A Thing Of Beauty By John Keats Questions Answers | Class 12 notes

A THING OF BEAUTY QUESTIONS ANSWERS

I. Very Short Answer Question:                      Marks: 1

1. Who is the poet of ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
Answer: The poet of the poem “A thing of Beauty” is John Keats.
2. From which work of Keats is the poem ‘A thing of Beauty’ an extract?
Answer: The poem “A thing of Beauty” is an extract from “Endymion: A poetic Romance” by Keats.
3. What is the legend on which the poem ‘A thing of Beauty’ is written?
Answer: The poem “A thing of Beauty” is written on a Greek Legend, involving two character. Endymion and goddess Cynthia.
4. What is seen as ‘A joy forever’?
Answer: A thing of Beauty is a joy forever.
5. What according to Keats never ‘passes into nothingness’?
Answer: The loveliness of a thing of beauty never turn into nothingness according to John Keats.
6. What should we do every morning?
Answer: We should wreath a flowery band to bind us to the earth every morning.
7. What is the ‘green world’ according to Keats.
Answer: By ‘green world’ the poet tries to explain a land full of daffodils.
8. What increases continuously in ‘A thing of Beauty’?
Answer: The loveliness of a ‘A Thing of Beauty’ increases continuously. 

A THING OF BEAUTY QUESTIONS ANSWERS

9. Read the following stanzas carefully and Answer the followings:
a. “A thing of beauty ……... and health, and quiet breathing.”
i. Who is the poet of these lines and what is the title of the poem?
Answer: The poet of the given lines is John Keats and the title of the poem is “A Thing of Beauty”. 
ii. Why is a thing of beauty a joy forever?
Answer: A thing of beauty is a joy forever because its loveliness increases continuously and never turns into nothingness.
iii. What is a bower?
b. “Therefore, on every morrow………… From our dark spirits.”  
[H.S. 2019]
i. What do we do every day?
Answer: We wreath a flowery band to bind us to the earth every day.
ii. What removes the pall from the dark spirits?
Answer: The shape of beauty removes the pall from the dark spirits.
iii. What is the message expressed in these lines?
Answer: 

II. Short Answer Questions:                  Marks: 2 marks each

1. List the things of beauty mentioned in the poem.
Answer: The things of beauty mentioned in the poem. “A Thing of Beauty” are a sleep full of sweet dreams, good health, novel nature, gloomy days, the sun, the moon, the trees, daffodils, etc.

2. List the things that cause suffering and pain.
Answer: The things that cause suffering and pain in the poem. “A thing of Beauty” are despondence, in human dearth, unhealthy and over darkened ways, hot season, dead etc.

3. What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings?
Answer: Human life is full of things of beauty which is a joy forever. The suffering and pain are temporary. Death is certain, but before that human beings enjoy heavenly pleasure. So human beings love life.

4. What image does the poet use to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Answer: The poet of “A thing of Beauty” use as the image of a green world to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth. The poet uses metaphor and simile to magnify the beauty of the earth. The earth is beautiful with the things of beauty and it ensures heavenly pleasure.

 Lesson 6 | Keeping Quiet By Pablo Neruda | Questions Answers | English

Lesson 6: Keeping Quiet

I. Very short type questions.

1. Who is the poet of the “Keeping Quiet”?
Answer: The poet of the “Keeping Quiet” is Pablo Neruda.

2. What does the poet in “Keeping Quiet” ask us to do?
Answer: The poet in “Keeping Quiet” asks us to Keep Quiet up till he counts up to twelve.

3. Why does the poet ask us to keep Quiet?
Answer: The poet asks up to keep quiet because it will help to introspect ourselves and create a mutual understanding amongst us.

4. What is the real name of Pablo Neruda?
Answer: The real name of Pablo Neruda is Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto.

5. What is the ‘exotic moment’ in ‘keeping Quiet’?
Answer: The ‘exotic moment’ will be when the people will be without rush and harshness caused by the engines.

6. How can we all be together in a ‘sudden strangeness’?
Answer: We all be together in a sudden strangeness without rush and without engines when we all will be keeping quiet for a few whiles.

7. What is meant by ‘green wars’?
Answer: By ‘green wars’ the poet wants to denote the activities of people that degrade the environment. The wars with gas or fire leaves no survivors, but only causes great harm to the world.

8. Read the following stanzas carefully and Answer the followings:

a. “Those who prepare ………… in the shade, doing nothing.”  
[H.S. 2013, 2015]

i. What are the different kinds of wars mentioned by the poet in the passage?
Answer: The different kinds of wars mentioned by the poet in the passage are green wars, wars with gas and wars with fire etc. 

ii. What kind of victory do they achieve?
Answer: The people achieve a kind of victory where no survivor is left. 

iii. What should the warmongers do?
Answer: The warmongers should call off the wars and walk about with their brothers in search of peace. 

iv. Find the words in the passage that mean ‘those left alive’ and ‘win’?
Answer: Those left alive – Survivors 
Win – Victory

b. “Now we will count ……... our arms so much.”
i. How long does the poet want to stay still?
Answer: The poet wants to stay still until he counts up to twelve.
ii. Why does he ask us to keep still and not use any language?
Answer: 
iii. What does the poet mean by ‘not move our arms so much’?

c. “Perhaps the Earth can ………. Keep quiet and I will go”.        [H.S. 2018]

i. What can the Earth teach us?
Answer: The Earth can teach us how a dead like object can later prove to be alive. The Earth maintains a deep silence in the night as if it is a dead object, but later in the morning life begins with new spirit. 

ii. Why does the poet count up to twelve?
Answer: The poet counts up to twelve so that the people can keep quiet for a while and get an opportunity for self-introspection. 

iii. What will ‘keeping quiet’ help us achieve?
Answer: Keeping quiet for a little while will help to ensure peace everywhere. People will stop hurting themselves and the nature.


