English: Communicative (Literature)-Poetry for Class X The Frog and the Nightingale (Q.1) Why did the other creatures creatures have no choice regarding regarding the frog’s song? (a) All their efforts to stop him singing were in vain (Q.2) How is the opening of the poem different? (a) It begins like a fairy tale (Q.3) What was the reaction reaction of the other creatures to its muse? (a) They hated the songs (Q.4) The frog stands for ______ who rule the competent ones. (a) Mozart (Q.5) ‘That’s not much to boast about’. What does it tell you about the speaker’s speaker’s character? (a) Rough and incompetent (Q.6) Who was Mozart? (a) Renowned composer and singer (Q.7) How did the Frog and the other creatures respond to the music of the Nightingale Nightingale when she first came to Bingle Bog? (a) Frog was dumbfounded and other creatures admired her song (Q.8) The Nightingale behaves very politely politely whereas the Frog’s attitude towards her was cold, ______ and imposing. (a) Coarse (Q.9) The Frog and the Nightingale contains many words describing different kinds of of noise. Find the group that has all these words. (a) Croaked, cacophony, melody, foghorn (Q.10) The public here means (a) Animals and Birds (Q.11) What does ‘Ladies’ refer to? (a) The rich birds (Q.12) The frog was puffed up with a joy which (a) Was both sweet and bitter (Q.13) Before the nightingale came, came, what did the frog do all night? (a) He croaked from dusk to dawn (Q.14) Which word has the poet created to rhyme words? words? (a) Awn (Q.15) Where did the frog live? (a) Under the Sumac tree (Q.16) Bingle Bog is is the name of ______. (a) The place where the frog and the other creatures lived (Q.17) The motive behind the continuous singing of of the frog was ______. ______. (a) Self enjoyment (Q.18) Who was the new occupant of of the Sumac tree? (a) The nightingale (Q.19) Choose the five kind of creatures who were were fascinated by the nightingale’s sweet song. (a) Toads, cuckoo, rabbits, owls and teals (Q.20) What words did the creatures use to express their feelings? (a) Bravo! Too divine. (Q.21) On the first night, what compelled compelled the nightingale to sing once more? (a) Words of applause of other creatures (Q.22) What startled the nightingale? nightingale? (a) Croaking voice of the frog (Q.23) How did the frog introduce introduce himself to the nightingale? nightingale? (a) As the master of the Sumac tree (Q.24) What aspect of the frog’s personality is revealed in his introductory words to the nightingale? (a) He is territorial and possessive (Q.25) What was the effect of Frog’s introduction on the nightingale? nightingale? (a) The nightingale was flattered. (Q.26) The frog said that that he wrote for ______ ______ as________.
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(a) Bog Trumpet – music critic (Q.27) What according to the frog was the drawback in the nightingale’s song? (a) It was far too long (Q.28) How did the nightingale respond to the criticism? (a) She was dejected. (Q.29) What impression do you form of the nightingale? (a) She lacked confidence and was prone to influence (Q.30) Who had composed the nightingale’s song? (a) The nightingale (Q.31) How will the frog change the nightingale’s singing? (a) By teaching her the technique of singing (Q.32) On what condition does the frog agree to teach the nightingale? (a) On charging a modest fee (Q.33) The frog is not a fair judge of music because (a) His voice was jarring (Q.34) What does the nightingale mean by ‘at least its mine’? (a) Her song is unique (Q.35) Why is the frog called ‘heartless’? (a) No sympathy and emotions for the nightingale (Q.36) What happened to the nightingale in the end? (a) She burst her vein and died (Q.37) Why does the nightingale consider the frog as ‘Mozart’? (a) She was impressed by the critical appreciation of the f rog (Q.38) Why did the Frog begin her vocal training when it was raining? (a) He wanted to tire her to death (Q.39) What happened to the nightingale’s voice after singing in the rain? (a) It became hoarse and quivering (Q.40) For how many hours did the frog and the nightingale ‘journey up and down the scale’? (a) Five hours (Q.41) It had been raining for (a) Ten hours
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English: Communicative (Literature)-Poetry for Class X The Frog and the Nightingale (Q.1) Once upon a time a frog Croaked away in Bingle Bog Every night from dusk to dawn He croaked awn and awn and awn. a) What is unusual about the beginning of the poem? b) What is ‘Bingle Bog’? c) Find a word made up by the poet? Why has he done so? (Ans) a) The poem begins like a fairy tale and birds and other creatures feature in the poem. b) Bingle Bog is the name of the place where the frog and the other creatures lived. c) The word is ‘awn’. The poet has done so to create a rhyme scheme with ‘dawn’. (Q.2) Other creatures loathed his voice But, alas, they had no choice, And the crass cacophony Blared out from the sumac tree. a) Whose ‘voice’ is loathed? b) Why did the other creatures have no choice? c) Explain ‘crass cacophony’. (Ans) a) He frog’s voice is loathed. b) The other creatures had no choice as all their efforts to stop him were in vain. c) Crass cacophony means loud and unpleasant sound.
