back and reflect it faithfully.
• The eye of a little god four-cornered

Question 6.
Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow by ticking the correct choice :
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
(a) What is the woman bending over?
(i) the mirror
(ii) the lake
(iii) the opposite wall
(iv) the moon and the candles.
Answer:
(ii) the lake

(b) Why have the candles and the moon been called ‘liars’?
(i) because they make people beautiful
(ii) they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light
(iii) they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
(iv) they can’t talk.
Answer:
(iii) they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow

(c) Why does she turn to them in spite of calling them ‘liars’?
(i) the reality is too harsh for her to bear
(ii) she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her
(iii) she wants to be told that she is still beautiful
(iv)she can hide her signs of graying in their light.
Answer:
(ii) she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her

Question 7.
Imagine you are the mirror. Write a speech that you would like to deliver to the humans who come to see their reflection in you. You could begin like this ……
Good Morning dear humans
I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to express my feelings and share my thoughts with you. As you know, all my life is spent in faithfully reflecting all that comes before my eyes …..
Answer:
………. I’m as pure as silver and reflect the images objectively. Nobody can blame me to be biased or being affected by any sort of like or dislike as I’m same for everbody. I want people to take me as truthful and not cruel as I reflect the same image as it is. I treat everybody in the same way because I am like god’s eye and am four cornered. As god looks after the people on earth with the same love and affection from all the four directions, I also give out the same treatment.

A wall is placed opposite me who is like my close companion. I keep looking at her all the time and she has become part of my life. Nobody can separate us except for some faces and darkness, she keeps looking at me and anybody can see the wall into me. This friend of mine is painted in pink and has got some spots of pink colour.

I am also compared with a lake which also reflects the image. A woman bends over it and tries to find her face in the depth of water. But she does not find clear image of her face and becomes distressed. Therefore, she takes the help of moon and candles who can give her temporary glow but cannot change the reality. I am a testimony to how she has grown from a young girl to an old woman. With each passing day the mirror reveals that she is ageing.

Question 8.
Here is another poem on mirror. The narrator calls the mirror a ‘fibber’. How is this poem different from the poem by Sylvia Plath ? Have a class discussion on the comparison in terms of the theme, the tone and the language used.

MIRROR

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Can’t you show me tall and slim?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Must I look so bloody grim?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
You’re distorting my poor waist!
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
And why the heck am I defaced?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Why have I a double chin?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
And what’s the stupid, goofy grin?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Pointless asking ‘Who’s the fairest?
More bloody likely,,‘Who’s the queerest?
Now look, I paid a big bucks for thee,
So why can’t you be nice to me?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall.
Who’s the fairest of them all?
Me, you say? Ah, that’s better
Mirror, mirror, bloody fibber!
Answer:

Poem by Sylvia Plath	Another poem on mirror
THEME
• Appearances	• Self-realisation
• Transiency of time	• Denial
• Transformation	• Self-pity
• Realisation of truth
TONE
• Somebre	• Humorous
• Unbiased	• Complaining
• Unprejudiced	• Obsessive
LANGUAGE
• Figurative (metaphor, personification)	• Sarcastic

Note: Students can discuss the above points by providing suitable examples.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 8 Mirror help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 8 Mirror, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

Salutation to the Nation Summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 7 The Frog and the Nightingale are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 7 The Frog and the Nightingale.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 7 The Frog and the Nightingale

TextBook Questions

Question 1.
Listed below are a few character traits of people. Some are positive qualities, while others are not. Tick mark the ones you feel are desirable qualities in a person.

Characteristic	Tick Mark	Characteristic	Tick Mark	Characteristic	Tick Mark
Insensitive		High – headed		Manipulative
Humorous		Egoistic		Patronizing
Naive		Humble		Submissive
Opportunistic		Foolish		Arrogant
Creative		Original		Conniving
Disapproving		Helpful		Innocent
Commanding		Calculative		Condescending
Benevolent		Crafty		Scheming
Simple		Wise		Rude
Overbearing		Generous		Boastful
Sly		Gentle		Proud
Territorial		Aggressive		Servile

Answer:
Humorous, Creative, Benevolent, Simple, Humble, Original, Helpful, Wise, Generous, Gentle, Innocent (Tick Mark in table)

Question 2.
Have you come across people who are not what they seem to be-like someone who is extremely friendly and helpful yet you are not very comfortable with him/her as you feel it is a put-on ? Have a class discussion about such people and why you feel as you do.
Answer:
Student 1: I know many people who are not what they seem. They use you to get their work done in a very clever way.
Student 2: Yes, I also agree with that. My mother is right in saying that excess of everything is bad. So, if we come across a person who is being too friendly with us, we must smell a rat and be careful.
Student 3: One of my friends is very helpful sometimes but I never find him too comfortable to be with and sooner or later his real motives are revealed when he asks for a bigger favour in return.
Note: Students may extend the discussion on their own.

