CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo A Thing Of Beauty John Keats Assignment Set B

Short Answer Type Questions : 

Question.Why does a thing of beauty never pass into nothingness?
Answer : A thing of beauty never passes into nothingness because it creates a lasting impression in our minds. It would give us joy which would last with us forever and would never end.'

Question.Mention any two things which cause pain and suffering.
Answer : There are many things cause us pain and suffering. Malice and disappointment are the biggest source of our suffering. Another one is the lack of noble qualities in many people which also makes us sad and despondent.

Question.Mention any four things of beauty that add joy to your life.
Answer : Everything in the nature is a thing of beauty and a source of happiness. Some of them are the sun, the moon, old and young trees, daffodil flowers. All of these are things of beauty and a constant source of joy and happiness for us.

Question.How do beautiful things help us to live a happy life?
Answer : Beautiful things help us to lead a happy life because a thing of beauty is like a bower. It brings us endless pleasure, provides respite from our sorrows and gives us peaceful sleep and a calm mind.

Question.How can ‘mighty dead’ be things of beauty?
Answer : The ‘mighty dead’ refers to the glorious tales of our forefathers which fill us with a sense of pride and are also things of beauty as they fill us with pleasure and motivation.

Question. What is the message of the poem “A Thing of Beauty”?
Answer : The very first line contains the message that John Keats wants to convey. Keats was a worshipper of beauty. For him beauty was truth and truth, beauty. Hence, for him a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it ever devalued. It never passes into nothingness. When we are full of sorrows and sufferings, some form of beauty comes to our rescue. It removes the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and happiness. Thus, beauty is a boon for human beings.

Question. Name the beauties of nature that are constant source of joy and happiness to man.
Answer : Nature is a store-house of beauty. The beauties of nature are endless. The sun, the moon, old and young trees, beautiful daffodil flowers and green surroundings are some of such beautiful things. Small streams with clear water, thick mass of ferns, thickets of forests and musk-rose are some other things of beauty. All such things of beauty are a constant source of joy and happiness to man.

Question. Why did Gandhiji oppose when his friend Andrews offered to stay in Champaran and help the peasants?
Answer : an English pacifist, was a devoted follower of Gandhiji. The lawyers thought that being an Englishman, Andrews could be of immense help to them in their cause of fighting the battle of Champaran. Gandhiji,however was against this because he felt that enlisting an Englishman’s help showed weakness. Their cause was just, and they had to win the battle by relying on themselves. This would make them self-reliant.

Question. What image does the poet uses to describe the beautiful bounty of the earth?
Answer : The poet draws out the image of 'an endless fountain of immortal drink‘ that pours joy on us from the brink of heaven. The beautiful things in nature or man-made objects are compared to the endless fountain of immortal drink.

Question. How is Mother Nature depicted in this poem?
Answer : According to the poet, the sun, the moon, trees old and young, the daffodils against the green background, the clear streams of water which create cooling comfort or passageway for themselves as they pass through the thick bushes and charge away the heat of the sun, the thick growth of ferns strewn with musk roses imparts endless happiness. Their beauty increases with time and they will never pass into nothingness. Thus, Nature is depicted in all its glory in the poem. Poet presents them as the best examples of things of beauty.

Question. What are the things that cause suffering to us?
Answer : Dark phases of our life, adverse circumstances, gloomy days, dearth of noble ideals and bad health.

Question. What does the line 'Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth‘ suggest?
Answer : Earth is at the spite of despondence- humans lack noble qualities-gloomy days- all the beautiful things around us- every morning we weave a flowery wreath to bind us to the Earth.

Question. What is the 'spite of despondence?
Answer : Spite of despondence is a state of our minds filled with ill-will and hatred for others due to profound hopelessness and gloom.

Question. How does beauty leave an indelible imprint on our mind?
Answer : Man treasures beautiful thoughts and sights in his mind for they provide him respites and relaxation in his gloomy days. Beauty thus leaves its lasting impression. The feelings of serenity and positivity inculcated soothes the human mind.

Question. What philosophy of life is highlighted in the poem?
Answer : Keats found refuge from the pains and suffering of life in Beauty itself. He believes that beauty 'moves away the pall from our dark spirits‘, making us love life despite its sorrows and suffering.

