O.

2 RESOURCE MATERIAL – ENGLISH CORE- +1

POEMS

VOICE OF THE RAIN

SUBJECT: ENGLISH

CLASS: XI

3. The Voice of the Rain Book:

Hornbill

By - Walt Whitman

Introduction

The poem The Voice of the Rain’ by Walt Whitman signifies the eternal role that the rain plays in nurturing,
quenching and purifying the various elements of Earth. The rain returns the favour to its place of origin from
where it rises unseen from the depths of the water and from the land. The rain itself is explaining to the
reader about its origin, work and its cyclic movement. A comparison has also been drawn between rain and
music as both of them make the world livelier and return to their place of origin after fulfilling their
purpose.

Synopsis

 The poem begins with the poet asking for the identity of the soft-falling rain shower.

 Much to the surprise of the poet, the rain replies to his question. And, the poet translates this „voice‟ of
the rain for the readers.

 The rain identifies itself as the „Poem of Earth‟.

 It says that it rises from the land and the deep sea, in the form of intangible water vapor’s, and goes up to
the immeasurable sky.

 It then takes the form of clouds with various shapes.

 Although it changes in its form and shape, its core existence remains the same.

 It descends on the surface of the earth to eliminate droughts, wash away the tiny particles and settle down
the dust-layers.

 It reinvigorates the dry lands and gives life to the seeds that, otherwise, would have remained dormant and
unborn.

 Thus, the rain drops rise in the form of vapours only to come back to its origin in the form of rain.
 During this cycle, it purifies and beautifies (by nourishing the unborn seeds) the planet.

 The last two lines of the poem are the poet‟s reflection upon the answer given by the rain.

 The poet observes that the life of rain is similar to that of a song.

 A song originates from the heart of the poet, travels to reach others and after fulfilling its purpose
(whether acknowledged or not), it returns to the poet with all due love.

 Similarly, the rain rises from the land and oceans, wanders, fulfills its purpose of nourishing life and
purifying the planet, and then returns to its birth-place.

Word-Meaning

1. Thou – you

2. Soft – falling – dropping gently

3. Shower – raindrops when they fall continuously on Earth

4. Eternal – everlasting

5. Impalpable – unable to be felt by touching

6. Bottomless – very deep

7. Whence – from where

8. Vaguely – unclearly

9. Form‟d – made into a specific shape

10. Descend – move or fall downwards

11. Lave – wash

12. Droughts – dry spells

13. Atomies – very tiny particles

14. Latent – inactive

15. Origin – source

16. Beautify – make beautiful

17. Fulfillment – completing the cycle

18. Wandering – moving from one place to another

19. Reck‟d – cared about

20. Unreck‟d – uncared for

21. Duly – properly

Literary Devices

Personification – the poet used a non-living thing as a living thing in the poet

I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain

Metaphor – an indirect comparison between the qualities of different things

I am the Poem of Earth - rain is being compared to a poem

Hyperbole – exaggerated statements

Bottomless sea

Imagery – visual description of something

Soft-falling shower

I. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.

And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,

Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:

I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,

Question 1.Who is T in the first line?

(a) The poet

(b) The land

(c) The sea

(d) The raindrops

Answer: (a) The poet

Question 2.What does the rain call itself? Why?

(a) The poet of the Earth

(b) The poem of the Earth

(c) The poem of the Sea

(d) The poet of the Sea

Answer: The poem of the Earth

Question 3. The word ‘thou’ in the extract is a ………. .

(a) noun

(b) verb

(c) preposition

(d) pronoun

Answer: (d) pronoun

II. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.

Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,

Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form’d, altogether changed, and yet the same,

Question 1.What does the use of word ‘eternal’ indicate here?

(a) It indicates the continual process of rain

(b) It indicates the continual process of nature

(c) It indicates the discontinuous process of rain

(d) It indicates the discontinuous process of nature

Answer: (a) It indicates the continual process of rain

Question 2.From where does ‘I’ rise and where does it go?

