WORKBOOK QUESTION-ANSWERS, BEETA PUBLICATIONS: HAUNTED HOUSE

WORKBOOK QUESTION-ANSWERS, BEETA PUBLICATIONS: THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS

 ASSIGNMENTS

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1

Choose the correct answer from the given options. (Do not copy the question; write the correct answer only.)

1. Which of the following has been described in the poem as “a royal sport”?

(a) Fight between tigers
(b) Fight between lions
(c) Fight between nobles
(d) Fight between the king and his nobles

Answer: (b) Fight between lions.
King Francis considered the fight between the two lions a “royal sport” and watched it along with his nobles and ladies.

2. Who is the “one for whom” Count de Lorge sighed?

(a) Count de Lorge
(b) King Francis
(c) Count de Lorge’s beloved
(d) The Queen

Answer: (c) Count de Lorge’s beloved.
Count de Lorge was deeply in love with a beautiful lady who was present among the ladies in the royal court.

3. Why was it “a gallant thing to see that crowning show”?

(a) It required courage to watch such a ferocious act.
(b) There was love, valour and royalty in the scene.
(c) It was the most brutal fight ever fought.
(d) It was being held for the first time in the King’s court.

Answer: (b) There was love, valour and royalty in the scene.
The spectacle was considered “gallant” because it brought together the King, the nobles, the ladies, the lovers, and the fierce royal beasts, creating a grand and exciting scene.

4. What was the attitude of King Francis and his nobles towards the “royal beasts”?

(a) They watched the fight with keen interest.
(b) They felt sympathy for the lions.
(c) They were disgusted by the fight.
(d) They were afraid to watch the fight.

Answer: (a) They watched the fight with keen interest.
King Francis and the nobles were fascinated by the spectacle and watched the fierce battle of the lions with great interest.

5. Which poetic device is used in the phrase “horrid laughing jaws”?

(a) Paradox
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Metonymy

Answer: (c) Personification.
The lions’ jaws are described as “laughing,” an action normally associated with human beings. Thus, a human quality is attributed to the lions.

6. What is suggested by the following lines?

“They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws.”

(a) It was a windy day.
(b) The speed and force of the lions’ movements.
(c) The way the beasts looked at the audience.
(d) The peaceful nature of the lions.

Answer: (b) The speed and force of the lions’ movements.
The comparison of their blows with beams and the statement that “a wind went with their paws” emphasise the tremendous force and speed of the lions’ attacks.

7. Why did King Francis say, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there”?

(a) They were at a safe distance from the ferocious fight in the pit.
(b) They were enjoying the game rather than fighting.
(c) They did not have to enter the arena to pick up the lady’s glove.
(d) None of the above.

Answer: (a) They were at a safe distance from the ferocious fight in the pit.
King Francis meant that it was much safer to watch the lions’ fight from outside the arena than to be inside the pit among the fierce animals.

8. The lady in the poem has implicitly compared her lover’s bravery with that of whom?

(a) King Francis
(b) The two lions
(c) The nobles in the court
(d) None of the above

Answer: (b) The two lions
The lady considers Count de Lorge extremely brave and deliberately tests his courage by asking him to enter the arena where the two lions are fighting.

9. Why did the lady decide to drop her glove in the arena where the two lions were fighting?

(a) To distract the lions
(b) To prove her lover’s love for her
(c) To seek the attention of the audience and thereby attain glory
(d) None of the above

Answer: (b) To prove her lover’s love for her
She deliberately dropped her glove into the dangerous arena because she wanted Count de Lorge to risk his life and retrieve it as proof of his love for her.

10. Which figure of speech is predominantly used in the following expressions?

“Seemed the same, brave as brave, would do wondrous things, great glory will be mine”

(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Alliteration
(d) Paradox

Answer: (c) Alliteration.
Several expressions contain the repetition of initial sounds, such as “Seemed the same,” “would do wondrous things,” and “great glory.” This repetition creates emphasis and musical effect.

