AMARNATH MCQ | WBCHSE Class XI Semester 1 | Amarnath Questions Answers | The Master As I Saw Him

Amarnath by Sister Nivedita - MCQ type Questions and Answers

Amarnath Class 11 MCQ Questions with Answers for WBCHSE Semester 1

WBCHSE Class 11 Semester 1 Prose ‘Amarnath’ by Sister Nivedita MCQ questions & answers is available here as per West Bengal’s new Semester Pattern exam. 

See Also : 

The Swami and Mother-Worship - Text and Bengali Meaning : Here

The Swami and Mother-Worship - MCQ type Questions : Here

Amarnath - Text and Bengali Meaning : Here

Amarnath MCQ Question Answers

1. Who is the writer of the prose ‘Amarnath’ ?

(a) Swami Vivekananda
(b) Sister Nivedita
(c) RK Narayan
(d) Rabindra Nath Tagore


2. The prose Amarnath is taken from –

(a) The Master as I Saw Him
(b) Kshir Bhowani
(c) The Swami Vivekananda in London—1896
(d) A Word To Western Readers


3. The type of the text ‘Amarnath’ is-

(a) short story
(b) novel
(c) essay
(d) travelogue


4. Amarnath is situated in—

(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Uttarakhand


5. Which district is Achhabal in?

(a) Anantapura
(b) Anantanag
(c) Bandipura
(d) Budgam


6. Mogul Gardens are situated at/in-
(a) Kathua
(b) Achhabal
(c) Doda
(d) Pahlgam


7. Swamiji suddenly announced that he was desirous to go to-

(a) Mogul Gardens
(b) Achhabal
(c) Dal Lake
(d) Amarnath


8. Suddenly Swamiji made announcement in the course of-

(a) travelling to Kashmir
(b) a prayer meeting
(c) an open air meal
(d) a dharma sabha


9. Swamiji and others were having their meals-

(a) inside the camp
(b) in the open air
(c) under the roof of a house
(d) inside a temple


10. The term ‘open air meal’ suggests–

(a) having meal inside the tent
(b) having meal along with commoners
(c) having meal under the open sky
(d) having meal with the needy


11. Where were Swami and his pilgrims, when he announced that he would go to Amarnath?

(a) Achhabal
(b) Pahalgam
(c) Verinag
(d) Kokernag


12. Achhabal is situated in which district of Jammu and Kashmir?

(a) Anantnag
(b) Kulgam
(c) Pulwama
(d) Shopian


13. When did Swami declared to visit Amarnath with the pilgrims?

(a) At the time of bath
(b) At the time of praying
(c) At the time of meal
(d) At the time of meditation


14. When did Swami decide to go on Amarnath Yatra?

(a) During dawn meal
(b) While eating under the open sky in Mogul Garden
(c) While preparing for traveling in Islamabad
(d) day of Ekadashi in Pahlgam


15. Along with the pilgrims Swamiji wanted to take with him-

(a) his sister
(b) a few doctors
(c) a few Buddhists
(d) Sister Nivedita


16. “….. that he would go to Amarnath with the pilgrims, and take his daughter with him”-Here ‘daughter’ refers to-

(a) one of his devoted disciples
(b) Sister Nivedita
(c) a devout follower of Swamiji from Ireland
(d) All of these


17. “…… for any obstacle to be put in the way of the fortunate member” is-


(a) Sister Nivedita
(b) a certain traveller
(c) Mother Teresa
(d) Sarojini Naidu


18. Within their little party there was too much feeling of-

(a) sorrow
(b) ambiguity
(c) annoyance
(d) delighted congratulations


19. With the announcement of Swamiji’s proposal Sister Nivedita felt herself to be-

(a) a secluded part of the team
(b) the team-leader
(c) a fortunate member
(d) a faithful follower


20. Text 'Amarnath' is about -

(a) pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave
(b) Swamiji got rid of his curse
(c) a journey guide
(d) none of these


21. Where did the pilgrims start the journey during the journey?

(a) Srinagar
(b) Islamabad
(c) Achhabal
(d) Pahalgam


22. The party of the pilgrims was-

(a) large
(b) medium
(c) small
(d) very large


23. The person in charge of the journey was-

(a) a member of the team of pilgrims
(b) Sister Nivedita herself
(c) Swamiji’s close associate
(d) a state officer


24. There was too much feeling of delighted congratulation because-

(a) Swamiji decided to return to Kolkata
(b) Swamiji decided to take Sister Nivedita with him along with other disciples
(c) Swamiji expressed his desire for a Shikara ride
(d) Swamiji made the announcement to visit Amarnath


25. After Swamiji’s announcement preparations went forward for a unique-

(a) excursion
(b) experience
(c) victory
(d) joy ride


26. In those days, Kashmir seemed to be-

(a) less crowded
(b) full of pilgrims
(c) desolate
(d) filled with silver white snow


27. After leaving Achhabal, they returned to-

(a) Anantanag
(b) Kolkata
(c) Islamabad
(d) Jammu


28. After leaving Achhabal, Swamiji along with Sister Nivedita and others returned to their-

(a) Native place
(c) inns
(b) villages
(d) boats


29. How was the atmosphere of pilgrims’ camp?

(a) disorganized
(b) calm and well-organized
(c) Crowd and noise
(d) chaotic


30. ______ seemed in those weeks, to be full of pilgrims.

(a) Kashmir
(b) Kanyakumari
(c) Kerala
(d) Uttarakhand


31. Leaving Achhabal they returned to ____ for final arrangement of the journey to Amarnath-

(a) Islamabad
(b) Kupwara
(c) Ganderbal
(d) Srinagar


32. How did the author and their group go to Islamabad from Achhabal?

(a) By horse
(b) By boat
(c) by train
(d) By Bullock cart


33. The word ‘picturesque’ means –

(a) attractive
(b) ugly
(c) unsocial
(d) calm


34. The word ‘incredible’ means –

(a) speed
(b) unbelievable
(c) suddenly
(d) None of the above


35. The narrator along with others returned to their boats for-

(a) taking rest
(b) final arrangements
(c) a serious discussion
(d) the final prayer meeting


36. When the pilgrims returned to their boats at Islamabad, they saw every where-

(a) various monks
(b) the march of gathering hosts
(c) heavy snowfall
(d) incessant rainfall


37. “It was all very quiet and orderly and picturesque” Here ‘it’ refers to-

(a) the coming of boats
(b) the prayer meeting
(c) the march of gathering hosts
(d) the march of military officials


38. The nature as they started journey from Islamabad described as -

(a) quiet
(b) orderly
(c) picturesque
(d) all of the above


39. At what time of the day the hosts left the camp with their shop?

(a) Dawn
(b) Dusk
(c) Noon
(d) Evening


40. How can anyone’s trace that someone had left the camp recently?

(a) By the plastics they have used
(b) By the clothes they have left behind
(c) by the ashes of of their cooking fires
(d) None of the above


41. The number of people who would encamp in a field was-

(a) almost two thousand
(b) three thousand to be certain
(c) two or three thousand
(d) more than four thousand


42. What kind of markets were there in the camp during the pilgrimage?

(a) temporary market
(b) Permanent shops
(c) online market
(d) Government shops


43. While heading towards Amarnath, the pilgrims carried with them-

(a) short tents
(b) iron rods and bamboo sticks
(c) a bazaar
(d) attendants


44. During their journey to Amarnath, the only trace that the pilgrims left was-

(a) cooking utensils
(b) crumbs of food and vegetables
(c) earthen pitchers
(d) ashes of their cooking fires


45. At each halting place, the pitching of tents and opening of shops were done

(a) steadily
(b) in a rapid way
(c) secretly
(d) indolently


46. The things available in the shops of the bazar formed by the pilgrims were

(a) dry fruits and milk
(b) dahls and rice
(c) bread and fresh fruits
(d) Both (a) and (b)


