ON THE FACE OF IT - NOTES

 

1. How does Mr. Lamb keep himself busy when it is a bit cool? (Delhi 2012)
Answer. Mr. Lamb was a person who could survive and enjoy in all circumstances and seasons. When it got cooler, Mr. Lamb kept himself busy by breaking the crab apples from the trees in his garden and making jelly from them.

2. What qualities of Mr. Lamb attracted Derry to him? (All India 2009)
Answer. Mr. Lamb was a person full of life. Sadness or negativity found no place in his world. His physical impairment and people’s humiliating remarks had failed to dampen his spirit. His undying optimism and ever friendly attitude drew Derry towards him. For Derry, Mr. Lamb was his source of inspiration.

3. What did Derry’s mother think of Mr. Lamb? (All India 2009)
Answer. When Derry informed his mother of Mr. Lamb and that he wanted to sit with him, she resented it. She thought that he was not a good man and she did not want her son to remain in touch with him for any purpose.

4.  How does Mr. Lamb try to remove the baseless fears of Derry? (All India 2008)
Answer. Mr. Lamb tries to remove the baseless fears of Derry by telling him that nothing in this world is so worthless that it deserves to be considered as trash. Even weeds have their own value. He advises Derry to ignore people’s comments and think of beautiful objects. He tells him to hear only those things that are worth hearing. It is attitude that matters.

5.What is the bond that unites the two—the old Mr. Lamb and Derry, the small boy?
How does the old man inspire the small boy? (Delhi 2013)

How did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life? (Delhi 2008, Foreign 2009)
Answer. Derry, a small boy, had a side of his face burnt as acid had fallen over it. Thus he grew up to be withdrawn arid defiant. The old Mr. Lamb got one of his legs blown off in a war and had a tin leg in place of it. He lived alone, but unlike Derry, he did not let his handicap rule his life. Derry’s brief association with Mr. Lamb changed him from a bitter, pessimistic and complex-ridden boy to a mature and confident person. His attitude towards life underwent a transformation. He got encouraged by Mr. Lamb’s unending enthusiasm and unceasing zeal to live life. Thus Mr. Lamb’s unfailing optimism helped transform Derek completely. Mr. Lamb’s conversation with him about everything and everybody being essentially the same, his notion of beauty being relative, his talk about pretty girls and love, his concept of the world and friendship and the incident of the timid man, all fascinated and inspired Derek. Gradually, Derek was able to shed his old self and rediscover life. He was able to experience the joy of little things of life like rain drops falling pitter-patter on the roof. He even told his mother, “You shouldn’t believe all you hear.” Thus, Derek’s brief association with Mr. Lamb became a turning point in his life.

6. The lesson, ‘On the Face of It’ is an apt depiction of the loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by people on account of a disability. Explain.
Answer. Mr. Lamb and Derek both were victims of physical impairment. Mr. Lamb had an artificial leg made of tin and Derek had a scared face. Undoubtedly, both had suffered humiliations in life on account of their handicaps. Derek, however, suffered not only from his handicap but also from low self-esteem, lack of confidence, desolation and withdrawal. He felt that nobody wanted him or loved him. They feared looking at his ugly face. Looking at Derek’s example, we feel that people with physical impairment need genuine concern. They can perform better than average individuals who do not suffer from any disability, provided they get the right opportunities to prove themselves.

7. Derry and Mr. Lamb both are victims of physical impairment but their attitudes towards life are completely different. Explain. (Delhi 2009)
Answer. Derry, a fourteen year old boy, did not expect anything out of life. Being a pessimist, he had lost all self-regard and led an isolated existence. He felt unwanted because he had a scared face. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, was full of life. Although he lived alone and had a tin leg, he kept himself busy by tending to his garden, his bees and making toffee and jelly. He welcomed everybody to his house and garden. He enjoyed sitting in the sun, reading books and gardening. Although kids mocked him by calling him ‘Lamey Lamb’, he did not bother about it. He was an apostle of optimism, enthusiasm and hope. Thus we see that there is a striking contrast between Mr. Lamb and Derry.