(a) It rises in the form of droplets and goes to the sea

(b) It rises in the form of clouds and goes to the sky

(c) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the land

(d) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the sky

Answer: (d) It rises in the form of water vapour and goes to the sky
Question 3.Which word in the extract means the same as “in a way that is uncertain, indefinite or unclear”?

(a) Eternal

(b) Impalpable

(c) Vaguely

(d) Bottomless

Answer: (c) Vaguely

III. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.

I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,

And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;

Question 1.With what purpose does the rain descend from the sky?

(a) To trouble the creatures of the Earth

(b) To give life to the drought affected areas and plants

(c) To wash the dust layers enveloping the Earth

(d) Both (b) and (c)

Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

Question 2.What will happen if T was not there?

(a) It would result in happiness on the Earth

(b) It would not matter to the residents of the Earth

(c) The seeds will remain as seeds and plants will not grow

(d) It would result in the rise of temperature on Earth

Answer: (c) The seeds will remain as seeds and plants will not grow

Question 3.……….. is the opposite of ‘latent’.

(a) Inactive

(b) Manifest

(c) Dormant

(d) Resolute

Answer: (b) Manifest

IV. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.

And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin,

And make pure and beautify it;

Question 1.In what way does the rain help its place of origin?

(a) By causing floods

(b) By providing water to the drought stricken areas

(c) By washing away impurities from the Earth

(d) Both (b) and (c)

Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

Question 2.What is the importance of the word ‘forever’?

(a) It points to the everlasting features of artificial elements

(b) It points to the everlasting features of natural elements

(c) It points to the temporary features of natural elements

(d) It points to the temporary features of artificial elements

Answer: (b) It points to the everlasting features of natural elements

Question 3.

……….. in the extract is the opposite of ‘ending’.

(a) By

(b) Back

(c) Origin

(d) Beginning

Answer: (c) Origin

V. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that follow.

(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love
returns.)

Question 1.What is the similarity between a song and the rain?

(a) They return to their place of origin

(b) They are never ending

(c) They do not have any origin

(d) They are liked by one and all

Answer: (a) They return to their place of origin

Question 2.How has the poet been able to put his own reflections?

(a) By using quotation marks

(b) By using parenthesis or brackets

(c) By making notes in his diary

(d) By telling his friends about his experiences

Answer: (b) By using parenthesis or brackets

Question 3.For what purpose has the phrase ‘reck’d’ or ‘unreck’d’ used in the passage?

(a) For highlighting the author’s comments

(b) To indicate that rain or a song keep completing their life-cycle

(c) To indicate that rain or a song do not complete their life-cycle

(d) For making the poem interesting

Answer: (b) To indicate that rain or a song keep completing their life-cycle.

I. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,

Which,strangetotell,gavemeananswer,asheretranslated: I am
the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,

1. Whois‘I’inthefirstline?
(a) Thepoet
(b) Theland
(c) Thesea
(d) Theraindrops
Answer:
(a) Thepoet

2. Whatdoestheraincallitself? Why?
(a) Thepoet of theEarth
(b) Thepoem of theEarth
 (c) Thepoem of the Sea
(d) ThepoetoftheSea
Answer:
Thepoem of the Earth

3. Whois the poet of thepoem

(a) Wordsworth
(b) Walt Whitman
(c) Walter
(d) Shakespeare

II. Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,
Upwardtoheaven,whence,vaguelyform’d,altogetherchanged,
and yet the same,
 1. Whatdoestheuseof word‘eternal’indicatehere?
(a) Itindicatesthe continualprocessof rain
(b) Itindicatesthecontinualprocessofnature
(c) Itindicatesthediscontinuousprocessofrain
(d) Itindicatesthediscontinuousprocessofnature
Answer:(a) Itindicatesthecontinualprocessofrain

2. Fromwheredoes‘I’rise andwheredoesitgo?
(a) Itrisesinthe formof dropletsand goestothesea
(b) Itrisesintheformofcloudsandgoestothesky
(c) Itrisesinthe formof watervapourandgoestotheland
(d) Itrisesin theformofwatervapourandgoestothe sky
Answer:(d) Itrises intheform ofwatervapourand goesto thesky