II. Short type Answers.

1. Why does the poet Neruda wish to count to twelve?
Answer: The poet urges the people to keep quiet up till he counts to twelve. Keeping Quiet for a while would bring a halt to all human activities in the world. The earth would experience peace at large and get an opportunity to introspect the human activities.

2. What is the significance of the phrase ‘the face of the earth’ in Neruda's poem.
Answer: ‘The face of the earth’ signifies lives and the activities going on in the world. The world is so lively and drastically busy that people have no time to look back. But Keeping quite would help the world to bring a new momentum to this world.

3. What is considered to be ‘an exotic moment’ in the poem?              [H.S. 2018]
Answer: The people on the earth are so busy that their activities create terrific nuisance. When the people will Keep quiet that will be an ‘exotic moment’ without rush and harshness caused by the engines.

4. ‘Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales’ What is meant by the above line by Neruda?

Answer: Human beings are involved in various selfish activities which hurt the world and its environment. But actually, those activities have many negative effects which ultimately hurt the human beings. So, people should give a few seconds to then selves to introspect those activities.

5. ‘……. and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands.’ What, is meant by gathering salt in the above lines? How are his hands hurt?
Answer: In the question mentioned line “gathering salts” means such human activities which are carried on by human beings to earn their bread and butter.

In the process of carrying out all selfish human activities, the human beings have caused great damage to the world and its environment.

6. What is the meaning of “wars with gas”?
Answer: The people of the world are busy hurting it and its environment. Their harmful activities produce catastrophic gases which are responsible for environmental degradation.

7. What do you mean by “wars with fire”?
Answer: By “wars with fire” it is meant the human wars with arms and ammunitions. These wars create great destructions to the mankind and the world and its environment.

8. Who are the brothers mentioned in the poem?
Answer: In the poem “Keeping Quiet” the phrase ‘brothers’ indicates the whole mankind at large. The people in this world are not more than brothers as the greater humanity bind us into human beings.

9. What is the likely confusion regarding Neruda’s desire?
Answer: In the poem “Keeping Quiet”, Neruda appeals us to keep quiet. But having said that, he never wants us to confuse with total inactivity or death.

10. What is the meaning of ‘want no truck with death’? About what are we so single minded? 
Answer: By ‘want no truck with death’ the poet means that he has only asked to keep quiet for a little while, but not to relate that silence with total inactivity or death. 
We are very much single minded about keeping our lives moving by any means.

11. What is this sadness that Neruda talks of?
Answer: The sadness that Neruda talks of is that the people never try to understand themselves and threaten them with death.

12. What can ‘finally teach us’ as note in Neruda’s poem?
Answer: In Neruda’s poem the poet appeals us to keep quiet. But the readers confuse the silence with death. The earth can teach us how the people can keep silence and later prove to be active. The earth becomes silent at night but later in the day time becomes active. 

III. Long Answer Type Questions:

1. What will “counting up to twelve” and “keeping quiet” help to achieve?

Answer: The people in this world are selfish. They carry out activities which fulfill their self-interest. But the selfish activities are hurting the nature a lot. There is degradation of humanity everywhere. So, the poet appeals everyone to keep quiet and give themselves a few minutes for self-introspection. Keeping quiet for a little while will help to ensure peace everywhere. People will stop hurting themselves and the nature. It will also help to develop a sense of mutual understanding and a feeling of brotherly hood amongst the people.

2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?
Answer: For the sake of greater humanity, the poet of “Keeping Quiet” has asked everyone to keep quiet and give themselves a chance of self-introspection. But the reader must not confuse the silence with total inactivity and death. The people must keep silence and bring their works to a halt so as to stop all harmful activities. They must wait for a while for reviewing their activities.
The earth can teach them how the people can keep silence and later prove to be active. The earth becomes silent at night but later in the day time becomes active. 

AHSEC | My Mother At Sixty Six Questions Answers | NCERT | English

My Mother at sixty-six

I. Very Short Answer Questions: (1 mark each)

1. Who is the poet of the poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Answer: Kamala Das is the poet of the poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’.
2. Read the following stanzas carefully and Answer the followings:

a. “But soon put the thought that away ……. Merry children spilling out of their homes.” [H.S. 2014]

i. Who looked out at the young trees?
Answer: In the question mentioned lines the poet Kamala Das looked out at the young trees.

ii. Which thought did the speaker put away?
Answer: The speaker of the poem put away the paled thought of losing her aged mother.

iii. What do the young trees signify?
Answer: The young sprinting trees signify the new age coming and passing it with the going time.

iv. What did the poet see the children doing?
Answer: The poet saw the children coming out of their homes to have enjoyment of their lives. 

b. “But after the airport’s security………… and smile and smile...”  
[H.S.2015]

i. What did the speaker do after the security check?
Answer: The speaker stands a few yards away from her mother and bade farewell to her mother. 

ii. Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?
Answer: The poet compared her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon because her mother’s face paled with her old age like the late winter’s moon.

iii. What was the poet’s childhood fear?
OR
What was the childhood fear that now troubled the poet?