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH - NOTES

 

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH - NOTES

 

1. How do geological phenomena help us to  know about the history of mankind? (2000; 2009 Delhi)

Answer: It is geological phenomena that help us to know about the history of mankind. Geologists say about 650 million years ago a giant ‘amalgamated’ super continent, Gondwana existed in the South. At that time India and Antarctica were parts of the same landmass. Gondwana had a warm climate and a huge variety of flora and fauna. This supercontinent survived for 500 years till the age of mammals got underway.

2. What kind of indications do we get while visiting Antarctica to save Earth? (2004 Delhi)

Answer: Tishani Doshi’s entire experience of visiting Antarctica was nothing short of a revelation. It made her wonder about the “beauty of balance in play on our planet”. It is here that one can see the effect of melting glaciers and collapsing ice-shelves and how this is likely to raise the water levels in the sea and the ocean, as a result of which many low lying regions will be submerged under water.  Scientists warn that a further depletion in the ozone layer will affect the activities of the phytoplankton. The lives of the marine animals and birds of the region will be affected. By visiting the Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present and future.

3. How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change? (2008 Outside Delhi; 2013 Comptt. Outside Delhi)

Answer: Antarctica is a crucial element in the debate on climate change because it is the only place in the world which has never sustained a human population and thus remains relatively pristine. Moreover, it holds in its ice-caves half-million- year old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. The world’s climate is changing fast and is at present one of the most hotly debated issues. Antarctica is the ideal place to study the effect of these environmental changes as it has a very simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. If global warming makes Antarctica warmer, it will have disastrous consequences elsewhere.

4. What was the objective of the ‘Students on Ice Programme’? (2009 Delhi; 2011 Comptt. Outside Delhi)

Answer: The objective of the ‘Students on Ice’ programme was to take High School students to the limits of the world and provide them not only with inspiring opportunities in education but also enable them to understand and respect our planet. The idea was to provide them a life-changing experience at an age when they are ready to absorb, learn and most importantly act. According to Geoff Green, the High School students are the future policy makers and through this programme they would save this planet from ecological hazards and the harmful effects of global warming.

 

5. How did the Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it? (2010 Delhi)

Answer: When the writer first saw Antarctica he was amazed by its vastness and immense white landscape. It was an endless blue horizon and the fact that it was isolated from the rest of the world created an added sense of wonder and mystery about the continent.

 

 

6. Why is Antarctica the place to go to if we want to study the earth’s past, present and future? (2010 Comptt. Outside Delhi)

Answer: The Antarctica landmass, that was an amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana dates back to 650 million years. It can help us understand better the formation of continents and mountains like the Himalayas as they are in the modem world. Its ice-cores hold over half-million-year old carbon records that are vital to study the Earth’s past, present and future.

7. What sort of brightness and silence prevailed in Antarctica dining summer? (2011 Delhi)

Answer: The brightness that prevailed in Antarctica was surreal as the austral summer light remained for 24 hours in the continent. The silence there was ubiquitous interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheet.

8. How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi? (2013 Comptt. Delhi)

Answer: Tishani Doshi is a sun-worshipping South Indian and for her to spend two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the Earth’s total ice volumes are stored is a chilling prospect, not just for circulatory and metabolic functions, but also for the imagination.

9. What are phytoplanktons? How are they important to our ecosystem? (2010 Outside Delhi; 2012 Delhi)

Answer: The microscopic phytoplankton are tiny forms of plant life on the sea. They nourish and sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. They are single-celled plants and use the energy of the sun to assimilate carbon supplying oxygen and synthesise compounds. Depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun adversely affects the activities of the phytoplankton. Any further depletion in the ozone layer will hamper their activity which, in turn, is bound to affect the growth of marine animals and birds and even the global carbon cycle. Thus to save the big organisms the small organisms need to be cared for because even minor changes have huge repercussions.

