Hi Everyone!! This article will share Two Poems Questions & Answers.
The two poems – The Gardener and Playthings are written by Rabindranath Tagore. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of Romeo and Juliet, In the Garden and Great Expectations so, you can check these posts as well.
Two Poems Questions & Answers
Question 1: What does the madman look like? How does he behave?
Answer: The madman is very thin, has brown, dust-laden matted locks, burning eyes, and tightly pressed lips.
He behaves in a wild, mad manner.
Question 2: What do you think the hidden treasures are in the following line?
The garrulous waves ceaselessly talked of hidden treasures, mocking the ignorance that knew not their meaning.
Answer: The waves talked about the treasures hidden in the ocean’s depths. They could be actual riches, meaning of life, hope, etc.
Question 3: What is the madman looking for and why?
Answer: The wandering madman was looking for the touchstone which would make him successful and rich.
Question 4: What did the village boy reveal to the madman?
Answer: The madman would pick up pebbles from the shore, touch his chain with it, and then throw it back.
Question 5: The madman had grown into a habit. What was it?
Answer: The madman had grown into a habit. It was to search the touchstone which had become his life.
Question 6: How is the madman like all human beings?
Answer: Like the madman, all human beings are running after and searching for opportunities to become rich and successful. But just like the madman, we don’t recognise the opportunity when we get it.
Question 7: What is the adult doing?
Answer: The adult is adding up figures and doing accounts.
Question 8: What does the adult think the child might be saying about his activity?
Answer: The adult thinks that the child might be saying that the adult is spoiling his morning playing stupid games.
Question 9: How does the adult compare his activity with that of the child’s?
Answer: The mood is one of longing and realising that the time of innocence has passed. The tone is not sad or pensive. In fact, the poet is happier about the fact that the child is enjoying his innocence than remorseful about having passed that time himself. The poet lightens the mood by using terms like stupid, playthings, and game to describe his pursuit of material things. He also ‘smiles’ at the ‘happy’ games of the child.
Question 10: Why do you think the adult describes the boat as ‘a frail canoe’? What kind of journey is he making?
Answer: The adult is making a journey through life searching for wealth and success. The poet describes the boat as ‘a frail canoe’ because the sea of desires is too strong for his attempts to overcome it.
Question 11: Read and answer the questions:
1. He struck his forehead wildly – where, o where had he knowing achieved success?
(a) Who struck his forehead and why?
Answer: The madman, because he had found the touchstone but failed to recognise it, and had thus thrown it back into the sea.
(b) What is the ‘success’ referred to in the line?
Answer: Finding the touchstone that would turn iron into gold.
(c) How did he deal with this success?
Answer: He would pick up pebbles, touch the iron chain with them, and throw them again into the sea, without looking to see if a change had come. As usual, he did the same.
2. What a stupid game to spoil your morning with!
(a) Who says these words?
Answer: The child says these words.
(b) What is the ‘game’ referred to in the sentence and how does it spoil the morning?
Answer: It is the game played by elders—accounts and adding up figures. It spoils the morning because a child cannot enjoy doing this.
(c) What does the speaker go in to say about how he spends his time?
Answer: He says he spends time seeking costly playthings and amassing wealth.
Question 12: Explain the meaning of the following words:
1. ……the garrulous waves….
Answer: The noise produced by the waves.
2. ……the search had become his life.
Answer: Looking for the touchstone was the only purpose in the life of the madman.
3. It had grown into a habit.
Answer: This routine was so regular that it had become a habit.
4. I seek out costly playthings.
Answer: Expensive toys, like gathering money.
5. I struggle to cross the sea of desire.
Answer: Never-ending desires and wishes.
So, these were Two Poems Questions & Answers.