My Grandmother's House
There is a house now far away where once
I received love....... That woman died,
The house withdrew into silence, snakes moved
Among books, I was then too young
To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon.
What happened to the house after the grandmother died?
After the grandmother died the house withdrew into silence
Why did Dr. Benson take the watch out of his pocket?
Dr. Benson took the watch out of his pocket because he wanted to know what time Ott Sorley’s baby was born
Name some sources of clean renewable energy.
The sources of clean renewable energy are biogas, sun, tides, wind, and water.
What did the writer miss when he lost his sight?
The writer missed the rich colors of the birds and butterflies.
You cannot believe, darling,
Can you, that I lived in such a house and
Was proud, and loved.... I who have lost
My way and beg now at strangers’ doors to
Receive love, at least in small change?
Which words tell you that the poet is talking to someone?
“You cannot believe, darling.”
“He stared strangely at the watch in his hand.” Why did Dr. Benson stare strangely at the watch in his hand?
Dr. Benson stared strangely at the watch in his hand because the crystal was cracked and the top was broken. Perhaps he realized the watch was not his own
When was wind energy first used and why?
In the United States, millions of windmills were erected as the American West was developed during the late 19th Century. Most of them were used to pump water for farmers and ranches.
What ailment did the writer suffer for a long time?
When he was three, the writer suffered from a prolonged sickness of meningitis.
You cannot believe, darling,
Can you, that I lived in such a house and
Was proud, and loved.... I who have lost
My way and beg now at strangers’ doors to
Receive love, at least in small change?
In the last three lines of the poem, the poet thinks of herself as a beggar. What is she begging for?
She is begging for love.
What two pieces of information did the inscription give about Evans?
The two pieces of information the inscription gave were that Evans was in the war in 1943 on the Italian front. He was brave and saved lives in WWII.
Name the first Indian state that used wind energy. Can it be used elsewhere? If so, where?
The first state to use wind energy is Tamil Nadu. Yes, it can also be used in parts of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Why did the writer’s father study literature related to the education of the blind?
The writer’s father wanted to try everything he could to help Ved become an independent person. He did not want his son to resort to begging or selling paan or making beedi to earn a livelihood like all the other blind people in India.
You cannot believe, darling,
Can you, that I lived in such a house and
Was proud, and loved.... I who have lost
My way and beg now at strangers’ doors to
Receive love, at least in small change?
What does she mean by ‘small change’?
A little love/love in small quantity.
How did Dr. Benson realize that his suspicions about Evans were baseless?
Dr. Benson found out that his suspicion was baseless when he read the inscription behind the watch. He found out that the watch belonged to T. Evans, who served in World War II in 1943.
What are the advantages of Wind Energy?
Clean energy
No pollutants
Free
Renewable
How did the writer’s mother react when she learned of the father’s decision to send him to the Dadar school?
The mother was appalled by the father’s decision. She could not understand the reason for sending him nine hundred miles away from home to attend a school with orphans and children of the poorest classes.
There is a house now far away where once
I received love.... That woman died,
The house withdrew into silence, snakes moved
Among books. I was then too young
To read, and my blood turned cold like the moon.
How often I think of going
There, to peer through blind eyes of windows or
Just listen to the frozen air ..........................
(i) Who does the phrase ‘that woman’ refer to? What happened after her death?
(ii) How did the poet feel when she visited that house? Why did she want to go back to the house?
(i)That woman refers to the poet’s grandmother. After her grandmother died, the house grew very quiet as no one lives there anymore. Snakes now move about among the books where the grandmother used to lovingly read out stories to her since she was too young to read them herself.
(ii) The poet felt loved when she visited that house. She has fond memories of the lovely time she had in her grandmother’s house.
Would you call Dr. Benson a kind and gentle doctor? Would Evans think of him in the same way? Why or why not?
I think Dr. Benson is a kind and gentle doctor. He had offered the stranger a ride on the cold, dreary night. In addition, he offered him cigarettes. Also, we know that he is gentle because he helps deliver babies.
Evans would not think of Dr. Benson in the same way. Dr. Benson had pointed his pistol at Evans and asked him to get out of the car.
What are the weaknesses of wind energy?
Birds
Noisy
Not good to look at
Intermittent supply
Why did the writer’s father want to send him away from home?
The father wanted to send Ved away so he would not become a pampered child. He felt that the mother protected her son and would not let him leave the premises to interact with other children.