Unit 4 - 4.1 A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever — English STD 10 — Question

Is the poem a prayer for India alone?

My mother twisted through and through, groaning on a mat
My father, sceptic rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing. powder, mixture, herb and hybrid,
He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame
the poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.
My mother only said Thank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my children.

Complete the following table:

Background/setting of the poem
Type	Evidence (Quote lines from the extract)
Rural

Complete the following table :

Background/setting of the poem
Type	Evidence (guote lines from the extract)
Rural

The last (7th) stage of life sounds very sad and miserable. How can you make old age also cheerful and happy?

Find out the expression from the extract that indicates funny moments:

Every stanza begins with the word 'if'. How does it add to the effectiveness of the poem?

Complete the following:
In order to achieve success, the poet wants us to
(a) ________________
(b) ___________________
(c) _____________________

What does God want in return from man for the gifts He has bestowed on him?

What should the words we speak reflect?

From the extract provide evidence for the following:

Stages	Evidence (lines from the extract)
(a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother's pain
(b) evil versus good