11. Why does the lady smile after dropping her glove in the arena?

(a) To show her love for de Lorge
(b) To suggest that de Lorge would do as she wanted him to do
(c) To attract King Francis’s attention
(d) None of the above

Answer: (b) To suggest that de Lorge would do as she wanted him to do.
She smiles because she is confident that her lover will accept the challenge and retrieve the glove from the dangerous arena to prove his love for her.

12. Why did de Lorge throw the glove “right in the lady’s face”?

(a) To show his love for her
(b) To prove his bravery
(c) To prove how significant she was
(d) To show his annoyance at her vanity

Answer: (d) To show his annoyance at her vanity
De Lorge was angry because the lady had unnecessarily put his life at risk merely to satisfy her vanity. By throwing the glove in her face, he rejected her shallow idea of love.

13. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as “Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws”?

(a) Last week in someone's place we saw

A dozen eyeballs on the floor

(b) So be it when I shall grow old

Or let me die!

The Child is father of the Man

(c) Tinkling, luminous, tender and clear,

Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.

(d) And saw, within the moonlight in his room

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom.

Answer: (c), “tinkling, luminous, tender” contains repetition of the initial /t/ sound, which is also alliteration.

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Section B: Context Questions

I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court,
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And ’mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed
And truly ’twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.”

(i) Where was King Francis? Why was he there? Which characteristic traits of Francis are described in this stanza?

King Francis was seated in the royal gallery or court, watching two lions fight in the arena below. He was there because he regarded the dangerous fight between the lions as an entertaining “royal sport.” The stanza presents him as a hearty, pleasure-loving and adventurous king who enjoyed exciting and dangerous spectacles. His presence among the nobles and ladies also reflects his royal authority and love for grand public entertainments.

(ii) Who all were present in the audience, besides King Francis? Who sighed and for whom? What is suggested by the phrase “the ladies in their pride”?

Besides King Francis, the audience consisted mainly of the nobles and ladies of the royal court. Count de Lorge was also among the spectators. He sighed for the lady he loved, who was seated among the other ladies. The phrase “the ladies in their pride” suggests that the women were beautifully and magnificently dressed and were displaying their elegance, beauty and high social position. It also adds to the splendour of the royal gathering.

(iii) What is referred to as “a gallant thing”? Why is it so?

The entire magnificent spectacle of the royal court watching the fierce lions fight is referred to as “a gallant thing.” It was considered grand and impressive because several elements came together in one striking scene: King Francis and his royal authority, the nobles and elegantly dressed ladies, the love of Count de Lorge, and the courage and ferocity represented by the fighting lions. The expression therefore presents the scene as a splendid combination of royalty, love, bravery and danger.

(iv) Explain in your own words the last line of the given extract.

The last line creates a vivid picture of the royal spectacle. King Francis and his distinguished court are seated safely above, while the fierce lions are fighting in the arena below. The scene also contains the element of love, represented by Count de Lorge and the lady for whom he sighs. Thus, the line brings together the different elements of the scene—the king, love, courage and the powerful royal beasts—and presents them as a grand and dramatic spectacle.

(v) Explain briefly how this poem is a ballad.

The poem has the chief characteristics of a ballad because it tells a simple, dramatic and exciting story in verse. It has a clear sequence of events, beginning with the lion fight and moving towards the dangerous challenge and Count de Lorge’s courageous action. The poem contains dialogue, action, suspense, danger and a dramatic climax. The characters are presented through their actions rather than through lengthy descriptions. The surprising and memorable ending further strengthens its ballad-like quality. The poem’s simple narrative style and vivid action make it suitable for oral storytelling.

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II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws.
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother,
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air,
Said Francis then, ‘Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.’”

(i) Where were the lions? Who all were watching them? Explain briefly the lions’ fight as described in the first line of the extract.

The lions were fighting in a pit or arena below the royal spectators. King Francis, the nobles and the ladies of the court were watching the dangerous spectacle. The first line presents the lions as extremely fierce and aggressive. They “ramped and roared” with their frightening, open jaws. The expression “horrid laughing jaws” makes their appearance even more terrifying. The violent movements and terrifying sounds immediately create an atmosphere of fear and danger.