47. The tent of Swami and the author were beside the tent of-

(a) Tehsildar
(b) State Officer
(c) A bazaar
(d) None of the above


48. Where did the tent of Swami generally placed –

(a) near some advantageous spot for the lighting of the evening fire
(b) near the river bank for bathing
(c) near the shop to buy dried fruits, milk, dahls, and rice
(d) near the garden


49. The tent of the Tehsildar was hoisted in a spot which was suitable for-

(a) farming
(b) lighting evening fire
(c) health
(d) cooking rice


50. The Tehsildar’s tent was pitched-

(a) beside the Chenab river
(b) beside the tent of Sister Nivedita
(c) beside the tent of Swamiji
(d) in between the tents of Swamiji and Sister Nivedita


51. The colour of the tents of the monks was-

(a) grey
(b) yellow
(c) Gerrua
(d) orange


52. Swamiji’s influence on the monks appeared to be-

(a) enigmatic
(b) instrumental
(c) magnetic
(d) less formal


53. At every halting place, Swamiji’s tent was filled with-

(a) warm clothes
(b) fruits and vegetables
(c) army officials
(d) more learned monks


54. Swamiji’s tent, at every halting place, was filled with learned monks-

(a) till the dark
(b) throughout the hours of daylight
(c) till night falls
(d) all day long


55. On which matter Swami and the other monks basically talked with each other?

or
The discussion on the monk’s side, as narrated by Swamiji had been about-

(a) politics
(b) religion
(c) Lord Shiva
(d) Mother Kali


56. Some of the tents pitched for the monks were no longer than-

(a) a small hut
(b) 50 meters
(c) good-sized umbrella
(d) None of these


57. The learned monks remonstrated with Swamiji seriously when he had insisted, occasionally, on drawing their attention to-

(a) the other devotees
(b) the world about them
(c) the foreigners
(d) the officials


58. What was the main focal point of Swami during the journey?

(a) Guidance of pilgrims
(b) Devotion to Shiva
(c) Support of Muslim community
(d) Following ancient traditions


59. The synonyms of the word remonstrate is –

(a) tolerate
(b) protest
(c) loud
(d) future


60. Whose camp was the social centre of the camp during the pilgrimage?

(a) Tehsildar
(b) passenger
(c) Swamiji's
(d) state officer


61. The soil of Punjab was flooded with the blood of the people who died for

(a) The faith
(b) The land
(c) Love
(d) Other people


61. The monks argued that the soil of Punjab was drenched with the blood of those who had died for-

(a) freedom
(b) the land
(c) pride
(d) the faith


62. The monks during their conversation with Swamiji argued about the clash between religions in-

(a) Bengal
(b) Punjab
(c) Kashmir
(d) Delhi


63. The word ‘orthodox’ means –

(a) beliefs in others
(b) beliefs in society
(c) beliefs in religion
(d) beliefs in hard work


64. “Even foreigners, they urged were men” -here ‘they’ refers to-

(a) the devotees
(b) the learned monks
(c) the disciples of Swamiji
(d) the friends of the narrator


65. As urged by the monks, the foreigners were-

(a) neighbours
(b) innocent
(c) men
(d) outsiders


66. Many of the monks could not understand the warmth of Swamiji’s love and sympathy for-

(a) the foreigners
(b) Buddhism
(c) Jainism
(d) Mohammedanism


67. The monks had the question in mind regarding the distinction between-

(a) Jainism and Buddhism
(b) Hinduism and Mohammedanism
(c) men and women
(d) Swadesh and bidesh


68. What did Swami’s practical concessions signify?

(a) His strict adherence to rules
(b) His love for the brethren
(c) His disregard for principles
(d) His opposition to foreign minds


69. How did Swami reinforce his principles to others?

(a) With greater force and vehemence
(b) By avoiding discussions
(c) Through silence and meditation
(d) By rejecting concessions


70. What paradox amused the foreign mind during the pilgrimage?

(a) The absence of Hindu worshippers
(b) The Tehsildar and officers being Mussulmans
(c) The refusal of discipleship by Swami
(d) The exclusion of servants from the shrine


71. ".... also prevented these simple souls from formally conceiving of a unity”- Here ‘simple souls’ are-

(a) the foreigners
(b) the monks
(c) Swamiji’s disciples
(d) the officials attending them


72. Those simple souls failed to conceive the unity between-

(a) Hindus and Buddhists
(b) Buddhists and Jains
(c) Hindus and Mohammedans
(d) the monks and other common men


73. How did Hindu worshippers react to Mussulmans entering the Cave?

(a) They strongly objected
(b) They protested outside the shrine
(c) No one dreamt of objecting
(d) They demanded formal permission


74. The Tehsildar and many officers and servants of the pilgrimage were

(a) Sikhs
(b) Christians
(c) Mussulmans
(d) Buddhists


75. ''an anachronism of the future”- Here the person who is called ‘anachronism’ is-

(a) one of the disciples
(b) Sister Nivedita
(c) Sri Ramakrishna
(d) Swami Vivekananda


76. The Tehsildar with a group of friend begged Swamiji to accept them as his-

(a) guides
(b) friends
(c) followers
(d) disciples


77. What did the Tehsildar later request from Swami?

(a) To lead the pilgrimage
(b) To accept him and his friends as disciples
(c) To forbid Mussulmans from entering the shrine
(d) To narrate more tales of discussion


78. How did people respond to the Tehsildar’s discipleship request?

(a) With no sense of incongruity or surprise
(b) With amusement and rejection
(c) With surprise and disapproval
(d) With strong opposition


79. Pawan was the place famous for-

(a) sacred shrines
(b) holy streams
(c) holy springs
(d) sacred temples


80. Pahlgam was a village famous for-

(a) shepherds
(b) farmers
(c) travellers
(d) holy temples


81. At Pahlgam the pilgrimage halted for-

(a) a day
(b) a day and half
(c) two days
(d) three days


82. The pilgrimage halted at Pahlgam in order to-

(a) take some rest
(b) enjoy the bliss of nature
(c) keep Ekadashi
(d) observe a festival


83. At Pawan, the narrator could remember the brilliance of the lights reflected in the clear black waters of the

(a) river
(b) tank
(c) rivulet
(d) lake


84. Throngs of pilgrims proceeding in little groups at Pawan visited-

(a) the tank
(b) the rivers
(c) the holy spring
(d) Shrines


85. “It was a beautiful little ravine”-Here ‘it’ refers to-

(a) Pawan
(b) Pahlgam
(c) Anantanag
(d) Punch

86. The water of the tank at Pawan was-

(a) white and clear
(b) black but not clear
(c) blue and clear
(d) clear black


87. The slopes about ravine at Pahlgam were dark with-

(a) deodar trees
(b) pine trees
(c) green mosses
(d) firs and larches


88. The narrator could see the moon, not yet full over the mountain in/at-

(a) night
(b) the late night
(c) sunset
(d) the evening


89. “It was the scenery of Switzerland or Norway-Here ‘it’ refers to the scenery of-

(a) Pawan
(b) Achhabal
(c) Pahlgam
(d) Amarnath


90. The narrator saw the last of human dwellings at-

(a) Pawan
(b) Pahlgam
(c) Achhabal
(d) Islamabad


91. After Pawan the next destination of the team of pilgrims was-

(a) Achhabal
(b) Amarnath
(c) Pahlgam
(d) Punch


92. The term ‘Saeter-huts’ means-

(a) huts made of stones and leaves
(b) huts made of wood and straw
(c) huts built on a pasture high in the mountains
(d) huts for sitting purpose only


