Hi Everyone!! This article will share Rakhi Questions & Answers.
This poem is written by Vikram Seth. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of The Sailor and The Little Prince so, you can check these posts as well.
Rakhi Questions & Answers
Word Galaxy
- Rite – a traditional ceremony
- Undying – never-ending
- Contract – an agreement between two people
- Educing – reliving through memories
Question 1: What ‘contract of trust’ does the speaker refer to?
Answer: It was the promise between the speaker and his sister that they would never forget each other no matter how far apart they were. His sister sends him a rakhi around the date of the festival of Raksha Bandhan, showing the ‘contract of trust’.
Question 2: Why does the speaker say that ‘things have changed’ between him and his sister and are yet the same?
Answer: Earlier the speaker’s sister could tie the rakhi around his wrist as they stayed together. They could enjoy each other’s company. They could not do it now for they live apart. What has remained the same, however, is that she never forgets to send a rakhi to him. Their bond his still strong.
Question 3: What does the custom of tying a rakhi remind the speaker of?
Answer: It reminds the speaker that both he and his sister must have changed a lot only the custom of Raksha Bandan has remained unchanged. They can only relive those happy days over and over again through shared memories.
Question 4: What ‘future numerals’ does the speaker talk about? Why do these numerals look `curious’ to him?
Answer: The ‘future numerals’ refer to the numerals 7 and 8 of the year ’78 or 1978. The speaker plans to be at home for rakhi in 78. When the speaker stayed together with his family long ago, he could hand her the rakhi gift as soon as she tied the rakhi. Hence, the numerals of the year 78 appear ‘curious’ or strange to him as he gets to see her sister so rarely now.
Rakhi Questions & Answers
Question 5: Read the line and answer the questions:
(a) What does the golden thread refer to in the above lines?
Answer: The golden thread refers to rakhi sent by the poet’s sister for him for Raksha Bandhan.
(b) Why did the poet had to struggle to tie his rakhi?
Answer: The poet had difficulty to tie the rakhi sent by his sister on his own using his left hand to tie around his right-hand wrist.
Question 6: Read the line and answer the questions:
You should have done that; I too have lost half the rite.
(a) What ‘rite’ does the poet refer to?
Answer: Here, the poet refers to the rite of the sister tying the rakhi around the wrist of his brother.
(b) Why does the speaker have to perform ‘the rite’ himself?
Answer: The speaker has to perform ‘the rite’ himself because his sister is not there with him. She is at home far away.
(c) Why does the speaker say that he has lost ‘half the rite’?
Answer: The other half of the rite is the brother handling his sister her rakhi gift with his own hands. As he stays far away from home and his sister, he cannot do that in person, so he says he lost `half the rite’.
(d) What do you think the speaker’s feelings are at this point?
Answer: The speaker is sad at this point. He cannot have his sister tie rakhi around his wrist, nor can he give her a rakhi gift. He misses her sister a lot and the wonderful time they spent together when they were children.
So, these were Rakhi Questions & Answers.