48 English Language and Literature Class 10

Knowledge Assessment
(Detailed Answers)

English Language and Literature

Class 10th
Poetry
Chapter 1 Dust of Snow

1. A. (i) sad, depressive and hopeless

(ii) (a) The snow particles were very tiny
(iii) The crow shook the hemlock tree.
(iv) Both the crow and the hemlock tree represent something negative and inauspicious. They are symbols
of sorrow. The hemlock tree is considered inauspicious as it is poisonous and toxic. The crow is
considered inauspicious as it is fearsome and scary.
B. (i) Some part of the day was saved for the poet.
(ii) The fall of the dust of snow on the poet changed his mood. He was feeling sad and depressed before
the dust of snow fell on him but after that he felt joyful and content.
(iii) (c) Happy
(iv) It is true that the crow and the hemlock tree are considered negative images and symbols of bad
omen. However, in the poem, they are shown in a positive light. They are shown to bring about a
positive change in the poet who was in sorrow and despair.
2. (i) The poet was very depressed until he sat under the Hemlock tree and a crow shook off some snow
from the tree which fell on him. This little incident changed his whole mood. He felt happy. All his
depressed feelings had left him and he was again cheerful.
(ii) The ‘crow’ and the ‘hemlock tree’ represent sorrow. It shows that the poet was feeling depressed and
hopeless. The dust of snow that the crow shakes off a hemlock tree stands for joy. The simple incident
changes his mood and he becomes happy for the rest of the day.
(iii) The poet was feeling depressed and hopeless so he was standing under a hemlock tree. Suddenly, a
crow shook dust of snow on him. The small and simple incident changed his mood. He realised the
fact that he was spoiling his time and decided to enjoy the remaining part of the day.
(iv) Frost has presented nature beautifully in his poem ‘Dust of Snow’. In the poem, he has used the
images of crow and the hemlock tree, both of which are symbols of negativity. However, he had used
these to bring positivity. The images bring cheer to him and make him happy.
(v) The poem ‘Dust of Snow’ is set in the winter time when everything is covered with snow. The mood of
the setting is sorrowful and negative. The crow, the Hemlock tree and even the poet represent the
negative and sad mood of the setting.
(vi) The poet Robert Frost, through his poem ‘Dust of Snow’, wants to convey the message that the little
things in life can make huge changes. The simple things we do can make all the difference and
brighten a person’s day.
3. A. It is truly said that little things in life can make huge changes in our life. Even small incidents can have a
huge impact in our lives. The poem ‘Dust of Snow’ beautifully states this fact. In the poem, the poet’s
mood is transformed because of a small event. While he was passing by the hemlock tree, the dust of
snow falls on him. Such an insignificant event changes his sad and depressed mood into a joyous one.
 Knowledge Assessment 49

Just like the simple movement of the crow, the simple things that we do for others can make all the
difference. Our random acts of kindness can brighten a person’s day and sometimes change their future.
Just like the poet, who had wasted some part of day in his sorrows, is enlightened by the event, we can
also make our as well as others life happier. Noticing and appreciating the things of less importance can
cause us to have a spirit that is willing to change and therefore succeed.
B. Often we ascribe certain connotations to certain things which influences our understanding of these
things. One example of such is that the poets generally take the birds and trees which are known for
beauty and good qualities.
But Frost used two images with completely opposite connotations. Both ‘crow’ and ‘hemlock tree’ are
filled with negative aspects which we have accepted. The crow is black in colour with a very harsh voice
and is believed to be a symbol of bad omen. The Hemlock tree is a poisonous plant. Both these images
are taken to bring depressing and sorrowful images.
However, for the poet both becomes harbingers of happiness. The crow shook the hemlock tree such
that a dust of snow fell on the poet. This event changed the poet’s depressed mood. It made him think
and ponder upon the fact that he was wasting his time and decided to enjoy the rest of day. The poet thus,
then seem to point out everything in nature is beautiful. Thus, he is questioning the generalised
connotations accepted by us.