INDIGO Notes

 

INDIGO Notes

1. How did Rajkumar Shukla establish that he was resolute? (Delhi 2015)

Answer : Rajkumar Shukla established himself as a resolute man by going along with Gandhiji wherever he went until Gandhiji agreed to go to Champaran with him to solve the problems of the peasants there.

 

2. How was Gandhiji treated at Rajendra Prasad’s house? (Delhi 2010, Delhi 2012, All India 2015)

Answer : The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house took Gandhiji to be another untouchable person. So, he was not allowed to draw water from the well lest some drops from his bucket pollute the entire source of water.

 

3. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent?  What did the British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo? (Foreign 2011, (All India 2015))
Answer. The British landlords had entered into a long-term contract with the farmers according to which they compelled all tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. The sharecroppers had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. Now Germany had developed synthetic indigo. So, the British landlords wanted money as compensation for being released from the 15 per cent arrangement. The prices of natural indigo would go down due to the synthetic Indigo.

4. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was useless?

(Delhi 2014)
Answer. When Gandhiji got to know about the plight of the peasant groups in Champaran from his discussion with the lawyers, he came to the conclusion that the poor peasants were so crushed and fear-stricken that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts overburdened the sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be done was to make them free from fear.

 

5. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come
to help them? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to help them, they assembled in Motihari in large number. Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that the officials felt powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.

6. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari, thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse. The officials felt helpless and the government was baffled. The trial was postponed, as the judge didn’t want to aggravate the situation. He held up the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without bail. All these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji.

7. What was the conflict described by Gandhiji in the court?

Gandhiji’s conflict was of discharging the duties. On one hand ,he did not want to set a bad example by breaking the law. On the other hand he was to listen to the voice of his conscience and serve the human beings.

8. Why did Gandhiji say: “The battle of Champaran is won”?

The lawyers had decided to  go home, if Gandhiji went to prison. But Gandhiji asked them what would become of the injustice to the sharecroppers. The lawyers thought over it and decided that they too would follow Gandhiji. This was the time that Gandhiji said that the battle of Champaran was won.

9. How did Gandhi and the lawyers try to secure justice for the sharecroppers?

Ans: Gandhiji and the lawyers  started conducting a detailed enquiry into the grievances of the peasants. Depositions by about ten thousand peasants were written down. Notes were made on other evidence. Documents were collected. The whole area came alive with the activities of the investigators. The landlords raised loud protests. Later, an official commission was appointed to enquire into the matter which presented a crushing mountain of evidences against the landlords. Thus, landlords were ready for a settlement which gave justice to the sharecroppers.

10. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers? (2009, All India 2011, All India 2012, All India 2015, 2016)

Ans: For Gandhi the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been forced to return part of the money, and with it, part of their prestige too. So, he agreed to settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers.

11. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?

Ans: The peasants were saved from spending time and money on court cases. After some years the British planters gave up control of their estates. These now reverted to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared.

12.Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning- point in his life? (All India 2009)

Ans: The Champaran episode is considered to be Gandhi’s entry into Indian politics which lacked a good leadership until Gandhi’s arrival. It began as an attempt to ease the sufferings of large number of poor peasants. He got spontaneous support of thousands of people. Gandhi admits that what he had done was a very ordinary thing. He declared that the British could not order him about in his own country. It established the effectiveness of non-cooperation as a means of fighting for justice. The Champaran episode revealed Gandhiji’s principles in the political field. Hence, he considered the Champaran episode as a turning- point in his life.

13. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances. (All India 2009)

Ans: Gandhi asked the lawyers what they would do if he was sentenced to prison. They said that they had come to advise him. If he went to jail, they would go home. Then Gandhi asked them about the injustice to the sharecroppers. The lawyers held consultations. They came to the conclusion that it would be shameful desertion if they went home. So, they told Gandhi that they were ready to follow him into jail.

14. While at Champaran how did Gandhiji keep a long distance watch on his ashram? (Comptt. All India 2012)

Answer: During his long stay in Champaran, Gandhiji kept a long distance watch on his Ashram. He sent regular instructions by mail and asked for financial accounts. He even wrote to the residents that it was time to fill in the old latrine trenches and dig new ones.

