Important questions for class 10 English CBSE

Important Question Answers for class X CBSE Board Examinations

Class 10

English Literature

(First Flight)

Q1. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is irony in the situation?

Ans. Lencho thinks that post office employees have taken the rest of the money. He demanded hundred pesos from God and received only seventy pesos. He cannot doubt God and, is certain that God must have given full amount and post office employees have stolen the rest of his money.

It is very ironical that the people who should be praised and awarded for their charitable spirit and self-sacrificing nature are being abused, distrusted and condemned. We, as readers feel unable to decide whether to laugh at the innocence and foolishness of Lencho or feel sorry at the sad state of goodness being abused.

A Letter to God

Q2. A simple moment proves to be very significant and saves the rest of the day of the poet from being wasted. Explain the statement on the basis of the poem 'Dust Of Snow'.

Ans. The poet is so much buried in his sorrow that he fails to see the glistening and bright snow which is the symbol of brightness, beauty, peace and positivity in life. He failed to see that smallest particles of snow could cover the entire hemlock tree and its negativity. When the dust of snow falls on the shoulder of sad poet, it is like a lightening among the dark clouds, a big hope in his sad phase of life. Thus, the poet proved that even very insignificant things like small particles of snow can also be the instruments to bring cheer and positivity in life if we have right perspective and positive frame of mind. He teaches us to inculcate positive attitude and optimistic outlook in life. No matter however dark phase we are going through, even a small hope can help us come out of the difficult time. It is rightly said that 'even a small stick is a great hope for a drowning man'. 

Dust of Snow

Q3. How has the poet used the dust of snow and crow as the symbols to steer clear of the stereotypes? How can positive attitude turn a problem into an opportunity and make the world a better place to live in?

Ans. Robert Frost condemns stereotypes which are fixed beliefs as they are not healthy for our belief system.  For example crow is considered to be an ominous bird bringing bad news and hemlock tree is the symbol of death. The poet is so much engrossed in his sad thoughts that he fails to see the glistening and bright snow which is like a lightening among the dark clouds. But poet proved that the insignificant things like crow and snow can bring significant changes in our life. They can be the instruments to bring cheer and positivity in life if we have right perspective and positive frame of mind. He exhorts us to open our mind and see the worth of things however small or insignificant they are.

Q4. What is the underlying message of the poem ‘Dust of Snow’?

Ans. Sometimes, seemingly insignificant natural things or events do bring about a great change in our life. It depends on our perspective and the way we look at the things. However difficult phase of life we may be going through, there is always a ray of hope that the things will change. Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining in it. The message is clear enough that we need to have an optimistic outlook and positive frame of mind. 

Q5. ‘Depths of oppression create heights of character’ Illustrate.

Ans. Yes it is so true that ‘Depths of oppression create heights of character’. The height and greatness of our character are tested in the hot fires of adversity, struggles or oppression. A person who is great to the core never surrenders to injustice and oppression but survives to see the golden sunrise after the darkness of oppression. Nelson Mandela illustrates this statement by giving the examples of Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and many other freedom fighters and revolutionary leaders.

Long Walk to Freedom

Q6. How can you say 10^th May is ‘an autumn day’ in South Africa?

Ans. 10th May is 'an autumn day' because South Africa lies in southern hemisphere, hence, experiences autumn season in the month of March and last till June. In autumn season the trees shed their leaves and new ones come. It is a metaphor as old order was changing in South Africa when the British rule ended up and a non-racial and Democratic government was established. It is symbolic and metaphorical presentation of a political change establishing that ‘Change is the law of nature’.

Q7. ‘Fear and lack of self-confidence stop one from learning new things’. Do you agree?

A. Definitely, I do agree that ‘Fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things as it happened with the young seagull. It wanted to fly but was afraid of falling. The fear of falling stopped it from even making an attempt. Moreover, it didn’t have faith and confidence on its wings. It thought that its wings won’t support it during its attempt to fly. Its fear of falling and lack of confidence stopped the young seagull from making an attempt to fly. Same is the case with all living creatures and even human beings. Out of fear and due to lack of faith in ourselves we don’t try out new things and get lost in the crowd.

His First Flight

Q8. What is the significance of repetition of the words ‘quiet’ and ‘brilliant’ in the poem?

Ans. Through the repetition of the two words ‘quiet’ in first stanza and ‘brilliant’ in the last stanza the poet wants to make a stark contrast between the tiger in cage and the tiger in jungle. First ‘quiet’ portrays tiger’s noiseless soles which are soft like velvet and apt for hunting. The second ‘quiet’ pictures grief and anger of a tiger but his anger is suppressed and controlled as he is not free and can’t show his anger. First ‘brilliant’ refers to stars shining brightly in the open sky and the second ‘brilliant’ refers to tiger’s sad and helpless eyes that are twinkling with the hope of living a free life again. Thus, the repetition conveys two contrary conditions of a tiger. Through this repetition the poet tries to highlight that the tiger in the zoo is not free but has every right to live freely.

Q9. “Freedom is everyone’s birth right”. How does the poet convey this message through the poem?

Ans. Not only humans but the animals too, cherish freedom and freedom can’t be bargained at any cost. The tiger may be well fed and protected in the zoo. However, he can’t stay happy until or unless he is free to live, hunt and run under the open sky. He is in quiet rage and longs for freedom. He is sad being in a cage and that too, he can’t express. He would have been a tiger in true sense if he had been free in jungle and live the way God has created him.

