Question 2 - My Mother at Sixty-Six - Flamingo - Poems (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:

but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

(My mother at sixty-six)

Question (i)

What is the speaker's childhood's fear?

•    (a) The fear of flying
•     (b) The fear of losing her mother
•     (c) The fear of growing old
•     (d) The fear of being alone

Answer:

   Answer written by student: 

(b) The fear of losing her mother

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about inference. Inference is the process of making logical guesses based on clues or evidence in a text. 🌟
•    📝 To answer this question, we need to look for clues or evidence in the extract that suggest what the speaker's childhood's fear is. 📝
•     🎨 The extract shows that the speaker is about to leave her mother at the airport after spending some time with her. She looks at her mother again and sees how old and frail she looks. She compares her to a "late winter's moon", which is an image of coldness and darkness. She also feels an "old familiar ache", which implies that she has felt this way before, since she was a child. These clues or evidence suggest that the speaker's childhood's fear is the fear of losing her mother, either to death or to distance. She is afraid that this might be the last time she sees her mother alive or well. 🎨
•    🎉 By using inference, we can understand that the speaker's childhood's fear is the fear of losing her mother. 🎉
•    💯 That's why the correct answer is B. The fear of losing her mother. 💯

Question (ii)

What does the speaker do to cope with her fear?

•    (a) She hugs and kisses her mother goodbye.
•    (b). She cries and expresses her emotions.
•    (c). She smiles and pretends to be happy.
•    (d). She calls and talks to her mother.

Answer:

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   Answer written by student: 

(c) She smiles and pretends to be happy.

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about analysis. Analysis is the process of breaking down something into its parts and examining how they work together to create meaning or effect. 🌟
•    📝 To answer this question, we need to analyze what the speaker does in the last line of the poem and how it relates to her fear. 📝
•    🎨 The last line of the poem says : "but all I said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile and smile...". This shows that the speaker does not express her true feelings or thoughts to her mother. She does not say anything about how much she loves her or how much she will miss her. She does not show any sign of sadness or worry. Instead, she says a casual goodbye and smiles repeatedly. This shows that she is trying to cope with her fear by hiding it and pretending to be happy. She does not want to upset her mother or herself by revealing her fear. She also hopes that by smiling, she can convince herself that everything will be fine and that she will see her mother again soon. 🎨
•    🎉 By using analysis, we can understand that the speaker copes with her fear by smiling and pretending to be happy. 🎉
•    💯 That's why the correct answer is C. She smiles and pretends to be happy. 💯

Question (iii)

 What effect does the repetition of "and" create in the extract?

•    (a) It creates a sense of rhythm and rhyme.
•    (b). It creates a sense of urgency and tension.
•    (c). It creates a sense of listlessness and boredom.
•    (d). It creates a sense of hesitation and reluctance.

Answer:

   Answer written by student: 

(d)  It creates a sense of hesitation and reluctance.

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about interpretation.
•  Interpretation is the process of explaining or understanding the meaning or significance of something in a text. 🌟

Question (iv)

 Which word in the extract is an example of alliteration?

•    (a) security
•    (b) standing
•    (c) wan
•    (d) winter

Answer:

   Answer written by student: 

(d) winter

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about sound devices. Sound devices are the use of words or phrases that create a specific effect or impression based on how they sound. Alliteration is a sound device that repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together. 🌟
•    📝 To answer this question, we need to identify the word in the extract that has the same consonant sound as another word near it. 📝
•    🎨 The word "winter" in the extract is an example of alliteration because it has the same /w/ sound as the word "wan" before it. The repetition of the /w/ sound creates a soft and whispery effect, which matches the mood of the poem. 🎨
•    🎉 By identifying the word "winter" as an example of alliteration, we can answer this question correctly. 🎉
•    💯 That's why the correct answer is D. winter. 💯

Question (v)

What is the meaning of the word "ache" in the extract?

• (a) physical pain or discomfort
• (b) A mental or emotional distress
• (c) A desire or longing for something
•  (d) All of the above

Answer:

   Answer written by student: 

(d) All of the above

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about vocabulary . Vocabulary is the set of words that a person knows or uses in a language. 🌟
•    📝 To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning and usage of the word "ache" in the extract and in general. 📝
•    🎨 The word "ache" can have different meanings depending on the context and the part of speech it belongs to. As a noun, it can mean a physical pain or discomfort in a part of the body, such as a headache or a toothache. It can also mean a mental or emotional distress caused by sadness, grief, guilt, etc., such as a heartache or a soulache. It can also mean a desire or longing for something or someone, such as an ache for adventure or an ache for love.
•    In the extract, the speaker uses the word "ache" as a noun to describe her feeling when she looks at her mother again. She says she feels "that old familiar ache", which implies that she has felt this way before and that it is not new to her. She also says that it is her "childhood's fear", which suggests that it is related to her mother and her relationship with her.
•    Based on these clues, we can infer that the word "ache" in the extract has more than one meaning. It could mean a physical pain or discomfort that she feels in her chest or stomach when she sees her mother's pale face. It could also mean a mental or emotional distress that she feels because she loves her mother and does not want to lose her. It could also mean a desire or longing for something or someone that she feels because she wishes she could spend more time with her mother and make her happy.
•    Therefore, the word "ache" in the extract could have all of these meanings: a physical pain or discomfort, a mental or emotional distress, and a desire or longing for something or someone. 🎨
•    🎉 By understanding the meaning and usage of the word "ache" in the extract and in general, we can answer this question correctly. 🎉
•    💯 That's why the correct answer is D. All of the above. 💯

Question (vi)

True or false:

The speaker uses a simile to compare her mother to a late winter's moon.

   Answer:

Answer written by student:

True

   Step-by-Step explanation of the answer:

•    🌟 Hi, this is a question about figurative language again
• . Figurative language is the use of words or expressions that have a different meaning from their literal one, such as metaphors, similes, personification, etc. 🌟

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