Samacheer Kalvi Class 10 English Solutions Poem 7 The House on Elm Street

A. Read the Given Lines and Answer the Questions Given Below.

Question 1. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
It sat alone.
What happened there is still today unknown.
It is a very mysterious place,
And inside you can tell it has a ton of space,
But at the same time, it is bare to the bone.
Answer:
(a) 'It' refers to the mysterious house.
(b) The line "And inside you can tell it has a ton of space" indicates the house's size. This suggests the house is quite large and empty.
(c) What happened inside the house is unknown to the poet.
(d) The house is mysterious because no one knows what happens inside it.
(e) The rhyming words in the stanza are alone - unknown - bone, and place - space.
(f) The figure of speech in the 1st line ("It sat alone") is Personification, giving human qualities to the house.
(g) The figure of speech in the 4th line ("And inside you can tell it has a ton of space") is Synecdoche, where "ton of space" represents the large interior.
In simple words: The word 'It' means the strange house. The size is shown by saying it has "a ton of space." The poet doesn't know what happened inside. It's mysterious because no one knows its secrets. Rhyming words are 'alone/unknown/bone' and 'place/space'. The first line uses personification, and the fourth line uses synecdoche.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing poetry, always look for specific words or phrases that give clues about literary devices and meaning, then explain them clearly.

Question 2. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
"I drive past the house almost every day.
The house seems to be a bit brighter.
On this warm summer day in May.
It plays with your mind.
To me I say, it is the one of a kind"
Answer:
(a) The word 'I' in the poem refers to the poetess, Nadia Bush. The poet is the speaker.
(b) The alliterated words in the second line are "a bit brighter."
(c) The poet drives past the house every single day.
(d) The season mentioned in this stanza is summer.
(e) The mystery surrounding the house is what plays with our mind.
(f) The alliterated words in the first line are "drive – day."
(g) The rhyming words in the stanza are day – May, and mind – kind.
(h) The rhyme scheme for the stanza is abacc.
In simple words: 'I' means the poet, Nadia Bush. "A bit brighter" uses alliteration. The poet passes the house daily in summer. The house's mystery makes us think. "Drive" and "day" are alliterated. "Day/May" and "mind/kind" rhyme. The rhyme pattern is abacc.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying alliteration, look for words starting with the same sound close together. For rhyme scheme, assign a letter to each new end sound in a stanza and repeat letters for repeated sounds.

Question 3. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
It never grows leaves,
Not in the winter, spring, summer, or fall.
It just sits there never getting small or ever-growing tall
How could this be?
Answer:
(a) The word 'It' refers to the tree that is next to the house.
(b) The tree is a mystery because it never grows leaves in any season—winter, spring, summer, or fall. It also never gets smaller or grows taller. This unusual state makes it mysterious.
(c) The reasons mentioned are that the tree never grows leaves and does not change its height, always staying the same size. This defies natural tree growth.
(d) The tree sits right beside the house.
(e) The alliterated words in the 4th line are "getting - growing."
(f) The rhyming words found in the stanza are "tree - be" and "fall – tall."
(h) The literary device used in the 3rd line is Paradox. This is because the line states the tree is "never getting small or ever-growing tall," which is a contradictory idea for a living tree.
In simple words: 'It' means the tree by the house. It's mysterious because it never grows leaves in any season and stays the same size. So, the reasons are no leaves and no growth. The tree sits by the house. "Getting" and "growing" alliterate. "Tree/be" and "fall/tall" rhyme. The line "never getting small or ever-growing tall" is a paradox.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to descriptions that seem unnatural or impossible, as these often point to literary devices like paradox or personification.

Question 4. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
"Rumours are constantly being made,
And each day the house just begins to fade.
What happened inside that house?"
Answer:
(a) No, the house does not stay the same every day; it begins to fade.
(b) The poet sees the house as a mystery because she does not know what is happening inside it.
(c) Rumours might suggest there is a ghost in the house, or other strange events.
(d) The rhyming words in this stanza are "made" and "fade."
(e) The rhyme scheme for the stanza is aab.
(f) The figure of speech in the 2nd line ("And each day the house just begins to fade") is Hyperbole, exaggerating how quickly the house is changing.
In simple words: The house changes daily and seems to fade. The poet finds it mysterious because she doesn't know what happens inside. People might spread ghost stories about it. "Made" and "fade" rhyme, and the rhyme scheme is aab. The fading is an exaggeration, which is hyperbole.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always look for words that describe changes or unknown elements, as these are key to understanding the mood and mystery of the poem.

Question 5. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
"What happened inside that house?
I really don't know
I guess it will always be a mystery"
Answer:
(a) No, the poetess does not know what happened inside the house. She admits she truly doesn't know.
(b) The mystery of the house is simply that no one, not even the poet, will ever know what truly happens inside it. This uncertainty makes it mysterious.
In simple words: The poet doesn't know what happened in the house. The big mystery is that no one will ever find out what goes on inside.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify direct statements from the poem that reveal the poet's knowledge or lack thereof to answer questions about their perspective.

