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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 11 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 11 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Summary of CBSE Class 10 English poem followed by detailed explanation of the poem along with meanings of difficult words and literary devices used in the poem.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 11
Chapter Name	The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 11 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 111-112, 115-119 & 121-123)

Question 1.
Look at the picture carefully and answer the questions given below :

1. What can you see in the picture ? Does the man look happy ? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Why does he have the bird hanging around his neck ?

3. Have you heard of the expression—‘having an albatross around your neck’ ? What do you think it means ? Does it mean :

(a) something that you can always be proud of
(b) something that you have to do because you have no choice
(c) something that is with you all the time as a reminder that you have done something wrong ?

4. What is an Albatross ?

Answer:

1. I can see a man in the picture who has put his right hand on his forehead. He seems to be very unhappy and helpless. It may be because of some ‘misdeed’ that he may have done. This could have generated a feeling of guilt and repentance. Now he may be regretting over what he may have done.

2. He has the bird hanging around his neck as a mark of expiation for his ‘misdeed’. Quite possibly, he may have killed this bird unknowingly or through a moral error. Now he may be expiating for being in such a position.

3. I have not heard this expression earlier but now I hear it. I think it means ‘to regret over something which has happened but shouldn’t have happened’. It means (c).

4. An Albatross is a large white sea-bird with long wings. It is common in the Pacific and southern Oceans.

An albatross, by the way, is a large sea-bird with a wing span of about 4 m.

The expression an albatross around your neck is now part of modern-day English, but it was first used by Coleridge in his narrative poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which was written in 1798. We shall read Parts I and II.

Question 2.
Listen carefully as the teacher reads out the first part of the poem to you or makes you listen to a recording of the poem.
Answer:
Students to read the poem.

Question 3.
The teacher will now assign roles and ask you to read the poem aloud to show how the poem has been written in the first person (the parts in quotation marks spoken by the Mariner) and in the third person (where the narrator comments about the events taking place).
Answer:
For Class level activity.

Question 4.
Here are some of the archaic words used in the poem; can you match them with the words used in modem English language that mean the same ? The first one has been done for you as an example :

Answer:

Question 5.
Using the words given above rewrite PART I of the poem in your own words. The first stanza has been done as an example :

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
‘By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me ?

An old sailor stopped one of the three people passing by, who asked: “Old man, with your long grey beard and glittering eye, why are you stopping me ?”

Answer:

The Wedding-Guest said, “The bridegroom’s doors are opened wide and I am the next member of the family.” He further said, “Can’t you hear the noise as the guests have come and the feast has started ?”

The Ancient Mariner held him with his skinny hand and said, “There was a ship.” At this the Wedding-Guest, calling the Ancient Mariner grey-beard mad person, asked him to unhand him. The latter dropped his hand at once.

The Wedding-Guest stood silent as the Ancient Mariner held him spellbound with his glittering eye. He had no choice but to listen to him like a three years’ child under the Mariner’s will-power.

The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone as he could do nothing except to hear him speak. The Ancient Mariner with bright eyes started narrating his story.

He said that their ship was cheered and cleared of the harbour. They went below the church, the hill and the lighthouse top.

The sun rose from the left out of the sea and shone brightly. It went down into the sea on the right.

The sun went higher and higher every day and stood over the mast at noon. At this the Wedding-Guest started beating his breast. It was because he heard the loud bassoon being played. And his presence there was urgently required.

The bride had entered the hall. She looked as red as a rose. The happy singers and musicians went before her nodding their heads. The Wedding-Guest wanted very much to be there but couldn’t go.

The Wedding-Guest beat his breast as he couldn’t choose anything except to hear the Ancient Mariner. The Ancient Mariner having bright eyes said, “And now there came a severe and strong storm. It struck the ship like a huge animal striking over the victim with his overspread wings and chased us towards south.”

Note : Students can also write on their own the rest of Part I. You can also take help of paraphrase of each stanza given in section II.

Question 6.
Answer the following by choosing the right option from those given below :

(a) The Ancient Mariner stopped one of the three wedding guests because ……….

1. he wanted to attend the wedding with him
2. he wanted him to sit with him
3. he wanted him to listen to his story
4. he wanted to stop him from going to the wedding.

(b) The Wedding-Guest remarked that he was ‘next of kin’ which means that

1. he was a close relation of the bridegroom
2. he was a close relation of the bride
3. he was next in line to get married
4. he had to stand next to the bridegroom during the wedding.

(c) ‘He cannot choose but hear’ means

1. the Mariner was forced to hear the story of the Wedding-Guest
2. the Wedding-Guest was forced to hear the story of the Mariner
3. the Mariner had the choice of not listening to the story of the Wedding-Guest
4. the Wedding-Guest had the choice of not listening to the story of the Mariner.

(d) ‘The sun came up upon the left, / Out of the sea came he ; ‘This line tells us that the’ ship ………

1. was moving in the northern direction
2. was moving eastwards
3. was moving in the western direction
4. was moving towards the south.

(e) The Wedding-Guest beat his breast because ……..

1. he could hear the sound of the bassoon
2. he was forced to listen to the Mariner’s tale when he wanted to attend the wedding !
3. the sound of the bassoon meant that the bride had arrived and the wedding ceremony was about to begin and he could not attend it
4. the sound of the bassoon announced the arrival of the bride and the start of the wedding ceremony.

(f) The storm blast has been described as being tyrannous because ………

1. it was so fierce that it frightened the sailors
2. it took complete control of the ship
3. the storm was very powerful
4. the sailors were at its mercy.

(g) The sailors felt depressed on reaching the land of mist and snow because ……….

1. there was no sign of any living creature
2. they felt they would die in that cold weather
3. they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life
4. everything was grey in colour and they felt very cold.

(h) The sailors were happy to see the Albatross because …………

1. it was the first sign of life and therefore gave them hope that they might survive
2. it split the icebergs around the ship and helped the ship move forward
3. it was a messenger from God and it lifted the fog and mist.
4. it gave them hope of survival by splitting the icebergs.

(i) The two things that happened after the arrival of the albatross were ………

1. the icebergs split and the Albatross became friendly with the sailors
2. the icebergs split and a strong breeze started blowing
3. the ship was pushed out of the land of mist and the ice melted
4. the Albatross started playing with the mariners and ate the food they offered.

(j) ‘It perched for vespers nine’ means ……..

1. the ship stopped sailing at nine o’clock everyday
2. the Albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday
3. the Albatross would sit on the sail or the mast everyday
4. the Albatross was a holy creature

(k) ‘God save thee, Ancient Mariner, / From the fiends that plague thee thus!—Why look’st thou so ? means ……..

1. the Mariner wanted to know why the Wedding-Guest was looking so tormented
2. the Wedding-Guest wanted to know why the Mariner was looking so tormented
3. the Wedding-Guest wanted to know whether some creatures were troubling the Ancient Mariner
4. the Ancient Mariner wanted to know whether something was troubling the Wedding-Guest.

Answer:

(a) → 3. he wanted him to listen to his story
(b) → 1. he was a close relation of the bridegroom
(c) → 2. the Wedding-Guest was forced to hear the story of the Mariner
(d) → 4. was moving towards the south
(e) → 3. the sound of the bassoon meant that the bride had arrived and the wedding ceremony was about to begin and he could not attend it.
(f) → 2. it took complete control of the ship
(g) → 3. they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life
(h) → 1. it was the first sign of life and therefore gave them hope that they might survive
(i) → 2. the icebergs split and a strong breeze started blowing
(j) → 3. the Albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday
(k) → 2. the Wedding-Guest wanted to know why the Mariner was looking so tormented.

Question 7.
Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) How did the Ancient Mariner stop the Wedding-Guest ?

(b) Was the Wedding-Guest happy to be stopped ? Give reasons for your answer. (V. Imp.)

(c) Describe the Ancient Mariner. (V. Imp.)

(d) How does the Mariner describe the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land ? (V. Imp.)

(e) What kind of weather did the sailors enjoy at the beginning of their journey ? How has it been expressed in the poem ? (V. Imp.)

(f) How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow ?

(g) How does the mariner express the fact that the ship was completely surrounded by icebergs ? (V. Imp.)

(h)How do we know that the Albatross was not afraid of the humans ? Why did the sailors hail it in God’s name ?

(i) What was the terrible deed done by the Mariner ?. Why do you think he did it ? (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) The Ancient Mariner stopped the Wedding-Guest by his glittering eye and strange appearance. He also caught his hand and looked at him with his bright eyes. These had a kind of magical spell on the Wedding-Guest and he stopped at once.

(b) The Wedding-Guest was not at all happy to stop. He told the Ancient Mariner to let him go as he was the next relation of the bridegroom. His presence was a must at the wedding. Secondly, the guests had come and the feast had started. But when the Ancient Mariner looked at him with his glittering eyes, the Wedding-Guest had no choice but to hear him.

(c) The Ancient Mariner looked very strange and uncommon with his long grey beard and glittering eyes. He had skinny hands, and exotic dress. This made him appear ‘strange and eerie’. The effect of his personality had a kind of magical spell on the Wedding-Guest. He could do nothing except obey the Mariner.

(d) The Mariner describes the movement of the ship thus : the ship was cheered off the harbour merrily. It steered below the church, hill and the lighthouse. After some time, the ship was overpowered by the strong storm. It sailed as if it was being chased by a powerful enemy. Its masts stooped low and the prow dipped.

(e) The sailors enjoyed fair weather in the beginning of their journey : It is not expressly described but can be inferred in ‘Merrily did we drop/below the kirk ….’ The sun shone bright and set into the sea on the right. The weather changed when there came a sea storm. This took over the ship. Then the weather began to get worse and worse.

(f) The sailors reached the land of mist and snow led by the sea storm. It was so tyrannous that it took over the ship and forced it reach the land of mist and snow.

(g) The Mariner describes this fact by stating that the ice came mast high floating by. The ice looked green and was everywhere around the ship. He further states that the ice was everywhere. This ice cracked, growled, roared and howled.

(h) The Albatross was not afraid of the humans as it ate the food that was given to it by them. It came to the ship daily at 9 pm for ‘food and play.’ ‘Food and play’ shows that it was not afraid of them.

The sailors hailed it in God’s name because it was the only living thing over there. The place seemed to have been deserted. The Albatross seemed to be the representative of God over there. It seemed that no other being could survive there.

(i) The terrible thing that the Mariner had done was the killing of the Albatross without any reason. The Mariner did it without any valid reason or any provocation. It seems some instinct in him made him kill it.

Question 8.
There are a number of literary devices used in the poem. Some of them have been listed below. Choose the right ones and write them down in the table as shown in the example. In each of the cases explain what they mean.

simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, repetition,

1. The Wedding-Guest stood still, And listens like a three years’ child :	Simile ; the Wedding-Guest was completely under the control of the Mariner
2. Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the lighthouse top
3. The sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he
4. The bride hath paced into the hall, Red as a rose is she
5. And now the storm-blast came, and he was tyrannous and strong :
6. With sloping masts and dipping prow, As who pursued with yell and blow Still treads the shadow of his foe
7. The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around

Answer:

2. alliteration ; repetition of sounds symbolising merriness of the sailors going on the sea journey.
3. personification ; the sun is invested with super human power.
4. simile ; the beauty of the bride is reinforced with it.
5. personification ; symbolising the manly ferocity of the storm-blast investing it with tyranny and brutality.
6. simile ; picturising the efforts of the victim to escape the enemy and the power of the enemy.
7. alliteration ; to create music and its sweetness.

Question 9.
In groups of four discuss what you think happens next in the poem. Share your views with the rest of the class.
Answer:
Activity at classroom level. One group discussion is given below :

A : I think the Ancient Mariner and the sailors are now trapped in this land of ice. They will soon die there.

B : I disagree with it as you can’t predict anything. But even if you predict, it is quite possible that some Godly help may reach them.

C : It may be that they themselves do something to help themselves. It may be that the weather changes soon and the ship steers clear of this land.

D : It may also be possible that some Polar Spirit may be avenging them for having killed the innocent Albatross in the beginning. Quite possibly, they repent over it. Due to this the spirit relents and they save themselves from further troubles.

A : I beg to disagree with it as I don’t believe in spirits or supernatural occurrences.

B : I disagree with A. There are all the things though we have hardly any knowledge about them. Shakespeare wrote his plays around 400 years back. He describes ghosts and spirits in them. It means they existed then also. Or people believed in them. Even today they are a part of our folklore.

D : I think the Ancient Mariner does something after suffering a lot which amounts to his expiation. Later, the Polar Spirit relents and forgives him. However, he is left t narrating his tale of woe when the supernatural soft of guilt gets heavy on him. And it lessens when he relates his story. When he does so, his guilt gets washed off to some extent.

C : I find it hard to believe but it seems a little bit convincing.

D : I think it is all about this chain of thought.

Question 10.
The teacher will now read out the second part of the poem or assign parts to you and ask you to read the poem to the class.
Answer:
For students to read on their own.

Question 11.
Answer the following questions briefly :

(a) In which direction did the ship start moving ? How can you say ?

(b) Why does the Mariner say that ‘no sweet bird did follow’ ?

(c) How did the other Mariners behave towards the Ancient Mariner at first ? How many times did they change their mind about the Ancient Mariner ? What does this tell us about their character ? (V. Imp.)

(d) How did the sailing conditions change after the ship had moved out of the land of mist and snow ? What or who did the Mariners blame for this change ? (V. Imp.)

(e) What is indicated by the line ‘The bloody sun, at noon,/Right up above the mast did stand,/No bigger than the moon’ ?

(f) How does the Mariner describe the fact that they were completely motionless in the middle of the sea ? (V. Imp.)

(g) What is the irony in the ninth stanza ? Explain it in your own words.

(h) What is the narrator trying to convey through the description of the situation in the tenth and eleventh stanza ?

(i) What or who did the Mariners feel was responsible for their suffering ? (V. Imp.)

(j) Describe the condition of the Mariners as expressed in the thirteenth stanza.

(k) Why did the Mariners hang the Albatross around the neck of the Ancient Mariner ? (CBSE 2012) (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) The ship moved to the south after the sea storm enveloped it. It took over the ship like a fierce enemy who chases its victim. This is clear from the directions the sun set. In the beginning when the ship sailed, the sun came from the left and set on their right.

Now the sun rose from the right and set in the left direction of the ship. It is clear in the stanza starting with ‘The Sun now rose … into the sea’.

(b) The Mariner says this with utter sadness after the Albatross has been killed by him. Secondly, the place is all ice and snow. There is hardly any possibility of any living being there in such an inclement weather.

(c) At first the sailors criticized the Mariner for killing the Albatross that made the breeze blow. When the sun rose gloriously after some time, the mariners said that the killing of the Albatross was right. It was good, they said, because the bird had brought fog and mist. The sailors thus behaved differently with the Mariner.

But they changed their minds two times. This shows that they had shallow and fickle minds and didn’t have integrity or sense of propriety.

(d) Now the ship went to the north direction as the sun rose from the right. The good south wind still blew behind. The breeze that blew was fair with white foam flowing on the watery surface of the sea. The ship left the furrow free behind it. There was complete silence. But soon the breeze got very hot.

The mariners changed their statement and blamed the killing of the Albatross by the Mariner for this change.

(e) By this line there is a clear cut indication that some ominous thing was going to happen. The weather was becoming very inhospitable and very unbearable due to heat. So anything could happen that could endanger the lives of the sailors.

(f) The Mariner describes this fact by using the metaphor of the painted ship on a painted ocean. As the painting can’t move, so were the sailors and the Mariner.

(g) The irony in the 9th stanza is very clear. There was water and water everywhere. Yet there was no water to drink. Secondly, even though there was water everywhere the boards shrank due to intense heat.

(h) In the tenth and eleventh stanzas the narrator is trying to convey a natural scene of the sea. Secondly, he is trying to convey the supernatural aspect of nature almost ironically. The sea was rotting, yet the slimy things were crawling with legs on the slimy sea (stanza 10). This is to convey the supernatural occurrence. In stanza 11, death-fires danced at night like a witch’s oils burning green, blue and white. This, again, amounts to supernatural aspect.

(i) The mariners felt that the Ancient Mariner was solely responsible for their suffering.

(j) The condition of the mariners was simply pathetic. Their tongues were withered at the roots and parched fully. Due to that they couldn’t speak. They felt as if their throats had been choked with soot. They were acutely suffering.

(k) The mariners hung the dead Albatross around the neck of the Ancient Mariner out of a sense of revenge. They considered him solely responsible for their bad plight. Due to that they punished him by hanging it around his neck.

Question 12.
Like part one, the second part also has a number of literary devices. List them out in the same way as you had done in question number seven and explain them.
Answer:

1. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free.	alliteration ; to create music in words
2. All in a hot and copper sky The bloody sun, at noon	metaphor ; to invest the sky and sun the power of the elements to kill anything
3. As idle as a painted ship	simile ; to convey the exactness of the imagery
4. water, water every where, water, water, every where	repetition ; to convey the immensity of the water all around
5. Nine fathom deep he had followed us from the land of mist and snow	personification; the spirit is not a spirit but a Human Being having super powers ; to convey the earthly reality.
6. The death-fires danced at night; the water, like a witch’s oils, burnt green, and blue and white.	hyperbole; to convey the immensity and wonder of supernatural elements to a human condition.

Question 13.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem ?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ is abcb. However, in stanzas of six lines, it is either aba bcb, a aa bcb or ababcb. Students can know it by putting ABC etc to the last syllable of each line in a stanza. For example, in stanza of (‘The Sun came up upon the left… sea’) we put a after ‘left’ in the first line. In the second line we put b after ‘he’ because left’ ends with /t/sound and ‘he’ ends with /ee/. In the third line, we put c after ‘right’. It is because ‘left’ and ‘right’ don’t have similar sounds. However, they have /t/ sound at the end. In the fourth line we put b after ‘sea’ because ‘he’ and ‘sea’ are pronounced similar. Thus the rhyme scheme of this stanza would be : a b c b. Students can themselves find out the rhyme scheme of different stanzas in this poem and in others as well.

Question 14.
Find examples of the use of interesting sounds from the poem and explain their effect on the reader.

