Maharashtra Board Class 12 English Section 2 Poetry Chapter 2.5 Father Returning Home Solutions

Balbharti Yuvakbharati English 12th Digest Chapter 2.5 Father Returning Home Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions And Answers

Class 12 English Chapter 2.5 Father Returning Home Question Answer Maharashtra Board

12th Std English Chapter 2.5 Brainstorming Question Answer

Yuvakbharati English Navneet 12th Digest PDF Free Download Maharashtra Board

Question 1.Discuss with your partner the difficulties that you face while commuting to and from the college by public transport.
Answer:
(a) crowded buses, trains
(b) are difficult to board in peak-hours
(c) have to miss a couple of trains/buses to board safely
(d) on such days miss an important lecture
In simple words: Commuting to college by public transport often involves crowded vehicles, difficulty boarding during peak hours, and the risk of missing classes due to missed trains or buses.

🎯 Exam Tip: When discussing personal experiences, provide specific examples to illustrate your points clearly for better scoring.

Question 2.The similar problems are faced by the other commuters on the way to their workplace. Imagine their plight and suggest three solutions.
Answer:
ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह चित्र यात्रियों द्वारा अपने कार्यस्थल तक आने-जाने में सामना की जाने वाली समान समस्याओं को दर्शाता है, और इन कठिनाइयों को कम करने के लिए तीन समाधान सुझाता है। समाधानों में बैठने के लिए अपनी जगह देना, वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के लिए भीड़-भाड़ वाली बस/ट्रेन में जगह बनाना और उनसे सीट का अनुरोध करना, और समान मार्ग पर यात्रा करने वालों के साथ लागत साझा करके शेयर-राइड लेना शामिल है।
In simple words: Commuters face similar problems, so three solutions include offering your seat, assisting senior citizens to board and get a seat, and sharing rides with others traveling the same route to ease their journey.

🎯 Exam Tip: For problem-solution questions, ensure your solutions are practical, specific, and directly address the identified problems.

Question 3.Complete the following table:
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: When completing tables, ensure that corresponding entries in each column are directly related and accurate according to the prompt.

Question 4.Write your duties towards the following:
Answer:

Family

School/College

🎯 Exam Tip: For duty-related questions, categorize your responses clearly and use bullet points for readability and completeness, covering all specified relationships.

Question (i)Discuss with your friend the difficulties focused by the father in the poem.
Answer:
In simple words: The father in the poem faces difficulties like a long, lonely commute, lack of a comfortable seat on the train, shabby appearance, old age affecting his eyesight, and inconvenience from worn-out footwear in monsoon.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing a poem, refer to specific details or imagery from the text to support your discussion points.

Question (ii)Discuss and write the character sketch of the father with the help of the given points. (His pathetic condition, the treatment he receives at home, his solitude, the way he tries to overcome it)
Answer:The father is on the late train. This shows he is hard-working. He does not spend any money on himself as his appearance is shown as shabby. He is uncaring about his appearance probably because he is lonely and heart-broken.
He is silent on the train-trip home. He does not speak to co-passengers. Perhaps the sadness in his heart prevents him from even small-talk. He has no travel-mates. He is silent through the trip, and gets off without waving goodbye to any passenger.
His family is cold, distant and uncaring. He is not greeted on arrival. He is given cold food which is not nourishing. He is left to eat the meal alone just reading his book. At the end of the work-day he reads a book, eats by himself, listens to the radio and dreams of the future all alone. Thus the father is a lonely old man, neglected by his own family in spite of working hard for them and heart-sick of his existence.
In simple words: The father is a hard-working, lonely old man, neglected by his family, traveling in silence, and seeking solace in reading and future dreams, reflecting a profound sense of isolation and heartbreak despite his efforts.

🎯 Exam Tip: A good character sketch integrates various aspects of the character using textual evidence and connects them to the character's overall emotional state and motivations.

Question (i)Given below are the ideas conveyed through the poem. Match the pairs and draw out the hidden meaning from those expressions:
Answer:1. The father hurries home crossing railway line - Father is so eager to meet family members that he doesn't even bother about his safety. 2. Suburban area, visible through the train, is passed unnoticed - Because there is hardly anything enchanting/interesting in the monotonous routine journey to look out of the window 3. He is just as a small word, dropping from a sentence. - He has so little value in the society where his presence or absence might hardly make any difference 4. He doesn't get a place in a crowded train. - Uncomfortable journey
In simple words: The father's eagerness to reach home despite danger, his disinterest in the monotonous scenery, his feeling of insignificance, and his discomfort in the crowded train all highlight his loneliness and the unfulfilling nature of his life.