3. Whichwordintheextractmeansthesameas“inawaythatisuncertain,indefiniteor unclear”?
(a) Eternal
(b) Impalpable
(c) Vaguely
(d) Bottomless
Answer:(c)Vaguely

III. Andforever,bydayandnight,Igivebacklifetomyownorigin, And

make pure and beautify it;

1. Inwhatwaydoesthe rainhelpitsplaceof origin?

(a) Bycausingfloods
(b) Byprovidingwatertothe drought stricken areas
(c) Bywashingawayimpurities fromtheEarth
(d) Both(b)and(c)
Answer:(d)Both(b)and (c)

2. Whatistheimportanceoftheword‘forever’?
(a) Itpointstotheeverlastingfeaturesof artificialelements
(b) Itpointstotheeverlastingfeaturesofnaturalelements
(c) Itpointstothetemporaryfeaturesofnatural elements
(d) It points to the temporary features of artificial elements
Answer:(b)Itpointstotheeverlastingfeaturesofnaturalelements

3. Whichpoeticdevicehasbeen used in‘Igive back lifeto myown origin’?

(a) antithesis
(b) hyperbole
(c) simile
(d) personification
Answer: (d)

IV. (Forsong,issuingfrom itsbirth-place,afterfulfilment,wanderingReck’dorunreck’d, duly

with love returns.)
1. Whatisthe similaritybetweenasongand the rain?
(a) Theyreturn to their placeof origin
(b) Theyareneverending
(c) Theydonothaveanyorigin
(d) Theyarelikedbyoneandall
Answer:(a)Theyreturn totheirplaceof origin
2. Howhasthepoet been ableto puthisown reflections?
(a) Byusingquotationmarks
(b) Byusingparenthesisor brackets
(c) Bymakingnotesin hisdiary
(d) Bytellinghisfriends abouthisexperiences
Answer:(b)Byusingparenthesisorbrackets
3. Forwhatpurposehasthephrase‘reck’d’or ‘unreck’d’usedinthepassage?
(a) Forhighlightingtheauthor’s comments
(b) Toindicate thatrainor asongkeepcompletingtheirlife-cycle
(c) Toindicatethat rain or asongdo not completetheirlife-cycle
(d) Formakingthepoeminteresting
Answer:(b)To indicate that rainor asongkeepcompletingtheirlife-cycle.

V. descendtolavethedroughts,atomies,dust-layersof theglobe,
Andallthatinthemwithoutmewereseedsonly,latent,unborn;
 1. Withwhatpurposedoesthe raindescendfromthesky?
(a) Totrouble thecreaturesofthe Earth
(b) Togivelifetothedroughtaffectedareasandplants
(c) Towash thedustlayers envelopingthe Earth
(d) Both(b)and(c)

Answer:(d)Both(b)and (c)

2. Whatwillhappen ifT wasnot there?

(a) Itwouldresultin happinessontheEarth
(b) Itwouldnot mattertothe residentsoftheEarth
(c) Theseeds willremain as seedsand plantswill not grow
(d) Itwouldresultinthe riseoftemperatureonEarth

Answer:(c)Theseedswill remainasseeds andplants willnot grow

3.......................isthe opposite of ‘latent’.

(a) Inactive
(b) Manifest
(c) Dormant
(d) Resolute

Answer: (b) Manifest

Questions and Answers

Question 1.Why does the poet get surprised when he gets an answer from the rain?

Answer: The poet gets surprised when he gets an answer from the rain, as it is inanimate and cannot speak.
In this poem, to the poet’s and reader’s amazement, the rain gives a reply which has been translated by the
poet for the readers.

Question 2.What answer does the rain give back to the poet?

Answer: The rain answers to the poet’s question by telling him that it is the Poem of Earth and is involved
in a continuing process of going up and coming down.
Question 3.How does the rain justify its claim ‘I am the Poem of Earth’?

Answer: The rain calls itself the Poem of the Earth because the poem rendered by the poet has the task of
bringing joy, happiness, life to its readers. Similarly when the rain falls down over Earth, a rhythm or music
is created. That’s why the rain calls itself the Poem of Earth.

Question 4.Describe the never ending cycle of rain.

