11 HORNBILL POEM 2 MARKS

 Poem – A Photograph (by Shirley Toulson) 

1. Who are the persons in the photograph?
The photograph shows the poet’s mother as a little girl with her two cousins. They were standing on the beach enjoying their holiday, while their parents took the picture many years ago.

2. What does the cardboard refer to in the poem?
The word cardboard refers to the photograph mounted on thick paper. It holds the memory of the poet’s mother’s childhood. Though time has passed, the photograph has preserved that moment forever.

3. Who has not changed over the year?
The sea in the photograph has not changed over the years. While the poet’s mother grew old and later died, the sea remained the same, unchanged, eternal, and everlasting in nature.

4. What do you infer about feelings of poet in the poem ‘A Photograph’?
The poet feels sad, nostalgic, and lonely while looking at the photograph of her mother. She remembers her mother’s childhood, her laughter, and laments her death. The poem reflects deep grief and the permanence of loss.

5. What impression can you form about the mother of the poet?
The poet’s mother appears to be cheerful, playful, and full of life in her childhood. Later, as an adult, she looked back at her photograph with nostalgia. She was a loving, kind woman, remembered fondly by the poet.

Poem – The Laburnum Top

1. What is the colour of Laburnum tree in September?
In September, the Laburnum tree turns yellow. Its leaves lose their green colour and become pale. The whole tree looks dry, silent, and lifeless, waiting for something to bring life again.

2. Why the laburnum tree become yellow in the month of September?
The Laburnum tree becomes yellow in September because it is autumn. In this season, leaves dry and fall. The tree loses its greenery and looks silent, showing the natural change that happens during this time.

3. What was compared with Goldfinch movement?
The quick movement of the goldfinch bird is compared with a lizard. Just like a lizard runs fast and smooth on walls, the goldfinch enters the branches quickly and silently. The comparison shows its sudden and swift movement.

4. How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit?
When the goldfinch comes, the tree changes completely. It becomes alive with sounds and movements. The bird feeds its young ones, and they start chirping loudly. The once silent and dry tree looks full of life and activity.

5. What is the engine of the machine? What is its fuel?
The engine of the machine is the goldfinch bird. The tree and nest work like a machine. The bird’s chittering, feeding, and movements are like fuel, which gives energy and life to the silent tree.

 Poem – The Voice of Rain (by Walt Whitman) 

1. What will happen if it doesn't rain?
If it doesn’t rain, the earth will become dry and lifeless. Seeds will not grow, trees will not flourish, and life on earth will suffer. Rain is necessary to keep nature alive and beautiful.

2. How does the shower fall?
The shower falls softly and gently from the sky. It comes down like drops that bring life to the earth. The rain falls silently but refreshes everything it touches, giving energy and beauty to nature.

3. What took the shape of showers in the sky?
Vapour rising from land and sea took the shape of showers. It went high up in the sky, changed into clouds, and came back as rain. This is the natural cycle of water in nature.

4. What happens when the rain falls on the seeds?
When the rain falls on the seeds, they sprout and grow into plants. The rain gives them life, nourishment, and strength. Without rain, the seeds would remain dry and dead, unable to grow into living plants.

5. What does the rain wash?
The rain washes dust, dirt, and dryness from the earth. It cleans the land, air, and trees. Everything looks fresh and green after rain. It makes the surroundings pure, lively, and full of energy again.

6. What makes the earth beautiful?
The rain makes the earth beautiful. It gives life to seeds, trees, and flowers. It refreshes nature, fills rivers and lakes, and creates greenery everywhere. Rain completes the cycle of life and keeps the world attractive.

r Poem – Childhood by Markus Natten

1. What does the poet experience about the adults?
The poet feels adults are hypocrites. They talk about love, faith, and honesty, but their actions are often false. They do not follow what they preach, which makes the poet doubt their sincerity and truthfulness.

2. What was the thing that poet couldn't find in the books of Geography?
The poet could not find Heaven and Hell in his Geography books. He realized they are not real physical places but only imaginary ideas created by people to control or guide others in the name of religion.

3. What according to the poem Childhood is involved in the process of growing up?
According to the poem, childhood involves losing innocence and gaining awareness. A child slowly understands truth, hypocrisy, and reality. Growing up means questioning old beliefs, finding one’s own identity, and seeing the world in a practical way.

4. What happened when the poet Markus Natten completed eleven years of his age?
When Markus Natten turned eleven, he began to question life. He realized Heaven and Hell were unreal, adults were not honest, and childhood innocence was fading. It marked the beginning of his journey into maturity and awareness.

5. Why does the poet feel that Heaven and Hell are not real places?
The poet feels Heaven and Hell are not real because Geography books showed no such places on earth. They were only imaginary beliefs. This realization marked his loss of childhood innocence and the growth of logical thinking.

6. What does the child think about the adult in the poem “Childhood”?
The child thinks adults are dishonest. They talk about love and values but do not practice them. Their behavior shows hypocrisy, and this makes the child feel that growing up means losing innocence and becoming less truthful.

7. Which do you think is the most important step towards adulthood? Why?
The most important step towards adulthood is realizing the truth. When a child learns to think logically, question beliefs, and see hypocrisy, he matures. Understanding reality and developing one’s own ideas are the real signs of adulthood.

8. What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up?
According to the poem, growing up means loss of childhood innocence, questioning religious beliefs, and understanding hypocrisy of adults. It is about learning the difference between truth and lies, becoming mature, and accepting responsibilities in life.

9. What is the poet’s feeling towards childhood?
The poet feels childhood is precious and pure. It is a time of innocence, honesty, and imagination. He misses his childhood and wonders where it has gone, as adulthood brings awareness, hypocrisy, and loss of simplicity.

10. Where has his childhood gone according to the poet?
According to the poet, his childhood has gone to a forgotten place, hidden in an infant’s innocent face. It now lives only in memory, and he cannot get it back. Childhood is lost once maturity begins.

11. Bring out the hypocrisy that the adults exhibit with regard to love.
Adults talk about love, faith, and kindness, but they do not truly follow it. They show selfishness, dishonesty, and false behavior. Their words and actions do not match, which shows the hypocrisy of adulthood.

12. According to Markus Natten, when does the Child become an adult?
According to Markus Natten, a child becomes an adult when he turns eleven. At this age, he begins to think logically, question old beliefs, and understand the difference between appearance and reality.

13. Describe the different stages of human development that are discussed in the poem ‘Childhood’?
The poem discusses childhood, where innocence and imagination exist. Then comes adolescence, where doubts arise, logic develops, and hypocrisy is noticed. Finally comes adulthood, where one understands reality, takes responsibility, and accepts that childhood is gone forever.

 Poem – Father to Son by Elizabeth Jennings 

1. Why does father feel like a stranger with his son?
The father feels like a stranger because he no longer understands his son. Though they live under the same roof, their thoughts, interests, and feelings are very different. The emotional distance makes the father feel separated from him.

2. What is the father’s problem in the poem ‘Father to Son’?
The father’s problem is that he cannot communicate with his son. He fails to understand his ideas and feelings. Their relationship lacks closeness, and he feels helpless, sad, and lonely because of this growing gap between them.

3. What does father intend to do in order to understand his son?
The father intends to build a bridge of understanding with his son. He wants to forgive past mistakes, reduce distance, and develop communication. He wishes to share love and affection so that their relationship becomes close again.

4. Why can’t the father understand what his son speaks?
The father cannot understand his son because their way of thinking and expressing is different. The son talks in a language of his own generation, which the father fails to connect with. This creates a communication gap.