Answer: The childhood fear of the author was that she would lose the safest company of her mother. 

iv. What does the poet’s parting word suggest?
Answer: The poet was very sure that she would lose her mother any moment after her departure, yet she had a wish that she would be able to see her mother once again. So, she left her mother with a hope that she would be still alive when she would come back.

v. Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer: The poet had a childhood fear of losing her mother but she did not allow her feelings to be an expression of her face and so she smiled to cover her inner sense of fear. 

c. “Driving from my parent’s home……...that of a corpse….”     [H.S. 2019]
i. Where is the poet Kamala Das driving to?
Answer: The poet Kamala Das is driving to the airport to fly to Cochin. 

ii. What does the poet Kamala Das notice when her mother sits beside her?
Answer: The poet Kamala Das notices the pale and ashen like face of her aged mother when her mother sits beside her. 

iii. Find words from the passage that mean ‘sleep lightly’ and ‘dead body’?
Answer: The word ‘doze’ means ‘sleep lightly’ and ‘corpse’ means ‘dead body’.

iv. Why is her mother’s face like that of a corpse?
Answer: The mother of the author is a sixty-six years old lady who is now paled because of her old age. So, her mother’s face is like that of a corpse. 

3. What do the words, ‘ashen’, ‘open mouthed’ and ‘corpse’ signify?
Answer: The words, ‘ashen’, ‘open mouthed’ and ‘corpse’ signify the aged and pale old mother of the poet. 

II. Short Answer questions: (2 marks each) 

1. Where is the poet going and who is with her?
Answer: The poet is going to the airport to fly to Cochin and she was accompanied by her aged mother. 

2. Which thought does the speaker put away? 
Answer: The author was accompanied by her aged mother. Looking at her paled and wan mother she developed an inner ache of losing her. But she puts away that thought for the time being.

3. What do the young sprinting trees signify?
Answer: - The young sprinting trees signify the new age coming and passing it with the going time. But the age of a person never stops even for a single moment and it keeps on sprinting until the person loses his charm and glittering with his old age. 

4. Why does the poet compare her mother’s face to ‘a late winter’s moon? [H.S.’12,’14]
Answer: ‘A late winter’s moon is pale and absent of brightness and is covered by dark shades. The old mother of the author has also lost all her charm and dignified glittering with her growing age. So, the poet compares her mother with a late winter’s moon.

5. What is the poet’s childhood fear?
Answer: The poet’s childhood fear is that she would have to depart her mother’s company. And the fear of losing her mother de froze her sentiments from the core. So, she again gradually started thinking she would have to say good bye to her mother. 

6. What are the ‘merry children spilling out of their homes’ symbolic of? OR Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’? [H.S.’13,’16]
Answer: The ‘merry children spilling out of their homes’ signify the happy young age that have been bestowed upon the young children by their young and tender age. The young age is full of tenderness, it is uncomplicated and joy comes at this age much naturally and unfolded. 

7. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels? [H.S.’14]
Answer: The journey of the author to the airport with her mother reveals the lost charm and glittering of her mother. The author realizes that the mother reaches the final stage of her life and she might lose her mother any moment. So, the thought of losing her aged mother brings pain and ache to the mind of the author. 

8. Explain the statement, ‘I saw my mother…. Her face ashen like that of a corpse’. [H.S.’14]

Answer: The journey of the author to the airport with her mother reveals the lost charm and glittering of her mother. The author realizes that the mother reaches the final stage of her life and she might lose her mother any moment. When mother was sleeping open mouthed in the car, her face was like a corpse.

9. Why does her childhood fear surface at this stage? 
Answer: At her childhood the author feared of losing her mother’s company.Presently the author’s mother became an old lady who lost all her charm. So, the fear of losing her mother strikes again in her mind as she departs the airport. 

10. What does the speaker do after check? What does she notice?
Answer:  The poet was driving to the airport to fly away to Cochin leaving her old mother behind. The poet passes through the security check of the airport. She then stands a few yards away and looks at her pale mother. 

She develops a fear of losing her but waves her hands saying that she would soon meet her again. She notices that the face of her mother appears like a late winter’s moon. Her childhood fear of losing her mother strikes her mind once again.

11. How does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify her aging condition?
Answer: The poet’s mother has become an aged lady as she is at her sixty-six. Her face has become ashen like that of a corpse. Her face is wan and paled with the growing age. 

The poet compares her mother to that of a corpse. The pale face of the mother was as pale as a light winter’s moon. 

AHSEC | Lesson 4 | Going Places by A.R. Barton Questions Answers

LESSON 4 | GOING PLACES | AHSEC | CLASS 12

I. Very Short Answer Question : ( 1 mark each)

1. Who is the writer of ‘Going Places’?                        [HS’14]
Answer: The writer of ‘Going Places’ is A.R.Barton.