(ii) How can you say that the fight between the two lions was quite ferocious and brutal?

The fight between the lions was extremely ferocious and brutal. They bit and glared at each other and struck each other with enormous force. Their blows were so powerful that they are compared to beams, while the movement of their paws produced a strong rush of air. They rolled violently over one another, raising clouds of sand and scattering their manes. The “bloody foam” flying through the air further emphasises the violence and savagery of their struggle.

(iii) Give two poetic devices used in this extract, with one example of each.

Two important poetic devices used in the extract are personification and simile.
1. Personification: In “horrid laughing jaws,” the jaws of the lions are described as “laughing,” which is a human action.
2. Simile: In “gave blows like beams,” the force of the lions’ blows is compared to the tremendous force of beams. The word “like” makes the comparison explicit. These devices make the fight more vivid and dramatic.

(iv) What did King Francis tell the audience? What is revealed about the King by his remark?

King Francis said to the audience, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.” By “here,” he meant the safe place where the spectators were seated, while “there” referred to the dangerous arena where the lions were fighting. His remark reveals that although Francis enjoyed watching the exciting spectacle, he was also aware of the danger involved. He did not wish to put himself unnecessarily at risk. His words also show his practical sense and ability to make a humorous observation even in a frightening situation.

(v) Explain briefly the imagery used in this extract.

The poet uses powerful visual and auditory imagery to make the lions’ fight vivid, violent and terrifying. Words such as “ramped,” “roared,” “bit,” “glared” and “blows” appeal to the sense of hearing and sight and help us imagine the fierce struggle. The expressions “thunderous smother” and “bloody foam” create a particularly dramatic picture of the arena filled with noise, sand, manes and blood. The imagery enables the reader to see the violence, hear the terrifying sounds and sense the enormous power of the fighting lions.

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III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“De Lorge’s love overheard the King, a beauteous lively dame,
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the same,
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be,
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me.
King, ladies, lovers, all look on, the occasion is divine,
I’ll drop my glove, to prove his love, great glory will be mine.”

(i) What did de Lorge’s lover overhear the King say? What did she understand from his remark?

De Lorge’s lover overheard King Francis remark that it was safer for the spectators to remain outside the arena than to enter it while the lions were fighting. From his remark, she understood that the arena was extremely dangerous and that no sensible person would willingly enter it. However, instead of being discouraged by the danger, she saw an opportunity to test the courage and love of Count de Lorge.

(ii) How has de Lorge’s beloved been described? What is suggested by the expression “always seemed the same”?

De Lorge’s beloved is described as a “beauteous lively dame” with smiling lips and sharp, bright eyes. Her attractive appearance reflects her lively and confident personality. The expression “always seemed the same” suggests that her eyes always retained their bright, alert and cheerful expression. She appeared consistently pleasant and lively, giving the impression of a woman who was confident, spirited and full of energy.

(iii) What did she think about de Lorge? What was she sure about?

De Lorge’s beloved thought that Count de Lorge was “brave as brave can be.” She greatly admired his courage and believed that he was capable of performing extraordinary and daring deeds. She was sure that, because of his love for her, he would be willing to undertake even a dangerous task to prove his devotion. Her confidence in his bravery therefore encouraged her to devise a test of his love.

(iv) Which idea struck her? What was her real intention in implementing her idea?

An idea suddenly occurred to her: she would drop her glove into the arena where the two fierce lions were fighting. She intended to make Count de Lorge enter the dangerous arena and retrieve it for her. In this way, she wanted to test whether he truly loved her and was brave enough to risk his life for her. At the same time, she hoped to gain “great glory” before the King, ladies and other spectators by having her lover perform such a daring deed.

(v) Explain briefly the characteristic traits of de Lorge’s lover as revealed in this extract.

De Lorge’s lover is presented as beautiful, lively, confident and imaginative, but the extract also reveals her vanity, selfishness and lack of concern for her lover’s safety. She considers Count de Lorge extremely brave and believes that his love should be proved through a daring deed. Her decision to drop her glove into the lions’ arena shows that she is willing to expose him to serious danger merely to satisfy her curiosity and vanity. Her words “great glory will be mine” clearly reveal that she is more interested in personal admiration and glory than in genuine love and concern for de Lorge.

