"Balled of mystery memory" poem questions and answers
Answers
A. Answer these questions. Which line/lines in the poem refer to the following countries?
1.China : Along that old Silk Road
2.Scandinavia: I was a Viking’s mate
Who sailed Icelandic seas . 3. America: And when I walk the Trail of Tears; In southern Bible belt. B. Answer the following questions. 1. What is the poet sure of having done along the Silk Route?
Ans. The poet is sure that she journeyed on a camel’s back along the old Silk
Route. 2. When does the poet see the distance scenes of the past?
Ans. She sees the distant scenes of the past in her dreams at night. 3. What did she do as a Viking’s mate?
Ans. She feels that she accompanied a Viking on voyages of discovery of new
places across Icelandic seas. 4. Why does she feel that she must have lived a gypsy’s life?
Ans. The poet feels sure that s he must have been a gypsy because she is
moved by their music every time she hears it. She also loves camping in
the open air just as gypsies do. Reference to context
Answer the following with reference to the context. 1. I’m sure I rode a camel’s back
Along That old Silk Road
The scent of sand stirs memory
Of time those yars ago
a. What is the Silk Road referred to in the extract?
Ans. It refers to a historically importan trade route stretching from China to the
Mediterranean from the second century BC until the 14th century AD. b. What is the next scene that the poet sees in his dreams?
Ans. The next scene is that of him travelling across Icelandic seas with a Viking mate .c. How does the poet give us an idea of the fact that these dreams occur on
their own, without any cause?
Ans. He expresses this through the line: ‘That’s triggered without cause’. 2. And when I walk the Trail of tears
I sense I’ve been there too
I hear their chants within my head
And feel what they went through
a. What does the Trail of Tears refer to?
Ans. It refers to the displacement of Red Indian tribes to a particular area in
the early 19th century. b. What do you think the poet means when he says that he feels what
they went through?
Ans. The poet can understand the pain and suffering of the Red Indians on
being forced to move out of their territory. She can feel it as if she herself
went through it. c. Which other music had the poet referred to earlier?
Ans. The music of the gypsies. 3. I feel I’ve lived a thousand lives
I’ll never prove as fact
Unless you too made note of same
And like to share abstract
a. Explain what the poet might mean by saying he has lived a thousand
lives?
Ans. The poet feels as if she has lived in various eras of human civilisation
because the feelings that she experiences are very vivid and make him feel as if
she has lived in those eras. b. How, according to the poet, may we too live many lives?
Ans. According to the poet we, the readers, too may experience the same
kind of feelings in our dreams or imagination. We may also feel that we
have lived in those historical eras and relate to the experiences of the people
of the past. c. What term does she give to the kind of memories that she has? Why do
you think she uses this term? And. The term she uses is: mystic memories. She probably uses this term to emphasise the magical quality of her dreams. They are so vivid that they make him feel as if she was present in those time
Answer:
Which class?
Explanation:
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