Chapter 2 Fire and Ice

1. A. (i) everything is transitory
(ii) (a) Fire
(iii) According to the poet, fire refers to violent desires, passions and jealousy.
(iv) ‘Ice’ stands for hatred. Hatred may be religious, communal or of any other type. According to the poet,
there is enough hatred in the world which will destroy the external physical world one day.
B. (i) (d) (a) and (c)
(ii) The rhyme scheme of the given stanza is ababa.
(iii) world
(iv) As per the poet, there is no need for ‘fire’ to destroy the world. Even ‘ice’ is sufficient and strong enough
to cause the destruction of the world. If this world has to perish twice, then there is no need for fore to
destroy it twice. ‘Ice’ is as strong and a great cause that can end the world.
2. (i) For Frost, both ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’ carry symbolic meanings. The word ‘fire’ stands for conflict and violence.
In the poem, it indicates all types of anger, desire and similar other feelings. The word ‘ice’ in the poem
stands for coldness and indifference, which are as cold as ‘ice’.
(ii) Frost, in his poem ‘Fire and Ice’, contrasted fire and ice with desire and hatred. ‘Desire’ propels us in
hot pursuit of something, hence it is compared with fire. ‘Hatred’ makes us cold towards other’s
feelings. The coldness of ice can numb our senses. Similarly, the coldness of our hearts can numb
our kindness.
(iii) The poet takes side with those who believe that the world will be destroyed by fire. Frost connects fire
with desire. According to the poet, desire is powerful and would be a quick end. Moreover, the fact that
he has had personal experience with desire leads him to conclude that the world will end in fire.
(iv) The poem revolves around the age old question of whether the world will end in fire or in ice. This is
similar to another age old question, whether it would be preferable to freeze to death or burn to death.
The poet determines that either option would achieve its purpose sufficiently well.
(v) According to the poet, the world will end due to fire, which symbolises desire. But if the world had to
end twice then it will be due to hatred symbolised by ice. He feels that the world has enough hatred to
cause destruction.
(vi) Robert Frost cautions the common man pointing out the selfish, avaricious, lustful, indifferent and
hateful nature of man. He warns man and says that such behaviour of man can result in the end of the
world.
50 English Language and Literature Class 10

3. The poet has brought out a very apt comparison between ‘fire’ and ‘desire’ and ‘ice’ and ‘hatred’.
The word ‘desire’ in the poem points to all types of greed and lust. In today’s world, the greed
displayed by humans is endangering the very existence of the planet earth.
The word ‘ice’ in the poem indicates ‘hatred’ and ‘indifference’ towards others which is as cold as ice.
In modern times, if we compare this with people’s attitude towards each other, we can see the ‘hatred’
for each other or among different communities or among nations, which may lead to a World War,
hastening the end of the world.
Therefore, he finds that both fire and ice will suffice in leading to the end of the world.

Chapter 3 A Tiger in the Zoo

1. A. (i) helplessness
(ii) (b) Assonance
(iii) The ‘Vivid stripes’ refer to the tiger’s skin.
(iv) The tiger expresses his rage quietly as there is nothing be can do from behind the bars of his cage. He
is helpless as his strength now lies inside the cage. He is no longer free as he was in the jungle.
B. (i) The given lines show that the tiger is free and ferocious. It enjoys scaring the villagers and shows its
strength to the villagers.
(ii) (b) The tiger should be in his natural habitat.
(iii) The tiger shows its presence by growling.
(iv) growling
2. (i) The tiger should snarl around houses at the edge of the forest because of many reasons. First, the
villagers will not disturb the peace of the forest. Second, they will not kill the animals for money or just
for fun for the fear of such a wild beast.
(ii) The tiger feels very helpless in the cage. He stares with hope at the brilliant stars shining in the sky. He
hopes for the day when he would be able to run free in the wild. The brilliant stars, thus, provide him
with some sort of comfort.
(iii) Through the poem, the poet exhibits the miserable life led by the animals in the zoo. He shows the two
different lives i.e., in a zoo and the life at a natural habitat. According to the poet, animals should not be
caged. They should be let free in the wild. Even they have a right to remain free. They should not be
caged for our personal interests.
(iv) The tiger was stalking in his cage because he was restless, unhappy and uneasy in the small cage. He
wants to be free but because he is imprisoned, he cannot do so. This results in frustration and anger.
This shows his desire for freedom. He does not want to be a mere showpiece and a source of
entertainment for humans.
(v) The tiger in the cage is a diminished form of his original self. He is extremely angry but is helpless as he
is trapped in a cage. He paces up and down in the cage restlessly. He keeps staring towards the stars
as if longing for freedom.
(vi) The tiger in the wild is majestic. He is free in his natural surroundings where he can hunt its prey. He
can go near the water and wait for his food. He can also go near the village and scare the villagers.
(vii) The poet thinks that the tiger should have been in the jungle, lurking in the shadow of long grass to prey
on a deer near the water hole. He should also be the outskirts of the jungle snarling around houses and
temifying villagers.
3. Wild animals are meant to live and spend their lives freely in the wild where they are free to move, prey and
terrorise other animals. They are not meant to be in a cage and be made into the display products of a zoo
or a circus. The tiger a majestic wild creature is already on the verge of extinction. This creature used to
roam freely in the wild earlier and cannot live in confinement.
The poem ‘The Tiger in the Zoo’ presents a comparison between two tigers-one that lives freely and other
who is encaged. The enclosed tiger is depressed and angry. He hope for the freedom that is lost to him.
This loss of freedom not only affects him but also affects the ecological balance. Their natural instincts are
lost. Thus, it is essential for us to understand that wild animals belong to the forests and not in cages.
 Knowledge Assessment 51