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IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and smiled,
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild.
‘By God!’ said Francis, ‘rightly done!’ and he rose from where he sat.
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady’s face.
‘No love,’ quoth he, ‘but vanity, sets love a task like that.’”

(i) Who is “She” referred to in this extract? Where did she drop her glove? Why did she do so?

“She” refers to Count de Lorge’s beloved, the beautiful and lively lady described in the earlier stanza. She deliberately dropped her glove into the dangerous pit where the two lions were fighting. She did so to test de Lorge’s love and courage. She wanted him to enter the arena, risk his life and retrieve the glove as proof of his devotion. She also hoped that his daring act would bring her “great glory” before the King and the assembled spectators.

(ii) Why did she look at him and smile? What does it reveal about her?

She looked at de Lorge and smiled because she was confident that he would accept her challenge and retrieve the glove. She expected him to prove his love by performing the dangerous deed she had planned. Her smile reveals her self-confidence and certainty about her lover’s devotion, but it also exposes her vanity and thoughtlessness. She is more interested in witnessing a spectacular demonstration of his love and gaining admiration than in considering the serious danger to which she is exposing him.

(iii) How did de Lorge react to her smile? What motivated him to do so?

De Lorge responded to her smile by bowing respectfully and immediately leaping into the arena among the wild lions. He did not hesitate because he wanted to prove his courage and demonstrate his love before his beloved and the assembled royal audience. His action was motivated partly by his love and desire to satisfy her, and partly by his own sense of honour and bravery. He accepted the dangerous challenge rather than appearing unwilling or cowardly before everyone present.

(iv) How did de Lorge come back from the pit unharmed? How did he react after coming back? How did King Francis react to it?

De Lorge entered the pit swiftly, retrieved the glove and returned just as quickly, managing to escape the attacking lions unharmed. However, his attitude changed completely after he returned. Instead of lovingly handing the glove back to the lady, he threw it directly into her face. This action showed his anger and contempt for her foolish test. King Francis was highly impressed by de Lorge’s courage and immediately approved of his action, exclaiming, “By God! rightly done!”

(v) Explain briefly the theme of the poem.

The central theme of the poem is the contrast between true love and selfish vanity. Count de Lorge is willing to risk his life to prove his love, but his beloved’s demand reveals that her idea of love is based on pride, display and a desire for admiration. When de Lorge realises that she has endangered him merely to satisfy her vanity, he rejects her idea of love. His words, “No love, but vanity, sets love a task like that,” express the poem’s central message: genuine love should be based on affection, understanding and concern for the loved one, not on dangerous tests, selfish demands or a desire for public glory.

 

WORKBOOK QUESTION-ANSWERS, BEETA PUBLICATIONS: A CONSIDERABLE SPECK

ASSIGNMENTS

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions

Question 1

Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options. (Do not copy the question; write the correct answer only.)

1. What made the speaker notice the speck that would have been beneath his sight?

(a) Its presence on a white sheet of paper
(b) Its shape like a full stop
(c) Its dark colour
(d) None of the above

Answer: (a) Its presence on a white sheet of paper

2. What was the strange thing that made the speaker think about the speck?

(a) The speck was a living mite.
(b) The speck was clearly visible to him.
(c) The speck was a figment of his imagination.
(d) The speck was a fluff of dust.

Answer: (a) The speck was a living mite.

