Question 2 - A Roadside Stand - Flamingo - Poems (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:

It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in

To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,

Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,

While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,

Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits

(A Roadside Stand)

Question (i)

What is the meaning of the word kin in line 1 of the extract?

•    A) Relatives or family members
•     B) Friends or neighbors
•     C) Customers or buyers
•     D) Strangers or enemies

Answer:

   Answer written by student:

(A) Relatives or family members

   Step-by-step explanation:

•     To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning and context of the word kin. Kin is a noun that means relatives or family members. It is often used to refer to people who share a common ancestry, blood, or origin.
•     In this extract, the poet uses the word kin to refer to the roadside stand owners and other rural people who are poor and marginalized. He calls them pitiful kin, meaning that they are pitied or looked down upon by the city people and the government. He also implies that they have a bond or connection with each other, as they share a similar way of life and struggle.👪

Question (ii)

 What is the figure of speech used in line 6 of the extract?

•    A) Simile
•    B) Metaphor
•   C) Personification
•    D) Oxymoron

Answer:

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   Answer written by student:

(B) Metaphor

  Step-by-step explanation:

•    To answer this question, we need to identify the figure of speech used in line 6 of the extract. A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal or imaginative way to create a special effect or meaning. Some common figures of speech are simile, metaphor, personification, and oxymoron.
•    In this extract, the poet uses a metaphor in line 6, which reads "While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey". A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things without using like or as. Here, the poet compares the city people and the government officials who claim to help the rural people to greedy good-doers and beneficent beasts of prey. This means that they are selfish and cruel, and that they exploit and harm the rural people under the guise of doing good and being kind.🐯

Question (iii)

What is the tone of the speaker in the extract?

•    A) Sympathetic and critical
•     B) Humorous and sarcastic
•     C) Angry and bitter
•     D) Indifferent and bored

Answer:

   Answer written by student:

(C) Angry and bitter

   Step-by-step explanation:

•    To answer this question, we need to identify the tone of the speaker in the extract.
• Tone is the attitude or emotion that a speaker or writer conveys through their words and style. Tone can be determined by looking at the choice of words, punctuation, imagery, figurative language, etc.
•    In this extract, the speaker uses words and phrases that show anger and bitterness towards the city people and the government who are planning to buy out and relocate the rural people.
• Anger is the feeling of being annoyed or displeased by something or someone. Bitterness is the feeling of being resentful or cynical about something or someone . For example, the speaker uses words such as pitiful, bought out, mercifully gathered in, won't have to think for themselves anymore, greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey, enforcing benefits, etc., to show anger and bitterness for the injustice and oppression that the rural people face.😠

Question (iv)

Which line in the extract shows that the rural people will lose their identity and autonomy if they are moved to the villages?

•    A) Line 1: It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
•    B) Line 2: Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
•    C) Line 3: To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store
•    D) Line 4: Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore

Answer:    

Answer written by student:

(D) Line 4: Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore

   Step-by-step explanation:

•     To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning and implication of line 4 in the extract. Identity is the sense of who one is and what one values. Autonomy is the ability to make one's own decisions and act independently. Both identity and autonomy are important aspects of human dignity and freedom.
•     In this extract, the poet shows that the rural people will lose their identity and autonomy if they are moved to the villages in line 4, which reads "Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore". This implies that they will be deprived of their original culture, lifestyle, and beliefs, and that they will be forced to conform to the norms and expectations of the city people and the government. They will also lose their agency and creativity, and become passive and dependent.😢

Question (v)

What is the irony in the phrase "mercifully gathered in" in line 2 of the extract?

•     A) It implies that the rural people are grateful for being moved to the villages
•     B) It implies that the rural people are happy for being freed from their misery
•     C) It implies that the rural people are treated with kindness and compassion by the city people and the government
•     D) It implies that the rural people are spared from their suffering by being moved to the villages

Answer:

   Answer written by student:

(D) It implies that the rural people are spared from their suffering by being moved to the villages

   Step-by-step explanation:

•    To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning and effect of irony in the phrase "mercifully gathered in". Irony is a figure of speech that involves a contrast or discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected and what actually happens. Irony can be used to create humor, sarcasm, or criticism.
•    In this extract, the poet uses irony in the phrase "mercifully gathered in" to criticize the city people and the government who are planning to buy out and relocate the rural people. The word mercifully means in a way that shows mercy or compassion. The word gathered means to collect or bring together. The phrase "mercifully gathered in" suggests that the rural people are suffering so much that being moved to the villages is a relief or a favor for them .
• However, this is ironic, because the poet implies that the rural people do not want to leave their homes and lands, and that they will face more problems and hardships in the villages. The phrase also mocks the attitude of the city people and the government who pretend to be benevolent and generous, but are actually selfish and cruel.😒

Question (vi)

 What is the theme of the extract?

•    A) The conflict between nature and civilization
•    B) The exploitation of the poor by the rich
•    C) The loss of tradition and culture
•     D) All of the above

Answer:    

Answer written by student:

(D) All of the above

   Step-by-step explanation:

•    To answer this question, we need to identify the theme of the extract.
• Theme is the main idea or message that a writer or speaker wants to convey through their work. Theme can be expressed as a word, a phrase, or a sentence.
•   In this extract, the poet conveys multiple themes that are related to each other.
• One theme is the conflict between nature and civilization, which is shown by the contrast between the rural and urban settings, and how they affect each other.
• Another theme is the exploitation of the poor by the rich, which is shown by how the city people and the government take advantage of and oppress the rural people .
• A third theme is the loss of tradition and culture, which is shown by how the rural people will lose their identity and autonomy if they are moved to the villages.
• These themes reflect the poet's views and feelings about modernization and its impact on society.🤔

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