93. Name the village author mentioned as village of the shepherds –

(a) Pawan
(b) Islamabad
(c) Pahlgam
(d) Achhabal


94. Why did the author and the others halt one day at Pahlgam?

(a) They were so tired
(b) Some pilgrims got wound by rough path
(c) for keeping Ekadasi
(d) They lost the map


95. With which country the author has compared the scenery of Pahlgam?

(a) Switzerland
(b) Australia
(c) USA
(d) South Africa


96. When the final march began, the number of their team members was-

(a) five hundred
(b) one thousand
(c) two thousand
(d) three thousand


97. When their final march to Amarnath began the narrator along with Swamiji and the team left the rest of their party encamped on/in-

(a) the river bed
(b) the valley
(c) the grassy knoll
(d) the slopes of the ravine


98. Before their final march began, the narrator and her team saw at Pahlgam-

(a) last human dwellings
(b) a bridge and a farm-house
(c) a few saeter huts
(d) All of these


99. On the very first day of their final yatra to Amarnath, they camped-

(a) beside a river-bed
(b) in a pine wood
(c) beside a lake
(d) in front of a cave


100. On the second day, the team of pilgrims passed the snow-line and pitched their tents-

(a) beside a frozen river
(b) beside a frozen lake
(c) in a pine wood
(d) in front of a cave


101. Juniper is the name of a –

(a) Pet
(b) River
(c) Island
(d) Tree


102. Where was the great camp-fire made of juniper?

(a) beside a mountain slope
(b) beside a frozen river
(c) beside a well having black water
(d) beside a pond


103. Which tree wood was used for bonfire during Amarnath Yatra? / On the second day the great cam-fire was made of-

(a) pine
(b) fir
(c) juniper
(d) deodar


104. On the third day of their final march, the servants had to wander many miles in search of-

(a) water
(b) fuel
(c) food
(d) Both (a) and (c)


105. On the third day of their final march the team of pilgrims stayed at-

(a) a pine forest
(b) greater heights
(c) a snowy peak
(d) frozen lake


106. “…… the servants had to wander many miles, in search of this scanty fuel”- Here the ‘scanty fuel’ refers to-

(a) juniper
(b) kerosene
(c) pine wood
(d) coal


107. On the third day in greater heights fuel was-

(a) abundant
(b) insufficient
(c) sufficient
(d) unlimited


108. At last when the regular pathway came to an end, they found-

(a) a gulch
(b) a frozen lake
(c) goat-paths
(d) a frozen river


109. The cave of Amarnath is situated-

(a) in a valley
(b) beside a frozen lake
(c) in the boulder-strewn gorge
(d) None of these


110. When they ascended the boulder-strewn gorge, they found before them-

(a) the ice-lingam
(b) snow-peaks
(c) a dense pine wood
(d) a mountain valley


111. “…..the snow-peaks covered with a white veil” Here ‘white veil’ suggests-

(a) white coloured clouds
(b) white mists
(c) white layer of snow
(d) white ice-bergs


112. The corner of the Amarnath Cave where the ice-Lingam is situated is inaccessible to-

(a) the peasants
(b) the shepherds
(c) the pilgrims
(d) sunlight


113. The peasants who first came upon the ice-Lingam, became-

(a) petrified
(b) exuberant
(c) awestruck
(d) terrified


114. The ice-Lingam inside the cave must have seemed to the peasants who first came upon it like the waiting presence of-

(a) humanity
(c) terror
(b) misfortunes
(d) God


115. On the way to Amarnath every rite of the pilgrimage, had been observed by-

(a) Sister Nivedita
(b) the officers
(c) Swami Vivekananda
(d) every pilgrim


116. When Swamiji came along, he had bathed in the ice cold waters of-

(a) a holy tank
(b) a few springs
(c) five streams
(d) a sacred lake


117. While coming to Amarnath cave Swamiji had his bath in the ice-cold waters on the-

(a) very first day of the final march
(b) very second day of the final march
(c) very third day of the final march
(d) day before they started their final march


118. Swamiji observed every rite of the pilgrimage by-

(a) telling beads
(b) keeping fasts
(c) bathing in the five streams in succession
(d) All of these


119. Amarnath is remarkable for its-

(a) simplicity
(b) closeness to nature
(c) Both (a) and(b)
(d) None of these


120. The word ‘declivities’ means –

(a) downward slope
(b) upward slope
(c) river bank
(d) near the stone


121. ‘who first came upon it, like the waiting Presence of God’ – here ‘it’ refers to –
(a) Big boulder
(b) Caves
(c) Great ice-lingam
(d) Frozen River


122. As per rituals, Swami had bathed in the _____ streams.

(a) One
(b) Three
(c) Five
(d) Seven


123. Nearly how many times Swami had knelt and prostrated at inside the cave?

(a) 2 – 3 times
(b) 6 – 7 times
(c) 5 – 10 times
(d) 1 times


124. The word ‘presentiment’ means –

(a) courage
(b) love
(c) fear
(d) mourn


125. Amarnath is remarkable for its simplicity and closeness to _____

(a) Nature
(b) Cities
(c) Availability of goods
(d) None of the above


126. When Swami entered the Cave, it seemed to him, as if-

(a) he was a secluded part of this world
(b) his soul is alienated from his body
(c) he saw Shiva
(d) he saw the incarnation of Kali


127. Inside the Cave Swamiji knelt and prostrated before the ice-Lingam in the midst of the buzzing, and swarming noise of-

(a) conches
(b) the pilgrim-crowd
(c) gong bells
(d) birds and animals


128. Swamiji said to Nivedita later that in those brief moments he had received from Shiva-

(a) the gift of knowledge
(b) the gift of foresight
(c) the gift of Amar
(d) His great love and sympathy


129. The presentiment that haunted Swamiji was that-

(a) he would meet a premature death
(b) he would die in a cave
(c) he would meet with death in a Shiva temple amongst the mountains
(d) he would die beside a sea-side town


130. The presentiment haunted Swamiji from-

(a) his birth
(b) his childhood
(c) his boyhood
(d) his youth


131. In which month is Raksha Bandhan is celebrated?

(a) Sravana
(b) Vadra
(c) Kartik
(d) Chaitra


132. Why did Swamiji sit long silent?

(a) By seeing the exquisite beauty
(b) By seeing the horses in running
(c) By seeing Shiva
(d) By seeing monks


133. The pilgrimage reached its climax on the great day of-

(a) x-mas
(b) Durgapuja
(c) Dussera
(d) Rakhibandhan


134. On the culmination day their wrists were tied with-

(a) red threads
(b) yellow threads
(c) saffron threads
(d) Both (a) and (b)


135. On the great day of Rakhibandhan they had their meals-

(a) in an inn
(b) beside the frozen lake
(c) on some high boulders
(d) on a dry river-bed


136. When their pilgrimage was complete, after the sacrament of Rakhibandhan they rested-

(a) beside the lake
(b) beside the stream
(c) inside the pine wood
(d) outside the Cave


137. Whose symbol of snow is the symbol of snow in the cave?

(a) Vishnu
(b) Shiva
(c) Brahma
(d) Ganesh


138. What rituals did Swami complete during the journey?

(a) Chanting garlands, fasting and bathing
(b) Chanting only garland
(c) Fasting only
(d) only bath


139. Who did Swami see in the Amarnath cave?

(a) Vishnu
(b) Parvati
(c) Brahma
(d) Mahadev


140. What was the effect of Swami's presence?

(a) on saints and saints
(b) on local residents
(c) on state officials
(d) on tourists


141. What did Swami experience in the cave?

(a) intensive spiritual feeling
(b) Fear and anxiety
(c) social discrimination
(d) fatigue


142. What was the special attraction of the journey of Amarnath cave?

(a) Modern decoration
(b) colourful lights
(c) Religious festival
(d) Natural construction of Shivling