Question 3.
Before you read the poem complete the word-web with the words that we associate with a Frog and a Nightingale.

Answer:

Question 4.
The following is a summary of the poem but it is jumbled up. Write out the events in their correct order to form a continuous paragraph.
(a) As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.
(b) Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.
(c) All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.
(d) He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.
(e) So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.
(f) The next night the frog introduced himself.
(g) The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a lot of money from these concerts.
(h) A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.
(i) But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.
(j) One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice.
(k) Finally, the nightingale burst a vein and died.
Answer:
a — 9 b — 4   c — 3  d — 6  e — 11 g — 7  h — 1   i — 8  j — 2  k — 10

Question 5.
Now that you have read the poem, add more personality traits to the word- web of the frog and the nightingale as depicted in the poem. Then complete the table given below. (Some of the words in the box below may help you. You may also use the words given in Q.1.)

Character	Extract	Personality traits
Nightingale	Sorry – was that you who spoke?	Polite, Timorous
Frog	Yes,… you see, I’m the frog who owns this tree In this bog I’ve long been known For my splendid baritone.
Nightingale	Did you…did you like my song?
Frog	Not too bad – but far too long The technique was fine, of course, But it Icfcked a certain force.
Frog	Without proper training such as 1 And a few others pan supply You’ll remain a mere beginner. But with me you’ll be a winner.
Nightingale	But 1 can’t sing in this weather.
Nightingale	…This is a fairy tale – And you’re Mozart in disguise Come to earth before my eyes.
Frog	Come, my dear – we’ll sing together.
Frog	We must aim for better billing You still owe- me sixty shillings.
Frog	Brainless bird – you’re on the stage Use your wits and follow fashion. Puff your lungs out with your passion.
Frog	…1 tried to teach her. But she was a stupid creature.

Answer:

Frog	Dominating, Possessive
Nightingale	Meek, Naive
Frog	Presumptuous, Conniving
Frog	Superior, Sly, Arrogant
Nightingale	Timid, Nervous
Nightingale	Fawning, Polite, Servile
Frog	Crafty, Patronizing
Frog	Mercenary, Manipulative
Frog	Insensitive, Commanding

Question 6.
Divide yourselves into groups of four or five and brainstorm on any one of the given situations in order to create an imaginary dialogue or a comic strip. Keep in mind the characters and situations while doing so. Representatives from each group could then present the dialogues/read them to the class.

Answer:
(a) The frog is croaking loudly
Duck: Oh! what a cacophony! can’t he be quiet?
Loon: (Pleading before frog) for God’s sake, please have mercy on us. Stop singing. (A teal threw a stone at the frog but it did not affect him)
Heron: (shouting at frog) You loathful fellow! Don’t torture us with your crass behaviour.
Toad: …………….

(b) The first time that the nightingale sings, the creatures in the bog listening to her with interest remark:
Nightingale: Oh! what a beautiful evening let me rest here for sometime and sing a song.
Frog: Eh! who is this singing here in my territory?
Nightingale: Umph! It’s me, the nightingale.
Duck: lovely song! you are welcome here in the bog.
Heron: Oooh! we’ve never heard such an enthralling voice before,.
loon: (shedding tears of joy) “unbelievable”.
Toads: Hush! sush! let’s listen to her. She sings so sweetly.
Frog: Croak-Croak- Don’t you know that I am the owner of this bog and only I have the right to sing here, humph!
Nightingale: Oops, I didn’t know that! Did you like my song. (Responses may vary)

(c) Nightingale was ready to sing when she heard a croak.
Nightingale : (timidly) : Is that you who is croaking? Who are you?
Frog:  (vainly) Croak! Croak! Don’t you know, I am the unrivalled king of this bog?
Nightingale: Oh! It’s my pleasure to meet you. Do you like my song?
Frog: Hmm! It’s O.K. but you lack technique. I am famous for my baritone.
Nightingale: ………………………………………….

