Comprehension I:  Grandma Climbs a Tree

Question 1.
The speaker in the poem does not call his grandmother ‘childish.’. What else was she, according to him? Why does he consider her to be so?
Answer:
The speaker considers his grandmother a genius because she could easily climb trees. He believes she was exceptional because even at the age of sixty-two, she could climb trees very quickly.

Question 2.
Grandma had been in the habit of climbing trees for a very long period. Identify the lines that suggest this.
Answer:
“Ever since childhood, she’d had this gift / For being happier in a tree than in a lift.”
“She hadn’t been up, at one time or another (having learned to climb from a loving brother when she was six).”

Question 3.
‘She would be told . . . . . . .’ Who do you think would tell her so?
Answer:
Family members, friends, and well-wishers would have told her that climbing trees should stop when one grows old.

Question 4.
Do you find anything odd in the reply given by the grandma? If so, why do you think it is odd?
Answer:
Yes, it is odd because instead of accepting ageing gracefully, she humorously declares, “Well, I’ll grow disgracefully; I can do it better.” This shows her rebellious and lively spirit, which is unusual for elderly people.

Question 5.
Others had feared that Granny would fall from a tree one day or the other. Did this happen? Or did something else happen?
Answer:
No, Granny did not fall. Instead, she climbed a tree one day and got stuck, unable to come down.

Question 6.
What had the doctor recommended? What was the reaction of the kids to this advice?
Answer:
The doctor recommended a quiet week in bed. The kids were relieved and made sure Granny was well taken care of, but Granny herself was unhappy as it felt like “a brief season in hell” for her.

Question 7.
Quote the lines that suggest how Granny enjoyed climbing a tree wholeheartedly.
Answer:
“For in all the garden there wasn’t a tree / She hadn’t been up, at one time or another.”

Question 8.
‘My dad knew his duties.’. What did he think his duty was?
Answer:
He thought his duty was to fulfill his mother’s wishes. So, when she asked for a house in a treetop, he immediately agreed and started working on it.

Question 9.
Look at the picture given below the title. Quote the lines that might have guided the artist to draw that.
Answer:
“With my expert assistance, he soon finished the chore: / Made her a treehouse with windows and a door.”
“So Granny moved up, and now every day / I climb to her room with glasses and a tray.”

Comprehension II: Grandma Climbs a Tree

A. Read and Appreciate

Question 1:
Does the behaviour of Grandma strike you as unusual? If so, support your view by quoting her ways and responses to others.
Answer:
• Grandma is climbing a tree. (Way 1)
• Response: “And though, as years went by, she would be told / That climbing trees should stop when one grew old.”
• Response: “She’d laugh and say, ‘Well, I’ll grow disgracefully; I can do it better.’.”

Question 2:
Growing old gracefully is an expression used in the poem. Discuss with your partner whether what the grandma was doing was graceful or otherwise.
Answer:
Grandma did not believe in “growing old gracefully” in the conventional sense. Instead, she embraced aging with adventure and enthusiasm. While society expects the elderly to slow down, she chose to defy these norms, making her approach unconventional but inspiring. Her love for climbing trees shows that age is just a number when it comes to enjoying life.

Question 3:
Both the narrator and his father were very considerate towards Grandma. Substantiate the statement with textual support.
Answer:
The narrator and his father respected Grandma’s wishes and took care of her happiness. When she wanted a treehouse, the father immediately agreed:
“My dad knew his duties. He said, ‘That’s all right. You’ll have what you want, dear. I’ll start work tonight.’”
The narrator also shows his love by regularly climbing up to the treehouse with a tray of drinks for her:
“So Granny moved up, and now every day / I climb to her room with glasses and a tray.”

Question 4:
If you were to divide the entire poem into two parts, which line would you pick up to be the beginning of the second part? Why
Answer:
• The second part could begin with the line:
“The outcome was different—while we were in town, she climbed a tree and couldn’t come down.”
• This marks a shift in the poem from describing Grandma’s habit of climbing trees to the event that led to her needing a treehouse.

B. Poetic Devices and Meaning: Grandma Climbs a Tree

Question 1:
Write at least 5 pairs of rhyming words.
• Said—Bed
• Tree—Sixty-three
• Told—Old
• Chore—Door
• Tray—Day

Question 2:
It was like a brief season. Name the figure of speech in the sentence. What are the two things compared? Explain.
Answer:
• Figure of speech: Simile
• Comparison: Grandma’s time in bed is compared to a short but terrible season in hell. This highlights her frustration and discomfort when she was confined indoors.

Question 3:
‘For being happier in a tree than in a lift.’ What is suggested through this line?
Answer:
This suggests that Grandma preferred adventure, freedom, and nature over modern conveniences. Instead of using a lift like most people, she found joy in climbing trees, showing her independent and unconventional personality.

Question 4:
Rewrite ‘There was a tree; she hadn’t been up’ without using ‘not.’.
Answer:
1. Rewritten sentence: She had climbed every tree in the garden.
2. Example of double negatives in everyday language:
• “I don’t have any money.” → Corrected: “I don’t have any money.”
• “She isn’t never late.” → Corrected: “She is never late.”

C. Read the line ‘She would be up in the branches in a trice.’: Grandma Climbs a Tree

What picture do you get in your mind when you read this? Maybe it is the picture of Grandma climbing a tree deftly, even like a monkey.
Now read the following lines and say what pictures or images come to your mind. Try to draw these pictures if you can:

Question 1:
An aged woman confined to bed.
Answer:
The image of a frail, restless grandmother lying in bed, frustrated at being kept indoors, longing to climb trees again.

Question 2:
Every breeze whispered of summer and dancing leaves.
Answer:
A calm and peaceful summer day with gentle winds rustling through the green leaves, creating a soft melody.

Question 3:
Being happier in a tree than in a lift.
Answer:
A joyful old lady is sitting high up in a tree, smiling and feeling free, rather than standing inside a dull, enclosed lift.

Question 4:
I will grow disgracefully.
Answer:
An elderly woman laughing boldly, ignoring society’s expectations, doing what she loves without hesitation.

“Grandma Climbs a Tree” Summary