Extract Based Questions: Father to Son | English Class 11 PDF Download

Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
I would have him prodigal, returning to
His father's house, the home he knew,
Rather than see him make and move
His world. I would forgive him too,
Shaping from sorrow a new love.
(Father to Son)

Question (i): What does the word "prodigal" mean in this context?
Ans: The word "prodigal" means wasteful or reckless in this context.
Step-by-step explanation:

• The word "prodigal" comes from the Latin word "prodigus", which means lavish or extravagant.
• It is often used to describe someone who spends money or resources in a careless or excessive way, without thinking of the consequences.
• In this context, the father uses the word "prodigal" to refer to his son, who has left his father's house and gone away to live his own life.
• The father implies that his son has wasted his opportunities and talents, and has been reckless with his choices and actions.
• The father also alludes to the biblical story of the prodigal son, who left his father's home and squandered his inheritance, but later returned and was forgiven by his father.

Question (ii): What literary device is used in the phrase "shaping from sorrow a new love"?
Ans: The literary device used in the phrase "shaping from sorrow a new love" is a metaphor.
Step-by-step explanation:

• A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike, without using words like "as" or "like".
• A metaphor creates an image or an idea in the reader's mind by suggesting that one thing is another thing.
• In this phrase, the father compares his sorrow to a material that can be shaped into something new, such as clay or metal.
• He also compares his new love to a product or a result of shaping his sorrow, such as a sculpture or a jewel.
• The metaphor implies that the father has transformed his negative emotions into positive ones, and that he has found a new way to love his son despite their differences.

Question (iii): Why does the father want his son to return to his father's house rather than make and move his world?
Ans: The father wants his son to return to his father's house rather than make and move his world because he misses him and wants to reconnect with him.
Step-by-step explanation:

• The phrase "return to his father's house" means to come back to the place where he grew up and where he was loved and cared for by his father.
• The phrase "make and move his world" means to create and pursue his own goals and dreams, and to live independently from his father.
• The father feels that his son has abandoned him and has become a stranger to him. He does not understand or approve of his son's choices and actions.
• The father wishes that his son would come back to him and restore their relationship. He wants to share his life and his love with his son again.

Question (iv): Select the option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract.
(a) It creates a sense of incompleteness
(b) It shows the father's hesitation and uncertainty
(c) It indicates a pause or a break in the father's speech
(d) It emphasizes the contrast between the two lines
Ans: The option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract is (d) It emphasizes the contrast between the two lines.
Step-by-step explanation:

• The lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract is called enjambment. It is a poetic technique that occurs when a sentence or a phrase runs over from one line to another without a pause or a break.
• Enjambment can create different effects depending on how it is used. In this case, it creates a sense of incompleteness (A), as the father's wish is not fully expressed in one line. It also shows the father's hesitation and uncertainty (B), as he does not seem confident or sure about his desire. It also indicates a pause or a break in the father's speech (C), as he may be struggling to find the right words or emotions to convey his feelings.
• However, enjambment does not emphasize the contrast between the two lines (D). In fact, it does the opposite. It connects the two lines and makes them flow together, rather than creating a sharp or clear distinction between them. The contrast between the two lines is created by other elements, such as word choice and tone.

Question (v): How does the father's attitude change from line 1 to line 5 in the extract?
Ans: The father's attitude changes from wishful to hopeful in the extract.
Step-by-step explanation:

• In line 1, the father expresses his wish that his son would return to his father's house. He uses the word "would", which indicates a conditional or hypothetical situation that is unlikely to happen.
• In line 5, the father expresses his hope that he can forgive his son and shape a new love from his sorrow. He uses the word "would", which indicates a potential or possible situation that he is willing to make happen.
• The change in the father's attitude shows that he has moved from a passive to an active stance. He has realized that he cannot change his son's choices or actions, but he can change his own feelings and reactions. He has decided to let go of his resentment and bitterness, and to embrace his love and compassion.

Question (vi): Complete the sentence: The rhyme scheme of the extract is _____.
Ans: The rhyme scheme of the extract is ABABC.
Step-by-step explanation:

• The rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that end each line of a poem. It is usually represented by letters that correspond to each rhyme.
• To find the rhyme scheme of a poem, we need to look at the last words of each line and identify which ones rhyme with each other. We assign a letter to each rhyme and write it next to the line.
• For example, in the extract, the last words of each line are: to, knew, move, too, love. We can see that "to" and "too" rhyme with each other, so we assign them the letter A. We can also see that "knew" and "move" do not rhyme with anything else, so we assign them different letters, B and C. Finally, we can see that "love" rhymes with "move", so we assign it the same letter as "move", C.
• The rhyme scheme of the extract is ABABC, as shown below:

I would have him prodigal, returning to A
His father's house, the home he knew, B
Rather than see him make and move C
His world. I would forgive him too, A
Shaping from sorrow a new love. C

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land.
 He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive.
(Father to Son)

Question (i) What does the word "globe" mean in the context of the poem?

