English

How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock? - English Elective - NCERT

Advertisements
Advertisements

Question

How does the poem capture the elusive nature of the peacock?

Short Note

Solution

The peacock, as the poet narrates, is not so easy to find. Its elusive nature makes one work really hard to get a glimpse of it. The poet says that she was told that one has to sit in the veranda and read a book, preferably a favourite one, with great concentration. The moment the person begins to live inside the book and forgets about the surroundings, the peacock descends casting a blue shadow over the person. The steady humming of the bees in the nearby bushes will stop, the cat will awaken and stretch. The attention will brake and then one has to look up in time else the peacock will disappear again somewhere for it is evanescent. Even when one gets to see it once, the peacock runs out of sight quickly gathering its tail.

shaalaa.com
Reading Skills
  Is there an error in this question or solution?
Chapter 2.01: The Peacock - Understanding the Poem [Page 108]

APPEARS IN

NCERT English (Elective) - Woven Words
Chapter 2.01 The Peacock
Understanding the Poem | Q 4 | Page 108

RELATED QUESTIONS

What were Helen’s memories of Radcliffe?


Read the passage carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 True or False

(i) Cross-cutting swords were used to seal the wall.
(ii) Hearing Mataprasad’s footsteps the cobra glided out of the wall.

                                               Passage
“Go, tell Neel,” I whispered to Akhil. “Tell him to get help.
”While I waited, I prayed that Rex would not make any sudden movements. The cobra would lash out in swift, sure revenge. I do not know how long I stood there, riveted by the horrifying tableau being enacted before me. At last, I heard footsteps coming along the passage. It was Mataprasad, the mali, with a solid reassuring stick.

At the sound of his approach, the cobra lowered its head and glided out of a hole in the wall.
 
The next day, masons came to seal the hole through which the cobra had slid in. And men in gumboots armed with scythes and grass-cutting swords cleaned up the compound. They hacked away at the tall grass. And what had lain hidden for years surfaced. For instance, we discovered that someone had laid out a badminton court many years ago. And we discovered a grave. It was a small grave, close to the boundary wall. There was a moss blackened stone at its head with just the faintest trace of the words engraved on it. We identified the words with our fingers.

A2  Mention the two things that were found when the tall grass was hacked.

A3 The narrator prayed that Rex should not make any sudden movements meets. Explain giving reasons.

Read the following passage carefully and do the given activities:
A.1) True or False:

Write the statements and state whether they are true or false:
(i)
Those who choose to live well must help others.
(ii)
If neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily improve the quality.
(iii)
The farmer grew award-winning corn.
(iv)
The reporter discovered that the farmer didn’t share his seed corn with his neighbors. 

             There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his sweet corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked. 
             “Why sir”, said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches.
              The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. 

A.2) Consequences:
Write the consequences:
(i) The farmer shares the corn. 
(ii) The farmer doesn’t share the corn. 

A.3) Antonyms:
Find out the words opposite in meaning from the passage: 
(i)
superior x _______ 
(ii)
lost x _______ 
(iii)
improve x _______ 
(iv)
inconstantly x _______ 

A.4)  Language study:
(i)
We must help our neighbors. (Replace the modal auxiliary showing advice). 
(ii) The wind picks up pollen from ripening corn and swirls it field to field. (Use “not only…….. but also” and rewrite)

A.5)  Personal Response: 
What do you learn from the story? Suggest a suitable title.


Notice these expression in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.
billowed


Guess the meaning of the following word:
Kora
In which language are these word found? 


Tick the statement that is true.

Rajendra Desphande was a historical event.


Tick the statement that is true.

The story tries to relate history to Science.


Why did the narrator of the story want to forget the address?


Explain the line:
She makes too much steam–you want to hang the monkey wrench on the safety valve!


When we look at the sky, we find several objects. They stand for something or the other. Complete the following table by finding the significance of the given objects. One example is given to you.

Celestial Bodies Association
The Sun Power, Heat, Energy, Commitment, etc.
The Moon  
The Rainbow  
The Stars  

In Gujarat, the kite - festival is celebrated to welcome the Spring.


Complete the following statements with the help of the text.

To learn about meditation, you have to see ____________________________________________________________ Watch your thinking. Do not ________________________ Do not ____________________________________ Begin to learn ______________________________ Just watch thought. Do not ____________________________________________________.


The consequences of Oberon’s jealousy for Titania are comic rather than tragic. Comment.


Read about the novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe and ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift.


Read the passage and answer the following:

Who is the main character in the story?


If you were to draw a landscape on the basis of this poem, what elements will you show in it? What colours will you use?


Read the ode ‘To Autumn’ by the famous poet John Keats. ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...’


Note that most of the time well-known works are parodied, because people can enjoy the parody better when they know the original. Try to find more examples of parodies in English or other languages.


Find out how the following game is played.

Hockey 


Who used the zither and how?


Hamid’s friends enjoyed the ride in the merry-go-round. But Hamid didn’t go on it. Why?


Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was sick; then he could stay home from school. He examined himself. He found no symptoms or sickness, and he investigated again. This time he felt he had a stomach ache, but it soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected further.

What did he detect?


Work in groups of five. Tell the story in ten sentences.

You can begin the story like this:

The author’s Grandfather served in the Indian Forest Service.

After his retirement he built ______ Now continue the story. Each one should say one sentence.


The boar slept until the fading sun told him it was time to get up. What does the phrase until the fading sun mean?


Jana and her family moved to the village _______ ago.


What did Rani want to become?


While listening to the story, what did Alice see?


What did Helen learn when the teacher put her hand into running water?


What was the most important thing that Helen finally understood?


Make groups of 10-15. In this game, each person writes three sentences about himself/herself, two of which are true and the third one is a lie. Read aloud your sentences, while others guess which two are true and which is a lie.

Examples: Hello, everyone! I am Sonali. I have a brother and a sister. I live in Amalner. We have a pet dog at home.

In the game ‘Two Truths, One Lie!’, it is necessary to use details which can be verified to see whether they are true or false. For example, you cannot use sentences like ‘I once had a blue sweater.’


Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×