Question 2 - Childhood - Hornbill - Poems (Literature) - English Class 11

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:

When did my childhood go?

Was it the time I realised that adults were not

all they seemed to be,

They talked of love and preached of love,

But did not act so lovingly,

Was that the day!```

(Childhood)

Question (i)

What is the contrast between what the adults talked and preached, and what they did?

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

  The contrast between what the adults talked and preached, and what they did is that they spoke about love and its importance, but they did not act in a loving way towards others.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

• To analyse something means to examine it closely and explain its meaning or effect. 🔬
•  In this question, we have to analyse the contrast between what the adults said and did in the extract. Contrast is when two things are different or opposite from each other. 🔄
•  The poet says that the adults talked of love and preached of love, but did not act so lovingly. This means that they spoke about love and its importance, but they did not show it in their actions or behaviour. 🗣️
•  The contrast between what they said and did shows that they were hypocritical and dishonest. They did not follow their own words or beliefs, but acted in a selfish or cruel way towards others. 😠
•  The contrast also shows that the poet was disappointed and disillusioned with the adults. He realised that they were not as good or trustworthy as he thought they were. He lost his respect and admiration for them. 😔

Question (ii)

What does the word "lovingly" mean? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student: 

The word "lovingly" means in a caring or affectionate way.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•  Vocabulary is the set of words that a person knows or uses. 📚
•  In this question, we have to explain the meaning of the word "lovingly". We can use a dictionary, a synonym, or an example to help us define the word. 📖
•   The word "lovingly" is an adverb that modifies a verb or an adjective. It describes how someone does something or how something is. 🌟
•  The word "lovingly" means in a caring or affectionate way. It shows that someone has a strong feeling of love or fondness for someone or something. 💕
•  For example, we can say that a mother hugged her child lovingly, or that a painter painted a portrait lovingly. These sentences mean that the mother and the painter showed their love through their actions. 😍

Question (iii)

How did the poet feel when he realised that adults were not all they seemed to be? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student: 

The poet felt betrayed and disillusioned when he realised that adults were not all they seemed to be.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•  To infer something means to make a logical guess based on evidence or clues. 🔎
•  In this question, we have to infer how the poet felt when he realised that adults were not all they seemed to be. We can use clues from the poem, such as the words, tone, or imagery, to help us make our guess. 🕵️‍♂️
•   The poet says that adults talked of love and preached of love, but did not act so lovingly. This shows that he was disappointed and angry with the adults for being hypocritical and dishonest. He expected them to be good and kind, but they were not. 😠
•  The poet also uses a rhetorical question and an exclamation mark to express his frustration and surprise. He is shocked that he cannot trust or respect the adults anymore. He feels like they have lied to him and let him down. 😲
•  We can infer that the poet felt betrayed and disillusioned when he realised that adults were not all they seemed to be. He felt like he had lost his faith and hope in them, and in the world. 😔

Question (iv)

What is the effect of repeating the question "When did my childhood go?" at the beginning of each stanza? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student: 

The effect of repeating the question "When did my childhood go?" at the beginning of each stanza is to create a sense of urgency and curiosity, and to emphasize the poet's loss and nostalgia.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•  To interpret something means to explain its significance or meaning. 🧐
•  In this question, we have to interpret the effect of repeating the question "When did my childhood go?" at the beginning of each stanza. A stanza is a group of lines in a poem that form a unit. Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of each stanza is a literary device called anaphora. 📚
•   The effect of repeating the question "When did my childhood go?" at the beginning of each stanza is to create a sense of urgency and curiosity . The poet wants to find out when and how he lost his childhood, and he invites the reader to join him in his quest. He makes us wonder what happened to his childhood, and what changed him as a person. 🤔
•  The effect of repeating the question "When did my childhood go?" at the beginning of each stanza is also to emphasize the poet's loss and nostalgia. The poet misses his childhood and wishes he could go back to it. He feels like he has lost something precious and irreplaceable. He repeats the question to show how important and painful this loss is for him. 😢

Question (v)

Complete the sentence with the correct option:

The poet uses a/an _________ rhyme scheme in this extract. 

Answer:

Answer written by the student: 

The poet uses a/an AABB rhyme scheme in this extract.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

• A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a line or stanza in a poem. 🎵
•  To identify the rhyme scheme, we assign a letter to each word that rhymes at the end of a line. For example, if two lines end with the words "be" and "lovingly", we give them both the letter A. If the next two lines end with another pair of rhyming words, such as "seemed" and "preached", we give them both the letter B. We continue this process until we have labeled all the lines in the poem. 🔤
•  In this extract, the first and second lines end with the words "be" and "lovingly", which rhyme with each other. Therefore, we give them both the letter A. The third and fourth lines end with the words "seemed" and "preached", which rhyme with each other. Therefore, we give them both the letter B. 🅰️🅱️
•  The rhyme scheme of the extract is AABB. ✅

Question (vi)

Do you think that the poet's view of adults is fair or unfair? Give reasons for your answer. 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

  I think that the poet's view of adults is unfair, because he generalizes all adults as being hypocritical and unloving, and he does not consider their perspectives or challenges.

Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•  To evaluate something means to judge its value or quality based on criteria or standards. 🏅
•  In this question, we have to evaluate the poet's view of adults as being hypocritical and unloving. We have to give our opinion on whether this view is fair or unfair, and support it with reasons. We can use examples from the poem, our own experience, or other sources to justify our opinion. 🗣️
•  I think that the poet's view of adults is unfair, because he generalizes all adults as being hypocritical and unloving. He does not acknowledge that there might be some adults who are honest and kind, or who have different views on love and its expression. He does not give any specific examples of how the adults acted unlovingly, but only says that they talked and preached of love. He might be biased or exaggerating his experience. 😒
•  I also think that the poet's view of adults is unfair, because he does not consider their perspectives or challenges . He does not understand that adults might have to face many difficulties and responsibilities in life, such as work, money, health, or family. These might affect their mood or behaviour, and make them less cheerful or playful than children. He does not empathize with their struggles or appreciate their efforts. He only sees them from his own point of view. 😐