3. What was it that the speaker said the living mite could call its own?

(a) Movements
(b) Decisions
(c) Fears
(d) Feelings

Answer: (a) Movements

4. What was the mite’s suspicion?

(a) Of being thrown away from the paper
(b) Of being blown away by the speaker’s breath
(c) Of getting killed by the speaker’s pen
(d) All of the above

Answer: (c) Of getting killed by the speaker’s pen

5. What did the mite drink or smell?

(a) Ink
(b) Sweat
(c) Water
(d) None of the above

Answer: (a) Ink

6. Which figure of speech is used in the phrase ‘with cunning crept’?

(a) Assonance
(b) Simile
(c) Metonymy
(d) Alliteration

Answer: (d) Alliteration

7. Which poetic device is used in the line given below?

‘With loathing, for again it turned to fly’

(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Simile
(d) Oxymoron

Answer: (b) Personification

8. The speaker decided not to kill the mite because of which of its qualities?

(a) Small size
(b) Fear of the speaker
(c) Intelligence
(d) All of the above

Answer: (c) Intelligence

9. Which characteristic trait of the speaker is revealed in the line ‘Whatever I accorded it of fate’?

(a) Arrogance
(b) Superiority
(c) Annoyance
(d) None of the above

Answer: (b) Superiority

10. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?

‘I have none of the tenderer-than-thou’

(a) Personification
(b) Metaphor
(c) Simile
(d) Alliteration

Answer: (b) Metaphor

Note: The expression ‘tenderer-than-thou’ is figurative and ironic, presenting an attitude of self-righteous superiority in terms of ‘tenderness’. Among the options given, ‘metaphor’ is the closest answer.

11. According to the speaker, the modern world is swept by which of the following?

(a) Individualism
(b) Collectivistic love
(c) Selfishness
(d) None of the above

Answer: (b) Collectivistic love

12. Why did the poet allow the mite to draw off instead of killing it?

(a) It was too tired and wanted to take rest.
(b) He believed in collectivistic ideology.
(c) It did not intend any harm to him.
(d) None of the above.

Answer: (c) It did not intend any harm to him.

13. Which of the following poetic devices is used in the title of the poem?

(a) Paradox
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Oxymoron

Answer: (a) Paradox

14. What is the central theme of the poem?

(a) Mind, its creativity and imagination
(b) Collectivistic ideology
(c) Superiority of man
(d) None of the above

Answer: (a) Mind, its creativity and imagination

15. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in the title of the poem, ‘A Considerable Speck’?

(a) ‘The little window where the sun

Came peeping in at morn’
(b) ‘His honour rooted in dishonour stood

And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.’
(c) ‘Good we must love and must hate ill,

For ill is ill and good good still.’
(d) ‘Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb

The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.’

* Beattock refers to the steep railway ascent/route near Beattock, a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, through which the railway line mentioned in W. H. Auden’s Night Mail passes.

* gradient’: steepness or slope of a road, railway line, or piece of land.

Answer: (b) ‘His honour rooted in dishonour stood / And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.’

Justification: The title ‘A Considerable Speck’ combines apparently contradictory ideas: a speck is tiny and insignificant, whereas considerable suggests importance or significance. Similarly, ‘honour rooted in dishonour’ and ‘faith unfaithful’ bring together contradictory ideas. Thus, both use paradox.

Section B: Context Questions

I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

A speck that would have been beneath my sight
On any but a paper sheet so white
Set off across what I had written there.
And I had idly poised my pen in air
To stop it with a period of ink
When something strange about it made me think,
This was no dust speck by my breathing blown,
But unmistakably a living mite
With inclinations it could call its own.

(i) When did the speaker notice ‘a speck’? Why did he feel that it would have been beneath his sight?

Answer: The speaker noticed the speck while it was moving across the paper on which he had been writing. He felt that it would have been beneath his sight because it was extremely small and would normally have been too insignificant to attract his attention. The whiteness of the paper, however, made the tiny speck clearly visible.

(ii) Why did the speaker idly poise his pen in the air?

Answer: The speaker idly poised his pen in the air because he intended to stop the tiny speck by placing a period of ink over it. At first, he thought that it was merely a dust speck and was about to kill or remove it with his pen.

(iii) What was ‘strange’ about it that attracted the speaker’s attention? What was the speck in reality?

Answer: The speaker noticed that the speck was moving purposefully and seemed to possess its own inclinations. This made him realise that it was not an ordinary speck of dust but a living mite.

(iv) Explain the meaning of the last line of this extract.

