Hi Everyone!! This article will share No Poem Questions & Answers.
This poem is written by Thomas Hood. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of Light In The Night and January Night so, you can check these posts as well.
No Poem Questions & Answers
Word Galaxy
- Courtesy – something done out of politeness or consideration for another person
- ‘em – them
- Gentility – courteous and well-mannered society
- Inkling – a vague idea; an indication of how to go about something
- Ring – a circular course in Hyde Park (in London), used for riding and driving
- Row – a narrow street, lined with houses or buildings on both sides; a street where a particular occupation or type of person is predominant, e.g., Tannery Row
- ‘t’other side the way’ – a colloquial contraction of ‘the other side of the road’
Question 1: In what way is the title of the poem a good one?
Answer: The title is a good one because it is reflected in every line of the poem including the last line, in which the poem is summarized by yet another ‘no’ word, ‘November’. November is in the Autumn season, when Summer has come to an end and nature is preparing for winter. The negative ‘no’ tells us that everything is coming to an end, as far as plants are concerned.
Question 2: Which words in the poem tell us about the following?
(i) Times of day – morn, noon, dawn, dusk, proper time, afternoon
(ii) Roads – road, street, ‘t’ other side the way’, row, crescents, way, ring
(iii) Motion or interaction – indications, recognitions, courtesies, showing, knowing, travelling, locomotion inkling, notion, go, mail, post, news, cheerfulness, healthful ease, comfortable feel
(iv) Weather conditions or geographical features – sun, moon, sky, earthly view, land, ocean, coast, park, warmth, shade, shine
(v) Living creatures and plants – people, company, nobility, member, butterflies, bees, fruits, flowers, leaves, birds
Question 3: How would you describe the general picture painted by the poet? Is it a cheerful one?
Answer: The poem describes a month, November (in late Autumn), in which there are a lot of negatives indicated by ‘no’. The poet describes this season as being one without warmth or cheerfulness. It has none of the other aspects that feature in some other months of the year.
However, he does this in a cheerful way, so the poem is not depressing or sad.
Question 4: Do you think the poet has a good sense of humour? Why?
Answer: Although the poem is full of negative statements, the poet still manages to make it sound fairly cheerful. The rhyming couplets, the use of the same word to start each line, and the pace at which the poem moves, all help to make it cheerful. The last line shows he has humour.
Question 5: What is meant by ‘t’other side the way’?
Answer: It literally means the other side of the road (it is being obscured by the bad weather).
Question 6: Why do you think the phrase ‘No go’ is put in inverted commas, while others (e.g. No mail) are not? (Is there another expression in inverted commas?)
Answer: ‘No go’ is in inverted commas because it is what was said by the transport authorities. The other phrases are not quotes, except for ‘t’other side of the way’ which is in inverted commas because it is a quote of a colloquial phrase.
Question 7: What does the ‘Ring’ refer to?
Answer: The Ring is a circular course in Hyde Park (in London), used for riding and driving.
Question 8: Comment on the phrase – no afternoon gentility.
Answer: ‘Gentility’ refers to people who are courteous and well-mannered and who also belong to the upper classes. When out walking, such people would greet each other. This is not evident at this time because it is November, and very cold, so nobody is out walking and greeting, or talking to, each other.
So, these were No Poem Questions & Answers.