Answer:

1. ‘And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he was tyrannous and strong : He struck with his over-taking-wings, and chased us south along.	The use of onomatopoeic word ‘storm- blast’ and personifying it gives the idea of brutality and tyranny. One gathers the idea that the storm will blast everything to pieces.
2. The ice was here, the ice was there, the ice was all around :	The repetitive sound of ‘ice’ reinforces the idea of immensity of ice and its power to freeze everything to death.
3. Then all averred, I had killed the bird.	The use of internal rhyme creates a music of its own sweetening thus the effect of the meaning.
4. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free ;	The repetition (alliteration) creates music and at the same time gives out an idea of freedom of the ship from the clutches of cold. The cold is symbolised by ice, mist, snow etc.
5. About, about, in reel and rout the death-fires danced at night; the water, like a witch’s oils, burnt green, and blue and white.	Internal rhythm, repetition, alliteration, all combined together, create a fine picture in the mind. These heighten the effect of the supernatural aspect of the poem.

Note : Students on their own can find out more such uses and feel the effects in their minds created by them.

Question 15.
The poem is full of strange, uncanny or supernatural elements. Discuss how these elements appear in the poem. You should consider :

— the strange weather ;
— the albatross as a bird of “good omen”
— the spirit from “the land of mist and snow”
— the strange slimy creatures seen in the sea
— the ocean appearing to rot
— the death fires and sea water being referred to as witch’s oils

Now write a paragraph about the supernatural elements in the poem and how they add to the events that take place in the poem.

Answer:

The poem has supernatural elements in plenty. First of all, there is the strange kind of the subject matter. And then the appearance of the Ancient Mariner stopping the r Wedding-Guest. His skinny hands, grey beard and glittering eyes describe him as a soul tormented still by some supernatural power.

The sudden change in weather also reinforces this idea. When the ship commences its journey it is the fine weather. But the storm-blast takes it to the south pole. There it faces the strange and weird kind of weather. The mast high ice and ice-bergs giving out a strange destructive sound cause dread in our hearts. The Albatross’s appearance before | the mariners is a God-send. It is a bird of‘good omen’ as it clears the way for them from the land of miseries. However, the mariner kills it making its protective Polar Spirit angry. The Mariner must suffer and he suffers as other mariners also suffer. Their suffering due to cold and next due to heat is simply heart-rending. They have water all around them but they can’t quench their thirst.

Their sufferings are simply unnatural but reinforcing a belief in the supernatural agency. The rotting water of the sea with death fires burns and gives out different colours. It is equally terrifying and fearful to see it. This reminds one of witches performing an evil ritual (as in Shakespeare’s Macbeth).

All these things create a supernatural effect on the readers.

Question 16.
Every ship is supposed to have a log book, which is filled in every day by the captain. If he dies, the next senior officer fills it in (usually the First Mate). Decide on appropriate dates (the mariner’s tale was supposed to be thought of as already very old when the poem was published : it should be no later than about 1700 AD; other clues to the date are the light-house and the mariner’s crossbow). If you wish you can make the log look old by staining the pages, by your handwriting and spelling. Write a series of entriesfor the log for the important events that take place in the ship as recorded in the poem. The first one has been done as an example.

1701 AD
Today we left the shore at 3.30 p.m. under glorious sailing conditions. We have 230 men on board. We are sailing with cargo towards Portugal. The journey is expected to take 90 days. We are well stocked with food and water to last us 250 days in case of any emergency. Hopefully we will not face any untoward i happenings. God be with us !

You could also do this as an oral activity, recording the entries on audio tape and using voice effects and other sound effects if you can.

Answer:

Mainly classroom activity. We are giving two log book entries. Students can write a few more on their own taking hints from these.

1701 AD
Today after around 15 days when we started sailing, the weather has become very rough and most inhospitable. A sea storm has come over us with great fury. It is tyrannous and strong. It is affecting the ship like it is going to take full control over it. It is pursuing like a powerful enemy chasing another. That’s why, the ship’s prow is dipping and its masts have slopped. It seems it is going to tear the ship apart . taking it towards south. This all is causing us a great worry.

1701 AD
After 3 days when the wild and violent sea storm ‘attacked the ship, we have somehow managed to keep it floating. But another horrible situation has cropped up. The ship is now in a land having ice all round and nothing else. The ice is mast-high. It comes floating and is looking green as emerald. The ice drifts and snowy clifts, that is, icebergs send out a dismal brightness. There is no living being worth the mention all around. I dread thinking what horrible place it is ! The mariners have not lost hope, though they are greatly terrified.

Question 17.
Performing the poem
Answer:
Mainly meant for performing various dramatic events at classroom level.

Question 18.
The poem has seven parts to it.
Answer:
Students to proceed as per the directions given above.

Question 19.
In your groups discuss the following :
(i) Why did the Ancient Mariner stop the particular Wedding-Guest to listen to his tale ?
(ii) Why did he have to tell his tale to someone ?
(iii) What is the poet trying to convey through this poem ?
Answer:
Classroom activity. Students may take some help in their discussion from the ideas given below :

(i) The Ancient Mariner stopped the particular Wedding-Guest to listen to his tale as he felt that the Wedding-Guest would listen to him. Secondly, the fit of narrating his story was on him. It was all supernatural. It seemed that if he didn’t relate his story of repentance and guilt, he won’t feel any relief.

(ii) He had to tell his tale of guilt and suffering to someone. This curse of the Polar Spirit protecting the Albatross was on him. Since he had appreciated the slimy creatures, he had indirectly shown his love for God’s creatures. His love for these creatures had softened the heart of the Polar Spirit. Thereby he had earned a kind of reprieve from his guilt and sin of killing the innocent Albatross.

But he could get this relief only when he had narrated his story when the fit was on him. And he had to relate his story at once to anyone.

(iii) The poet is trying to convey the idea that God loves all his creatures whether they are big or small, beautiful or ugly. No one has the right to kill any animal. The Mariner has killed the Albatross without any cause. In that he has broken the dictates of God. So he must suffer. So he suffers. This is that he will be free from the tormenting fit only after narrating his story of sea journey. And he does it.

So the message is loud and clear. We must love all creatures irrespective of their class, category, appearance etc.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 Virtually True are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 Virtually True.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 provided on this page for free download. Check out NCERT Class X Solutions English Literature Chapter 6 and understand all the concepts easily.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 6
Chapter Name	Virtually True
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 Virtually True

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 71, 78)

Question 1.
Before reading the story, attempt the following working in groups of four or five.

(a) Do you play computer games ? How many hours do you spend playing games on the computer as compared to outdoor games ?

(b) Make a list of your favourite games. Have a class discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of computer games.

(c) Look in your dictionaries/computer to find synonyms for the word ‘virtual’.

(d) Look at the K.W.L. chart given on next page. Based on the information you have gathered till now, complete the K and W columns. You may work with your partner. After reading the story complete the third column.

	K-What I know	W-What I want to know	L-What I learnt
Virtual Reality	(a)	(b)	(c)
Virtual Environment	(d)	(e)	(f)
3-D/three-dimensional	(g)	(h)	(i)
Simulation games	(j)	(k)	(l)
Computer simulations	(m)	(n)	(o)
Interactive psycho-drive games	(p)	(q)	(r)
Teleporting	(s)	(t)	(u)

Answer:

(a) Yes, I do play computer games. On an average, I spend almost 2-3 hours playing computer games everyday. I play outdoor games for two hours daily, r

(b) My favourite games are : Pokemon Go, Road Rash, Need For Speed, Resident Evil,Grano Tursimo, Forza, Skyrim … class discussion to take place.

Advantages : pleasure-giving, entertaining, mental exercise, growth in analytical power, knowledge, general awareness, competitive spirit etc.

Disadvantages : promotion of violence, aggression, pain in backbone, in shoulders, time wastage, detachment from and neglect of family, social relationship hampered, sedentary life style, change in thinking, hardening of sensitivity, growth of abnormal behaviour.

(c) Few synonyms of VIRTUAL are : computer generated, simulated, cybernetic and realistic.

(d) (a) I know that it is not reality per se, but reality created with the help of computer software and some database. The user feels that he is inside it and is participating in it.

(b) I need to know the names of those particular softwares which help in creating such a situation. Also, if it could really be that easy then why isn’t every game prepared in such a format ?

(c) I learnt that everything is possible. Since cost is involved, so not everyone prefers to use these softwares etc.

(d) By Virtual Environment I know that it is nearer-to-truth environment. However, it is generated only by computers and softwares for the user.

(e) I want to know how much time does it take to create such an environment. Also what are the pros and cons for it ?

(f) There are no negatives of such an environment. However, the biggest plus point of this would be that the day such a procedure is initiated, the current era wouldn’t even exist. It’s all about advanced technology. The more you use it… the better it is for mankind.

(g) 3-D is about creating some sort of special effects to an image. It is to make the user feel as if the image or the subject is actually/physically present in front of , him.

(h) I want to know if there is any difference between a 3-D and a Virtual Environment.

(i) There is perhaps a difference between both of them. On the one hand 3-D is all about creating special effects to an image or a moving subject on screen. On the other hand, ‘Virtual Environment’ is all about creating a completely different environment. In it it’s not about throwing special effects over to a particular image. Instead, it’s about giving a continuous effect to the entire programme.

(j) Simulation Games. These games are made to give the player a realistic experience. For example : There is a normal racing game which is available with just a fixed image of a car. And the car keeps moving with the help of a remote controller. On the other hand, there’s another car racing game. In it the player gets to select his choice of car with all the settings of the car and tracks. There is sound as well along with a complete “Virtual Environment’. Here, in simulation games there is more of excitement than the normal games.

(k) I want to know nothing.

(l) I learnt nothing new.

(m) By Computer Simulations I know that it is all about using those extra additional gadgets to a computer. These are like, steering wheel, a shooting gun, some extra tools and weapons to play a particular game.

(n) I want to know if it is possible to get the same experience without using all such gadgets.

(o) I learnt that it’s not possible. To get a realistic feeling of the game and to actually develop more interest into it, one must have all those extra additions to his computer. Else, it would be like any other normal game.

(p) By Interactive Psycho-drive Games I learn that these are those car racing games wherein the player gets to handle a lot of crazy stuff. For example: If he wants to win the game or a particular level, he must perform some special stunts using some cheat codes. It is to gain some additional points than won by any other player.

(q) No questions.

(r) I learnt nothing.

(s) By Teleporting I know that it means switching over from one point to another within a split second of time. For example : While playing a game if the player gets a special bonus score or if he finishes up his target then he gets a special benefit. It is of skipping a level ahead or to get transformed into something else within a split second.

(t) I want to know if it has anything to do with any kind of voice service or interaction in between the game.

(u) No, it doesn’t have anything to do with any such service or interaction.

Exercises (Page 78)

1. According to the newspaper, what had happened to Sebastian Shultz ?
2. ‘Dad’s nutty about computers.’ What evidence is there to support this statement
3. In what way did the second game seem very real ? (V. Imp.)
4. The last game has tanks, jeeps, helicopters, guns and, headings. Would you put this and the other games under ?
5. What was Michael’s theory about how Sebastian had entered the games ? (V. Imp.)

Answer:

1. According to newspaper, Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a motorway accident almost six weeks back. Now after six weeks he woke up from a coma that doctors had feared might have lasted forever.
2. He’s nutty about computers as he has a Pentium 150 Mhz processor with 256 of RAM, a 1.2 GB hard disk drive and a 16 speed CD ROM with speakers, printer and also a scanner.
3. It looked real as it was a continuation game after the first game ‘Wildwest.’ Also the name of the player was as well the same “Sebastian”.
4. This game with machine guns, bombs, helicopter, sniper fire, tanks, can be put under the heading ‘Wargames’.
5. Michael believed that Sebastian was also another intelligent personality like him in this world. He was so much crazy about playing games on computers. Both of them were playing a real game but virtually all together.

B. Reference to context

Read these lines from the story, then answer the questions.

‘That was my idea’ said Sebastian excitedly. ‘If only it would go a bit faster.’

1. Where was Sebastian when he spoke these words ?
2. What was his idea, and what was he referring to ?
3. Was the idea a good one, and did it eventually succeed ? How ?

Answer:

1. He was on the roof with the narrator and was waiting for the helicopter.
2. His idea was to make it to the staircase and move upwards to get the helicopter after its landing on the roof and escape.
3. The idea proved out to be negative as they somehow made it to the roof. But they couldn’t escape using the helicopter. They had to face almost 12 guards there along with their dogs. Sebastian got scared and he slipped down from the roof.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Why did the news of the ‘miracle recovery’ shock Michael ?
Or
Why did the news about Sebastian Shultz shock Michael ? (CBSE 2015)

(b) Michael’s meeting with Sebastian Shultz had been a chance meeting. Where had it taken place and how ? (V. Imp.)
Or
How and where did Michael meet Sebastian Shultz ? (CBSE 2016)

(c) What kind of computers fascinated Michael and his dad ? Why ?

(d) Describe the first place where Michael was virtually transported.

(e) What help did Sebastian Shultz ask Michael for ? How did he convey this message ? (V. Imp.)
Or
How did Sebastian Shultz request Michael to help him ? (CBSE 2015)

(f) Why did Michael fail in rescuing Sebastian Shultz the first time ?
Or
Why couldn’t Michael help Sebastian the first time ? (CBSE 2015)

(g) The second attempt to rescue Sebastian Shultz too was disastrous. Give reasons. (V. Imp.)

(h) Narrate the accident that injured Sebastian Shultz.

(i) How had Sebastian Shultz entered the games ?

(j) How was Sebastian Shultz’s memory stored on Michael’s disk ? How did Michael discover that ? (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) Michael was shocked after reading the article as the name of the person involved in the article was Sebastian Shultz. He was someone whom Michael had recently ‘met’. Secondly, it was also because it was Sebastian with whom he had been playing all those games till then.

(b) Both of them played virtual video games on the computer screen. They thus met each other while playing virtual games on their respective computers.

(c) They were fascinated with the computers which could do almost everything from painting, playing music, creating displays etc. Both of them were very fond of playing games and doing all usual stuff on computers.

(d) The first place that Michael was virtually transported to was a complete dusty track through the centre of a town. He had a sheriffs badge pinned to his shirt.

(e) Michael received a printout from Sebastian saying that he was stuck. He wanted him to retrieve him by playing DRAGONQUEST. And he made a request for it through the computer. Precisely, it came through the computer printout.

(f) Michael was unable to save him the first time as both of them were trying to escape on a horse. However, ‘Sebastian’ was shot dead by the other ‘enemies’ running after them on their horses.

(g) The second attempt was negative as well, as he went down the dungeons with his sword drawn. But all of a sudden there appeared the dragon at the end of the corridor. He tried using his sword to kill the dragon. But it didn’t do any good and he was ‘killed.’

(h) It happened almost six weeks ago that Sebastian was badly injured in a motorway accident. His condition on arrival at the General Hospital was declared as critical, though stable. He was unable to regain his consciousness and his parents were informed that he was in a coma.

(i) Like Michael, even Sebastian was an intelligent person. He was very fond of computers and also playing games on them. This is how Sebastian entered the gaming world through playing psycho-drive video games.

(j) Michael used to play games on computers which had the capability to save the entire game in its memory while playing it. Based on this fact Sebastian’s memory had also got saved in his computer. Michael’s dad always used to tell him that a computer memory can never forget anything. Also no kind of data can get lost from it.

Michael discovered this after recollecting his father’s remarks. He also recollected Shultz’s mother stating that they stocked some games. But someone stole the lot. Shultz didn’t know what had happened to them. But Michael found them in the Computer Fair.

Question 3.
Sebastian Shultz had a close brush with death. After he recovers, he returns to school and narrates his experience to his classmates. As Sebastian Shultz, narrate your experience.
Answer:
Hi everyone ! I know you all must have been wondering about my whereabouts since so long. For all of you it’s been six weeks but for me it feels like as if everything just happened yesterday. I couldn’t even imagine that I would have to ever encounter such a situation. You may be amazed to know what had actually happened to me. Well! almost six weeks back I was on my way home riding a motorbike. All of a sudden there were these two speeding trucks which somehow hit each other and they collided. It took a split second for the two trucks to crash then and there themselves. I was riding my motorbike a little faster. On top of that the trucks were almost fifteen steps in front of me itself. In order to save myself from the crash I applied the brakes. The bike slipped and I fell over a huge pile of rocks on the pavement. I got hurt on my head and fell unconscious. It’s been almost six weeks that I’ve been hospitalized as I was in a coma. The doctors feared that it could last forever. However, by the grace of God I woke up from the coma and am fine now after having been saved by Michael, my friend. I am standing in front of you all narrating the most scariest experience of my life.

Thank you very much for a patient hearing.

Question 4.
Continue the story.

Will Michael and Sebastian Shultz meet in real life ? Will they be friends ? Will they try to re-enter the virtual world together ? You may use the following hints :

• How the accident occurred
• Transfer of memory
• Meeting with Michael
• Appeals for help
• Rescue and recovery

Answer:

No, it’s impossible that both of them would ever meet each other. After all, it’s just a game which has got no connection with the real world.

Perhaps, they can even be good friends to each other but only virtually and electronically. In reality there is no such real person by the name of Sebastian who is playing this game with Michael. They can never enter the virtual world together as Sebastian is simply the name of a player in the game and Michael is a real human being.

They would never be able to meet each other except in this virtual world created by these gizmos only.

If we go as per the points given above we may relate the story like this : The accident occurred which led Sebastian to slip in a coma. He had played the video game through 3-D and had got stored in the memory of his computer. It had been stolen and ended at the Computer Fair. From there Michael with his father had got the interactive psycho¬drive video game which had earlier been with Sebastian.

Appeals were sent for saving Sebastian from the coma. Michael got this information from the newspaper article. He played the video game himself and got hooked with Sebastian Shultz, the character in the video game. Thus he was rescued and saved.

Question 5.
Put the following sentences in a sequential order to complete the story.

(a) Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a motorway accident and went into a coma.
(b) Sebastian’s memory was saved in the computer when he banged his head on it during the accident.
(c) When Michael played the game, he entered Sebastian’s memory.
(d) Michael bought the latest psycho-drive games from the Computer Fair.
(e) Sebastian Shultz was the second sheriff in the ‘Dragonquest’.
(f) Michael pulled Sebastian into the helicopter and the screen flashed a score of 40,000,000.
(g) Sebastian requested Michael to try ‘Jailbreak’.
(h) Sebastian failed to save the boy who fell through the air.
(i) Sebastian thought the helicopter was the right idea and they should go into the ‘Warzone’.
(j) The games were stolen from Shultz’s house.
(k) Sebastian thanks Michael for saving his life and asks him to keep the games.

