Question

Read the extract and complete the activities given below:

Weavers, weaving at break of day, Why do you weave a garment so gay ?........ Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild, We weave the robes of a new-born child. Weavers, weaving at fall of night, Why do you weave a garment so bright?........ Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green, We weave the marriage-veils of a queen. Weavers, weaving solemn and still, What do you weave in the moonlight chill. ....... White as a feather and white as a cloud, We weave a dead man's funeral shroud.

A1. The weavers offer answers to the questions asked by the poetess in each stanza. Write your understanding from that.  (2)

A2. Discuss the various products made by the weavers in the poem.  (2)

A3. Express your views about the present conditions of weavers.   (2)

A4. Write the rhyme scheme used in each stanza.   (2)

A5. Compose 2-4 lines on 'Importance of clothes' with the help of the following words:   (2)
[attire, confidence, mood, celebration]

Answer 1

A1. If the weavers' responses are carefully analysed, it becomes clear that a bird is mentioned in some of them. It makes mention of the cloth's brightness and weight. The cloth is soft and light as feathers.

A2. The weavers were sewing brightly coloured cloth for the newborn at the crack of dawn. They were weaving the purple and green fabric for a queen's wedding veil as twilight fell. They were weaving a white cloth to serve as a shroud for the dead man's body during the time of the chilly night.

A3. Earlier, weaving held a high position in society, leading to widespread recognition of various types of cloth or fabrics. However, when power looms became more commonplace, problems for weavers emerged with industrialization. The craftsman is thus still unrecognised, their work is undervalued, and they are now living in poverty.

A4. First stanza - aabb ; Second stanza - ccdd ; Third stanza - eeff

A5. Importance of Clothes

The attire shows what a person is
Cloths bring confidence and protection
The colour, reflection of mood is
Fabric celebrates every celebration