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10th Class - English First Flight - Poem

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10th Class - English First Flight - Poem
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Solutions

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 Amanda

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1.
How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Answer:
Amanda is about a 9-10 year old school going girl. She is being scolded for things typical for that particular age. Her parents are trying to inculcate in her good manners and etiquettes. Amanda is very innocent and immature

Question 2.
Who do you think is speaking to her?

Answer:
One of her parents is speaking to her. Most probably it is her mother. In a traditional household mother is held responsible for the conduct of child. In this case also, the range of instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda mother

Question 3.
Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Answer:
Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner thoughts of Amanda. They can be taken as the reaction of the child for the instructions given in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. Here, there is an alternate sequence of scolding of the mother, and corresponding reaction to it given by the child. Also, parenthesis is used here to make the reading of the poem friendly

Question 4.
Who is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?

Answer:
Speaker of the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda. No, she is not paying any attention to the speaker of stanzas 1, 3 and 5 as she is lost in a world of her own. Her imagination provides her an escape from her sorry reality

Question 5.
What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Answer:
Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could carelessly move along on a languid emerald sea. She just wishes to be carried away by the green sea waves slowly and gradually. Amanda longs for a place where she is all by herself as her happiness is not dependant on any other human being. Hence, she desires to be a mermaid because for a child, mermaid is a symbol of freedom and wonder

Question 6.
Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

Answer:
No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so much stressed with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them. The mere presence of her parents around her depresses her. Amanda is a little girl who seeks golden silence and sweet freedom. She wishes to roam around streets and draw patterns with her bare feet. Indeed it is horribly depressing that Amanda expects being an orphan

Question 7.
Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Answer:
Story of Rapunzel - Rapunzel story revolves around her life on a tower Rapunzel was made to live on a high tower by a witch. She eventually got used to living there. She was happy and satisfied with her life. Rapunzel had very long golden hair, using which the witch used to pay her a visit. The fate of Rapunzel took a turn when one day a prince came to meet her using her hair. The witch had punished both of them by separating them. Finally they met after a couple of years only to be united forever this time. Amanda Wishes to live like Rapunzel on a high tower away from everyone. She seeks peace and harmony. That is the reason Amanda wishes to be like Rapunzel. However, she also makes a point that in order to avoid being disturbed she would never let her hair down for anyone to climb to her. She needs no one to make her life happy

Question 8.
What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Answer:
A girl like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfil the expectations of her parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face similar fate irrespective of class, colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain type of behaviour from the individuals and the training to produce such begins at a very young age. Parents ignore the innocence and understanding level of their children and thereby the young ends up killing their imagination and thoughts

Question 9.
Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?

Answer:
No, Amanda is neither sulking nor moody. She is simply not interested enough in the nagging business of her parents. Amanda cares more about her imagination and thought process over the manners her parents are trying to inculcate into her

Important Question

NCERT CBSE for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 Amanda Important Questions

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
Year of Question:(2013)

Answer
No, Amanda is neither sulking, nor she is moody. She is simply longing for her freedom. She wants to go out and play wherever she likes.

Question 2.
What was Amanda to finish?
Year of Question:(2017)

Answer
She was to finish her homework.

Question 3.
How is silence described?
Year of Question:(2019)

Answer
Silence is described as golden.

Question 4.
Who was Rapunzel?
Year of Question:(2002)

Answer
Rapunzel was fair with very long hair.

Question 5.
What should Amanda not to do to her soldiers?
Year of Question:(2008)

Answer
She should not hunch her soldiers.

Question 6.
Has Amanda cleaned her shoes?
Year of Question:(2012)

Answer
No, she has not cleaned her shoes.

Question 7.
What is Amanda prohibited to eat?
Year of Question:(2017)

Answer
She is prohibited to eat chocolate.

Question 8.
What did Rapunzel do with her long hair?
Year of Question:(2015)

Answer
She let her hair fall down from the castle for her lover to climb upholding them.

Question 9.
What does the speaker ask Amanda not to do to her nails?
Year of Question:(2001)

Answer
The speaker asks Amanda not to bite her nails.

Question 10.
What does Amanda wish to do in the sea?
Year of Question:(2005)

Answer
She wishes to drift blissfully with the soft-moving waves of the sea.

Question 11.
If Amanda is an orphan, what will she do?
Year of Question:(2013)

Answer
She will roam about in the streets.

