CBSE Class 10 English For Anne Gregory Assignment Set 02

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. Do you think you can love a person for his/her inner beauty alone and not care about the physical appearance?
Justify with reference to the theme of the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’.
Answer: Yes it is quite possible. There are so many trait involved falling in love although physical appearance is one of the important trait. The poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys the idea that physical beauty may be important for young men or human beings, but God does not love human beings for their physical beauty. In this poem, the poet gives an example of a lover who loves the yellow hair of a young lady but does not like her ramparts. So, we should give importance to the inner beauty and not to the physical appearance.

Question. Explain, why the speaker mentions God in the poem “For Anne Gregory”.
Answer: The speaker mentions God in “For Anne Gregory” to emphasize the transcendental beauty and perfection he seeks in Anne’s appearance. By invoking God’s name, the speaker highlights Anne’s ethereal qualities, portraying her as a divine being worthy of admiration and reverence.

Question. In the poem “For Anne Gregory”, Anne Gregory’s suggestion to dye her hair serves two main purposes. What are these?
Present your response this way:
(a) One purpose is _____.
(b) Another purpose is _____.
Answer: (a) One purpose is to gain genuine love by proposing that she can change her hair colour to make young men love her for her inner self, not just her yellow hair.
(b) Another purpose is to prove her point to the speaker who initially expressed doubt that anyone would love her for anything other than her external beauty.

Question. Describe the method Anne Gregory suggested in order to prove that she is loved for who she is.
Answer: She said that she would change her hair from yellow to some other colour by applying a hair dye to confirm that she is loved for her inner beauty and not for her outer personality.

Question. Highlight the central theme of the poem “For Anne Gregory”.
                    ​​​​​​​                    ​​​​​​​                    Or
Write the central idea of the poem “For Anne Gregory.”
Answer: People are often charmed and fascinated by the beautiful appearance of a person. We should love a person for his/her qualities of head and heart and not go after his/her appearance for appearance changes. It is transitory but one’s qualities are lasting and remain with him/her till he/she lives.

Question. How would you, as a young adult of your times, title this poem. Give a reason for your choice.
Answer: As a young adult I would title this poem- Is love really blind. The poem says that true love should not look at the physical appearance of a person. But I think it is not possible to love anyone without looking at them and without knowing them.

Question. The advice given by elders is crucial to young lives. Explain in the context of the poem “For Anne Gregory”.
Answer: Elders are more experienced and aged. They can guide the younger generation with their knowledge and experience. It can save time and energy for the youth to learn from elders’ mistakes.

Question. The “yellow hair” is a symbol in the poem. Briefly support the statement with reference to the poem “For Anne Gregory”.
Answer: In some countries, yellow or blonde hair is considered appealing in contrast to dark hair. Girls with lighter hair colour are portrayed as beautiful in movies and stories. So the yellow hair of Anne Gregory in the poem emphasises her beautiful outlook.

Question. Expound on any two ways in which Anne Gregory could practically put the poet persona’s advice to use.
Answer: After hearing about the poet persona’s advice she might try to check if she is loved by a young man just for her physical appearance or for her inner nobility. She could change the colour of her yellow hair to darker shades. She might wear a different hairstyle. She could try playing a quiz with them to know how better the boys understand her.

Question. Write the reaction of a 21st century teenager (boy or girl), to the idea of being loved for one’s appearance or the things one represents/possess. Give a reason for the reaction.
Answer: It is a common perception that women with lighter hair or lighter skin are beautiful. This idea is so pervasive that everyone takes it for granted and believes in it blindly. So the teenagers of the 21st century would behave the same way. Moreover, people have become more looks conscious with the invention of Smartphones. Teenagers’ selfie obsession is known to everyone.