Question. Why is grandeur associated with the 'mighty dead‘?
Answer : The noble souls who have contributed for the welfare of humanity. Their sacrifices made them 'mighty‘ and great. We remember them in a loving thought, a book of verse or by constructing a memorial. They possess magnificence or grandeur.

Question. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances.
Answer : Even after being outsider of Champaran Gandhiji’s sincerity towards the peasants’ cause and convincing arguments and negotiations, thoroughly influenced the lawyers. He chided them for overcharging the peasants and encouraged them to court arrest for the peasants’ noble cause. He even rejected their proposal to seek Mr Andrews help in their battle against the British in order to be self-reliant and independent.

Question. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was useless?
Answer : Being a lawyer, Gandhi knew that it was a British court with a British law under a British judge against a British big influential landlord, wherein there the poor peasants were so crushed and fear-stricken that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts overburdened the sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be done was to make them free from fear. So Gandhi said that it was useless going to courts.

Question. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent?
Answer : The British landlords had entered into a long-term contract with the farmers according to which they compelled all tenants to plant 15%
of their holdings with indigo. The sharecroppers had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.

Question. Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the farmers?
Answer : Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers in order to break the deadlock between the landlords and peasants. For him the amount of the refund was not very important. The fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender a part of their money as well as their prestige gave a moral victory to the farmers. Thus, Gandhiji not only made the landlords accept their dishonesty but also made the farmers learn a lesson in defending their rights with courage.

Question. Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?
Answer : Rajkumar Shukla had given quite a lot of information to Gandhiji about the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. However Gandhiji wished to obtain more complete information about the conditions than Shukla had imparted. He visited Muzaffarpur, which was en route to Champaran, to inquire from the lawyers there about the issue, as they frequently represented the peasant groups in the court.

Question. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Answer : When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari, thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse. The officials felt helpless and the government was baffled. The trial was postponed, as the judge didn’t want to aggravate the situation. He held up the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without bail. All these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji.

Question. How did Gandhi bring solution not only to the political issues but also to the social and cultural problems?
Answer : To bring up the social condition, primary were schools were started. He urged his disciples to volunteer to teach in the schools. His wife Kasturba Bhai taught women about the importance of personal cleanliness and sanitation. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer for improving the miserable health conditions. Thus with the political and economioc problems social and cultural problems were also solved.

Question. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer : The servants knew that Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer who pestered their master to help the indigo sharecroppers. Since Gandhiji accompanied Shukla and was dressed simply, they mistook him for a peasant. Gandhiji’s modesty and unassertiveness also led to the assumption that he was a peasant.

Question. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma had come to help them?
Answer : When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to help them, they assembled in Motihari in large number. Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around the courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that the officials felt powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.

Question. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
Answer : The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the distress of poor peasants. Ultimately it proved to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud proclamation that made the British realise that Gandhiji could not be ordered about in his own country. It infused courage to question British authority in the masses and laid the foundation of non-cooperation as a new tool to fight the British tooth and nail.

Question. ”The battle of Champaran is won!” What led Gandhiji to make this remark?
Answer : The lawyers first decided to return home if Gandhiji was arrested. But they soon realised their mistake. When they declared that they would fight for the peasants’ cause in the event of Gandhiji’s arrest and volunteered to court arrest for the cause of the sharecroppers, Gandhiji was very pleased and exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is won!.”

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Gandhiji’s loyalty was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living human beings. Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in Champaran even after indigo sharecropping disappeared?
Answer : After the Champaran battle was won and the land reverted to the peasants, Gandhiji continued to stay on in the region. His loyalty was, indeed, to living human beings and he realised that a lot needed to be done for the upliftment of the peasants in the villages of Champaran. Gandhiji took the initiative and began the work of eradicating their cultural and social backwardness. Primary schools were started so that the poor peasants and their children could be educated. Gandhiji appealed to teachers, and many of his disciples, including his wife and son, volunteered for the work. Health conditions in the area were also miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. All this-goes to prove that Gandhiji’s loyalty was not to abstractions, but his politics was always intertwined with the practical day to day problems of the millions.

