CBSE Class 9

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 5 Mystery Chapter 4 Harry Potter are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 5 Mystery Chapter 4 Harry Potter.

CBSE Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 5 Mystery Chapter 4 Harry Potter

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 104)

Question 1.
Listen to the following conversation adapted from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J. K. Rowling. As you listen to the excerpt, complete the following statements.

1. Aunt Petunia did not like her sister and brother-in-law as ………. .
2. Harry’s mother had met his father at ………. .
3. Harry had been told that his parents had ………. ,This was not the truth as ………. .
4. The name of the Wizard who killed Harry Potter’s parents was ………. .
5. Hagrid was reluctant to name ………. ,and called him ………. .
6. Harry got the scar on his forehead when ………. .

Answer :

1. they were a witch and a wizard respectively
2. a school
3. died in a car crash … they had been killed by a wizard named Voldemort
4. Voldemort
5. the murderer of Harry Potter’s parents … Voldemort
6. an evil curse touched him and he became powerful.

Question 2.
Film / Book Review
The aim of writing a film review is to judge a film or a book and inform the viewer / reader about it. The reviewer talks about the subject of the film / book being reviewed and how the film maker or director / author has handled the subject. At times the reviewer’s aim is to arouse the interest of the viewer / reader so that she / he wishes to see the film / read the book.Sometimes, the reviewer warns the viewer/ reader why she / he should not see or read a particular film / book. Write a review of a Harry Potter film / book or an episode of Malgudi Days that you have seen.
You must include :

• the name of the film / book
• the cast / director / writer
• the important characters
• a very brief outline of the film / book
• why the film/ book was worth seeing or reading / not worth seeing or reading.

Sources :

1. //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda-Triangle//
2. /www.bermuda-triangle.org/
3. /www.bermudatrianglemystery.net./

Write a review of a Harry Potter film / book or an episode of Malgudi Days that you have seen.
Answer :
Students to write the review on their own of the film, a book or an episode as asked, on the guidelines given here.
Some information is given here to enable them to write the review.
1. Harry Potter :
A series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J.K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger – students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – main story concerns Harry’s quandary involving the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry’s parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people – thus a fight between good and evil. Good symbolised by Harry through being humble; virtuous evil symbolised by Voldemort.

Main theme is death, though the novels have many genres including fantasy, love, prejudice etc – themes of normality, oppression, survival, overcoming odds, making one’s way through adolescence also possible. Novels on Harry Potter have been a grand commercial success due to having been filmed and converted into video games – richer than Queen Elizabeth II – best seller for children’s literature in 2000.

Novels received praise but also criticism and controversy like: written for people whose imaginative lives are confined to TV cartoons, soaps, reality TV and celebrity gossip; good and evil theme merely childish.

2. Malgudi Days Episode : A Hero :
The protagonist, a 13-year old boy, very coward, afraid of ghosts, shadows, can’t sleep alone, father asks to shed cowardice, makes him sleep in his study – protagonist can’t sleep, winks and swears oaths in anger – a thief enters – gathers courage  catches his leg and cries – thief caught – protagonist declared ‘a hero’. Simple plot, rural and village setting, educative in taste, entertaining, touches sentiments of all, humorous in what the protagonist mumbles while cursing and trying to sleep alone.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 5 Mystery Chapter 4 Harry Potter help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 5 Mystery Chapter 4 Harry Potter, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 2 Chapter 2 The Sound of the Shell are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 2 Chapter 2 The Sound of the Shell.

CBSE Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 2 Adventure Chapter 2 The Sound of the Shell

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 30)

Question 1.
Listen to the first part of the tape, and answer the two questions you are asked.
Then listen to the rest of the tape, and answer the following questions :
(a) Now that you have heard the rest of the extract, what do you think happened to the boys ? What do you think happened to the plane they were flying in ?
(b) What happened to the other part of the plane ?
(c) How did Ralph attract the attention of the other boys ? .
(d) What were the names of the first three boys who came to the meeting ?
(e ) Why do you think groups of boys were marching in two parallel lines ?
(f) Do you think there were any adults on the island ? Why / Why not ?
(g) Can you predict what happened to the boys next ? For example, how did they organise themselves ? What about shelter and food ?
Answer :