Answer: Water rises unperceived in the form of vapour from land and water bodies on the Earth. It goes up,
takes the form of a cloud, changes its shape and falls down on Earth in the form .of water drops to bathe the
small dust particles, land and sea. The water returns through rivers to oceans and seas after it rains on Earth.

Question 5.Why does the rain call itself ‘impalpable’?

Answer: Impalpable means something that cannot be felt by touching or seeing. When water takes the form
of vapour, it is not visible to the human eye and nor can we feel its touch.

The vapour rises to the sky, condenses and forms clouds which cause rain. Though we are aware of its
presence, the process remains invisible to us. Hence, the rain has rightly called itself ‘impalpable’.

Question 6.What happens when it rains after a long hot spell?

Answer: After a long hot spell, everything is dried up on Earth. When it rains, all the dust that has
accumulated on Earth gets washed away, giving a new fresh look to nature. Moreover the seeds which were
lying latent till now, get germinated with the help of rain and new trees and plants start growing.

Question 7.Latent seeds get a life by rain. Explain.

Answer: The seeds lying on Earth require water to germinate and take shape. When it rains, the seeds start
germinating and change into the form of saplings. In this way, the seeds which would have dried up or get
wasted get a new lease of life by rain.

Question 8.Why is rain essential for Earth?

Answer: If it doesn’t rain then Earth will remain parched, droughts will follow and the dust-layers will not
be washed away. There will be nothing to quench the thirst of the plants and trees and their seeds will die.

Question 9.How does the rain become the voice of Earth?

Answer: In the poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, the poet describes how the rain falls on Earth. He also asks a
question to the rain ‘about it. He calls the showers of the rain as ‘Poem of Earth’ as the rain gives a new
lease of life to ‘the scorched and parched Earth and falls on Earth in a rhythmic manner.

Actually, it is the voice of Earth as the slowly falling showers produce a very soft music and Earth finds its
expression only through the showers falling on it.

Question 10.Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or unreck’d’?

Answer: The words have been poetically drafted. Reck’d and unreck’d stand for reckoned and unreckoned.
The words literally mean cared and uncared for respectively. The poet says these words to emphasise the
fact that when it falls on the Earth, we sometimes take notice of it or sometimes completely ignore it. But
even if it is left uncared for, it completes its destiny and returns to absorbed where it started from.

Question 11.Justify the title ‘The Voice of the Rain’.

Answer: The whole poem is about the eternal process of rain and its benefits. Through the words of the
rain, the poet has tried to bring out the importance of rain for Earth, for plants and for man. As the poet is
translating what the rain is speaking through its own language (the sounds it makes when it falls), the whole
poem is about the rain talking to the poet. Thus, the title is justified.

Question 12.The poem has a conversational tone throughout. Who are the two participants? Is there any
advantage of this method?

Answer: The two participants are the poet and the voice of the rain which answers the poet’s questions. The
advantage of this method is to maintain continuity of thoughts and ideas expressed by the poet and to bring
about clarity in what he wants to express.

LongAnswerquestions
1. Rainisaneternalprocessbenefitingmankind.Contrastitwithhumanlifewhich is
short lived on this Earth. Should we disturb these eternal elements of nature?
Answer:
Thepoem‘TheVoiceoftheRain’beautifullyshowsthecontinuedprocess ofrainwhich sounds
like music to human ears, as it fulfills our needs.
It is an ever goingprocess which sustains human lifeand provides us with food, pureair
andgreencover.Ontheotherhand,humanlivesaremortal.WecomeonthisEarthfora short
period and then depart without leaving any mark on this planet. Moreover human beings,
for their greed and selfish motives, indulge in destructive activities which may disturb
these eternal processes of nature.
We must learn a lesson from nature. If we want peaceful co-existence, we need not
disturb the balance of nature, otherwise the whole of humanity will be in danger. We
mustlearnalessonfromsucheternalprocessesanddosomethinggoodforhumanityat large.
2. Thepoem‘TheVoiceoftheRain’givesahiddenmessagethatrainisessentialfor this
Earth. Write an article in 120-150 words describing the importance of rain.
Answer:

