Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of the poem “The Power of Music” by Sukumar Ray, which is part of ICSE Class 10 English (Treasure Chest: A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories). However, the notes should only be treated as references, and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
The poem describes how the singer Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s voice spreads far and wide during the summer, from Delhi to Burma. His singing is energetic and intense, as if he has staked his life on it. The people who hear his singing are left amazed and dazed.
Though they know his intentions are good, Bhisma Lochan’s powerful singing causes chaos and havoc wherever he goes.
Bullock carts overturn on the roads, horses line the roadsides, and animals are left confused and frightened by his booming voice. Even the fish dive to the bottom of lakes and the trees shake violently, trying to get away from his singing. The birds in the sky turn upside down in panic upon hearing him. Everyone pleads for him to stop singing before he kills them.
But Bhisma Lochan is unconcerned and continues bellowing out his songs, heedless of the pleas and cries around him. The heavens weep at his screeching voice and mighty mansions collapse under its force.
Finally, a clever billy goat comes along and charges at Bhisma Lochan, bellowing right back at him. This finally makes Bhisma Lochan stop singing, granting the world silence once again.
Line-by-line explanation of the poem
When summer comes, we hear the hums/Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
These opening lines introduce us to Bhisma Lochan Sharma, who is a singer with a very loud and powerful voice. In summer, his voice spreads all over and people can hear him humming and singing loudly.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma/He sings as though he’s staked his life, he sings as though he’s hell-bent;
Bhisma Lochan’s voice carries very far – all the way from Delhi to Burma! This shows us how loud and strong his singing is. The next lines say that he sings with full energy and passion, as if his life depended on it. He is completely obsessed with and lost in his singing.
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they know it’s well-meant./They’re trampled in the panic rout or languish pale and sickly,
Now, though Bhisma Lochan means no harm, his intense singing confuses people and leaves them astonished. In fact, his booming voice causes chaos – people get trampled and injured in the panic and become unwell and pale.
And plead, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh stop your singing quickly!’/The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside;
People now desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop singing soon, before they meet their end. To show how disruptive his voice is, the poet says even bullock carts overturn on the roads and horses stand frightened along the sides.
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes booming out his broadside./The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour they hear it sounded,
However, lost in his own world of song, Bhisma Lochan pays no attention to the chaos and continues bellowing loudly. The animals strongly dislike and resent his loud singing from the moment they hear it.
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder quite confounded./The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search for silence,
The animals are left totally confused by his voice – they whine, stand puzzled with feet in the air, and wonder what is happening. Even the fish dive to the bottom of lakes trying to escape his loud singing.
The very trees collapse and shake – you hear the crash a mile hence -/And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while they’re winging,
Bhisma Lochan’s powerful voice makes trees collapse, violently shaking. You can hear them crashing from a mile away! It even makes the birds in the sky flip upside down in a panic.
Again we cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh won’t you stop your singing?/But Bhisma’s soared beyond our reach, howe’er we plead and grumble;
People once more desperately plead with Bhisma Lochan to stop as they are going to die. But he is lost in his own musical world, beyond anyone’s control, ignoring all pleas and complaints.
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty mansions tumble./But now there comes a billy goat, a most sagacious fellow,
His harsh, screeching singing makes even the sky weep, and mighty mansions collapse! But then a clever billy goat comes along.
He downs his horns and charges straight, with bellow answering bellow./The strains of song are tossed and whirled by blast of brutal violence,
The goat aggressively charges at Bhisma Lochan, bleating just as loudly. The goat’s loud bleats blast and toss around Bhisma’s singing strains violently.
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden gift of silence.
Finally, Bhisma Lochan stops singing, giving the world the precious gift of silence once again.
Word meanings
hums: low, continuous sounds
strain: a particular style, sound or melody of music
Delhi: capital city of India
Burma: present-day Myanmar
staked his life: risked his life
hell-bent: determined to do something no matter what
dazed: stunned, confused
retire: withdraw, move away
well-meant: good intentioned
trampled: crushed underfoot
panic: sudden uncontrollable fear
rout: disorderly retreat
languish: lose strength and health
pale: lacking color or brightness
sickly: unhealthy, weak
plead: beg, appeal urgently
bullock-carts: carts pulled by bullocks/oxen
overturned: turned upside down
booming: loud, resounding
broadside: strong verbal attack
wretched: unhappy, troubled
brutes: animals/beasts
resent: feel bitter/indignant about something
blare: loud, harsh noise
sounded: produced a noise
whine: make a long, high-pitched complaining cry
stare: look fixedly with eyes wide open
confounded: confused, perplexed
fishes: fish
dived: plunged into water head first
frantic: desperate, wild with fear
silence: complete absence of noise
turn turtle: turn upside down
winging: flying with wings
welkin: sky, heavens
weeps: cries
screech: unpleasantly loud, shrill noise
mansions: large houses
tumble: fall suddenly and helplessly
billy goat: male goat
sagacious: wise, discerning
downed: lowered, bent down
horns: hard pointed growths on a goat’s head
charges: rushes forward quickly to attack
straight: directly, without deviating
bellow: loud deep cry of an animal like ox, cow etc.
strains: melodies, refrains
tossed: thrown about violently
whirled: spun round rapidly
blast: explosive noise
brutal: savage, cruel
golden: extremely valuable and precious
About the author
Sukumar Ray (1887-1923) was a pioneering Bengali humorous poet, story writer and playwright who is often considered the father of Bengali nonsense verse.