They have been dropped on the island by an aeroplane :
(a) The boys have landed on an unnamed island safely. The plane in which they were flying was in flames. It must have fallen into the sea after being shot at.
(b) The other part of the plane might have been blown off or destroyed.
(c) Ralph attracted the attention of the other boys by blowing into the conch.
(d) The names of the first three boys who came to the meeting were Johnny, Sam and Eric.
(e) They were marching in two parallel lines because Jack, their leader, had asked them to do so, and he was leading them too.
(f) There were probably no adults on the island. The pilot was an adult but he did not land here. Perhaps he had thought it better not to land there due to safety reasons.
(g) The prediction is difficult to make. However, one thing is clear. It is that the boys had the capacity to survive. Jack had the leader-like qualities. He could organize other boys well. First of all, all of them together must have searched for shelter and food to live on. The island seemed to be unnamed and uninhabited. Also there seemed to be no inhabitants there. So there was danger to them. They probably found some cave to live in.

Question 2.
Imagine that you are one of the boys, and that the map on the next page is the island on which you have landed. Your most urgent task is to decide where to live. Work in groups of four ; decide where to set up camp, and the materials you will use. Be prepared to justify your choices to the rest of the class.

Answer :
(In the form of dialogues among a group of boys) :
Sonu : I think that this island seems uninhabited. No one knows when we may be rescued. I suggest to first select a safe and suitable place to remain till we are rescued. It must be near the fresh-water spring. There should be fruit trees nearby. The nearness of the caves can be to our advantage. Such a place can be in the eastern middle part of the island.
Anu : What about the materials to build up a hut ?
Sonu : We can get wood and dry grass from near the trees.
Rohit : Where shall we have water to drink ?
Sonu : We can have it from the river, though it is at much distance.
Punit : That is not good because we cannot cover a long distance. There is also a swamp nearby.
Sonu : The swamp is in between the two rivers. The nearby caves can serve our needs.
Anu : Perhaps we ought to be near the sea beach. A rescue team may find us easily. I suggest another place to north-west, near the caves.
Sonu : That is not good because the fresh water would be at a great distance. Water cannot be stored by us. Besides, the hills can be to our advantage. We can attract the attention of the rescue party flying overhead from the hills. Moreover, there are cliffs hanging over the beach to the southern side also. These will enable us to watch this side far and wide. The vast stretch to the north east side opening on the sea can supply us fish etc.
Rohit : Yes, that’s a good idea. We should camp where Sonu suggests. (All agree).
All in a chords : So, let us prepare to set up the camp to the south-east, in between the river and caves near the beach.
Note :
Students are advised to spot the place indicated in the above dialogue on the map given in the Main Coursebook on

They themselves can see its suitability for the safety of the party till it is rescued. Alternatively, students can select some other place in the map and discuss its suitability.

Question 3.
The last part of the extract that you have just heard is given below. Notice how the author creates interest through a step-by-step organization of his ideas.
Answer :

Question 4.
The next part of the story is given below. Punctuate it, remember to use quotation marks (“ ”) when people speak. they were dressed in strangely eccentric clothing shorts shirts and different garments they carried in their hands their bodies from throat to ankle were hidden by black cloaks which bore a long silver cross on the left breast the boy who controlled them came forward vaulted on to the platform with his cloak flying and peered into what was almost complete darkness wheres the man with the trumpet ralph sensing his sun blindness answered him theres no man with a trumpet only me the boy came close and peered down at ralph screwing up his face as he did so he turn quickly isnt there a ship then he was tall thin and bony his face was crumpled and freckled out of his face stared two light blue eyes frustrated now and turning or ready to turn to anger isn’t there a man here ralph spoke to his back no were having a meeting come and join us
Answer :
They were dressed in strangely eccentric clothing—shorts, shirts, and different garments they carried in their hands. Their bodies from throat to ankle were hidden by black cloaks, which bore a long silver cross on the left breast. The boy who controlled them came forward, vaulted on to the platform with his cloak flying, and peered into what was almost complete darkness.
“Where’s the man with the trumpet ?”
Ralph, sensing his sun-blindness, answered him.
“There’s no man with a trumpet, only me.”
The boy came close and peered down at Ralph.
Screwing up his face as he did so, he turned quickly, “Isn’t there a ship, then ?”
He was tall, thin and bony. His face was crumpled and freckled. Out of his face stared two light blue eyes, frustrated now and turning or ready to turn to anger.
“Isn’t there a man here ?”
Ralph spoke to his back.
“No, we’re having a meeting. Come and join us.”

