An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Questions and answers, and stanza comprehension are critical for the examination for CBSE and HBSE students in class 12. These were created by an eminent English teacher who is currently employed as a Lecturer in English. We guarantee that the questions and answers are genuine and of high quality. The students are advised to read the summary, important words, and phrases of An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum. This way of learning will help you to understand the questions and answers in a better way.
Q.1. Explain the theme of the poem’ An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’.CBSE/HBSE
Or
What is the message that Stephen Spender wants to convey through the poem,’ An elementary school in a Slum’?
or
Q. 4. What does the poet want for the children of the slums? How can their lives be made to change?
Stephen Spender, a poet, discusses the injustice and inequality in our educational system. In the school system, social justice reigns supreme. Students in slum schools face discrimination in a variety of ways. The infrastructure of slum schools is deteriorating.
The poet describes the differences in schools, and students in slum schools are extremely poor and physically weak. Their eyes are like rats’ eyes, which indicates that they are physically very weak. The girls’ bodies are frail, and their necks are unable to support the weight of their heads. The rooms are dark and lack natural light. Their gaze is constantly drawn to dreams that cannot be realised under these conditions. Rich people live and move in a comfortable city. They simply donate something to such schools and are unconcerned about the future of students in slum schools.
As a result, the future of students in such schools is as bleak and dim as the light in their classrooms. They also have the right to move freely in open spaces to enjoy the sun and nature. The sun is a symbol of progress, and these students deserve to have the sun in their lives as well.
Textual Questions: An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum (NCERT)
Think it out
Related: My Mother at Sixty- six MCQs
CBSE/HBSE Questions(2017,18,19,20):An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
(1) How can the condition of the slum children be improved?
Ans. The condition of the slum children can be improved by opening their school in the lap of nature. The rooms should be airy and big with all the facilities like other schools.
(2) What does the poet say about polished traffic?
Ans. The poet spoke about the polished traffic of rich people who are never worried about the poor students of slum schools.
(3) How does the poet describe the faces of the children in the elementary school classroom.
The poet describes the faces of the children in the elementary school classroom are like rootless weeds. There is no shining on their faces and they are very weak.
(4) How can the condition of slum children be improved?
The condition of the slum children can be improved by opening their school in an open area.
(5) What does Stephen Spender find on the walls of the classroom? 2017
The poet finds old donation boards and old Shakespeare photographs on the sour cream walls.
Related: Summary of An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
Comprehension: An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Comprehension (CBSE/HBSE)
1. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow :
At the back of the dim class (2020 B)
One unnoted, sweet and young.
His eyes live in a dream of squirrel’s game,
in the tree room, other than this.
Questions :
(i) Why do you think the class was dim?
There was no natural light.
(ii) Who was sitting at the back of the class?
A little boy was sitting at the back of the class.
(iii) What was the little one dreaming of?
He wanted live like a squirrel in an open area.
(iv) What comparison does the poet make in the words: “other than this”?
The poet contrasts school life and squirrel life, or open versus crowded life.
(v) Name the poem and the poet.
In an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, The name of the poet is Stephen Spender.
2. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow :
At the back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in
a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than
this.
(i) Name the poem.
(ii) Name the poet.
(iii) Why is the class dim?
(iv) Why is the child called ‘sweet and young’?
(v) What does the child want to enjoy?
- An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum.
- The name of the poet is Stephen Spender.
- There was no window in the classroom.
- He is a small boy and wanted to play like a squirrel in an open tree.
3. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow :
On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all
cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed
map
Awarding the world its world. And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their
world,
Where all their future is painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.
(i) Name the poem and the poet.
(ii) Where are donations and Shakespeare’s head placed?
(iii) How does the poet paint the future of the children?
(iv) Explain “Sour cream walls”.
(v) Find words from the stanza which mean the same as :
(a) Faded
(b) Globe
Answers:
- An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum and the name of the poet is Stephen Spender.
- They are placed on sour walls.
- Their future is like fog.
- It means a dull wall.
- Faded: sour, Globe: World.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Questions for practice
Q.1. The tall girl with her head weighed down means…
Ans. The girl is too weak.
Q.2. The paper-seeming boy with a rat’s eye means, The boy is…
Ans. The boy is very thin due to malnutrition.