Ans:  The word "globe" means the world or the planet Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
To understand the meaning of a word in the context of a poem, we need to look at its definition and how it is used in the poem. The word "globe" has two meanings:

• A spherical or rounded object.
• A model of the Earth, showing the continents, countries, oceans, etc.

In the context of the poem, the father uses the word "globe" to refer to the world or the planet Earth. He says that he and his son both live on the same globe and the same land. This means that they share the same physical space and environment, but they do not share the same emotional or mental space and connection. Therefore, the word "globe" means the world or the planet Earth.

Question (ii) State True or False: The father and the son live in different countries.
Ans:  False. The father and the son live in the same country.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer a true or false question, we need to check if the statement is accurate or inaccurate based on the text. The statement is "The father and the son live in different countries."
• We need to find evidence from the text that supports or contradicts this statement. The extract says "we both must live on the same globe and the same land". This means that the father and the son share the same physical location and territory. This implies that they live in the same country, not in different countries. Therefore, the statement is false. The father and the son live in the same country.

Question (iii) How does the use of the colon (:) show a change of perspective in the poem?

Ans: 
The use of the colon (:) shows a change of perspective in the poem by introducing the son's voice and point of view.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To interpret a text, we need to understand its meaning and how it is used in the context of the text. A colon (:) is a punctuation mark that is used to introduce something that follows or explains what comes before it.
• In the context of the poem, the colon (:) is used to introduce the son's voice and point of view. The poem is mostly written from the father's perspective, as he expresses his feelings and thoughts about his relationship with his son. However, in the last stanza, the son speaks for the first time and says "I cannot understand myself, why anger grows from grief." The colon (:) marks this change of perspective and shows that the son has his own feelings and thoughts that are different from his father's. Therefore, the use of the colon (:) shows a change of perspective in the poem by introducing the son's voice and point of view.

Question (iv) What does the son mean by "why anger grows from grief"?

Ans: 
The son means that he is angry because he is sad about his relationship with his father.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To infer something from a text, we need to use clues and evidence from the text and our own knowledge and experience to make a logical guess or conclusion. The phrase "why anger grows from grief" is a rhetorical question that the son asks himself. This means that he does not expect an answer, but he is expressing his confusion and frustration.
• We need to understand what the son is feeling and why he is feeling that way. We can use clues from the poem to help us infer the meaning. The poem shows that the son has a strained and distant relationship with his father. They do not understand or communicate with each other. They have different interests and values. They are like strangers.
• The son feels sad or grief about this situation, because he wants to have a better relationship with his father. He wants to be loved and accepted by him. However, the son also feels angry or resentment towards his father, because he feels that his father does not respect or support him. He feels that his father wants to control or change him. Therefore, the son means that he is angry because he is sad about his relationship with his father.

Question (v) What is the tone of the speaker in the last line of the extract?

(a) Hopeful
(b) Resentful
(c) Desperate
(d) Indifferent
Ans:  The tone of the speaker in the last line of the extract is (c) desperate.
Step-by-step explanation:

• The tone of a speaker is the attitude or emotion that they convey through their words and voice. To identify the tone of the speaker, we need to look at the words they use, the context they are in, and the mood they create.
• In the last line of the extract, the speaker says "We each put out an empty hand, Longing for something to forgive." The words "empty", "longing", and "forgive" suggest that the speaker feels a lack of connection, a strong desire for reconciliation, and a sense of guilt or regret. The context of the extract is that the speaker is a father who has a strained relationship with his son and does not understand him or himself. The mood of the extract is sad, frustrated, and hopeless.
• Based on these clues, we can infer that the speaker's tone is desperate, meaning that he is in aa state of despair or urgency and wants to change his situation. Therefore, the correct option is (c) desperate.

Question (vi) State True or False: The speaker understands himself well.

Ans:  The statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to look at the evidence from the extract that supports or contradicts the statement. The statement says that the speaker understands himself well, meaning that he has a clear and accurate knowledge of his own feelings, thoughts, and motives.
• In the extract, the speaker says "I cannot understand Myself, why anger grows from grief." This shows that the speaker does not understand himself well, because he does not know why he feels angry when he is grieving. He also does not understand why he has a gap with his son and how to bridge it. Therefore, the statement is false, because it does not match the evidence from the extract.