2. Who are the two friends in the story, ‘Going Places’?
Answer: The friends in the story “Going Places” are Sophie and Jansie.

3. What does Sophie want to have when she grows up?             [HS’ 12]
Answer: Sophie wants to have a boutique when she grows up.

4. Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school?                                                                   
[HS’ 15]
Answer: It was most likely that the two girls Sophie and Jansie would find work in a biscuit factory.

5. Who is Derek?
Answer: Derek is Sophie’s younger brother.

6. Who is Geoff?
Answer: Geoff is Sophie’s elder brother.

7. Who is Danny Casey?
Answer: Denny Casey is a young Irish football Player.

8. Which country does Danny Casey play for?                           [HS’ 18]
Answer: Denny Casey plays for Ireland.

9. For whom does Sophie ask Danny Casey an autograph?           [HS’ 16]
Answer: Sophie asks Denny Casey for an autograph for her little brother Derek.

10. Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey?
Answer: No, Sophie did not really meet Denny Casey but she dreamt it to be.

11. Which is the only occasion that Sophie gets to see Casey in person?
Answer: The only occasion that Sophie gets to see Casey in person was when her family went to see a football match of United on a Saturday.

12. How was Geoff employed?                                           [HS’ 16]
Answer: Geoff was employed as a motor mechanic.

II. Short type questions: Marks:2/3

1. What theme does the story,’Going Places’ explore?
Answer: The story, ‘Going Place’ explores the theme of adolescent fantasizing and hero worship.

2. What are the other options that Sophie dreams of besides owning a boutique?
Answer: Sophie dreamt of owning a boutique. To support her dream, she would either become a manager or an actress and would gather money to open the boutique.

3. What job is Geoff engaged in? Does he entertain wild and impractical dreams like his sister?
Answer: Geoff is engaged in the work of a motor mechanic.
No, Geoff does not entertain wild and impractical dreams like her sister as he is grown up now.

4. What is incongruous about the ‘delicate bow which fastened the apron strings of Sophie’s mother?
Answer: Sophie’s mother was a busy house wife. Her mother was wearing an apron and its strings were fastened with a delicate bow. This signifies the miserable condition of their family.

5. What kind of a person is Geoff?
Answer: Geoff is a grown-up person who works as a motor mechanic. He is more intact with the world of reality than Sophie. He is very quiet. Sophie is jealous of his silence.

6. Why is Sophie ‘jealous of Geoff’s silence’?
Answer: Sophie always thinks that Geoff has visited such place where Sophie has never been she wants to know those things from Geoff. So, she is jealous of Geoff’s silence.

7. Why does Sophie choose her brother Geoff to tell about her meeting with Danny Casey in the arcade?
Answer: Sophie believes Geoff to be her quiet listener. She feels homelier and more comfortable with Geoff. She considers her secrets safe with Geoff. So, Sophie chooses her brother Geoff to tell about her meeting with Casey.

8. How does Danny Casey look like?
Answer: Danny Casey is a young Irish football player. He is a short man and has green eyes. Sophie describes his eyes as gentle eyes. 

9. Why does not her father believe Sophie?
Answer: Sophie’s father knows her Utopian dreams. So, when Geoff said that Sophie had met Danny Casey, he disapproves saying it one of her wild stories.

10. Why doesn’t Sophie want Jansie to know about her supposed weeding with Casey?

Answer: Jansie was very much open heart and she would fell everything without keeping a secret Sophie had a fear that if she feels the meeting with Danny Casey, Jansie would make a rumour and tell everyone in the neighbourhood. Moreover she wanted to keep the meeting with her beloved Danny Casey a secret.

III. Long Answer Questions: 5 marks each

1. What do you learn about the socio-economic status of Sophie’s family?
Answer: Sophie was a day dreaming girl. She had big dreams. But very unfortunately, she belonged to a middle-class family. Their family worked in a biscuit factory. She was also supposed to join the family profession after she completes her school. Her brother Geoff was an apprentice mechanic. Her mother was a hard-working housewife and she used to do everything to support her family. The economic condition of Sophie’s family was moderate.

2. What opinion do you form of Sophie’s father?
Answer: Sophie’s father was a hard working labour in a biscuit factory. He used to enjoy a restful evening by having shepherd's pie. He was very practical. He never believed in the wild stories of Sophie. He however, supported his family every way. He was a die heart fan of footballer Danny Casey. This shows his sporty nature. He was strict yet loving father.

LESSON: INDIGO BY LOUIS FISCHER

LESSON- INDIGO BY LOUIS FISCHER

I. Very Short type question:(1 mark each)

1. Who is Sir Edward Gait?
Answer: Sir Edward Gait was the Lieutenant Governor of Champaran, Bihar. 

2. Who was Rajkumar Shukla?
Answer: Rajkumar Shukla was a poor indigo sharecropper from the district of Champaran, Bihar. 

3. Whom did Gandhi and Shukla propose to meet at Patna?
Answer: Gandhi and Shukla proposed to meet Rajendra Prasad at Patna. 

4. Why was Gandhi visiting Lucknow in 1916?
Answer: In 1916, the Annual convention of Indian National Congress party was held in Lucknow. So, Gandhi visited Lucknow. 

