I Am the Land

1. Who do you think is the thinker of the poem ?

The planet Earth or the mother earth is the speaker

2. “I wait," in line one suggests the

feeling of

a) annoyance

b) patience

c) disgust

Ans: (b) patience.

3. In line 2 "you" is repeated. Do you

think it refers to the same person?

Who do you think that is?

Ans: No. It refers to us the human

beings.

Bring out the contrast between the

reader and the speaker as suggested

in lines 4, 5 and 6.

Ans: The speaker remains patient

but the reader goes on shouting.

The speaker is bought and the

speaker waits with muddy holes and

stares with car lot eyes but the reader

feels proud because of the Earth's

possession.

5. “muddy holes” refers to

a) virtual holes in the land

b) intention of the speaker

c) commotion created by the reader

Ans: (b) intention of the speaker.

6. What does the phrase "car lot eyes

stare" suggest? Try to imagine and

draw, if you can, the picture

suggested.

Ans: The poetess goes for an

extraordinary tools of perception as if the

earth were staring with the lights of the

car parked on it.

7. The poem introduces some types of

people and things. Some actions

associated with them are given

below. Classify them appropriately

as suggested in the poem.

The land

chokes

waits

A common man/A child

sings/dances

says he owns,

shouts, tramples

rejoices, grows

plants

A war mongerer

shoots

destroys

faces the challenge

kills

8. Pick out the line from the poem

that expresses "self assertion' of the

speaker

Ans: "YOU CANNOT PUT A FENCE

AROUND THE PLANET EARTH"

READ AND APPRECIATE

1. "I wait," is repeated five times in

the poem. What quality of the

speaker is highlighted with this

repetition?

Ans: Repetitions are always made

to stress a point which is very important.

It is used for emphasis. "I wait” stands

the immense quality of patience.

2. The poem has figures of speech. One

is given. “a chainlink necklace

chokes me" is personification. Pick

out one or two or more such figures

of speech from the poem.

Ans: “I am the land" - Metaphor

Car lot eyes - Simile

Plants life - Personification.

3. The poem is not full of rhyming

words. On the other hand, it makes

us imagine some pictures like

soldiers shooting, children dancing.

Pick out other images from the

poem.

Ans: Earth staring, plants life, chain

link necklace, put a fence, I wait.

4. "YOU CANNOT PUT A FENCE

AROUND THE PLANET EARTH"

Is this a tone of weakness or self-

assertion? Discuss.

Ans: It is nothing but self-assertion.

Because the Earth strongly says that

human beings cannot restrict her or arrest

her. She cannot be chained. The word

"cannot” suggests impossibility.

5. Which line or lines do you en

reciting most? Give reasons for yo

choice.

Ans: 'You shout, I lie patient is 1

line we enjoy reciting most. The Earth

the symbol of patience and Man does

know his limits. He goes on shouting

but she keeps silent waiting.