Question 5.
Imagine that you are on an uninhabited island with a group of children of your age. In groups of four, discuss and enumerate the strategies adopted by you to survive. You can think on the lines of

Mainly meant for discussion in groups at class level. Some strategies to be adopted for survival are given below. These would help greatly in the discussion asked for.
food :
First of all, food to be hunted for—should not be poisonous—fruits will do—quality of food fruits to be assessed from their appearance and instinctive judgement—to be tested from taste first —Fruits if eaten by monkeys or other wild animals can be good. If not, these could be risky. To be discussed who would go for finding them and where….. .

Shelter :
Shelter to be protective from weather-if it rains heavily, caves could be useful—caves to be safe from wild animals also—an instinctive sense of survival to be used to find a suitable shelter, that is, how to escape in case of a sudden danger.

means of escape :
Place for shelter to be safe from wild animals-using sticks, stones, means of camouflaging to be used-shelter to be chosen with a view to having means of escape in case of sudden danger.

protection against animals :
Since the place is uninhabited, wild animals could be there-protection from them essential—caves, branches of trees, hilltops, stones, sticks, fire, firewood to be useful in case some animals attack—vigilance turn-wise necessary while resting, sleeping-safety be insured.

life-skills (problem solving , decision-making) :
Survival instinct to be prominently used—if problems arise, these must be solved instantly, that is, if some animal poses a danger, crying, shouting etc, will scare it off—secondly, if one has to escape, escape must be instant- no delay—no panic—no impatience-everything should be handled with a cool mind with a grip on life-saving methods.

protection against harsh climatic conditions :
Harsh climatic conditions to be handled with utmost harsh climatic conditions care—eg, caves should be searched to protect oneself from winter or rain—bushes, leaves of trees should be used to make some comfortable bedding—dry logs to be used to make fire in case it is harsh winter—sunlight to be useful to fight chill …… .

Question 6.
Imagine that you have just returned from Topo Island. The Editor of a local newspaper has asked you to write about your adventure. Write the article.
Some hints :

• Very briefly, describe how you landed on the island, and the main features of the island.
• Write about where you set up camp, one main adventure, and how you were eventually rescued.
• Make the adventure part of your story exciting, with lots of action.
• Include dialogue in the adventure part.
• Try to create mystery and suspense, as in B.3.
• Finally, give your adventure story a suitable heading.
• Your story must be written in paragraphs and carry your By line.

Answer :
I, with my friends, had been evacuated at last. We were being taken to an unknown destination. Soon our plane was suddenly shot at from below. It burst into flames. But one part of its body with all of us safe fell down to the earth. The other part had fallen into the sea. Soon we found that it was an unnamed (unmanned) island with hills, forests, rivers, caves, swamps etc.

We came out of the burnt plane. We went up a hill. To our west there were thick fruit and bamboo trees and behind us there were caves. Just opposite us there flowed a river into two streams. There was a swamp between these two ‘rivers’. To the east there were trees and caves. The coast down to the south had huge cliffs. The island, was spread over an area of thirty kms. It was surrounded by sea. We soon found a fresh water spring.

The immediate need was of searching a place for shelter since we never knew how and when we could be rescued. So we began to search a place for a camp with fresh water supply and some fruit trees nearby. When we had gone ahead, we heard a mysterious cry. I said to Praveen, “What bird can it be calling so mysteriously ?” He was dazed but said, “It might be a bird, animal or a demon who swallows the victims alive ”. The cry was heard again. To our amazement we saw a shadow approaching. “Look, Praveen ! We are gone”, I exclaimed. He yelled like a mad man. I caught the shadowy figure. To our amazement it was Ram. He had tried to scare us.

Finally, we selected a place in between the trees and the fresh water spring. It was at the east-southern coast for setting up a camp. We brought the dry branches, wood, dried grass and leaves from the nearby trees. We thought it a safe place. In case of danger, we could go to the caves nearby. The cliffs could help us in attracting the attention of the rescuing party.

Soon after two days a helicopter spotted us and we were rescued. Our courage, fearlessness, and comradeship and, above all, the jungle sense, kept us alive. We came to know that this was called Topo Island. I would call the whole adventure a Jungle Ordeal.