Question. Evaluate the poem in the context of the given quote.
“If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be.” You may begin like this: The poet shares that God loves us unconditionally, for who we are and not our appearance. This quote (continue)………………
Answer: The poet shares that God loves us unconditionally for who we are and not for our outer appearance. If humans could love or praise each other on the basis of inner qualities, our ideals of beauty would be somewhat different. We could have talked more about a true, confident, reliable, kind, honest or sympathetic person. People would be less concerned about skin or hair colour or texture. If our eyes could see souls instead of bodies, humans would be praised for their generosity or kind behaviour. Similarly, girls or boys would be disliked for their non-cooperative nature or the habit of backbiting.

Question. The poem is interactive. Between whom does the conversation take place?
Answer: The poem is a conversation between the poet and Anne Gregory. The poet is adamant that all the young men will like Anne only for her yellow hair. Anne firmly contradicts him. She says that the colour of her hair is not important as she could easily use hair-dye and change it, but regardless of her hair colour, her inner beauty is permanent and will remain the same.

Question. What Anne’s views about beauty?
Answer: Anne is a beautiful girl with honey-coloured yellow hair. She believes that inner beauty, good values and overall personality is more important than mere physical appearance. When the poet insists that young men are thrown into despair because of her yellow hair, she says that the colour of the hair can be easily changed. Thus, she explains that the physical appearance is only temporary and by the end, it is important to be a good human being.

Question. Does the young man love the young woman for her own sake or for her yellow hair?
Answer: The poet says that the young man is thrown into a state of hopelessness by the young woman’s great honey-coloured rampart at her ear. He thinks that no young man will love for her own sake alone, but will only love her for her yellow hair.

Question. Why does the young woman want to dye her hair?
Answer: The young woman wants to dye her hair in black, brown or carrot colour, so that the young men in despair may love her for herself alone and not for the yellow colour of her hair.

Question. How does the poet try to justify his statement?
Answer: The poet does not believe in what Anne tells him about internal and external beauty. He justifies his view by telling her that on old religious man had found a text which clearly proved that only God can love a person for himself or herself and not for the physical appearance.

Question. Why do young men love Anne for her hair and not for herself alone?
Answer: Anne Gregory is so beautiful that no man is capable of ignoring her external beauty and looking inside her real nature. Her attractive external features stop men from knowing the real person. This is what that makes the speaker say that young men love Anne for her hair and not for herself alone.

Question. What are Anne’s views on external beauty?
Answer: Anne does not believe in external beauty and wants to be loved for herself. She says that her beautiful hair that attract so many men can be changed and colored differently. This shows that Anne thinks that external beauty is not important and is changeable.

Question. What has, According to the speaker, an old religious man found?
Answer: The speaker says that an old religious man has found a text that proves that only God is capable of looking at a person’s real self, beyond the external beauty.

Question. “That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.”
What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does the poet suggest by these lines?
Answer: The young woman’s hair is yellow in colour. The poet suggests that the God only can love you for your human qualities and for physical beauty.

Question. Why is only God capable of loving Anne for herself?
Answer: Only God is capable of loving Anne for herself because humans do not have the power to look the beauty of soul. Only God is capable of not caring for the outer beauty and looking the beauty of one’s soul.

Question. “That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.”
What do these lines suggest about God’s ideas about love?
Answer: The poet suggests that God loves you not only for your uniqueness but for what qualities you possess. Only God has this ability to love you for your qualities as a human being and not for your physical appearance.

Question. How will the hair-dye help Anne?
Answer: The hair-dye will help Anne to get any kind of colour like brown, black or carrot, on her hair. This will improve her appearance and enable the young men to love Anne for her appearance.

Question. What did the religious man tell the poet?
Answer: The religious man declared to the poet that he had found a text to prove that only God could love you for your uniqueness. He will never discriminate people on the basis of their appearance.

