Maharashtra Board Class 6 English Unit 2 Chapter 2.5 The Silver House Solutions

Question 1. What do the following words in the poem mean?
(a) crown (b) round (c) draw (d) blind
Do these words have other meanings? List them.
Answer: a. Crown: (in the poem) a princely ornament worn as a badge of royalty.
(Other meanings):
1. A wreath for the head given as a reward of victory.
2. The topmost part of the head.
3. An award gained by a victory.
4. An artificial replacement for the upper part of the tooth.
b. Round: (in the poem) spherical, having gentle curves
(Other meanings):
1. Complete, whole
2. Outspoken, plain and direct
3. Finished; polished; not defective or abrupt
c. Draw: (in the poem) to move something by pulling
(Other meanings):
1. To develop something (to sketch)
2. To pull out (as a gun from a holster).
d. Blind: (in the poem) window coverings
(Other meanings):
1. Unable to see
2. Closed at one end or having a dead end
3. Without prior knowledge
In simple words: The words 'crown', 'round', 'draw', and 'blind' have specific meanings in the poem, but they also have several other common definitions listed here.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding multiple meanings of words helps in comprehending poetic devices and enriching vocabulary.

Question 1. Find four pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
Answer: The pairs of rhyming words in the poem are:
1. crown - down
2. way - say
3. blind - find
4. bare - there
In simple words: Rhyming words are words that have the same ending sound, like 'crown' and 'down'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying rhyming words is crucial for understanding a poem's rhythm and structure.

3. In Each Of The Following Line, Spot The Sound That Is Used Repeatedly.

Question 1. There's a silver house in the lovely sky.
Answer: The sound of the letter 's' is used repeatedly.
In simple words: The 's' sound is repeated in the given line, which is an example of alliteration.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds, adds musicality and emphasis to poetry.

Question 2. As round as a silver crown.
Answer: The sound of the letter 'a' in the word 'as' is used repeatedly.
In simple words: The repetition of the 'a' sound in 'as round as a silver crown' is an example of assonance.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying assonance helps in recognizing the sound devices used by poets to create harmony or discord.

Question 3. It takes two weeks to build it up. And two to pull it down.
Answer: The sound of the letter 't' is used repeatedly in the words 'two' and 'to'. The sound of the letter 'p' is used repeatedly in the words 'up' and 'puli'.
In simple words: This line demonstrates repetition of 't' and 'p' sounds, which are poetic devices that create rhythm and emphasis.

🎯 Exam Tip: Recognizing repeated consonant and vowel sounds helps analyze a poem's sonic qualities and its intended effect.

4. What Is Implied In The Following Phrases Or Lines?

Question a. A silver house in the lovely sky.
Answer: It is implied in this sentence that the 'silver house', is actually the moon in the sky.
In simple words: The 'silver house' is a metaphor for the moon, hinting at its appearance and celestial location.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding metaphors is key to interpreting the deeper meaning and imagery in poetry.

Question b. It takes two weeks to build it up.
Answer: It is implied in this sentence that the two weeks that are used to build the 'silver house' up are the weeks that are required for the moon to complete its journey from the 'new moon phase' to the 'full moon phase' (waxing).
In simple words: This phrase refers to the moon's waxing phase, where it grows from a new moon to a full moon over two weeks.

🎯 Exam Tip: Connecting poetic imagery to real-world phenomena, like moon phases, demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the text.

Question c. And two to pull it down.
Answer: It is implied in this sentence that the period of two weeks is the time taken by the moon to change from the 'full moon phase' to the 'new moon phase' (waxing).
In simple words: This describes the moon's waning phase, where it shrinks from a full moon back to a new moon over two weeks.

🎯 Exam Tip: Recognizing the cyclical nature described in the poem helps in understanding its underlying astronomical references.

5. Make A Pair Presentation' Of The Poem, In The Class.

Question 1. Make a pair presentation' of the poem, in the class.
Answer: (Students are expected to perform this activity in class. No specific answer text is provided.)
In simple words: This question asks students to work in pairs and present the poem, encouraging collaborative learning and performance skills.

🎯 Exam Tip: Active participation in class activities like presentations enhances understanding and public speaking skills, though not directly tested on written exams, it builds confidence.

6. The Man In The Moon Is Mentioned In Many Nursery Rhymes And Stories. When People See The Spots On The Surface Of The Moon, They Imagine That It's A Human Face, Or The Figure Of A Man Who Lives On The Moon. Sometimes, Other Characters Like Rabbits Are Also Imagined To Live With The Man. Here Are Two Nursery Rhymes About The Man In The Moon.

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह चित्र 'चंद्रमा में आदमी' (Man in the Moon) विषय पर आधारित दो नर्सरी कविताओं को दर्शाता है। पहली कविता में, चंद्रमा में आदमी नॉरविच का रास्ता पूछने के लिए बहुत जल्दी नीचे आता है और दक्षिण में जाकर ठंडी मटर दलिया खाने से अपना मुंह जला लेता है। दूसरी कविता में, चंद्रमा में आदमी चंद्रमा से बाहर देखता है और कहता है कि अब उसके उठने का समय हो गया है और सभी शिशुओं को बिस्तर पर जाना चाहिए। ये चित्र पारंपरिक लोककथाओं और बच्चों की कविताओं को प्रस्तुत करते हैं।

Question 1. Are there any stories/legends about the moon or special names for the moon in your language? Talk to your friends and family members and collect this information.
Answer: Legend:
In the 1820s, the Bavarian astronomer Franz Von Paula Gruithuisen claimed to have glimpsed entire cities on the moon with his telescope. He wrote that the 'lunarians who lived there had built sophisticated buildings, roads and forts. Most of his colleagues scoffed at his assertion, but he eventually got a small lunar crater named after him.