Asweallknow,thethreeessentialsforsurvivalarewater,foodandair.Themostimportant
elementofweatheriswater.Wegetwaterindifferentformsofprecipitationbutrainisthe most
beneficial of all types of precipitation.
 Rain helps in harvesting our crops that give us food to eat. Without rain, no crops would
grow and we would perish. Also, falling showers remove the dust in air, making our air
clean, because we need clean air to breathe.
Rain water plays a key role in creating the climate of certain areas. Its presence in the
atmosphere provides replenishment of the moisture in cloud systems.
The most well-known and most important effect of rain water is to provide us with water
to drink. Without rain, there would be no life.

ASSIGNMENT

1. The Poem Represents a Parallel That Is Drawn Between Rain and Music. Which
Words in the Poem Give You a Feeling of the Same? Explain the Similarity Between
Rain and Music, as Depicted in the Poem. (EXPRESS IN 120-150 WORDS)
2. On the basis of the poem “Voice of Rain “, imagine a conversation between you and sun.
Write at least 15 dialogues to show this conversation.

HORNBILLPOEM-4
CHILDHOOD- By Markus Natten

Literay Devices:

Rationalism the poet rationalizes that it would have gone when he was eleven and when he found
out that “hell and heaven could not be found in geography”,

Hypocrisy – II Stanza – when he found out that the adults preached one but practised another. They
preached love but were not so lovable.

Individuality – III stanza. He now understood his individuality, that he can make his own decision
and is the master of his own decisions.
Rhyme Scheme – The poet does not follow any particular rhyme scheme. In the first stanza alone it
has “ABBCCD”

Repetition (refrain): “Is a group of verse or a phrase which gets repeated throughout the poem.”
Here “When did my childhood go?...... “Was that the day?”

Antithesis: “is a rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to
achieve a contrasting effect.” Here, “Hell and Heaven”

Alliteration – “My mind”; “Whichever way”; “That, they, “the time.”

Inversion – “when we reverse (invert) the normal word order of a structure, most commonly the
subject-verb word order”, is known as Inversion. Here, “To use whichever way? I Choose.”

Gist of poem

In the poem Childhood, the poet ponders deeply over the question of his lost childhood. He
recalls a number of stages when his thoughts and perceptions about the world and people
changed. He tries to identify that one particular stage or time when he lost his childhood and
stepped into adulthood. He feels a sense of nostalgia for the lost childhood and finally settles
down with an idea that his childhood has gone to some forgotten place and that place could
only be found in an infant’s innocent face
The speaker pondered deeply upon the spiritual questions of life and ultimately realized the
factthathischildhooddayswerefinallygonedownintothepastofeternityforgoodandwould never return.
Childhood would now only remain in his memories. He wondered if the end of
childhoodwasthedayheceasedtobeelevenyearsold.Thetimewhenherealizedthatheaven
andhellarenotrealplacesbecausetheycouldnotbelocatedingeographyandnevercouldbe. Where did his
childhood go? Was it the time he realized that adults were not all they seemed to be? Theytalked
ofloveand theypreached oflove, but did not act solovinglynorpracticed
whattheypreached.Wasthattheday?Wheredidhischildhoodgo?Wasitwhenhefoundout
thathismindwasreallyhis?Touseitwhicheverwayhechose?Toproducethoughtsthatwas
notthoseofotherpeoplebuthisandhisalone.Wasthattheday?Wheredidhischildhoodgo? It went to some
forgotten place that is hidden in a baby’s face. That was all that he knew and that was all that
heremembered. In thepoem ‘Childhood’,thepoet is tryingto realisetheage
whenhelosthischildhood,when hebecamematureenoughtounderstand theworldlythings. So he keeps
saying, “When did my childhood go?” He finally realizes that his childhood is gone to “some
forgotten place”, “that is hidden in an infant’s face.”

1. Readtheextractgivenbelow andanswerthequestionsthatfollow.
1. Whendidmychildhoodgo?
WasitthedayIceasedtobe eleven,

WasitthetimeIrealisedthatHellandHeaven, Could
not be found in Geography,

Andthereforecouldnotbe, Was
that the day!