Additional Questions and Answers

Question 1. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
"At night the house seems to be alive,
Lights flicker on and off
I am often tempted to go to the house,
To just take a look and see what it is really about,
But fear takes over me"
Answer:
(a) The house appears to be alive specifically at night. This is when its strange activity is most noticeable.
(b) At night, the lights inside the house flicker on and off, suggesting some kind of unusual activity.
(c) No, the poet does not go to the house, despite feeling tempted to do so.
(d) Her own fear is what stops the poet from going to the house. The thought of the unknown makes her afraid.
In simple words: The house looks alive at night because its lights flicker. The poet wants to go see it but is too scared, so her fear stops her.

🎯 Exam Tip: When a passage describes conflicting emotions, pinpoint the stronger emotion that dictates the character's actions.

Question 2. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
At night the house seems to be alive
Lights flicker on and off
Answer:
(a) At night, the house seems to come to life, appearing active and possibly occupied. It gives off an eerie feeling.
(b) The lights within the house flicker, turning on and off irregularly. This flickering adds to the mysterious atmosphere.
In simple words: The house looks alive at night. The lights in it go on and off quickly.

🎯 Exam Tip: For simple observational questions, directly quote or rephrase the descriptive elements from the poem.

Question 3. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
I am often tempted to go to the house
To just take a look and see what it is really
about
But fear takes over me.
Answer:
(a) The poet is tempted to go to the house. She feels a strong pull to investigate it.
(b) The poet wanted to visit the house to discover the truth and understand what was truly happening inside it. She hoped to uncover its secrets.
(c) No, the poet did not enter the house. She was too afraid to go inside, as her fear overpowered her curiosity.
In simple words: The poet feels like going into the house. She wants to see what's really inside. But no, she doesn't go in because she is too scared.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the difference between desire (temptation) and action, and identify what prevents the action from happening.

Question 4. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
Beside the house sits a tree.
It never grows leaves
Answer:
(a) A tree sits right beside the house. It's a close neighbor to the mysterious building.
(b) The strange thing about the tree is that it never grows leaves, regardless of the season. This makes it an unusual and eerie part of the scene.
In simple words: A tree is next to the house. It's strange because it never grows any leaves.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note any descriptions that describe objects or elements behaving unnaturally, as these details contribute to the poem's atmosphere.

B. Answer the Following in a Paragraph.

Question 1. Where is the house located? Why is it a mysterious place?
Answer: The house is located on Elm Street, standing alone in an isolated spot. It is considered a mysterious place for several reasons. Firstly, no one knows what happens inside it, or who might live there, if anyone at all. The house is described as having vast space, yet it seems bare. At night, its lights flicker on and off, making it appear alive, which adds to its eerie nature. A leafless tree also sits beside the house, mirroring its mystery by never growing leaves or changing in size, regardless of the season. Rumours constantly circulate about the house, and it seems to "fade" a little each day. Despite the poet's strong temptation to enter and investigate, fear always prevents her, solidifying its status as an ongoing mystery that likely will never be fully understood.
In simple words: The house is on Elm Street and sits alone. It's mysterious because no one knows what happens inside, and its lights flicker at night, making it seem alive. There's also a strange tree next to it that never grows leaves. People make up stories about it, and the poet is too scared to go inside, so it stays a secret forever.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to explain 'why' something is mysterious, provide multiple descriptive details from the poem that contribute to that sense of mystery.

Question 2. How is the mystery depicted in the poem?
Answer: The poem "The House on Elm Street" portrays mystery through various elements. The house itself is a lonely place, appearing empty despite its spaciousness. While it might look brighter on a warm summer day, it also paradoxically seems to fade a little each day, deepening its enigma. The poet openly states that she doesn't know what truly happens inside, adding to the unknown. Adjacent to the house is a peculiar tree that never sprouts leaves, nor does it grow taller or shrink, mirroring the house's unchanging yet mysterious nature. Rumours constantly circulate about the house, suggesting unseen events. The poet's longing to explore the house, combined with her overwhelming fear that prevents her from doing so, further highlights the house's intimidating mystery. Ultimately, the poem concludes that just as the house remains an unsolved puzzle, so too does life itself hold mysteries that are beyond human understanding, emphasizing that some things are meant to remain unknown.
In simple words: The poem shows mystery in many ways. The house is lonely and empty, changing subtly each day, and the poet doesn't know its secrets. A strange tree next to it never grows leaves. People spread stories about the house, and the poet is too scared to go in, so it stays a mystery, much like life itself.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing how a theme is depicted, gather details about character actions, descriptions of setting, and the speaker's reflections to build a comprehensive answer.

C. Read the Poem and Write the Rhyming Words and Rhyme Scheme for the Given Stanzas.

Question. Read the poem and write the rhyming words and rhyme scheme for the given stanzas.
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify rhyming words, focus on the end sounds of lines. For rhyme scheme, assign a new letter to each new end sound in a stanza and repeat letters for repeated sounds.

D. Identify the Poetic Lines Where the Following Figures of Speech Are Employed and Complete the Tabular Column.

Question. Identify the poetic lines where the following figures of speech are employed and complete the tabular column.
Answer:

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorizing definitions and identifying specific lines where figures of speech are used will help you score well in literary analysis questions.

The House on Elm Street Summary of the Poem

The poem 'The house on ELM street' describes a mysterious house and a never growing tree. The poet fears to go inside the house. No one knows, what happened inside the house. It remains to be a mystery. The house begins to fade each day. The house remains to be a mystery always. Besides the house sits a tree which never grows leaves in any season. The poet metaphorically tells that our life in this world is a mystery. We can't go deep inside to know the purpose of the mystery behind our life.