Chapter 4 How to Tell Wild Animals

1. A. (i) (c) Forests in Asian countries

(ii) The poet says that the Asian Lion as a large beast. He is brownish-yellow in colour. He is found in the
forests of the eastern countries of the world. Its roar is very loud and terrifying
(iii) humorous
(iv) When the lion roars one’s heart begins to beat fast as one is scared.
B. (i) trees
(ii) A chameleon resembles a lizard. It is a small, wingless, fearless creature. The poet says that when
there is nothing visible on the tree, there is chameleon camouflaged in the tree.
(iii) Chameleon can’t be seen on the tree because it can change its skin colour, it has the ability to
camouflage.
(iv) (c) 3 and 5
2. (i) It is true that all knowledge is useful. However, not all knowledge is worth the cost. This is specially
seen in the poem ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’ wherein the poets suggests some fatal ways for identifying
wild animals. While the knowledge gained is good it is the method of gaining the knowledge that is not
worth the cost. One would not want to risk one’s life for the knowledge.
(ii) A tiger has black stripes on its yellow body. On the other hand, a leopard on does not have any stripes.
It has spots peppered on its body. Moreover, a tiger kills only when it is hungry, while a leopard can kill
for the pleasure of killing by jumping continuously on its prey.
(iii) The poet says that while roaming in jungles of the East, we can identify the lion and the tiger in the
following ways
• In the jungle, we will see a large animal with brownish yellow skin. If he roars at us so strongly, that we
can die out of fear, we can identify that it is an Asiatic Lion.
• In the same forest, we can encounter a wild and noble animal which has black stripes on his yellow
body. If he attacks and eats us then we can identify that this animal is the Bengal Tiger.
(iv) The two instances of hyperbole are
(i) The crocodile tears and the hyenas smile. Both these reference are exaggerations as we have never
seen a crocodile cry or a hyena smile.
(ii) The identification of a chameleon is also expressed through hyperbole as the poet states is an
individual sees nothing on a tree, there must be a chameleon on it. This is an exaggeration to say
that chameleons become completely non-visible.
3. It is true that humour is the best medicine for every ailment in life as it is infectious. When humour is shared,
it binds people together and increases happiness. Humour strengthens our immune system, boosts our
energy, diminishes pain and protects us from the damaging effects of stress.
It is the priceless medicine for every ailment in life. The poet, in the poem ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’ creates
humour by describing the various beasts of prey. The way the poet explains the things is very funny yet
interesting.
The poet has depicted the wildlife very vividly and in a lively manner. While reading the poem, the readers
enjoy the poet’s work and it leaves them refreshed and happy.