Question1.
Atwhatagedoesthe poetthink helost hischildhood?
(a) Afterhe crossedtheageof eleven
(b) Afterhecrossed the ageof twelve
(c) Afterhe crossedtheageof ten
(d) Afterhecrossed the ageof nine
Answer:
(a) Afterhe crossedtheageof eleven

Question2.
Whatdid thepoet realise?
(a) Thathellandheaven aregeographicalplaces
(b) Thathelland heavenareone and thesamething
(c) Thathell andheavenarenot anygeographicalplaces
(d) ThathellandheavenarelocatedontheEarthitself
Answer:
(c)That helland heavenarenotanygeographicalplaces

Question3.
……….intheextractmeansthesameas discontinued
(a) Realised
(b) Therefore
(c) Ceased
(d) Stopped
Answer:
(c)Ceased

2. Whendidmychildhoodgo?
WasitthetimeIrealisedthatadultswerenotalltheyseemedtobe, They talked
of love and preached of love,

Butdidnotactsolovingly,
Was that the day!

Question1.
Whois‘my’intheabovelines?
(a) ‘my’referstothepoet,MarkusNatten
(b) ‘my’referstothepoet’schildhood
(c) ‘my’referstothepoet’s friend
(d) ‘my’referstothepoet’sfather
Answer:
(a) ‘my’referstothepoet,MarkusNatten

Question2.
Whyis ‘I’confused?
(a) Because‘I’donotseemto understandwhenhelost hischildhood
(b) Because‘I’ couldnotsearchheavenandhellingeography.
(c) BecauseTisgettingalotofnegativethoughts
(d) BecauseThaslosthismind
Answer:
(a) Because‘I’donotseemto understandwhenhelost hischildhood

Question3.
Explain“Butdid notactso lovingly”.
(a) Itmeansthatchildrentalkaboutlovebuttheiractionsarenotloving
(b) Itmeansthat adultstalkaboutlovebuttheiractionsarenotloving
(c) Itmeansthatadults talkaboutloveandtheiractionsreflectthesame
(d) Itmeansthatchildrentalkaboutloveandtheiractionsreflectthesame
Answer:
(b) Itmeansthatadultstalkaboutlovebuttheiractionsarenot loving

3. Whendidmychildhoodgo?
WasitwhenIfoundmymindwasreallymine,TousewhicheverwayIchoose, Producing
thoughts that were not those of .

otherpeople,Butmyown,andminealoneWasthattheday!”

Question1

Explain “mymindwasreallymine”.
(a) Itmeansthat hismind wasinfluenced byothers
(b) Itmeansthathismindwasnotinfluencedbyothers
(c) Itmeans thathis mindwas influencedbyhis parents
(d) Itmeansthathewasnotconfused
Answer:
(b)Itmeansthathismindwasnotinfluencedbyothers

Question 2

Whatdid thepoet realise?

(a) Herealisedthathis mindbelongedtohis parents
(b) Herealised that his mind was controlled byhis friends
(c) Herealised that his mind was controlled byhis teachers
(d) Herealisedthathismindwashis,andhehadhisownindividuality
Answer:
(d)He realised that hismind was his andhehad his own individuality

Question3.
Thepoet.................findananswertohisquestion.
(a) did
(b) did not
(c) can
(d) may
Answer:
(a) did

4. Wheredidmychildhoodgo?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’shiddeninaninfant’sface,
That’s all I know.

Question1.
Wheredid thepoet’schildhood go?
(a) Itwentto anunknown place
(b) Itwenttosomeforgottenorunknown place
(c) Itwentto aknown place
(d) Itwenttothepoet’snative place
Answer:
(b) Itwenttosomeforgottenorunknown place

Question2.
Wheredoes the poet thinkthat his childhood is hidden?
(a) Hethinksthatitishiddeninacat’sface
(b) Hethinksthat itishidden inaboy’sface
(c) Hethinksthatitishiddeninaninfant’sface
(d) Hethinksthatitishiddenbeneathhisface
Answer:
(c) Hethinksthatitishiddeninaninfant’sface

Question3.
Thepresenttenseof‘forgotten’is………
(a) forgot
(b) forgets
(c) forget
(d) forgets
Answer:
(c)forget

5. Whendidmychildhoodgo?
WasitthedayIceasedtobe eleven,

WasitthetimeIrealisedthatHellandHeaven, Could
not be found in Geography,

Andthereforecouldnotbe, Was
that the day!