Sir William Herschel, a prominent British astronomer and composer, also thought aliens lived on the moon and made regular observations about the progress of their construction projects. In 1835, when the New York Sun published a series of fraudulent articles about the supposed existence of life on earth on the moon (pulling off the so-called "Great Moon Hoax"), it falsely credited Herschel's son John, a famous astronomer in his own right, with the shocking discovery.

Special names of the moon in different languages:
- Sanskrit: Himanshu
- Marathi: Chandra ;
- Hindi: Chand
- French: Lune German: Mond

(The students are expected to find out more legends and words on their own.)
In simple words: Many cultures have legends and special names for the moon, like tales of cities or aliens, and different names in various languages, showing its universal fascination.

🎯 Exam Tip: Collecting and sharing cultural information broadens perspective and understanding, enriching the learning experience beyond textbook facts.

Question 1. Do you know any poem or song about the moon in your own language?:Sing it in the class.
Answer: (Students are expected to find and sing a poem or song about the moon in their own language.)
In simple words: This activity encourages students to connect with their cultural heritage by finding and performing moon-related songs or poems in their native language.

🎯 Exam Tip: Engaging with cultural content fosters creativity and appreciation for diverse linguistic expressions, though assessment focuses on participation rather than strict answers.

Question 1. Form pairs. Write a poem with rhyming lines on at least one of the following: the moon, stars, a tree, a flower, a river/luke, rain, the wind, clouds.
Answer: - White (Poem in cloud)
- Swirling clouds and shimmering sunlight,
- Shifting in between dim and bright
- Could stare all day and just night,
- Spectacular delight,
- Unable to fight,
- Amazing night,
- Outranks night,
- Just right
- White.
In simple words: This task promotes creativity and understanding of poetic structure by having students write a rhyming poem about natural elements.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on clear imagery, consistent rhythm, and accurate rhyming to score well in creative writing tasks.

Read The Following Extract And Answer The Questions Given Below.

Question 1. What is there in the lovely sky?
Answer: There is a silver house in the lovely sky.
In simple words: The poem describes a 'silver house' in the sky, which is a poetic way of referring to the moon.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to descriptive language and metaphors used in poems to identify what objects they represent.

Question 2. How much time does it take to build up and pull up the house?
Answer: It takes two weeks to build up and pull down the silver house.
In simple words: The 'silver house' takes two weeks to appear and two weeks to disappear, mirroring the moon's phases.

🎯 Exam Tip: Specific details about timeframes or processes often relate to key themes or real-world concepts in poetry.

Question 3. Who lives in the silver house? How is he?
Answer: A man who seems to be lonely, whose name no one knows or no one likes to say; stays in the silver house.
In simple words: A lonely man, known to no one, is depicted as living in the silver house (the moon).

🎯 Exam Tip: Characters and their descriptions, even if metaphorical, provide insight into the poem's narrative and emotional tone.

Question 4. What is the rhyme scheme of stanza 1 and 2?
Answer: abed
In simple words: The rhyme scheme for the first two stanzas is 'abed', indicating the pattern of end rhymes in those stanzas.

🎯 Exam Tip: Correctly identifying rhyme schemes is fundamental for analyzing a poem's structure and form.

Read The Following Extracts And Answer The Questions Given Below.

Question 1. When and what should you do to find the lonely man?
Answer: You should draw the blinds of the window and peep out at the silver moon at night in order to find the lonely man.
In simple words: To see the lonely man (the moon), one must look out the window at the silver moon at night.

🎯 Exam Tip: Instructions or suggestions within a poem often reveal the poet's intent or guide the reader's interaction with the subject.

Question 2. List the pair of rhyming words in this stanza.
Answer: The pair of rhyming words in this stanza is
- bare - there
- blind - find.
In simple words: The rhyming pairs from this stanza are 'bare' with 'there' and 'blind' with 'find', contributing to the poem's sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Accurately listing rhyming pairs demonstrates an understanding of phonetic patterns and poetic structure.

The Silver House Summary In English

Paraphrase:

The poet John Lea is comparing the silver house in the sky to a moon. He describes the different phases of the moon as the time to build up and pull down the said 'Silver House'.

The poet talks about a man that lives in the 'Silver House' and how no one knows or talks about the man. The poet further advises us to draw the window blind at night, before calling it a day, in order to see the lonely man. John Lea, the poet, states that if you cease to find the poor man in the sky, it is because the 'Silver House' has been taken down. The 'Silver House' will of course not be there due to the moon being in the 'new moon' phase.

Introduction:

The poem The Silver House' is a poem written by the poet John Lea that indirectly describes the phases of the moon. The poem describes a silver house which is as round as a silver crown in the sky which in fact, is the moon. The poem gradually explains that the house which actually is the moon, takes two weeks to build up and two weeks to pull down, which is the time the moon takes to change from the new moon phase to the full moon phase.

Glossary:

1. crown (n) - a silver coin that was used in England in the past
2. window blind (n) - a protective covering for the window. A window blind keeps out light.
3. taken down (ph) - pulled down, dismantled