Question 2 - Father to Son - Hornbill - Poems (Literature) - English Class 11

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:

We speak like strangers, there’s no sign

 Of understanding in the air. 

This child is built to my design 

Yet what he loves I cannot share

(Father to Son)

Question (i)

What does the use of the word "strangers" suggest about the relationship between the father and the son? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The use of the word "strangers" suggests that the father and the son do not know each other well and have no emotional connection or bond.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To interpret a word, we need to understand its meaning and how it is used in the context of the text.📖
•  The word "strangers" means people who are unfamiliar or unacquainted with each other.😐
•  In the context of the poem, the father uses this word to describe how he and his son speak to each other. This implies that they do not have meaningful conversations or share their thoughts and feelings.😔
•  This also shows that the father and the son lack intimacy and affection in their relationship. They do not feel close or comfortable with each other.😢
•  Therefore, the use of the word "strangers" suggests that the father and the son do not know each other well and have no emotional connection or bond.

Question (ii)

Complete the sentence:

The father feels that his son is _________ to him in appearance or personality, but they have different __________. 

Answer:

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Answer written by the student:

The father feels that his son is similar to him in appearance or personality, but they have different interests.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To complete the sentence, we need to find the words that best fit the blanks and match the meaning of the text.🔎
•  The first blank should be an adjective that describes how the father thinks his son is like him in some ways.👨‍👦
•  The second blank should be a noun that describes what the father and the son do not share or enjoy together.👎
•  We can use clues from the extract to help us find the words.🔑
•  The extract says "This child is built to my design". This means that the father believes that his son has inherited some of his traits or characteristics.🧬
•  The extract also says "Yet what he loves I cannot share". This means that the father and the son have different preferences or passions that they do not understand or appreciate.❤️
•  Therefore, the words that best fit the blanks are "similar" and "interests".👍
•  The father feels that his son is similar to him in appearance or personality, but they have different interests.😕

Question (iii)

Select the option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract. 

•    (a) It creates a sense of continuity and flow
•    (b) It shows that the father is hesitant and unsure
•    (c) It reflects the distance and disconnect between them
•    (d) It emphasizes the contrast and conflict in the next line

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The option that is NOT true is  (c) It reflects the distance and disconnect between them

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To analyze a text, we need to examine its features and effects and explain how they relate to the meaning and purpose of the text.🔬
•  One of the features of the text is the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract. This means that there is no comma, period, or other mark to indicate a pause or a stop.🚫
•  We need to understand how this feature affects the reading and interpretation of the text.🧐
•  Option A) is true because the lack of punctuation creates a sense of continuity and flow between line 1 and line 2. This means that the reader does not stop or slow down after reading line 1, but continues to read line 2 as if they are connected.👉
•  Option B) is true because the lack of punctuation shows that the father is hesitant and unsure about his statement. This means that he does not have confidence or clarity in what he is saying, and he may be questioning himself or his son.😕
•  Option C) is NOT true because the lack of punctuation does not reflect the distance and disconnect between them. This means that it does not show how far apart or different they are from each other. In fact, it does the opposite: it shows how close or similar they are in their speech.😮
•  Option D) is true because the lack of punctuation emphasizes the contrast and conflict in the next line . This means that it makes the difference or disagreement between them more noticeable and striking. For example, line 1 says "We speak like strangers", while line 2 says "there's no sign of understanding in the air". These two lines have opposite meanings, but they are joined together without punctuation. This creates a contrast and conflict between them.😲
• Therefore, the option that is NOT true is C) It reflects the distance and disconnect between them.😎

Question (iv)

What does the father mean by "the land is his and none of mine" in the second stanza of the poem?

Answer:  

Answer written by the student:

The father means that his son has his own world and life that he does not belong to or understand.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To infer something from a text, we need to use clues and evidence from the text and our own knowledge and experience to make a logical guess or conclusion.🕵️‍♂️
•  The phrase "the land is his and none of mine" is a metaphor that compares the son's world and life to a land or territory.🌎
•  We need to understand what the father is trying to say by using this metaphor.🤔
•  We can use clues from the poem to help us infer the meaning.🔑
•   The poem shows that the father and the son have a strained and distant relationship. They do not understand or communicate with each other. They have different interests and values. They are like strangers.😞
•  The father feels that his son has grown apart from him and has created his own world and life that he does not share or invite him to. The father feels excluded and alienated from his son's world and life. He feels that he has no place or role in it.😢
•  Therefore, the father means that his son has his own world and life that he does not belong to or understand.😔

Question (v)

State True or false

The father wants to share his son's interests and hobbies. 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

False. The father does not want to share his son's interests and hobbies.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To answer a true or false question, we need to check if the statement is accurate or inaccurate based on the text.👍👎
•  The statement is "The father wants to share his son's interests and hobbies."🤔
•  We need to find evidence from the text that supports or contradicts this statement.📚
•   The extract says "Yet what he loves I cannot share". This means that the father does not have the same interests and hobbies as his son, and he does not want to try or learn them.😒
•  The poem also says "I would have him prodigal, returning to his father's house, the home he knew". This means that the father wants his son to come back to his own world and life, not to join his son's world and life.😔
•  Therefore, the statement is false. The father does not want to share his son's interests and hobbies.😞

Question (vi)

How does the rhyme scheme of the extract contribute to the tone and mood of the poem? 

Answer:

Answer written by the student:

The rhyme scheme of the extract contributes to the tone and mood of the poem by creating a contrast between the harmony of the sound and the disharmony of the meaning.

Step-by-step explanation of the answer:

•  To evaluate something in a text, we need to make a judgment or assessment based on criteria and standards.👩‍⚖️
•  One of the things we can evaluate in a poem is the rhyme scheme, which is the pattern of sounds at the end of each line.🎵
•  We need to identify the rhyme scheme of the extract and explain how it affects the tone and mood of the poem.🧐
•   The tone is the attitude or feeling that the writer expresses towards the subject or theme of the poem.😐
•  The mood is the atmosphere or emotion that the poem creates for the reader.😊
•   The rhyme scheme of the extract is ABAB, which means that the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. For example, sign/air and design/share.👏
•  This rhyme scheme creates a harmony or balance of sound that makes the poem sound smooth and pleasant.👂
•  However, this harmony of sound contrasts with the disharmony or conflict of meaning that the poem conveys.👀
•   The poem expresses a tone of sadness, frustration, and regret about the broken relationship between the father and the son.😢
•  The poem also creates a mood of tension, confusion, and despair for the reader who sympathizes with both characters.😟
•  Therefore, the rhyme scheme of the extract contributes to the tone and mood of the poem by creating a contrast between the harmony of the sound and the disharmony of the meaning.😮

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