Answer:

The sequential order to complete the story is : a, b, j, d, c, e, h, i, g, f, k

WRITING TASK
Question 6.
Do you think it is a true story ? Could it happen to you one day ? Here are some opinions about computer games in general.

Answer:

Yes, I do believe that it’s a true story, as such a thing can happen with almost anyone in this world. A similar instance could happen with me as well if I would ever think of playing games on computers like Michael did. But it all depends if I play interactive psycho-drive video games and have all the accessories needed.

Question 7.
Do you think these opinions are biased ? Write an article entitled ‘Virtual games are a reality’.
Answer:
Yes, I think these opinions are biased.

Virtual Games are a Reality

It’s a fact that virtual games are a reality. They are computer simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world as well as in the imaginary world. It’s just a matter of a few gadgets that are required to create such an environment while playing games on computers. Hi surround speakers, digital crystal clear sound output, a 3-D screen and few other hand-led devices are all it takes to view a picture image on a computer screen or an LCD/LED. Virtual games provide players a completely different experience compared to the kind of experience they get while playing normal games. It is because one gets almost physically involved in them through 3-D and becomes an integral part of what is seen on the screen. They are far much ahead of those normal animated games which are simple and have only a limited excitement. However, one needs both time and a lot of money to indulge in such activities because these modern gadgets are very costly.

Question 8.
In groups of four, design a new computer game.
Decide on the

• Setting
• Plot
• Characters
• Objectives

Answer:
For self-attempt at class level.

LISTENING TASK
Question 9.
Listen carefully to a text on ‘Tour of Body’ and answer the questions that are given below.

On the basis of your listening to the passage complete the following statements by choosing the answers from the given options :

1. The Cave-Automatic Virtual Environment is

(a) a modern surgical procedure
(b) a three-dimensional virtual reality room
(c) an accurate projection of the eye and the brain
(d) a technique for developing anatomical pictures

2. Projected image on the four walls of a room enables researchers to

(a) carry out micro surgery
(b) understand the functioning of the brain
(c) virtually get inside the molecular structure of cells and parts of human body
(d) reconstruct damaged parts of human body

3. The ‘CAVE’ is a boon to surgeons because

(a) they can treat diseases located in unreachable parts of the human body
(b) it has made X-ray and MRI unnecessary
(c) it helps them avoid surgical procedures in most cases
(d) it enables surgeons to use very small surgical instruments

4. For the CAVE to develop a virtual environment it is essential

(a) to apply mathematical formulae
(b) to project three-dimensional images on the walls
(c) to obtain two-dimensional MRI data first
(d) to understand the nature of the diseased cells and parts

5. Once inside a three-dimensional representation of an anatomical structure, surgeons can

(a) ‘move’ through and ‘peel away’ its layers
(b) shrink themselves and travel inside the body parts
(c) convert the data into a flat picture for detailed study
(d) locate the diseased parts of the body quickly

6. Dr. Szilard Kiss used CAVE to

(a) travel inside the eye of his patient
(b) identify the scar tissue growing over the retina
(c) go inside the layers of the retina
(d) isolate the ridge of the scar tissue

Answer:

1. → (h) a three-dimensional virtual reality room
2. → (c) virtually get inside the molecular structure of cells and parts of human body
3. → (a) they can treat diseases located in unreachable parts of the human body
4. → (a) to apply mathematical formulae
5. → (a) ‘move’ through and ‘peel away’ its layers
6. → (c) go inside the layers of the retina.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 Virtually True help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 6 Virtually True, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 5 Patol Babu, Film Star are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 5 Patol Babu, Film Star.

All Questions and Answers from the NCERT Book of class 10 English Chapter 5 are provided here for you for free.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 5
Chapter Name	Patol Babu, Film Star
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 5 Patol Babu, Film Star

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 55 and 67)

Question 1.
With your partner answer the following questions :
What are your strengths ?

Strengths	Why do you feel so ?

What is your dream career ?
I want become a ………

• Is there any correlation between your strengths and aspirations ?
• Do you think you can achieve your dreams ? Give reasons.

Answer:

Strengths	Why do you feel so ?
diligence	I feel I have been gifted with it.
talent	I have acquired it partially (from birth) and partially I have got it by working hard.
capacity to hard work	I have developed this capacity by nature and disposition and seeing others.
perseverance	This, too, has been sharpened seeing the struggles of life.
tolerance	This is in my nature and I think it is necessary. Success doesn’t come overnight. One has to wait after contributing through intelligence, hard work and practice.

I want to become a TV artist.

• Yes, I find correlation between my strengths and aspirations. I personally feel that I have acting blood in my veins due to my parents being stage actors. Then I have got training for acting also. I have played many roles both at school and college level. Most of all, I have got a good physique and charming appearance. All this has been appreciated, recognised and admired in a few reality shows.
• Due to this all, I can say that I shall surely achieve my dreams one day. In fact, I have done smaller roles in some TV serials. But I am looking forward to a lead role in which I shall show my hidden and yet-unexplored talents. God willing, when I get it, I shall show my talents and abilities. I shalj also improve my role in looking natural. I want to become like my idols through hard work and perseverance.

Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly :

(a) What was the news that Nishikanto Ghosh gave Patol Babu ?

(b) How did Patol Babu react ? Why ?

(c) Why had Patol Babu lost his first job in Calcutta ?

(d) How does Patol Babu reconcile to the dialogue given to him ? (V. Imp.)

(e) Who was Mr. Pakrashi ? How do his words help Patol Babu in enacting his role ? (V. Imp.)

(f) How do we know that Patol Babu was a meticulous man ?
Or
How do we know that Patol Babu was a dedicated actor ? (CBSE 2014)

(g) Why did Mr. Mullick turn down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal ?

(h) What were the special touches that Patol Babu gave to his role to make it more authentic ? (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) Nishikanto Ghosh told Patol Babu that his youngest brother-in-law was in search for an actor for a scene in a film. The role was meant for an actor who could be fiftyish, short and bald-headed. It reminded him of Patol Babu that he could play it ; beautifully. So he gave this news to him.

(b) After hearing Nishikanto Ghosh. Patol Babu was very excited. He had never expected t such news at the start of the day. He started building castles in the air.

(c) Patol Babu had lost his first job in Calcutta due to war. Retrenchment had started in his office because of that.

(d) Patol Babu reconciles to the dialogue given to him by recollecting the words of his mentor and guru Mr. Gogon Pakrashi. He used to say to Patol Babu that as an artist his aim was to utilize the opportunity to squeeze the last drop of meaning out of his lines. An actor’s duty was to treat every word of his dialogue like a fruit of a tree. He should get its essence and serve it to the audience for adulation.

(e) Mr. Gogon Pakrashi was Patol Babu’s mentor and guru. His words help Patol Babu to prove his acting talent to the best. Patol Babu first fights his supposed insult at one-worded dialogue and then rehearses well.

(f) Patol Babu was a meticulous man and a dedicated actor because he rehearsed well for his shot. Then he gave his one-worded dialogue an emotion. He also suggested that he should have a newspaper to make the scene more realistic and authentic.

(g) Mr. Mullick turned down Patol Babu’s request for a rehearsal because the scene was to be shot in sunlight. There was then approaching a large patch of cloud also. So it needed to be taken without any more delay.

(h) The special touches were : giving different inflection, saying the single-worded dialogue in low pitch, high pitch, long-drawn, shouting, whispering, starting low and ending high and vice-versa.

Question 3.
Discuss the following questions in detail and write the answers in your notebooks :

(а) 7 hope the part calls for some dialogue ?’ Who says this ? Why does he / she ask this question ?

(b) ‘Were these people pulling his legs ? Was the whole thing a gigantic hoax ? A meek, harmless man like him, and they had to drag him into the middle of the city to make a laughing stock out of him. How could anyone be so cruel ?’ Why does Patol Babu have these thoughts ?

(c) Patol Babu is an amateur actor for whom walk-on part in a movie turns into an ultimate challenge. Discuss.

(d) Do you agree with the statement that Patol Babu is a practical man who comes to terms with whatever life has to offer 1 Give reasons for your answer.

(e) Why does Patol Babu walk away before he can be paid for his role ? What does this reveal about his character ? (CBSE 2012)

(f) Do you think making a movie is an easy job ? Discuss with reference to the story.

Answer:

(a) Patol Babu says this to Naresh Dutt. Patol Babu asks this question because he thinks that the actors must have some lines to speak. Doing so will enable them to show their talent and to spellbind the audience with the acting.

(b) Patol Babu has these thoughts because his dialogue is simply one word ‘Oh !’ He has been a great stage actor of his time. He feels insulted at being given this dialogue. Due to that he has these thoughts at this time.

(c) It is a fact that Patol Babu is an amateur, careful and a meticulous actor. It is his first role in a film. His nature is to follow his mentor Mr. Gogon Pakrashi’s words. So he gives out the most authentic and realistic emotion to his acting. He has been a versatile actor of the stage. So it is natural that he should find it an ultimate challenge and perform it with a grand success. And he does it nicely !

(d) Yes, it is very clear from what Patol Babu does that he is a practical man. He is a wise, understanding, mature and pragmatic person. He is not blind to the harsh realities of life and to his neighbourly relations, though he fights with his own self about the level of his role. First he finds the offer demeaning. But he surrenders to the demand of the time and ‘acts’ with a grand success. However, he registers his protest in going home without taking the remuneration.

(e) Patol Babu walks away because of his indignation at the ordinary attitude of the film people towards his talent. He feels that none of them recognises his talent. They are a bunch of commercialised-minded people. They don’t have any appreciation for art and artists like him but more to money. This reveals his genuine talent as an actor and love for genuine and authentic acting.

(f) This story reveals that making a movie is an easy job but not easy for the persons like Patol Babu. Patol Babu’s line clearly shows this fact. The line is : “They just got hold of some people, got them to go through certain motions, paid them for their labours and forgot all about it. Paid them, yes but how much ? Ten, fifteen, twenty rupees.”

Question 4.
Here are some lines from the lesson. What do they tell us about Patol Babu’s character ? You may take help from the words given in the table below or find some of your own from the dictionary. The first one has been done for you.

(a) That an offer to act in a film could come to a 52-year-old nonentity like him was beyond his wildest dreams unassuming; modest

(b) Indeed, there was a time when people bought tickets especially to see him ………

(c) ‘I was with Hudson and Kimberley for nine years and wasn’t late for a single day.’ ………

(d) It didn’t matter if the part was small, but, if he had to make the most of it, he had to learn his lines beforehand. How small he would feel if he muffed in the presence of so many people ………

(e) Patol Babu cleared his throat and started enunciating the syllable in various ways. Along with that he worked out how he would react physically when the collision took place—how his features would be twisted in pain, how he would fling out his arms, how his body would crouch to express pain and surprise—all these he performed in various ways in front of a large glass window ………

(f) It is true that he needed money very badly, but what was twenty rupees when measured against the intense satisfaction of a small job done with perfection and dedication ? ………

Answer:

(b) passionate actor, talented
(c) meticulous, humble
(d) diligent, meticulous
(e) talented
(f) genial, diligent

Question 5.
Here are some lines from the lesson. Match the meanings of the underlined words with their meanings listed below.

(a) Then he had ajob in a Bengali firm which he gave up in disgust when his boss began to treat him in too high-handed a fashion
(i) stimulate the imagination

(b) A faint memory was stirred up in Patol Babu’s mind.
(ii) to surrender or relinquish

(c) At first he opened a variety store which he had to wind up after five years.
(iii) staged

(d) In Jat ras, in amateur theatricals, in plays put up by the club in his neighbourhood, Patol Babu was always in demand
(iv) to gain control over one’s actions

(e) Patol Babu was about to step forward when he was pulled up short by a voice shouting ‘Silence!’
(v) shut down

(f) Patol Babu pulled himself together.
(vi) stopped

Answer:

(a) → (ii)
(b) → (i)
(c) → (v)
(d) → (iii)
(e) → (vi)
(f) → (iv)

Question 6.
After Patol Babu returns home he recounts his experience in front of the camera to his wife. In pairs write out the exchange in the form of a dialogue and enact it before the class. You may start like this …..

Patol Babu’s wife : So what happened at the shooting today ? Did you get to do your role ?

Patol Babu : Oh, Yes, I had the time of my life

Answer:

Mainly to be enacted at class level. One version is given below :

Patol Babu : … I was overawed to see the shooting for the first time. I felt excited that I would be a part of a film of mega hero Chanchal Kumar. But I felt dazed ….

Patol Babu’s wife : … What made you feel so?

Patol Babu : Well, I felt dazed when I was given a dialogue of only one word ‘Oh!’

Wife : It must not have happened. You have been a versatile actor. Times were when people bought tickets to see you on stage …

Patol Babu : Sure you are ! When I was given a one-worded dialogue, I felt quite heart-broken. I felt my talent was being abused. I looked at those people as useless. I felt how times had changed.

Wife : Before you went to Faraday House for shooting I had told you not to count your chickens again before they were hatched. But you were very optimistic. You boasted that you’ll again rise to fame and fortune. Now see yourselfl You always start building up airy castles like Sheikh Chilli. These always vanish in thin air.

Patol Babu : Yes, you are right. But you know I gave a real meaning to the scene. i gave inflection to the word ‘Oh !‘ and dipped it in an emotion. My suggestion to have a newspaper before colliding with Chanchal Kumar was readily agreed by the director Biren Mullick. Then Wife Then what?

Patol Bubu : Then… well… then I gave the shot without rehearsal though at one time I had a liking to return without giving it.

Wife : That could have meant you were not capable of doing the acting.

Patol Babu : Yes, this held me there. I recalled my guru’s words about a real artist. I saw that only. It made me deliver the scene in an authentic and realistic way. But by then I had developed a sort of hatred for these people.

Wife : How much did they pay you for it?

Patol Babu : Twenty rupees ! But I returned home without getting the money. I felt the meagre payment below my dignity that I might get. I don’t know why I did it, but it happened. Something from inside made me leave the place without accepting the money.

Wife : Will you take a cup of tea ?

Question 7.
Patol Babu impresses everyone at the shoot with his acting talent in spite of having a one word dialogue. In groups of four enact the word ‘Oh’ in different ways to show the following emotions :

• happiness
• sorrow
• excitement
• fear
• sarcasm
• pain
• disappointment
• surprise

Each group will then enact one of these emotions to the rest of the class using the word ‘Oh’. The other groups will try to guess which emotion is being expressed.

Answer:

Mainly meant for ‘acting’ at class level.

Students shall need to put up various expressions on the face suitable for these emotions. It would be better if they learnt something about various ‘Rasas’ necessary for actors.

WRITING TASK

Question 8.
Patol Babu writes a letter to Nishikanto Ghosh to thank him for being instrumental in his getting a role in a film. He also shares his experience at the film shoot including the excitement and deep satisfaction that he derived from the same. Write the letter in about 200 words.

Answer:

1804, Chattopadhyaya Nagar
Kolkata
28 July, 20 – –
My dear Nishikanto Ghosh

I am, indeed, grateful to you to have enabled me to get a small role in a film. I felt greatly excited after meeting you. I went to the shooting site well before time. It was a new experience for me as before that I had never seen a film shooting. A huge range of equipment and lots of people were involved in it. I met Naresh Dutt who told me that I as an absent-minded pedestrian was to collide with the lead actor Sh. Chanchal Kumar. When I asked Naresh Dutt for the dialogue he simply wrote one word ‘Oh!’ I was to speak this after colliding with the lead actor.

I felt a bit amazed at it. I became indifferent to the role at once. But I recalled the words of my mentor and guru. An artist should squeeze the last drop of meaning out of his lines for the audience. Each word spoken was like a fruit and the artist’s duty was to pluck it for the audience. I reviewed everything and decided to take my role seriously.

I started speaking ‘Oh!’ differently. I gave different inflections to it. I added different emotions to it. When my turn came, I played my role with utmost dedication. I performed it so authentically that I derived deep satisfaction. Even Chanchal Kumar complimented me the way I did this role in one go. I personally feel that this role brought out my natural talent as an actor.

I am thankful to you for having recommended me for the role.

With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Patol

LISTENING TASK
Question 9.
Listen to the passage on character actors and complete the exercise as directed.

1. Supporting roles are those roles that do not affect the plot or the subject of the film (True/False)

2. People become character actors chiefly because (Tick the right choices)

(а) they like doing supporting roles
(b) there are limited leading roles
(c) it is easier to act in a supporting role
(d) they can’t find any other work

3. ‘star quality’ refers to things like ……… (Tick the right choice)

(a) good looks and acting talent
(b) good looks and the right weight
(c) good looks and the right height
(d) good looks, height and right weight

4. After the age of forty the actors most likely to get less work are (Tick the right choice)

(a) character actors
(b) the male lead
(c) the female actors
(d) the female lead

5. The chief advantages of being a character actor is that ……… (Tick the right choice)

(a) they are never blamed if a film fails
(b) they can act for as long as they like
(c) they do not have to take care of their looks
(d) they do not need to be skilled at horsemanship or swimming

Answer:

1. True
2. → (a) they like doing supporting roles
3. → (d) good looks, height and right weight
4. → (c) the female actors
5. → (a) they are never blamed if a film fails.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 5 Patol Babu, Film Star help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 5 Patol Babu, Film Star, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 10 now available with Pdf. Download NCERT Solutions for Class 10th English Literature Chapter 10 Ozymandias.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 10
Chapter Name	Ozymandias
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 10 Ozymandias

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 106)

Question 1.
Look at the picture given below :

While on a sight-seeing tour to an old and mysterious country far away from home, you saw this statue. Discuss with your partner what this picture tells you about the people, the place and the ruler.

Note down your ideas in the web-chart.

Answer:

Meant for discussion in groups. The following information shall help the students in this discussion :

(a) symbolising lifelessness, death, nature’s destructive capacity etc.
(b) disfigured, is destroyed and disfigured by the cruel hands of nature and time
(c) cruel, pitiless, ruthless, hateful, cold-blooded and inhuman.
(d) could have lived in sheer fear, terror and ruthlessness of the king who knew no human values like pity, compassion, sympathy etc.

Question 2.
Write a letter to your friend about the sight you saw and your impression of it. (V. Imp.)
Answer:

18 C.T. Nagar
Chennai
30 September, 20 –

My dear Rishi

I hope you’re feeling well. In this letter I am writing about a strange sight. I saw this sight while returning from my long walk in Jaisalmer.