5. Where is Champaran situated?
Answer: Champaran is a district of Bihar, sitting at the foothills of the Himalayas, near the kingdom of Nepal. 

6. What did Shukla want Gandhi to be?
Answer: Shukla wanted Gandhi to come to Champaran and fight for the Sharecroppers to get their compensation.

7. What was Gandhi’s politics intertwined with?
Answer: Gandhi’s politics was interwind with social and economic issues. 

8. Who is the author of the lesson, ‘Indigo’?
Answer: The author of the lesson, ‘Indigo’ is Louis Fischer. 

9. Which book by Louis Fischer has been reviewed as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi by Times Educational Supplement?
Answer: ‘The Life of Mahatma Gandhi’ by Louis Fischer has been reviewed as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi by Times Educational Supplement.

10. When did Gandhi decide ‘to urge the departure of the British?
Answer: The Champaran episode was the turning point in Gandhi’s life. Gandhi won the battle against the British by applying the tools of non-violence and civil disobedience. So, after that episode in 1917, Gandhi urged that the British must quit India. 

11. Where was Rajkumar Shukla from?
Answer: Rajkumar Shukla was a poor indigo sharecropper from the district of Champaran, Bihar.

12. Where did Gandhi and Shukla board a train to?
Answer: Gandhi and Shukla boarded a train from Calcutta to Patna. 

13. Where did Gandhi decide to go first from Patna?
Answer: Gandhi decided to go to Muzzafarpur from Patna, which was en route to Champaran. 

14. Which country had developed synthetic indigo?
Answer: Germany had developed synthetic indigo. 

15. What was the capital of Champaran?
Answer: Motihari was the capital of Champaran. 

16. What happened when Gandhi refused to furnish bail at the Muzzafarpur Court?
Answer: When Gandhi refused to furnish bail at the Muzzarfarpur, the judge released him without bail because the public was heavily packed outside the Court. 

II. Short type question:(2marks each)

1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life? OR     
Why was the Champaran episode so significant in Gandhi’s life?
Answer: Civil disobedience won for the first time. He had interviewed with Lieutenant Governor and managed to have a settlement at 25% compensation. So, his formula of satyagraha was tested successfully for the first time in the Champaran episode. Gandhi became confident and so he commented that the Champaran was a turning point of his life.

2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Answer: Mr. Gandhi met the lawyers of Champaran to get the details of the situation. When he came to know about their big fees, he scolded the lawyers. He proposed them that they should stop going to law courts. When Gandhi went to Motihari, many lawyers accompanied him. Several lawyers like Rajendra Prasad, Brij Babu etc. drew plan what to do if Gandhi had to go to jail. They were even ready to follow Gandhi into jail.

3. What was the attitude of the average Indians in smaller localities towards advocates of home rule?
Answer: The average Indians were not free from the fear of social oppressions. Gandhi believed that mere political or economic freedom is not enough unless the poor people become free from cultural and social backwardness. In Champaran Gandhi tried to facilitate the poor people with education, sanitation facilities and health facilities etc. 
He even refused to appoint Andrew as the next leader of Champaran because he believed in developing self-leadership skill among the Indians. 

4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer: The freedom movement of India was not a battle won by the big leaders alone. Rather it was a fight of the common people altogether. In the Champaran episode it can be seen that the struggle of Gandhi was only successful because of the mass cooperation. When Gandhi did contempt of court, large population gathered outside the court. Gandhi easily got liberty to live only because of the strength of the mass. The people offered their support at every level of the movement.

AHSEC | Lesson 2 | The Lost Spring Notes | Questions Answers | English Class 12

THE LOST SPRING

I. Very Short Answer Questions: (1 Mark)

1. Who is the author of ‘Lost Spring’?
Answer: The author of ‘Lost Spring’ is Anees Jung.
2. What is ‘Lost Spring” about?
Answer: ‘Lost Spring’ is about the stories of childhood of miser children stolen by vicious circle of poverty and tradition.
3. What is the original book from which the prose piece ‘Lost Spring’ is an excerpt?
Answer: The prose piece ‘Lost Spring’ is an excerpt from Anees Jung’s book titled “Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood”.
4. Who is Saheb?
Answer: Saheb is one of the hundreds of rag pickers who wander about the streets of Delhi in search of gold in the dumps.
5. Whom does the author encounter every day in the street?
Answer: The author encounters Saheb, a rag picker from Seemapuri every day in the street.
6. What does Saheb do every day?
Answer: Saheb scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps of Delhi every morning.
7. Where is the original home of Saheb?
Answer: The original home of Saheb is in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 
8. Why have Saheb and his family migrated to Seemapuri?
Answer: Saheb and his family have migrated to Seemapuri from Dhaka for a better life condition and to live without the scarcity of food.
9. What dose Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?
Answer: Saheb scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps of Delhi every morning.
10. What is Saheb’s full name? 
Answer: Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam.
11. What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name?
Answer: The meaning of Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alami. e. the lord of Universe.
12. Whom did Saheb observe standing at the fenced gate of the neighborhood club?
Answer: Saheb observed standing at the fenced gate of the neighborhood club, two young men dressed in white, playing tennis.
13. What was Saheb wearing when he was at the gate of the club?
Answer: Saheb was wearing a pair of tennis shoe with a hole in one of them, when he was at the gate of the club.
14. Where is Seemapuri?
Answer: Seemapuri is in the outskirt of Delhi, only a few miles away from the city.
15. Who is Mukesh?
Answer: Mukesh is a small boy from the bangle city of Firozabad who dreams to become a motor mechanic. 
16. Where does Mukesh live?
Answer: Mukesh lives in the bangle city of Firozabad. 
17. What is Mukesh’s dream?
Answer: Mukesh dreams to become a motor mechanic and he also dreams to drive a car.
18. Who is Savita?
Answer: Savita is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother.
19. Why is Mukesh proud to take the author to his home?
Answer: Mukesh is proud to take the author to his house because his house is rebuilt unlike others in his entire colony.
20. Who is in charge of Mukesh’s households?
Answer: Savita, Mukesh’s elder brother’s wife is in charge of the Mukesh’s households. 