Question. Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.
Answer : In the course of his journey to Champaran with Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhiji stayed at Muzaffarpur where he met the lawyers and concluded that fighting through courts was not going to solve the problem of the poor sharecroppers of Champaran. He declared that the real relief for them was to be free from fear. With this intention, he arrived in Champaran and contacted the Secretary of the British Landlord’s association. The Secretary refused to provide him any information. After this, Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division who served a notice on him to immediately leave Tirhut. Gandhiji accepted the notice by signing it and wrote on it that he would not obey the order. He was even willing to court arrest for the cause of the peasants. After four rounds of talks with-the Governor, an official commission of inquiry was appointed in which Gandhiji was made the sole representative of the peasants. Through this commission Gandhiji succeeded in getting 25% of the compensation award for the poor sharecroppers from the British landowners.

Question. Human beings love life because nature is the best healer and brings beauty and joy to our life- Elaborate the idea based on your understanding of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty‘
Answer : A beautiful thing is a source of eternal joy, its beauty grows with the passage of time and its impact never fades away. It is as pleasant as a cool quiet bower or sound sleep with sweet dreams; or robust health and mental peace. It provides the beholder with a harbour of calmness and comfort.
It is the beauty of nature that keeps us attached to this earth. Every morning we behold beauty in various forms and they help us to connect to the Earth. We forget all our despair, the lack of noble values, the misfortunes that befall on us. Life is full of trials and tribulations and we often find ourselves in the midst of gloom. It is at such depressing moments that a thing of beauty dispels the pall of sadness from our spirits making room for hope and optimism.
The poet gives a detailed list of beautiful things in the poem and compares them to an endless fountain of immortal drink. The poem in fact reminds us of the necessity to find beauty in our lives. Beauty is the greatest gift of God to man which has been showered upon us from the heavens above. This beauty is eternal and everlasting, in whose glory men on earth bask and derive their perennial source of joy and happiness.

Question. Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran campaign.
Answer : The Champaran campaign was an attempt to free the poor peasants of Champaran from injustice and exploitation at the hands of the British. Gandhiji succeeded in this campaign using his method of Satyagraha and non-violence. He visited Muzaffarpur to obtain complete information about the actual condition of the sharecroppers. He first appealed to the concerned authorities, but when there was no positive response, he organised a mass civil, disobedience movement with the support of the peasants. Gandhiji’s main objective was to remove the fear of the British landlords from the heart of the poor peasants and mould a new free Indian, who could participate in the freedom movement of the country. He made the peasants aware of their rights and gave them a new-found confidence for fighting their own battles. He also taught them to be self-reliant by refusing to take the help of CF Andrews, his English friend.

Question. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? How did influence the peasant-landlord relationship in Champaran?
Answer : Under an ancient arrangement, the peasants of Champaran were sharecroppers. The landlords forced the Indian tenants to plant 15% of their holding with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted to dissolve the agreement, as synthetic indigo would be cheaper. They asked the peasants for compensation to release them from this arrangement. Most of them signed it willingly, but felt cheated after they learned about synthetic indigo. Gandhiji fought their case and the evidence that he collected was so overwhelming that the landlords were asked to repay. When Gandhiji asked for 50% repayment, the landlords offered to pay only 25%, as they wanted to create a deadlock, and thus prolong the dispute. To everybody surprise, Gandhiji agreed to a refund of only 25%. Gandhiji explained that the amount of refund was not important. What mattered was that the landlords were obliged to surrender a part of their money and with it, part of their prestige.

Question. Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence?
Answer : The Champaran episode was one of the major events in the struggle for independence. It was in the course of this small but significant movement that Gandhiji decided to urge the departure of the British from India. A close examination of the problems of the Champaran peasants opened Gandhiji’s eyes to the unjust policies of the British. He realised that people had to be made free from fear and only then could they be freed from foreign oppression. The spontaneous demonstration of the people proved that Gandhiji had the nation’s support in his fight against the British. It also aroused patriotism in the heart of the Indians. The triumph of The civil disobedience at Champaran motivated the launching of the movement on a large scale during the freedom movement. Gandhiji’s winning the case of the sharecroppers proved that British authority could be challenged. Hence, the Champaran episode served as a stepping stone to the Indian struggle for independence.