Extract Based Questions: The Voice of the Rain | English Class 11 PDF Download

Read the given extract and answer the questions

Extract:
And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
(The Voice of the Rain )

Question (i): Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?
(a) The cycle of water
(b) The dialogue between man and nature
(c) The identity of the rain
(d) The beauty of poetry
Ans:
(c) The identity of the rain

Step-by-step explanation:

• The poetic device used in the first line of the extract is personification.
• Personification is a figure of speech that gives human qualities to non-human things.
• In the first line of the extract, the poet asks a question to the rain, as if it were a person who can speak and answer.
• This is an example of personification because the poet treats the rain as a living being with a voice and a personality.
• Therefore, the poetic device used in the first line of the extract is personification.

Question (ii): State True or False: The poet is surprised by the answer of the rain.
Ans: True
Step-by-step explanation:

• To determine whether the statement is true or false, we need to look for clues in the extract that show the poet's reaction to the rain's answer.
• In the second line of the extract, the poet says, "Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer".
• The phrase "strange to tell" implies that the poet is astonished and amazed by the fact that the rain spoke to him.
• This shows that the poet is surprised by the answer of the rain and did not expect it.
• Therefore, the statement is true.

Question (iii): Complete the sentence: The rain compares itself to a __________ of Earth.
Ans: The rain compares itself to a poem of Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete the sentence, we need to find the word that the rain uses to describe itself in the extract.
• In the third line of the extract, the rain says, "I am the Poem of Earth".
• The word "poem" is a noun that means a piece of writing that expresses emotions, ideas, or experiences in a creative and rhythmic way.
• The rain compares itself to a poem of Earth because it is a part of nature's expression and beauty.
• Therefore, the word that completes the sentence is poem.

Question (iv): What is the rhyme scheme of the extract?
Ans: The rhyme scheme of the extract is ABCB.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To find the rhyme scheme of the extract, we need to identify the words that rhyme at the end of each line and assign them a letter according to their order of appearance.
• A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words.
• In the extract, the words that rhyme are shower and answer in lines 1 and 2, and Earth and rain in lines 3 and 4.
• We assign the letter A to shower, the letter B to answer, the letter C to Earth, and the letter B again to rain because it rhymes with answer.
• The rhyme scheme is the pattern of letters that represents the rhyming words in the extract.
• Therefore, the rhyme scheme of the extract is ABCB.

Question (v): Explain why the statement - It shows that the poet's question is rhetorical is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract.
Ans: The lack of punctuation does not show that the poet's question is rhetorical. A rhetorical question is a question that does not require an answer because it is obvious or implied. The poet's question is not rhetorical because he genuinely wants to know who the rain is and he gets an answer from it.

Step-by-step explanation:

• We need to evaluate line 1 and see if it matches with the effect of the lack of punctuation in the extract.
• Punctuation is the use of marks such as commas, periods, or question marks to separate sentences and clarify their meaning.
• In the extract, the poet does not use any punctuation mark at the end of line 1, which is a question.

Question (vi): What does the use of the word "translated" suggest?
Ans: The use of the word "translated" suggests that the poet is interpreting the sound of the rain as words.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning of the word "translated" and how it relates to the poet's dialogue with the rain.
• The word "translated" means to express the sense of words or speech in another language or form.
• In the extract, the poet says that the rain gave him an answer, "as here translated". This implies that the rain did not speak in a language that the poet could understand, but rather in a sound that he had to interpret and convert into words.
• The use of the word "translated" suggests that the poet is not directly communicating with the rain, but rather imagining a conversation with it based on his own perception and understanding of its sound.
• This creates a powerful image of the poet's creativity and connection with nature.
• Therefore, the use of the word "translated" suggests that the poet is interpreting the sound of the rain as words.

Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether changed, and
yet the same,
I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
(The Voice of the Rain )

Question (i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?

(a) The cycle of water
(b) The dialogue between man and nature
(c) The identity of the rain
(d) The beauty of poetry
Ans: 
The theme that is best represented in the given extract is (a) The cycle of water.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To find the theme that is best represented in the given extract, we need to identify the main idea or message that the poet conveys through his words. A theme is a universal or central topic that relates to human experiences or values.
• In the extract, the poet describes the movement of the rain from the land and sea to the sky and back to the earth. He uses words such as "eternal", "rise", "descend", and "lave" to show that the rain is a constant and natural phenomenon that repeats itself over time. He also uses words such as "impalpable", "vaguely form'd", "altogether changed", and "yet the same" to show that the rain changes its shape and state but remains the same substance.
• These words suggest that the poet is expressing his admiration and awe for the cycle of water, which is a process that involves evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection of water in different forms. Therefore, the theme that is best represented in the given extract is (a) The cycle of water.