15. Why was Gandhiji opposed to C.F. Andrews helping him in Champaran? (Delhi 2016)

Answer: Though Gandhiji’s lawyer friends thought it would be a good idea for C.F.Andrews to stay in Champaran and help them, Gandhiji vehemently opposed it. He said that if they had an Englishman on their side it would show the weakness of their heart. They should not attempt to seek a prop in Andrews just because he happened to be an Englishman. Gandhiji wanted Indians to be self-reliant.

16. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?

Ans: Professor J.B. Kriplani received Gandhi at Muzaffarpur railway station at midnight. He had a large body of students with him. Sharecroppers from Champaran came on foot and by conveyance to see Gandhi. Muzaffarpur lawyers too called on him. A vast multitude greeted Gandhi when he reached Motihari railway station. Thousands of people demonstrated around the court room when they came to know that their champion was in trouble. This shows that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement in India.

17. How did Gandhi work for rural uplift during his stay in Champaran?

Gandhi wanted to remove the cultural and social backwardness in Champaran villages. He appealed for teachers. Two young disciples of Gandhi, Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh and their wives volunteered themselves for work. Several others responded from distant parts of the country. Mrs. Kasturba Gandhi and Devdas, Gandhi’s youngest son, arrived from the Ashram. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba taught the ashram rules on personal cleanliness and community cleanliness.

Health conditions were miserable. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. They managed all the possible diseases with three available medicines, Castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment. Thus, Gandhi never contented himself with large political or economic solutions  worked for total uplift of villages and the poor sections of the society.

 

 

The Rattrap-Notes

 

The Rattrap-Notes

1. Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap? (All India 2009)
Answer: The peddler considered the whole world as a big rattrap, its sole purpose being to set baits for people. The joys and riches of this world are nothing but tempting baits and anyone who is tempted by them will be captured by the rattrap which completely closes in on him. The world had never been kind to the peddler so it gave him unwanted joy to think ill of it by considering it as a rattrap.

2. How was the peddler treated at the crofter’s cottage? (Comptt. All India 2010)
Answer: At the crofter’s cottage the peddler was welcomed warmly and received with generous hospitality. The crofter was an old and lonely man and the prospect of getting the peddler’s company overjoyed him. So he shared his porridge and tobacco, and played majolis with him.

3. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler? (Delhi 2011)
Answer: The crofter was lonely. He lived alone in his cottage without a wife, a child or any companion. Since he suffered from acute loneliness he was extremely happy when he got the peddler’s company. That is why he was so talkative and friendly with the peddler.

4. Why did the crofter show the thirty kroner to the peddler? (All India 2016)
Answer: The crofter was so generous with his confidences with the peddler. He told that he had made thirty Kronor the previous month by selling his cow’s milk. The stranger must have seemed doubtful, for the crofter took down a leather pouch hanging on a nail near the window and showed the thirty kroner notes to the peddler.

5. Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did he feel? (All India 2011)
Answer: The peddler discards the public highway and keeps to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage because he wants to avoid being caught with the thirty kronors that he had stolen from the crofter’s house. He walks through mazes of forest paths but lands nowhere. When he realizes he has been trapped he feels extremely tired and sinks to the ground in despair.

6. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster? (Delhi 2012)
Answer: The peddler declined the ironmaster’s invitation because he had the stolen thirty kronors on him. He feared that he would be caught there for stealing the crofter’s money. For the peddler going to the manor house of the ironmaster would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.

7. Why didn’t the stranger tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof? (All India)
Answer: When the ironmaster mistakes the stranger for Captain Nils Olof, an old regimental comrade, the stranger decides not to correct him as he hopes to get a couple of kronors from the ironmaster.

8. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away? (All India 2014)
Answer:Edla had a kind and sympathetic heart that was pained by the plight of the poor peddler. Her principles did not allow her to throw this man out of her house on the Christmas Eve whom they had promised a "Christmas cheer". Moreover, she had been in high spirits that morning thinking of the ways in which she could help the tramp. Therefore, she pleaded with her father not to send the vagabond away

9. What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer: The package that the peddler left as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson contained a small rattrap which had a letter he had written in large, jagged characters and in it also lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes.

10. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? (All India 2010)
Answer: Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler as he had respected her faith in him. Edla had retained him in her house even after knowing his real identity and he, in turn, had shown her that the guest she had honoured was as honourable as the Captain. The latent goodness of his heart had been awakened and he had been able to overcome the bait of the rattrap.

11. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? (All India 2009)
Answer: Edla Willmansson had been rather nice to the peddler and had treated him with the honour that was due to a Captain. The peddler, through this mistaken identity, got an opportunity to raise himself above the petty temptations of the world. He signed the letter as Captain von Stahle so as to underline the impact of Edla's goodness on him.

12. What made the peddler finally change his ways? (All India 2011)
Answer: The peddler was touched by Edla’s kind treatment. She treated him like a Captain in spite of knowing his real identity. This awakened the latent goodness of his heart because he wanted to show Edla he was worthy of the honour she had given him. So he finally changed his ways.

13. Give examples from the story, “The Rattrap” to show how the iron master is different from his daughter. (Delhi 2006)
Answer: The character of Edla Willmansson and that of the iron master are in stark contrast to each other. The ironmaster is impulsive whereas his daughter is cool, logical, kind and thoughtful. Edla and her father had different natures. She had more convincing power than the father and was able to persuade the peddler to accept the invitation. We also find that the ironmaster's hospitability was limited to his old comrade. But, the daughter was pained by the plight of the peddler and continued to treat him well even after the truth about his identity was revealed. Again, after finding about the robbery of the crofter's money, while the ironmaster was more concerned with the possibility of the peddler robbing them as well, the daughter is more pained by the betrayal of her trust.

14. The story ‘The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain. (Delhi 2010)
Answer: The Rattrap deals with the issues of human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Not only the peddler but also other characters like the crofter, the ironmaster and Edla emphasise this fact.
The peddler's conscience had left him because he had been lonely in his predicament, for a long time. But Edla's kindness and hospitality changed him. The crofter, on the other hand, is a lonely fellow whose craving for company leads him to give shelter to a vagabond, and he ends up getting robbed. Even, the ironmaster and his daughter suffer from loneliness. They crave company on Christmas Eve and are excited when they get the opportunity to serve a guest.

 

Article- Sample

 

A THING OF BEAUTY NOTES

 

A THING OF BEAUTY

1. How is a thing of beauty a joy forever? (Delhi 2012)

Why does a thing of beauty never pass into nothingness? (Comptt. Delhi 2012)

Answer: A thing of beauty is a joy forever because it gives us eternal and everlasting happiness and leaves such an impact in our mind that we are able to relive the wonderful feeling we get from it each time we think about it. It never fades into nothingness, in fact its loveliness increases with each passing moment.

2. According to Keats, what spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How is it removed? (All India 2013) [V.Imp]

Answer:  According to Keats, suffering and pain caused by man’s malice and his evil ways spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits. Man lacks noble qualities and his hostile and inhuman nature makes the world gloomy. This can be removed by some shape of beauty that is a source of constant joy.

3. What makes human beings love life inspite of troubles and sufferings? (All India 2010) [V.Imp]

Answer: It is the occasional phases of joy and happiness that make life beautiful and make human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings. Natural beauty in its various forms, like the clear rivers, the gurgling brooks and forest vegetation, motivates us to live life and moves away the pall from our dark spirits.

4. Why and how is grandeur associated with the mighty dead? (Delhi 2011) [V.Imp]

Answer:  Grandeur is associated with the mighty dead because of their grand deeds and achievements. Their achievements make their lives extraordinary. Therefore, the grandeur of the mighty dead is a thing of beauty that is a source of inspiration for other.

5. In the hot season, how do man and beast get comfort? (Delhi 2017)

Answer: Man and beast get comforted in the hot season by walking past the rivers and small streams which are a natural source of water and are considered as the vital potions of life. They relax under a bower and under the shade of trees.

