Short & Long Question Answer : Poem 4 - Childhood | English Class 11 PDF Download

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1: What did the speaker learn about the existence of Heaven and Hell?
Answer: As the speaker grew to be mature, he acquired reasoning power. He realized that Hell and Heaven could not be found in geography books or in the Atlas. Since they could not be located anywhere on the world map, he concluded that they did not exist. He would believe only what he could see and find.
Question 2: How did the speaker realise the hypocrisy of the adults?
Answer: The speaker noticed a wide gulf between what adults appeared to be and what they actually were in real life. There was an apparent contradiction between their words and deeds. They talked of love and advised others to love, but they never acted lovingly.
Question 3: How did the realization of being the master of his own mind help him? 
Answer: The realization that he was the master of his own mind and could use it in any way he liked filled him with self-confidence. He could now think independently and did not need to repeat the parrot-like thoughts of others.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1: ‘Childhood is an essential state in the process of growing up, but it can’t go on forever.” Discuss.
Answer: Childhood is an important stage in every person's process of growing up. The human infant is totally dependent on others, but during childhood, he gains physical, emotional and mental strength. As the tiny baby grows bigger in size, other faculties also develop. This stage is an important landmark in man’s growth, but it can’t go on forever.
Childhood is a stage, and it must give way to another stage. It is followed by adolescence or early youth. Now, all the faculties are fully developed. The person acquires reasoning power. His rationalism helps him to decide truth or falsehood, fact and fiction. He acquires a fine capability of analysis and discrimination. Now, he can see through people and things. He begins to understand the hypocrisy of adults. He gains confidence and becomes an independent thinker.