UNIT 08
PAGE 97
Question 1-(a):
When do you generally use a mirror?
Answer :
A mirror is usually used to look into one’s own s
Question 1-(b):
Is a mirror essential for us?
Answer :
Yes, a mirror is very essential for us, as it helps us look presentable before we meet people.
Question 1-(c):
Given below is a list of possible reasons why a person uses a mirror. Tick the ones you agree with:
(i) to check one's appearance
(ii) to look beautiful
(iii) to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out
(iv) to check for a pimple or grey hair
(v) to apply make-up
(vi) to make a phone call
(vii) as a decorative item at home
Answer :
(i) to check one's appearance;
(ii) to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out;
(iii) to apply make-up.
PAGE 98
Question 3-(a):
When the mirror is being described as being 'unmisted by love or dislike' we understand that the mirror is
i. not misted
ii. not prejudiced
iii. has four angles
iv. silver in colour
Answer :
ii. not prejudiced
Question 3-(b):
The other word for 'contemplation' is………..
i. contempt
ii. meditation
iii. mediation
iv. thoughtful
Answer :
iv. thoughtful.
Quistion 3-(c):
When the mirror says 'it has no preconceptions' it means that:
i. it reflects back an image objectively
ii. it modifies an image as it reflects it
iii. it beautifies an image as it reflects it
iv. it gives a biased view of a person/object
Answer :
i. it reflects back an image objectively
Question 3-(d):
The mirror has been called 'a four-cornered god' because:
i. it is square shaped
ii. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
iii. it reflects back all that it sees
iv. it never stops reflecting
Answer :
ii. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
Question 3-(e):
The 'speckles' refer to:
i. a pink object
ii. the opposite wall which has spots on it
iii. a person with pink pimples
iv. pink spots in general
Answer :
ii. the opposite wall which has spots on it
Question 3-(f):
The phrase 'agitation of the hand' suggests that the person is:
i. Very ill
ii. Very upset
iii. Very angry
iv. Very happy
Answer :
iii. Very angry
Question 3-(g):
By saying 'Now I am a lake' the narrator wants to show that
i. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
ii. the lake can also reflect surfaces
iii. the depth of the lake is important
iv. the lake does not show as exact an image as a mirror
Answer :
i. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
PAGE 99
Question 4-(a):
What is the poetic device used when the mirror says 'I swallow'?
Answer :
‘I swallow’ personifies the mirror. The mirror seems to say that the image on it is deep enough to swallow everything, passively. The objectivity of the mirror is significant.
Question 4-(b):
How does the mirror usually pass its time?
Answer :
The mirror meditates on the wall.
Question 4-(c):
What disturbs the mirror's contemplation of the opposite wall?
Answer :
Appearances of faces and darkness disturb the mirror’s contemplation of the opposite wall.
Question 4-(d):
Why does the mirror appear to be a lake in the second stanza? What aspect of the mirror do you think is being referred to here?
Answer :
The mirror, appearing to be a lake, symbolises depths of reality. The aspect of reflecting back an image objectively, is referred to over here.
Question 4-(e):
What is the woman searching for in the depths of the lake?
Answer :
The woman is searching for her true identity.
Question 4-(f):
How does the narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at her reflection in the lake is deeply distressed?
Answer :
It seems that the woman in the poem is deeply distressed because when she sees herself ageing in the mirror, she turns away to find her answers in the candles and the moon. She has tears in her eyes and her agitated hands express her distress.
Question 4-(g):
What makes the woman start crying?
Answer :
Faithful picture of the mirror, of her true ageing personality, makes her cry. She cries because the truth is bitter and too harsh for her to bear.
Question 4-(h):
What do you think the 'terrible fish' in the last line symbolizes? What is the poetic device used here?
Answer :
The ‘terrible fish’ symbolises the bitter truth which puts human beings to a fatal end. The poetic device used here is a simile.
PAGE 100
Question 5-(a):
List out the adjectives that have been used to describe the mirror. Add a few more adjectives to the list.
Answer :
Adjectives used in the poem to describe the mirror:
Exact, unmisted, truthful, not cruel, faithful, important
A few more adjectives for the same are listed below:
Deep, significant, reality, bitter, fair, honest
Question 5-(b):
In the second stanza why has the narrator replaced the mirror with a lake? What is he/she trying to focus on?
Answer :
The mirror is replaced with a lake to display a deep image of personality, against the fake, superficial beautification of life.
Question 6:
Find the various instances of personification used in this poem.
Answer :
The various instances of personification used in the poem are:
Whatever I see, I swallow immediately;
I am not cruel, only truthful;
Now, I am a lake;
The eye of a little god;
I am important to her.
Question 7-(a):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
What is the woman bending over?
i. the mirror
ii. the lake
iii. the opposite wall
iv. the moon and the candles
Answer :
i. the mirror
Question 7-(b):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
Why have the candles and the moon been called 'liars'?
i. because they make people beautiful
ii. they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light
iii. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
iv. they can't talk
Answer :
iii. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
Question 7-(c):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
Why does she turn to them in spite of calling them 'liars'?
i. the reality is too harsh for her to bear
ii. she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her
iii. she wants to be told that she is still beautiful
iv. she can hide her signs of graying in their light
Answer :
i. the reality is too harsh for her to bear
PAGE 97
Question 1-(a):
When do you generally use a mirror?