🎯 Exam Tip: When matching expressions to meanings, focus on the underlying emotion or implication rather than just the literal translation of the words.

(ii) Find the lines to prove the following facts from the extract:

Question (a)Father is deprived of good food.
Answer:'Home again, I see him drinking weak tea Eating a stale chapati'
In simple words: The line "Home again, I see him drinking weak tea Eating a stale chapati" directly indicates the father is not receiving nutritious or fresh meals.

🎯 Exam Tip: For questions asking for supporting lines, quote the exact phrase or sentence from the text as proof.

Question (b)Children did not have a healthy relation with the father
Answer:His sullen children have often refused to share Jokes and secrets with him.
In simple words: The children's refusal to share jokes and secrets with their father clearly shows a lack of a healthy, open relationship between them.

🎯 Exam Tip: When proving a fact, select the most direct and unambiguous line from the text that explicitly supports the statement.

Question (iii)The poet deals with the theme of man's estrangement from a man-made world. Analyze it with the help of the extract.
Answer:The father reaches home. He has a lonely poor meal, served without care. The stale cold food also indicates the coldness in relationships in the family. The weak tea is a metaphor for the fragile family bond. There is no bonding. Home is only a shelter for him and he is only a provider for them. The father is lonely among his own family as well. So the father is alone in the crowd of strangers and also among his own family.
In simple words: The poem illustrates the father's estrangement by showing his isolated experience on a crowded train, and his lonely, uncared-for existence even within his own home, where stale food and weak tea symbolize cold family relationships.

🎯 Exam Tip: In analysis questions, use metaphors and symbols from the poem to strengthen your interpretation of the theme, connecting textual elements to broader concepts.

Question (iv)The father contemplates his past and peeps into his future. Give reasons.
Answer:The father silently ponders on his past. There is no communication with his family members. He would have sat with family members together to recall happy memories and enjoy them again. Reliving the past would have been one way for the family to bond. But the father thinks of the past alone. Future plans could be also discussed with family members. A lot of discussions could have happened about money, savings, career, a wedding and so on.
Advice, suggestions are given, arguments and disagreements happen, and even anger sometimes. But the father has nothing like this happening in his presence. There is only a sullen silence. He remembers his past and thinks of possible grandchildren. No one shares his dreams. He spends the past, present and future alone and in silence.
In simple words: The father contemplates his past and future because of the profound loneliness and lack of communication within his family, making him reflect on what could have been shared memories and future dreams alone.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining character motivations, link their actions or thoughts to their emotional state and the surrounding circumstances depicted in the poem.

(A3)

Question 1.Complete the following using suitable describing words as they appear in the poem with the help of the words given in the brackets: (weak, dim, muddy, soggy, stale)
Answer:
(a) Father's attire - soggy
(b) Father's tea - weak
(c) Father's footwear - muddy
(d) Father's food - stale
(e) Father's eyesight - dim
In simple words: The poem uses specific adjectives to describe the father's attire as soggy, his tea as weak, footwear as muddy, food as stale, and eyesight as dim, painting a picture of his bleak existence.

🎯 Exam Tip: For vocabulary-based questions, carefully match the given words to their appropriate nouns as they are used in the context of the poem to ensure accuracy.

(A4)

Question (i)Identify and write the lines from the extract which expresses the following figures of speech:
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying figures of speech, quote the specific line and then briefly explain how it exemplifies that particular literary device.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify alliteration, look for the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Question (ii)I see him drinking weak tea, eating a stale chapati. Here 'stale chapati' stands for stale food/ non-nourishing food or diet, where the part symbolizes the whole, i.e. food. Guess the name of the figure of speech.
Answer:The figure of speech is 'synecdoche'.
In simple words: The phrase "stale chapati" representing stale or non-nourishing food as a whole is an example of synecdoche, where a part stands for the whole.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that synecdoche uses a part of something to refer to the whole, or vice-versa, making it distinct from mere metaphor or simile.