I was amazed to see two vast and trunkless legs of stone standing on a pedestal in the desert. Near them there lay a broken human face. The human face had expressions of arrogance, frown and sneer of cold command. From these expressions and the fine carving I, at once, understood everything. The sculptor who carved this statue was really an intelligent artist. He had truly understood these expressions and had carved them in stone. His mocking these and the heart which nurtured these were clearly visible in the expressions of the statue.

I was extremely taken aback to see the pedestal which had the writing : ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings. Look at my works and despair’. Truly, the message was loud and clear. All around that statue the boundless sands stretched far away.

The message was that one’s emotions or a king’s power are the food of Time and Nature. Ozymandias had understood it but it was too late. Now his destiny or the destiny of even the mightiest were symbolised by the broken statue and the sands.

Yours faithfully

Question 3.
Answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

(a) The poem is set in _________

1. the wilderness
2. an ancient land
3. a pulace
4. a desert.

(b) The expression on the fiwe of the statue is one of _________

1. admiration
2. anger
3. despair
4. contempt.

(c) This poem throws light on the _________ nature of OzymandLas.

1. cruel
2. arrogant
3. boastful
4. aggressive.

(d) The sculptor was able to understand Ozymandias’ _________

1. words
2. expression
3. feelings
4. ambition.

(e) The tone of the poem is _________

1. mocking
2. nostalgic
3. gloomy
4. gloating.

Answer:

(a) → (iv) a desert
(b) → (iv) contempt
(c) → (ii) arrogant
(d) → (iii) feelings
(e) → (i) mocking.

Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly :

(a) “The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed.” Whose hand and heart has the poet referred to in this line ?

(b) “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings Why does Ozymandias refer to himself as King of Kings ? What quality of the king is revealed through this statement ? (V. Imp.)

(c) “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair !” Who is Ozymandias referring to when . he speaks of ye Mighty ? Why should they despair ?

(d) Bring out the irony in the poem. (CBSE 2016)

(e) ‘Nothing beside remains’. What does the narrator mean when he says these words ?

(f) What is your impression of Ozymandias as a king ? (CBSE 2016)
Or
What kind of a king was ‘Ozymandias’ ? (CBSE 2016)

(g) What message is conveyed through this poem ?
Or
What message does the poem, ‘Ozymandias’ convey ? (CBSE 2015)

Answer:

(a) The poet has referred to the hand of the sculptor and the heart of the king Ozymandias.

(b) Ozymandias refers to himself as the King of Kings out of sneer, arrogance, haughtiness and contempt for other Kings. It is so as he heads them all in these qualities. This line also shows that Ozymandias had also understood the uselessness of these things but at a later stage.

(c) He is referring to the mighty Kings. They should despair at seeing the end of his haughtiness, contempt, pride, arrogance and cruelty through the statue.

(d) The irony in the poem is that it shows the arrogance, haughtiness, contempt and cruelty of Ozymandias but what is the result? The broken statue and the vastness of the sands symbolise the uselessness of these emotions.

(e) The narrator means that there is no other thing of the king who once was mighty, powerful, ruthless and cruel.

(f) My impression about Ozymandias is that he was a ruthless King. He was stupid also and lacked wisdom, farsightedness and humility when he was young. But these also refer to his having seen the truth of life in his later stage of life, together with his self-realisation.

(g) The message conveyed through the poem is the futility of these traits of arrogance, sneer and cruelty. It also shows all the powerfulness of Time and Nature. These I traits meet an end as it comes to this arrogant King.

Question 5.
Identify and rewrite the lines from the poem spoken by the narrator, the traveller and Ozymandias :
The Narrator : __________
The Traveller : __________
Ozymandias : __________

Answer:

The Narrator : I met a traveller from an antique land who said :
Nothing beside remains …… far away
The Traveller : “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone ……
And on the pedestal these words appear :
Ozymandias : “My name is Ozymandias …… despair !”

Question 6.
Shelley’s sonnet follows the traditional structure of the fourteen-line Italian sonnet, featuring an opening octave, or set of eight lines, that presents a conflict or dilemma, followed by a sestet, or set of six lines, that offers some resolution or commentary upon the proposition introduced in the octave. Read the poem carefully and complete the following table on the structure of the poem.

	Rhyme scheme	Theme
Octave
Sestet

Answer:

	Rhyme scheme	Theme
Octave	(I met… that fed : ) ababccde	description of Ozymandias’s broken statue, skill of the sculptor and expressions of the King’s face
Sestet	(And on the pedestal… far away) abacac	resolution : futility of power and result of these negative values had by king Ozymandias

Question 7.
Complete the table listing the poetic devices used by Shelley in Ozymandias.

Poetic Device	Lines from the poem
Alliteration	… and sneer of cold command
Synecdoche (substitution of a part to stand for the whole, or the whole to stand for a part)	the hand that mock’d them

Answer:

Poetic Device	Lines from the poem
Alliteration	Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, cold command,
Imagery (pictorial quality)	boundless and bare lone and level Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Symbol Lyrical quality	desert, sands The hand that mocked….. that fed.
Synecdoche Hyperbole	The hand that mock’d them Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Whose frown/And wrinkled lip My name is Ozymandias, king of kings.

Question 8.
Imagine that Ozymandias comes back to life and as he sees the condition of his statue, realisation dawns on him and he pens his thoughts in a diary. As Ozymandias, make this diary entry in about 150 words. You could begin like this : I thought I was the mightiest of all but… (Imp.)

Answer:

Friday, 27th September, 20 – 9 pm

I thought I was the mightiest of all but I was greatly mistaken in my belief. While I ruled my kingdom I proved to be the most cruel, arrogant, pitiless and ruthless king. No one dared to look up or into my eyes. I knew it very well that ruling the common people is not easy. They don’t understand the language of love, pity and compassion. It is the politics of barbarism and ruthlessness of the ruler that keeps the people subdued. I also thought that I would rule forever.

But soon I found that I was utterly in the wrong. No one is immortal. The most powerful are Time and Nature who are the most ruthless rulers of human beings and all. To give my message I had got installed my own statue with this message of the futility of arrogance and cold command written on its pedestal. When I saw the condition of my own statue I realized this basic truth of life. What remains of my statue are, my two legs. My own head lies in sand with these expressions of arrogance, haughtiness, sneer of cold command. The broken statue and vast sands convey that Nature and Time are the mightiest.

Ozymandias

Question 9.
‘Ozymandias’ and ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’ are on Time. Compare the two sonnets in terms of the way in which Time is treated by the poets. Write your answer in about 150 words.

Answer:

‘Ozymandias’ and ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’ have Time at their centre. This element is unseen in these poems, yet it controls both of them. In fact, the themes of these two poems conjoin. Basically, the common theme is that Time is all powerful. With the passage of time all living things and things of art start degenerating. Ozymandias’s statue is now in a bad shape. Its two trunkless legs stand and the trunk and face lie broken. Obviously, Time has claimed them.

In ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’, princes or kings get the monuments constructed in their memories. Wars, Time, Nature spoil them and these monuments and statues are destroyed by all powerful Time. However, as contrasted to them the poet’s beloved lives ‘in the eyes of posterity’.

Thus, in both the sonnets, Time is shown as the most powerful element. Ozymandias thought himself the most powerful, yet he, too, felt he was not so against Time. The poet, thus, uses Time as the most powerful.

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

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 4 A Shady Plot are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 4 A Shady Plot.

All questions and answers from the NCERT Book of class 10 English Chapter 4 are provided here for you for free.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 4
Chapter Name	A Shady Plot
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 4 A Shady Plot

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 33 and 46)

Question 1.
Given below is a list of words related to ghosts and ghost stories with their jumbled up meanings against them. Match the words/expressions with their correct meanings :


Answer:

(a) – (vii)
(b) – (xiv)
(c) – (ix)
(d) – (xi)
(e) – (viii)
(f) – (x)
(g) – (xii)
(h) – (xiii)
(i) – (iv)
(j) – (iii)
(k) – (i)
(l) – (v)
(m) – (vi)
(n) – (ii)

Question 2.
The title of the story is A Shady Plot. The dictionary defines the words as:

shady adjective
(а) Full of shade ; shaded.
(b) Casting shade : a shady grove.
(c) Quiet, dark, or concealed ; hidden.
(d) Of dubious character or of questionable honesty,

plot noun
(a) (i) a small piece of ground, generally used for a specific purpose: a garden plot.
(ii) a measured area of land.
(b) a ground plan, as for a building; a diagram.
(c) storyline-the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story.
(d) a secret plan to accomplish a hostile or illegal purpose; a scheme.

Based on the definitions above can you predict what the story will be about? Make a brief note of your prediction in your notebook.

Answer:

Seeing the definition given in the dictionary (as also given here), I can predict to some extent about the story. I think that it may be about some quiet, dark or concealed, or hidden matter that is not seen on the surface. Secondly, the matter may be covered up in a plot (storyline) as to be understood clearly. Thirdly, it may be possible that the story may relate to some sort of conspiracy for an attempted murder.

Or the story may be about some supernatural events that have been a part of literature. Ghosts may appear in human form, do some damage and trouble the innocent human beings for long. Ghosts, I presume, are associated mostly with evil.

The title does indicate these possibilities. What the story is all about will be clear after it is gone through.

Question 3.
Read the story given below. Your teacher will use a variety of techniques for different parts of the story. For example :

• Silent reading
• One student reading aloud to the whole class
• Students reading in small groups
• Dramatised reading in small groups

Answer:
Activity meant for class level.

Question 4.
Based on your reading of the story above, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

1. The narrator earns his living by ……

(а) writing ghost stories
(b) working as a reader for a magazine
(c) working as a stenographer
(d) working as an accountant in a lumber company

2. The writer was overconfident about his ability to write ghost stories because ……

(a) whenever magazines wanted a ghost story, they got in touch with him
(b) he was always able to write a ghost story whenever he had to write one
(c) the readers appreciated his ghost stories
(d) he knew the ghost lady would help him write a good ghost story

3. The sight of the ghost materialising in his room filled the narrator with ……

(a) fear
(b) excitement
(c) joy
(d) anticipation

4. The ghost wanted John to

(a) stop his wife from using the Ouija board
(b) stop using the Ouija board himself
(c) stop his guests from using the Ouija board
(d) stop people from using the Ouija board

5. John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife enters the room and waves his arms at the ghost with something of the motion of a beginner when learning to swim. His movement shows his ………

(a) fear
(b) amusement
(c) desperation
(d) anxiety

6. When the narrator says his wife is never so pretty as when she’s doing something she knows he disapproves of, his tone is ……….

(а) amused
(b) ironic
(c) angry
(d) irritated

7. The ghost says “It’s all your fault”. ‘It’ here refers to ………

(a) the narrator’s wife’s anger
(b) the ghost’s anger
(c) the narrator’s wife leaving him
(d) the ghost materialising in sections

8. Gladolia wishes to leave the narrator’s house as ……….

(a) she does not like the Ouija boards
(b) she is afraid of the ghost
(c) she is afraid of magic and hoodoo
(d) she likes Ouija boards and hoodoo

Answer:

1. (d) working as an accountant
2. (b) he was always able to write a ghost in a lumber company story whenever he had to write one
3. (d) anticipation
4. (d) stop people from using the Ouija board
5. (c) desperation
6. (b) ironic
7. (a) the narrator’s wife’s anger
8. (c) she is afraid of magic and hoodoo

Question 5.
Answer the following questions briefly :
(a) What genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write ? Why ?

(b) Does the narrator like writing ghost stories ? Support your answer with evidence from the story.

(c) What makes Helen, the ghost, and her other co-ghosts organize The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2016)

(d) Why had Helen, the ghost been helping the narrator write ghost stories ? Why was she going on strike ? What condition did she place for providing continued help ? (V. Imp.)

(e) How does the ghost undermine the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories ?

(f) Why does John want the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene ? What impression of his wife’s character do you form from his words ? (V. Imp.)

(g) Why does the narrator hesitate to be a partner to Laura Hinkle during the Ouija Board Party ? (V. Imp.)
Or
Why didn’t John want to partner Laura Hinkle at the Ouija Board party ? (CBSE 2016)

(h) What message does the ghost convey to the group that had assembled in the narrator’s house ? What is their reaction to the message ?

(i) Do you agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women “manipulators” ? Give reasons.

(j) Why is John’s wife angry ? What does she decide to do ? (V. Imp.)
Or
Why did John’s wife get angry with him ? What did she decide to do ? (CBSE 2016)
Or
Why is John’s wife angry and what does she decide to do ? (CBSE 2016)

(k) Why does John wish he were dead ? (CBSE 2016)

(l) When confronted by Lavinia about his flirtations over the Ouija Board, John insists that ‘the affair was quite above-board, I assure you, my love’. Bring out the pun in John’s statement.

(m) John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. Justify. (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) Jenkins wants the narrator (Hallock) to write the ghost stories, that is, supernatural stories involving ghosts etc. The public wants to read horrors and the narrator’s supernatural stories have got that stuff. His ghosts look like real ones and his stories are popular.

(b) The narrator likes to write ghost stories or we can say he has no choice except to write such ones. He himself says that he is in no position to contradict Jenkins who wants ghost stories from him. Then his magazine is the only one magazine that prints his stuff.

(c) Helen, the ghost, tells Hallock the narrator that she used to write in the other life. She went to work as a reader on a magazine. But those were terrible days as their memory made her mistake purgatory for paradise. When she attained her present state of being she decided to do something. Since she and other ghosts suffered, they organized ‘The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau’.

(d) Helen, the ghost, had been helping the narrator write ghost stories because he had been without ideas for his stories. She went on strike because as a reader on a magazine she had had terrible days. She placed a condition that she would help him if he got all his friends and acquaintances stop using the Ouija boards.

(e) The ghost undermines the narrator’s faith in his ability to write ghost stories by putting a condition. She tells him that if he stops his friends and acquaintances from using Ouija boards, she will help him. Otherwise not. But Hallock couldn’t stop them from using these boards.

(f) John wants the ghost to disappear before his wife appears on the scene. It is because he is afraid that she wouldn’t tolerate his talking to another woman. His talking to ‘her’ might create problems for their married life. His wife is jealous like all other women placed in such a situation.

(g) The narrator hesitates to be a partner to Laura Hinkle because he doesn’t want to use Ouija board. Secondly, he doesn’t like Laura Hinkle as she is like a flirtatious crocodile and is a cheat.

(h) The group had been using Ouija boards despite the ghost’s not wanting it. So she called ‘John’ through them blaming him for cheating on her (Helen). The women’s reaction was that of being in trouble as they, too, were calling John’s name together.

(i) I agree with the narrator calling the assembly of women as ‘manipulators’. It is because they work through shortcuts and through dubious methods. Helen, the ghost, doesn’t want them to use Ouija boards but they do. So they all are ‘manipulators’.

(j) John’s wife is angry because she is jealous that her husband should talk to another woman. So she is like all women in this. She decides to leave John Hallock, her husband, getting angry over it.

(k) John wishes he were dead after he received a kind of threat from his wife on a slip of paper. It is that she is leaving him with a threat. Her lawyer will communicate with f him later about this all.

(l) The pun is on ‘the affair was quite above-board’. John admits flirting with Hinkle but he was compelled by his wife to couple with her. He himself didn’t want to couple with her on his own.

(m) John’s apprehensions about his wife’s reaction to her encounter with the ghost are unfounded. He thinks that Lavinia, his wife, would be jealous of her and would leave him. But it is never so. She looks at the ghost and should swoon due to fright. But she stands strong and faces her boldly.

Question 6.
Answer the following questions in detail :
(a) After her reconciliation with her husband, John Hallock, Lavinia writes a letter to her friend expressing how her relationship with him had almost been on the verge of breaking and what saved it. Write her letter. (V. Imp.)

(b) John Hallock reflects upon his experience with Helen’s ghost and in retrospect he finds it quite amusing. All the same he is relieved that he is no longer plagued by it. r Ironically, the self same ghost inspires his creativity and he writes a diary entry reflecting upon the comical aspect of his experience. Write his diary entry. (V. Imp.)

Answer:

(a) 18, East End Road
Louiseville
15 September, 20 –
My dear Shermon
I hope you are feeling fine. I thank God that my household life is now safe. At one point it had nearly broken. I found my husband flirting with Miss Laura Hinkle on the Ouija board, though I myself had asked Hallock to couple with her. Seeing him thus I got out of control and wrote him a slip of paper. I wrote that I was going to leave him and my lawyer would talk to him. Earlier also, I had seen Hallock talking loudly while sitting in the dark. When I asked him why he was sitting in the dark, he didn’t give a suitable reply. He also told a lie that he was not talking though I had heard him talking to someone. You know, all men are alike. They can’t be trusted when they interact with other women.

The other day Gladolia, our cook, threatened that she won’t stay with us as we dealt with hoodooing and magic. I went straight to Hallock and asked him what he had been trying to conceal from me. Then I saw Helen, the ghost. I must have almost – fainted at seeing the ghost. But I faced her with all my strength. I asked her if she was Helen of Troy as we had heard this name the previous night while being at Ouija boards. She replied that she used to be Helen of Troy, New York. Then I understood what had been going on with Hallock in my absence. I regret having doubted Hallock. I begged forgiveness of Hallock. Now everything is alright.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Lavinia

(b) 13th September, 20 – 9.30 pm
It was really an amusing experience that a ghost named Helen visited me last night. I was sitting on the desk to write a ghost story and looking at the ceiling for inspiration. Helen materialized in parts before me. She told me some funny things which are hard to find in ghosts. First, she told me that she had been a writer herself, then a reader. They were overworked and formed ‘The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau’. They would visit the writers like me to inspire them. She then asked me to get my friends and acquaintances stop using the Ouija boards. Meanwhile, my wife had bought one such board and had organized a party of my wife’s Book Club. I tried that all women should stop using these boards but it didn’t happen. All the women heard the names of‘Helen’ from these boards. I stood transfixed at it. I felt nervous that my name was being called from these boards as ‘Traitor’.

I didn’t treat Helen as a ghost at all as she had all the attributes of a real human being. On the other hand, I cut jokes with her like what would happen if her parts got mixed up as she would appear in parts. Then she looked like an applicant for my advertisement. Finally, my wife told her that she thought she was Helen of Troy. But she told that she was Helen of Troy, New York. Truly, I never treated Helen as a ghost. I wish she would come again to me !