Question. What message does the poem convey?
Answer: The poem conveys the message that love should be unconditional and should not depend on physical appearance. Young men may love women based on their beauty but God alone is the only one who loves all human beings for who and what they are.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Imagine Anne Gregory grows up to be a motivational speaker. As Anne Gregory, write a short speech on the importance of loving oneself.
You may begin this way:
Dear friends
The importance of believing in oneself can never be overstated. It becomes most important, therefore, to love oneself. I learnt this, as a young teen, the day a poet pointed out that (continue) .....
Answer: Motivational Speech
Dear friends
The importance of believing in oneself can never be overstated. It becomes most important therefore to love oneself. I learnt this as a young teen, the day a poet pointed out that men are attracted towards females’ outer beauty. Does it mean the not so beautiful people are not loved in this world? I think to escape this situation an individual should invest their time in self-love. It’s the unconditional support and compassion that translates to good health, great self-esteem, happiness, and well-being. Self-love allows us to fill in the gaps external sources of love may leave. No one has a better understanding of our innermost thoughts and needs than we do. Everyone is born with a unique set of characteristics so we should not compare ourselves with others and let ourselves down But it should not be confused with selfishness or singing one’s own praises.

Question. Just as a love for outer appearances is not true love, love for the sake of money is not true love either. Pen down a dialogue exchange between Anne Gregory and any character from “The Proposal” where Anne tries to explain how loving others simply for who they are is the most important virtue that everyone must possess.
Answer: Dialogue exchange between Anne Gregory and Lomov-
Lomov : Will you be my girlfriend?
Anne Gregory: I am sorry. I don’t like your attitude.
Lomov : Don’t you know, I have a lot of money.
Anne Gregory: Money does not form a solid base for true friendship.
Lomov : Girls want to marry me just because I am a rich man
Anne Gregory: That means they are your money’s friend and not yours.
Lomov : I can buy them a lot of gifts with my money
Anne Gregory: Sorry to say, but I like to be with people whom I like for their character, attitude and etiquettes rather than their financial status. Moreover, money is volatile, it never stays in a single pocket.
Lomov : As you wish, but money is second to God.
Anne Gregory: Yes you are right, it is second but not first. I will wait for my true love.

Question. Imagine the poem was written for Anne Gregory’s brother, Miller Gregory.
(a) Would that poem be different from the original poem? If so, highlight the differences it would have.
(b) Pen down the advice, you think the poet persona would have given to Miller Gregory.
Answer: Yes, the poem would be different in the following aspects:
(a) Had the poem been written for a boy it would emphasize some other bodily features of the masculine body. For example, the hair falling over the ear can add to the beauty of a woman but for a man, his muscular body, long height, and wide chest deserves a mention. Besides, fair-skinned guys attract girls quite easily.
(b) The poet persona would advise Miller Gregory that he will never be loved for his virtues but for his physical appearance. Girls would fall in love with him on seeing his shoulders, strong chest, moustache or beard sometimes. Women search for masculinity in boys. According to the poet only God has the capability to see through a person’s inner traits. Common man loves others for their skin, hair and other physical attributes.

Question. How right or wrong is it to judge someone on the basis of his/her physical appearance?
Answer: Physical appearances never give the true account of a person as it can be changed with the help of clothing, make-up and other such things.
Something which is not true and real should not be used to judge the person carrying it. A person must be judged on the basis of his behaviour that shows the true characteristics of his personality. This is explained by Anne in her reply to the first speaker that her beautiful hair-colour which attracts men is changeable, hence, men should not fall in love with her based on her-hair colour.

Question. “The poet in the poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys that we should give importance to the inner beauty and not the physical appearance. Elaborate with reference to the poem.
Answer: In the conversation that takes place between Anne Gregory and another speaker, the poet has tried to show that inner beauty is real beauty whereas physical appearance is changeable and hence, unimportant. The first speaker says to Anne that young men love her for her beautiful yellow hair and may never love her for what she really is. To this, Anne replies that her hair-colour can be changed into black, brown or carrot, meaning that external beauty is all superficial and men should not love her for that. Through Anne's reply, the poet has made clear his preference for internal beauty over physical appearance.