Chapter 5 The Ball Poem

1. A. (i) dejected
(ii) (c) Anaphora
(iii) Based on the poem, it can be said that the poet is thinking to himself.
(iv) According to the poet, it is useless to console the boy by saying that he can get another ball in place of
the one he has lost. The boy had a long association with the ball. It was, thus, useless to give him such
a suggestion because he wanted to get back the ball he had lost.
B. (i) trembling
(ii) (d) hill ball went into the water
52 English Language and Literature Class 10

(iii) Yes, a ball is an inexpensive thing and easily available but the ball that the boy has lost is very valuable
to him. His memories of younger days are associated with the ball. He had been playing with this ball
for a long time. No other ball could take its place. So, he is sad to lose it.
(iv) The poet doesn’t want to intrude on the inconsolable boy. There is no gain in telling him that the ball he
has lost costs almost nothing. Instead of sermonising, the poet leaves it on the boy to develop a new
sense of responsibility to bear the loss.
2. (i) The message that the poet John Berryman wants to convey is the importance of loss and responsibility
in life. We should not forget the importance of our possessions. However, we should also not get
attached to material things as they are prone to perish.
(ii) The poet watched the boy who was plunged into grief at the loss of his ball. He did not offer the boy
money to buy another ball. He felt that giving him another ball would not console the boy. Further, the
poet also wanted the boy to realise the epistemology of loss.
(iii) The poet did not console the boy because he knew that the boy was too grief stricken to listen to
anyone. Further, he could see that the boy was trying to understand loss and responsibility on his own
which according to the poet was much more effective.
(iv) The given lines mean that no one can buy a lost thing back as it is lost forever. The boy also cannot buy
the ball that he had lost. He may be able to buy another ball with the money he has. But the memories
associated with the lost ball are lost forever.
(v) When the boy lost the ball, he plunged into grief. He stood staring down the harbour where his ball was
lost. The boy was affected profoundly by the loss because the ball had been with him for a long time
and he had many memories associated with it.
(vi) In ‘The Ball Poem’, the poet tells us how our childhood can quickly fly by just as quickly as the ball
bounces off into the water. Also, sometimes we face hardships in this life and we must move on and
grow from them.
3. A. It is important for everyone to experience loss and to stand up after it in order to be strong and to get on
with life. One needs to stay strong no matter how much it hurts inside. Staying strong is the only way to
survive. Moreover, one needs to learn to accept and let go and not cling to something that they can never
have. One should understand that the past is gone and it will never come back. Experiencing loss
sometimes helps us to grow up and face hardships.
This helps us in breaking all the boundaries into freedom. The poem teaches us a philosophy of life through
the loss of ball i.e. ‘‘Loss is a universal truth in our life.’’ We have to lose something at one point of time.
Through the loss of ball, the boy learns real knowledge of the world. If he is able to bear the loss, he will be
able to face the difficulties of life courageously. The boy must know how to stand up after a loss. It is very
essential for every human being to be able to move on or stand up after being knocked down. Here, the ball
signifies losing something valuable that cannot be bought or replaced. The poet wants us to understand
that loss is inevitable and everyone must learn to cope up with the loss with patience and courage.
B In ‘The Ball Poem’, a boy loses his ball when it falls into the water. The boy is very depressed at the
loss. The ball here is just a metaphor for all worldly possessions. The poet knows that the boy is
learning and makes him understand about his responsibility. He tells him that he can purchase
another ball but the memories attached to the ball that he has lost cannot exist in the new ball. He
explains that the world is full of possessions and money is an external item. It is external as it cannot
buy the same lost thing that a person has once lost. The poet has very aptly explained his point.

Chapter 6 Amanda

1. A. (i) Her mother

(ii) Amanda is receiving the instructions for two things. First, she is biting her nails. The second reason is
that she is not sitting in the right posture. She is sitting by hunching her shoulders and bending her
body down.
(ii) The repetition of Amanda at the end of each line reflects the frustration of the speaker.
(iv) (c) Alliteration
B. (i) Amanda imagines herself to be a mermaid so that she may drift in the silent sea and enjoy loneliness
and peace there. She yeans for freedom.
(ii) (c) To show Amanda’s thoughts
 Knowledge Assessment 53

