प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class - 12
English Elective
8. Blood – Kamala Das
Q1. What makes the depiction of a crumbling village house so
authentic in the poem? Is this a common feature of most village houses in the
context of rapid urbanisation? Is the poetess speaking from actual experience?
Ans-
The poet remembers her childhood days when she lived with her brother and great
grandmother in the village. She says that their house was three hundred years
old which was falling into little bits in front of their eyes. The walls were
cracked and torn and moistened by the rains. The tiles had fallen here and
there and the windows were damaged. The rats came out of the holes and rushed
past the doors. The real life and minute details of a crumbling village house
makes the depiction so authentic in the poem.
Yes,
this is a common feature of most village houses in the context of rapid
urbanisation. There is poverty and unemployment in the village. People have
migrated from villages to towns and cities. Villagers also move to cities for
higher education and jobs. Nobody cares to return to the villages and repair
their dilapidated houses.
Yes,
the poet is speaking from actual experience she used to live with her great
grandmother in the village.
Q2. What aspects of Indian society and history get highlighted
in the poem?
Ans-
The poem portrays the concept of joint families in India. Children used to stay
with their grandparents. They used to play under the open sky drawing birds and
animals on the sands. People were very religious and worshiped Lord Shiva and
snake gods. Children were very attached to their grandparents. The elders of
the family used to educate the children about their tradition and culture. The
elderly people had a strong affinity towards their houses and property. The
three hundred year old house is a rich heritage. Thus, the great grandmother
and the house both highlight the great rich Indian society and history.
Q3. Does the poem bring out the contrast between tradition and
modernity? Illustrate your answer with examples from the poem.
Ans-
Yes, the poetess has drawn a contrast between tradition and modernity in this
poem. She highlights traditions through her grandmother and modernity is
represented by herself. Traditional people are emotionally attached with their
houses and hearth. The grandmother's house was three hundred years old and was
crumbling into bits. She wanted to get it repaired. The grandmother talked
about jewels, apparels, perfumes, oils and many other things. The poet's
grandmother told her that they had the oldest blood in the world- a blood thin
and clear and fine.
Modernity
is just contrary to traditions. Modern people would make promises in hurry but
never keep their words as the poetess had done in this poem. She had promised
that she would repair the house but shifted to the city immediately after the
death of her grandmother.
Q4. While the poetess respected her grandmother's sentiments of
royal grandeur, we can also see that she revolts against it. Identify the lines
which bring this out.
Ans-
The favourite person and theme of Kamala Das's writings is her great
grandmother. Her grandmother taught her to love, forgive and devote. She was
able to see the helplessness, pain, defeat and miseries of her grandmother. So
she promised to rebuild the royal ancestral three hundred years old house which
her grandmother desired. But with the passage of time, she came to know earning
money is not easy. She felt the house being scattered into pieces and external
forces weakening the foundation of the house.
The
lines that show the respect of the poetess to the grandmother are-when I grow
old, I said/and very very rich/l shall rebuild the fallen walls/And make new
this ancient house. The lines that show the revolt of the poetess are-l set
forth again/for other towns/left the house with the shrine/And the sands/And
the flowering shrubs/ And the wide rabid mouth of the Arabian sea.
Q5. Which lines reveal the poetess' criticism of class
distinctions?
Ans-
The poetess' criticism of class distinctions is revealed in the lines in which
the poetess refers to the blood of the poor as thin, clear and fine which
symbolise genuine and selfless love. This type of blood flows in the veins of
the poor section of society. She refers to the blood of the affluent section of
society as governed by profit and loss motives. On the contrary in the veins of
rich men flows the blood thick as gruel and muddy as a ditch.
Q6. Is it 'selfishness' and 'callousness' that makes the poetess
break her childhood promise to her grandmother of renovating the house? Why
does she do nothing about rebuilding the house?
Ans-
No, it is not 'selfishness' or 'callousness' that makes the poet break her
childhood promise to her grandmother of renovating the house. When the poetess
is old she had learnt the lessons of defeat. Now she realised that to grow rich
was a difficult task. Though she wanted to renovate the house, she could not
collect the money for it.
Q7. What do you understand of the conflict in the poetess'
conscience?
Ans-
There is a conflict in the poet's conscience. She had promised her grandmother
that she would repair and renovate her crumbling house which was three hundred
years old. But when she grew old she realised that to earn money was a very
difficult feat. Though she wanted to repair the house, she could not fulfill
her promise. She confesses that people can call her callous or selfish but they
cannot blame her blood. She had the oldest blood in the world. She could see
the old house crumbling into bits in front of her own eyes.
Q8. What is the message of the poetess to the readers in the
poem 'Blood"?
Ans-
In the poem 'Blood', the poetess gives a message to the readers to think about
the promises they make and their failure to get them fulfilled. The poetess
also exhorts the readers that they should keep carrying the good qualities and
cultural heritage. They should not only maintain heritage but also develop it.
If the readers fail to bridge the gap, it will become a vast gap between
traditional customs and the present generation.
Q9. How does the poetess describe her childhood days?
