Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

Q.1. Why does the poet wish to live with animals?
Ans. The poet wishes he could be transformed and live with animals. The poet thinks that animals are self-contained, peaceful, unambitious, uncomplaining, simple And honest. He finds himself more like an animal.

Q.2.About what do the animals not ‘whine’ and ‘weep’?
Ans. The animals do not show anxiety or distress nor do they moan about the condition in which they live. The animals do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins.

Q.3. ‘Not one kneel to another, nor his. the kind that lived thousands of years ago.’ How does the poet distinguish between animals and human beings in these lines?
Ans. The poet wishes to convey that the animals do not kneel before others, especially before the ones who lived thousands of years ago. But human beings indulge in hero worship and kneel to another human being, who might have lived thousands of years ago.

Q.4. What does the poet wish to convey through the following lines?
‘Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things’.
Ans. The poet feels more at home with animals than with human beings. It is because he thinks that none of the animals is discontented about its condition. Moreover, like human beings animals are not crazy about possessing material things.

Q.5. How does the poet react to man’s ways? Why?
OR
“The poem ‘Animals’ is a satirical comment on man’s way”. Justify.
Ans. Man commits sin, repents, complains about his condition; preaches about his duties to God. He desires to own everything. He encourages differences and pretends to be concerned for the whole earth. The poet dislikes and is fed up with all this. So he wishes to turn away from man’s world and live with animals.

Q.6. What message does the poem “Animals’ wish to convey?
OR
What is the central idea of the poem “Animals”?
Ans. The poem “Animals” comments upon man’s degraded condition. He has dropped his goodness way behind and now, he suffers due to lack of it. So, man should not lose his basic nature—his simplicity, satisfaction, honesty and place. He should not create differences in the name of god.

Q.7. How, according to the poet, have animals got the ‘token’?
Ans. According to the poet, humans have been just like animals in their basic nature a long time ago. In their march to civilization, they grew negligent towards it. Thus, they lost their basic nature and virtues, but animals still possess their basic nature. The poet imagines that animals got it from where humans lost it and have retained and preserved it since then.

Q.8. How are animals better than men?
OR
Mention three things that humans do and animals don’t.
Ans. The poet has drawn three comparisons between humans and animals.

• Humans sweat and work hard to make a living and later whine and sulk about the amount of work they have to do to survive. Animals, on the other hand, do not whine about their condition.
• Humans lie awake at night and cry for the wrongs they have done. Animals do not weep for anything they do and sleep peacefully.
• Finally, humans make each other sick by discussing their duties to god. However, animals do not have any god and they live and survive without any prayers or fasts

Q.9. What ‘tokens of myself’ does the poet refer to?
Ans. The "tokens of myself" referred to by the poet are his footprints and the sound of his voice that the animals in the forest recognize and respond to with familiarity and affection.
In the poem, the poet talks about how the animals in the forest recognize him by the sound of his voice and his footprints and respond to him with affection. He refers to these as the "tokens of myself," which means that they are a sign or symbol of his presence in the forest.

Q.10. What shows that the poet loves animals?
Ans. The poet's love for animals is evident through his detailed observations and descriptions. The poet takes the time to stand and watch the animals for a long time, indicating his fascination and appreciation for their movements and behaviours. His descriptive language and attention to detail in describing the animals further showcase his love for them. Overall, the poet's keen observations and deep appreciation for the animals he encounters highlight his love for these creatures.

Q.11. Why does the poet show a preference for living with the animals?
Ans. The poet says that it is better to live with animals as they show tokens of goodness. They are peaceful, self-contained and happy. Animals show innate goodness which is lacking in human beings. Animals do not grumble about their lives, or cry over their sins.

Q.12. What is the relevance of ‘tokens’ in the poem ‘Animals’? Who brings them to the poet
Ans. Animals show tokens of goodness. They are self-contained, peaceful, thankful and happy creatures. Animals are not unhappy and indeed, bring out tokens of man’s good nature lost long ago. Animals do not grumble about their lives.

Q.13. Write the central idea of the poem `Animals’.
Ans. The central idea of the poem is the difference between human beings and animals. While they both were initially similar in their innate goodness, man had lost it over the years, while animals remain the same. They show these tokens of goodness — peaceful, self-contained and happy, and compel the poet to contemplate on man’s lost goodness.

Q.14. How are animals better than humans, according to the poet?
Ans. According to the poet, the animals are more humane than humans. They have no such bad qualities as humans. In their world, all are happy, equal and content. They show their relations to the poet and he accepts them.