Hallock

Question 7.
The narrator and his wife reveal something about their character in their words and actions. We also learn about them from what other people say. Can you pick out the words that describe them from the box given below ? Also, pick out lines and instances from the story to illustrate your choice.



Answer:
John Hallock
1. Overconfident, creative, loves novelty and thrills
Extract: Jenkins said “Hallock,” …“give us another on the supernatural this time…. live propositions.”

4. Extract: And somehow I’d always been able to dig one up for him, so I’d begun to get a bit cocky as to my faculty, (overconfident, creative)

5. Extract : Well, I was in no position to contract Jenkins, for as yet, his magazine had been the only one to print my stuff. So I had said “Precisely!” in the deepest voice I was capable of, and had gone out. (protective)

Lavinia Hallock
Extracts :

1. “You know I bought the loveliest thing this afternoon.
Everybody’s wild over them !” (loves novelty and thrills)

2. It’s the duckiest, darlingest Ouija board, and so cheap, (spendthrift)

3. Lavinia cast a cold eye upon me. “You are acting very queerly”, she sniffed. “You are concealing something from me.” (suspicious, jealous)

4. Then my Lavinia turned waspishly to me again. “John, there’s not a bit of use trying to deceive me. What is you are trying to conceal from me ?” (jealous, suspicious)

Question 8.
Gladolia, the narrator’s cook, is an African. The language she speaks is different from that of the others. This is known as Dialect. A diqlect consists of words or phrases that reflect the regional variety of a language. An author often uses a regional dialect to make the dialogue more authentic. Initially a dialogue may seem a little difficult to understand. However, as you continue reading, the language will become more comprehensible

Working in groups, write what Gladolia’s words mean as shown.

Column A	Column B
(a) Misto Hallock (b) de Missus (c) sho t’inks you’s lost! (d) she done ‘phone you dis mawnin’ (e) fo’de lawd’s sake (f) not to stop to argify now (g) I’s gwine t’ quit. (h) I don’t like no hoodoos. (i) I’se done lef dis place (j) I is	• Mister Hallock

(b) (The) Mrs.Answer:

(c) she thinks you have (been) lost
(d) she phoned you this morning
(e) for (the) God’s (Lord’s) sake
(f) not to argue now
(g) I am going to quit
(h) I don’t like (black) magic, hoodoo etc.
(i) I have left this place
(j) I am.

Question 9.
Read and understand the following ghost phrases and expressions :

(a) To give up the ghost — to die or to stop trying
(b) A ghost of a chance — a poor chance, not likely to happen
(c) The ghost at the feast — something or someone that spoils your enjoyment by reminding you of something unpleasant
(d) Ghost town — a town where most people have left-abandoned and deserted
(e) Ghost-write — to write for someone else
(f) Lay the ghost of something/somebody (to rest) — to finally stop being worried or upset by something or someone that has worried or upset you for a long time
(g) Ghost image — secondary image, esp. one appearing on a television screen as a white shadow, caused by poor or double reception or by a defect in the receiver
(h) the ghost of a smile — faint trace of a smile
(i) As white as a ghost — very pale or white in the face

Now complete the following story by using the appropriate phrases in the blanks given below :

I was alone in a place that bore a deserted look like that of a (a) _____ I increased the pace of my footsteps as I walked through the dark forest. I felt someone walking behind me. I turned immediately and spotted the contour of a figure in the form of a (b) _____ It smiled at me wickedly. I started shaking with fear and perspiring profusely when I felt its skeletal hand upon my neck. I woke up with a start, relieved that it was only a nightmare.

This was not the first time I had had one. It had all started when I had watched the horrendous horror film with an eerie ghost character that had a scary ghost of a smile on its face. It had been almost a month. The strange thing was that I saw a similar face at the station the next morning. That was uncanny.

I was to attend a dinner at my friend’s at Northanger Abbey that night. I had decided to narrate my experience to the group that would assemble there although I knew there was (c) _____ that they would be convinced.

After everyone had finished pouring their drinks to themselves, I cleared my throat and started narrating my spooky experience. However, every one of the group started accusing me of being (d) _____ and held me responsible for spoiling the spirit of revelry. I gave up the ghost and sat quietly waiting for the party to be over. Back at home, the fears returned. I knew I had to talk about my experience to somebody to feel better. I have now decided to (e) _____ and publish my experience under a pseudonym. Only then can I (f) _____

Answer:

(a) ghost town
(b) ghost image
(c) a ghost of a chance
(d) the ghost at the feast
(e) ghost-write
(f) lay the ghost of something

Question 10.
SPEAKING

Ghosts and haunting have fascinated the public for centuries. Although many doubt the existence of ghosts or other paranormal entities, many people dedicate their lives to searching and recording paranormal activity. Ghost tours, support groups, and research societies, to name just a few, permeate our society and seek to answer questions about paranormal activity.

Interview your friends, relatives and people in your neighbourhood about whether they believe in the existence of ghosts. Ask them to tell you of any specific experiences they might have had in this context. In your groups identify the most fascinating anecdote you gathered on the basis of your interactions. Narrate it to the class.

Answer:

For students’ self-attempt. One sample Answer is given below :

A group of four young boys developed a desire to see a ghost. They had heard that one could see a ghost at or around midnight near Shiela cinema. They deliberately bought the tickets for the night show. After the show was over they walked out in a romantic mood hoping to encounter a beautiful damsel. Their wish somehow materialized and they saw a really beautiful damsel. She beckoned one of them as they were scattered at some distance from one another. It was around 1 : 30 am. By chance the boy beckoned by her had heard that ghosts have their feet (toe and fingers) to their back side. He happened to see her feet this way. A chill settled at once down his spine. He concluded that the damsel was, indeed, a ghost. He panicked and shouting ran and ran. Meanwhile, his friends, too, had taken to their heels. (As narrated to the author by one of his friends)

Note : Students can add a spicy kind of language and hot dialogues for narrating to the class or acting before it. They may add some blood-curdling signs and sounds. These should look like those of the ghosts. Strange cries in between could make the show realistic and thrilling.

Question 11.
WRITING
Do you think a story has an atmosphere ? Complete the following blanks to make up your ghost story by choosing the correct options.

Answer:

(a) door of the castle
(b) fearfully
(c) terrifying
(d) apparition
(e) knife
(f) ghoulish

Now that you have shared a ghost story / anecdote as well as completed a guided story in the class, create your own Ghost story on the basis of the starters given below:

(a) Stephen knew he would never sleep. The noises, those horrid sounds, would keep him awake…
(b) Tap, tap, tap. Was it the branches of the nearby tree, or fingernails against the window ?
(c) People often say, ‘There’s no such thing as ghosts…

You are familiar with the key elements of a short story viz setting, plot, conflict, character and point of view. Given below are specifics to be kept in mind while writing a Ghost story. Also make use of the vocabulary that you have learnt from the story A Shady Plot.

• Colours, sounds, feeling words
• Strong definite characters
• Creating suspense
• Setting the scene and the atmosphere
• Describing the weather
• Clear opening line
• Personal feelings
• Clear ending
• Describing the sounds
• Adding a dramatic element
• Mystery

Answer:
Students to attempt on their own. Such questions are never asked in the examinations.

SPEAKING TASK
Question 12.
While conventional Ghost stories are scary and gruesome, several modern versions are humorous. The Canterville Ghost, by Oscar Wilde, is one of the best ghost stories written in the vein of laughing satire. The story that you just read is another example in case. Humour arises out of the narrator’s ability to laugh at himself, clever use of language as well as comic situations. Discuss within your groups what makes the Shady Plot humorous. Share your views during a whole class discussion.

Answer:

Meant for discussion at class level. Some information given below will help the students greatly in their discussion :

‘A Shady Plot’ is not actually a ghost story as per the genre. It is like ‘The Canterville Ghost’ by Oscar Wilde, a laughing satire. The ghost Helen is a ghostly figure but is more a human than a ghost. The author has drawn her character and role humorously and with a colour of satire on ghosts. There are valid points for it. First, the humorous ones :

→ ‘Helen’ wears spectacles—no ghosts will do that
→ Hallock’s asking her that she comes in sections and if these got mixed up what would happen
→ Hallock isn’t scared of the ghost but he must, instead cuts jokes and puts strange questions
→ Treats her as if she were an applicant for his advertisement
→ Ghost’s going on strike, forming a Union
→ Finally, she calls herself‘Helen of Troy, New York’

Satirical aspects :

→ Helen’s character as a ghost a full-fledged satire on ghosts
→ Hallock’s talks to her satirical
→ Forming of a Union, going on strike too funny
→ Helen’s behaving like a human being and Hallock like a lord of the ghosts underpinning the existence of ghosts
→ Helen a character of a ghost – making her an object of pity.

LISTENING TASK
Question 13.
Listen to the extract from The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde and complete the following tasks as directed.

1. Answer the following questions :

1. The Ghost loved the stormy weather because ….. (Complete the statement by ticking the correct option)

(а) he liked the rain
(b) he liked the strong wind that shook and rattled all the windows and doors in the old house
(c) his plan would fail otherwise
(d) such weather was ideal for frightening the people in the house.

2. The Ghost was particularly angry with Washington and wished to frighten him because ….. (Complete the statement)

3. The Ghost did not wish to frighten Virginia because ….. (Complete the statement)

4. The Ghost was most angry with ….. (Complete the statement by ticking the correct option)

(a) Mr and Mrs Otis
(b) Virginia
(c) Washington
(d) The Twins

5.
Write two striking qualities of the Ghost as are revealed in this extract.

(a) _______________
(b) _______________

Answer:

1. (d) such weather was ideal for frightening the people in the house.

2. he kept on removing the famous Canterville blood-stain by using his Pinkerton’s Paragon Detergent

3. she had never insulted him in any way, and was pretty and gentle

4. (d) The Twins

5. (a) determined, (b) resolute, (c) unrelenting, (d) revengeful, (e) humane (Choose any two)

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 4 A Shady Plot help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 4 A Shady Plot, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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

NCERT Textbook Solutions are considered extremely helpful when preparing for your CBSE Class 10 English board exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 9 free access available.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 9
Chapter Name	Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments
Category	NCERT Solutions

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

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 102)

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 here has been portrayed as a human being having the banner in his hands. It somehow looks like Lord Christ. It has been portrayed so because there is nothing more powerful than man, though man is non-entity before time. Secondly, time has been portrayed as a human being because the poem is meant for them only.

(b) There are other symbols associated with Time, Sun, for instance, Nature and other aspects of Nature.

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.
The word “sonnet” is derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “a little sound” or “a little song.” A Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines with a structured rhyme scheme in which a thought about a subject is developed thoroughly.

You will read two sonnets on the powerful effects of Time.

Answer:
For students to read. No questions have been asked in it.

Question 4.
Listen to a recording of the sonnet ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’ by William Shakespeare played by your teacher. You could also listen to it on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqCaljBhtM&feature=related
Answer:
For students to listen. No questions have been asked in it.

Question 5.
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.

(b) The poet addresses his sonnet to _____

(i) time
(ii) war
(iii) the person he loves
(iv) powerful rulers.

(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.

(d) The poet’s tone in the poem is _____

(i) despairing
(ii) optimistic
(iii) loving
(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:

(a) → (iv) be remembered till posterity
(b) → (iii) the person he loves
(c) → (iii) his friend who lives in the poet’s memory
(d) → (iii) loving
(e) → (iv) the poet’s study where he is writing

Question 6.
Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory ? (V. Imp.)
Or
Why do the rich and powerful get monuments made ? (CBSE 2015)

(b) Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time. (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2014)
Or
What according to Shakespeare outlives the ravages of time ? (CBSE 2014)

(c) Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2015)

(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:

(a) The rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory. They do so for being remembered till posterity.

(b) The monuments and statues brave the ravages of time. However, in doing so they get spoiled, disfigured and broken. This is also if they are not taken care of.

(c) The poet refers to Time as being sluttish because Time spoils the marbled or gilded monuments. It discolours them, breaks them or makes them dirty through its agencies. These agencies are like air, rain, natural vegetation etc.

(d) The quality of the poet is clearly revealed through these lines. It is the immortality of his verse and the permanence of his poetic or literary art. It is true that like Time or = Nature, literary art is also permanent and immortal. That’s why, we have poets and artists through their works who have lived thousands of years before and shall remain ever. They have become immortal through literary art.

Question 7.
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	(a)	Comparison between poetry and monuments.
Quatrain 2	(b)	Ravages of time on monuments contrasted with (c)_________
Quatrain 3	(d)	The recorded memory of (e)______ posterity.
Couplet	(f)	Poetry immortalises friend.

Answer:

(a) ab ab
(b) cd cd
(c) living record of the poet’s beloved’s memory
(d) ef ef
(e) his beloved shall find room even in the eyes of
(f) g g

Question 8.
(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) Students to work in pairs. The following information shall help them :

1. Unswept stone besmear’d with sluttish time
2. When wasteful war
3. Nor Mars his sword nor war’s
4. Praise shall still
5. Lover’s eyes

(b) The living record of your memory’ has been personified here in the sonnet as a man. He shall pace forth against death etc. He shall live even in the eyes of all posterity.

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 Chapter 9 Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 14 Julius Caesar are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 14 Julius Caesar.

You can download the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 14 Julius Caesar in PDF Below.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 14
Chapter Name	Julius Caesar
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 14 Julius Caesar

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 157 & 185)

Question 1.
Consult a dictionary and find out the difference between

(a) killing
(b) murder
(c) assassination.

Answer:

(а) ‘killing’ means : to cause the death of somebody or something
(b) ‘murder’ means : unlawful killing of a human being intentionally
(c) ‘assassination’ means : killing an important or famous person for money or for political reasons.

Question 2.
Popular and powerful leaders have been assassinated in the past and in recent times. Can you name some of them ?
• ……………………………………………………………………………..
Answer:

Question 3.
Discuss in groups the reasons why the leaders you named in (2) were assassinated. Is assassination the end to a problem ?

Have a group discussion on the topic in the context of past/present day political assassinations.

Introduction :
JULIUS CAESAR is the story of a man’s personal dilemma over moral action, set against
…………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
Meant for classroom activity. A sample discussion is given below :

A : It is really very sad that great leaders and statesmen have fallen to the bullets of the assassins here and there.

B : They have been most powerful, popular statesmen and politicians of their times. They are Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, etc.

C : What amazes me is what for they should be or have been killed !

D : It’s not difficult to know. I personally feel that political rivalry, vested interests, narrow-minded ideology and some political decisions have caused their assassina¬tions.

A : D is right in saying so. Let me elaborate here. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated for abolishing slavery. Rajiv Gandhi was bombed to death because he, as Prime Minister, had sent Indian troops to Sri Lanka ….

B : It is not necessary to debate over the reasons behind these assassinations. But the fact is that there is always good and evil. Without good, evil can’t be isolated and vice-versa. Political interests of the vested few are behind such heinous crimes ….

D : I beg to interrupt here. Let me know what had the great son of India, Mahatma Gandhi done to be assassinated ?

B : It’s not difficult to imagine. Again it is political expediency. Don’t think there was no evil in the golden period when Lord Rama ruled. Even then there were such persons in the form of Ravana. In fact, dualism is the order of nature, good-evil, day-night and life too.

A : As long as people are there, good people and evil people will be there. Such great leaders shall be born and their assassinators shall also be there. What are at the centre of assassinations are, I think, narrow-mindedness, parochial thinking, materialism, terrorism and sycophancy and orthodox ideology.

C : I agree with this.

Question 4.
The play Julius Caesar can be performed on the stage. The first step would be a reading of the play as a whole class. Your teacher will then have an audition and assign you roles. Later the play can be put up on the stage.

Given below are some suggestions and sites which may be visited for instructions regarding set-design, costumes and direction.

Answer:

Classroom activity.

Question 5.
Answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.

1. When Caesar says “Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night” he sounds …………

(a) worried
(b) angry
(c) joyous
(d) frightened.

2. Caesar’s reference to the senators as ‘graybeards’ shows his …………

(a) confidence
(b) cowardice
(c) arrogance
(d) ambition.

3. Decius Brutus changes Caesar’s mind about going to the Senate by appealing to his …………

(a) ambition
(b) vanity
(c) greed
(d) generosity.

4. The offer that Cassius makes to Antony after Caesar’s assassination is that …………

(a) the conspirators would like to be friends with him
(b) he may take Caesar’s body to the pulpit and speak to the crowd praising Caesar for his achievements
(c) his recommendations will be as strong as that of the conspirators while distributing the powers and benefits to friends
(d) he may join the conspiracy against Caesar

5. Cassius tries to stop Brutus from letting Antony speak at Caesar’s funeral as he …………

(а) knows the Roman mob loves Caesar and Antony
(b) knows Brutus is not a good orator
(c) knows they should not have killed Caesar
(d) knows Antony is a good orator who can sway the mob.

6. What prophecy does Antony make over Caesar’s dead body ?

(a) Romans will see Caesar’s ghost roaming on the streets
(b) Rome will experience fierce civil war in which many people will die
(c) Rome will be ruled by Ate
(d) Roman women will smile at the death of Caesar.

7. After listening to Brutus’ speech, the Third Citizen says ‘Let him be Caesar’. This clearly shows he …………

(a) has not understood Brutus’ reason for killing Caesar
(b) loved Caesar more than he loves Brutus
(c) loves Brutus more than he loved Caesar
(d) thinks Brutus killed Caesar to assume power.

8. When Antony calls the conspirators ‘honourable men’ his tone is …………

(a) admiring
(b) flattering
(c) angry
(d) mocking

9. Antony’s reference to Caesar’s conquest of the Nervii is to …………

(а) remind the mob of Caesar’s greatness as a warrior
(b) make the mob feel afraid of being attacked by the war-like race
(c) make the crowd weep for Caesar who died at war
(d) stop and collect his emotions as he is feeling very upset.

10. Antony’s remark Mischief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what course thou wilt! shows him to be …………

(a) a ruthless manipulator
(b) an honourable man
(c) a loyal friend
(d) a tactful man

Answer:

1. → (a) worried
2. → (c) arrogance
3. → (a) ambition
4. → (c) his recommendations will be as strong as that of the conspirators while distributing the powers and benefits to friends.
5. → (d) knows Antony is a good orator who can sway the mob.
6. → (d) Roman women will smile at the death of Caesar
7. → (c) loves Brutus more than he loved Caesar
8. → (d) mocking
9. → (a) remind the mob of Caesar’s greatness as a warrior
10. → (d) a tactful man

Question 6.
Answer the following questions briefly :

(a) How do the heavens ‘blaze forth’ the death of Julius Caesar ?

