GSEB Class 10 English Solutions Chapter 7 Animals

Thinking About The Poem

Question 1. Notice the use of the word 'turn' in the first line, “I think I could turn and live with animals ..What is the poet turning from ?
Answer: The poet is moving away from living with other people because he finds them complex and deceitful. He would rather reside with animals that are self-sufficient and do not complain.
In simple words: The poet is leaving human society because he finds people complicated. He prefers animals, which are simple and never complain.

Exam Tip: When analyzing poetry, always link the poet's choices (like "turn" here) to their deeper feelings or the poem's central theme. State what they are turning from and why.

Question 2. Mention three things that humans do and animals don't.
Answer: The poet has shown three comparisons between people and animals. Humans work hard to earn a living and then complain and sulk about how much effort they have to put in to survive. Animals, conversely, do not complain about their circumstances. People stay awake at night, crying over the wrong things they have done. Animals, however, do not weep for their actions and can sleep peacefully. Finally, humans bother each other by discussing their duties to God. Nevertheless, animals do not have any god and they live and exist without any prayers or religious observances.
In simple words: Humans complain about their work, animals don't. Humans cry over their mistakes at night, animals sleep peacefully. Humans bother others by talking about God, animals live without religion.

Exam Tip: For comparative questions, clearly list the actions for one group first, then the contrasting actions for the other group, ensuring a direct comparison for each point.

Question 3. Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago ? Discuss this in groups.
Answer: Yes, people bow down to other individuals who lived many thousands of years ago. They worship their ancestors and offer prayers by kneeling before their portraits. They conduct religious sermons and ceremonies to honor their memory.
In simple words: Yes, people honor and worship ancestors from long ago. They kneel, pray before pictures, and hold ceremonies for them.

Exam Tip: When discussing human behavior, provide specific examples like "worship ancestors" or "religious ceremonies" to strengthen your points.

Question 4. What are the 'tokens' that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him ? Discuss this in class. (Hint: Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth, which holds that civilisation has made humans false to their own true nature. What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny ?
Answer: The tokens that the poet says he might have dropped a long time ago, and which the animals have preserved for him, represent his true nature as a person. As people approached civilization, they slowly moved away from their genuine selves. The natural instincts that humans possessed and the purity with which they existed and helped one another have been forgotten. As they grew closer to civilization, they decided to abandon the good traits of kindness, honesty, selflessness, joy, contentment, respect, and sharing. They adopted bad habits such as greed, egocentrism, the need to control everything, and other inhumane characteristics. Animals have maintained the real instincts and traits, which the poet observes and tries to recall where he carelessly lost his true self.
In simple words: The "tokens" are the good parts of human nature—like kindness, honesty, and selflessness—that people lost as they became more civilized. Animals still have these traits, and the poet wonders if he simply dropped them long ago.

Exam Tip: For complex concepts like 'tokens', first define what they represent, then explain how they were lost by humans and retained by animals, drawing from the poem's themes.

Gseb Class 10 English Animals Additional Important Questions And Answers

Read The Following Stanzas Carefully And Answer The Questions Given Below Them:

Question 1. I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
so placid and self-contained,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
(1) Why does the poet wish to live with animals ?
(2) Give another expression for 'They do not sweat and whine about their condition'.
(3) What is the poet annoyed of?
Answer:
(1) The poet states that animals are calm and peaceful, and they do not rely on others (like humans) for their needs; consequently, the poet desires to live with animals.
(2) A different expression is: 'They do not keep complaining about their situation'.
(3) The poet compares humans with animals in this poem. Men often keep talking and preaching about their obligations to God, and this greatly irritates the poet. On the other hand, animals never speak about their duties to God, and the poet admires this.
In simple words: (1) The poet likes animals because they are calm and don't rely on anyone. (2) Another way to say it is: 'They don't complain about how things are.' (3) The poet is annoyed by how much humans talk about their duty to God, which animals never do.

Exam Tip: When answering questions based on a stanza, always refer directly to the lines provided. Break down multi-part questions and answer each part clearly and concisely.

Question 2. Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and b I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince
them plainly in their possession
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago
and negligently drop them?
(1) What are animals not crazy about ?
(2) Which lines show that animals do not believe in people,worship ?
(3) Explain the lines: 'I wonder where they get those tokens, Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?'..
Answer:
(1) Animals are not obsessed with acquiring material possessions.
(2) The relevant lines are: 'Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago'.
(3) The 'tokens' signify mutual affection and understanding that the poet's ancestors shared with animals many thousands of years in the past. The poet suggests that he abandoned these tokens, and the animals preserved them.
In simple words: (1) Animals don't care about owning lots of stuff. (2) The lines "Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago" show they don't worship people. (3) The poet wonders if he left behind good human qualities, and animals found and kept them.