Answer :
A mirror is usually used to look into one’s own s
Question 1-(b):
Is a mirror essential for us?
Answer :
Yes, a mirror is very essential for us, as it helps us look presentable before we meet people.
Question 1-(c):
Given below is a list of possible reasons why a person uses a mirror. Tick the ones you agree with:
(i) to check one's appearance
(ii) to look beautiful
(iii) to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out
(iv) to check for a pimple or grey hair
(v) to apply make-up
(vi) to make a phone call
(vii) as a decorative item at home
Answer :
(i) to check one's appearance;
(ii) to make sure one is neat and tidy before going out;
(iii) to apply make-up.
PAGE 98
Question 3-(a):
When the mirror is being described as being 'unmisted by love or dislike' we understand that the mirror is
i. not misted
ii. not prejudiced
iii. has four angles
iv. silver in colour
Answer :
ii. not prejudiced
Question 3-(b):
The other word for 'contemplation' is………..
i. contempt
ii. meditation
iii. mediation
iv. thoughtful
Answer :
iv. thoughtful.
Quistion 3-(c):
When the mirror says 'it has no preconceptions' it means that:
i. it reflects back an image objectively
ii. it modifies an image as it reflects it
iii. it beautifies an image as it reflects it
iv. it gives a biased view of a person/object
Answer :
i. it reflects back an image objectively
Question 3-(d):
The mirror has been called 'a four-cornered god' because:
i. it is square shaped
ii. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
iii. it reflects back all that it sees
iv. it never stops reflecting
Answer :
ii. like God it watches you unbiased and fair from all four angles
Question 3-(e):
The 'speckles' refer to:
i. a pink object
ii. the opposite wall which has spots on it
iii. a person with pink pimples
iv. pink spots in general
Answer :
ii. the opposite wall which has spots on it
Question 3-(f):
The phrase 'agitation of the hand' suggests that the person is:
i. Very ill
ii. Very upset
iii. Very angry
iv. Very happy
Answer :
iii. Very angry
Question 3-(g):
By saying 'Now I am a lake' the narrator wants to show that
i. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
ii. the lake can also reflect surfaces
iii. the depth of the lake is important
iv. the lake does not show as exact an image as a mirror
Answer :
i. the poem is not only about external beauty but also the inside of a person
PAGE 99
Question 4-(a):
What is the poetic device used when the mirror says 'I swallow'?
Answer :
‘I swallow’ personifies the mirror. The mirror seems to say that the image on it is deep enough to swallow everything, passively. The objectivity of the mirror is significant.
Question 4-(b):
How does the mirror usually pass its time?
Answer :
The mirror meditates on the wall.
Question 4-(c):
What disturbs the mirror's contemplation of the opposite wall?
Answer :
Appearances of faces and darkness disturb the mirror’s contemplation of the opposite wall.
Question 4-(d):
Why does the mirror appear to be a lake in the second stanza? What aspect of the mirror do you think is being referred to here?
Answer :
The mirror, appearing to be a lake, symbolises depths of reality. The aspect of reflecting back an image objectively, is referred to over here.
Question 4-(e):
What is the woman searching for in the depths of the lake?
Answer :
The woman is searching for her true identity.
Question 4-(f):
How does the narrator convey the fact that the woman looking at her reflection in the lake is deeply distressed?
Answer :
It seems that the woman in the poem is deeply distressed because when she sees herself ageing in the mirror, she turns away to find her answers in the candles and the moon. She has tears in her eyes and her agitated hands express her distress.
Question 4-(g):
What makes the woman start crying?
Answer :
Faithful picture of the mirror, of her true ageing personality, makes her cry. She cries because the truth is bitter and too harsh for her to bear.
Question 4-(h):
What do you think the 'terrible fish' in the last line symbolizes? What is the poetic device used here?
Answer :
The ‘terrible fish’ symbolises the bitter truth which puts human beings to a fatal end. The poetic device used here is a simile.
PAGE 100
Question 5-(a):
List out the adjectives that have been used to describe the mirror. Add a few more adjectives to the list.
Answer :
Adjectives used in the poem to describe the mirror:
Exact, unmisted, truthful, not cruel, faithful, important
A few more adjectives for the same are listed below:
Deep, significant, reality, bitter, fair, honest
Question 5-(b):
In the second stanza why has the narrator replaced the mirror with a lake? What is he/she trying to focus on?
Answer :
The mirror is replaced with a lake to display a deep image of personality, against the fake, superficial beautification of life.
Question 6:
Find the various instances of personification used in this poem.
Answer :
The various instances of personification used in the poem are:
Whatever I see, I swallow immediately;
I am not cruel, only truthful;
Now, I am a lake;
The eye of a little god;
I am important to her.
Question 7-(a):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
What is the woman bending over?
i. the mirror
ii. the lake
iii. the opposite wall
iv. the moon and the candles
Answer :
i. the mirror
Question 7-(b):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
Why have the candles and the moon been called 'liars'?
i. because they make people beautiful
ii. they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light
iii. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
iv. they can't talk
Answer :
iii. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow
Question 7-(c):
A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
Why does she turn to them in spite of calling them 'liars'?
i. the reality is too harsh for her to bear
ii. she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her
iii. she wants to be told that she is still beautiful
iv. she can hide her signs of graying in their light
Answer :
i. the reality is too harsh for her to bear