Based on your understanding of the
poem answer the following questions in
one or two sentences each:
i. What do you associate with the title of
the poem?
ii. What is the relationship between the
narrator and the listener?
iii. What happens to the poet when he
visits someone for the third time?
iv. Pick out the expressions that indicate
conflicting ideas.
vi. How does the poet compare his face
with dresses?
v. What does the poet mean when he
says ‘good bye’?
vi. What pleasantries does the poet use
to fake cordiality?
vii. What does he desire to unlearn and
relearn?
viii. How is the poet’s laugh reflected in
the mirror?
ix. What does the poet long for?
x. Mention the qualities the child in the
poem symbolises.
Once Upon A TimeChapter 2 Page 23
TNSCERT Class X
Answers
Explanation:
i. Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions in one or two sentences each:
i. What do you associate with the title of the poem?
The title clearly indicates about the past. I associate that a fairytale may be in a poetic form. Here ‘Once upon a Time’ suggests how people were once. It is far from what is being witnessed in the society now.
ii. What is the relationship between the narrator and the listener?
The relationship between the narrator and the listener is father and son.
iii. What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?
When the poet visits someone for the third time, they will get fed up and slam the doors shut. In other words they won’t allow him to come into their house.
iv. Pick out the expressions that indicate conflicting ideas.
The expressions that indicate conflicting ideas are “laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes”, and “laugh with their teeth”. Laughing with one’s heart and eyes reveal real gladness. But laughing with one’s teeth reveals one’s external showy love.
v. How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
The poet learnt how to change faces in different situations. Like changing dresses, he is forced to wear facial expressions.
vi. What does the poet mean when he says ‘good bye’?
The poet has been able to change with the society. He has learnt learnt to say ‘good bye’ in an unnatural way.
vii. What pleasantries does the poet use to fake cordiality?
In the first line of the third stanza “Feel at home!”, “Come again” the poet uses fake cordiality. People welcome the guests for two times but the third time they will treat the guests differently.
viii. What does he desire to unlearn and relearn?
The poet desires to learn how to say goodbye in a nice way. He desires to unlearn all the bad habits he has picked up over the years.
ix. How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
The poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror is like a snake’s bare teeth.
x. What does the poet long for?
The poet longs for child-like innocence.
xi. Mention the qualities the child in the poem symbolises.
Innocence and ignorance are the qualities of the child in the poem symbolizes.
Answer:
i . The title clearly indicates about the past. I associate that a fairytale may be in a poetic form. Here ‘Once upon a Time’ suggests how people were once. It is far from what is being witnessed in the society now.
ii. The relationship between the narrator and the listener is father and son.
iii. When the poet visits someone for the third time, they will get fed up and slam the doors shut. In other words they won’t allow him to come into their house.
iv. The expressions that indicate conflicting ideas are “laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes”, and “laugh with their teeth”. Laughing with one’s heart and eyes reveal real gladness. But laughing with one’s teeth reveals one’s external showy love.
v. The poet learnt how to change faces in different situations. Like changing dresses, he is forced to wear facial expressions.
vi. The poet has been able to change with the society. He has learnt learnt to say ‘good bye’ in an unnatural way.
vii. In the first line of the third stanza “Feel at home!”, “Come again” the poet uses fake cordiality. People welcome the guests for two times but the third time they will treat the guests differently.
viii. The poet desires to learn how to say goodbye in a nice way. He desires to unlearn all the bad habits he has picked up over the years.
ix. How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
The poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror is like a snake’s bare teeth.
x. The poet longs for child-like innocence.
xi. Innocence and ignorance are the qualities of the child in the poem symbolizes.