Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
I am going out rarely, now and then
Only, this is price of old age
But my health is O.K.
(The Professor – Nissim Ezekiel)
(i) Who is the speaker? What relationship did he share with the listener?
(ii) How many sons does the speaker have? What does he say about them?
(iii) What are the names of the speaker’s daughters? Why does the speaker believe that his
daughters are ‘well settled in life’?
(iv) How old is the speaker? Why does he say that his health is ‘OK’? What reason does he give to explain his state of health?
(v) What characteristics typical of Indian speech and thought does the poet make fun of through this poem?
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(i)
- Professor Sheth – (retired Geography teacher)/ He is a professor/
- He had taught him (the listener) Geography in school/The listener is a student
(ii)
- Three
- One is a Sales Manager, another a Bank Manager – both own cars.
- Third is not doing so well (financially) – ‘Blacksheep’ of the family.
(iii)
- Sarala and Tarala
- They are both married.
Their husbands are ‘very nice boys’.
(iv)
- Sixty-nine
- No major health conditions – free from diabetes, blood pressure, heart attack.
- Sound habit in youth’
(v) Mention any two from examples of Indian Speech and two from examples of Indian thought Examples of Indian Speech:
- By God’s Grace
- How many issues you have?
- I am not against
- Our progress is progressing
- Health is OK
- I am 69, hope to score a century.
- You were so thin, like stick
- If you are coming again this side, by chance
Visit please my humble residence
- I am living just on opposite house’s backside.
- Incorrect use of present continuous tense
- Omission of articles
- Grammatical errors
- Direct translation from Hindi to English
Examples of Indian thought:
- Success in life means owning a car
- Having many children / grandchildren is a matter of pride.
- Daughters are a matter of concern unless they are married off… to ‘nice boys’
- A prosperous person has to look prosperous (overweight)
- False humility (‘humble house’)/ Human achievement is measured by economic success/ Judges by materialistic possessions/ women should be married and confined to their homes/ Judges sons and daughters differently/ Obsession with cricket- hope to score a century/ Pride in speaking in English