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ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY

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  ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY   “In his side there are two red holes”. What do the two red holes depict? How is the ‘pity of war’ reflected in the line? What are the themes suggested in the poem? Ans. ‘The two red holes’ mentioned in the last line of the poem are actually bullet wounds.  These fatal wounds received in the war front are the cause of his untimely and unfortunate death. > The line reveals the pity of war. In warfare, the youth become the inevitable victims. Therefore, the soldier who sleeps peacefully in the valley in a picturesque setting is presented to bring out the sense of pity in the readers because he is actually dead.  The two bullet wounds have ended his life. > The theme of the poem is undoubtedly the futility of war.  The tragic lives of the soldiers, the grim inevitability of death in war or the contrast between the beauty of nature and the horror of warfare are other themes suggested in the poem. What are the elements of nature in the
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THANK YOU MAAM

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  THANK YOU MAAM   “And he did not want to be mistrusted now"—Why did not Roger want to be: mistrusted, though he could have easily fled from the home of Mrs. Jones? Or, What kind of a boy was the little lad Roger. Or, Why did the boy in ‘Thank You Ma'am’ not run away though he found the door : open? . Ans. ‘Thank You Ma’am’ by Langston Hughes, is based on the transformation of a young boy. The boy, while trying to snatch a purse, was caught by an elderly lady and was taken home by her. He feared that he would be taken to jail for his mischief The lady, however, only expressed her intention to wash the unclean face of the boy. By this time, the boy had well understood that the lady did not intend to put him into jail. Rather the lady showed absolute faith in the boy by leaving him alone in the room with her purse on the bed. The boy could have easily escaped with it in this situation. But he did not want to be mistrusted anymore. The lady's kindness and trust had c
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THE POETRY OF EARTH

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THE POETRY OF EARTH “The poetry of earth is never dead”. —Where does the line occur? What does the poet mean by this? Or, Explain: “The poetry of earth is ceasing never”. ANS . The line occurs in Keats’ poem, ‘The Poetry of Earth’.By this the poet means that songs and music of Nature will never stop. They will go on without any break. Any change in season or weather will not affect this. In summer, the song-birds, being tired in the hot sun, take shelter in cooling shade and stop singing. Even then the song of Nature is heard as the tiny Grasshopper sings merrily while moving about from hedge to hedge in the meadow. Similarly, in the midst of frosty, silent, bleak winter evening, the poetry of earth continues. The shrill cry of the Cricket breaking the silence of the winter evening reminds the drowsy man of the Grasshopper’s delightful song among the grassy hills. “When all the birds are faint..."—Why are all birds faint? What do the birds do? Who takes up the role o
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ON KILLING A TREE

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 ON KILLING A TREE   1. It takes much time to kill a tree Not a simple jab of the knife Will do it, “- -What will the phrase, a simple jab of the knife’. mean? Why can’t a simple jab of the knife’ kill a tree? (2+4) ANS. The phrase, ‘a simple jab of the knife’, means the attempt to kill a tree by mere stabbing it with a knife. The poet says that an attempt to kill a tree only by stabbing it with a knife cannot be successful. If a tree is struck  hard with a knife, it does not die. The tree can overcome such a blow. It has become strong by absorbing the nutrients from the earth. Since birth, it has been absorbing sunlight, air and water. So a simple jabbing won’t kill it. A tree can withstand a simple jab of the knife. The poet defines the difficult task of cutting down trees by using such a phrase ironically. 2 .“And out of its leprous hide sprouting leaves. “—What does the expression ‘leprous hide’ refer to? What does ‘its leprous hide bear? (or What grows
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