II. Short Answer Questions: (2 Mark)

1. What is Saheb’s explanation as to why he scrounged for gold in the heaps of garbage dumps?
Answer: The garbage dumps used to be hidden wonders i.e. wrapped gifts every morning for the boys like Saheb. He might find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. The hope for finding more every morning used to give new thrill of excitement to Saheb.
2. What is the author’s reply to Saheb’s explanation?
Answer: The author advised Saheb to attend a school instead of searching for gold in the garbage. But the advice sounded hollow because there was no school in the neighborhood of Saheb. 
3. Why does the advice sound hollow?
Answer: The advice of the author sounded hollow because there was no school in the neighborhood of Saheb. The author made a promise to build a school half-jokingly, but she could not fulfill the promise. 
4. What is the irony inherent in Saheb’s full name?
Answer: The full name of Saheb was Saheb-e-Alam which me Answer Lord of the universe. But the irony in his name was that the lord of the universe used to scrounge for gold in the garbage of the city. 
5. Why isn’t Saheb wearing ‘chappals’?
Answer: The genuine reason behind Saheb not wearing chappals was the lack of money to buy a pair of chappals. But an excuse goes as it was not lack of money but it was a tradition to stay barefoot.
6. Why is the probable reason behind such an explanation?
Answer: The reason behind not wearing chappals was that it was a tradition to stay barefoot. But such an explanation was just an excuse given to hide the grip of poverty.
7. Where does Saheb work after giving up rag picking?
Answer: After giving up rag picking, Saheb got into a tea stall down the road, where he used to get Rupees Eight Hundred a month and all his meals. 
8. How did Saheb get the shoes he is wearing?
Answer: Saheb was wearing an old pair of tennis shoe, which were actually some discarded shoes of some rich sons who might have discarded those shoes because they had a hole.
9. Does Saheb like his job? Why or why not?
Answer: No, Saheb does not like his new job. 
Even though he was getting a good pay and all his meal, he was not content in his job because he remained no more his own master. 
10. What is the change seen now in the temple and the town of
Udipi?
Answer: The temple in the Udipi met tremendous changes. Many a years ago the son of a priest used to pray for a pair of shoes. But now the son of the new priest used to have shoes, used to study in good schools.
11. Why is most rag picking children barefoot?
Answer: The most rag picking children were barefoot because they did not have enough money to buy chappals. So they used to do with the excuse that being barefoot was a tradition.
12. What did the man from Udipi pray for at the temple as a young boy?
Answer: The man from Udipi prayed for a pair of new shoes at the temple as a young boy.
13. Who are the inmates of Seemapuri?
Answer: The inmates of Seemapuri are the illegal migrants from Dhaka of Bangladesh who came from Bangladesh back in 1971.
14. Why don’t children like Saheb ever give up hope?
Answer: The children like Saheb never give up hope because their lives were empty and they had nothing to lose. So every day they wake up with new dreams, their lives had more of hopes than anything else.
15. “Garbage to them is gold.” Why does the author say so about the ragpickers?
Answer: Garbage dumps used to be the source of livelihood for the elders of Seemapuri. Whereas it used to keep hidden wonders i.e. wrapped gifts every morning for the boys like Saheb. He might find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. The hope for finding more every morning used to give new thrill of excitement to Saheb.
16. How does one survive in Seemapuri?
Answer: The lives of Seemapuri are painful, and full of struggle. The only meAnswer of survival in Seemapuri was rag picking. In fact, the place was a dwelling place for 10,000 rag pickers, who live miserably in structures of mud with roofs in tin and tarpaulin.
17. What are the two different worlds in Firozabad?
Answer: There are two distinct and diverged worlds in Firozabad. In one world, the people like Mukesh’s family and others live in the continuing bondage of poverty. And the other world is composed of Sahukars and middlemen who spread the trap of bondage of poverty. 
18. Why is Mukesh’s dream a mirage?
Answer: The people of Firozabad are trapped in the bondage of poverty. To earn their bread, they work in glass factories. They are put into the trap by the Sahukars and the middlemen. So the years of mind numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream. So Mukesh’s dream is a mirage. 
19. What is the significance of bangles in an Indian -society?
Answer: The bangles hold a sacred position in Indian society. The bangles are treated special for married women. The bangles symbolize an Indian woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. 
20. Why doesn’t Mukesh ever dream of flying a plane?
Answer: One can dream of what he or she is surrounded by. Mukesh developed a dream to become a motor mechanic by looking at the cars moving through the streets of Firozabad. But only a few aero planes fly through the sky of Firozabad. 
21. What kinds of bangles are made in Firozabad?
Answer: In Firozabad, glass bangles are made which are of different colors. Multicolor spiral bangles of sunny gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple and others are crafted in Firozabad. 
22. Why does Mukesh’s grandmother believe that a ‘god-given lineage’ can never be broken?
Answer: The art of making bangles is an ancestral craft for the people of Firozabad. So they believe it’s a god given lineage and they do not want to break the custom. The skill of making bangles helps to earn bread for them. So Mukesh’s grandmother believes that the god given lineage cannot be broken. 
23. Why do the children in Firozabad often lose their eyesight even before they become adults?
Answer: The children in Firozabad often lose their eyesight even before they become adults because they work in bangle factories from a very tender age. The working environment of the bangle factories is drastic, unhygienic and they have to work in the low light areas sitting before hot furnaces. 