Tiger in the Zoo

Q10. What does the poet want to convey through the poem ‘The Ball Poem’?

Ans.  John Berryman wants to convey the significance of loss in our life. He teaches how to cope up with the loss. Experiencing loss helps to grow up and face hardships. The poet makes the boy understand his responsibility when he loses his ball as the loss is inevitable. One needs to accept the loss as a part of life no matter how much it hurts. Life must go on. Life is to be lived and not wasted mourning over the loss which is past and clinging to something that is lost just like the boy who was trembling with grief when his ball went into harbour. He felt that all his childhood memories were lost. But the poet wants the boy to learn the epistemology of loss and understand that the past is gone and, will never come back. Staying strong is the only way to survive. Hence, it is important for everyone to experience loss, to stand up after it and to get on with life.

Q11. What does the poet mean when he says, “Money is external”?

Ans. In ‘The Ball poem’ Money is termed as ‘external in terms of the Loss which is immaterial. Money is external as it cannot buy memories. It can buy materials such as toys, gifts, houses, vehicles, etc. It can’t buy lost childhood, lost memories, lost relations, nor can it replace the things that we love and the things that really matter in our life. If such things are lost, they can’t be bought back. Money is external to such losses.

The Ball Poem

Q12. How does Wanda feel about the dresses game? Why does she say that she has a hundred dresses?

A. When Peggy and other girls teased Wanda by playing dresses game, Wanda must have felt embarrassed and humiliated as she was poor but she maintained her calm and remained silent. She was bullied again and again and asked, “How many dresses does she have?” To avoid their bullies and make them quiet she said that she had hundred dresses. As she was a self-respecting and talented girl, she drew hundred beautiful dresses to prove herself right.

Q13. Maddie thought that her silence was as bad as Peggy’s behaviour. Was she right? What do you think about it?

Ans. Yes, Maddie was right to think that her silence was as bad as Peggy’s behaviour. She could have stopped Peggy and saved her from humiliation. If we feel bad about any injustice being done to anyone and don’t do anything to stop it or don’t even express our displeasure about it, we are equally responsible for that injustice. On the contrary, we are worse than the one involved in injustice because the other person may not have the sensibility and sensitivity to realise what he/she is doing but we even after realising the gravity of issue don’t do anything to stop it.

Q14. What important decision did Maddie take? Why did she have to think hard to do so?

Ans. Maddie decided not to stand by and remain silent to see the injustice or bullying being done to anyone or people like Wanda but speak against it.
She had to think hard to do so as she might displease her friend Peggy and lose her friendship in doing so. She also had to gather lot of courage to do so as she wasn’t habitual of such bravery. She had been by the side of Peggy thinking she might be bullied for her borrowed clothes. She, being a poor girl might be an object of such bullies, too.

Q15. Was Anne right when she said, “ The world may not be interested in the musings of a 13 years old.”

Ans. No, Anne was not right when she said that the world might not be interested in the musings of a 13 years old girl as we all saw that the whole world gave a wonderful response to her diary and even now people are interested to buy and read the book. The book was a best seller and even included in the curriculum.

Q16. Why do you think the poet doesn’t mention in her letter the departure of the forest from the house?

Ans. It is because the poetess feels that humans won't be interested in knowing about the freedom of trees as she considers them insensitive and unconcerned about nature that's why humans want to captivate trees and animals for their selfish purposes. She feels there is no use mentioning of it in her letters as it would not invite anyone’s attention and interest.

Q17. ‘Beauty is only skin deep’. How does the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ bring out the message?

Ans. W B Yeast tries to affirm that physical beauty is transient and disappoint the lovers whereas spiritual beauty must be real influencing agent as it is the real person and people don't have to fake for it. Hence lovers should seek love and admire the person for what he / she is.


Q18. How does the poet in the poem ‘Animals’ suggest that animals enjoy their present while human beings cry over past and worry for future? How are animals different from man according to the poet?

Ans. Walt Whitman admires the qualities of the animals and wishes to live with animals as they clearly understand what they want and when they get the thing, they enjoy it without pining for what other things they don't possess. Animals are contented and know how to be happy with their lot. The humans, on the contrary, always crave for the past and cry for the things they don't have instead of enjoying the bounties they have at the moment. They worry about the future and would always imagine that they would be happier with the thing they don't possess at the moment.

Animals

Q19. Why does the poet wish to turn and go to live with the animals?

Ans. Walt Whitman perceived the futility of civilisation and advancement because man is not able to enjoy his gains and cries for what he doesn't have. Hence he wants to go back to ancient period when men were like animals and happy and satisfied with their lot. All the progress and civilization is worthless if they can't make us happy.

Q20. How did Kisa Gautami come to realise the truth second time which she failed to do first time?

Ans. Buddha didn’t preach in beginning to a grieving mother but raised a hope in Gautami's heart that her son could be revived. But, the condition imposed by him was impossible for her to fulfil and she could not bring mustard seeds from the house no person lost his loved ones. The futile search of Kisa Gautami made her realise that birth and death are a part of life and the one who has taken birth has to die sooner or later. She also realised that she had been selfish in her love and failed to accept the truth of life. She learnt that one can attain peace only by acceptance.