Question 7.
Look at the map of Topo Island in B.2 and read the notes below. Then complete the tourist brochure.
Notes :

• Beaches : 6 km north-west coast, 6 km south-east coast ; relax
• Fishing : near beach on north-west coast
• Adventure seekers : caves, mountains
• Trees : fruit, shade if day is too hot
• Lookout Point : can see whole island

Visit Topo Island for the Holiday of a Lifetime :
Here is the perfect paradise for holiday-makers – Topo Island. You __1__ Fishing __2__ If it’s adventure that you’re after, __3__. Fruit trees found on most parts of the island __4__ And the Lookout Point on the northern tip of the island __5__ . Come to Topo Island, where dreams come true.
Answer :

1. can relax with full leisure on its long beaches which are 6 km north-west and 6 km south-east coasts.
2. near the beach on the north-west coast is a pleasure in itself.
3. you can venture into the nearby caves or climb the mountains.
4. add pleasure to the holiday-making, besides providing shades if it is too hot.
5. is the whole of the island.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 2 Chapter 2 The Sound of the Shell help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Main Course Book Unit 2 Chapter 2 The Sound of the Shell, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 12 Song of the Rain are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 12 Song of the Rain.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 12 Song of the Rain

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 88)

Question 1.
(a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order. Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order. Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival
I emerge from the heart of the Sea
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
The rainbow announces my departure

(b) What is ‘F in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to

• define yourself
• state what you do
• explain why people like/dislike you
• mention any other characteristic about yourself

Answers
(a) Mainly at class level. The right order is as follows:

1. I emerge from the heart of the sea.
2. The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
3. I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
4. I descend and embrace the flowers.
5. The rainbow announces my departure.

To be read as it is before the class as a group.

(b) ‘I ’ in these lines is ‘the rain’.
(c) I am Rajan, a class IX student, coming of a middle-class family. I am a student and take care of my rights and duties. All like me due to the qualities of head and heart as I take care of all alike as they are. I am respectful to all and dh my work with devotion. I never like to waste my time in useless activities.

Question 2.
Now listen to a poem about the rain. As you listen number the stanzas given in the boxes.
Answer
Students can on their own mark the stanzas starting from 1 to 9 in the parallel lines given after each stanza.

Question 3.
Read the song once again.
Answer
Please read the song yourself.

Question 4.
Ore the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice.
(a) The rain calls itself the ‘dotted silver threads’ as _____.

1. the shimmering drops fall one after the other
2. it ties heaven and earth
3. it dots the earth with shimmering water
4. it decorates the fields

(b) The tone and mood of the rain in the poem reflect its _____.

1. love for the earth
2. desire to take revenge
3. merriment as it destroys
4. desire to look beautiful

Answer
(a) 2
(b) 1

Question 5.
Answer the following questions
(a) Why is the rain divine ?
(b) In this universe, rain performs many functions. What are those ? (V. Imp)

(c) “When I cry the hills laugh ;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice ;
When I bow, all things are elated.”
Cry, humble and bow indicate different intensity with which the rain falls. Explain the three in context.

(d) How do you think the rain quenches the thirst of the fields and cures clouds’ ailment ? (V. Imp.)
(e) Think about million little ways in which the rain embraces the trees. Mention a few of them.
(f) “… All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand’
What does the poet want to convey ?
(g)

1. Notice the imagery built around ‘sigh of the sea’, ‘laughter of the field’ and ‘tears of heaven’. Explain the three expressions in context of rain.
2. How would you express rain as
   • an agent of floods ?
   • a source of water for dams ?

(h) “I am like earthly life…”
Why does the poet call rain as earthly life ?
(i) Explain the ending of the song. (V. Imp.)
Answer
(a) The rain is divine because it comes from heaven and is the product of Heaven and Nature. Nature is another form of divinity.
(b) It decorates gardens and valleys. It embraces the flowers and trees when it descends from heaven (sky). It quenches the thirst of the fields. It ‘cures’ the clouds as they feel overloaded with water. It gives a joy to flowers and other objects of nature like hills, trees etc.
(c) ‘Cry’, means when it rains heavily (in torrents).
‘Humble’ means when it rains modest and light.
‘Bow’ means very light rain.

(d) The rain quenches the thirst of the fields when they go dry. Then they need water to sustain the growth of things in them. The rain cures the clouds because they get overloaded with water. This situation is like their having a ‘disease’ as they can’t sustain the water any more in them. They are too weak to carry rain water in them. When it rains they get floating, light and fresh.

