Get here the summary, questions, answers, textbook solutions, extras, and pdf of the poem “Sita” by Toru Dutt of the Assam Board (AHSEC / SEBA) Class 12 Alternative English (Vibgyor) textbook. However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary: The final ballad included in “The Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan” by Toru Dutt is titled “Sita.” In the poem, Toru Dutt successfully evoked the mythical past and strove to fill it with the majesty of the past. The poem focuses on Sita’s anguish while she was in her second exile. Their mother told the tale of Sita to Toru Dutt, her sister, and her brother.
The children appeared to be conjuring an image of Saint Valmiki’s hermitage and Sita in the dimly lit chamber. They imagined a dense forest with a clearing in the centre as they viewed it from within the room. Huge blossoms were growing on vines and clinging to trees. In a tranquil, lucid lake, white swans glide, while peacocks and herds of deer dart around from behind bushes. The sunshine appeared to be drifting in golden yellow particles and filling cleared areas.
A blue smoke emanated from the altars. The location was peaceful and unhurried. In such a tranquil setting, the lovely Sita was lamenting her misfortune. Sita was the embodiment of beauty, devotion, and dignity. Her sadness affected the three children. They were able to perceive her pain and cried tears alongside her. However, as the mother finished, the children’s mental images of the location vanished as well. They fell asleep, but Sita’s story left an indelible impression on their minds. The poet then becomes sentimental as he recalls his deceased brother and sister, Abju and Aru.
The poet confessed with pathos that they would no longer gather around their mother to hear her ancient fabled tales. The poet grows nostalgic and wishes for a return to those days so she can spend time with her family. The last two lines of the poem are a heartbreaking elegy for the poet’s siblings Abju and Aru, which lends the work a melancholy tone.
Answer the following questions in one or two words.
1. Who is the poem about?
Answer: Sita’s exile is the subject of the poem.
2. How many children listened to the story?
Answer: There were three children in the room who listened to the story.
3. Who dwells in peace in the forest?
Answer: In the quiet of the forest, the holy man Valmiki dwells.
4. What is the colour of the swans which are seen gliding on the lake?
Answer: A flock of white swans could be seen gliding gracefully over the lake.
5. Who is the narrator of the story?
Answer: The story is told by Toru Dutt’s mother.
Answer the following questions in a few words
1. What prevents sunlight from entering the place?
Answer: Large creepers, flowers, and trees blanketed the forest floor, blocking out any chance of natural light reaching the place.
2. Name the birds and animals mentioned in the poem.
Answer: White swans, peacocks, and wild deer are some of the animals and birds referred to in the poem.
3. Where are the children sitting?
Answer: In a dim room, the children sat quietly.
4. Whose heads are bowed in sorrow?
Answer: All three of the children, Toru, Abju, and Aru, had their heads bowed in sorrow.
5. What does the poet remember when she listens to the story?
Answer: The poet reflected on her deceased brother and sister. In addition, she fondly recalled the times they shared hearing their mother’s bedtime stories together.
Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
1. Why are the children weeping?
Answer: The children were in tears as their mother told them the sad tale of Sita’s time in exile. In Sita’s tears, they saw her anguish and suffering. The children were captivated by her story and found themselves identifying with Sita. The result was that they all cried alongside her.
2. Describe the hermitage where Sita is living.
Answer: In the hermitage of Saint Valmiki, Sita made her home. The scenery there was stunning. Huge creepers, flowers, and trees made it challenging for sunlight to penetrate the area. It had a distinct sweet spot in the middle of it. Peacocks raced around from behind bushes near the hermitage while white swans glided peacefully on the still, clear water of the lake. Deer darted through the clearings in what looked like granules of golden yellow sunlight. Blue smoke rose from the holy altars next to Valmiki’s home. The atmosphere was calm and serene.
3. What does the poet long for?
Answer: The poet wished that the good old days would return so that she could once again enjoy the company of her siblings. Se desired to accompany them while they listened to their mother tell bedtime stories. She wanted to return to the joyful times she’d shared with her loved ones.
Give suitable answers to the following
1. How does the poem reflect the poet’s deep love of nature?
Answer: Toru Dutt paints a stunning natural landscape in the poem “Sita,” which is set in the woods near the home where the saint Valmiki is said to have lived. Poetically, Valmiki’s hermitage is described as a dark and foreboding woodland where not even a single ray of sunlight can penetrate. Large blooms bloomed on creepers and clung to the trunks of trees in a distinct area in the park’s centre. White swans glided on the calm waters of a pristine lake, where peacocks and herds of deer scurried around, hiding among the bushes. Golden specks of sunlight floated through the air and filled in the empty spaces. Valmiki’s home was surrounded by blue smoke, indicating the presence of sacred altars. The poet’s adoration of nature is evident in her vivid descriptions of its majesty. Her portrayal of the outdoors is superb, conjuring up images that do justice to the natural world’s splendour.
2. Write a critical summary of the poem “Sita.”
Answer: Sita is the final ballad published in “The Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan” by Toru Dutt. In her poems, Toru Dutt tied the past to the present. Toru Dutt recounts the narrative of Sita’s exile in the poem “Sita.” In a dimly lit room, the mother told her three children the story. The children’s eyes were wide open. They appeared to be imagining the hermitage of Saint Valmiki and Sita. They experience the developing scenes before their eyes. Their mother’s story produced several mental images in them. The children were so captivated by her thoughts that they wept alongside her. They experienced their feelings merging with those of Sita. As soon as the mother concluded her sad story about Sita, the image of the location faded from their minds. They felt drowsy. The final two lines of the poem are a sorrowful elegy on the untimely loss of the poet’s siblings Abju and Aru, which gives the piece a melancholy tone. In the poem, the poet’s description of the natural world is eloquent; she uses a variety of imagery that grabs the reader with its grandeur. Toru Dutt’s vivacious portrayal of nature demonstrates her profound appreciation for nature. This poem is also an example of nostalgia because it recalls her youth when she and her siblings listened to their mother’s bedtime stories. The poem “Sita” demonstrates Toru Dutt’s storytelling ability and appreciation for nature.
Extra/additional questions and answers/solutions
1. Who wrote the poem ‘Sita’?
Answer: ‘Sita’ is a poem written by Toru Dutt.
2. In her poem, Dutt tries to conjure up what “mythic past”?
Answer: Toru Dutt attempted to bring up Sita’s mythic past during her second exile in her poetry.
3. Who is the poem’s narrator?
Answer: The narrator of the poem ‘Sita’ is Toru Dutt’s mother.
10. Is it possible that the children will ever rally around their mother again?
Answer: No, the children will never again be able to congregate around their mother’s side. As of this writing, the poet’s mother and two siblings have died.
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