1. Whatis thename ofthe poet ofthepoem Childhood?*

a) NickMiddleton
b) Ted Hugs
c) MarkusNatten
 d) Elizabeth Jennings
Ans:-MarkusNatten

2. Accordingto poetAdultsare
a) creative
b) smart
c) intelligent
d) hypocrites
Ans:-hypocrites

3. Whatdid thepoet wonder about?

a) thelossof helland heaven
b) the loss of childhood
c) that heis no more eleven
d) that he is a young boy

Ans:thelossofchildhood

ShortAnswerType Questions

Q1.Whatisthepoet’sfeelingtowardsthechildhood?

Ans. The poet regards childhood as a period of heavenly innocence. A child sincerely feels
thatthereisgodabove.Heisfreefromallearthlyevils.HebelievesthatthereisreallyaHeaven and a
Hell. He is truly religious in his soul. A child knows no hypocrisy. He always means
whathesays.Thereisnodifferencebetweenhisthoughtsandactions.Achildisfreefromany sense of
ego. He does not think himself to be different from or superior to others. In short, childhood
is a state of heavenly innocence and purity of heart.

Q2.Whataccordingtothepoem,is involvedin theprocess of growingup?

Ans. As a person grows up, he becomes a rationalist, an egoist and a hypocrite. He accepts
nothing that is not logical. He loses faith in God. He does not believe in Hell or Heaven. He
becomesveryconsciousofhisself.Hewantstofollowhisowndesiresandideas.Hebecomes
anegoist.Hetalksofloveandpreachesoflove,butisnotsolovinginhisactions.Inshort,he loses all his
innocence of his childhood.

Q3.How doesthe poet repenton hisloss of childhood?

Ans. He expresses concern over his childhood’s disappearance. Childhood cannot be

regained. It keeps our life aloof from the world of hypocrisy, bitter reality and materialism.
Hemisseshischildhoodaftergrowingup&triestofindoutwhen&wheredidhischildhood go!

Q4.Thepoethasaskedtwoquestionsoneisaboutthetimeandotherisabouttheplace.Why has he
used these questions?

Ans. He has used these two questions to interpret the time and place of way of going his
childhood away. “When” points out the process of being rational at a particular time and
“where” states the place where the innocent world of childhood resides.

Q5.WhatdoestheHellandheavenstandfor?

Ans. It stands for the world of imagination that fascinates only small children. These are
nothingbuttheproductofourimaginativemindthathelpsthepersontoescapefromreality.

Longanswer questions:

1. Writean article inabout 120-150 words aboutchildhood and theprocess of growingup.

Ans:WhenIwasachildtheworldseemedtobeaplaceofjoyandhappinesstome.Therewas
nothingworthworryingabout.WheneverIcried,somebodyconsoledme.WhenIdidnotlike
tositalone,Iwasalwaysinsomebody’sarms.Mymotheralwayslookedafterme.Theseare
my most cherished memories and I believe that looking at a child playing and enjoying
childhood makes me somewhat nostalgic.

Childhoodisfreefromcares.Therearenodutiesorresponsibilitiesontheshouldersofachild. A child
only eats, drinks, sleeps and plays. Thus, a child lives in the bliss of ignorance and innocence.
As we grow in age, worries about studies, choice of profession, shouldering responsibilities
etc keep haunting us. Tensions, stress and worries become a part of adult life and the
individual forgets to live a carefree life.

