WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 3 Autumn
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 3 Autumn
West Bengal Board 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 3 Autumn
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions
Introduction
About the Poet: John Clare ( 1793-1864) was an English poet famous for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. Some of his notable collections of poetry are ‘First Love’, ‘Snow Storm’, ‘The Village Minstrel and Other Poems’, etc.
The following poem presents a pen-picture of the mellow beauty of autumn in the countryside. As this season comes just before winter, it is characterised by falling leaves, bare branches and strong winds.
John Clare was born on July 13, 1793 at Helpston, Peterborough, in England. He had a really poor background. His father was a farm labourer. He became involved in agriculture while he was still a boy. However he attended school in Glinton Church until he was twelve. In his early adult years, Clare became a pot-boy in the Blue Bell public house. He also enlisted in the militia, tried camp life with gypsies and worked in Pickworth. He was of poor physical health probably because of malnutrition. He had married Martha Turner in 1820. Throughout his life, he suffered from poverty more or less. But his literary career was noteworthy with his romantic bend of mind. He glorified nature in his poems. He died on May, 20, 1864 at the age of 71.
SUBSTANCE AND CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE POEM
Clare’s love of nature and close observing mind gets expression in the poem ‘Autumn’. A picture of windblown autumn is presented here. Autumn is a season of falling leaves, bare branches and strong winds, as after autumn the season winter will come. So autumn and winter create a complete desolation in nature. But in Clare’s presentation, playfulness and sportiveness are observed in autumn.
The poem starts with the poet’s declaration that he loves autumn for various reasons. The gust of wind blows all the time and shakes the windows all day. Again faded and dead leaves continually fall from the elm trees because of blowing wind. Those fallen leaves are carried by the strong wind, sometimes twirling by the window pane and then carried through the lane.
Until night comes, the small twigs shake and dance in the presence of strong wind. The poet loves to see all these. The sparrow, sitting on the cottage roof, will chirp in spite of the cool desolation. This gives reminder to the poet about the seasons of spring and summer. Even in autumn, the poet can feel the warmth of spring and summer. It seems to him that spring was just present with all the playfulness and mirth and led the flowers to lie on summer’s lap.
The cottage smoke that curls upward through the leafless bare trees is an object of attraction and love for the poet. The pigeons are taking shelter round their nest, probably seeking some warmth in the midst of dull and cool November days. The cock is crowing, sitting casually on a dung-hill as if everything is all right. The windmills are blowing gracefully and slowly with the help of strong wind.
Lea or ‘meadow is left with stubble after crops are harvested. From raven’s breast feather is falling on the lea. Fruits of the oak tree are falling on the ground, creating a rhythmic sound. It is happening near the old crow’s nest. The pigs are running in hurry towards those fruits to eat.
So, this is a colourful picture of rural areas in autumn.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Tick (√) the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. All through the day the fitful gust shakes the –