Q.15. What is the theme of the poem ‘Animals’?
Or
What is the Central Idea of the poem ‘Animals’?
Ans. The theme/Central idea of the poem is the superiority of animal life over to human beings. The poet, Whitman, compares animals with human beings. He finds animals far better than human beings. The poet finds the reasons for human suffering. Human beings are always dissatisfied. All their actions are with a selfish motive. But animals are far-far away from these bad qualities. So the poet wishes to turn and live with the animals.

Q.16. Why does the poet want to live with animals?
Ans. The poet desires to live with animals because he thinks they are peaceful, self-confident, and free of the complexities of human life. He admires their instinct and believes living with animals will bring him peace of mind and self-confidence.

Q.17. What is the difference between animals and humans regarding their attitude to their condition, sins and God?
Ans. Human beings cry about their condition. They lie awake at night in the dark and weep for their sins. They make the poet sick by discussing their duty to God. But animals do not do any of these things. That is why the poet likes them.

Q.18. How are animals different from humans in owning things or kneeling to one another?
Ans. The poet notes that humans are obsessed with possessing things, while animals do not care about ownership. Additionally, animals do not kneel or show unnecessary respect to others like humans often do.

Q.19. Why does the poet want to take a turn?
Ans. The poet is fed up living in the world of humans. They are always confused. They are arrogant. They don’t have a clear conscience and weep over their sins throughout the night. On the other hand, animals are contented, calm and possess all the ‘tokens’ of virtue that humans have given up. So, he wants to exchange places and live with animals.

Q.20. Why is the poet so much impressed with animals?
Ans. Animals possess all the noble virtues that are necessary for an ideal living. They are contented and never complain about their fate. They are independent and don’t show unnecessary respect for their ancestors or their fellow beings. They are not selfish and don’t suffer from the mania of possessing and owning things. So, he is highly impressed with animals.

Q.21. Why do humans keep awake in the dark and weep for their sins while animals never do such things?
Ans. Animals have a clear conscience. They are not confused or muddle-headed. Humans are ambitious, and greedy and suffer from the mania of possessing and owning things. Their sins and misdeeds don’t allow them to enjoy a sound sleep at night. They weep over their sins.

Q.22. Why do animals don’t kneel to their fellow beings or ancestors? How do humans react to them?
Ans. Animals don’t show unnecessary respect to their fellow beings and their ancestors. They don’t indulge in such unnecessary civilities and formalities. On the other hand, humans express their respect not only to their ancestors but also to their fellow beings. They tend to indulge in unnecessary civilities and decencies.

Q.23. Why does the poet say “They bring me tokens of myself”? What are those `tokens’
Ans. There was a time when both humans and animals possessed noble virtues of love, peace, contentment and simplicity. With time, humans gave up all such tokens of noble virtues. They indulged in greed, arrogance and the mania of possession. The road of noble virtue, which humans and the poet himself, left long ago, is still followed by animals. They are contented, humble and free from the burden of conscience. They remind the poet of those noble qualities which he has lost.

Q.24. How have humans dropped those `tokens’ which are plainly in the `possession’ of animals?
Ans. Those tokens of love, sympathy and contentment which humans shared with animals at one time, have been `negligently’ dropped by humans. Greed, overambition, arrogance, confusion and vulgarity took the place of those ‘tokens’ that humans once shared with animals.

Q.25. What is the message that Walt Whitman wants to give to the readers through this poem?
Ans. There is nothing great about being humans. They have degraded themselves to the extent that animals appear to be noble and superior beings in their comparison. No doubt, humans did possess those ‘tokens’ of love, innocence, simplicity, contentment and independence. But they gave given up such ‘tokens’ long ago. Animals still share those noble virtues and appear to be nobler than humans.

Q.26. How, according to the poet, are animals superior to humans?
Ans. According to the poet, animals are superior to humans because they are calm, and contented, and do not commit sins. Unlike humans, they do not run after wealth and possessions and never complain about their condition. The poet admires the simplicity and virtue of animals and wishes to live among them.

Q.27. Why does the poet wish to live with animals?
Ans. The animals are placid and self-contained. They are satisfied with their lot and never complain about it. The poet is disgusted with living among human beings. So he wishes to live with animals because he likes them.

Q.28. They do not sweat and whine about their condition. Who are “they”? What are the things they do not do?
Ans. The poet expresses his admiration for animals and their peaceful existence. He states that animals do not complain or whine about their condition as humans do, and they do not sweat over the small things. The poet suggests that humans can learn from the contentment and simplicity of animals.