2. In the Poem, ‘Childhood’, Which Lines According to You, Are the Most Poetic Lines and
Why?

Ans: The poem is a mix of emotions that showcases the transition and is wrapped up
beautifully. The poet does justice to the selected topic and ensures that the readers resonate
with the image that the poet wants to bring out throughout the poem.
Thefollowinglinesadd thepoeticfeelingandthe overall essenceofthepoem:

“ItwenttosomeforgottenplaceThat’shiddeninaninfant’sface,
That’s all I know.”
Although theseare onlytwo lines, theybeautifullysum upthe entireessence of the poem that
showcases the whole process of growth in a very organized and attractive way. Besides that,
the poet has also been successful in showing the disappearance of a particular stage of life.
Thesetwolinesworkatextremeedgesanddoagreatjobatrepresentingthestartandendofa life-cycle,
something that is evident. Moreover, if we have a close look, we can also find the hidden
symbolic or metaphorical meaning that comes along with these lines.
Theuseofavocabularythatissimplebutcarriesasignificantmeaningalsoplaysamajorrole in
resonating with the tonality of the poem and the characters that are placed in it. The lines
beautifully describe how an infant’s innocent face hides several things behind its smiles and
how beautifully an infant’s Childhood lies in some forgotten place that is buried deep inside
their consciousness

3.Is independent thinking astep towards adulthood? If yes, then how? Explain with reference
to the poem ‘Childhood’.
 Ans: Of course, independent thinking is a step towards adulthood. As a child, one is not able
tomakeone’sowndecisionsandone’sthinkingisalwaysinfluencedanddirectedbyadults.A child is
so innocent that it is not able to distinguish between truth and imagination.

As a child’s thinking is influenced by others, it has no individuality. Moreover, it is prone to

manipulations which lead to fickle-mindedness. Independent thinking makes us what we are.
It shapes our personality and we are known among people through what our mind thinks and
what decisions we take.

If we want to stay away from evil people who try to influence our thoughts for their selfish
purposes, then only independent thinking can help us. We cannot claim to be an individual if
we cannot take decisions ourselves.

ASSIGNMENT

When didmychildhoodgo?

WasitthedayIceasedtobeeleven.

WasitthetimeIrealisedthatHellandHeaven,Couldnotb
efoundinGeography,

Andthereforecouldnotbe,Wast
hattheday!
Q1.Whendoespoetrealisethathischildhoodhasgone?
Q2.Whyistheageofelevensoimportantforthepoet?
Q3.Whatisthequalityacquiredbythepoetatthisstageofhislife?
Q4.Whendidthepoetknowthat‘hell’and‘heaven’areimaginaryconcepts?
Q5.Whyisthepoetworried?
Q6.Wherehasthepoet’schildhoodgone?
Q7.Whatisachild’sperceptionofanadult?

When didmychildhoodgo?

WasitthetimeIrealisedthatadultswerenotAlltheyseeme
dtobe,
Theytalkedofloveandpreachedoflove,Butdid
notactsolovingly,
Wasthattheday!

Q1.Whydoesthepoetnottalkgreatofgrownuppeople?
Q2.Whyisthepoetconfused?
Q3.Howdoesthepoetfindthepeopleinthisworld?
.
Q4.Choosewordfromthepassagewhichmeans‘sermonized’.
 When didmychildhoodgo?

WasitwhenIfoundmymindwasreallymine,To
usewhicheverwayIchoose,
ProducingthoughtsthatwerenotthoseofotherpeopleB
utmyownandminealone

Wasthattheday!

Q1.Explain‘Mymindwasreallymine’?
Q2.‘Producingthoughtsthatwerenottheseofotherpeople’smeans:
.
Q3.Whichstageoflifehasbeenunderconsiderationabove?
Q4.Whatthoughtsofthepoetarerevealedintheselines?

Wheredid my
childhood go?
Itwenttosomeforgotten
place,

Thatishiddeninaninfant
’sface,That’sall
Iknow.

Q1.Whyisthepoeteagertoknowthelostplaceofhischildhood?
Q2. Whereispoetabletofindhislostchildhood?
Q3.Chooseawordfromthepassagewhichissynonymousto‘concealed.
Q4.Whatistherhymingschemeoftheabovelines?

ShortAnswerTypeQuestions

ANSWER IN 40-50 WORDS

Q1.Howdoesthepoemexposemanandpresentshimintruecolours?

Q2. Whatisthepoet’sfeelingtowardsthechildhood?