Exam Tip: For lines-based questions, quote the exact lines from the poem. When explaining poetic concepts, rephrase them in simple, clear language without losing the original meaning.

Question 3. They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth. (August 20)
(1) In this verse, whom does 'They' refer to ?
(2) Mention any two characteristics of animals which are different from humans in this verse.
(3) They do not have mania of owning things.
Answer:
(1) In this particular verse, 'They' refers to animals.
(2) The following are two characteristics of animals that differ from humans in this verse:
(i) They do not feel bothered or cry over their wrongdoings.
(ii) They do not talk about their obligations to God.
(iii) They do not possess an obsession with acquiring possessions.
In simple words: (1) In these lines, "They" means animals. (2) Two ways animals are different from humans are: they don't worry or cry about mistakes, and they don't talk about duties to God. (3) Also, they don't have a crazy desire to own things.

Exam Tip: Ensure that your answers directly address the "in this verse" constraint by drawing information only from the provided poetic lines.

Choose The Correct Figures Of Speech Used In The Following Lines:

Question 1. 'I stand and look at them long and long'.
(a) Alliteration
(b) Repetition
(c) Metaphor
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
In simple words: The phrase "long and long" shows repetition, and "look long" has alliteration because of the repeated 'l' sound.

Exam Tip: When identifying figures of speech, look for repeated sounds (alliteration) and repeated words or phrases (repetition) in the given line.

Question 2. -'They do not lie awake in the dark ...............
(a) Litotes
(b) Oxymoron
(c) Anastrophe
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
In simple words: "Do not lie awake" is an understatement (litotes), saying someone *isn't* doing something bad, which means they *are* doing something good. Anastrophe means the order of words is swapped around.

Exam Tip: Litotes often involve a negative statement used to affirm a positive, while anastrophe involves an unusual word order for emphasis or effect.

Question 3. 'Not one is dissatisfied. Not one is demented with...............`
(a) Repetition
(b) Litotes
(c) Metaphor
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
In simple words: "Not one" is repeated, making it repetition. Saying "not one is dissatisfied" is an understatement, meaning everyone is satisfied, which is litotes.

Exam Tip: Identify repetition by noticing words or phrases used multiple times. Litotes is often spotted when a double negative or understatement is used to express a strong positive.

Question 4. 'They bring me tokens of myself...................'
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Euphemism
(d) Personification
Answer: (a) Metaphor
In simple words: This is a metaphor because the "tokens" are not actual objects but represent abstract qualities of the poet.

Exam Tip: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as," stating one thing *is* another.

Answer The Following Questions In Three To Four Sentences Each:

Question 1. Why does the poet like animals?
Answer: The poet appreciates animals for their self-sufficient and calm nature. The fact that animals are unlike human beings and seem content with their lives strongly appeals to the poet.
In simple words: The poet likes animals because they are calm, independent, and seem happy with their lives, unlike humans.

Exam Tip: When explaining why a poet likes something, focus on the specific qualities mentioned in the poem that the poet values.

Question 2. Explain the satisfaction that animals have and humans don't.
Answer: Animals lack the desire to own worldly possessions. In contrast, the more people accumulate, the more their longing for ownership grows, leaving them perpetually unhappy. The absence of this craving in animals makes them content, while its existence keeps people feeling discontented.
In simple words: Animals are content because they don't want to own things. Humans, however, always want more, and this greed makes them unhappy, never satisfied.

Exam Tip: Clearly articulate the key difference between animals and humans regarding material desire and its impact on their emotional state.

Question 3. Why do animals not weep for their sins ?
Answer: Animals do not cry for their wrongdoings because they have no need to do so. They are pure beings that do not commit any misdeeds. It is people who cry despite committing mistakes.
In simple words: Animals don't cry for their sins because they don't commit any. They are innocent, unlike humans who do wrong and then weep.

Exam Tip: Distinguish between the innocence of animals and the flawed nature of humans when discussing 'sins' in the poem.

Question 4. What makes the poet sick?
Answer: The fact that people commit all sorts of wrongdoings and yet continue to discuss their duty to God, makes the poet feel unwell. This illustrates the hypocrisy of humans, who simultaneously do bad things and pray to God.
In simple words: The poet feels sick because humans do bad things but still talk about their duty to God, showing they are hypocritical.

Exam Tip: Focus on the specific human failing – hypocrisy – as the primary reason for the poet's discomfort.

Question 5. Differentiate between humans and animals in terms of desire.
Answer: Animals are quite different from humans as they do not have any wish to own things. They are happy without an endless craving, while people become obsessed with their desire for valuable possessions.
In simple words: Animals are content without wanting things, but humans are always greedy, becoming obsessed with owning valuables.