143. Which bird is mentioned in the cave?

(a) pigeon
(b) Peacock
(c) eagle
(d) Parrot


144. What does the lingam of snow in the cave symbolize?

(a) eternality
(b) death
(c) rebirth
(d) salvation


145. What did Swami pray in the cave?

(a) Health and longevity
(b) Peace and happiness
(c) Shakti and Parakram
(d) Blessing of immortality


146. What were special clothes for pilgrims during the visit to Amarnath Cave?

(a) White Clothing
(b) Gerua Clothing
(c) Black Clothing
(d) blue clothes


147. What was the main attraction of Amarnath Cave Yatra?

(a) Religious songs
(b) Hill view
(c) Ice Shivling
(d) Crowd of pilgrims

148. Which was the last stop of the journey?

(a) Pawan
(b) Pahalgam
(c) Amarnath Cave
(d) Achhabal


149. What was Swami's experience in Amarnath Yatra?

(a) New energy in life
(b) Spiritual satisfaction from Shiva's philosophy
(c) Facing religious dispute
(d) Physical difficulty


150. What kind of experience did Swami gain in the cave?

(a) of unique peace and divinity
(b) Fear of cave
(c) The noise of pilgrims
(d) Climate change


151. Outside the Amarnath Cave the narrator did not notice-

(a) any beggar
(b) Brahminic exploitation
(c) any helpless people
(d) any disloyal people


152. The words ‘delight’ means –

(a) joy
(b) sorrow
(c) weep
(d) mourning


153. Tick the correct synonyms of the word ‘obstacle’-

(a) advantage
(b) drawbacks
(c) respective
(d) in front of


153. According to Swamiji the Amarnath Cave was first discovered by-

(a) a group of travellers
(b) a group of shepherds
(c) a group of peasants
(d) a group of vagabonds

ANSWERS Of AMARNATH MCQ:

1. (b) Sister Nivedita
2. (a) The Master as I Saw Him
3. (d) travelogue
4. (a) Jammu and Kashmir
5. (b) Anantanag
6. (b) Achhabal
7. (d) Amarnath
8. (c) an open air meal
9. (b) in the open air
10. (c) having meal under the open sky
11. (a) Achhabal
12. (a) Anantnag
13. (c) At the time of meal
14. (b) While eating under the open sky in Mogul Garden
15. (d) Sister Nivedita
16. (b) Sister Nivedita
17. (a) Sister Nivedita
18. (d) delighted congratulations
19. (c) a fortunate member
20. (a) pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave
21. (b) Islamabad
22. (d) a state officer
23. (d) Swamiji made the announcement to visit Amarnath
24. (b) experience
25. (b) full of pilgrims
26. (c) Islamabad
27. (d) boats
28. (b) calm and well-organized
29. (a) Kashmir
30. (a) Islamabad
31. (b) By boat
32. (a) attractive
33. (b) unbelievable
34. (b) final arrangements
35. (a) various monks
36. (c) the march of gathering hosts
37. (c) picturesque
38. (a) Dawn
39. (c) by the ashes of of their cooking fires
40. (c) two or three thousand
41. (a) Temporary Market
42. (c) a bazaar
43. (d) ashes of their cooking fires
44. (b) in a rapid way
45. (d) Both (a) and (b)
46. (a) Tehsildar
47. (a) near some advantageous spot for the lighting of the evening fire
48. (b) lighting evening fire
49. (d) in between the tents of Swamiji and Sister Nivedita
50. (c) Gerrua
51. (c) magnetic
52. (d) more learned monks
53. (b) throughout the hours of daylight
54. (c) Lord Shiva
55. (c) good-sized umbrella
56. (b) the world about them
57. (b) Devotion to Shiva
58. (b) protest
59. (c) Swamiji's
60. (a) The faith

61. (d) the faith
62. (b) Punjab
63. (c) beliefs in religion
64. (b) the learned monks
65. (c) men
66. (d) Mohammedanism
67. (d) Swadesh and bidesh
68. (b) His love for the brethren
69. (a) With greater force and vehemence
70. (b) The Tehsildar and officers being Mussulmans
71. (b) the monks
72. (c) Hindus and Mohammedans
73. (c) No one dreamt of objecting
74. (c) Mussulmans
75. (d) Swami Vivekananda
76. (d) disciples
77. (b) To accept him and his friends as disciples
78. (a) With no sense of incongruity or surprise
79. (c) holy springs
80. (a) shepherds
81. (a) a day
82. (c) keep Ekadashi
83. (b) tank
84. (d) Shrines
85. (b) Pahlgam
86. (d) clear black
87. (b) pine trees
88. (c) sunset
89. (c) Pahlgam
90. (b) Pahlgam
91. (b) Amarnath
92. (c) huts built on a pasture high in the mountains
93. (c) Pahlgam
94. (c) for keeping Ekadasi
95. (a) Switzerland
96. (d) three thousand
97. (c) the grassy knoll
98. (d) All of these
99. (b) in a pine wood
100. (a) beside a frozen river
101. (d) Tree
102. (b) beside a frozen river
103. (c) juniper
104. (b) fuel
105. (b) greater heights
106. (a) juniper
107. (b) insufficient
108. (c) goat-paths
109. (c) in the boulder-strewn gorge
110. (b) snow-peaks
111. (c) white layer of snow
112. (d) sunlight
113. (c) awestruck
114. (d) God
115. (c) Swami Vivekananda
116. (c) five streams
117. (d) day before they started their final march
118. (d) All of these
119. (c) Both (a) and(b)
120. (b) upward slope
121. (c) Great ice-lingam
122. (c) Five
123. (a) 2 – 3 times
124. (c) fear
125. (a) Nature
126. (c) he saw Shiva
127. (b) the pilgrim-crowd
128. (c) the gift of Amar
129. (c) he would meet with death in a Shiva temple amongst the mountains
130. (b) his childhood
131. (a) Sravana
132. (a) By seeing the exquisite beauty
133. (d) Rakhibandhan
134. (d) Both (a) and (b)
135. (c) on some high boulders
136. (b) beside the stream
137. (b) Shiva
138. (a) Chanting garlands, fasting and bathing
139. (d) Mahadev
140. (a) on saints and saints
141. (a) intensive spiritual feeling
142. (d) Natural construction of Shivling
143. (a) pigeon
144. (a) eternality
145. (d) Blessing of immortality
146. (b) Gerua Clothing
147. (c) Ice Shivling
148. (c) Amarnath Cave
149. (b) Spiritual satisfaction from Shiva's philosophy
150. (a) of unique peace and divinity
151. (b) Brahminic exploitation
152. (a) joy
153. (b) drawbacks
154. (b) a group of shepherds

See Also : 

The Swami and Mother-Worship - Text and Bengali Meaning : Here

The Swami and Mother-Worship - MCQ type Questions : Here

Amarnath - Text and Bengali Meaning : Here

The Work of Artifice Poem Line-by-Line Explanation with Questions and Answers

The Work of Artifice - Summary in English & Bengali | Questions and Answers | Reference to the Context | Class 9 ICSE

'The Work of Artifice' Poem:

The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.
Every day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.

The Work of Artifice Poem Summary:

In the poem “The Work of Artifice,” Marge Piercy uses the image of a bonsai tree to represent women and to show how society controls and limits their growth. 

At the start of the poem, the poet says that a bonsai tree could naturally grow eighty feet tall on a mountainside and become strong and powerful, though, outside, it must face lightning or other natural calamities. However, a gardener carefully prunes the tree's branches and keeps it in a small pot, so the tree grows only nine inches high. The poet even says that while cutting the tree, the gardener gently tells it that its true nature is to be small, cozy, domestic, and weak, and that it is lucky to live in the pot. In reality, this is a form of control disguised as care.