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(Q.3) Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks Insults or complaints or bricks Stilled the frog’s determination ( 4 Marks ) To display his heart’s elation a) What was the frog’s determination? b) How did the other creatures try to stop the frog? Why? c) What character trait of the frog is revealed in the extract? (Ans) a) The frog’s determination was to sing with joy and pride. b) The creatures pleaded him. They complained and insulted him. Finally, they threw stones, bricks and sticks so that he would stop the unpleasant cacophony. c) The frog is determined, stubborn and was inconsiderate. (Q.4) But one night a nightingale In the moonlight cold and pale Perched upon the sumac tree ( 4 Marks ) Casting forth her melody. a) Why has the poet used ‘but’? b) Why was the moonlight ‘cold and pale’? c) What did the nightingale do? (Ans) a) The poet has used ‘but’ because the nightingale came suddenly one night and things changed thereafter. b) The moonlight reflected the mood of the creatures of the Bog who were sick of hearing the unpleasant song of the frog. c) The nightingale perched upon the sumac tree and rendered a melodious song (Q.4) Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog And the whole admiring bog Stared towards the sumac, rapt, And, when she had ended, clapped. a) Why was everyone rapt? b) Why was the frog dumbstruck? c) What was the reaction of the Bog? (Ans) a) Everyone was enchanted by the nightingale’s melodious song. b) The frog was dumbfounded when he heard the sweet song. c) All creatures gathered to hear the nightingale’s song and when she had ended they applauded.
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(Q.5) Toads and teals and tiddlers captured By her voice, cheered on enraptured: ‘Bravo!’ ‘Too Divine!’ ‘Encore!’ a) What was the reaction of the toads and teals? b) Name a poetic device used in this extract. c) How did the nightingale react to this? (Ans) a)The toads and teals were enchanted by her. b) Alliteration: Toads and teals and tiddlers captured. c) The nightingale sang till dawn without a pause.
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(Q.6) So the nightingale once more, Quite unused to such applause, Sang till dawn without a pause ( 4 Marks ) a) What compelled the nightingale to sing still dawn? b) What was unusual for the nightingale? c) Where was the nightingale? (Ans) a) Everyone admired her song. Cheers and applause of the creatures compelled her to sing till dawn. b) The admiration and applause was unusual for the nightingale. c) The nightingale had perched herself on the Sumac tree. (Q.7) Next night when the nightingale Shook her head and twitched her tail, Closed an eye and fluffed a wing And had cleared her throat to sing ( 4 Marks ) She was startled by a croak a) How did the nightingale get ready to sing? b) What had happened to her the previous night? c) What startled the nightingale? (Ans) a) The nightingale prepared herself to sing by shaking her head, twitching her tail, closing an eye, fluffing a wing and finally clearing her throat. b) The creatures of Bingle Bog were delighted to hear her song and praised her. She sang till dawn. c) The nightingale was startled by the c roaking of the frog. (Q.8) Sorry-was that you who spoke? She enquired when the frog Hopped towards her from the bog a) Who is ‘she’? b) Why did the frog hop towards her? c) What character traits are revealed of the frog and the nightingale in this extract? (Ans) a) ‘She’ is the nightingale. b) The frog hopped towards the nightingale to introduce himself. c) The nightingale is simple and courteous where as the frog is determined and imposing
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(Q.9) ‘Yes’ the frog replied, ‘you see I’m the frog who owns this tree In this bog I’ve long been known ( 4 Marks ) For my splendid baritone' a) Why did the frog boast about himself? b) Explain ‘baritone’. c) What was the effect of the Frog’s words on the nightingale? (Ans) a) The frog boasted about himself to impress the simple nightingale. b) ‘Baritone’ means a male singing voice. c) The nightingale was very impressed by the frog’s boastful claims. She was flattered that such a great musician should seek her out. (Q.10) ‘Oh!’ the nightingale confessed Greatly flattered and impressed
