Question
Explain why the poem begins with the poet remembering the night.
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Answer
The poem begins with the poet remembering the night because the whole incident that is narrated in the poem was very memorable and took place in the night. It created a strong impression on the poet.
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May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours
more insects, and the endless rain.
Complete the following table :
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours
more insects, and the endless rain.
Complete the following table :
| Background/setting of the poem | |
| Type | Evidence (Quote lines from the extract) |
| Rural | |
Besides those given in the extract, what other gifts has God blessed mankind with above His other creations? Enlist them.
With the help of the poem, complete the web, highlighting the good values/habits which we can learn from animals :
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms We have imagined for the mighty dead: All lovely tales that we have heard or read: An endless fountain of immortal drink Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink. Nor do we merely feel these essences For one short hour; no, even as the trees That whisper round a temple become soon Dear as the temple's self, so does the moon, The passion poesy, glories infinite,
Haunt us till they become a cheering light Unto our souls, and bound to us so fast.
That, whether there be shine, or gloom o'ercast They always must be with us, or we die.
Haunt us till they become a cheering light Unto our souls, and bound to us so fast.
That, whether there be shine, or gloom o'ercast They always must be with us, or we die.
List the things which express sorrow from the extract:
the meaning of 'Where words come out from the depth of truth'?Explain in your own words
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) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion. | |
| (c) evil versus good |
From what darkness of night should our nation awake?
Why did God withhold the gift of 'Rest' from man?
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.
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 | |
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 |