(A5)

Question (i)Write a counterview on the following topic: "Every day is a mother's/ father's day."
(a) If you love them, you don't need to wait for such days.
(b) Celebrating days is just a formality.
(c) Celebrations of the days condition your expression of emotions.
(d) It is a kind of a pretext to neglect your everyday responsibilities.
Answer:We love and respect our parents. We must be sure to be loving and respectful in our everyday behaviour and actions. They work, laugh, sacrifice - all only for their children -US! When we behave respectfully and lovingly with elders, the cards or a special day in the year are just a formality.
Our feelings for our parents are unconditional. We don't say 'if they do something, only then will we do something in return, while interacting with elders in the family. We cannot be loving, caring, obedient and helpful only on a Father's/Mother's Day. We have to be all these towards our parents and elders EVERY DAY.
So 'Every day is Mother's/Father's Day!'
In simple words: A counterview argues that true love and respect for parents should be expressed daily through actions, not just on designated celebratory days, which can become mere formalities or excuses to neglect everyday responsibilities.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing a counterview, present a strong, coherent argument that directly challenges the main premise, using logical reasoning and examples to support your stance.

Question (ii)Write an appreciation of the poem considering the following points :
• About the poem/poet/title
• Theme
• Poetic devices, language, style
• Special features - tone and type
• Values, message
• Your opinion about the poem
Answer:The poem 'Father Returning Home', by Dilip Chitre - a bilingual poet - is about a lonely old man's coming home from a long day at work. The poet describes his silent and lonely journey home in the crowded Mumbai local train. It is a metaphor for the father's isolated life even though he is among people.
The poet speaks of the 'unseeing' eyes on the scenery flashing past the train. The same thing the man sees daily when commuting has nothing new, just like his uninteresting life. The setting is dusk in monsoon. The man's dress and appearance are also metaphorical.
His soggy clothes and mud-stained raincoat symbolize his shabby appearance and also his sad life. The man carries a bag full of books. He is well-read maybe. Thus when the man gets off the train the poet compares it to a word falling from a sentence. He goes unnoticed as an unimportant word dropped from a long sentence - a simile. The 'long sentence' - imagery - makes us imagine the long train and the passenger is one word that is getting down.
The platform he crosses is grey, colour imagery for gloominess or dirty surroundings. The poet uses informal language and an easy style. The poet describes him 'hurries' along the platform and again 'hurries' on to his home. This repeated word shows his eagerness to reach his shelter and I get dry. The words create an imagery of a shabby, pitiable but scholarly man.
The second part of the poem is about the man in his home. The meal he eats shows the poor quality as well as the careless way it is served. He ' reads a book while he eats. That is a clear imagery for his loneliness at home also. The family offers no company after his long day and tiring commute.
In the toilet he is pondering on how he has been shut out of the world although he is in the crowd. He is a stranger among his family in his own home. His children don't speak to him and won't share any part of their life. They are not interested in his life also. He goes to sleep thinking of the past and future, listening to harsh sounds on the radio.
The message is how the elderly are used by their own children but neglected when they need care. The poem is about a man who may be misunderstood. He is lonely even in the middle of crowds. It teaches how we should not behave to j persons who are in the autumn of their life. I feel sorry for such people who have worked hard in their life but the younger relatives discard them once their use is over.
In simple words: "Father Returning Home" by Dilip Chitre is a poignant poem depicting an elderly father's isolation amidst crowds and family, using imagery and metaphors to highlight themes of estrangement, neglect, and the harsh realities of aging.

🎯 Exam Tip: A comprehensive appreciation covers various poetic elements from theme to language, demonstrating a deep understanding of the poem's construction and message.

Question (iii)Compose a short poem in about 4-6 lines on your father.
Answer:My Father
He is unselfish, caring,
Honest and hard-working
Simple, strict and well-read
Upright, always respected
By family and every friend.
He tried to excel till the end.
In simple words: This short poem describes a father as an unselfish, honest, hard-working, well-read, and respected individual who always strives for excellence for his family and friends.

🎯 Exam Tip: When composing a short poem, focus on strong, descriptive adjectives and concise lines to convey a clear and heartfelt message within the given word limit.

