Q.8
Read the following stanza and answer the questions that follow.
and felt that
Old
Familiar ache, my childhood's fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma
all I did was smile and smile and smile .......
()
Name the poem and the poet.
What was the poet's childhood fear?
What does her smile signify?
(iv)
What does the word 'ache' mean?
Answers
Answer:
Question.1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile ……… (Foreign 2014; Modified)
(a) What was the poet’s childhood fear?
(b) What were the poet’s parting words?
(c) What is the poetic device used in these lines?
(d) Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer. (a) In her childhood, the poet was insecure about losing her mother, just as all young children often are.
(b) The poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, which are suggestive of the hope that they will meet again.
(c) The poetic device used in these lines is simile, where the mother’s dull and lifeless face is compared to a late winter’s moon.
(d) The poet smiled and smiled (meaning that she smiled continuously) because she was trying to hide her real feelings. She feared the fact that she might not see her mother again, which left her almost in tears.