In the concluding part, the poet compares this tree to how people, especially girls, are controlled from an early age. Through practices such as 'bound feet,' 'crippling the brain,' or confinement within a cage of external beauty, their personalities are stunted. Social practices and expectations limit their growth and freedom. The poem ultimately shows how society shapes individuals and prevents them from reaching their true potential.

বাংলা সারসংক্ষেপ : Summary of 'The Work of Artifice' in Bengali -

এই কবিতায় কবি একটি 'বনসাই' গাছকে শোষিত মানুষের (বিশেষ করে নারীদের) প্রতীক হিসেবে ব্যবহার করেছেন। একটি সাধারণ গাছ পাহাড়ের ঢালে আশি ফুট লম্বা হওয়ার ক্ষমতা রাখে, যদিও সেখানে তাকে ঝড় বা বজ্রপাতের (প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ) মুখোমুখি হতে হয়। কিন্তু সেই একই গাছকে যখন একটি সুন্দর পাত্রে বন্দি করা হয়, তখন মালী (Gardener) পরম যত্নে তার ডালপালা ছেঁটে তাকে মাত্র নয় ইঞ্চি লম্বা করে রাখে।
মালী প্রতিনিয়ত গাছটিকে বোঝাতে থাকে যে—ছোট, দুর্বল এবং ঘরোয়া হয়ে থাকাই তার আসল স্বভাব। গাছটি 'ভাগ্যবান' কারণ তার থাকার জন্য একটি সুন্দর পাত্র আছে। আসলে এটি যত্নের ছদ্মবেশে এক ধরণের নিয়ন্ত্রণ।
কবিতার শেষ অংশে কবি এই রূপকটিকে মানুষের জীবনের সাথে মিলিয়ে দিয়েছেন। তিনি দেখিয়েছেন যে কীভাবে সমাজ খুব ছোটবেলা থেকেই মানুষের (বিশেষ করে মেয়েদের) বড় কিছু করার সম্ভাবনাকে খর্ব করে দেয়। 'পা বেঁধে রাখা' (Bound feet), 'মস্তিষ্ককে পঙ্গু করে দেওয়া' (Crippled brain) বা বাহ্যিক সৌন্দর্যের খাঁচায় বন্দি করার মাধ্যমে তাদের ব্যক্তিত্বকে ছোট করে রাখা হয়। ঠিক যেমন বনসাই গাছটি তার বিশাল হওয়ার ক্ষমতা হারায়, তেমনি সামাজিক শৃঙ্খলে পড়ে মানুষও তার প্রকৃত শক্তি ও উচ্চতা হারিয়ে ফেলে।

Word Meaning:

Attractive pot: আকর্ষণীয় পাত্র।
Pruned: ছাঁটাই করা।
Whittles back: ডালপালা কেটে ছোট করা।
Croons: গুনগুন করে গান গাওয়া (এখানে মালী গাছটিকে ভুলিয়ে রাখার জন্য গান গায়)।
Dwarf: বামন বা অস্বাভাবিকভাবে ছোট করে রাখা।
Bound feet: পা বেঁধে রাখা (প্রাচীন চিনে মেয়েদের পা ছোট রাখার জন্য এটি করা হতো)।
Crippled brain: পঙ্গু মস্তিষ্ক (স্বাধীনভাবে চিন্তা করার ক্ষমতা কেড়ে নেওয়া)।

Line-by-line explanation and Analyze of the poem 'The Work of Artifice'

The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.

This line introduces us to a bonsai tree, a small plant that has been carefully nurtured in a decorative pot. The poet highlights that the tree could have grown tall and free in its natural environment, though it might also have faced dangers like lightning. Instead, its growth is cut short by human hands, confined within the pot.

This image symbolizes how society restricts women, claiming it is for their protection, while in reality it limits their freedom and potential.

But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.

The gardener carefully cuts and shapes the tree, keeping it nine inches high.

The gardener represents society, which carefully shapes and restricts the growth of the tree (or woman) to fit a certain aesthetic or expectation. The tree’s height, just nine inches, emphasizes the extent of this restriction.

Every day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;

While cutting the tree, the gardener gently tells it that its true nature is to be small, cozy, domestic, and weak. He acts as he cares so much but it is actually controlling. The word “croons” suggests a gentle, soothing tone, showing that the gardener sees this restriction as nurturing rather than harsh.
The gardener’s daily pruning and his words reflect societal expectations that women should be small, domestic, and weak. This line criticizes the way society often justifies gender roles as “natural”.

how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.

The gardener tells the little tree that it is lucky to have a beautiful pot to grow in.
The pot, while providing a place for the tree to grow, also limits its growth. This reflects the societal view that women should be grateful for their domestic roles, even though these roles can be restrictive.

With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.

Here, the poet broadens the idea or image and clearly states that this control should begin very early and limit their potential. He also mentions some social practices that confine women in a cage of external beauty, and prevents their personalities from growing.  

The poem concludes by drawing parallels between the bonsai tree and various ways in which women’s growth and potential have been historically limited, such as foot binding, intellectual stifling, and objectification.

The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.

(i) What kind of tree is a bonsai?

Ans: A bonsai is a miniature tree grown in a pot, used as an attractive decoration piece.

(ii) What does the bonsai stand for in the poem?

Ans: In the poem, the bonsai stands for those individuals whose potential and freedom are restricted by societal expectations.

(iii) Who does the gardener stand for in the poem?

Ans: The gardener stands for the Man in a patriarchal society who tries to dominate women.

(iv) Why does it not let the ‘bonsai tree’ grow to its full potential?
Or

Why is it pruned?

Ans: The bonsai is carefully pruned to keep it as small as nine inches high so that it serves as a decorative piece. The gardener ensures that it does not grow too much because, according to him, the bonsai tree has to be small, weak, and domesticated.

(v) How tall could the bonsai tree grow naturally?

Ans: The bonsai tree could grow up to eighty feet tall on a mountainside, strong and powerful, if left in its natural environment.

(vi) Where could it have grown fully?

Ans: The bonsai could have grown fully on the side of a mountain, where it could reach up to eighty feet tall.

(vii) What has stunted its growth?

Ans: Its growth is stunted by the gardener’s careful pruning.

(viii) What metaphorical implication is involved in its miniaturising?

Ans: Metaphorically, the bonsai tree is used as a symbol of women who are confined to their traditional, predetermined roles in a patriarchal society. Miniaturising a bonsai tree symbolises an oppressed woman who is not allowed to grow fully—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

(ix) Why does the gardener want the bonsai to remain small and weak? What is its implication in the poem?

Ans: The gardener wants the bonsai to stay small and weak to limit its potential growth and control it, as an act of protection.
The implication in the poem is that the bonsai tree stands for women oppressed by men in the patriarchal society. Like a bonsai tree, women are oppressed and not allowed to grow fully —physically, mentally, and spiritually.

(x) What is the main idea of the poem?

Ans: The main idea that is shown in the poem through the metaphorical use of bonsai tree, is that the women are confined and oppressed, and not allowed to grow fully by male dominating society.

Every day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;

(i) What is the function of the ‘gardener’? Which function of the ‘gardener’ referred to in the poem is in reality regressive and harmful? How?

Ans. The gardener’s function is to care for and shape the bonsai tree by whittling back the branches, and keeping it nine-inch high.
The gardener constantly trims the branches, preventing the tree from reaching its full potential - physically, mentally and spiritually. He acts thus with the pretension of care.

(ii) What role does the gardener play in the poem?

Ans: The gardener represents society, carefully pruning and shaping the tree to keep it small, symbolizing how society controls and limits women.

(iii) In what tone does the gardener speak? What picture do you form of the ‘gardener’ in your mind as ‘he’ speaks to the bonsai tree?

Ans. The gardener speaks in a soothing tone, and trying to appear gentle and protective, whereas he still restricts it's growth. His gentleness is manipulative, as he is happy and proud in stunting the growth of the bonsai tree, metaphorically the women.

(iv) What does the gardener tell the tree while cutting it?

Ans: He tells the tree that its true nature is to be small, cozy, domestic, and weak, and that it is lucky to live in the pot.

(v) In what way is the gardener wrong?

Ans. The gardener is wrong because he assumes the bonsai’s nature is to be small, cozy, weak and domestic. The tree in its natural habitat could have grown eighty feet tall. By stunting its growth, he suppresses its potential and true characteristics metaphorically the women are misjudged that they naturally meant to be confined, weak and domesticated.


(vi) What do the last two lines suggest?

It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;

Ans: The last two lines suggests that the gardener, representing patriarchal society, desires and imposes upon the bonsai tree, which symbolizes women. Those two lines reflects the gardener's viewpoint that the bonsai tree has to be in a state of confinement, a lack of strength, and suitability for a controlled.


(vii) What does the word ‘croons’ mean? What does it imply?

Ans. “Croons” means to sing in a soft, low voice. 

It implies that the gardener's intension to cover his controlling actions. By crooning, he creates a sense of false comfort because he still restricts it's growth. The gardener's crooning implies a manipulative gentleness. It is a way of oppressing the bonsai or metaphorically women as a natural, and in caring manner.

(viii) What is the tone of the poem?

Ans: The tone is critical and ironic, exposing how society disguises oppression as care and tradition.

how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth.

(i) Who is the speaker? Who is being addressed?

Ans. The speaker is the gardener, the one who prunes and shapes the bonsai tree. The one being addressed is the little bonsai tree, metaphorically the women.

(ii) What does the ‘pot’ mean in the metaphorical context of the poem? Give its relevance to the development of women.

Ans. The pot represent the home or the domestic sphere that provide protection to the tree. It also symbolizes the confinement of individuals by society, particularly women. 

Like the pot confines the bonsai tree, the home confines a woman to the four walls to do domestic duties. This practice limits her growth, stunting her full physical, mental, and spiritual development, keeping her small, weak, and domesticated.

(iii) Explain the line 'With living creatures'.

Ans: "Through the line “With living creatures”, Marge Piercy shifts the focus from the bonsai to women. It implies that if someone wants to control a living being—whether a tree or a person—they must begin very early. Just as a tree is pruned from the start, restrictions on women also begin in childhood to limit their potential and confine them to traditional, domestic roles.

(iv) What do males do to stunt the growth of women?

Ans. To stunt the growth of women, the males limits their education, and manipulate them to stay weak, and domesticated and control them from very young age. These way they stunt their physical, mental, and spiritual growth and made them meet societal beauty standards with some practice.

(v) Bring out the significance of the last two lines.

one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth.

Ans: They reveal the early-initiated nature of the stunting process. It express that the pruning of bonsai tree, metaphorically controlling the women should be started from a young age to ensure that they accept their dwarfed state and predetermined roles the male dominating society gives them.

(vi) Elaborate upon the word 'dwarf".

Ans: In The Work of Artifice, the word "dwarf" means to stunt the natural growth and potential of a living creature, specifically women, intentionally. Just as a gardener prunes a bonsai to keep it small, in a metaphorical sense, a patriarchal society deliberately limits women's ambitions, intellect, and physical freedom by confining them to narrow, domestic roles.

(vii) What stereotypical role do women play in life? How are they tricked to perform it?

Ans. Women are given predetermined roles in a patriarchal society. They are expected to be weak, small and suppressed. They are told that they are lucky to be in a home and focus on household duties, feeling protected inside the walls, looking attractive.

They are tricked into performing this role by enforcing predetermined roles on women from a young age like an "artifice". The gardener, who represents the men in the society, soothingly talks to the bonsai, metaphorically the women, telling her it is her "nature" to be small and "lucky" to be confined. The women are made to believe and accept their predetermined role of a domesticated, small, weak, and subjugated creature from very young age.

the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.

(i) Which shift of focus in context is brought out with these lines? What does it convey?

Ans. These lines show a clear shift from the bonsai tree to the real condition of women. The focus moves to how women are physically, mentally, and socially controlled, making it clear that the bonsai symbolizes their restricted growth.

This shift conveys that women’s growth is deliberately controlled and limited by society. The bonsai becomes a symbol of how social expectations restrict their freedom, shaping them into what society wants rather than allowing natural development.

(ii) How does the poem connect the bonsai tree to women’s lives?

Ans: The bonsai tree’s restricted growth is similar to how women are confined by social practices such as foot binding, intellectual stifling, and objectification, which stunt their personalities and potential.

(iii) What social practices are mentioned as examples of restricting women?

Ans: The poem refers to practices like foot binding, intellectual stifling, and objectification, all of which limit women’s growth and freedom.

(iv) Where are women’s ‘feet’ bound? Why?

Ans. It is an ancient practice of foot binding in some cultures, especially in China. This practice restricted women’s mobility. Young girls’ feet were painfully bound to limit their growth and make them appear small and delicate, which was considered desirable. In the poem, this symbolizes how society imposes restrictions from an early age.

(v) Why are women made to look attractive?

Ans. Women are made to look attractive, for instance by having their hair curled, as societal pressure often dictates that women should prioritize their physical appearance to be considered desirable. This focus can overshadow other aspects of a woman’s potential and value.

(vi) The last two lines are ironic. How?

the hands you
love to touch.

Ans: In The Work of Artifice, the last two lines are ironic because the man restricts the tree’s natural growth, yet admires and loves the very result of that restriction. He enjoys the beauty he has artificially controlled. 

(vii) What does the poet seem to lament? What does she expect of women?

Ans. In The Work of Artifice, the poet laments how society has long limited women’s growth and freedom. She expects women to realise their true potential and not accept these restrictions, but instead grow freely and independently.

BROAD QUESTIONS-ANSWERS

Comment on the imagery used in the poem.

Answer: 'The Work of Artifice' is full of strong imagery to express its message. The central picture of “the bonsai tree in the attractive pot” makes one imagine something pretty, but it is used for confinement and controlling its growth. This is sharply contrasted with the image of the tree that could have grown “eighty feet tall” in its natural habitat. The gardener’s actions of whittling back the branches while crooning create a visual of deliberate, careful control. The imagery of “the bound feet,” “the crippled brain,” and “the hair in curlers” each showcases a different way women are restricted or shaped to fit the expectations of a patriarchal society. Even “the hands you love to touch” highlights how those who are oppressed are still expected to give comfort. These images are about the stunted potential of women and present them as an artifice.

How does the poet Marge Piercy proceed to bring out the plight of women in the patriarchal society?

or

Explore the final lines "the hands you / love to touch" and explain their significance to the poem's overall critique of gender oppression.

or

How has the poet satirised the conventional beliefs of the patriarchal society in the poem?

or

Analyze the central metaphor of the bonsai tree and explain how it functions as a critique of societal control and gender oppression.

Answer: In The Work of Artifice, Marge Piercy presents the plight of women in a patriarchal society through the extended metaphor of a bonsai tree. She suggests that women are often made to fit into fixed roles without questioning them, remaining unaware of the subtle control imposed on them. On the surface, the poem shows a tree being carefully pruned and kept small, but symbolically it reflects how women’s growth is limited. The bonsai becomes a fitting symbol of a woman whose potential is deliberately reduced. The gardener, representing male authority, shapes the tree while claiming it is its natural state. The poet connects this idea to real life by showing how women are conditioned from an early age through social practices that restrict their physical, mental, and spiritual growth.

Title Analysis of the Poem A Work of Artifice

The title “The Work of Artifice” by Marge Piercy reflects the central idea of the poem. The word “artifice” means something created artificially through planning and control. In the poem, the bonsai tree is not naturally small; the gardener keeps it small by regularly pruning its branches and growing it in a tiny pot. The bonsai tree becomes a metaphor for people—especially women—who are shaped and limited by society’s expectations. Society often claims that women are naturally weak, domestic, and dependent, but the poem suggests that these qualities are imposed on them. Just as the bonsai tree could have grown tall, women also have the ability to achieve much more. The gardener’s gentle words create the illusion that being small is natural. Thus, the poem shows that such limitations are artificial, making the title very appropriate.

Discuss how Piercy uses the progression from metaphor to explicit reality to strengthen the poem's feminist message. Why is this structural choice significant?

Answer: Piercy strengthens the poem’s feminist message by first using the metaphor of a bonsai tree and then moving to real examples of women’s oppression. (rest is the previous answer except first line)

Analyze the poem's use of free verse and short lines. How do these formal choices reinforce the poem's themes of restriction and control?

Answer: In “The Work of Artifice”, Marge Piercy uses free verse and short lines to highlight the theme of restriction and control. Free verse is when a poem does not follow a fixed rhyme or rhythm. Here, the lines are very short and often break in the middle of a sentence. This interrupts the smooth flow of reading and makes the reader pause often. In this way, the form reflects the idea of limitation, just like the bonsai tree whose natural growth is constantly cut back. The short lines also make the poem look narrow and compressed on the page, suggesting confinement. When Piercy lists examples like “the bound feet” and “the crippled brain,” each phrase stands out strongly. Thus, the poem’s form itself helps express the idea of control and restriction of women’s natural potential.

How does the poem challenge ideas of what is natural and what is constructed? What is the political significance of this idea?

Answer: In “The Work of Artifice”, the poet questions the common belief about what is "natural" and "constructed." The bonsai tree is made to believe that it is its nature to be small and weak, although it could naturally grow eighty feet tall on the side of a mountain. “The bonsai tree in the attractive pot” makes one imagine a piece of decoration, but what appears natural is often actually created by human control. In the same way, society often claims that women are naturally weak, domestic, and dependent, which are not natural but constructed.

The political significance of this idea is important because it exposes how society claims inequality as only “natural.” Challenging this belief, Piercy encourages readers to question traditional gender roles and recognize that women’s limitations are imposed by social systems rather than by nature.

Examine the gardener as a symbol in the poem. What does he represent?

Answer: In The Work of Artifice, the gardener stands as a symbol of patriarchal authority in society. The bonsai tree is not naturally small; it is kept that way through constant pruning and by being grown in a small pot. This tree represents people—especially women—whose lives are shaped and restricted by social expectations. The gardener speaks softly to the tree, convincing it that being small and weak is natural. In this way, control is presented as care, beginning from an early age. The gardener reflects social forces like family, tradition, and patriarchy that limit women’s freedom and choices. These influences shape how women view themselves and their roles. Just as the tree’s growth is controlled, women are also confined within narrow expectations.

Themes of A Work of Artifice

The poem “The Work of Artifice” by Marge Piercy mainly deals with the theme of suppression of women’s potential. Through the image of a bonsai tree, the poet shows how society limits women’s growth and freedom. Just as the bonsai tree could grow tall in nature but is kept small by pruning and by being placed in a tiny pot, women are often restricted by social expectations and gender roles. Society tells women that it is their “nature” to be small, weak and domestic, even though this is not true. Another important theme is control disguised as care. The gardener speaks gently to the tree while actually restricting its growth. In the same way, society often justifies women’s limitations as something natural or beneficial. The poem ultimately shows how social conditioning prevents women from reaching their true potential.

or

The poem “The Work of Artifice” by Marge Piercy highlights the suppression of women in society. Written during the 1970s American feminist movement, the poem uses the bonsai tree as a symbol of women whose true potential is restricted. A tree could naturally grow eighty feet tall on a mountainside, strong and free, but the bonsai is kept only nine inches high in a small pot. This shows how women are confined to limited domestic roles. Society prefers women to be pretty, delicate and domestic, just like a decorative bonsai in a pot. The poem also shows manipulation and control, as the gardener carefully prunes the tree and convinces it that being small is natural. In the same way, women are shaped by social expectations, beauty standards and gender roles, which create inequality and prevent them from reaching their full potential.

(read whichever feels easy)

Autumn - J Clare Bengali Translation and Questions-Answers | Class 9 Bliss WB Board

AUTUMN - By John Clare Class 9 Text from Bliss WB Board

Autumn Poem Bengali Meaning -

আমার ভালো লাগে দমকা বাতাস

যা সারাদিন কাঁপায় গরাদহীন জানলা

আর শ্যাওলা ধরা এলম গাছ থেকে

উড়িয়ে নিয়ে যায় বিবর্ণ পাতাদের

আর পাক খাওয়াতো কাঁচের কাছ থেকে

আরও হাজার ঝরা পাতাদের সাথে যোগ দিত গলিপথ বেয়ে




আমি দেখতে ভালোবাসি কাঁপতে থাকা ছোট্ট ডালটাকে

যা নাচতেই থাকে সন্ধ্যের শেষ হওয়া অবধি

কুটিরের চিমনির উপর চড়াইটি

কিচির মিচির ডেকে বিশ্বাস করতে বলে

যে বসন্ত এখনও প্রেমের অভিনয় করছে

গ্রীষ্মের কোলে ফুল দিয়ে সাজিয়ে (বসন্ত এখনো গ্রীষ্মের সাথে ব্যস্ত, তারা আসতে অনেক দেরি, আপাতত এসেছে শরৎ)


আমার দেখতে ভালো লাগে কুটিরের ধোঁয়া

পাতাহীন গাছপালার মধ্যে দিয়ে

বাসা ঘিরে বসে থাকা পায়রারা

আজকের মতো বিবর্ণ এই নভেম্বরের দিনগুলোতে

গোবরের স্তূপের উপর মোরগটি ডেকে চলা

অনূর্বর প্রান্তরে হাওয়া কলের পাখার অবিরাম ঘুরে চলা




দাঁড় কাকের বুক থেকে খসে পড়া পালকের

কাটা ক্ষেতের উপর উড়ে পড়া

বুড়ো কাকটার বাসার কাছে ওক ফলগুলোর

টুপটাপ করে ঝরে পড়া

সবার অপেক্ষায় থাকা ঘোঁত ঘোঁত ডাকতে করতে থাকা শূকরের

ঠেলা ঠেলি এবং হুড়োহুড়ি করে সেখানে তাদের পরে যাওয়া।

IMPORTANT WORD-MEANINGS Key Vocabulary

1st stanza:

Fitful gusts: irregular wind / দমকা হাওয়া (যা থেমে থেমে আসে)

Casement: a kind of big window made of wood / জানলার পাল্লা

Mossy: শ্যাওলা ধরা

Elm tree এলম গাছ / a type of tree that is seen in western country

Faded leaf: বিবর্ণ বা শুকিয়ে যাওয়া পাতা

Twirling: পাক খাওয়া বা বনবন করে ঘোরা

2nd stanza:

Shaking twig: কম্পমান ছোট ডাল

Shut of eve: সন্ধ্যা নামার সময়

Cottage rig: কুঁড়েঘরের চালের উপরের অংশ

Chirp: পাখির কিচিরমিচির ডাক

Flirting by: চপলভাবে বা দুষ্টুমি করে পাশ কাটিয়ে যাওয়া

3rd stanza:

Cottage smoke: কুঁড়েঘর থেকে বের হওয়া ধোঁয়া

Naked trees: trees without leaves / পাতাঝরা বা ন্যাড়া গাছ

Dull: dreary / বিষণ্ণ, নিরস 

Dull November Days: নভেম্বরের বিষণ্ণ বা ধূসর দিন

Dung-hill: গোবরের স্তূপ বা আবর্জনার ঢিবি

Mill sails: হাওয়াকলের পাখা

heath: open land/ঊষর প্রান্তর

4th stanza:

Raven’s breast: chest of a type of crow/ দাঁড়কাকের বুক

Stubble lea: ফসল কাটার পর পড়ে থাকা মাঠের গোড়া বা ঘাসজমি

Acorns: ওক গাছের ফল

Pattering: টুপটাপ শব্দে পড়ার শব্দ

Grunting pigs: ঘোঁতঘোঁত শব্দ করা শূকর

Scramble: move fast/হুড়োহুড়ি করা

Agoing – moving

Poem Autumn by John Clare SUMMARY

In the poem 'Autumn', the poet John Clare presents the vivid picture of autumn's beauty in the countryside. On giving various account of its beauty, it is characterized by falling leaves, bare branches and strong winds.

