how does the poet compare the qualities of both the characters. though these lines?
Answers
Answer:
Question 1.
Mention the underlying ideas in the expression ‘pillars of the house’.
Answer:
The pillars are the main supports of the house. It is not possible to have a house without pillars. The pillars support the weight of the house and make it stand without crumbling.
Question 2.
How does the poet portray the bond between a mother and her children?
Answer:
According to the poet, children get their love from their mother. She is their light of love. Without her, the children can’t thrive. She is the twist that holds the children together in the sacred ring of the family. The children do not want to leave her and go away. The bond between a mother and her children can be compared to a stem and its branches.
Question 3.
Comment on the expression from ‘floor to roof. Attempt to coin another expression without changing the meaning.
Answer:
Floor to roof means from the start to the finish, from the beginning to the end. All aspects of the home are connected with the woman, the mother of the house. Nothing in the home is away from her or unknown to her. Another expression with the same meaning would be ‘from top to toe’ or ‘head to foot’.
Question 4.
What is the symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow’?
Answer:
The symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow’ is the troubles and tribulations that come to life. Life is affected by problems of various sorts. They can be diseases, financial problems, emotional problems or some other tragedies. The mother tries to prevent all these things from entering the family and bothering its members.
Question 5.
Explain, in your own words, the concluding line of the poem.
Answer:
It is a prayer that the woman makes to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the person whom a woman (Mary) laid in the manger. The woman is praying to Jesus not to take away her life until her children have grown. She knows without her, her children won’t be able to live and thrive in the world.
Let’S Discuss
Question 1.
Woman: the focal point of the family.
Answer:
The woman is the focal point of the family. She is the pillar of the house. She is the keystone of the arch. Without her, the roof and wall will collapse. She is the heat upon the hearth. She is the heat that warms the home. Without her the home will be colder than a stone.
The children get their warmth from her. She is the light of their love. Without her, her children will not thrive. She holds the children together in the love ring of the home. They are tied together with the knots of love. The children would not like to break the thread and go away wandering.
The woman is everything in the house. She is the one filling the bed of the children with down (soft hair of animals) and covering them with leather. She is the wall that protects the members of the family against all kinds of dangers. She prevents dangerous winds and snow from harming the members. Without her a family is unimaginable.
Question 2.
The qualities a woman needs to face the challenges of life.
Answer:
Think and Write
Question 1.
Answer:
Question 2.
Identify the major figure of speech used in the poem and describe its significance.
The major figure of speech used in the poem is a metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison where one thing is seen as another. The entire poem is a metaphor because the woman thinks she is the pillars, walls, roof and doors of the house. She is the heat and light of the house. In fact she is the house!
Question 3.
What is the quantum of work done by a woman in the household? Can it be reduced? How?
The quantum of work done by a woman is tremendous. She cooks for everyone in the family. She washes the plates, pots and pans. She washes the clothes and irons them and keeps them in the cupboard. She has to clean the house and the yard. She has also to take care of the children’s discipline as well as their education. Indeed, she has a lot to do.
Activity I: (Composing lines)
Question
Mother’s Love
Question 2.
Answer:
Appreciation of the poem
The poem is in rhyme. Except in the first stanza, the rhyme scheme is abab.
Activity III (Comparison)
Question 3.
Answer:
Now, read the poem ‘The Toys’ by Coventry Patmore :
Meaning of The Poem :
Lines 1 – 6: My little Son …. being dead.
Lines 7 – 11: Then sobbing wet.
Thinking that his sorrow at my beating him and scolding him might prevent him from sleeping, I went to his bed. I found him in a deep sleep. But his eyelids were dark and his lashes were wet because of his earlier crying.
Lines 12 – 22: And I, …. sad heart.
Question 1.
What is the theme of the poem?
The theme of the poem is Toys’. But in a deeper way the poem talks about mistakes and their punishments. We human beings tend to punish children when they make some mistakes; when they disobey us. But the poet believes that God will not punish us harshly for our disobedience.
Question 2.
Do you justify th£ father’s action? Why?
Answer:
Question 3.
What is the symbolic significance of the toys?
Answer:
Explanation: