Children (English Notes Chapter 9)

Stanza No. 1:

Word Meanings:

1. Perplexed - Complicated, Puzzled

2. Vanish - Disappear

Question Answers:

Q.1: What are the children doing?

Ans: The children are playing.

Q.2: What is the question that is disturbing the poet?

Ans: The poet is disturbed by the problems and difficulties in life.

Q.3: How has this question been answered?

Ans: Seeing the children playing happily and innocently, the poet does not feel that the difficulties are a burden any more and this thus the question that have perplexed him have disappeared.

Stanza No.2:

Word Meanings:

1. Ye - You 'Ye' is sometimes used in poetry for "you".

2. Swallow - A kind of small bird.

3. Brooks - Small streams

Question Answers:

Q.1: What does the poet mean by saying that the children open the windows that look to the east?

Ans: Just as a sun gives warmth and life to the earth so as a south of happiness is in the presence of children.

Q.2: With what does the poet compare the thoughts?

Ans: The poet compares the thoughts to singing swallows and flowing brooks.

Q.3: Why does he compare them so?

Ans: Singing swallows and following brooks are objects of nature-happy and care free. In the same way the children are untouched by the problems of modern living and are happy and care free.

 

Stanza No.3:

Word Meanings:

1.      Autumn - Season before winter when leaves turn yellow and fall.

Question Answers:

Q.1: How can the birds and the sunshine be in the hearts of the children? What does the poet mean?

Ans: When the poet says that the birds and the sunshine are in the hearts of children he means that they are happy and care free.

Q.2: The poet says that the children are thinking of the brooks while he is thinking of autumn. What does it mean?

Ans: The poet says that children are thinking of brooks because they are young and free from worries and troubles.

He is in the autumn of life for he is old and heavy and approaching the end of his life.

Q.3: Is the poet using the word autumn for old age?

Ans: Yes, he is using the word autumn for old age. Autumn is the season before winter when the leaves turn yellow and fall. In the same way in old age the body becomes weak and less active and finally gives way.

Q.4: What other words does the poet use to show the coming of old age upon him?

Ans: The first fall of snow shows the coming of old age upon him.

Q.5: How are the children different from the poet?

Ans: The children are young and full of life and energy, without a care in the world. While the poet is old, tired and full of worries.

Stanza No. 5-6:

Word Meanings:

1. Tender - Delicate

2. Trunk - Main stem or part of a tree, the thick bark of a tree.

Question Answers:

Q.1: What would happen to the trees if there were no leaves?

Ans: If there were no leaves, the trees would lose their beauty, color and life.

Q.2: What would happen to us if there were no children?

Ans: If there are no children, our lives would be dull, barren and absolutely lifeless.

 

Stanza No. 7:

Word Meanings:

1. Whisper - To speak slowly

2. Atmosphere - Air

Question Answers:

Q.1: Why does the poet ask the children to come to him?

Ans: The poet asks the children to come to him so that h could get joy and happiness from their company and for the time being forgets about his worries and troubles.

Q.2: What songs does the poet wish to be whispered in the ear?

Ans: The poet loves to hear the innocent talk of the children and asks them to come to him so that he could enjoy their natural sincere hatter.

Stanza No. 8:

Word Meanings:

1. Contriving - Devices, invention

2. Wisdom - Quality of being wise.

3. Caresses - Love or affection, kiss, embrace

Question Answers:

Q.1: The grown up people have wisdom and books. What do the children have?

Ans: The children have innocent happy looks and are full of affection and warmth.

Stanza No. 9:

Word Meanings:

1.      Ballads - Simple songs with a story, poems containing old stories.

Question Answers:

Q.1: With what does the poet compare the children?

Ans: The poet compares the children with ballads.

Q.2: How can the children can be like the ballads and the poems?

Ans: Ballads and the poems give one phase and happiness. In the same way children are source of joy and happiness.

Q.3: The poet calls the children living and the rest all dead. Why does he say this?

Ans: Ballads and poems consist only of words, where as children are living human beings and are full of life and energy.

Q.4: How are children important for elders?

Ans: Children are important for elders because without them life would be dull and their care free and their happy ways help elders to forget there troubles, their caresses brings sun shine in to the life of the old people.