Answer: The last line, ‘With inclinations it could call its own’, means that the tiny mite appeared to possess its own desires, intentions and will. The speaker recognises that even such an insignificant creature has a mind and an independent existence of its own.

(v) Explain briefly how this extract justifies the title of the poem.

Answer: The extract introduces the ‘speck’ as something extremely small and apparently insignificant. However, the speaker discovers that it is a living creature possessing intelligence and independent inclinations. Thus, although it is a ‘speck’ in size, it becomes ‘considerable’ because of the mind and life it possesses. This apparent contradiction justifies the title ‘A Considerable Speck’.

II. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Plainly with an intelligence I dealt.
It seemed too tiny to have room for feet,
Yet must have had a set of them complete
To express how much it didn't want to die.
It ran with terror and with cunning crept.
It faltered: I could see it hesitate,
Then in the middle of the open sheet
Cower down in desperation to accept
Whatever I accorded it of fate.

(i) Which characteristic trait of the mite is the speaker talking about in the first line of this extract? Why?

Answer: The speaker is referring to the intelligence of the mite. He recognises that its movements are purposeful and that it behaves intelligently to protect itself from being killed. Its actions reveal that it possesses awareness and an instinct for survival.

(ii) Why did the speaker at first think that the mite did not have feet? What made him change his stance at the very next moment?

Answer: The speaker initially thought that the mite was too tiny to have room for feet. However, its quick and purposeful movements made him realise that it must have a complete set of feet. Its movements served as evidence of its physical existence and intelligence.

(iii) What made the speaker realise that it did not want to die?

Answer: The mite ran with terror, moved cunningly, faltered, hesitated and finally cowered in desperation. These actions clearly showed the speaker that it was trying to escape death and therefore valued its own life.

(iv) What did it do in the middle of the sheet of paper? Why?

Answer: In the middle of the sheet, the mite cowered down in desperation. It did so because it was frightened and apparently unable to find a safe way to escape the speaker’s pen. It seemed to surrender itself to whatever fate the speaker might decide for it.

(v) Explain the attitude of the speaker towards the mite in this extract.

Answer: The speaker’s attitude changes from casual indifference to interest, sympathy and respect. He initially regards the mite as an insignificant speck that he could easily kill, but its intelligent behaviour makes him recognise it as a living creature with a will to survive.

III. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I have none of the tenderer-than-thou
Collectivistic regimenting love
With which the modern world is being swept
But this poor microscopic item now!
Since it was nothing I knew evil of
I let it lie there till I hoped it slept.

(i) Which trait is the speaker referring to when he says he does not have it? What is the result of lacking this trait?

Answer: The speaker is referring to the self-righteous, ‘tenderer-than-thou’ attitude associated with collectivistic thinking. He does not believe in blindly treating all creatures or individuals according to a collective ideology. His independent mind allows him to judge the mite as an individual living being rather than simply as an insignificant object.

(ii) Explain, with reference to the context, the meaning of the phrase ‘Collectivistic regimenting love’.

Answer: ‘Collectivistic regimenting love’ refers ironically to a social or ideological attitude that seeks to regulate individuals by imposing a uniform idea of what is supposedly good or compassionate for everyone. The speaker dislikes such forced, collective conformity and values individual judgement and independent thought instead.

(iii) To whom did the speaker refer as the ‘poor microscopic item’? Why? What does it suggest about the speaker?

Answer: The speaker refers to the tiny mite as the ‘poor microscopic item’ because it is extremely small, vulnerable and helpless in comparison with him. The expression shows that the speaker has developed sympathy and compassion for the creature. It also suggests that he respects life, even when it exists in a very small and seemingly insignificant form.

(iv) Why did the speaker let it lie there? Do you think the speaker was right in doing so? Give a reason to support your answer.

Answer: The speaker let the mite lie there because he knew of no evil that it had done and therefore saw no reason to kill it. Yes, his decision was right because he recognised the mite as a living creature with its own mind and desire to survive. His action demonstrates compassion, tolerance and respect for life.

(v) Explain how this extract reflects the theme of the poem.

