English IX - Chapter No. 13 - Questions / Answers and Text Book Exercise

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Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening (Poem)

Questions And Answers

Q.1: What are harness bells? Why does the horse shake his harness bells? (KHI* Board Science 2007, 2015)
Ans: Harness bells are tied to leather straps worn by the horse. The horse shakes his harness bells to ask his master if there is some mistake. The horse can not think of any reason to stop there.

Q.2: Why does the horse think it strange to stop by the woods?
Ans: The horse thinks it strange to stop between the woods and the frozen lake because, there is no farmhouse near. The horse thinks that there is some mistake.

Q.3: What sounds were heard by frost in the woods? (KHI* Board Science 2013)
Ans: The only sound heard by frost in the woods was the sound of the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.

Q.4: Why can't the poet stay to enjoy the beauty of the woods? (KHI* Board Science 2012, 16) 
Ans: The poet wants to enjoy the scene of lovely, dark and deep woods. However he has to travel a long distance. He is in a hurry so he can't wait there to enjoy the beauty of the woods. Moreover, he has to keep promise.

Q.5: What is the central idea of the poem? 
Ans: The beauty of woods on a snowy evening is worth seeing. The poet stops to watch the beauty of the scene for some time. Everybody is enchanted by its beauty. The central idea of this poem may be that the world is so beautiful and attractive that nobody wants to leave it but one day he has to leave it as he has to get back to God.

Q.6: Write a few lines on the poet Robert Frost? 
Ans: Robert Frost was an American poet. He was born in 1874 in San Francisco, California. He used in his poetry, the language of everyday life and depicted scenes from the common man's experiences and from country life. He received many honors for his poetry. He died in 1963.

Q.7: Which poem Robert Frost wrote? Why should the horse think it strange to stop between the woods and the frozen lake? (KHI* Board Science 2014) 
Ans: Robert Frost wrote the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening". The horse thought it strange to stop between the woods and the frozen lake as the place was without a farmhouse and it was a dark evening.

Text Book Exercises

Q.1: How many stanzas are there in this poem?
Ans: There are four stanzas in this poem.

Q.2: How many lines are there in each stanza?
Ans:There are four lines in each stanza.

Q.3:Do the last words of any two lines produce the same sound?
Ans: Yes the last words of every stanza produce the same sound.

Q.4: Point out all the lines where the last word sounds the same as that of another line in the same stanza?
Ans:Stanza 1: 
The first and last line produces the same sound.
Stanza 2:
The first, second and the last line produce the same sound.
Stanza 3:
The first, second and last line produce the same sound.
Stanza 4:
In this stanza all the last words produce the same sound.

Q.5: Why does the poet use words with the same sound at the end of these lines?
Ans: The poet uses the words with the same sound at the end of these lines to create a poetic rhythm to complete the stanza.

Difficult Words and Comprehensions:

Stanza No.1

S.NO.	Words	Meanings
1	woods	Forest

Q.1: What kind of scene does the poet  describe in the stanza?
Ans: The poet has stopped near the snowy woods. He first wonders who owns these woods. In the same breath, he tells that he thinks he does know who owns them. The owner of the woods lives in the house in the village. He would not come to watch his woods. So, he would not get into trouble for trespassing on his hand.

Q.2: What season is it?
Ans: it is winter season.

Q.3: Why does the poet stop?
Ans: The poet stops there to enjoy the scene of beauty of nature.

Q.4: How many times does the poet use words beginning with W? 
Ans: The poet used six words beginning with W,  i.e. whose, woods, will, watch, woods and will.

Q.5: Why does he do so? 
Ans: He do so because he has to go miles away to keep his promise.

Stanza No.2

S.NO.	Words	Meanings
1	Queer	Strange
2	Frozen	Become ice

Q.1: On What is the poet riding? 
Ans:The poet was riding on horse.

Q.2: Why should the horse think it strange to stop there?
Ans: The horse thinks it strange to stop between the woods and the frozen lake because, there is no farmhouse near. The horse thinks that there is some mistake.

Stanza No.3

S.NO.	Words	Meanings
1	Flake	Light piece of snow

Q.1: What are harness bells?
Ans: Harness bells are tied to leather straps worn by the horse.

Q.2: Why does the horse shake his harness bells?
Ans: The horse shakes his harness bells to ask his master if there is some mistake.

Q.3: What other sound alone can be heard where the poet is standing? 
Ans: The other sound heard by Frost in the woods was the sound of the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.

Q.4: Why does the poet mention this sound?
Ans: The poet mention this sound to emphasize the calmness of the scene. There was complete silence and peace in the woods.

Stanza No.4

Q.1: Why can't the poet wait to enjoy the beauty of the woods? 
Ans: The poet wants to enjoy the scene of lovely, dark and deep woods. However he has to travel a long distance. He is in a hurry so he can't wait there to enjoy the beauty of the woods. Moreover, he has to keep promise.

Q.2: Why does he repeat the third line?
Ans: the last repeated lines confirm the reality of his situation.

Q.3: Which letters have been repeated in the last stanza?
Ans: letters "eep" have been repeated in the last stanza.

Q.4: Why have they been repeated? 
Ans: They have been repeated to create a poetic rhythm to complete the stanza.

N.B: Notice that the last word of all the four lines of this stanza produces the same sound like deep, keep, sleep.