Question (iv)Write a character sketch of any one of your family member.
Answer:My Mother
If anyone cannot believe angels walk on the earth they should come and meet my mother. My mother is the most affectionate and gentle human I have ever met. She has never spoken a harsh word to anyone as far as I recall. She is so very concerned for the comfort of every other person that she neglects herself.
She looks after her father-in-law who is in his eighties. He is a great scholar and gets many visitors. She attends cheerfully to them all apart from looking after us.
My father, my sister and I help out with as much of the household chores as we can.
But the main load of running the home falls on her. She takes care of that responsibility so cheerfully as if it is very light. She is loving and jovial with our friends when my sister and I invite home, She advises us not to overspend but always has a tasty meal when friends and relatives gather for a festival meal.
My father does not make any important decisions in my mother's absence. She discusses everything till they arrive at the most suitable decision. Our grandfather will not eat anything which my mother has not made. After my grandmother passed, he relies on 'Saru' my mother, for his diet meals, medicine, his reference books, walking stick, shawl and everything to be in their place.
My mother is our world.
In simple words: My mother is a selfless, affectionate, and gentle woman who tirelessly cares for her family, including her elderly father-in-law and guests, making her the central pillar of our home.

🎯 Exam Tip: In a character sketch, use vivid descriptive language and provide specific examples of actions and behaviors to paint a clear and engaging portrait of the individual.

(A6)

Question (i)Dilip Chitre has translated Sant Tukaram's 'Abhangas' (devotional poems) for which he received Sahitya Akadeini Award. Browse the internet to collect more information about it.
Answer:
In simple words: Dilip Chitre was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his translations of Sant Tukaram's devotional poems, known as 'Abhangas', reflecting his significant contribution to Marathi literature.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to research, focus on key facts like awards, major works, and significant contributions to gain full marks.

Question (ii)List various occupations related to services which can be rendered to senior citizens.
(a) To counsel patients of Alzheimers' disease.
(b) (Students may attempt this on their own.)
(c) (Students may attempt this on their own.)
Answer:
In simple words: Services for senior citizens can include counseling for Alzheimer's patients, personal care assistance, home healthcare, companionship, meal delivery, and legal or financial planning.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing services, aim for a diverse range that covers medical, emotional, practical, and administrative needs of the target group.

Yuvakbharati English 12th Digest Chapter 2.5 Father Returning Home Additional Important Questions And Answers

Global Understanding:

Question 1.List the difficulties faced by the father in the extract.
Answer:1. The father is returning late in the day. 2. He has to stand the entire trip home. 3. He is in wet clothes for a long time till he can reach home. 4. His sight is weak with age. 5. His cheap footwear is muddy and maybe inconvenient in the monsoon.
In simple words: The father faces multiple difficulties including late return, standing throughout the commute, wet clothes, weakening eyesight due to age, and uncomfortable, muddy footwear during monsoon.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing difficulties, ensure each point is distinct and clearly derived from the text provided in the extract.

Question 2.Find the lines to prove the following facts from the poem. Father does not bother to buy anything new for himself and makes do with old, worn out possessions.
Answer:'His bag stuffed with books is falling apart' (line 6)
In simple words: The line "His bag stuffed with books is falling apart" indicates that the father uses worn-out possessions and does not replace them, highlighting his frugality or neglect of personal needs.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always quote the exact line or phrase from the poem to support factual claims about the character or setting.

Question 3.Choose the correct option and give reasons for it: Refusal of the children to share jokes and secrets indicates:
(a) They are angry
(b) Generation gap
(c) Lack of concern
Answer:All three could be reasons.
The children are angry that the father is unable to earn more, provide better life for them.
The father is old and the youngsters cannot relate to him. They are selfish and don't care for the man who is doing his best.
The children have no care, love or respect for the father. It might not be a close-knit family. So there is no concern for the hard-working breadwinner.
In simple words: The children's refusal to share jokes and secrets suggests a combination of anger over the father's financial capacity, a generation gap preventing connection, and an overall lack of concern for the hard-working breadwinner.

🎯 Exam Tip: For multiple-choice questions requiring reasons, explain how each plausible option contributes to the observed situation, even if multiple choices are valid.

Question 4.List the difficulties faced by the father in the extract.
Answer:1. The father is not greeted on his arrival home at the end of the day; is not served any nourishing food - has weak tea and stale chapati. 2. The family does not interact with him. His book is his company. 3. His children are bad tempered sharing no details of their life or asking about his day. 4. He must be going to work like this, also returns silently, to a silent home to his unfriendly family for whom he works. 5. He is unnoticed, uncared for, unappreciated, almost like an outsider in his own home and family.
In simple words: The father's difficulties include an unwelcoming home, un-nourishing food, lack of family interaction, sullen children, and a pervasive feeling of being an unappreciated outsider in his own household despite his hard work.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing difficulties, ensure to cover both external physical hardships and internal emotional struggles experienced by the character.

