Class:XII Poem:02

Class:XII 

Book:Flamingo

Poem:02

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum 

Questions Short Answer Type

Question 1:

What change does the poet hope for in the lives of the slum children?

Answer:

Stephen Spender wants a better life for the children of the slums. He wants the officials to help these

poor children come out of their miserable surroundings. He wishes that these children should be given education, because education is the key to prosperity.

Question 2:

To whom does the poet in the poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ make an appeal?

What is his appeal?

Answer:

The poet makes an appeal to his readers, especially the educated and well-off people, to help the poor children of the slum come out and be freed from their miserable surroundings. His appeal is that these children should be given quality education, because education holds the key to their emancipation.

Question 3:

Which words/phrases in the poem ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’show that the slum children are suffering from acute malnutrition?

Answer:

The words or phrases in the poem which show that the slum children are suffering from acute malnutrition are, ‘the hair tom round their pallor’, ‘paper-seeming boy’, ‘stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones’ and ‘wear skins peeped through by bones.’

Question 4:

What message does Stephen Spender convey through the poem, An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

Answer:

The poet wants freedom from a life of hunger and misery for the poor children. He wishes that the children should be provided with quality education. They should be brought out from their filthy surroundings into the comforting lap of nature.

Question 5:

How does the poet describe the classroom walls?

Answer:

The classroom walls are pale yellow and dirty. Donated items have been put up on these walls. All these are in complete contrast to the world of these children.

Question 6:

Why does Stephen Spender say that the pictures and maps in the elementary school classroom are not meaningful?

Answer:

The pictures that have been put up on the classroom walls depict the civilised world. The portrait of Shakespeare is useless to the slum children because they will never read his works. The world shown in the map is not their world. Their world is confined to the walls of their classroom and the slum in which they live. Thus they are not meaningful.

Question 7:

Have you ever visited or seen an elementary school in a slum? What does it look like?

Answer:

Yes, I have visited such a school; it was a government school. It was in a pitiful state. It did not have

even the basic amenities like properly working fans and lights. Broken windows, damaged doors, broken benches and dirty walls greeted the students. Many of the teachers did not conduct the classes regularly. Even the washrooms were dirty and without any water.

Question 8:

What do you think is the colour of sour cream? Why do you think the poet has used this expression to describe the classroom walls?

Answer:

The colour of sour cream is pale yellow. The poet has used this expression to show the poor and grim environment of the classroom. Instead of bringing cheer to the unhappy existence of the children, these walls add to their misery and dreariness.

Question 9:

The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of’Shakespeare’, ‘buildings with domes’, ‘world maps’and ‘beautiful valleys’. How do these contrast with the world of these children?

Answer:

‘Shakespeare’ symbolises the study of literature, ‘buildings and domes’ symbolise power and wealth, the world maps represent the world outside and ‘beautiful valleys’ refer to nature’s beauty and bounty. All these stand in sharp contrast to the dingy, dismal and gloomy atmosphere in which these slum children live.

Question 10:

What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?

Answer:

The poet keenly desires these children to break the bonds of living a life of despair in the slum. They should not remain dejected, depressed and isolated from the rest of the world. Their lives can be made to change by the officials, who should come forward to educate the children properly, giving them opportunities to experience the outside world through a better education.

Question 11.

Bring out the theme of Spender’s poem, ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’. What light does it throw on the poet’s own attitude and convictions ?

Answer:

The theme of Spender’s poem is to highlight the plight of slum children. Their dark homes and neglected schools are like tombs for them. They are far removed from the sunshine of knowledge and a normal civilised life. They need to be removed from their unhealthy surroundings. The poem reflects the rage of the poet against sub-human conditions of millions of slum children.