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That a critic of such note Had discussed her art and throat a) Who does the nightingale regard as a critic? b) Why was the nightingale impressed? c) What character trait of the nightingale is revealed in these lines? (Ans) a) The nightingale regarded the frog as a critic. b) The nightingale was impressed that a famous musician had discussed her art and her singing. c) The nightingale is extremely talented, unsure of herself and gullible. (Q.11) ‘I don’t think the song’s divine But oh well at least its mine’ That’s not much to boast about ( 4 Marks ) Said the heartless frog a) Why is the frog heartless? b) Where is the frog and who is he talking to? c) What happened to the nightingale in the end? (Ans) a) The frog is heartless because he criticizes the nightingale’s song for an ulterior motive and has no consideration for the nightingale. b) The frog is at the sumac tree talking to the nightingale. c) The nightingale in an attempt to please the frog over strained herself, burst a vein and died. (Q.12) Without Proper training such as I And few others-can supply ( 4 Marks ) You’ll remain a beginner a) Who is the speaker? b) What character trait of the speaker is revealed in the above extract? c) What is the reaction of the listener? How did it affect her fate? (Ans) a) The frog is the speaker. b) The frog is cunning and boastful. He wants to eliminate competition and is unscrupulous. c) The nightingale is the listener. She is flattered. She believed the frog blindly who was exploiting her talent and pushing her to slow death. (Q.13) ‘This is a fairy taleAnd you’re Mozart in disguise Come to earth before my eyes’ ( 4 Marks ) a) Who says these words? To who? b) Why has the listener been called ‘Mozart’ in disguise? c) What trait of the speaker’s character is revealed by these words? (Ans) a) The nightingale says these words to the frog. b) Mozart was a great Austrian composer of music. c) The frog is called Mozart as the nightingale thinks a great critic has come to assess her singers. The nightingale is humble and gullible. She believes whatever the frog tells her. (Q.14) ‘Come, my dear- we’ll sing together Just put on your scarf and sash Koo-ah-ah! Ko-ash! ( 4 Marks ) a) Whom does the speaker ask to put on a scarf? Why? b) What was the real motive of the speaker in practising together? c) What was the effect of ‘singing together’? (Ans) a) The nightingale is asked to put on a scarf. It had started to rain and the nightingale could not sing in that wet weather. The frog insisted that she wears a scarf and sing. b) The real motive was to exhaust her and eliminate competition. c) The effect of singing together was that nightingale’s voice became rough. (Q.15) Ladies with tiaras glittering In the interval sat twittering And the frog observed them glitter
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With a joy both sweet and bitter a) Why were ladies in tiaras? b) What ‘interval’ is being referred to? c) Why was the frog’s joy both ‘sweet and bitter’? (Ans) a) The nightingale had become a huge sensation and her performance was a social event. The dignified personalities wore tiaras to the concert. b) The interval between songs during which the ladies could gossip. c) The frog’s joy was sweet as he was earning a lot of money by charging admission fees. It was bitter because the nightingale was a huge success and his singing had never been appreciated. (Q.16) Every day the frog who’d sold her Songs for silver tried to scold her ( 4 Marks ) a) How did the frog sell her songs for silver? b) Why did the frog scold the nightingale? c) What was the result of the frog’s scolding? (Ans) a) The frog charged admission fee for the nightingale’s performance. b) The frog scolded the nightingale as he wanted her to practise longer till her voice grew stronger like his. He wanted her to give the audience something brighter and sharper. c) The nightingale practised even in adverse weather. She was exhausted by over-exertion and her songs failed to enthrall the audience (Q.17) You must practise even longer Till your voice, like mine, grows stronger… ( 4 Marks ) a) Who does ‘you’ refer to? b) What is the speaker trying to achieve? c) What character trait of the speaker is revealed in the given extract? (Ans) a) You refers to the nightingale. b) The speaker is trying to make the nightingale practise extensively so that the sweet voice becomeshoarse like that of the frog. He also wanted to eliminate the nightingale by his cunning ways. c) The frog is cunning. He is boastful and inconsiderate towards the nightingale. (Q.18) You must make your public happier Give them something sharper, snappier We must aim for better billings ( 4 Marks ) You still owe me sixty shillings a) Who does the ‘public’ refer to? b) What is the advice given by the frog? c) What is the ulterior motive of the frog? (Ans) a) The public is the birds living in and around Bingle Bog. b) The frog wants the nightingale to render songs that were better and livelier. c) The ulterior motive of the frog was to train her for long hours so that her voice became rough. He wanted to eliminate competition (Q.19) I tried to teach her But she was a stupid creature Far too nervous, far too tense, Far too prone to influence a) What did the frog try to teach and to whom? b) What qualities of the nightingale drive her to death? c) What moral is conveyed through the characters of the frog and the nightingale? (Ans) a) The frog tried to teach the nightingale how to sing. b) The nightingale is nervous and unsure of herself. She was too trusting and gullible and let herself be led by the cunning frog. c) The moral of the story is that talented people should have confidence in themselves. One should not trust anyone blindly