6. What image does Keats use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth? (Delhi 2010)

Answer: Keats uses the image of a perennial fountain that constantly pours forth bounties on the earth in the form of an immortal drink from the heavens into our hearts. The beauty of the sun, the moon, the trees, the daffodils and clear rivers are reflections of the beautiful bounties God has blessed us with.

7. What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’? (All India 2011)

Answer: John Keats was a worshipper of beauty and he saw it as an everlasting source of joy and happiness. Through his poem he conveys that a thing of beauty removes the pall of sadness and sorrow and gives us joy and pleasure. The beauty of a thing goes on increasing and never passes into nothingness.

Deep Water - Notes

 Deep Water

Short Answer Type Questions (2 Marks)

1. Why did William Douglas use the YMCA pool and not the Yakima river to learn swimming? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Answer: Douglas used the YMCA pool and not the Yakima river to learn to swim because the river was treacherous. His mother continually warned him against it and kept the details of each drowning in the river fresh in his mind. On the other hand, the YMCA pool was safe, only two or three feet deep at the shallow end and the slope to the deep end was gradual.

2. How did the incident at the YMCA pool affect Douglas? (All India 2009)
Answer: Douglas, a ten-year-old boy, was standing alone at the YMCA pool when a big bully of a boy picked him up and tossed him into the deep end and at once he was at the bottom of the pool. Though he did manage to come up with extreme difficulty, he could never again go back to the pool. He started fearing and avoiding water. Whenever he went near water a haunting terror would seize him.

3. Why was Douglas keen to overcome his fear of water? (All India 2009)
Answer: Long after his misadventure in the pool, Douglas wanted to get into the waters of the Cascades but the old fear overpowered him. His legs would become paralysed and icy terror would grab his heart. He could not enjoy canoeing, boating and swimming. He tried to get rid of this fear yet it held him in its firm grip. So he decided to get over his fear of water by engaging an instructor.

4. How did Douglas finally get rid of the fear he had of water? (Delhi 2009)
Answer: The terror that seized Douglas because of his misadventure with water twice was so intense that he sought professional help to overcome this fear. He engaged a swimming instructor who gave him intensive training for six months to ensure he overcame his fear of water which he eventually did.

5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror? (All India 2013)
Answer: Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire to test whether he still had any fear of water. After his vigorous swimming practice, he was still not very sure if his terror for water had left him. So he wanted to try out his swimming skills at Lake Wentworth. He dived into the lake and only after swimming across the shore and back did he feel certain his terror of water had fled.

To remove his residual doubts about his fear of water, Douglas went up the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier. He camped in the high meadow by the side of the warm lake. There he dove into the warm lake, and swam across to the other shore and back just as Doug Corpron used to do.

6. What did Douglas learn from his experience at the YMCA pool? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer: His experience of drowning at the YMCA pool had a very deep impact on Douglas. He had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. So his will to live grew in intensity. He learnt slowly to become a swimmer brushing aside his fear gradually.

Long Answer Type Questions

7. “There was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality? (All India 2010)
Answer: As a child of three or four years, Douglas had been knocked down by the waves at California beach. The waves swept over him and he was buried under them. The overpowering force of water terrorised him and he developed an aversion for water.

This aversion to water resurfaced once again when Douglas was eleven years old and further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality. An eighteen years old boy tossed little Douglas into the deep end of the pool. This downward journey into the water for the second time was a nightmarish experience. His legs were almost paralysed, his lungs ached, his head throbbed and he felt suffocated. Keeping his wits intact, he pushed himself up to the surface of the swimming pool but all his efforts proved futile. Stark terror took an even deeper hold on him and he shook and trembled with fright. He could not move his arms and legs. He tried to call for help but nothing happened. Finally, he ceased all his efforts and decided to relax as blackness swept over his brain. Later, when he came to his senses, he was lying on his stomach beside the pool. Now the haunting fear of water gripped his heart and he continued to be mortally scared of water

8. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer? (All India 2011)
Answer: The instructor put in serious efforts to ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas. He understood Douglas’ mortal water-phobia and practised five days a week, an hour each day, with him. He devised a unique way to teach him how to swim. He attached a rope to Douglas’ belt that went through a pulley which ran over an overhead cable. Holding the end of the rope in his hand, he made Douglas move back and forth in the pool without causing him much fear. Douglas was taught how to exhale under water and raise his nose to inhale.