Q.3. The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones means: The boy…
Ans. The boy’s bones are bent due to weakness.
Q.4. His eyes live in a dream. A squirrel’s game, in the tree room other than his means
Ans. Slum children also have dreams like normal children.
Q.5. The children’s faces are compared to ‘rootless weeds’.
Ans. There is no shining on their faces.
Q.6.What is the name of the poet of an elementary school in a slum?
The name of the poet is Stephen Spender.
Q.7. In An Elementary School Classroom in a slum, tell us about:
Ans. The poor condition of slum schools.
Q.8. What is the opposite word of rich?
Ans. Poor
Q.9. What is the meaning of “gusty waves”?
Ans. Fresh air
Q.10. What is the meaning of “rootless weeds”?
Ans. Without energy
Q.11 What is the title of the book from which the poem is taken?Elementary school in a slum?
Ans. Flamingo
Q.12. The word malnutrition is represented in the poem “An Elementary School in a Slum.”
Ans. “rootless weeds”
Q.13. The school’s walls are:
Ans. spoiled or sour cream walls.
Q.14.Their future is like a fog. What does it mean?
Ans. No future.
Q.15. What is the name of the poet?
Ans. Stephen Spender
Q.16. Name the literary terms used in “slum as big as doom”
Ans. Simile
Q.17. What literary device is used in “whose language is the sun?”
Ans. Metaphor
Q.18. What does it mean, “break of break”?
Ans. all bathers
Q.19. Write the literary terms used in, “spectacles of steel.”
Ans. Metaphor
Q.20. ” spectacles of Steel”, a symbol for students
Ans. The future is not clear.
Q.21. What is the meaning of “azure”?
Ans. Blue color
Q.22. What is the use of the map for children in the poem?
Ans. The maps are useless.
Q.23. Who are “governor, inspector”?
Ans. Rich people.
Q.24. What are the “catacombs” for students in the poem?
Ans. dark graves mean their future is not clear.
Q.25. What should be available for slum students?
Ans. Open windows, and airy rooms in schools.
Q.26. What are “gold sands”?
Ans. No floor or natural sand.
Q.27. What does the sun symbolize in the poem?
Ans. Progress
Q.28. Why is Shakespeare so bad for students?
Ans. Only bookish knowledge or impractical knowledge.
Q.29. Why is the map a bad example for the slum students?
Ans. Students need open fields and golden sands.
Q.30. Why are students compared to frogs?
Ans. Live in a congested area.
Q.31. What is the meaning of “mended glass”?
Ans. Uncertain future
Q.32. “All of their time and space are…”
Ans. wasted or spoiled.
Q.33. What is the meaning of “blot”?
Ans. blemish
Q.34. What are “sour cream walls”?
Ans. Broken walls
Q.35. What is the meaning of “civilized dome”?
Ans. Rich people of the city.
Q.36. Synonyms for “cloudless”
Ans. Clear
Q.37. Synonyms for “donation”
Ans. Charity
Q. 38. Antonyms for “civilized”
Ans. Uncivilized
Q.39. What does’ future’s painted with fog’mean’?
Ans. Dark future.
Q.40. “Far from gusty waves” indicates
Ans. Away from open fields.
Q.41. How are children’s faces?
Ans. Pale faces
Q.42. What is the meaning of “pallor”?
Ans. Pale
Q.43. Why is the girl bent over?
Ans. Weakness
Q.44. How does paper appear to be the same as a boy?
Ans. Children are weightless like paper.
Q.45: What does “the stunted unlucky heir” mean in this context?
Ans. The ancestor of poor people
Q.46:Are ‘hair’ and ‘heir’ the same words?
Ans. No.
Q.47. How is the classroom?
Ans. Dark and uncleaned.
Q.48. What is the antonym of unnoted?
Ans. Noticed
Q.49. What is the theme of the poem?
Ans. Discrimination against slum children in education.
Q.50. Stephen Spender was born in…
Ans. 1909.
Q.51. What is the meaning of “heir”?
Ans. Ancestor.
Answers to the above questions about The Last Lesson will give a complete knowledge of The Last Lesson. For any other query, you can ask a question or write a comment in the comment box just below all the articles.