Question 12.
Why should Amanda not eat chocolate?
Year of Question:(2008)

Answer
She should not eat chocolate as it causes acne.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How does Amanda is seen behaving when the poem starts? What does the speaker ask her not to do?
Year of Question:(2012)

Answer
When the poem beings, we find that Amanda is biting her nails. She is hunching her shoulders. She is sitting in a slouching posture. That is why the speaker asks her to behave normally. He asks her not to bite her nails and hunch her shoulders. She should sit up straight.

Question 2.
What does Amanda yearn for?
Year of Question:(2016)

Answer
Amanda is a little girl. She is asked to do or not to do this and that. She is nagged at by her parents. So Amanda yearns for freedom. She wants to lead a life without any restrictions.

Question 3.
Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel, yet would not like to do what all she did. Identify and state the reasons for her decision.
Year of Question:(2018)

Answer
Amanda wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in a tower, where no one gives any instruction and she doesn’t have to do any work. But she doesn’t want to escape with a prince like Rapunzel. She never wants to escape and leave such a peaceful atmosphere, with no instruction and no work to do.

Question 4.
What does the poet ask Amanda not to do in the poem" ‘Amanda’?

Answer
The poet advises Amanda not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders and not to eat chocolate. She advises her to sit straight and take care of her acne. She further advises her to keep herself clean.

Question 5.
Who was Amanda?
What idea do you form her through the poem?
Year of Question:(2003)

Answer
Amanda was a little school going, girl. She seems to love fairy tales, stories like Rapunzel and mermaids. She does not like too many instructions or nagging which make her sulk and become moody. Then she does not listen to her mother attentively and starts daydreaming.

Question 6.
In which way does Amanda imagine herself to be mermaid?
Year of Question:(2011)

Answer
Mermaid is believed to be a creature with a woman’s head and body, and a fish’s tail instead of legs.
Amanda imagines herself or wishes to be free like a mermaid, which is moving slowly in a state of bliss in the sea, which is green like an emerald.

Question 7.
Is the purpose of someone constantly giving instructions to Amanda being fulfilled? Explain.
Year of Question:(2007)

Answer
No, Amanda sulks and becomes moody when her mother gives her too many instructions. She does not listen to her mother and didn’t care to follow them but she can’t dare to ignore them either so, she sulks. Parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved, give them too many instructions.

Question 8.
How and why does Amanda say that she is an orphan?
Year of Question:(2002)

Answer
Amanda seems to be fed up with continuous instructions and naggings. She is feeling that her freedom is curtailed. So, she imagines herself to be an orphan street child who leaves imprints caused on the soft dust by her bare feet. She feels that silences is golden or precious and freedom is sweet.

Question 9.
Why does she dream to be an orphan?
Year of Question:(2004)

Answer
She thinks orphans lead a carefree life. There is no one to pester them with instructions. They can wander in a street and make patterns in the soft dust with their bare feet. They don’t have to clean the shoes or room or do the homework.

Question 10.
List the things which Amanda’s mother doesn’t want her to do.
Year of Question:(2006)

Answer
Her mother doesn’t want her to hunch her shoulders and bend her body down. She stops her from eating chocolates as it would not be good for her pimpled face. She wants her to stop sulking as others would think that she is being nagged by her mother.

Question 11.
What type of life does Amanda wish for?
Year of Question:(2008)

Answer
Amanda feels that her freedom has been curtailed. She is leading a controlled life under constant nagging. She wishes for a life free from all the restrictions. She wants to lead a life like a fairy, a mermaid or an orphan. Like a mermaid she wants to drifts blissfully. For, silence is golden and freedom is sweet.

Question 12.
What made Amanda sulk and become moody?
Year of Question:(2010)

Answer
Amanda sulks and becomes moody when her mother gives her too many instructions. She does not want to follow them but she can’t dare to ignore them either, so she sulks.

Question 13.
I am an orphan, roaming the street.
Is Amanda an orphan?If not, why does she say so?
Year of Question:(2012)

Answer
No, Amanda is not an orphan. There are many restrictions on her. She does not like this life. She wants freedom. She feels that there is no one to understand her feelings. She is all alone. This is the reason she says that she is an orphan.

Question 14.
How old do you think Amanda is?
How do you know this?
Year of Question:(2014)

Answer
Amanda is a teenager. This is the age when a child wants to have freedom. Teenagers do not like nagging and want to have free life. The poet advises Amanda to take care of her acne which commonly appears on the face of a teenager.

Question 15.
How does Amanda is seen behaving when the poem starts?
What does the speaker ask her not to do?
Year of Question:(2016)

Answer
When the poem beings, we find that Amanda is biting her nails. She is hunching her shoulders. She is sitting in a slouching posture. That is why the speaker asks her to behave normally. He asks her not to bite her nails and hunch her shoulders. She should sit up straight.