(b) What does Calpurnia try to convince Caesar of ? (V. Imp.)

(c) Why does Calpurnia say ‘Caesar’s wisdom is consumed in confidence’ ? What does she mean ? (CBSE 2016)

(d) What does Calpurnia dream about Caesar ? How does Decius Brutus interpret the dream ? (V. Imp.)

(e) What are the arguments put forward by Decius Brutus to convince Caesar to go to the Capitol ?

(f) Why is Decius more successful than Calpurnia in persuading Caesar ?

(g) What is the petition put before Caesar by the conspirators ? How does Caesar respond to it ?

(h) Who says “Et tu Brute” ? When are these words spoken ? Why ? (V. Imp.)

(i) In the moments following Caesar’s death what do the conspirators proclaim to justify Caesar’s death ?

(j) Seeing the body of Caesar, Antony is overcome by grief What does he say about Caesar ?

(k) Whom does Antony call “the choice and master spirits of this age” ? Why ?

(l) How do Brutus and Cassius respond to Antony’s speech ? (V. Imp.)

(m) Why does Cassius object to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral ? How does Brutus overcome this objection ?

(n) What are the conditions imposed by the conspirators before allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral ?

(o) When he is left alone with the body of Caesar what does Antony call Brutus and the others ?

(p) What prediction does Antony make regarding the future events in Rome ? (V. Imp.)

(q) What reasons does Brutus give for murdering Caesar ? (V. Imp.)
Or
How does Brutus justify Caesar’s assassination ? (CBSE 2015)

(r) Who says, “Let him be Caesar” ? What light does this throw on the speaker ?

(s) Why is Antony’s speech more effective ?

(t) At the end of the scene what is the fate of Brutus and Cassius ?

Answer:

(a) It is generally believed that when kings or princes die, a bright star plucks from the sky. It shoots and falls later. It leaves a blazing light behind it. So when Caesar was murdered, a star blazed forth in the sky.

(b) Calpurnia tries to convince Caesar that what she has seen in her dream means a danger to his life. So he must not go to the senate-house. He, in fact, must not leave home. Caesar doesn’t listen to her fear and is murdered.

(c) Calpurnia means by this that Caesar’s wisdom takes the form of confidence. Due to that he confuses wisdom with confidence. This over-confidence becomes the cause of his murder.

(d) Calpurnia dreamt that Caesar’s statue had a hundred spouts. Pure blood ran from them. Many strong Romans came smiling. They bathed their hands into it. She meant this as an ill-omen. So she feared for Caesar’s life and asked Caesar not to go to the senate-house that day.

But Brutus interpreted the dream differently. He said that the Romans’ bathing their hands meant that Caesar’s blood was his ‘spirit or influence’. It would be treated as a great thing. It shall serve as colours added to a coat of arms. Also it would be treated an object of reverence, mementos and a badge of service.

(e) First Brutus convinces Caesar that his blood will be used as a great thing of reverence by the Romans. They will revere it as souvenirs, coats of arm, etc. Secondly, if Caesar doesn’t go, the senators’ mind may change and they may not offer him the crown.

(f) Decius Brutus is more successful than Calpurnia in persuading Caesar. It is because he is his most trusted friend and a fellow Roman warrior. However, he has joined the conspirators. He has very good oratorical qualities. This is accepted by Caesar when he says that he has well expounded Calpurnia’s dream.

(g) The petition is of Metellus Cimber whose brother has been banished from Rome under law by Caesar. The conspirators want that Caesar should compromise his political right and authority. He should repeal the order of the banishment of Cimber’s brother. This will mean lowering of Caesar’s image as a great Roman. But Caesar doesn’t agree to repeal the order. He is fixed like the northern star and firm in his decisions.

(h) Caesar says these words “Et tu, Brute” (‘Even you, Brutus’) to Brutus who also stabs him with other conspirators. Critics say that Caesar was greatly shocked. He died due to the shock of Brutus’ stabbing. It was because Brutus was very close to his heart. Brutus could not be expected by Caesar to fall so low as to stab him. So Caesar was shocked due to Brutus’s ‘ingratitude’ as is given by many literary critics.

(i) The conspirators proclaim to justify that Caesar had become very ambitious to be a danger to Rome as a country. He had started becoming more and more powerful. In that case he was likely to harm the country for his ambitions. Brutus says that they killed Caesar for the love of Rome. If they had not killed him he would have made all the country a slave and all the countrymen as bondsmen.

(j) He says about Caesar many things of praise. He recollects his conquests, glories, triumphs and spoils. He calls him ‘mighty’ and wonders how ‘low’ he lies in his death. He calls him so great that he has shrunk to a little piece of ground. He calls him a ‘bleeding piece of earth’. He is ‘the ruins of the noblest man’.

(k) Antony calls the conspirators as ‘the choice and master spirits of this age’ with a taunt. He says so deliberately. He flatters them here as the situation demands. He sees that opposing them here would be murderous. So very cleverly he ‘flatters’ them here to outwit them later.

(l) Brutus says that Antony should not think that they are pitiless. He has a pitiful heart. They shall not kill him. But they shall receive him with ‘all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence’. Cassius says that Antony shall have a say in the disposing of new honours. In other words, they have no ill-will against Antony. They shall welcome him as a brave Roman warrior.

(m) Cassius objects to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral. He feels that people may be moved against them by his speech. They may turn against them. Cassius’s fears come out true when Antony moves the mob against them. The mob ia now after the blood of the conspirators.

(n) The conditions are : Brutus shall be the first to speak. He shall show the reason of Caesar’s death. Second, whatever Antony speaks, he shall speak with their permission.

(o) When Antony is left alone with the body of Caesar he calls Brutus and others as ‘butchers’. He curses them ‘that shed this costly blood’.

(p) He predicts that a curse shall fall upon men. ‘Domestic fury and civil strife’ shall rage. Blood and destruction shall be common. Mothers shall smile (due to madness) when their infants shall be killed before their own eyes. All pity shall be choked. The Greek goddess of revenge shall rage in the streets with the spirit of Caesar taking revenge. Dead men will cry for burial due to this most foul deed of Caesar’s murder.

(q) Brutus gives various reasons for murdering Caesar. First of all, he says that Caesar was ambitious. He would have made everyone as his bondsman if he had lived. He loved Caesar, no doubt, but he loved Rome more. So Brutus states that they killed Caesar more for the sake of Rome and not for any personal reasons.

(r) The third citizen symbolizing the common Roman people says this line about Brutus. This line speaks much about the speaker, ie, the citizen. He offers a great respect to Brutus. He wants that Brutus should be made the king of Rome as Caesar was to be made.

(s) Antony’s speech is more effective because he appeals to the basic sentiments of the common people, ie, the mob. He very cleverly directs his speech towards Caesar’s greatness as a human being. He, in that way, arouses their basic instinct of revenge I against the conspirators. He does so by stating from his Will that Caesar has left his everything to them. And the conspirators call him ‘ambitious !’ This is really strange, he says.

(t) At the end of the scene, death, destruction, murder, fire etc, are meant for Brutus and Cassius. Antony has roused the mob against the conspirators. The Roman people run mad with fire to search and kill them. They even burn the houses of the conspirators.

Question 7.
Julius Caesar and Antony reveal something about their character in their words and actions. We also learn about them from what other people say. Can you pick out the words that describe them from the box given below ? Also, pick out lines from the play to illustrate your choice.

Answer:

Question 8.
In the play ‘Julius Caesar’, we meet the Roman mob. We find that as Brutus and Antony speak, the mob displays certain qualities and characteristics.

Given below are some characteristics of the mob. Complete the table by quoting the lines wherein these are revealed.

Answer:

Question 9.
Antony employs a number of devices to produce the desired effect on the mob. These devices maybe described as rhetorical devices. He first speaks in such a manner that it seems to the mob that he is in full agreement with Brutus about Caesar. Then step by step he moves away from Brutus’ position, depicting Brutus as a villain and Caesar as a wronged man. Copy and complete the following table by showing how Antony builds the argument in Caesar’s favour.

Antoy’s words	Argument
1. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.	Does not wish to eulogise Caesar
2. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious : If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.	Seemingly agrees with Brutus

Answer:

Question 10.
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow :

1. Caesar : Cowards die many times before their deaths ;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear ;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

(a) Whom is Caesar speaking to ? Why does he say these words ?
(b) What fears has the listener expressed ?
(c) What is the basis for the fears expressed ?

2. But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar ;
I found it in his closet, ’tis his Will:
Let but the commons hear this testament—
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read—
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds

(a) Who speaks these words ? Where is the speaker at this moment ?
(b) What are the contents of Caesar’s Will that he is referring to ?
(c) Why does the speaker read Caesar’s Will to the citizens ?
(d) What is the reaction of the listeners to the reading of the Will ?

Answer:

1. (a) Caesar is speaking to his wife Calpurnia. He says these words because Calpurnia has seen a horrible dream indicating Caesar’s death. So she requests him not to go to the senate-house and remain in the house.

(b) The listener Calpurnia has expressed her fear that her dream means danger to the life of Caesar. It indicates that Caesar may be killed or may die. This is the fear expressed.

(c) The basis is that Calpurnia has seen a horrible dream. In it she has seen the statue of Caesar having a hundred spouts. Pure blood ran out of them and Romans dipped their hands in it. These were ominous occurrences suggesting very bad times.

2. (a) Antony speaks these words to the mob. He is at the Capitol at this moment.

(b) The contents of Caesar’s Will are that he has given his everything to the people of Rome. These are his money, gardens and orchards.

(c) The speaker reads Caesar’s Will to prove that Caesar was not ambitious. So he shouldn’t have been murdered. On the other hand, he was a victim to their ill-will and jealousy of the conspirators.

(d) The listeners get agitated and violent. They now are after the bodies of the conspirators who have murdered Caesar in cold blood.

Question 11.
ACTIVITY

Stage a press conference that takes place shortly after Caesar’s death. The “reporters” should have their questions written down ahead of time to ask the students who play the roles of Brutus, Antony, and Cassius. These questions should focus on the key events in the play, as well as the characters’ intentions.

Answer:

This ‘Activity’ is basically to be stage-managed at the class level with the help and guidance of teachers. To facilitate it, we are giving below some ‘questions’ to be asked by the ‘reporters’.

Questions to be asked :

A. To Brutus

1. What precisely made you, being very close to Julius Caesar, kill him ?
2. You have a very popular image as the noblest of all Romans among the Roman public. What made you stoop down to the level of a murderer ?
3. How did you react when Caesar being stabbed called out ‘Et tu, Brute’ ?
4. Didn’t you feel bad in Joining the conspirators as they Symbolished ?

B. To Antony

1. You were moved undoubtedly by Caesar’s death but why did you join the conspirators ?
2. Did you plan beforehand to turn the tables against the conspirators ? If so, how did you do so ?
3. Did you know that you’d succeed in your plan to turn the mob against the conspirators ?
4. Why did you call Brutus as ‘the noblest of all the Romans’ even though you knew that he was not ?
5. You can be charged for inciting the Roman people against the state after Caesar’s death. What do you have to say about it ?

C. To Cassius

1. You are said to be the main conspirator. What precisely incited you to bear a grudge against Caesar that led to his assassination ?
2. How did you plan your conspiracy to murder Caesar and why ?
3. What forced you to make Brutus join the conspiracy even though you knew that he couldn’t be a party to your evil designs against Julius Caesar ?
4. You told Brutus not to allow Antony to deliver a funeral speech to the Roman people. But why didn’t you force him not to permit Antony to do so ?
5. You as the head of the conspirators have been successful in murdering Julius Caesar. Do you have any remorse or regrets ? What are your future plans now ?

Question 12.
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY :

Given below are some questions based on reading of the play ‘Julius Caesar’. These questions are not for testing in the Exam. These are for a deeper understanding of the play and the characters.

(a) Why was the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar hatched ?
(b) Was Caesar really ambitious ? Find evidence from the play to support your answer.
(c) What was Cassius’ motive for murdering Julius Caesar ?
(d) Why was it essential for the conspirators to include Brutus in the conspiracy ?
(e) What were the mistakes made by Brutus that led to the failure of the conspiracy ?
(f) Comment on Caesar’s friendship with Antony.
(g) Write a brief character sketch of Antony.
(h) What is the role of Julius Caesar’s ghost in the play, Julius Caesar ?
(i) Why does Antony call Brutus ‘the noblest Roman of them all’ ?
(j) How do Brutus and Cassius meet their end ?

Answer:

(a) The conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar was hatched by Cassius, Casca and others. The main reason behind it was ill-will, jealousy and hatred for Caesar. They didn’t like Caesar to become an emperor and assume more powers to himself. They were, thus, personally against Caesar. Brutus was cleverly made to join them. It was due to legitimize their intent to assassinate Caesar on political and national grounds.

(b) Caesar was not ambitious at all. If he was, why he should have bequeathed his everything in his Will and money for all the Romans. Secondly, when Antony offered him crown, he refused to take it as Antony says before the Roman people.

(c) Cassius’ motive for murdering Julius Caesar was pure ill-will, jealousy and hatred for Caesar as a popular king. He was an ambitious person by himself and wanted to be equal to Caesar.

(d) It was essential for the conspirators to give a stamp of legitimacy to their cause of murdering Caesar. Brutus was a man of noble ideas. Also he was very close to Caesar. His joining them was meant to show that they were right to kill Caesar as Brutus’s name stood for righteousness and fairness.

(e) Brutus allowed Antony to give Caesar a suitable funeral after giving a speech to the people at the Capitol. Second, his utter simplicity and belief in Antony. Third, his leaving him alone with Caesar’s dead body and the mob. Fourth, his not heeding Cassius’ fears in allowing Antony to speak to the people.

(f) Caesar was very close both to Marcus Brutus and Antony. Antony’s sincerity, devotion and closeness to Caesar is seen in what Antony does to Caesar after his death. He calls him ‘bleeding piece of earth’ and praises him for his ‘conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils’ etc. This speaks of his intense and personal loss in Caesar’s death. It is also clear in his turning the tables on the conspirators in a very subtle and flawless manner.

(g) Antony is a noble personality. He has all the human virtues of love, sympathy, sincerity, integrity, solidarity, devotion etc. He has got these good qualities. He doesn’t hesitate to take the maximum use in accordance with them. He is clever and shrewd. He knows how to manoeuvre the situations to his advantage. In this way, he is practical and pragmatic. (In the later part, he is in league with Octavius Caesar. He fights a war with the conspirators and saves the situation.) In that way, he avenges rightly the death of his friend and political mentor, Julius Caesar.

(h) The role of Julius Caesar’s ghost in the play assumes significance in the end. It appears before Brutus and Cassius in the battlefield when the armies of Octavius Caesar and Brutus’ are fighting. Both Brutus and Cassius get very much frustrated. They finally commit suicide.

(i) Antony calls Brutus ‘the noblest of them all’ because he doesn’t suffer from jealousy, grudge, ill-will, hatred, etc, as Cassius and Casca suffer from. He has been made to join the conspirators through crafty means. But he has got a very popular image in the Roman public. It is due to his nobility and justice-loving nature.

(j) Both Brutus and Cassius commit suicide due to the utter disillusionment in the battlefield. They are visited by the ghost of Julius Caesar.

Question 13.
A reporter covers the event of the assassination of Julius Caesar in the senate giving graphic details and a catchy headline. Write the newspaper report in about 200 words.
Answer:

Rome’s Sun Sets in Caesar’s Death

Rome : 20 B.C.—Today around 11 am, Rome’s Sun has set for ever in Caesar’s assassination by his own friends and faithfuls. It has been learnt from reliable sources that Caesar’s wife Calpurnia saw some uncommon and supernatural sort of dreams that night before Caesar was to become the crowned king. She dreamt of seeing blood drizzle upon the Capitol, shrieking of ghosts in the streets, yawning of graves, and : littering of a lioness in the streets. She begged of Caesar not to go to Senate that day as she feared for his life. But he went and was instantly stabbed to death by Brutus, Cassius and Casca. It is said that the most horrible death shock came to him from Marcus Brutus. He relied much on Brutus who was his closest friend. He had a great faith in him also. When he stabbed, Caesar cried, “Et tu, Brute”, that is, “even you, Brutus”. It is evident that Caesar may have been dead more from a psychological shock than the stabbing.

No one from Rome shall arise like Caesar and shine in the political firmament like a meteor. Caesar was an able general and a great conqueror who brought name and fame to Rome. He was to be crowned king after he had defeated the sons of Pompey. Surprisingly, he never craved for the throne. He declined the crown when Antony offered it to him. He was not ‘ambitious’ as he had been branded. If he had been, how come he would have given everything of his to the Roman people as Antony later read out his Will and testament ? Whatever may be the case, Rome has become an orphan in his death. Centuries will go when another Caesar shall be born again in Rome.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 14 Julius Caesar help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 14 Julius Caesar, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 8 Poem Mirror – detailed line by line explanation of the poem along with meanings of difficult words and literary devices used in the poem.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 8
Chapter Name	Mirror
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 8 Mirror

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 97)

Pre-Reading Task

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 :

1. to check one’s appearance
2. to look beautiful
3. to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out.
4. to check for a pimple or a grey hair
5. to apply make-up
6. to make a phone call
7. as a decorative item at home.

Answer:

(a) I use a mirror when I have to go outside or to school or when I comb my hair. In fact, looking into a mirror has become a kind of habit when I go out. I do so as I feel that I should look proper, formal and presentable.

(b) It is not possible to do without a mirror. It is because one should look neat and tidy, and of course, presentable. To be so means one is civil and civilized.

(c) (i) ✓ (ii) × (iii) ✓ (iv) × (v) ✓ (vi) × (vii) ×

Question 2.
The teacher will now play a recording of the poem, hasten carefully and answer the questions that follow :
Answer:
Classroom activity.

Question 3.
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

1. not misted
2. not prejudiced
3. has four angles
4. is silver in colour.

(b) The other word for ‘contemplation’ is……..

1. contempt
2. meditation
3. mediation
4. thoughtful.