This exercise was repeated numerous times and they went to and fro across the pool week after week. The instructor then taught Douglas to kick with his legs. At first, his legs would not work but finally, he could control and command them. Eventually, he was transformed into quite a perfect swimmer by his instructor.

 

Keeping Quiet- Notes

 Keeping Quiet’- Notes

Poetic Devices

Pun: ‘Arms’ is an instance of pun. In puns, duplicity of sense is created because of the unity of sound. Arm here stands for a body part as well as weaponry.

Anaphora- Repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. (Let’s…/ Let’s)
Personification –“The Earth can teach us”. Earth is given the human attribute of teaching.

Alliteration: we will”, “we would”, “once on”, “we would”, “his hurt hands” clean clothes”, “Sudden Strangeness”

Antithesis – (juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas.) “count to twelve and we will all keep still”, ‘When everything seems dead and later proves to be alive”
Repetition – “without rush, without engines”
Imagery – “Cold Sea”, “Hurt hands”, “walk about with their brothers in the shade”

Enjambment: (continuation of a sentence to the next line/stanza)
Symbolism: Symbolism is abundant in Keeping Quiet.

Fisherman and whale -oppressor and oppressed.

Salt gatherer – humanity/oppressor and oppressed

Clean clothes – peace / change of perspective

Brothers - mankind

Green wars -deforestation

Wars with gas - pollution

Shade – protection

Rhyme Scheme: Just like most of Pablo Neruda’s poems, even Keeping Quiet has no rhyme scheme. The poem has been written in free verse.

1. Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’? (Delhi 2014)
Answer. The poet refers to the moment of stillness and quietness as an exotic moment. It would be an exotic moment, as such a tranquility will initiate peace and brotherhood. There would be no movement, no talk, no activity and consequently, no violence.

2. What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’? (2014, 2011)
Answer. The poet refers to the sadness which surrounds man due to not having any time for himself, the pain of not understanding what he or his fellow human beings want. He has no time for introspection; as a result, he is unable to analyse his own actions and understand its consequences.

3. Which images in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ show that the poet condemns violence? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The images of fishermen not harming the whales in the sea, and wars with no survivors show that the poet condemns violence. The poet wants the warmongers to change their blood-stained clothes to clean ones. The poet’s refusal to have any association or dealing with death also shows that he is not in favour of any form of violence.

4. What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that keeping quiet is not total inactivity? (Foreign2014, 2010)
Answer. The poet uses nature as a symbol to explain his idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. According to him, keeping quiet is not total inactivity. A seed may appear to be dead and inactive, but one day, the same seed may turn into a fruitful tree. The Earth is never in a state of total inactivity. Nature carries on its work even where there is stillness all around.

5. How, according to Neruda, can keeping quiet change our attitude to life? (Compartment 2014)

OR                    How can suspension of activities help? (All India 2012, 2009)
Answer. Keeping quiet and suspending all our activities for a brief moment will give us time to introspect and analyse our own actions. We will develop a new understanding of our surroundings and thus change our attitude to life. We will check our destructive ways and try to be more positive and constructive.

6.What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The poet has written about wars against humanity and nature. Green wars, wars with poisonous gases and wars with fire are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem. Wars do good to no one. Pablo Neruda feels that such wars may bring victory, but there are no survivors. It means that there is heavy loss on both sides.

7. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. No, the poet clearly states that his asking for stillness should not be confused with total inactivity or death. He perceives life to be a continuous process, where man’s activities should not lead to destruction of fellow human beings or nature, but should be channelized in a resourceful way.