SSLC English Question and Answer: The Song of India
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Karnataka SSLC 2nd Language English Textbook Answers—Reflections Poem 4
The Song of India Questions and Answers, Notes, and Summary
Class 10 2nd Language English Poem Chapter 4
The Song of India
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Comprehension I: The Song of India
Question 1:
Identify the two speakers in the poem. What does the speaker want to sing about?
Answer:
The two speakers in the poem are the speaker (the person asking the question) and the Mother (representing India). The speaker wants to sing a song about India, but he is unsure about which aspect of the nation to focus on. He considers singing about its natural beauty, history, culture, or progress.
Question 2.
What are the epics? Why does the poet call the temples ‘epics in stone’?
Answer:
The epics refer to great, long poems or stories that recount the deeds of heroes and gods, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The poet calls the temples ‘epics in stone’ because the temples are monumental and timeless, just like epic tales, embodying India’s history, culture, and spirituality.
Question 3.
What does the poet mean by ‘of your children that died to call you their own’?
Answer:
The poet refers to the martyrs who fought and died for India’s independence, giving their lives to the nation they loved.
Question 4.
What, according to the poet, is the contribution of the seers and prophets?
Answer:
The seers and prophets are the spiritual guides and thinkers who shaped India’s philosophical and religious paths. They contributed by laying the moral and spiritual foundations of the country, guiding people towards enlightenment and righteousness.
Question 5.
Why is the poet ‘querulous’? What does he want to do?
Answer:
The poet is ‘querulous’ because he is frustrated and confused, seeking a song that is pure and heartfelt, without any negative aspects. He wants to sing a song that celebrates India wholeheartedly, without acknowledging its struggles or imperfections.
Question 6.
How is he answered? Describe the vision. (Refer stanza 4)
Answer:
The Mother answers the poet by showing him a grand and transformative vision. She rises in the form of a blue sky and ocean waves, symbolizing purity, vastness, and light. The Mother represents India’s strength, beauty, and future potential, as she writes the ‘Book of the Morrow’ (the future) with the Sun-God emerging from her forehead, dispelling sorrow and darkness. This vision shows that India has a bright future ahead, free from despair.
Question 7.
What do the night, the sun god, and the clear dawn represent?
Answer:
The night symbolizes India’s past struggles and hardships. The Sun-God represents hope, energy, and a bright future. The clear dawn represents a new beginning, a fresh start, and optimism for India’s future, where the sorrow of the past is wiped away.
Read and appreciate: The Song of India
Question 1.
What is the picture of India that you get in stanza 1 of the poem?
Answer:
In stanza 1, India is portrayed as a country with great natural beauty, represented by the snow-capped Himalayas, seas, and pure dawn. However, it is also a country that faces challenges, with poverty and suffering present in its streets.
Question 2.
How does the poet describe the mother’s anger? Name the figure of speech used in stanza 2.
Answer:
The poet describes the Mother’s anger as a forceful, intense presence, with her words “beating into my ears like a gong” and “flying about me like great white birds.” The figure of speech used here is a simile (comparing her words to the sound of a gong and her anger to flying birds).
Question 3.
Explain the lines ‘A song bathed in the stainless blue unvaporizing in the void.’
Answer:
These lines describe the poet’s desire for a pure, unblemished song about India, a song that is free from negativity or suffering, glowing in the purity of its idealized vision, unaffected by time or space.
Question 4.
What does ‘the Motherland writing the Book of the Morrow’ signify?
Answer:
The “Motherland writing the Book of the Morrow” symbolizes India shaping its own future. The country is writing its destiny, moving toward progress, enlightenment, and a hopeful tomorrow.
Question 5.
Write in brief your vision of the future of India.
Answer:
The future of India will be one of growth and development, with technological advancements, a better standard of living, and the eradication of poverty and ignorance. It will be a country where its citizens are empowered, where cultural heritage is preserved while embracing modernity, and where the light of progress brightens the lives of all its people.
“The Song of India” Summary
“The Song of India” is a patriotic poem by a poet who deeply loves his motherland. The poem expresses a dialogue between the poet and his Motherland (personified as a mother). The poet initially asks his mother what song he should sing for her.
He contemplates singing about the natural beauty of India, such as the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas, the three great seas that surround the land (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean), or the golden touch of the dawn.
The Motherland responds calmly, asking the poet to sing about the suffering and hardships that India faces—about the beggars, lepers, and poor people on the streets, as well as the filth and dirt found in secluded places. The poet, however, wishes to focus on India’s grandeur and struggles, asking instead if he should sing of the rock-cut temples, epic stories carved in stone, or the sacrifices made by the children of India who fought for their land.
The Motherland, now upset and angry, urges the poet to sing of the millions of people who work tirelessly, the elderly who carry the weight of ignorance, or the helpless children born into poverty and hardship. The poet, hearing this, becomes emotionally overwhelmed, as her words ring in his ears like the sound of a gong. Despite feeling nervous and conflicted, he once again asks the Mother what kind of song she wants, asking if he should sing about industrial progress, such as dams, lakes, steel mills, or technological advancements.
The Motherland acknowledges the poet’s suggestions but insists that he also sing of the struggles—strikes, class wars, and the brave men who fought for the greater good, along with the consequences of such actions. The poet, feeling defeated, asks whether there is no way to sing for the Motherland in pure, unalloyed love.
At this point, the Motherland reveals a powerful vision. She appears draped in the blue sky, surrounded by milk-white oceans and radiant waves. The waves rise to form a throne of light, where she sits, writing the “Book of the Morrow” (the future). Her forehead opens like the earth’s destiny, and the Sun-God emerges, dispelling sorrow and darkness. A clear dawn breaks and the night flees like a nightmare.
The sunbeam touches every part of nature, bringing beauty, light, and salvation to all living things.
The poet’s vision is of a future where new ideas and progress will rise, symbolizing a bright, hopeful future for India. The poem encourages embracing the struggles and hardships that are part of India’s journey, while also looking forward to the potential for growth, enlightenment, and a better future.
In this poem, the poet reflects on the complexity of India’s identity—its past, present, and future—and the eternal relationship between the people and their land. It highlights the poet’s love and dedication to his country while recognizing the importance of both its achievements and struggles.