Ans-
The poetess remembers her childhood days very curiously. She remembers that her
days of childhood were full of fun and enjoyment. In her childhood, she was
accompanied by her brother. She happily rediscovers that she would play in sand
and draw birds and animals. The description of a childhood in the beginning of
the poem gives the poem a unique touch. She was brought up before the vast
Arabian Sea-she gives a picturesque description of all her childhood days.
Q 10. What does the poetess tell about her grandmother?
Ans-
The poetess speaks nostalgically about her grandmother.
She
says that her grandmother was a simple lady. She had no desires in the world.
She was a very religious person. Her only companion was God because she became
a widow the next year of her marriage. In her childhood her grandmother used to
live like a princess, rode on elephants, and always went to temple. She had a
lot of jewels, brocade from the north,every kind of oil, perfume and sandal
which were available at that time.
Q 11. What does the poetess request her grandmother at the end
of the poem?
Ans-
At the end of the poem, the poetess is depressed as she has disappointed her
grandmother and has destroyed her dreams. Therefore, she even asks her grandmother
to call her callous and selfish. But she wants the grandmother not to blame
her.
The
poetess says that she got her moral values and traditions from her ancestors.
So even today, they are pure and pious. She assures her grandmother that
whatever she had preached to her in childhood, she retained them including
moral values and ethics though she could not keep her promise.
Q 12. What were the concerns of the grandmother regarding the
house?
Ans-
The grandmother was deeply attached to the three hundred years old ancestral
house. This concern was clearly visible on her face. Her concern was about the
falling of the house into bits. The grandmother told the poetess that the house
was three hundred years old and turning into pieces. The grandmother was
helpless. She regretted that everything in the house was cracking- the snake
shrine, the doors and the windows. She was not only worried but also cried for
the house which brought tears in her eyes. Seeing the worries of the
grandmother, Kamala Das as a little child promised to rebuild the house. Her
grandmother smiled and touched her cheeks at this innocent promise.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Who has composed the poem 'Blood'?
a.
Amrita Pritam
b.
A.K. Ramanujan
c. Kamala Das
d.
Jayant Mahapatra
2. When was Kamala Das born?
a. 1934
b.
1944
c.
1954
d.
1964
3. Where was Kamala Das born?
a. Kerala
b.
Jharkhand
c.
Uttar Pradesh
d.
Madhya Pradesh
4. When did Kamala Das pass away?
a.
2006
b.
2007
c.
2008
d. 2009
5. What is Kamala Das best known for?
a. Her Feminist writings
b.
Her Socialist writings
c.
Her Dalit writings
d.
None of the above
6. In which language did Kamala Das write?
a. Malayalam
b.
Punjabi
c.
Bengali
d.
Marathi
7. Which award did Kamala Das get for the best collection of
short stories in Malayalam?
a. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
b.
The Jharkhand Sahitya Akademi Award
c.
The Bihar Sahitya Akademi Award
d.
None of the above
8. Which award did Kamala Das receive for her fearless journalism?
a. Chaman Lal Award
b.
Raman Lal Awar
c.
Shyam Lal Award
d.
Pyare Lal Award
9. Which time is mentioned by Kamala Das in the beginning lines
of the poem?
a. Her childhood
b.
Her young age
c.
Her old age
d.
None of the above
10. Who is not mentioned in the poem?
a.
Kamala Das' brother
b. Kamala Das' sister
c.
Kamala Das' great-grandmother
d.
All of the above
11. What is the main concern of Kamla Das' great-grandmother?
a. Her old house
b.
Her old jewellery
c.
Her old clothes
d.
Her old utensils
12. How old is Kamala Das' ancestral house?
a.
One hundred year old
b.
Two hundred year old
c. Three hundred year old
d.
Four hundred year old
13. What is the condition of Kamala Das' ancestral house?
a.
Good
b.
Better
c. Bad
d.
None of the above
14. What promise did Kamla Das make to her great- grandmother?
a. To rebuild the ancient house
b.
To sell the ancient house
c.
To make a new house
d.
To buy a new house
15. Which animal did Kamala Das' great-grandmother ride?
a.
Horse
b.
Camel
c. Elephant
d.
None of the above
16. Which shrine did Kamla Das' great-grandmother go to every
Monday?
a.
The Durga Shrine
b. The Siva Shrine
c.
The Ram Shrine
d.
The Hanuman Shrine
17. How did the husband of Kamala Das' great-grandmother die?
a. Due to fever
b.
Due to cancer
c.
Due to jaundice
d.
Due to T.B.
18. Who has the oldest blood in the world according to Kamla
Das' great-grandmother?
a.
Kamla Das' great-grandmother
b.
Kamla Das' brother
c.
Kamla Das herself
d. All of the above
19. What was the age of Kamla Das' great-grandmother when she
died?
a. Eighty six
b.
Eighty seven
c.
Eighty eight
d.
Eighty nine
20. Why does Kamala Das ask for forgiveness from her
great-grandmother?
a. Because she did not rebuild the ancient house
b.
Because she did not sell the ancient house
c.
Because she did not make a new house
d. Because she did not buy a new house
JCERT/JAC English Elective प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
English Elective Contents
Short Stories | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
Poetry | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
7. | |
8. | |
Non-Fiction | |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
4. | |
5. | |
6. | |
Drama | |
1. | |
2. | |
Novel | |
1. | |
2. | |