(e) The rain embraces the trees in million ways. If we take up the literary sense of the word ‘embrace’ we may see that the rain embraces, hugs and envelops the trees profusely. It gives new energy and new life to them. Then it charges the trees’ many parts with a new life, viz trees’ roots get strong due to energy, leaves glisten, trees live with joy etc.

If the metaphorical meaning of ‘embrace’ is taken, then the rain assumes a wider role for them. It becomes a life source for them. It reaches even the cavities or chinks into the walls of the castles, roofs, old trees where dust and soil get collected. Then due to rain, new trees grow from the seeds embedded in them. In fact, their parts from the roots to the seeds get embraced by the rain.

So the rain embraces the trees in the sense that it hugs them and gives them love or affection. Due to that they live as human beings and remain cheerful. Some trees get uprooted, some begin to glisten, some get washed away, some die and some stick in the flow of water.

(f) The poet wants to convey the idea that all hear the pattering sound of the rain when it falls. But only a few with a sensitive and understanding mind can understand the value and utility of the rain. It is life-giving and refreshing.
(g)
(i)

• The rain rises from the sea in the sense that evaporation takes place from the sea. Clouds get formed. The rain in the form of vapours goes above as clouds and due to precipitation, the vapours change into water and it rains. This process is like ‘the sigh’ since the rain gets separated from its mother, the sea. It sighs at its birth and separation.
• The fields are dry due to the absence or non-availability of water. The crops sustained by them tend to wither or die. But when it rains, these very fields start refreshing themselves. This ‘refreshing’ or ‘rejuvenation’ is their ‘laughter’.
• ‘Tears of heaven’ means when it rains, the sky, ie, heaven, seems to be weeping and raindrops become its big tears. When it rains, the sky seems to be weeping and shedding tears.

(ii)

• Rain as an agent of floods becomes so when it rains non-stop for days together. In that situation, rain water gets so much that the earth becomes disabled to sustain it. It then floods everything causing lots of miseries to all. It, in fact, becomes a scene of rain all round. –
• Rain becomes a source of water for dams in the sense that rain water is properly channelised in dams. The dams retain it due to their frontiers. Then, according to needs and requirements, dam water is used differently. It is used for making electricity or for irrigation or for supplying drinking (water) to the people.

(h) The poet calls rain as earthly life because it follows the cycle of life and death in its birth and death. The rain takes its birth because of various elements available on the earth. It also dies when it has served its purpose. Or the elements can’t produce it as in deserts. It is like the living beings living on the earth. They are born, live and then die when they can’t sustain themselves any more in relation to these elements.

(i) The ending of the song is like bidding farewell to all. The rain recollects its various aspects or forms. Then it bids farewell to all ‘with love’. It is a ‘sigh’, ‘laughter’, ‘tears’ yet, it is so but with love. It disappears or fades away bidding ‘love’ to all.

Question 6.
‘Ode to Autumn’ is a beautiful poem written by the famous poet John Keats. Listen to an excerpt from the poem and pick phrases which personify autumn.
Answer
These phrases are as follows :
bosom friend of the maturing sun ; riper of fruits, etc ;
farmer ; sitting on the granary floor ; winnower ;
harvester ; reaper ; gleaner

Question 7.
Rain in the hills and rain in the desert present entirely different scenario. In the hills it revitalises the greenery and freshens the vegetation; it waters the parched land and relieves the thirsty and panting souls in the desert.
This has been a year of scanty rains. Imagine how the rain would be welcomed when it pours in the hills and in the desert after a long dry spell. Choose one of the places and describe
(а) What are you likely to see ?
(b) What would happen to the rain water ?
(c) What would be the scene before and after the rain ?

Answer
1. How hills welcome the rain when it comes after a long dry spell
When it doesn’t rain in the rainy season the hills wear a very dreary and depressing look. They present dry or stony colour. The weather among them should be comforting and rejuvenating. But it is simply unpleasant and scorching then. But when it rains over these after a long dry spell, everything welcomes it with an open heart and joy. First of all, when it rains, there comes out a pleasant aromatic smell. It soothes the heart and the senses. The rain water is just ‘drunk’ by the dry soil.