(iii) Amanda wants to be away from the noisy and disturbing atmosphere of her house and, hence, wishes
to be the sole inhabitant of the sea.
(iv) Amanda’s mother’s constant instructions like not to bite her nails or not to bend her back and
shoulders, or not to hunch her shoulders but sit up straight deprive Amanda of her freedom of life in the
open. Hence, their relationship appears a bit strained.
2. (i) Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is trying to make an escape from her sorry state
where she is nagged most of the times. Here, the only defence against such reality is her imagination
where she often escapes . Hence, it makes her look moody.
(ii) Amanda feels troubled around her parents. Her parents keep on nagging her and do not allow her to
do what she wishes. Hence, she wishes herself to be an orphan as only then she could live a life of her
own without much hassle.
(iii) Amanda is not at fault here at all. As a small child, she cannot understand the concept of acne and not
eating a chocolate. Her elders become overbearing and it effects Amanda so much so that she wishes
to be an orphan.
(iv) Life on a tower for Amanda would be very different from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, she will live on
top of a tower, away from everyday chaos. Amanda suffers due to the constant nagging from her
parents. She seeks a place full of peace and serenity (total silence), where there is no one to disturb
her. Hence, she wishes to live on a tower.
(v) Amanda is getting scolded for having chocolates as previously it had caused her acne. Amanda’s mother
is very particular about such things. Amanda is made conscious about her physical appearance.
(vi) Yes, the title of the poem is apt. The poem revolves around the little girl, Amanda, who feels that her life
is full of struggle with no freedom. She imagines calmness away from her nagging parents.
3. A. It is true that escapism is one way to run away from harsh realities. By going through the whole poem, we
come to know that Amanda’s mother keeps instructing her all the time. Amanda’s mother’s intention may
be to discipline the little girl and make her a mature person. However, children need love and a caring
attitude in their elders. Advice in the form of nagging leaves a very harmful impression in the child’s mind.
The reality becomes harsh for them and they try to escape these realities by indulging in their own fantasy
world.
Here in this poem, the life of Amanda is frustrating, as she is forbidden to do anything without seeking
permission. Continuous instructions of her mother and constant scoldings leave a very negative impact
on a child’s personality.
In such situation, Amanda adheres to a defence mechanism where she imagines herself to be free and
without parents so that she is not nagged. She drifts into an imaginary situation to escape from the harsh
realities of her life. It is the mother’s behaviour that is forcing her to do so. Thus, parents need to
understand that their child also requires a certain amount of freedom which must be given to them.
B. The poem ‘Amanda’ raises an age old question. The question is how parents should raise their children.
In the poem, the poor girl Amanda is asked to do many things. She is not allowed to even sit the way she
wants to. She cannot speak her mind and is bound to follow her elders. Hence, she escapes into her
world of imagination. She wishes to swim in the sea like a mermaid. Her longing to swim freely shows her
crushed feelings.
Parents should not force their thoughts and ideas on their wards. Instead they should try to understand
what their child wants. There is no point forcing a child to do things. It will only create differences between
the parents and the child and lead to the improper development of the child.

Chapter 7 The Trees

1. A. (i) break the veranda floor.

(ii) (c) they are straining to break the glass.
(iii) The poet means to say that the trees are sick because they are being suffocated and chocked in
cramped spaces of the veranda. They need to be cured to become healthy again and for them the
clinic is the open spaces of the forest.
(iv) The poet compares the larger branches with patients who have been recently discharged and are
leaving the clinic doors.
54 English Language and Literature Class 10