Question 16.
Why is Amanda forbidden to eat chocolate?
How does Amanda behave when she is addressed by the speaker?
Year of Question:(2018)

Answer
The speaker asks Amanda not to eat chocolate. It is because she has had acne already. Eating chocolate might create more pimples. Amanda listens to the speaker without raising her face.

Question 17.
What does the speaker tell Amanda in the end?
What is the speaker afraid of?
Year of Question:(2003)

Answer
The speaker thinks that Amanda is sulking and moody. He thinks that Amanda is always moody. He asks her not to sulk because he is afraid that people will think that he is nagging Amanda.

Question 18.
What is the fear of the speaker that is explained in the last stanza?
Year of Question:(2005)

Answer
In the last stanza, the speaker advises Amanda not to remain moody and sulking. The reason behind this is that she does not want to expose it before others. Otherwise, people will think that she was teased by the speaker. It was her fear.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Why does Amanda imagine to be
(i) a Mermaid
(ii) an orphan, and
(iii) Rapunzel,
What does it show about her?
Year of Question:(2007)

Answer
(i) Amanda imagines herself to be a mermaid so that she may drift in the silent sea and enjoy the loneliness and peace there. She yearns for freedom.
(ii) She wishes to be an orphan so that she may play bare feet in the dust without receiving several instructions or scolding. She wishes for her independence and freedom.
(iii) Amanda is fascinated by the lonely and tranquil life of Rapunzel in a closed tower. She wishes for such a life so that her nagging mother may not reach there. Here also, she yearns for her freedom from nagging.

Question 2.
What message does the poet want to give through the poem, ‘Amanda’?
Year of Question:(2009)

Answer
The poet wants to convey that parents in their endeavour to make their children well-behaved, mannerly having good habits, give them too many instructions or nag (always finding fault) them. They should adopt positive measures, acceptable to children. Otherwise, they will stop listening to them and indulge in daydreaming as Amanda did.

Question 3.
"Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!"
Amanda’s parents were over anxious about her. She often found their instructions very stifling. Reading the poem and based on Amanda’s experience, write a paragraph on the topic "Should parents be allowed to control children?
Year of Question:(2013)
"

Answer
It goes without saying that no child can survive the early years of its life without the care and protection of its parents. But some parents are so over protective and over anxious about their children that they don’t let their children live in peace. They don’t allow them to explore and find out things on their own. Such parents kill the child’s initiative in learning. These parents always boss around and irritate their children.
They don’t trust their child’s capability to do things independently. However, the parents may control the children and guide them as long as it is necessary. Equipped with knowledge and confidence they will be able to face the world boldly. Gradually the child should be allowed to grow on its own and be responsible for its actions. When parents give freedom to their children they gain confidence and learn to do things in a better way.

Question 4.
What is the role/importance of punctuation marks in language?
Why has the poet used the exclamation mark after Amanda? Comment on the title of the poem.
Year of Question:(2015)

Answer
(i) Punctuation is an important part of grammar. It is used to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences. It is used to structure and organise our writing.
(ii) The exclamation mark is used after Amanda! to show the mother’s surprise on seeing Amanda. Amanda is a sulky and moody girl which upsets the mother.

Question 5.
It is said that excess of everything is bad. Excess of parental love may make a child pampered in the same way excess of nagging may throw a child into negativity. These statements are seen justified to some extent in the poem ‘Amanda’. Explain.
Year of Question:(2017)

Answer
None can refute the pious role of parents or elders or teachers in the proper grooming and holistic development of a child. Parent’s personality resonates and reflects through the behaviours and personality of a child. Parents do every possible thing, they can do, to shape the character and habits of their child. But sometimes, in course of nurturing the kid, the parents cross the limits unknowingly.
They became either overcaring or over protective or over anxious. They forget the fact that, when a matured mind cannot tolerate excess of do’s and don’ts, how can they expect it from a child who is totally unaware of the worries and cares of the world. To a child the world means a world of imagination fancy and fairy.
If being nagged repeatedly she may form negative opinions about his/her mother and father. The same thing we find in the poem ‘Amanda’. Amanda is a girl of around 8-11 year of age who lives in her own fairy land. She does not appreciate the constant scolding or nagging of her father/mother.
She feels that her freedom is punctuated. So, she instead of following the instructions, remains wandering in her own world of imagination. Excess of nagging has resulted into negativity as Amanda considers herself orphan. She sulks. She avoids eye to eye contact. Hence, parents must understand the line of boundary and act.

Question Papers / Notes Download


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