III. Long Answer Questions: (5 Mark)

1. Describe the miserable plight of the people of Firozabad.
Answer: Firozabad, the bangle city of India is famous for the glass industry. But the glory of the glass industry hides the misery of the people who has been serving for generation to glorify the industry. The people of Firozabad are trapped in the vicious circle of poverty laid down by the Sahukars and Mahajans. 
The families put their children into the factories to earn the livelihood. They have to work in hot furnaces bending the bangles which causes to lose their eye sights and their childhood altogether. In spite of their hard work, they lead miserable lives. 
In spite of the sufferings, they never try to get organized and bring some revolutionary change. Because the mighty people will never allow that to happen. They will be beaten up and locked up in jail. So, they are in an endless circular trap of oppression laid down by the Sahukars and Mahajans. 

THE LAST LESSON NOTES BY ALPHONSE DAUDET | AHSEC WITH PREVIOUS QUESTION PAPER SOLUTIONS

THE LAST LESSON NOTES | AHSEC | ENGLISH | CLASS 12

In this Post you will get all the important and common questions and answers of The Last Lesson By Alphonse Daudet with previous year question paper solutions, Read More to get all the Materials

THE LAST LESSON NOTES BY ALPHONSE DAUDET

I. Very Short Answer: 

a. What did M. Hamel do when he wanted to go for fishing? [H.S. 2013 AHSEC English Question Paper]
Answer: M. Hamel just used to declare a holiday when he wanted to go for fishing.

b. What did M Hamel write at the end of the class? [H.S. 2015 AHSEC English Question Paper]
Answer: M. Hamel wrote “Vive  La France” at the end of the class.

c. What did M. Hamel say that he would ask his student that morning?
Answer: M. Hamel said that he would ask the students a lesson about participle. 

d. What did Franz think for a moment? [H.S.2016 English AHSEC Question Paper]
Answer: Franz thought he would run away from his class that day and would spend the out of doors. 

e. What is the name of the blacksmith in “The Last Lesson”?
Answer: The name of the blacksmith in “The Last Lesson” is Wachter. 

f. What did Franz find so unusual at school that morning?
Answer: That day the school was very silent like a Sunday morning, the villagers occupied the last benches of the school. Moreover M. Hamel was wearing his unusual clothes. 

g. What is the river mentioned in “The Last Lesson”?
Answer: The River mentioned in “The Last Lesson” is Saar. 

h. How long did M. Hamel teach in his school? 
Answer: M Hamel taught for forty years in his school. 

i. What did M. Hamel tell the students, mounting his chairs? 
Answer:  M. Hamel told his students, mounting his chairs that he was offering his last lesson that day as there was order from Berlin to teach German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. 

j. What is the ‘great trouble with Alsace’?
Answer: The ‘great trouble with Alsace’ is that she puts her learning till the next day.

k. What did M. Hamel want to give his students before going away?
Answer: M. Hamel wanted to give every lesson he knew to his students before going away.

l. Why the lesson was called “The Last Lesson”? [H.S.2014 English AHSEC Question Paper]

Answer:  The lesson was called “The Last Lesson” because the Berlin had ordered to teach German in the schools of Alsace and there would be no class on French. 

The Last Lesson Notes Class 12 | English | Short Answers Questions

II. Short Answer Questions (2 Marks/3 Marks)

a. What news has been displayed on the bulletin board for the last two years in “The Last Lesson”? 
Answer: In “The Last Lesson”, the bulletin board has been displaying all the bad news for Alsace. The news about lost battles, the draft, the order of the commanding officer etc. are displayed in the bulletin board. 

b. Why did Wachter, the blacksmith, tell Franz not to hurry? 
Answer: Wachter, blacksmith, tell Franz not to hurry because there had been news on discontinuation of French in the schools of Alsace and that day was the last lesson. So, Franz would reach school in plenty of time. 

c. What was the commotion that Franz anticipated in the class room? [H.S.2013 English AHSEC Questions Paper]
Answer: Franz anticipated that the school would be full of noise just like any other school day, which could be heard from the street. There would be sound of the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table.