2. (i) The poet does not mentions about ‘the departure of the forest from the house’ in her letters because it
is a part of human nature to remain quiet or ignore important matters of life. Even after knowing the
importance of trees, human beings cut it for decorative purposes.
The unexpected movement led the poet to the realisation of the natural habitat of trees, i.e. forests.
Thus, she is embarrassed and does not mention the departure in her letters.
(ii) When the forests depart from the house, the night outside is fresh. The sky is clear with the whole moon
shining brightly. The poet expects that during the night the trees will move out of the house. So, by the
morning, the trees will cover the forests that were treeless.
(iii) The poet compares the trees with newly discharged patients who look half-dazed (half-slept) while
going towards the door of clinic because the trees are weak. They have been struggling since long to
get freedom from the four walls of house. They could not grow fully there as they did not get proper
nutrition. Further, when they get out, they feel relieved to finally leave the place they didn’t want to be in,
similar to hospital patients.
(iv) It is true that the process of ‘moving out’ was tedious for the trees. The poet says that the roots worked
for the whole night to separate themselves from the veranda floor. The leaves tried hard to reach the
window of glass so that they could go outside. Even the small stems of the trees put much of their
effort in order to set themselves free.
Hence, it is right to say ‘change never comes easy’.
3. In the conflict between man and nature, man has caused much harm to nature. With civilisation, man has
learnt to acquire a lot of material goods but has forgotten the importance of nature. He has cut large forest
and done several other such acts in its pursuit of progress. Man judges nature to be weak. However,
nature is powerful. It rebels/struggles against man and destroys what man has created.
The poem, ‘The Trees’, presents this powerful revolt of nature against man. In the poem, the trees destroy
the house. The window glass is broken and the floor of the veranda is cracked. The house that is
decorated by man using the trees is destroyed by the same trees.
Man must understand that, no matter how powerful he is, he can never overpower nature. The real power
lies with nature. Any attempt to control or confine nature, will end in failure. Nature will revolt and will
destroy everything to teach man his limits. It will strike back at man and remind him that, by spoiling
nature, man is inviting a threat to his peaceful existence.

Chapter 8 Fog

1. A. (i) (c) This poem captures a little of this feline mystery - thick white fog slowly turning into a cat, cat
morphing back into the fog.
(ii) the fog
(iii) Stealth is an important characteristic of fog. In the poem, it is compared to a stealthy cat which silently
comes and sits. It looks over the harbour and again leaves very silently.
(iv) Like a cat, the fog comes silently. The fog looks over the harbour and the city like a cat does so sitting
on its haunches. Thirdly, it moves as a cat does.
2. (i) The poet compares the fog to a cat because of similarity in their movements. The silent steps of a cat
and the way it sits by folding its knees are both very similar to the way fog comes and surrounds the
city and harbour and looks over it.
(ii) The poet looks at fog as a living creature and compares it to a cat. The fog covers a place suddenly
and disappears in the same manner just like the coming and going of a cat. The fog remains over any
area like a cat sitting by folding its knees. Just like a cat that cannot sit and relax in one place, the fog is
also a temporary visitor to a place. Both move on after some time.
(iii) Yes, I agree that the poem ‘fog’ presents fog as full of opposite forces. In the poem, fog is conceived to
come and go silently like a cat. In contrast to this secretive nature, fog is overpowering. It spreads over
to the harbour and looks very carefully at the whole cityscape and moves on after some time.
 Knowledge Assessment 55

3. Nature has many wonders and beauties. It is full of mysterious and fascinating scenary and
phenomenon. However, man has taken it for granted. They never pay any attention to it. The poet of
the poem ‘Fog’, Carl Sandburg differs in this perspective. He is a poet who is amazed at the wonders
of the beautiful nature. He takes utmost pleasure in nature and its phenomenon.
One such natural phenomenon that captures his attention is fog. He is so amazed by fog that he not only
wrote about it but also thought of its resemblance with other things. On close attention, he found the fog
similar to a cat. He even describes this resemblance (the way a cat moves and sits) in his poem ‘fog’. The
fact that such a resemblance was found by the poet shows how connected he is to nature that others have
taken for granted. The poem, then, acts as a motivation for people who do not pay any attention to nature,
to find interesting similarities in everyday life.

