Question

Q. On the basis of your reading of the given poem, answer the questions below: (10 marks)
[ Unseen poem /extract from dramatic text


Urban

The hills are always far away. [1]
He knows the broken roads, and moves
In circles tracked within his head.
Before he wakes and has his say,
The river which he claims he loves
Is dry, and all the winds lie dead.

At dawn he never sees the skies [2] Which, silently, are born again.
Nor feels the shadows of the night
Recline their fingers on his eyes.
He welcomes neither sun nor rain.
His landscape has no depth or height.

The city like a passion burns. [3]
He dreams of morning walks, alone,
And floating on a wave of sand.
But still his mind its traffic turns
Away from beach and tree and stone
To kindred clamour close at hand.

– Nissim Ezekiel

a. Identify the tone of the speaker in stanza 1:

i. angry
ii. hopeful
iii. comforting
iv. hopeless

b. The most suitable meaning of 'Nor feels the shadows of the night / Recline their
fingers on his eyes' is :
i. He cannot see shadows at night
ii. Night brings rest and sleep
iii. Nor does night bring any rest or respite

c. The poetic device used in 'But still his mind its traffic turns' is:
i. Simile
ii. Hyperbole
iii. Metaphor
iv. Personification

d. Describe the setting of this poem.

e. Whom does 'He' refer to in this poem? Analyse the images used to characterise ‘him’.

f. What, according to you, is the main theme of this poem?

Answer 1

Answer:

a iv

b ii

c iii

d very good

e don't know

f nature

Answer 2

a. The tone of the speaker in stanza 1 is option iv hopeless.

b. The most suitable meaning of 'Nor feels the shadows of the night / Recline their fingers on his eyes' is option i - He cannot see shadows at night.

c. The poetic device used in 'But still his mind its traffic turns' is option iv - Personification.

d. The setting for the poem is a place where everything is destroyed and lifeless. It contains both natural and urban contrasts.

e. He alludes to the poet, who is shown in the poem as discouraged.

f. The poem's major idea is to illustrate the awful state of the poet's psyche and how he vividly imagines everything being destroyed.

• Urban by Nissim Ezekiel is a very unique and interesting poem.
• The drawbacks of living in an urban setting are a sign of an incomplete life.
• According to Ezekiel, life in the city is devoid of all charm and artistic sensibility, and individuals begin acting like machines.
• The inhospitable environment makes it difficult for the person to coexist peacefully with it.
• The metropolitan individual is constantly exposed to the upsetting impacts of the environment, which inhibits his moral and creative development.

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