The moment it rains, the soil absorbs it and soon the hills change their dry and depressing colour. Very soon the hills present a green and refreshing colour that pleases the eyes. The dry and uninteresting scene gets replaced by all-round greenery, beauty and freshness.

2. How the desert shall welcome the rain when it comes after a long dry spell
Rain is the life breath of the vegetation whether it is hills or the deserts. Deserts don’t usually get rain. Without that they are deserts. A desert looks brown and dry because the greenery due to the crops and water, is just absent.

But when it rains in the desert, the water is, at once, soaked underground. But it has given life to the undergrowth which requires a little water. Then the undergrowth wears a green colour. It looks fresh and living like the trees.

The scene before and after the rain would not be much different. Before it rains, it is dry, depressing and hot with the sun pouring fire all round. But after the rain, it becomes pleasant. The earth starts changing its brown colour to greenish with vegetation coming up in the fields. Heat gets less pinching and the desert trees wear a pleasant greenish look. All things thus welcome the rain because it is a life- giver to them.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 12 Song of the Rain help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 12 Song of the Rain, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber did my Spirit Seal are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber did my Spirit Seal.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber did my Spirit Seal

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow each :

1. A slumber did my spirit seal—
I had no human fears.
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years. (Page 136) (Imp.)

Questions

(a) What actually is ‘a slumber’ here ?
(b) Explain : ‘I had no human fears’.
(c) What do you understand by ‘earthy years’ ?
(d) Give the meaning of ‘slumber’. (Page 136) (Imp)

Answers

(a) ‘A slumber’ here is the deep sleep. It is the body condition when one experiences it.
(b) The poet did not fear the physical or earthy fears when he experienced this sleep.
(c) ‘Earthy years’ are the physical existence of human life when we are aware of physical things around us.
(d) It means ‘sleep’.

2. No motion has she now, no force—
She neither hears nor sees,
Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course
With rocks and stones and trees. (Page 136) (M. Imp.)

Questions

(a) Who is ‘she’ here in the first line ?
(b) Where does ‘she’ live ?
(c) Can ‘she’ be seen ? If not, how can one ‘see’ her ?
(d) Give the meaning of ‘diurnal’.

Answers

1(a) ‘She’ here is the person most dear to the poet. She is dead now.
(b) She ‘lives’ rolled in the earth’s daily course, rocks, stones and trees.
(c) ‘She’ can’t be seen because she has become an inseparable part of the earth, rocks, stones and trees.
(d) It means ‘daily’.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
(Page 136)

Thinking About the Poem

1. “A slumber did my spirit seal”, says the poet. That is, a deep sleep ‘closed off his soul (or mind). How does the poet react to his loved one’s death ? Does he feel bitter grief ? Or does he feel a great peace ?

2. The passing of time will no longer affect her, says the poet. Which lines of the poem say this ?

3. How does the poet imagine her to be, after death ? Does he think of her as a person living in a very happy state (a ‘heaven’) ? Or does he see her now as a part of nature ? In which lines of the,poem do you find your answer ?

Answers

1. The poet reacts to his loved one’s death so greatly. He feels an extreme shock in it. Death is always associated with pain, misery and sorrow.

2. ‘She seemed a thing that could not feel/ The touch of earthly years’ suggests this.

3. The poet imagines her to be an inseparable part of the earth’s system. No, the poet does not think so because ‘heaven’ is not a dead thing. Yes, she has become a part of Nature. She shall live as long as Nature lives.

The line ‘Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course/With rocks and stones and trees’ has this answer.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber did my Spirit Seal help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber did my Spirit Seal, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 7 The Road Not Taken are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 7 The Road Not Taken.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 7 The Road Not Taken

TEXTUAL EXERCISES
(Page 64)

Question 1.
Sometimes the choices we make have far-reaching consequences. Think about choices you make on a daily basis, and the importance of these choices.
Answer
Answers to this question may vary from student to student since the question involves personal liking or disliking. One sample answer is given below :

Note. Students may on their own add more such choices as given above.

Question 2.
Complete the web chart showing choices and decisions you may have to make in the next few years and the factors that affect these choices.
Answer

Explanation : First of all, the choice about the profession will have to be made. This choice is interconnected with studies. For example, if a medical profession is to be taken, one will have to study for that purpose in mind. Money is an important factor in today’s world. For it, one exercises choices of profession also.

