Read the following lines and answer the questions.
1. You say it is only twelve o'clock...
a. Who said these words and to whom?
b. Why does he wish that it is twelve in the afternoon?
2. ... the shadows are growing darker...
the water in the pond looks shiny black.
a. Which part of the day is the poet talking about?
b. Which tree does the poet refer to?
ctual questions
nswer the following questions briefly.
What does the poet 'easily' imagine?
What does the poet think about when he shuts his eyes
Answers
Answer:
1. Explain the first four lines of the poem ‘Twelve o’ clock’:
Mother, I do want to leave off my lessons now.
I have been at my book all the morning.
You say, it is only twelve o’clock. Suppose it isn’t any later;
can’t you ever think it is afternoon when it is only twelve o’clock?
Ans:The poem ‘Twelve o’ clock’ is written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poet tells his
mother that he wants to stop his studies. He has been with his books since morning.
He is tired of sitting with them for such long hours. However, his mother tells him
that it is only twelve o’clock noon and he should study more. But he wishes that at
twelve noon he could leave his lessons.
2. What does the poet imagine and think about when he shuts his eyes?
Ans: The poet is talking about evening and tells us how he can imagine the day
turning into night. He imagines how the sun has reached the edge of the rice field.
The old fisher woman is gathering herbs for her supper by the side of the pond.
When he shuts his eyes he thinks how the shadows are getting darker under the
madar tree. The water in the pond looks shiny black in the moonlight .
3. What question does the poet present at the end of the poem? Why?
Ans: The poet asks that if twelve o’clock can come in the night, why can’t the night
come when it is twelve o’clock. He says this as he is very tired of sitting with the
books. He has been studying since morning. He wants to leave off his lessons.
He is so upset to sit with the books for long hours and he wishes that his mother
would tell him to keep his books aside.
4. Write the summary of the poem “Twelve o’clock”.
Ans: The poem “Twelve o’clock’ is written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poet tells his
mother that he wants to stop his studies as he has been studying since morning. He
imagines the day turning into night. He says the sun has set and the old fisher
woman is gathering herbs for her supper by the side of the pond. He thinks that the
shadows are getting darker under the madar tree and the water in the pond looks
shiny black. He puts a question in the end that if twelve o’clock can come in the
night, why can’t the night come when it is twelve o’clock.
Answer:
1. a. The child said this to his mother.
b. So that he could leave off his lessons. Describe.
2. a. Evening. Write in lines
b. Mardar tree. Write in lines
Explanation: The poet easily imagines that the sun has reached the edge of that rice-field, and the old fish-woman is gathering herbs for her supper by the side of the pond.
The poet shuts his eyes and thinks that the shadows are growing darker under the Madar tree, and the water in the pond looks shiny black.