(c) When the mirror says ‘it has no preconceptions’ it means that :

1. it reflects back an image objectively
2. it modifies an image as it reflects it
3. it beautifies an image as it reflects it
4. it gives a biased view of a person/object.

(d) The mirror has been called ‘a four-cornered god’ because :

1. it is square shaped
2. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
3. it reflects back all that it sees
4. it never stops reflecting.

(e) The ‘speckles’ refer to :

1. a pink object
2. the opposite wall which has spots on it
3. a person with pink pimples
4. pink spots in general.

(f) The phrase ‘agitation of the hand’ suggests that the person is :

1. very ill
2. very upset
3. very angry
4. very happy.

(g) By saying ‘Now I am a lake’ the narrator wants to show that

1. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
2. the lake can also reflect surfaces
3. the depth of the lake is important
4. the lake does not show as exact an image as a mirror.

Answer:

(a) → (ii) not prejudiced
(b) → (ii) meditation
(c) → (i) it reflects back an image objectively
(d) → (ii) like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
(e) → (iv) pink spots in general
(f) → (ii) very upset
(g) → (i) the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person

Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly
(a) What is the poetic device used when the mirror says ‘I swallow’ ?

(b) How does the mirror usually pass its time ? (V. Imp.)
Or
How, according to the poet, does the mirror pass its time ? (CBSE 2015)

(c) What disturbs the mirror’s 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 ? (V. Imp.)

(e) What is the woman searching for in the depths of the lake ? (CBSE 2014)

(f) How does the narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at her reflection in the lake is deeply distressed ? (CBSE 2015)

(g) What makes the woman start crying ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2015)
Or
Why does the woman start crying ? (CBSE 2014)

(h) What do you think the ‘terrible fish’ in the last line symbolizes ? What is the poetic device used here ? (V. Imp.)
Or
What does the phrase “terrible fish” symbolize in the poem “Mirror” ? (CBSE 2014)

Answer:

(a) The poetic device used in it is ‘personification.’ The mirror is shown as a human being which it is not. ‘Swallow’ shows the use of ‘metaphor’ in it.

(b) It usually passes its time ‘meditating’, or ‘contemplating’.

(c) What disturbs the mirror is the opposite wall that seems freckled and is like a painted one.

(d) The mirror appears to be a lake in the second stanza because like the lake it reflects back the images objectively and hides things. The dispassionate and objective reflecting capacity of the mirror is referred in it.

(e) The woman is searching for the beauty of her face in the depths of the lake. Once she was beautiful. But now she has grown old and is not what she was earlier. Now she doesn’t want to see her old and wrinkled face. So she searches for her old face of her youthful days.

(f) The narrator conveys the fact that the woman looks at her reflection in the lake. She is deeply distressed which is seen in her agitating hands. Secondly, she weeps and behaves like ‘a terrible fish’ over the loss of her beauty.

(g) The wrinkled old face without beauty makes the woman start crying. She wanted to see her face always youthful. But now it is not so as she has grown old.

(h) The ‘terrible fish’ symbolizes the woman agitating at the loss of her youthful beauty. She is now old and behaves like ‘a terrible fish’ at the loss of her youth. The poetic device used here is ‘simile’.

Question 5.
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.

(b) In the second stanza why has the narrator replaced the mirror with a lake ? What is he/she trying to focus on ?

Answer:

(a) The adjectives are : silver and exact, cruel, truthful, four-cornered, important. Adjectives from our side: dispassionate, unshaken, appropriate, objective, impersonal, unmoved.

(b) In the second stanza the narrator has replaced the mirror with a lake. Like the mirror the lake reflects the things objectively. It also shows the objects objectified or reflected back like the mirror does.

Now the narrator is trying to give a different meaning to the woman’s looking in the mirror searching for the depths of her face. The lake does so when one looks into it. When the woman looks at her reflection a little closer she agitates. It is because now she sees her wrinkled face and not the youthful beauty that she once had. So she agitates at the loss of her youthful face. She is trying to focus on the loss of her beauty.

Question 6.
Find the various instances of personification used in this poem.
Answer:

Various instances of personification :

1. I am silver—as a human being
2. I am the eye of a little god—as a god
3. I am ‘a part’ of the wall—now a wall
4. ‘Now I am a lake’—as a lake.

Question 7.
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 ?

1. the mirror
2. the lake
3. the opposite wall
4. the moon and the candles.

(b) Why have the candles and the moon been called ‘liars’ ?

1. because they make people beautiful
2. they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light
3. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
4. they can’t talk.

(c) Why does she turn to them in spite of calling them ‘liars’ ?

1. the reality is too harsh for her to bear
2. she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her
3. she wants to be told that she is still beautiful
4. she can hide her signs of graying in their light.

Answer:

(a) → (i) the mirror
(b) → (ii) they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
(c) → (iii) she wants to be told that she is still beautiful

Question 8.
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 reflect exactly what comes before me. I do not act false. I am always truthful. I do not help any human being in romanticising about him or her. I have grown old seeing many human beings growing old. Some speckles have come out on my exterior. These are like the wrinkles grown over the bodies of young men and women. Many women have come before me. They have behaved very strangely. They have tried to see in their faces what they had had once. Not finding them beautiful they have sadly shed tears many times over this loss. I have been in deep sympathy with them. However, I have always wanted them to be truthful like me. Times are powerful. Human beings at physical levels undergo changes with the passage of time in their bodies. They must be aware of this change and compromise with these physical changes. When they don’t compromise, I feel pity for them. Then truth must be accepted in every way. Going away from it is always painful.

Question 9.
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.

Answer:
For classroom activity.

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 Chapter 8 Mirror, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 3 The Letter are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 3 The Letter.

All questions and answers from the NCERT Book of class 10 English Chapter 3 are provided here for you for free.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 3
Chapter Name	The Letter
Category	NCERT Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 3 The Letter

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 22 & 29)

Question 1.
Look at the picture of the old man given below :
Working with your partner, note down the feelings of the old man.
• ………………………………………..
Answer:
Various answers as given below :

Question 2.
Can you think of reasons for these feelings ? Discuss with your partner and note down possible reasons.
• ………………………………………..
Answer:

• when things of life do not move as anticipated.
• when there is illness in the family.
• when the family feels insecure and helpless due to reasons beyond control. These may be like murder, dacoity, scandal, straying from the path of righteousness, rectitude etc.
• when deaths occur.
• when the person has been deserted and is feeling neglected.

Note: There can be numerous other feelings and reasons thereof. These vary from persons to persons as they face life and look at it differently. Then their conditions are always different. The common aspects of life have been given above in relation to ‘feelings’ and ‘reasons’.

Question 3.
Answer the following questions by ticking the correct options :

(a) Ali’s walking to the Post Office daily even in biting cold weather shows his _______

1. courage
2. optimism
3. foolishness
4. strength of will

(b) The Post Office is referred to as Ali’s “place of pilgrimage” as he _______

1. visited it daily
2. came there to pray for a letter from his daughter
3. went there with faith and hope
4. believed God would bless him if he went there

(c) The Post Master’s rudeness to Ali reveals his _______

1. lack of empathy
2. preoccupation with his work
3. preconceived notions
4. sensitivity

(d) Ali did not come to the Post Office for several days as _______

1. he had given up hope
2. he was upset by the Post Master’s rebuke
3. he was unwell and not able to walk to the Post Office
4. he was busy hunting

(e) “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait. ” The Post Master was waiting for _______

1. a letter from Miriam
2. a letter from his own daughter
3. a letter from Ali
4. Ali to deliver Miriam’s letter to him.

Answer:

(a) → (ii) optimism
(b) → (iii) went there with faith and hope
(c) → (i) lack of empathy
(d) → (iii) he was unwell and not able to walk to the Post Office
(e) → (ii) a letter from his own daughter

Question 4.
Answer the following questions briefly :

(a) Who was Ali ? Where did he go daily ? (CBSE 2015)

(b) “Ali displays qualities of love and patience.” Give evidence from the story to support the statement. (V. Imp.)

(c) How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office ? (CBSE 2015)

(d) Why did Ali give up hunting ? (CBSE 2015)

(e) What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story, ‘The Letter’ ? (V. Imp.)

(f) The postmaster says to Ali, “What a pest you are, brother !” Do you agree with the statement ? Give reasons for your answer.

(g) “Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith.” Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness ? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith ?

(h) “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait.” Who is tortured by doubt and remorse ? Why ? What is he waiting for ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2015)

Answer:

(a) Ali was an old coachman. He went to the post office daily.

(b)
(i) His love for his only daughter Miriam in his loneliness is clear when he hopes for a touch of love through it.
(ii) His going regularly to the post office for over five years to get a letter and waiting patiently for it shows his infinite patience.

(c) Ali was now a familiar figure at the post office since every one there knew him well. He had been coming to it regularly for over five years.

(d) Ali gave up hunting because now he was getting old and inching towards death.

(e) The postmaster in the beginning is ill-tempered, selfish and impatient. He is casual, indifferent, unfeeling and inconsiderate also. But when he faces a situation similar to that of Ali, he changes. He becomes caring, worrying, concerned, patient, helpful, sympathetic and selfless. He also develops the virtue of understanding.

(f) I do not agree with it. But given the temperament of the postmaster at this point of the story, he behaves as he should. This speaks of the irresponsible and indifferent attitude of those in power towards the common people. In fact, the postmaster must have shown sympathy to Coachman Ali. Ali had been coming steadily to the post office for some solace from his own daughter Miriam.

(g) Ali’s eyes were filled with tears of helplessness. It was because he could do nothing except to leave the postmaster in his rough and uncivilized behaviour. His not receiving any letter from Miriam for over a period of five years and the old age had exhausted his patience. But somehow he had still faith that he would receive a letter from Miriam. And he did receive that, though after his death.

(h) The postmaster is now tortured by doubt caused by his daughter’s illness. It is due to what he had seen in Ali’s coming to the post office. Ali had = been dead for over three months. But the postmaster had seen him (in the form of a ghost) that early morning.

The postmaster is bitten by remorse also. It is because of his rash and casual attitude towards Ali. He now feels that he should not have ill-treated Ali earlier. He now realises the real and genuine love which Ah had had earlier for his daughter. The postmaster now is, obviously, waiting for news from his own daughter.

Question 5.
The writer carefully builds up an atmosphere of loneliness and grief in the story. Working in groups, pick out words/ phrases from the story that build up the atmosphere. Copy the following table in your notebook and complete it.

Answer:

Question 6.
Complete the table by explaining the following phrases/sentences in your own words :

Phrases/Sentences	Meanings
(a) happy memories light up a life that is nearing its close
(b) the sounds helped him along his lonely way
(c) the cold used sleep to extend its sway over all things even as a      false friend lulls his chosen victim with caressing smiles
(d) when the evening of his life was drawing in, he left his old ways  and suddenly took a new turn
(e) the whole universe is built up through love and that the grief of  separation is inescapable
(f) the post-master, a man with a face as sad and as inexpressive as a Pumpkin, would be seen sitting on his chair inside
(g) And so the clerk, like a worshipper of Vishnu, repeated his  customary thousand names.
(h) The haughty temper of the official had quite left him in his sorrow  and anxiety, and had laid bare his human heart.

Answer:

(а) Happy memories of one’s past life come up when one is dying.

(b) The people had woken up at that time in the morning. They were busy with their daily routine. These helped him to walk his lonely way to the post office.

(c) Sleep is the last refuge for men or women to soothe one during cold which makes them its prey.

(d) When he was going to die soon, he let go his old memories (of the past) and took a new turn in life.

(e) The whole of the world has love and grief like the two sides of the same coin. Both love and separation are inescapable.

(f) The postmaster was an unfeeling man. He had a wooden face, sad and round one. He would keep sitting on his chair.

(g) It means that the clerk was bewildered due to some supernatural development. He was a worshipper of Lord Vishnu. So he repeated his customary thousand names to seek his protection against the supernatural mishap. (It is like we chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ when we are terrified greatly.)

(h) The postmaster shed his sorrow and anxiety. In that moment he saw the real human heart (when he put himself in Ali’s place, though for a moment).

Question 7.
LISTENING TASK
Now you are going to listen to an article about the break-up of the Joint Family system in India.

As you listen to the passage complete the boxes given below.

Answer:

Question 8.
WRITING TASK

Tortured by doubt and remorse, the postmaster sits in the glow of a charcoal sigri that night, waiting for news of his daughter. As he sits, he writes his diary.

As the postmaster, write a diary entry in about 150 words outlining your feelings about the day’s events.

Answer:

10 January, 20 – 1.50 am

1 am overburdened with the feelings of doubt and remorse at what happened today. I saw Ali coming and knocking at the door in his same dress. I duly asked him to come in. He was leaning on his stick and had tears on his face. However, his features were unearthly. I tried to guess what that could be. But I could not. This made me shrink in fear. I talked about it with Lakshmi Das, and asked more about him. He told me that Ali had died three months ago. This left me in a troubled state of mind. I searched my mind to know who was that who had come to me in the early morning in the post office. Then I understood everything. It was Ali’s ghost which had visited me. I had insulted him while he was alive. I now started feeling guilty. I went to his grave and offered his letter from Miriam. This was my repentance.

I am feeling remorse now. In the beginning, I insulted Ali. I laughed at his genuine feelings of love for Miriam when he used to wait for a letter from her. I overlooked the human side of his emotions then. But very soon I found myself in the same predicament. I realised my foolishness towards Ali. I really regret that I should not have been harsh to Ali.

Question 9.
SPEAKING TASK
(a) The postmaster believes that he saw Ali. What do you think ? Discuss with your partner and present your views in front of the class.
(b) The postmaster was anxiously waiting for his ailing daughter’s news. On not getting any news he visits his daughter’s town. Now construct a dialogue between the postmaster and his daughter and enact it.

Answer:

(a) I think the postmaster is right in his believing that he saw Ali’s ghost. The text clearly shows it. The postmaster sitting in the office at night asks Ali’s ghost by saying “Come in, brother Ali.” He then ‘handed’ the letter to him. The narrator describes Ali leaning on a stick and wet tears appear on his face. However, his features are ‘hard’ but got softened after getting the letter. Secondly, the postmaster shrinks back in fear and astonishment at unearthly light in the eyes of Ali’s ghost. Lakshmi Das hears the postmaster speak to Ali’s ghost. He even asks the postmaster about who it was that came to him.

(b) A dialogue between the postmaster and his daughter

Postmaster : Hello, daughter ! How are you now ? I was greatly worried about you as I couldn’t get the latest news about your condition.

Daughter : Hello, papa !I am now a bit well. I fell ill at once and no one could know what to do. My husband took me to hospital as I had gone into a coma. So all were worried and no one could inform you.

Postmaster : It is now ok. In fact I lay awake all night due to worry as I wanted to know about your condition. I couldn’t come to you at night as there was no transport. Your illness had almost killed me.

Daughter : Papa, you’re right. But I never knew I would have to undergo such a horrible situation, You know the abdominal pain nearly killed me.

PostrTuister : What thd the doctors tell of your illness?

Daughter : They say it is something related to the brain. They are doing tests. The real thing shall be out after the reports of the tests.

Postmaster : Ah ! it is really very sad that you being so young should have some brain problem !! am really scared. I feel as if my own body is being ripped apart.

Daughter : I’m very sorry, papa. But what can I do ? You know, who wants to be ill ? We must bear things as they come the natural way and shouldn’t complain.

Postmaster : Yes, daughter. You are right. But how can I make my heart understand ? My heart is always with you.

Daughter : I understand, papa …………

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 3 The Letter help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Literature Chapter 3 The Letter, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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

The Dear Departed Summary of CBSE Class 10 English poem followed by detailed explanation of the poem along with meanings of difficult words and literary devices used in the poem.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 13
Chapter Name	The Dear Departed
Category	NCERT Solutions

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

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 135, 154)

Question 1.
Read an excerpt from the diary of a man of 72 years :
As I sit here alone and waiting
……………………………………………

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

Answer:

• I think that the man is feeling quite lonely and aloof. He wants to talk to the people and smile at them. He wants to socialise with the people to fight his loneliness. But no one looks at him. For those he gazes at, he is nothing.
• The situation that leads to people feeling so is clear. It is the passive and indifferent attitude of the members of his family and his relations. His own men and members of his family have turned away from him. So he is left alone to manage on his own in old age when he needs them the most.
• Such people can be helped through some understanding or fellow-feeling. The police or social welfare organisations can help them. Then people like Mother Teresa, can bring in a sense of positivism in their life. Home for the Aged etc, can help them greatly.

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) There are many reasons behind the old people being abused, harassed and abandoned. These are : importance of money more than human values among the young, increasing selfishness, growing materialism, breaking family system, lack of employment, economic hardships, increasing consciousness of celebrating one’s own life, youth leaving for other cities for jobs, generation gap, existential problems like urban poverty, lack of space for living, infighting among family members.

(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.
The play ‘The Dear Departed’ can be performed on the stage. The first step would be a dramatized reading of the play as a whole class activity. Later, your teacher will assign you roles which you will play after an audition. Later the play can be put up on stage.
Answer:
Classroom activity under the guidance of class teacher.

Question 4.
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:
The sequential order will be :
3, 2, 1, 4, 6, 11, 5, 10, 9, 7, 8.

Question 5.
Answer the following questions briefly.

1. How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans ? What does it reveal about her character ? (CBSE 2014)

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 ? (V. Imp.)

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 ?

4. What does Mrs. Jordan describe as ‘a fatal mistake’ ? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater’s defense ? (V. Imp.)

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 ? (V. Imp.)

6. What change does grandfather make in his new will ? What effect does it have on his daughters ?
Or
Why did grandfather change his will ? Did it please his daughters ? (CBSE 2015)

7. What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next ? (V. Imp.)
Or
What are the three things that the grandfather planned to do on Monday ? (CBSE 2015)

Answer:

1. Mrs. Slater plans to outshine the Jordans in wearing mourning dress. This attitude reveals that she is an inconsiderate and unscrupulous woman. For her, human relationships and being a daughter carry no meaning.

2. Mrs. Slater decides to shift the bureau from grandfather’s room as she has had an eye on it. She wants to grab it before the arrivals of the Jordans. Otherwise, it will be subject to being divided. Henry doesn’t like it. He advises her to arrange it with Elizabeth when she comes.