Then comes the choice of marriage. After marriage, comes the important factor of how many children one would like to have. This choice, again, depends upon other factors like income, living facilities, standard of living etc. In fact, one has to make hundreds of choices in life. So the number of choices are infinite as one has to make choices almost every instant.

Note. This question has varied answers as it is highly subjective. We have given one possible way out. Students may, on their own, share their choices and decisions with their partners. They should see their subjective priorities.

Question 3.
Have you made choices that are acceptable and less ‘risky’ or have you followed the beaten track ? Why ?
Answer
Varied answers. The answer to this question is, again, connected with the question no. 2 preceding it. It is again full of probabilities. For example, if a student wishes to opt for a medical profession but has less competence, it will be ‘risky’. All those who put in a lot of labour, do not succeed. Then if they are in without exercising right choices, it may amount to follow a beaten track. They may face failures in the end.

Note. Students may discuss it among themselves with their peers keeping in mind all the choices available for different professions.

Question 4.
List common dilemmas that teenagers face involving the choice of one or more “roads.” Give examples of “roads” that you must travel (e.g. facing peer pressure, choosing friends, observing rules laid down by school and parents, acting on your own values).
Answer
Varied answers.
The common dilemmas could be :

1. choosing one’s apparels
2. one’s school/college/university for education/higher education
3. opting for different professions
4. food items, subjects, disciplines, books, friends etc.

Question 5.

1. Listen to a recording of the poem.
2. What choice did the poet have to make ?
3. if Did he regret his choice ? Why/why not ?

Answer

1. Do yourself.
2. The poet had to make a choice between the two roads. Both looked charming on that morning. He took one road thinking that he would walk on the other some other time. At last he made a choice for the road. It was due to various reasons for the choice. These were like, it was ‘fair’, it was ‘grassy’ and ‘wanted wear’.
3. The poet did regret his choice because he took the road which had been ‘travelled less’. He kept the first road ‘reserved’ for some other day thinking that one day he would walk on it. But he couldn’t exercise his choice. But he found that, that had made all the difference. His saying so shows his regret.

Question 6.
Read the poem silently.
Answer
No questions asked.

Question 7.
On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following ques¬tions by ticking the correct choice.
(a) In the poem, a traveller comes to a fork in the road and needs to decide which way to go to continue his journey. Figuratively the choice of the road denotes _____

1. the tough choices people make (in choosing) the road of life.
2. the time wasted on deciding what to do.
3. life is like a forest.
4. one must travel a lot to realize his dreams.

(b) The poet writes, ‘Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.’ The word diverged means _____

1. appeared
2. curved
3. branched off
4. continued on

(c) The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is that of ______

1. excitement
2. anger
3. hesitation and thoughtfulness
4. sorrow

Answer
(a) 1
(b) 3
(c) 3

Question 8.
Answer the following questions :

1. Describe the two roads that the author comes across.
2. Which road does the speaker choose ? Why ? [V. Imp.]
3. Which road would you choose ? Why ?
4. Does the speaker seem happy about his decision ?
5. The poet says “I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.” What is ‘the difference’ that the poet mentions ?

Answer
1. The two roads were covered with yellow leaves. One went in the undergrowth as far as the poet could see. The second was ‘fair’, ‘grassy and wanted wear’.
2. The speaker chooses the second road which had been less travelled by. It was ‘fair’, ‘grassy and wanted wear’. Also not many people had walked on it. Impliedly, it meant that the poet wanted to be a poet as not many had opted to be one.

3. I would choose the road i.e., profession, which is being taken up by less number of people, that is, (less travelled by). The reasons for this could be many. These are : its uncommon nature, its being adventurous. Its needing full-blooded involvement. I believe in ‘live dangerously’.

4. The speaker doesn’t seem happy about his choice. It is because he regrets to have taken up the second road. But it is after he has lived his life for some years. At this stage he looks into his past. Seeing that, he says that ‘this (his choice) has made all the difference’. It shows the speaker’s hesitation and ‘sighing’. But life is as such. We can’t derive hundred per cent contentment.

5. ‘The difference’ to me seems that the poet chose to be a poet. But he may have regretted it. Actually, one can’t retrace one’s steps taken up in life. One can’t start everything again. Instead, one prefers to go ahead and ahead rather than coming back on the starting point. Thus the choice one exercises in life makes all the ‘difference’ in one’s life.

Question 9.
Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
Answer
The rhyme scheme of the poem is : a b a a b.

