Extract Based Questions: My Mother at Sixty-Six | English Class 12 PDF Download

Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed
(My mother at sixty-six)

Question (i) What is the rhyme scheme of the extract? (a) ABABC
(b) ABCDE
(c) AABBA
(d) ABABA
Ans: (b) ABCDE
Step-by-step explanation:

To find the rhyme scheme of a poem, we need to label each line with a letter that corresponds to its end sound. If two lines rhyme with each other, they get the same letter. If they don't rhyme, they get different letters.
Let's look at the extract and label each line with a letter:

• Driving from my parent’s (A)
• home to Cochin last Friday (B)
• morning, I saw my mother, (C)
• beside me, (D)
• doze, open mouthed (E)

As you can see, none of the lines rhyme with each other. They all have different end sounds. So the rhyme scheme is ABCDE. That's why the correct answer is (b) ABCDE.

Question (ii): What does the use of the word "doze" suggest?
(a) The mother is tired and sleepy.
(b) The mother is bored and restless.
(c) The mother is alert and attentive.
(d) The mother is angry and annoyed.
Ans: (a) The mother is tired and sleepy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to understand what the word "doze" means and how it affects the mood of the poem. The word "doze" means to sleep lightly or briefly, especially during the day. It implies that the person is not fully awake or aware of their surroundings. It also suggests that the person is not very interested or engaged in what is happening around them.
By using the word "doze", the poet shows that the mother is tired and sleepy during the journey. She is not enjoying or participating in the conversation with her daughter. She is also not looking at the scenery outside the window. She is detached and passive in her old age. That's why the correct answer is (a) The mother is tired and sleepy.

Question (iii): 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 continuity and movement.
(b) It reflects the speaker's stream of consciousness.
(c) It emphasizes the contrast between "parent’s" and "Cochin."
(d) It indicates a pause or a change of direction.
Ans: (d) It indicates a pause or a change of direction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Punctuation is the use of marks such as commas, periods, dashes, etc., to separate sentences and parts of sentences in a text. The lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract creates a sense of continuity and movement. It reflects the speaker's stream of consciousness, showing the flow of thoughts without interruption. It emphasizes the contrast between "parent’s" and "Cochin" by connecting the two ideas seamlessly. However, it does not indicate a pause or a change of direction. Therefore, the correct answer is (d) It indicates a pause or a change of direction.

Question (iv): What is the tone of the speaker in the extract?
(a) Joyful and optimistic
(b) Sad and nostalgic
(c) Angry and resentful
(d) Neutral and factual
Ans: (b) Sad and nostalgic
Step-by-step explanation:

• Tone is the attitude or emotion that the speaker or writer conveys through their words and style. To determine the tone, we need to analyze the words and phrases used in the poem.
• The speaker uses words and phrases that show her sadness and nostalgia for her mother. For example, she says "I saw my mother" instead of "I looked at my mother" or "I talked to my mother." This implies that she is observing her mother from a distance, as if she is already gone. She also describes her mother's face as "ashen like that of a corpse" and "wan, pale as a late winter's moon," which are images of death and decay, contrasting with the lively and colorful scenes outside the window. The speaker also uses words like "realized with pain," "put that thought away," "old familiar ache," and "childhood's fear," showing that she is trying to suppress her emotions and cope with the reality of her mother's aging and mortality. These words and phrases create a tone of sadness and nostalgia in the extract. Therefore, the correct answer is (b) Sad and nostalgic.

Question (v): Complete the sentence with the best word from the options given: The speaker's journey from her parent's home to Cochin is a _________ for her emotional journey from childhood to adulthood. (a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) symbol
(d) alliteration

Ans: (a) metaphor
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question, we need to understand what each word means and how it applies to the sentence given.

• A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different but have something in common, without using words like "as" or "like." For example, "Life is a roller coaster" is a metaphor that compares life to a roller coaster, implying that it has ups and downs.
• A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things that are different but have something in common, using words like "as" or "like." For example, "She was as sweet as honey" is a simile that compares a person to honey, implying that she is very kind.
• A symbol is an object, person, place, or idea that represents something else, usually something abstract or complex. For example, a dove is a symbol of peace.
• Alliteration is a sound device that repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together. For example, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is an example of alliteration with the sound /p/.

In the sentence given, the speaker's journey from her parent's home to Cochin is a metaphor for her emotional journey from childhood to adulthood. It compares two things that are different but have something in common: they both involve leaving behind one place or stage of life and moving on to another one. The journey also reflects the speaker's feelings and thoughts about her mother and herself as they grow older and apart. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) metaphor.

Question (vi): True or false: The poem has a regular rhythm and rhyme scheme.
Ans: False
Step-by-step explanation:
Rhythm is the pattern of sounds in time. Rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a line or stanza in a poem. The poem does not have a regular rhythm or rhyme scheme, as the lines do not follow a consistent pattern of sounds or syllables. The lack of a regular rhythm and rhyme scheme reflects the speaker's stream of consciousness and the natural flow of her thoughts and emotions. Therefore, the correct answer is False.

Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes
(My mother at sixty-six)

Question (i) What is the speaker doing in the extract?

