"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it."

- Albert Einstein
















Sunday, January 24, 2010

Monsoon History

These are some of the questions that I managed to compile for the poem. For those who want to make a copy of it, please do so. But please put some remarks or comments. For any students who want to answer it, please do so and post your answers here. TQ.

  1. What insects are being mentioned in the poem?
  2. Did you enjoy the poem? Give a reason for your answer.
  3. Who do you think the Baba and Nyonya the persona is referring to?
  4. What activities does the persona described the ‘ nyonya’ doing in the poem?
  5. When do the events in the poem take place?
  6. Why do you think portraits of grandfather hang in the parlour?
  7. Which phrase tell us that the poet is an educated person?
  8. What does the poet mean by saying Reading Tennyson?
  9. Indentify three insects the poet mention in Stanza IV?
  10. How does the scene mentioned in Stanza IV reflects the love in the family?
  11. Based on Stanza III, IV and V, at what time of the day do these events occur?
  12. Based on the description of the baba and nyonya, what can we say about them?
  13. What kind of education did the persona have? What proof is there?
  14. What was the persona’s parents doing?
  15. What values can you gain from the poem? Explain.
  16. What is the poem mainly about? Give a reason for your answers.
  17. What was probably the persona’s father occupation? Quote the evidence in the poem to support your answer.
  18. How do we know that the family is traditional?
  19. Name two evening activities of the family.
  20. Give two examples of Baba-Nyonya female attire.
  21. Who are the Baba and Nyonya mentioned in the poem?
  22. Explain the lines “Sarong –wrapped they counted Silver paper for the dead’ in your own words.
  23. In your opinion, why are the ‘Portraits of grandfathers’ hung in the parlor?
  24. Why is the mother’s hair described a ‘snake hair’?
  25. What is the significance of reading Tennyson by the persona?
  26. Why do you think the persona and other member of the family wash their feet before they going to bed?


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