d. Why was Franz surprised to see M. Hamel on that particular morning when he went in late? 
Answer: In spite Franz was late on that day he was not scolded by M. Hamel. More surprisingly he was wearing his unusual clothes and his voice was very soft and tender. 

e. What would Franz love to do on that sunny morning instead of going to school?
Answer: On that sunny morning Franz would love to spend his day out of doors instead of going to school. He would like to seek for birds’ egg, sliding in the Saar and would love to run at the edge of the open field. 

f. Why did M. Hamel not blame Franz alone for his inability to learn?
Answer: M. Hamel did not blame Franz alone for his inability to learn because it was a composite fault of everyone. The parents were more interested in sending their kids to a mill for earning money. M. Hamel would also declare a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing. In fact, the Alsace was in a habit of putting things for tomorrow. 

g. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day? [H.S.2015 English AHSEC Questions Paper]
Answer: Franz was expected to be prepared with a lesson of grammar on participle for school that day. M. Hamel was to ask questions to Franz on that given topic.

h. What did M. Hamel say about the French language? (Or What are the views of M. Hamel on the French Language?) [H.S.2013, 2015 English AHSEC Questions Paper]
Answer: M. Hamel was very particular about the French language as it was his mother tongue. He commented that French language is the most beautiful language in the world. The clarity, logical structure of the French language is addition on to its beauty. He urged the French upon safeguarding the uniqueness of the language. 

i. ‘Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?’ What does this sentence suggest?
Answer: When the French were forced to learn German, little Franz then thought if the pigeons would also be taught to sing in German. This shows a sense of contempt to the new provision in the mind of little Franz. This also shows his love to his own language and how he was discontent to discontinue his own language. 

j. How did Franz’s feeling about M. Hamel and the school change?
Answer: In his last class, M. Hamel delivered his last lesson showing love to the school, to the students and to every villager and most importantly to the French language. In respect of M. Hamel’s devoted work and his own love to his mother tongue French, Franz grew respect to the teacher and the school. 

THE LAST LESSON | AHSEC | ENGLISH | QUESTIONS ANSWERS

III. Long Answers: (5 Marks each… Word limit 80 – 100)

a. Describe the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson. [H.S.2013 English AHSEC Questions paper]
Answer: The day of the last lesson was unexpectedly unusual for Franz. The school was silent as it was on a Sunday morning. When he entered his classroom late, he did not get a scolding from M. Hamel, rather he was asked to sit in a mild voice. M. Hamel was wearing his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, that he wore only on inspection and prize days.
The back benches were occupied by the villagers including old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster, all with a sad face. Hauser even brought an old primer which he held open on his knees. Actually, it was all because that was the last lesson in French.

b. What was the order from Berlin? How did the order affect the people of Alsace, particularly M. Hamel and his students? [H.S.2012 English AHSEC Question Paper]
Answer: Berlin had ordered that in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine German would be taught in lieu of French. The new master would be joining the schools from the next day onwards. 
The order was an attempt to suppress the French people and so the people started growing sorrow and anger in their minds. The order brought a sad moment for the school as well as for the villagers as they had to depart M. Hamel. M. Hamel was overwhelmed with a sense of sadness on the last day and he grew patriotism, and so were the students. The students understood their love for their mother tongue and repented of not learning it whole heartedly. But the time was over and the school was too, with no scope for them to learn their own language any further. 

c. How did the people of Alsace pay their regards to M. Hamel on his last day at school? 

Answer: M. Hamel served for forty years in a school in Alsace with great wisdom and devotion to work. So, the people of Alsace paid back his due respect on the last day of school. The villagers including old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster, all with a sad face, occupied the back benches of the school which usually remained empty. 

THE LAST LESSON LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS | AHSEC | CLASS 11 | HS 2ND YEAR

IV. Very Long Answer Questions: (7 Marks Each)

a. Describe M. Hamel’s last day at school.
Answer: In the districts of Alsace and Lorraine, German was to be taught in lieu of French. Because of which M. Hamel had to depart from the school in which he had served for forty years. In his long service period he grew emotional attachment with everything that belonged to the school. So, the last day was a nightmare for him. To live the last moment to the fullest, he wore his exceptional dress. He treated his students with mildness and wanted to pour out everything he knew. 
He appraised the beauty the French language and urged the students to hold the grip of the mother tongue and he taught everything he knew about the language. When the church clock struck twelve, he was seized by extreme sorrow and he could not speak out anything. He wrote “Vive La France” and then leaned his head against wall and waved his hand to dismiss the class.

b. Give a detailed account of the scene in the classroom on the day of the last lesson.
Answer: On the day of the last lesson the school was silent as it was on a Sunday morning as an order from Berlin had swept away the happy days from the people of Alsace and Lorraine. Berlin had ordered that in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine German would be taught in lieu of French. M. Hamel was silent and sad on that day as he had to depart from his own school which he built with utmost emotional attachment.
 To pay their tribute the villagers occupied the last benches of the classroom. M. Hamel was wearing his fine dress and a silky hat. Hauser read out a primer to bestow respect upon the M. Hamel. M. Hamel wanted to teach everything he knew. He made introspection and criticized everyone for not learning their mother tongue. When the clock struck twelve, M. Hamel asked everyone to leave by waiving his hand and wrote on the board, “Vive La France”.