A. window-pane
B. curtains
C. casement
D. door
2. The poet loves to see the shaking twig dance till the—
A. coming of dawn
B. end of night
C. end of afternoon
D. shut of eve
3. The sparrow sat on the —
A. cottage rig
B. house-top
C. mossy elm-tree
D. casement
4. The pigeons nestled round the –
A. cage
B. cote
C. branch
D. heath
5. The cock was crowing upon the –
A. dunghill
B. lea
C. tree tops
D. millsails
6. The grunting pigs —
A. walk slowly
B. scramble by
C. scramble and hurry
D. dive and swim
7. The poet loves to see –
A. the shaking twig
B. the bent twig
C. the curved twig
D. the upright twig
8. The wind takes away the faded leaves from the —
A. date tree
B. palm tree
C. elm-tree
D. mango tree
9. The faded leaves of the elm-tree twirl by the window pane due to —
A. the fitful gust
B. the cottage smoke
C. other leaves
D. the season of autumn
10. Along with the faded leaves of the elm-tree, the fitful gust takes away —
A. the raven’s feathers
B. the cottage smoke
C. other leaves
D. twigs
11. The faded leaves of the elm-tree taken away by the fitful gust twirl by-
A. the cottage rig
B. the lea
C. the dung-hill
D. the window pane
12. The leaves of the elm tree are –
A. fresh
B. colourful
C. worn out
D. vibrant
13. The elm tree is —
A. glossy
B. mossy
C. dusty
D. rusty
14. The ‘casement’ is —
A. a curtain
B. a window that opens like a door with hinges on one side
C. a door
D. an attic
15. The leaves of the mossy elm tree are —
A. torn
B. tender
C. drenched
D. withered
16. The faded leaves of the mossy elm-tree are taken away by-
A. the cottage smoke
B. the fitful gust
C. the raven
D. the old crow
17. The word ‘twirling’ means —
A. touring
B. twittering
C. spinning round
D. towering
18. “Dance till the shut of eve” – Here ‘dance’ means —
A. sway
B. run
C. fall
D. limp
19. The chirping of the sparrow was heard from —
A. the casement of the house
B. the cottage window
C. the corner of the cottage
D. the cottage roof
20. Chirping of the sparrow reminds the poet of-
A. dull November
B. spring and summer
C. autumn
D. rainy days
21. The bird found on the cottage rig is —
A. the pigeon
B. the sparrow
C. the raven
D. the cock
22. The sparrow —
A. chirps
B. crows
C. grunts
D. patter
23. The spring was preparing to lie in—
A. winter’s bed
B. summer’s lap
C. summer’s bed
D. autumn’s lap
24. In summer’s lap, flowers-
A. sleep
B. lie
C. dream
D. make merry
25. The cottage smoke curts —
A. downwards
B. sidewards
C. upwards
D. westwards
26. The cottage smoke goes upwards through —
A. bare trees
B. protected trees
C. shaded trees
D. fenced trees
27. The tree in autumn is —
A. full of green leaves
B. silent
C. naked and bare
D. asleep
28. The word ‘cote’ stands for –
A. home
B. nest
C. sty
D. hole
29. In ‘Autumn’, the poet mentions cries of two birds. They are of —
A. the pigeon and the sparrow
B. the raven and the peacock
C. the sparrow and the cock
D. the raven and the pigeon
30. The cock —
A. chirps
B. crows
C. grunts
D. patter
Answer the following questions
1. What happens to the leaves of the mossy elm-tree in autumn ?
Ans. In autumn the leaves of the mossy elm-tree become faded. The gust of wind twirls them by the windowpane. Then it carries them away.
2. What are the things the poet loves to see on November days?
Ans. The poet loves to see the cottage smoke, the pigeons round the cote, the cock crowing on the dung-hill and the a-going mill sails on the heath.
3. Where does the acorn fall and what happens then?
Ans. The acorns near the old crow’s nest fall pattering down the tree. Then the grunting pigs scramble and hurry towards those acorns.
4. Name the birds and their cries mentioned in the poem ‘Autumn’.
Ans. The birds mentioned in ‘Autumn’ are the sparrow, the pigeon, the cock, the raven and the crow. The sparrow chirps and the cock crows.
5. How many times is the word ‘Autumn’ mentioned in John Clare’s poem? Name the seasons mentioned here.
Ans. The word ‘Autumn’ is mentioned in the title of the poem only and nowhere else.
Only spring and summer are mentioned here.
6. Mention onomatopoeic sounds mentioned in the poem, ‘Autumn’.
Ans. In ‘Autumn’ the sparrow chirps, the cock crows and the acorns fall from the tree making pattering sound. Besides, the pigs grunt.
7. What is the effect of the sparrow’s chirp on the poet’s mind?
Ans. The sparrow’s chirp creates a make-believe situation in the poet’s mind. It reminds him the warm colourful days of summer and spring in autumn.
8. What is meant by the ‘stubble lea’ mentioned in the poem?
Ans. A lea is a meadow, a stretch of open grassland. Here the lea is full of the stumps of corn left after harvest.
9. Describe the activities of the pigs in autumn, after John Clare.
Ans. In autumn the pigs wait for the acorns to fall. When they fall, the pigs scramble and hurry to get them. At that time they grunt.
10. How is the chirp of the sparrow in the season of autumn?
Ans. The chirp of the sparrow in autumn is lively and full of warmth. It reminds the poet about the seasons, spring and summer.
11. How is the wind of Autumn?
Ans. The wind of Autumn blows in fitful gusts throughout the day.
12. What do you mean by ‘casement’ in the poem ‘Autumn’?
Ans. A big window that opens on hinges like a door.
13. Where do the faded leaves twirl?
Ans. The faded leaves twirl by the window pane.
14. How long does the shaking twig dance?
Ans. The shaking twigs dance till the fall of evening.
15. Where are the sparrows found?
Ans. The sparrows are found on the cottage rig.
16. What does the chirp of the sparrow make believe ?
Ans. The chirp of the sparrow makes believe that spring was just now flirting by.
17. What are the two other seasons mentioned in the poem with autumn?
Ans. The two other seasons mentioned with autumn are spring and summer.
18. What happens with the cottage smoke?
Ans. The cottage smoke curls upward through the naked trees.
19. Where is the cock found?
Ans. In the poem ‘Autumn’, the cock is found crowing on the dung-hill.
20. How is the month of November described in the poem ‘Autumn’?
Ans. In the poem ‘Autumn, November is described as dull.
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. The fitful gust takes away……………………….
Ans. The fitful gust takes away the faded leaves from the mossy elm tree.
2. The casement…………………………….
Ans. The casement shakes all day.
3. The elm tree is covered with……………………
Ans. The elm tree is covered with mosses.
4. The leaves are twirled along the window pane by………………………..
Ans. The leaves are twirled along the window pane by the fitful gust of wind.
5. The shaking twig is a lovely………………………………….
Ans. The shaking twig is a lovely scene for the poet.
6. Shaking twig dances…………………………………..
Ans. Shaking twig dances till the shut of evening.
7. The sparrow sat on the……………………………………..
Ans. The sparrow sat on the cottage rig.
8. The poet is reminded of spring by………………………..
Ans. The poet is reminded of spring by the sparrow’s chirping.
9. The cottage smoke curls………………………………………..
Ans. The cottage smoke curls upwards through the naked trees.
10. On the stubble lea falls………………………………………..
Ans. On the stubble lea falls the feather from the raven’s breast.
State True or False. Write ‘T for ‘True’ and ‘F’ for False
1. The poet dislikes the gust of Autumn wind.
Ans. F
2. The sparrow sits on the dung hill.
Ans. F
3. Pigeons nestled round the cote in April.
Ans. F
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