Question 10.
Fill in the blanks to complete the following paragraph that gives the theme of the poem. Use the w.ords given in the box below :
decision   sorry   foresee        choices    pleasant     direction
fork          trail     rewarding    chance    wonder       both

The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is about the ____ that one makes in life. It tells about a man who comes to a ____ in the road he is travelling upon. He feels ____ that he can not travel ____ paths as he must choose one. Frost uses this fork in the road to represent a point in the man’s life where he has to choose the ____ he wishes to take in life. As he thinks about his ____ he looks down one path as far as he can see trying to ____ what life will be like if he walks that path. He then gazes at the other and decides the outcome of going down that path would be just as ____ At this point he concludes that the ____ that has been less travelled on would be more ____ when he reaches the end of it. The man then decides that he will save the other path for another day, even though he knows that one path leads to another and that he won’t get a ____ to go back. The man then says that he will be telling this story with a sigh someday in the future suggesting that he will ____ what life would have been like if he had chosen the more walked path even though the path he chose has made all the difference.
Answer
The poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is about the choices that one makes in life. It tells about a man who comes to a fork in the road he is travelling upon. He feels sorry that he can not travel both paths as he must choose one. Frost uses this fork in the road to represent a point in the man’s life where he has to choose the trail he wishes to take in life. As he thinks about his decision he looks down one path as far as he can see trying to foresee what life will be like if he walks that path.

He then gazes at the other and decides the outcome of going down that path would be just as rewarding (pleasant). At this point he concludes that the direction that has been less travelled on would be more pleasant (rewarding) when he reaches the end of it. The man then decides that he will save the other path for another day, even though he knows that one path leads to another and that he won’t get a chance to go back. The man then says that he will be telling this story with a “sigh” someday in the future suggesting that he will wonder what life would have been like if he had chosen the more walked path even though the path he chose has made all the difference.

Question 11.
Roads are fascinating as metaphors for life, change, journeys, partings, adventure, etc., or simply as roads. This is probably why they, and all their attendant images, have permeated art, literature and song. In the poem Frost uses the fork in the road as a metaphor for the choices we make in life. Thus the roads are, in fact, two alternative ways of life. What other nouns could be used to represent life ?

• River
• ______

Answers

• modes of transport
• life partners
• schools
• professions
• jobs
• places for residence
• friends
• vehicles etc.

Question 12.
In groups of six, select, write the script of and present a skit that demonstrates the decision making and conflict resolution. Follow the steps given below :

• choices to be made
• options to be considered
• the influence of others
• the decisions/actions taken
• the immediate and future consequences of the decision.

Answer
Meant for class level under the guidance of the teacher.

Question 13.
‘The Road Not Taken’ is a biographical poem. Therefore, some persohal bio-graphical information is relevant to the deeper understanding of the poem we have read. Complete the following worksheet about Robert Frost.

1. What “momentous decision” was made by Frost in 1912 ?
2. How old was he when took this decision ?
3. Why was it so difficult to make this decision ? Think and give more than one reason.
4. Was the “road” Frost had taken easy “to travel” ?
5. Do you think he wrote “The Road Not Taken” before sailing from the USA to England or after ? Can you quote a line or two from the poem that can support your answer ?
6. Do you think Frost finally became popular in America as a poet ?

Answer

1. Robert Frost was almost 40 in 1912 and had only a few poems published. So he sold his farm and used an annuity from his grandfather to go to England. There he concentrated on writing poetry. This was his ‘momentous decision’.
2. He was 38 at that time when he had to make this decision.
3. It was difficult to make this decision because he had passed the major portion of his life. Then the profession of a poet could not be called ‘rewarding’. Thirdly, whatever he had had then, he had to sell it. So in a way, he was without any solid ground to take this decision.
4. Personally I think the ‘road’ Frost had taken was not easy ‘to travel’. It is due to many factors that determine the success of this profession.
5. I think Frost wrote ‘The Road Not Taken’ after sailing from the USA to England. The lines are : ‘I shall be telling this with a sigh
   ……… and I
   I took the one less travelled by,
   And that has made all the difference’.
6. Yes, Frost became a public figure. In 1950 the U.S. Senate felicitated him on his seventy-fifth birthday. It was in recognition of his being a popular poet.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 7 The Road Not Taken help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 7 The Road Not Taken, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.