By this poem John Clare presents the beauty of autumn with his own sweet will. In the very beginning of the poem the poet expressed that he loves the wind that shakes the casement all through the day and from the mossy elm-tree, it takes away all the faded leaves and twirled them near the window pane and thousands others leaves also twirled by the wind down the lane. The poet also loves to see the twig that shakes by the strong wind of autumn and it dances till the evening .The sparrow sits on the cottage's roof and its chirping notes make believe us that spring just flirted by in summers lap.

The poet loves to see the smoke of cottage that curls upward through the naked trees. On dull November days the pigeons move around its nest and the cock crows upon the dung hill. The mill continuously moves through the meadows. The feathers of raven falls on the stubble lea. In autumn, the fruit acorn falls from the tree near the old crow's nest by making pattering sound and the pigs grunt and wait for all in hurrying mood and they scramble to get those fruits.

The poem is nothing but poet's own view of nature that he hardly described the beauty of autumn in countryside, all through the poem.

AUTUMN POEM CLASS IX QUESTION – ANSWER

One word answer type questions suitable for MCQ and fill in the blanks Q-A

What shakes the casement all day? কে কেসমেন্টকে নাড়ায়?

- Gusts of wind (দমকা হাওয়া)

What describes the gusts of wind? দমকা বাতাসকে কিভাবে বর্ণনা করা হয়েছে?

- Fitful (দমকা/অস্থির)

From which tree does the faded leaf fall? কোন গাছ থেকে বিবর্ণ পাতাগুলো পড়ে?

- Elm (এলম গাছ)

What does the leaf do by the window-pane? জানলার কাঁচে পাতারা কী করে?

- Twirls (পাক খায়)

How many leaves are mentioned twirling down the lane? কত পাতা গলিপথে পাক খেতে থাকে?

- Thousand (সহস্র/হাজার)

Where does the faded leaf eventually go? বিবর্ণ পাতাগুলো শেষে কোথায় যায়?

- Down the lane (গলির নিচে)

How long does the shaking twig dance?

- Till eve (সন্ধ্যা পর্যন্ত) / shut off eve

Which bird sits on the cottage rig? কটেজের চিমনিতে কোন পাখি বসে ছিল?

- Sparrow (চড়ুই)

In whose lap does spring lie? বসন্ত কার কোলে শুয়ে আছে?

- Summer’s lap (গ্রীষ্মের)

Which season is described as "flirting by"?

- Spring (বসন্ত)

What adjective describes the elm tree? / How does the elm tree look like in the poem? এলম গাছকে বোঝাতে কী বিশেষণ ব্যবহার করা হয়েছে? /এলম গাছটি কেমন?

- Mossy (শ্যাওলা ধরা)

What is the sparrow’s sound called? / চড়াই পাখির ডাককে কী বলে?

- Chirp (কিচিরমিচির)

What does the smoke do as it goes up? কিভাবে ধোঁয়া উপরে উঠে যায়?

- Curls (কুণ্ডলী পাকায়)

From where the smoke comes? কোথা থেকে ধোঁয়া বেরোচ্ছিল?

- Cottage.

Through what kind of trees does the smoke curl? কোন ধরনের গাছের মধ্যে থেকে ধোঁয়া একেবেকে ভেসে যায়?

- Naked trees (পত্রহীন/ন্যাড়া)

What is the state of the trees in November? নভেম্বরে গাছগুলোর কেমন অবস্থা হয়?

- Naked (পত্রহীন)

Which month is described as "dull"? কোন মাসকে 'dull' বলা হয়েছে?

- November (নভেম্বর)

What kind of days are November days? নভেম্বরের দিনগুলো কেমন?

- Dull (ধূসর/একঘেয়ে)

Where are the pigeons nestled? কোথায় পায়রারা বসে আছে?

- Cote (পায়রার বাসা)

Where is the cock crowing? কোথা থেকে মোরগ ডাকছে?

- Dung-hill (গোবরের ঢিবি)

Where is the mill located? মিল কোথায় রয়েছে?

- Heath (নির্জন প্রান্তর)

What are seen "agoing" on the heath? ঊষর প্রান্তরের কাছে কী চলতে দেখা যায়?

- Mill sails (হাওয়াকলের পাখা)

What falls from the raven’s breast? দাঁড়কাকের বুক থেকে কী ঝরে পড়ে?

- Feather (পালক)

What falls pattering down the tree? গাছ থেকে টুপটাপ কী পড়ে?

- Acorns (ওক ফল)

Where do the acorns fall? কোথায় ওক গাছের ফল ঝরে পড়ে?

- Old crow’s nest (পুরানো কাকের বাসার কাছে)

Where does the raven's feather fall? দাঁড়কাকের পালক কোথায় পড়ে?

- Stubble lea (শস্যহীন ঘাসজমি)

What sound do the pigs make? শুকরের কীরকম শব্দ করে?

- Grunting (ঘোঁতঘোঁত)

What do the pigs do when the acorns fall? যখন ওকের ফল পড়ে, তখন শুকরের কী করে?

- Scramble (হুড়োহুড়ি করা)



MORE QUESTIONS: 

1. What happens to the leaves of the mossy elm-tree in autumn?

Ans: In autumn, the yellow leaves of the mossy elm-tree fall by the gusty wind. The wind whirled them by the window pane. They fall down in the lane in thousand numbers.

2. What are the things the poet loves to see on November days?

Ans: On November days the poet loves to see the curled up smoke through the bare trees, pigeons nestled around their cotes.

3. What does the poet mean by 'casement' in the poem "Autumn"?

Ans: In the poem "Autumn", by 'casement' the poet means a big window.

4. Where do the faded leaves twirl?

Ans: The faded leaves twirl by the window pane and thousands more down the lane.

5. How long do the shaking twigs dance?

Ans: The shaking twigs dance till the end of evening.

6. Where are the sparrows found?

Ans: The sparrows are found on the cottage rig.

7. What are the two other seasons mentioned in the poem "Autumn"?

Ans: The two other seasons mentioned in the poem "Autumn" are spring and summer.

8. Where is the cock found in the poem "Autumn"?

Ans: In the poem "Autumn" the cock is found on the dung- hill.

9. What is meant by the "stubble-lea" mention in the poem?

Ans: A lea is a meadow, a stretch of open grassland. Here the lea is full of stumps of corn left after harvest.

10. Name the birds and their cries mentioned in the poem "Autumn".

Ans: The birds mentioned in the poem "Autumn" are the sparrow, the pigeon, the cock, the raven and the crow.

The sparrow chirps and the cock crows.

11. Where do the acorns fall?

Ans: The acorns near the old crow's nest fall pattering down the tree. 

12. Describe the activities of the pigs in "Autumn"?

Ans: In "Autumn" the pigs wait for the acorns to fall. When they fall, they grunt and scramble and hurry to get them.

13. Who is the poet of the poem?

Ans: The poet of the poem is John Clare.

14. What does 'cote' mean?

Ans: The word 'cote' means nest.

15. What happens to the cottage smoke? 

Ans: The cottage smoke curl upwards through bare tree.