(a) She is driving with her mother.
(b) She is looking at the scenery outside the window.
(c) She is remembering her childhood.
(d) She is talking to her mother.
Ans: Answer written by student: (b) She is looking at the scenery outside the window.
Step-by-step explanation:

• Hi, this is a question about comprehension. Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is being read or heard.
• To answer this question, we need to read the extract carefully and identify what the speaker is doing based on the words and phrases she uses.
• The extract shows that the speaker is looking out at the scenery outside the window while she is driving with her mother. She uses words and phrases that describe what she sees, such as "young trees sprinting" and "merry children spilling out of their homes". These are images of life and energy, which contrast with her mother's old and tired appearance. The speaker also uses verbs that suggest movement and action, such as "sprinting" and "spilling", which contrast with her mother's inactivity and passivity.
• By reading the extract carefully and identifying what the speaker is doing based on the words and phrases she uses, we can answer this question correctly.
• That's why the correct answer is (b). She is looking at the scenery outside the window.

Question (ii) What figure of speech does the speaker use to describe the trees in the extract?

(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Hyperbole
Ans: Answer written by student: (c) Personification

Step-by-step explanation:

Hi, this is another question about figurative language again. Figurative language is the use of words or expressions that have a different meaning from their literal one, such as metaphors, similes, personification, etc.

Question (iii) True or false: The extract contains an example of onomatopoeia.
Ans: Answer written by student: False
Step-by-step explanation:

• Hi, this is another question about sound devices again. Sound devices are the use of words or phrases that create a specific effect or impression based on how they sound. Onomatopoeia is a sound device that uses words that imitate or suggest the sound they describe. For example, "buzz", "hiss", "splash", and "boom" are examples of onomatopoeia.
• To answer this question, we need to identify if there is any word in the extract that imitates or suggests a sound.
• The extract does not contain any word that imitates or suggests a sound. The words and phrases in the extract describe what the speaker sees, not what she hears. There is no word that sounds like the noise it represents.
• By identifying if there is any word in the extract that imitates or suggests a sound, we can answer this question correctly.
• That's why the correct answer is False. The extract does not contain an example of onomatopoeia.

Question (iv) What mood does the speaker create in the extract?
(a) Happiness and excitement

(b) Sadness and regret
(c) Anger and frustration
(d) Curiosity and wonder
Ans:
Answer written by student: (a) Happiness and excitement
Step-by-step explanation:

• Hi, this is a question about mood. Mood is the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader through their words and style.
• To answer this question, we need to analyze how the speaker uses words and phrases to create a mood in the extract.
• The speaker uses words and phrases that create a mood of happiness and excitement in the extract. For example, she uses words like "young", "sprinting", "merry", and "spilling" to describe the scenery outside the window. These are words that suggest life, energy, joy, and movement. They also contrast with her mother's old and tired appearance. The speaker also uses punctuation marks like commas and dashes to create a sense of rhythm and flow in the extract. These punctuation marks suggest that she is speaking quickly and enthusiastically about what she sees. They also contrast with her mother's silence and passivity.
• By analyzing how the speaker uses words and phrases to create a mood in the extract, we can answer this question correctly.
• That's why the correct answer is (a). Happiness and excitement.

Question (v) What is the main idea or message of the extract?
(a) The speaker enjoys spending time with her mother.

(b) The speaker feels sorry for her mother's condition.
(c) The speaker tries to distract herself from her mother's aging.
(d) The speaker wishes she could be like her mother.
Ans: Answer written by student: (c) The speaker tries to distract herself from her mother's aging.
Step-by-step explanation:

• Hi, this is a question about main idea or message. Main idea or message is the most important point or theme that a writer wants to convey to the reader through their text.
• To answer this question, we need to summarize what the speaker says and does in the extract and how it relates to the rest of the poem.
• The extract shows that the speaker is looking out at the scenery outside the window while she is driving with her mother. She describes what she sees in a positive and lively way, using words and phrases that suggest happiness and excitement. She also uses punctuation marks that create a sense of rhythm and flow in her speech. However, these words and punctuation marks contrast with her mother’s old and tired appearance, silence, and passivity. The speaker also contrasts the scenery outside with her mother’s face in other parts of the poem, such as when she says “her face ashen like that of a corpse” and “wan, pale as a late winter’s moon”. These contrasts show that the speaker is aware of her mother’s aging and mortality, and that she feels sad and fearful about it.
• Based on these clues, we can infer that the main idea or message of the extract is that the speaker tries to distract herself from her mother’s aging by focusing on the scenery outside. She does this to cope with her emotions and to avoid upsetting her mother or herself by expressing them. She also does this to enjoy the last moments she has with her mother before they part ways at the airport.
• By summarizing what the speaker says and does in the extract and how it relates to the rest of the poem, we can answer this question correctly.
• That’s why the correct answer is (c). The speaker tries to distract herself from her mother’s aging.

Question (vi) Which word in the extract is an antonym of “merry”?

(a) young
(b) sprinting
(c) spilling
(d) wan
Ans: Answer written by student: (d) wan
Step-by-step explanation:

• Hi, this is a question about antonyms. Antonyms are words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings. For example, “hot” and “cold” are antonyms.
• To answer this question, we need to know the meaning of “merry” and find a word in the extract that has an opposite or nearly opposite meaning.
• The word “merry” means cheerful, lively, or happy. It is used in the extract to describe the children who are spilling out of their homes. They are having fun and enjoying themselves.
• The word “wan” means pale, weak, or sickly. It is used in the extract to describe the speaker’s mother who looks old and frail. She is not having fun or enjoying herself.
• Therefore, the word “wan” is an antonym of “merry” because it has an opposite or nearly opposite meaning.
• By knowing the meaning of “merry” and finding a word in the extract that has an opposite or nearly opposite meaning, we can answer this question correctly.
• That’s why the correct answer is (d). wan.