Exam Tip: When differentiating, use comparative language to highlight the contrast in desires between humans and animals clearly.

Question 6. What does the poet mean by "Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth" ?
Answer: The poet intends to convey that animals do not pray to God or to ancestors, and they are all equal; thus, no one is more highly regarded than another. The positive qualities of animals and their lack of social norms contribute to their happiness.
In simple words: The poet means animals don't worship anyone or care about status, so they are all equal and happy without social rules.

Exam Tip: Explain both parts of the statement – 'respectable' and 'unhappy' – and connect them to the animals' simpler nature and lack of social hierarchy.

Answer The Following Questions In Five To Six Sentences Each:

Question 1. Why, do you think, the poet has called the desire to own things 'a mania'? Is the poet right in doing so ? Write your own views.
Answer: The poet employs terms such as 'demented' and 'mania' to describe the endless longing of people to own possessions. These words demonstrate that the poet is comparing this desire to madness. The poet is completely justified in doing so, as this desire makes us extremely greedy and traps us in a vicious cycle of always wanting more. Animals, being free from any possessions, are also free from wrongdoings, worries, and complaints. To acquire more wealth, all significant values like morality and kindness are abandoned.
In simple words: The poet calls the desire to own things a "mania" because it drives people mad with greed, always wanting more. This is right because endless wanting makes us selfish and forget important values like kindness. Animals, without this desire, are peaceful and free.

Exam Tip: When asked for your view, state it clearly and support it with reasons drawn from the poem's themes, linking human behavior to the described 'mania'.

Question 2. How are animals superior to human ? beings ?
Answer: Animals are calm, self-reliant, content, and simple. Unlike humans, they do not worry about their circumstances and wrongdoings, nor do they make others unwell by discussing their duty to God. They are not obsessed with the crazy need to own things. Therefore, they are better than human beings.
In simple words: Animals are better than humans because they are calm, independent, and content. They don't worry about their problems or sins, bother others with religious talk, or have a crazy desire to own things.

Exam Tip: Structure your answer by listing the positive qualities of animals and then contrasting them with the negative human traits described in the poem.

Question 3. Why does Walt Whitman, feel more at home with animals ? OR Why does Walt Whitman want to live with animals ? (March 20)
Answer: Animals are calm and self-contained. They do not worry about their condition nor about their wrongdoings. They are not unhappy, respectable, or obsessed with the desire to own things. They demonstrate their connections with the poet. Therefore, the poet Walt Whitman feels more comfortable with them.
In simple words: Walt Whitman feels more at home with animals because they are calm, self-reliant, and don't worry about their lives or sins. They also don't have a crazy desire to own things, showing a genuine connection with him.

Exam Tip: Combine the reasons Walt Whitman prefers animals into a coherent explanation, focusing on their innate qualities that contrast with human complexities.

Question 4. What is the central idea of the poem 'Animals' ?
Answer: Walt Whitman wishes to convey that people have become complex and dishonest. They have forgotten their true nature. They constantly want to acquire more and more, so they can own increasingly luxurious items. They commit wrongdoings to gain these things, and then they regret their actions. Their wrongdoings have made them restless. Humans bother their companions by discussing their duties to God. Conversely, animals are free from all types of minor worries; thus, they continue to live their natural lives.
In simple words: The main idea of 'Animals' is that humans have become fake and greedy, losing their true nature by always wanting more things and bothering others with religious talk. Animals, however, are simple, calm, and live freely without these worries.

Exam Tip: Summarize the core message of the poem by contrasting human flaws with animal virtues, highlighting what the poet criticizes and what he admires.

Animals Summary In English

Animals Introduction:

Walter 'Walt' Whitman (May 31, 1819 - March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist. As a humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both perspectives in his writings. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American literary canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial during his time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was seen as obscene due to its overt sexuality.

Animals Summary:

Walt Whitman believes he can turn and live comfortably with animals because they are calm and self-contained. He mentions that he can stand and observe them for a long time. The poet states that animals do not work unnecessarily and do not complain about their situation. They do not regret their wrongdoings. They do not bother their companions by discussing their duties to God. They are not unhappy with their circumstances. Animals do not possess an obsession for owning things.

Walt Whitman explains that no animal kneels to another, not even to an unknown ancestor who lived in the world thousands of years ago. None of them are respectable or unhappy. The animals display their relationships to the poet, and he accepts them. They bring him reminders of himself that they have in their possession. The poet is curious about where they got those reminders. He wonders how they obtained them. Ultimately, he concludes that he must have carelessly dropped them somewhere.