Question (ii) State True or False: The poet uses alliteration in the first line of the extract.

Ans: 
True

Step-by-step explanation:

• To determine whether the statement is true or false, we need to look for clues in the extract that show the use of alliteration by the poet. Alliteration is a figure of speech that involves the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words that are close together.
• In the first line of the extract, the poet uses alliteration with the words "rise", "impalpable", and "land". These words all start with the same consonant sound /r/, which creates a rhythmic and musical effect. This shows that the poet uses alliteration in the first line of the extract to emphasize the movement and transformation of the rain.
• Therefore, the statement is true.

Question (iii) Complete the sentence appropriately: The poet uses the word "atomies" to refer to the _____________ of the earth.

Ans: 
The poet uses the word "atomies" to refer to the tiny particles of the earth.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To complete the sentence, we need to find the meaning of the word "atomies" and how it relates to the poet's description of the earth. The word "atomies" is an archaic term that means very small or insignificant things or creatures.
• In the extract, the poet says that he descends to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe. This implies that he is referring to the smallest and driest parts of the earth that need water and nourishment from the rain. The poet uses the word "atomies" to contrast the vastness and grandeur of the rain with the minuteness and fragility of the earth.
• Therefore, the word that completes the sentence is tiny particles.

Question (iv) What is the rhyme scheme of the extract?

Ans: 
The rhyme scheme of the extract is ABAB.
Step-by-step explanation:

• To find the rhyme scheme of the extract, we need to identify the words that rhyme at the end of each line and assign them a letter according to their order of appearance. A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words.
• In the extract, the words that rhyme are sea and me in lines 1 and 2, and same and rain in lines 3 and 4. We assign the letter A to sea, the letter B to me, the letter A again to same, and the letter B again to rain because they rhyme with each other.
• The rhyme scheme is the pattern of letters that represents the rhyming words in the extract. Therefore, the rhyme scheme of the extract is ABAB.

Question (v) Select the option that is NOT true about the use of the word "lave" in the last line of the extract.
(a) It shows movement and action that contrasts with the static and dry state of the earth.
(b) It shows rain is cleaning and refreshing the Earth.
(c) It shows that the rain is destructive and violent.
(d) It shows rain is gentle and soothing
Ans: 
The option that is NOT true about the use of the word "lave" in the last line of the extract is (c) It shows that the rain is destructive and violent.
Step-by-step explanation:
To select the option that is NOT true, we need to evaluate each option and see if it matches with the effect of the use of the word "lave" in the
last line of the extract. The word "lave" means to wash or bathe with a liquid, especially water.

In the extract, the poet says that he descends to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe.

• Option (a) is true because the use of the word "lave" creates a sense of movement and action that contrasts with the static and dry state of the earth.
• Option (b) is true because the use of the word "lave" implies that the rain is cleansing and refreshing the earth with its water.
• Option (d) is true because the use of the word "lave" conveys that the rain is gentle and soothing to the earth, as it washes away its dust and dirt.
• Option (c) is NOT true because the use of the word "lave" does not show that the rain is destructive and violent. On the contrary, it shows that the rain is beneficial and nurturing to the earth.

Therefore, the option that is NOT true about the use of the word "lave" in the last line of the extract is (c).

Question (vi) What does the use of the word "vaguely" suggest?
Ans: 
The use of the word "vaguely" suggests that the poet is not sure about the form and shape of the rain.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to understand the meaning of the word "vaguely" and how it relates to the poet's description of the rain. The word "vaguely" means in a way that is uncertain, indefinite, or unclear.
• In the extract, the poet says that he rises upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether changed, and yet the same. The word "vaguely" modifies the word "form'd", which means having a definite shape or structure.
• The use of the word "vaguely" suggests that the poet is not sure about the form and shape of the rain as it evaporates and condenses in the sky. This creates a powerful image of the rain's transformation and mystery.
• Therefore, the use of the word "vaguely" suggests that the poet is not sure about the form and shape of the rain.