3. The reason behind this is that the Jordans don’t have mourning dresses for the occasion. They have ordered theirs. They don’t fancy to buy ready-made dresses. This shows that they give more importance to showmanship than the real thing. The real thing is that they must be ideal relatives and not mean ones.

4. Mrs. Jordan describes Mrs. Slater’s not going to another doctor than Dr. Pringle about father is ‘a fatal mistake’. The irony is that they want their father ‘dead’. But here it shows Mrs. Jordan’s concern for father’s life.

5. Ben like his wife is a mean and unscrupulous person. His eyes are on grabbing as many things of the father as is possible. He changes his opinion about grandfather due to his selfishness and meanness.

6. Grandfather makes a change in his Will that he won’t give a penny to either of his daughters. He will marry next Monday and liv6 happily. He does so as his daughters do not care hu him. His daughters get shocked to know this. They are unable to speak as his decision of marrying is a slap on them as daughters.

7. The three things are : one, he will go to the lawyer and change his Will. Two, he will pay his insurance premium. Three, he will get married.

Question 6.
Answer the following in detail :

1. Bring out the irony in the title of the play.
Or
Bring out the irony of the title, ‘The Dear Departed’. (CBSE 2014)

2. How does the spat between his daughters lead to grandfather discovering the truth ? (V. Imp.)

3. Compare and contrast Henry’s character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from the play. (V. Imp.)

Answer:

1. The irony in ‘The Dear Departed’ is clearly seen. On the surface value, it means the dearest member of the family has been dead. So all must lament and grieve. But at a deeper level, they don’t lament or grieve. They are more concerned about grabbing father’s things. They also fight over these greedily and selfishly even when he’s not dead.

2. Abel comes to senses and sees his daughter Elizabeth and Mr. Ben Jordan in mourning. He asks what has brought them there. Abel sees Mrs. Slater whispering. Then he finds Henry wearing his slippers. Mrs. Slater asks him if he had promised Jimmy his gold watch. He sees his bureau shifted downstairs. Finally, he sees his daughters quarrelling. When Mrs. Jordan says ‘After you were dead, I say’ he realizes the truth. This is confirmed when both the daughters talk about grabbing his things. Now Abel discovers the whole truth.

3. Mrs. Slater can be called a greedy, selfish, mean and crafty woman. She doesn’t bother about family values or the sweet relationship between a father and his daughter. Her eyes are to pinch as many things of father as possible. She has already grabbed his bureau, clock and slippers. Thus she is mean and unscrupulous. She is impolite, blunt, greedy, insensitive and what not. She doesn’t value moral and familial values but material things. Thus she is like her sister Mrs. Jordan as far as greed is considered.

On the other hand, her husband doesn’t have these qualities. But he is a weak- natured person. He is afraid of his wife and dares not displease her. If she speaks a bit hard, he surrenders. For instance, he calls her shifting father’s bureau undesirable. But when she talks in a harsh tone, he surrenders. He can be called his wife’s shadow. He is, thus, a weak and non-assertive person. He can be called a hen-pecked husband.

Question 7.
Bring out the traits in Mrs. Slater’s personality quoting evidence from the play.

Trait	Evidence from the play
greedy	(a)
Overpowering/dominating	(b)
Blunt/straight talking	(c)
impolite	(d)
Insensitive	(e)

Answer:

(a) Her grabbing the bureau and clock of father before the arrival of her sister Elizabeth, asking Henry to wear father’s slippers.

(b) Her rebuking Victoria not to gallivant in the street; asking her to close the door if her aunt Elizabeth and uncle come; her dominating attitude towards her husband Henry, etc.

(c) Her bluntness/straight talking to her sister and father like : “Don’t be so silly, Elizabeth” when they are talking about Dr. Pringle. Second, when Victoria says that perhaps grandpa didn’t go to pay his insurance premium Mrs. Slater snubs her saying ‘He went out”. Finally, her bluntness in her asking Victoria to change her dress and not gallivant.

(d) Impoliteness of Mrs. Slater is seen in her talks like : “What do you mean by that Henry Slater ?” when Henry refers to greediness in the family.

Second example : Mrs. Slater : Henry, why shouldn’t we bring that bureau down here now ? We could do it before they come.

Henry (stupefied) : I wouldn’t care to.
Mrs. Slater : Don’t look so daft. Why not ?

(e) Her insensitiveness is seen in :
1. Victoria: That’s grandpa’s clock.
Mrs. Slater: Chut ! Bc quit! It’s ours now.

2. Mrs. Jordan: I’ll tell you what’s been going on in this house. Father, nothing short of robbery.
Mrs. Slater: Be quiet. Elizabeth.

Note : Students themselves can find out more such examples. Mrs. Slater’s talks border on greediness, impoliteness, bluntness and insensitivity taken together.

Question 8.
Answer the following with reference to the context.

1. “Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes ?”

(a) What does ‘it’ refer to here ?
(b) How does Vicky conclude that her parents are ‘pinching it’ ?
(c) Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action.
(d) What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Vicky ?

2. “7 don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste.”

(a) Who makes this comment ?
(b) What prompts the speaker to say this ?
(c) Bring out the significance of this statement.

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 ?
(b) What prompts the speaker to say these words ?
(c) What does he mean when he says ‘It might have been worse’ ?
(d) What does it reveal about the speaker’s character ?

Answer:

1.
(a) ‘It’ here refers to the shifting of the bureau by Mrs. Slater.

(b) Victoria (Vicky) concludes it from her mother’s lie that her grandpa gave it to her that morning. But she says that that morning he was drunk. At this Mrs. Slater rebukes her saying that she mustn’t ever say he was drunk.

(c) One, she says her grandpa gave it to her. Second, she had had always a fancy for that.

(d) It reveals the difference that Victoria (Vicky) speaks the truth but the elders tell lies.

2.
(a) Abel (grandpa) makes this comment.

(b) Abel sees that Henry has worn his slippers which he should not. This prompts him to say these words.

(c) The significance is that Abel is conscious of the fact that his things are slowly being grabbed by his daughters.

3.
(a) Ben Jordan speaks these lines.

(b) Mrs. Slater informs Mr. Jordan and his sister Elizabeth (Mrs. Jordan) that father, 72, is now dead. This prompts Ben Jordan (to) say this.

(c) By this he means to say that father died. It is alright as every one has to die sooner or later. But his death could have been due to the worst things. The way he died was not much troublesome.

(d) The speaker’s character seen in this comment here seems normal and mature.

Question 9.
Writing

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:

Wednesday, 24th April, 20 – 9 pm

I can’t forget this day when I found my mom and dad grabbing dear grandpa’s bureau, clock and slippers. I was greatly shocked to hear mom saying that grandpa was dead. However, I saw that he was drunk this morning. Soon my aunt Elizabeth and uncle Ben came and were in mourning dress. All of them started arguing hotly over grandpa. My mom told my aunt that he was as merry as a sandboy in the morning. After taking tea they started talking over dividing his things like gold watch, slippers, clock etc. I felt it very bad that grandpa was not yet dead. But he was made to be ‘dead’ and they started fighting over his things ! It was most inhuman and unbecoming of them to treat grandpa so badly.

I was overjoyed when I saw grandpa still alive. When I expressed my happiness, my mom snubbed me. Things finally came out when my aunt told grandpa that my mom and dad had been robbing him. Grandpa didn’t take long to understand that for his daughters his death and his things were more important than his life. He took no time to frustrate their evil designs by saying that he was marrying again next Monday. I shall miss my dearest grandpa. But I would go to him whenever I like.

Victoria

Question 10.
Speaking

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:

Mainly for discussion in groups at class level.

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 Chapter 13 The Dear Departed, Nor the Gilded Monuments, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

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

All questions and answers from the NCERT Book of class 10 English Chapter 7 are provided here for you for free.

Board	CBSE
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Literature
Chapter	Chapter 7
Chapter Name	The Frog and the Nightingale
Category	NCERT Solutions

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

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Pages 85 & 91)

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.

Answer:

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:
Meant for classroom activity. The following may help the students in their discussion.

Yes I have come across such persons. They, at first, are and can be successful in impressing others. But when the reality about them comes out they become the laughing stock. Also they lose something in their popularity and what they have shown earlier. We tend to develop distance between them as they stop being men of integrity.

A man with natural good human qualities and having integrity, honesty, large-heartedness, etc, is always respected in society. Such qualities defy time as they are basically human. Such persons always are the sources of inspiration for others.

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:
The correct order is :

1. (h)
2. (j)
3. (c)
4. (f)
5. (d)
6. (b)
7. (g)
8. (i)
9. (a)
10. (k)
11. (e)

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.)


Answer:

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:

Mainly for classroom activity. The following information for different situations shall help greatly in this sort of discussion :

The points to be discussed in group activity together with characters and situations in each case are :

(a) Other creatures hate the croaking of the frog. They throw stone at him, pray to him to stop croaking and use sticks. But the frog refuses to budge. They also insult him publicly, complain against him or throw stones at him. But everything is useless to silence him. He is such a shameless person that these do not have any effect on him. Students to focus on the efforts of the creatures to stop the croaking of the frog.

(b) When the nightingale sings for the first time, the frog gapes with amazement. Other creatures stare towards the sumac tree fully charmed by the melodious song of the nightingale. Ducks swim to her and herons wade to her to hear her sing. When she stops singing they clap in admiration. Toads, teals and tiddlers call it ‘Bravo !’
‘Too divine’, and demand her to sing more.

(c) The nightingale is awestruck when the frog introduces himself. It is because she had never anticipated such a diversionary view about her song. Strangely, the frog introduces himself in a detailed manner. In doing so he shows an authoritative attitude. Strangely, he does so in a gentle tone. He tells her that he edits the Bog Trumpet and writes songs for it also. Thus he poses to be an intellectual.

Shallow persons always succeed in showing off their hollowness through hyperbolic overtones. But the reality about them is soon out.

(d) The nightingale offers herself to be trained by this Mozart. It is the morning and it is raining. Her ‘training’ starts. But she says she can’t sing in such a weather. The frog offers to sing with her. His training lasts for six hours. He makes her sing from this tree to that tree physically exhausting her in the name of training. The nightingale shivers due to cold and her voice gets hoarse and quivering.

(e) The nightingale becomes a huge sensation. Creatures from far crowd the place to hear her sing. The frog charges admission fee and earns a huge money. A large number of titled gentry crowds the place. But such a thing doesn’t last long.

Soon the nightingale fails to earn money for the frog. He calls her to give the audience ‘something sharper, snappier’ and add some frills. But the nightingale can’t continue singing for long. Due to continuous singing and over-exertion she gets very weak and tired. Her voice zips and trills and the ticket office gross crashes.

The frog gets very angry and calls the nightingale ‘brainless’. He asks her to puff her lungs with passion. But he has drained her energies. Weeping and trembling she puffs up to sing but dies due to the bursting of her vein.

The reaction of the frog : He calls her stupid, too prone to influence. He leaves no alibi to be responsible for her death—a crafty and wicked being.

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.

2. The animals reacted to the nightingale’s song with

(a) hatred
(b) admiration
(c) indifference
(d) suggestions for improvement

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:

1. (c) maintain his supremacy in the bog
2. (b) admiration
3. (c) wanted to become a professional singer

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.

(i) The nightingale was sorrowful and pale because

1. she had been practicing in the rain
2. she had been performing all night
3. she was losing confidence in herself
4. she was falling ill.

(ii) The audience was tired of her song because

1. they had heard it many times
2. it had become mechanical
3. she looked tired
4. she had added trill to her song.

(iii) She no longer enjoyed singing alone as

1. she wanted to sing only for titled crowd
2. she was now used to the appreciation she got
3. the frog was no longer with her
4. she had become proud of herself.

Answer:

(i) 2. she had been performing all night
(ii) 2. it had become mechanical
(iii) 2. 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 ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2014, 2015)

(b) Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance ? (V. Imp.)

(c) Why is the frog’s joy both sweet and bitter ? (V. Imp.)

(d) Why was the frog angry ?

(e) How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again ? (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2015)

Answer:

(a) The creatures of Bingle Bog reacted firstly to the nightingale’s singing very favourably. They, in fact, crowded the places where they could hear the nightingale sing so sweetly. Animals and birds came from long distances to hear her sweet and melodious song.

(b) The frog asserts his importance as a musician and an art critic. He also shows his importance that he owns the Bingle Bog and reigns supreme in it. He also tells her that if she gets training from him, she would scale new heights in singing.

(c) The frog’s joy is sweet because he is earning a lot of money from the nightingale’s singing. Secondly, he is getting success in tiring the nightingale out and killing her. His joy is bitter because the revenue is getting less and less. Obviously, the nightingale is not attracting a large crowd of animals and birds as expected by the frog.

(d) The frog was angry because the nightingale didn’t sing sweetly to enable him to earn more. Secondly, her voice was becoming ‘uninspired’. Her song now zipped, trilled and bounced along.

(e) The frog became the unrivalled king of the bog again after the death of the nightingale. Now no bird or animal could rival him in singing. Secondly, all of them over there were greatly scared of him.

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’.

(b) Do you think the end is justified ? (V. Imp.)

(c) Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’ ? Give reasons for your answer. (V. Imp.) (CBSE 2014)

(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 ?

(e) Do you agree with the Frog’s inference of the Nightingale’s character ? Give reasons for your answer. (V. Imp.)

Answer:

Discussion at class level. The answers are given below :

(a) The irony here is that the frog means that the nightingale’s song is not hers but it has been stolen. Indirectly, he means to say that the nightingale steals others’ songs and that’s why her song is so melodious.

(b) The end seems to be appropriate as it justifies the truth that evil people at first have the upper hand over the innocent ones. Here the nightingale is alone ; so it is natural ‘innocence’ symbolised by her. This is crushed by the ‘cruel and crafty designs’ of evil frog.

(c) Yes, to a greater extent, the nightingale is ‘brainless’ because she doesn’t see into the things. She is innocent and credulous to the extent that whatever the frog says is accepted by her. She must have been worldly-wise, careful and alert. Also she should have seen beyond what the frog tells her. In a way she should not have followed what the frog told her to do.

(d) The nightingale herself is responsible for her own downfall as such men are bound to fail before the crafty and deceitful persons. She has no capacity to judge and evaluate the persons from their sweet tongues. That’s why, she is killed by the evil designs of the frog. He simply ploys her to her death.

(e) Yes, I agree with the Frog’s inference of the Nightingale’s character. She must have seen through the evil designs of the Frog and acted accordingly. But being innocent and simple-hearted, she didn’t evaluate the Frog’s tricks to liquidate her out of Bingle Bog. Being flattering and submissive she paid the price in her death.

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

Answer:

Classroom activity. The following information shall help the students in their discussion :

1. Shallow thinking patterns are basically those patterns which dwell mainly on one’s selfishness and self-interests. These selfishness and self-interests are basically materialistic and harmful. Since these are born merely out of jealousy and ill-will, these produce fickle-mindedness in the people. Fickle-minded people have no backbone and can simply be harmful. They have no human virtues like fidelity, honesty and integrity.

2. Fickle-minded people have no locus standi of their own. They are simply those persons who pose to show that they are something. But in reality they are a group of brainless persons with a limited thinking. These persons are very dangerous as their sole aim is to cause damage to the progressive ones.

3. Materialistic society or materialism is the by-product of fickle-minded people and of those people who have a shallow thinking. People loving materialism are always showy and pompous. They have nothing to do with aesthetic or human virtues. They know only the mathematics of amassing materialistic things and looking at things in the name of buying and purchasing. The virtues that lie at the roots of a good person or a good thing are unknown to them.

4. Such materialistic persons have their eyes on successes by hook or by crook. They do succeed temporarily but in between face the music of their limited values. For instance, the frog aims to remove the nightingale and earn money. He earns money but for how long ? His clever plans succeed but partially. So materialistic persons succeed initially but not always.

5. If such persons are behind the art, art tends to be commercialized. The frog commercializes the art of singing of the nightingale. He treats the nightingale as a hen that lays golden eggs. But for how long ? So if art is in the hands of the people like the sly and wicked frog, God save us ! True art lies not in material terms but it is deeply connected with the aesthetic qualities of men. If it is balanced with materialism it ceases to be true Art.

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 based 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:

Mainly for discussion at class level. The following shall help the students in their discussion :

Yes, I agree with this that our poor self-image can do irreparable damage to us. A poor self-image means loss of self-confidence or low self-confidence. This, too, is very bad as it never lets a person face the harsh and bitter realities of life. Low self-confidence or over self-confidence are both bad. There are many persons around us who may not digest our progress. So they may try to derail us by sweet talks. But their sole aim is to show that they are our well-wishers. But in reality their jealousy and ill-will damage us in one way or the other. Obviously, we should not take them on their face value or by their sly and clever talks. In fact, we should judge or evaluate their hypocritical advice or interpretation objectively. Flattery is another tool to damage us. In fact, we should always keep in mind that all that glitters can never be gold. If the nightingale had understood and evaluated the frog’s ‘sweet’ talks, she shouldn’t have died.

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:
Sunday, 17th September, 20 – 9 pm

I can’t forget when the frog came to me for the first time and spoke sweet words. Those words were never sweet. But my foolishness and too much submissive nature made me feel so. Now I clearly visualize the crafty nature of the frog. He has really duped me and I, being foolish, believed in him !

I see now that I can’t sing melodiously as I did earlier. When I sang with my own choice and will, I sang melodiously. The sly frog charged fees and earned a lot. He compelled me to sing with trills and frills and change the style. He said that it was all in the name of training. But now I realize it was not training but killing me slowly due to overwork and exertion.

At this point of my life I see myself defeated at the hands of this sly frog. I feel physically exhausted. I can’t sing non-stop. I find myself physically exhausted. Truly he took full advantage of my innocence and simple-heartedness. Very cleverly he led me to my own death without any alibi. I want to leave a message that we must not believe in what others say about ourselves.

Nightingale

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:

An Obituary for the Nightingale

May the kind and innocent soul of the Nightingale rest in peace ! The Nightingale was really innocent, simple-hearted, cooperative and compassionate. In her death she has left a vacuum which is difficult to fill up. She had malice towards none but had to pay the price of being innocent, submissive, simple-hearted and credulous. But strangely she herself became a victim of the modern evils like craftiness, selfishness, and the power of place. One must be vigilant, alert and suspicious of others, especially of the sweet-tongued. One must be conscious that all that glitters is not gold. We must shun the people having the qualities of the frog. Being credulous is always harmful.

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:

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