Practice Reading Poetry (Part - 3) | English Class 8 PDF Download

Driving Home
Coming back home from Granny’s in the car
I try to stay awake. I really do
I look around to find the evening star
And make a wish. Who knows ? It might come true.
I watch the yellow windows whizzing by
And sometimes see a person in room,
Cutting a loaf of bread, tying a tie,
Stretching, or watching the telly in gloom
I see the street lamps flash past
One by one, and watch how people’s shadows grow and shrink
It’s a little trick; I wonder how it’s done
I breathe, and watch, and settle back to think.
But everything gets mixed and far away;
I feel I’m moving but don’t know where
I hear a distant voice which seems to say
‘Wake up ! (She’s fast asleep) Wake up! Were there!

Word-Notes: 

On the basis of your reading of the poem, answer the following questions: 

(a) Identify the lines from the poem which tell us that the poet is falling asleep.
 (b) According to the poet what seems to be passing by speedily?
 (c) What does the ‘distant voice’ say to the poet?
 (d) What does the poet see through the windows of rooms that whiz by as he travels in the car?
 (e) Why does the poet look for the evening star?

Answers:

(a) Identify the lines from the poem which tell us that the poet is falling asleep.
 Ans. I hear a distant voice which seems to say Wake up! (she’s fast asleep) Wake up! We’re there!

(b) According to the poet what seems to be passing by speedily? 
 Ans. According to the poet, the yellow windows seem to be passing by speedily.

(c) What does the ‘distant voice’ say to the poet? 
 Ans. The distant voice says to the poet to wake up as she is fast asleep.

(d) What does the poet see through the windows of rooms that whiz by as he travels in the car? 
 Ans. Through the windows of the room, the poet sees a man cutting a loaf of bread, tying a tie and watching the television in depressed mood.

(e) Why does the poet look for the evening star? 
 Ans. The poet looks for an evening star so that he can make a wish. He thinks that the wish made while watching an evening star come true.