(d) One morning it was raining and as usual, frog started training the nightingale.
Nightingale: Boom! I can’t sing in this chilly weather.
Frog: Be brave! You silly bird. Just put on your scarf and start singing.
Nightingale: I’ll try-koo-Oh-ah! Ko-ash! Ko-ash!” Oh! I’m feeling totally drained out.
Frog: ……………….

(e) The strenuous and gruelling schedule of singing had its effect on the nightingale and her song lost its charm.
Frog: Oh! people are no longer interested in coming to listen to the song. It’s a great loss to me.
Nightingale: Aha! you selfish frog. Can’t you see my woeful countenance? I can’t sing any more.
Frog: What! Croak! Croak! How can you say that? Sing with energy and passion.
Nightingale: ……………………………………

Students are free to complete the conversation on their own by using these hints.

Question 7.
On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the sentences given below by choosing the appropriate option.

1. The frog’s aim was to
(a) make the nightingale a sensation
(b) make the nightingale as good a singer as him
(c) maintain his supremacy in the bog
(d) make a lot of money.
Answer:
(c) maintain his supremacy in the bog

2. The animals reacted to the nightingale’s song with
(a) hatred
(b) admiration
(c) indifference
(d) suggestions for improvement
Answer:
(b) admiration

3. The nightingale accepted the frog’s tutelage as she
(a) was not confident of herself
(b) wanted to become as good a singer as the frog
(c) wanted to become a professional singer
(d) was not a resident of Bingle Bog
Answer:
(a) was not confident of herself

Question 8.
Read the stanza given below and complete the sentences by choosing the appropriate option.

Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

(a) The nightingale was sorrowful and pale because she………………..
(i) had been practising in the rain
(ii) had been performing all night
(iii) was losing confidence in herself
(iv) was falling ill
Answer:
(ii) had been performing all night

(b) The audience was tired of her song because…………………
(i) they had heard it many times
(ii) it had become rr\echanical
(iii) she looked tired
(iv) she had added trill to her song
Answer:
(ii) it had become mechanical

(c) She no longer enjoyed singing alone as…………………..
(i) she wanted to sing only for titled crowd
(ii) she was now used to the appreciation she got
(iii) the frog was no longer with her
(iv) she had become proud of herself
Answer:
(ii) she was now used to the appreciation she got .

Question 9.
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) How did the creatures of Single bog react to the nightingale’s singing?
Answer:
The creatures of Bingle Bog appreciated the sweet voice of the nightingale. Every one clapped for her generously. All the animals gathered around the sumac tree. Ducks and herons waded through water and reached where nightingale was singing.

(b) Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?
Answer:
The frog does not appreciate nightingale’s song when all the creatures of the bog like her voice.

• He introduces himself to the nightingale as the owner of the tree, the writer and critic, and the best singer.
• He also offers himself to train the nightingale in singing and charges a high tuition fee. He makes her to give musical concerts and charges entry fee.
• He compells her to give performances and take music lessons from him.
• He reprimands her for not singing sweetly when the business crashes

(c) Why is the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter?
Answer:

• The frog’s joy is sweet because he was making a lot of money on the talent of the nightingale and earning a good business.
•  But his joy turns bitter because he became jealous of the nightingale’s popularity.

(d) Why was the frog angry?
Answer:

• The frog was angry because he lost his business and money.
• He blamed nightingale for this loss.

(e) How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?
Answer:
The frog snubbed nightingale for not performing well.

• The frog asked her to puff her lungs up
• She did what the frog asked her to do.
• .She overstrained herself, a vein burst, she died.
• The frog became unrivalled king.

Question 10.
Discuss the following questions and write the answers in your note-books.

(a) Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement—‘Your song must be your own’.
Answer:

• When the nightingale said that her song was her own, the frog remarked that she should , not boast about that and gave lessons to improve her.
• Later when she died, frog hypocritically stole her statement and told the audience that he taught her to be original in her song.

(b) Do you think the end is justified?
Answer:
No, the end is not justified because the revenge of the nightingale’s ruthless killing could not be taken as nobody could know frog’s reality.

(c) Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’ ? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, the nightingale is truly brainless because she could not understand the crafty scheme of the frog.

• let herself be dominated by the frog, trusted him blindly.
• was not confident about her talent, relied on frog.
• was easily influenced by him and died of her own foolishness.