Answer: This extract reinforces the central theme that intelligence and individuality can exist even in the smallest and seemingly most insignificant forms of life. The speaker refuses to judge the mite merely by its size. Instead, he recognises its intelligence and independent will, showing that the value of a living being cannot be measured by its physical size.

IV. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I have a mind myself and recognize
Mind when I meet with it in any guise
No one can know how glad I am to find
On any sheet the least display of mind.

(i) What does the speaker want to convey by saying that he has a mind? Which characteristic trait of the speaker is conveyed by this assertion?

Answer: The speaker wants to emphasise that he possesses an independent and thinking mind and is therefore able to recognise intelligence in other beings. This assertion conveys his intellectual awareness, open-mindedness and respect for independent thought.

(ii) Where does the speaker find ‘the mind’? In which ‘guise’ does he find it? How does he recognise it?

Answer: The speaker finds ‘the mind’ in the tiny mite on his sheet of paper. He finds it in the unexpected guise of a microscopic creature. He recognises its mind through its intelligent, purposeful and self-protective movements.

(iii) How does the speaker reward it for displaying its mind? Why does the speaker not punish it for trespassing on his sheet of paper?

Answer: The speaker rewards the mite by allowing it to live and continue its journey instead of killing it with his pen. He does not punish it because its behaviour reveals intelligence and a desire to survive, and he has no reason to regard its presence as harmful or evil.

(iv) What is the reason for the speaker’s feeling of gladness? Give the symbolic meaning of the line ‘On any sheet the least display of mind.’

Answer: The speaker feels glad because he discovers evidence of intelligence in an unexpected and extremely small creature. Symbolically, ‘On any sheet the least display of mind’ means that the presence of intelligence, however small or insignificant it may appear, deserves recognition and respect.

(v) What is the central theme of this poem? How is an inconsequential mite used to justify the theme of the poem?

Answer: The central theme of the poem is the recognition and value of intelligence, individuality and the instinct for survival, regardless of physical size or apparent importance. The tiny mite initially appears to be an inconsequential speck, but its intelligent movements reveal that it possesses a mind of its own. Thus, the mite becomes ‘considerable’ because of its intelligence and individuality, thereby justifying the poem’s title and theme.

V. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

It paused as with suspicion of my pen,
And then came racing wildly on again
To where my manuscript was not yet dry,
Then paused again and either drank or smelt—
With loathing, for again it turned to fly.

(i) What is referred to by ‘It’ that paused with suspicion? Why did it do so?

Answer: ‘It’ refers to the living mite. It paused because it appeared to be suspicious of the speaker’s pen and feared that the pen might harm or kill it. This reaction demonstrates its awareness and instinct for self-preservation.

(ii) Why did it start racing wildly after a pause? Why was the manuscript not yet dry?

Answer: The mite started racing wildly because it was frightened and was trying to move away from the danger posed by the speaker’s pen. The manuscript was not yet dry because the speaker had only recently written on the paper with ink.

(iii) What did ‘It’ drink or smell with loathing? Why? What did it do after that?

Answer: The mite either drank or smelled the wet ink on the manuscript. It apparently reacted to the ink with loathing because it found it unpleasant. After doing so, it turned away and fled again.

(iv) Explain briefly the use of imagery in the extract.

Answer: The extract uses vivid visual imagery to help the reader picture the tiny mite moving across the white sheet, pausing suspiciously, racing wildly and then turning away from the wet ink. Words such as ‘racing’, ‘paused’, ‘drank’, ‘smelt’ and ‘turned to fly’ make the mite’s movements vivid and lively. The imagery also makes the tiny creature appear almost human in its reactions.

(v) How does the speaker deal with the mite? What makes him do so? How does the speaker’s action justify the theme of the poem?

Answer: The speaker chooses not to kill the mite and allows it to live. He is moved by its intelligence, fear, purposeful movements and obvious desire to survive. By sparing it, he demonstrates respect for even the smallest expression of intelligence and individuality. His action therefore reinforces the central theme that the value of life and intelligence cannot be judged by physical size or outward importance.