Question. The poet’s views about beauty are not justified. Anne’s arguments are correct. Express your views in support of Anne.
Answer: The poet in the poem 'For Anne Gregory' tells Anne that a young man will love her only for her lovely yellow hair and not for anything else. He says that her inner beauty does not matter because a man only looks at the outward appearance to fall in love. The speaker even tries to influence Anne by telling her that a text found by an old religious man proves that only God can love a person for who he/she is, while all the other people in the world only look for external appearance. Meanwhile, Anne argues against the speaker’s views by saying that her beauty lies in her values and good qualities and not in her yellow hair. She says that she can easily change the colour of her hair but it will be impossible to change who she is as a person or human being.
Therefore, what actually matters is the true inner-self because superficial beauty is not genuine. As the physical appearance or beauty is neither real nor permanent, internal beauty is what each one of us should look for in our friends, lovers or anybody else.

Question. Why do you think the other speaker mentioned the old religious man and the text that proves that only God can love Anne for herself alone?
Answer: The speaker mentioned the text found by an old religious man that proves that only God can love Anne for herself alone. It is so because the speaker wanted to tell Anne that her desire that men should not see her outer beauty is not going to be fulfilled. The speaker tells Anne that only God can be so great as to avoid external beauty and look beyond it. Man, on the other hand, falls for all things that appear pretty from outside and never bothers about what lies inside.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow
But I can get a hair-dye
And set such colour there,
Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young men in despair
May love me for myself alone
And not my yellow hair.”

Question. What causes the young men to ‘despair’, according to the extract?
Answer: The young men experience despair after being attracted to Anne’s external beauty, but their feelings are not reciprocated. Anne desires a genuine connection with someone who loves her for her true self.

Question. Identify the reason for the speaker’s need to colour her hair, as per the extract.
(a) Her conviction that she is beautiful inside.
(b) Her desire to be loved for her inner beauty.
(c) Her need to change people’s perceptions about beauty.
(d) Her control over what makes her look beautiful.
Answer: (b) Her desire to be loved for her inner beauty.

Question. Complete the analogy about the speaker’s hair.
yellow: blonde :: _____ : carrot
Answer: red

Question. Select the sentence in which the word ‘set’ is used in the same manner as in line 2 of the extract.
(a) The set for the school play looked quite grand.
(b) Do you have another set of the books that I can read?
(c) The dessert needs to set for two hours before being served.
(d) I want to set him up and get my work done this time.
Answer: (c) The dessert needs to set for two hours before being served.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.

Question. The above stanza strongly defies the idea of _____.
(a) internal qualities
(b) external beauty
(c) spiritual self
(d) divinity
Answer: (b) external beauty

Question. What does the poet mean by the word ‘yesternight’, in the extract?
Answer: The poet means ‘the previous night’ by the word ‘yesternight.’

Question. What wisdom was imparted to the poet and by whom it was imparted? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: An old religious man imparted the wisdom to the poet. He quoted a text and according to it only God could love a person for himself regardless of his appearance or other attributes.

Question. Where did the religious man find that God loves everyone selflessly?
Answer: The religious man found it in a religious text that God loves everyone selflessly.

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
“Never shall a young man,
Thrown into despair
By those great honey-coloured
Ramparts at your ear;
Love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.”

Question. What is the contextual meaning of the word ‘rampart’
Answer: A lock of hair

Question. Why does Anne want to change the colour of her hair? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Anne’s hair is yellow. She says that she could get her hair dyed to brown, black or carrot colour so that the young men in despair would love her only and not her yellow hair. She wanted them to love her for what she was and not for her appearance. She wishes to emphasise that external beauty is not real.

Question. Choose the phrase that best represents, ‘love you for yourself alone’.
(a) one-sided love
(b) mutual love
(c) unconditional love
(d) blind love
Answer: (c) unconditional love

Question. Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines.
Answer: The language used is conversational and simple. The use of poetic devices is straightforward. The poet has applied the poetic device metonymy- ‘carrot’ to show orange colour; the repetition of the sound ‘u’ in “Love you for yourself alone,” and ‘your yellow hair” for alliterative purposes; and used a metaphor in ‘Ramparts at your ear.