Chapter 9 The Tale of Custard the Dragon

1. A. (i) (a) with Belinda in her house
(ii) The name of the little yellow dog is not mentioned in the extract.
It has been compared to mustard as the taste of mustard is sharp and so is the dog.
(iii) simile
(iv) No, Custard did not match his appearance, as he looked dangerous but actually was a coward.
He always cried for a nice and safe cage, while everyone laughed at him for his cowardice.
B. (i) the pirate
(ii) When the pirate came, Belinda cried for help and became pale with fear. Mustard ran away with a
terrified cry and Ink hid himself at the bottom of the house, while Blink disappeared in his hole. It was
only Custard who jumped in front of the pirate and showed the courage to face the pirate.
(iii) The pirate had a beard and a wooden leg. He held a gun in both his hands and a knife between his
teeth. All in all, his appearance was quite sinister.
(iv) (a) aabb
2. (i) ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a light-hearted poem. It is because the animals have been treated
as human beings. They pose before each other as what they are not. When the danger comes, they
run off. Again, when they come together, they boast about their bravery.
(ii) When all the others including Belinda were terrified to see the pirate, Custard jumped up, snorted,
clashed his tail to attack the pirate and killed him. In this way, he proved that he was a brave dragon
unlike what others pose him to be.
(iii) Belinda along with three of her four pets claimed that they were very brave. They were proud of their
bravery and made fun of Custard, the dragon for being a coward. However, their bravery claims come
out as false as it is only Custard who faces the pirate boldly and gobbles him up.
(iv) When the pirate came, Belinda cried for help and became pale with fear. Mustard ran away with a
terrified cry and Ink trickled to the bottom of the house while Blink disappeared in his mouse hole.
Custard jumped in front of the pirate to fight him and showed how brave he was.
(v) No, Custard barely matched his appearance as he looked ferocious with sharp teeth and claws but he
actually was a coward. He always cried for a nice and safe cage and everyone laughed at him for his
cowardice.
(vi) Custard faced the pirate boldly. He jumped in front of the pirate to fight him and clashed his tail. The
pirate fired two bullets at him but missed both of them. Then Custard gobbled whole of the pirate and
left no trace of him.
3. After reading the given lines, we come to know that people who are really brave do not boast of their bravery.
When the opportunity comes, bravery and cowardice comes out into the open. The dragon does not mind
the boasting and the teasing of his companions. Perhaps, he wants to remain alone for some time.
So, he asks for a safe cage. However, when the pirate attacked them, all except the dragon were afraid.
The dragon attacked the pirate and killed him, showing his bravery. Therefore, the idea of bravery that the
poem gives is that brave persons do not boast of their bravery, but are brave in action. While those who
boast may actually be the real cowards.
56 English Language and Literature Class 10

Chapter 10 For Anne Gregory

1. A. (i) internal qualities

(ii) (a) Unconditional love
(iii) The old religious man quoted a text. According to the text it is only God who could love a person for
himself regardless of his appearance and other attributes.
(iv) The speaker of the above lines heard that only God can love everyone for their inner beauty.
B. (i) the poet, Anne Gregory
(ii) (b) Superficial love is a troubling concept
(iii) The young man in the poem praises the great honey-coloured hair of Anne. Anne’s hair have been
called ‘rampart’, meaning a wall. It is called so because they act as a wall as they present young man
from looking beyond these yellow hair and into her soul.
(iv) ‘Great honey-coloured ramparts at your ear’ is the line that uses metaphor.
2. (i) The young man in the poem praises the great honey-coloured hair of Anne. Anne’s hair have been
called rampart, meaning a wall. It is called so because her hair act as a wall, as they prevent young
men from looking into her soul. The speaker adds that young men are thrown into despair as her hair
are so attractive and pretty that they cannot look at anything else and hopelessly fall in love with her.
They love her for her yellow hair and not for her nature or personality.
(ii) All advice given by elders is crucial to young lives holds true for the poem. Anne had decided to
change her hair colour so that somebody would love her for herself alone. However, the speaker
informs her of an elder's advice that only God will love her for herself. This advice of an elder is crucial
for the younger generation as it makes them understand life.
(iii) The old religious man declared to the poet that he had found a text the previous night. In this text it is
written that only God is capable of looking beyond external beauty. Humans are always attracted
towards the physical appearance of a person and are not capable of looking beyond external beauty.
The old man wants to prove that only God can love a person for his inner beauty.
3. It is completely right to say that we love people because of their external appearance and not for their
good qualities or nature. The world today is full of showiness where people have become objects. Their
value is judged through their physical beauty or how they look. People are loved because they look
beautiful.
In the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ the poet asserts that Anne is loved for her beautiful yellow hair and not for
her personality. However, Anne Gregory does not want to be loved for her beauty. She is ready to get her
hair dyed to show the artificiality of her outward appearance. She wants to be loved for herself.
Anne’s wish does not get fulfilled. The poet tells her that it is only God who would love her for her internal
qualities. Humans will go on being tempted by her beautiful yellow hair.