(d) In spite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?
Answer:
Nightingale despite being a crowd-puller and extremely talented singer fails utterly in surviving in the world of frivolities and value-sans society. She should have practical wisdom and should

have been aware of the behaviour of the frog towards her. Had she been confident about her talent and worth and not have followed the frog blindly, she could have saved herself and emerged as a successful singer. She is largely responsible for her own downfall and tragic death.

(e) Do you agree with the Frog’s inference of the Nightingale’s character ? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
No, I am not completely convinced by the inference that the frog has about the nightingales character. The nightingale is, in reality, a gullible bird but the frog portrayed her as a greedy and untalented bird. She won over the heart of her audience time and again with her original lyrics and compositions whereby the frog charged her with being stale. She was much better a singer than the frog but he made her take lessons from him. The frog presented the nightingale exactly the opposite to what she really was.

Question 11.
The Frog and the nightingale’ is a spoof on the present society. Study the Mind Map given below. Divide yourselves into groups, select a box and discuss the statement given. Then present your views to the class

CLASS DISCUSSION
How a person tries to put down another when that person is succeeding in his or her life.

Our self-image is often b&sed on what others make us believe we are. A poor self-image can do irreparable damage to us. Do you agree with this statement? Elaborate with suitable reasons and. examples.
Answer:
Instant Success, results at any cost

Group 1
In today’s ‘fast food’ world, people want everything in the wink of an eye. They chase after unmaterialistic goals and end up wasting their precious time and energy But in my opinion, to be successful in life, the quality of perseverance plays an important role.

Group 2
Success requires a person to accept responsibility and thinking that you will get success instantly is nothing but foolishness. Always remember that everything comes at a price. Passion, perseverance and perfection are the things that ensure success to a person.

Group 3
There is nothing like ‘Instant success! In order to reach the highest level in any of the thing, proper practice and training are must. But unfortunately, modern society is incredibly impatient and want everything overnight. They must relax and take their time to get the results of their endeavours. A sustained but continuous effort is sure to give you good results.
(This is a model answer. Responses may vary)
Class Discussion
A poor self-image can do irrepairable damage to us. I fully agree with this statement and want to put before you a very wise quote by Albert Einstein. ‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. We often tend to fear “what do people think about us?

This fear influences our personality to a great extent and we form an opinion of ourselves based on what others make us believe we are. Children are especially vulnerable to accepting criticism and suffer from poor body image issue. They are always nagged by fears like – “Are they laughing at me!’ ‘I’m good at nothing’, I can never be of any use to anybody.’ But these are destructive thoughts that result from a feeling of low self esteem. My advice to you is to stop hating yourself and forgive yourself for your mistakes. Nobody has the right to challenge your self-esteem. It’s your ownlife and you must line it your own way. Be the change and show the world.

Writing Task

Question 12.
The nightingale has scaled the heights of success. But now the audience is dwindling, the frog is unhappy and reprimands her all the time. She is mentally and physically exhausted and fears failure. As the nightingale, write a diary entry highlighting her fears and analyzing the reasons for her failure.
Answer:
July 10, 20XX
How lonesome and tired I am feeling! Today what I am, is a result of my short-sightedness. I was foolish enough to believe the scheming frog. Whatever he said, I accepted without questioning and could not see his real motives. Anxious to get instant success, I have brought ruin upon myself. I set unrealistic expectations for myself and failed to realize the implications of my actions. The frog was very cunning and befool me easily and exploited me till the end.Now, I repent my haste as even the audience, who used to listen to my songs with delight, have dwindled. I am a failure. How I wish 1 would have assessed myself accurately and acknowledged my strengths and weaknesses.

Question 13.
Write an obituary for the nightingale. You may begin like this : May the kind soul (or you may make use of your own beginning).
Answer:
May the kind soul rest in peace. How sweet and innocent was she when she first came here pleasing us all with her melodious voice.
She was too innocent to understand the vile intentions of the sly frog.
Few moments ago, she was flying and singing like she always wanted to.
Now, she’ll sing forever in the kingdom of God.
The bog is quiet now and our hearts long to hear you sing. God has lifted you in His arms and closed your weary eyes. And whispered ‘Peace be thine.”

Listening Task

Question 14.
Listen to a poem on a similar theme by Mary Howitt and compare the Fly to Vikram Seth’s Nightingale.

Answer:

Nightingale	Fly
Meek	Clever
Naive	Careful
Fawning	Confident
Innocent	Straightforward
Nervous	Practical

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 7 The Frog and the Nightingale help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Reader Chapter 7 The Frog and the Nightingale, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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