Inference/Interpretation/Analysis:

Question 1.The poet deals with the theme of man's estrangement from a man-made world. Analyze it with the help of the extract.
Answer:There are two scenarios in the poem. The first part is about the father's time spent time outside, and the second part describes his time in his home. The first line says he is travelling on the evening train. The Mumbai local trains are famously crowded. But among the crowds he does not speak to a fellow passenger. He stands silently through the commute till he gets down. He doesn't take leave of any friend and no one waves to him. Among the crowds he is alone.
In simple words: The poem vividly portrays the father's estrangement by showing him silently isolated in crowded Mumbai trains, failing to connect with fellow passengers or family, thus highlighting his profound loneliness within a man-made world.

🎯 Exam Tip: To analyze estrangement, focus on how the character's interactions (or lack thereof) with both public and private spheres reflect their isolation.

Question 2.Given below are the ideas conveyed through the poem. Match the pairs and draw out the hidden meaning from those expressions:
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: When matching expressions to hidden meanings, consider the emotional subtext and broader implications that go beyond the literal words.

Personal Response:

Question 1. Write a note on 'the hard work faced by parents for the family'.
Answer: Our parents love us from the moment we are born. They watch us grow up and give us everything they can. They try to fulfil our wishes to the maximum extent possible. They work hard. The father works outside the home and the mother in the home. They spend their time, energy and resources on the children.
The children should realize that their parents do so much for them. We must not take their sacrifice for granted. We can never repay them. We must at least try and give them comfort and joy. It is our first duty to obey and love our parents and look after them when they grow old and unable to take care of themselves.
In simple words: Parents dedicate their lives to nurturing and providing for their children, working tirelessly to fulfil their needs and wishes. Children have a duty to appreciate these sacrifices, show love and obedience, and care for their parents, especially in their old age.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on expressing gratitude and responsibility towards parents. Use clear examples of parental hard work and children's duties for a well-rounded answer.

Question 2. Describe the nature of the family members, from the father's behaviour in the extract.
Answer: The family members seems selfish and uncaring. The father drinks weak tea and eats stale food on his return. It is possible to serve fresh food, to the bread-winner returning home even if it is the most simple or poorest of food. If he has a wife then she does not seem to care much about his wellbeing.
The poet clearly states that the children have refused to share any lighter moments or conversation with their father. Probably the mother's behaviour has made the children also treat him this way. If it is poverty they are facing then the family seems selfish in demanding he work for them but not even offering their company or kindness in return.
In simple words: The family members are portrayed as selfish and emotionally distant, neglecting the father's basic needs and offering no companionship. Their behaviour suggests a lack of care and appreciation for his efforts, possibly influenced by the mother's attitude or financial struggles.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze the family's actions (or lack thereof) from the father's perspective in the poem. Connect their behaviour to themes of neglect and emotional isolation.

Poetic Devices:

Question 1. Find out the examples of transferred epithet from the extract.
Answer: 'Suburbs slide past his unseeing eyes. The 'unseeing' is transferred to eyes. The eyes are seeing but his mind is not registering any sight. So the quality of 'not seeing' is given to the eyes.
In simple words: A transferred epithet attributes a characteristic of one thing to another, as seen in "unseeing eyes." The eyes physically see, but the 'unseeing' quality belongs to the father's mind, which is too preoccupied or detached to notice the scenery.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify transferred epithet, look for an adjective that grammatically modifies one noun but logically applies to another, often an emotional or mental state of a person.

Poetic Creativity:

Question 1. Compose a few lines on 'Distance'.
Answer: Distance
I travel for an hour to work, and an hour back.
This is the exact distance of the track
Between myself and the people whom
I go to in a place called home.
In simple words: The poem describes the physical distance of a daily commute, but more importantly, it highlights the emotional distance between the speaker and their family, emphasizing a sense of alienation even within their own home.

🎯 Exam Tip: For creative writing, focus on using vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the theme. Ensure a consistent rhythm or free verse style, and aim for emotional depth in your lines.