English Class 11
Hornbill - Poems (Literature)

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:

Father and son, we both must live

 On the same globe and the same land.

 He speaks: I cannot understand 

Myself, why anger grows from grief. 

We each put out an empty hand, 

Longing for something to forgive.

(Father to Son)

Father to Son - Extract Based Question (3) - Teachoo.png

Question (i)

What does the word "globe" mean in the context of the poem? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The word "globe" means the world or the planet Earth.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  To understand the meaning of a word in the context of a poem, we need to look at its definition and how it is used in the poem.📖
  •  The word "globe" has two meanings: 1) a spherical or rounded object. 2) a model of the Earth, showing the continents, countries, oceans, etc.🌎
  •  In the context of the poem, the father uses the word "globe" to refer to the world or the planet Earth. He says that he and his son both live on the same globe and the same land.👨‍👦
  •   This means that they share the same physical space and environment, but they do not share the same emotional or mental space and connection.😔
  •  Therefore, the word "globe" means the world or the planet Earth.😐

Question (ii)

State True or false

The father and the son live in different countries.

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

False. The father and the son live in the same country.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  To answer a true or false question, we need to check if the statement is accurate or inaccurate based on the text.👍👎
  •  The statement is "The father and the son live in different countries."🤔
  •  We need to find evidence from the text that supports or contradicts this statement.📚
  • The extract says "we both must live on the same globe and the same land". This means that the father and the son share the same physical location and territory.🌎
  •  This implies that they live in the same country, not in different countries.🏠
  •  Therefore, the statement is false. The father and the son live in the same country.😐

Question (iii)

How does the use of the colon (:) show a change of perspective in the poem? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The use of the colon (:) shows a change of perspective in the poem by introducing the son's voice and point of view.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  To interpret a text, we need to understand its meaning and how it is used in the context of the text.📖
  •   A colon (:) is a punctuation mark that is used to introduce something that follows or explains what comes before it.👉
  •  In the context of the poem, the colon (:) is used to introduce the son's voice and point of view.👦
  •  The poem is mostly written from the father's perspective, as he expresses his feelings and thoughts about his relationship with his son.😔
  •  However, in the last stanza, the son speaks for the first time and says "I cannot understand myself, why anger grows from grief".😢
  •  The colon (:) marks this change of perspective and shows that the son has his own feelings and thoughts that are different from his father's.😲
  •  Therefore, the use of the colon (:) shows a change of perspective in the poem by introducing the son's voice and point of view.😮

Question (iv)

What does the son mean by "why anger grows from grief"? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The son means that he is angry because he is sad about his relationship with his father.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  To infer something from a text, we need to use clues and evidence from the text and our own knowledge and experience to make a logical guess or conclusion.🕵️‍♂️
  •  The phrase "why anger grows from grief" is a rhetorical question that the son asks himself. This means that he does not expect an answer, but he is expressing his confusion and frustration.😕
  •  We need to understand what the son is feeling and why he is feeling that way.🤔
  •  We can use clues from the poem to help us infer the meaning.🔑
  •  The poem shows that the son has a strained and distant relationship with his father. They do not understand or communicate with each other. They have different interests and values. They are like strangers.😞
  •  The son feels sad or grief about this situation, because he wants to have a better relationship with his father. He wants to be loved and accepted by him.😢
  •  However, the son also feels angry or resentment towards his father, because he feels that his father does not respect or support him. He feels that his father wants to control or change him.😠
  •  Therefore, the son means that he is angry because he is sad about his relationship with his father.😔

Question (v)

What is the tone of the speaker in the last line of the extract? 

  • a) Hopeful
  • b) Resentful
  • c) Desperate
  • d) Indifferent

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

 The tone of the speaker in the last line of the extract is (c) desperate.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  The tone of a speaker is the attitude or emotion that they convey through their words and voice.
  •  To identify the tone of the speaker, we need to look at the words they use, the context they are in, and the mood they create.
  •  In the last line of the extract, the speaker says "We each put out an empty hand, Longing for something to forgive."
  •  The words "empty", "longing", and "forgive" suggest that the speaker feels a lack of connection, a strong desire for reconciliation, and a sense of guilt or regret.
  •  The context of the extract is that the speaker is a father who has a strained relationship with his son and does not understand him or himself.
  •  The mood of the extract is sad, frustrated, and hopeless.
  •  Based on these clues, we can infer that the speaker's tone is desperate, meaning that he is in a state of despair or urgency and wants to change his situation.
  •  Therefore, the correct option is c) Desperate.👏

Question (vi)

State True or False

The speaker understands himself well. 

Answer:

Answer written by the student: 

The statement is false.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

  •  To answer this question, we need to look at the evidence from the extract that supports or contradicts the statement.
  •  The statement says that the speaker understands himself well, meaning that he has a clear and accurate knowledge of his own feelings, thoughts, and motives.
  •  In the extract, the speaker says "I cannot understand Myself, why anger grows from grief."
  •  This shows that the speaker does not understand himself well, because he does not know why he feels angry when he is grieving.
  •  He also does not understand why he has a gap with his son and how to bridge it.
  •  Therefore, the statement is false, because it does not match the evidence from the extract.❌
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CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant for the past 14 years and a teacher from the past 18 years. He teaches Science, Economics, Accounting and English at Teachoo