Born in Kolkata into a family of writers and artists, Sukumar started writing humorous poems, short stories and plays from an early age, drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
His best known works include “Abol Tabol”, “Pagla Dashu” and “HaJaBaRaLa” which showcase his unique sense of humor, whimsy and imaginative wordplay. Sukumar masterfully used the rhythms and sounds of Bengali language to create new words and impossible situations that made people laugh.
Though he died young at age 36, Sukumar’s legacy and influence on Bengali literature has been immense. He is celebrated for taking Bengali poetry to a new dimension of absurd, nonsense verse that was unexplored before him.
With his wit, humor and linguistic exuberance, Sukumar Ray remains one of the most beloved icons of Bengali literature.
Evergreen workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
1. “The people, dazed, retire amazed, although they know it’s well meant.”
This line tells us that Bhisma Lochan’s singing was ………. (Board’s Practice Question)
(a) melodious
(b) discordant
(c) soothing
(d) unbelievable
Answer: (b) discordant
2. And in the sky the feathered fly turn
turtle while they’re winging.
What does the phrase turn turtle mean? (Board’s Practice Question)
(a) Act like a turtle.
(b) Jump like a turtle.
(c) Turn upside down.
(d) Become a turtle.
Answer: (c) Turn upside down.
3. What does the phrase “panic rout” imply in the poem The Power of Music? (Board’s Practice Question)
(a) Solemn parade
(b) Celebration
(c) Unhappy occasion
(d) Chaotic situation
Answer: (d) Chaotic situation
4. Which are the geographical locations mentioned in the poem The Power of Music? (Board’s Practice Question)
(i) Delhi
(ii) Kolkata
(iii) Burma
(iv) Bangalore
(a) (i) and (ii)
(b) (i) and (iii)
(c) (ii) and (iv)
(d) (iii) and (iv)
Answer: (b) (i) and (iii)
5. What kind of poem is “The Power of Music’?
(a) serious
(b) light-hearted
(c) ironical
(d) elegiac
Answer: (b) light-hearted
6. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in this line in the poem – ‘The welkin weeps to hear his screech’?
(a) A fair breeze blow, the white foam flow
(b) Frail as a dragon – fly’s wing
(c) Ten thousand saw I at a glance
(d) Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me.
Answer: (d) Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me.
7. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between these two statements.
Statement I: Bhisma sang very loudly and discordantly.
Statement II: All were highly upset with his singing.
(a) I is the cause for II.
(b) I is an example of II.
(c) I is independent of II.
(d) I is a contradiction of II.
Answer: (a) I is the cause for II.
8. ‘And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden/gift of silence’. What does this line convey?
(a) fear
(b) joy
(c) sense of relief
(d) indifference
Answer: (c) sense of relief
9. Which poetic device used repeatedly in the poem creates humour?
(a) simile
(b) hyperbole
(c) metaphor
(d) alliteration
Answer: (b) hyperbole
10. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) Human listeners cannot tolerate Bhisma’s noisy singing.
(b) Animals too protest against Bhisma’s noisy singing.
(c) Only the sky remains watching carelessly.
(d) Big trees and buildings collapse under the impact of Bhisma’s loud voice.
Answer: (c) Only the sky remains watching carelessly.
11. In what state of mind are the human listeners?
(a) cheerful
(b) dazed
(c) indifferent
(d) sullen
Answer: (b) dazed
12. The satire in the poem is directed against …. .
(a) bad, loud singing
(b) human listeners
(c) fishes
(d) horses
Answer: (a) bad, loud singing
13. ‘The welkin weeps to hear his screech …’ Which literary device is used here?
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) hyperbole
(d) personification
Answer: (d) personification
14. Select the option that shows the most funny event in the poem.
(a) collapsing of the trees
(b) turning turtle of the flies
(c) whining of the horses
(d) diving down of the fishes
Answer: (b) turning turtle of the flies
15. What kind of person was Bhisma Lochan Sharma ?
(a) pleasant
(b) stubborn
(c) gentle
(d) arrogant
Answer: (b) stubborn
16. Which of these animals are pitied?
(a) horses
(b) goats
(c) fishes
(d) flies
Answer: (a) horses
17. Which of these collapse on hearing Bhisma’s voice ?
(a) roads
(b) building and trees
(c) bridges
(d) none of the above
Answer: (b) building and trees
18. How is the billy goat described in the poem ?
(a) foolish
(b) intelligent
(c) silly
(d) eccentric
Answer: (b) intelligent
19. Despite their irritation people agree that the song is …. .
(a) harmful
(b) well-meant
(c) moralistic
(d) sensuous
Answer: (b) well-meant
Comprehension Passages
PASSAGE-1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
When summer comes, we hear the hums
Bhisma Lochan Sharma
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi
down to Burma
He sings as though he’s staked his life, he sings
as though he’s hell-bent;
(i) Who is Bhisma Lochan Sharma ? How does he sing?
Answer: Bhisma Lochan Sharma is described as a very bad, irritatingly loud singer. He sings so loudly and discordantly that his voice resounds in the hills and in valleys from Delhi to Burma, as though he has staked his life on it or as if he is hell-bent.
(ii) In Lines 3-4 the poet uses a hyperbole. What is its purpose?
Answer: In Lines 3-4, where it is said that one can catch Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s strain from Delhi down to Burma, the poet uses hyperbole. The purpose of this hyperbole is in consonance with the form of the poem, and its intended effect is comical, adding to the humour.
(iii) What kind of person is Bhisma ?
Answer: Bhisma is depicted as a stubborn fellow who is hell-bent on singing. He is unconcerned and not bothered about anyone or any complaints, protests, or requests regarding his singing, caring only about his singing itself. He is also presented as an eccentric singer.
(iv) How are people affected by his song, as revealed later in the context ?
Answer: As revealed later, people are so dazed by Bhisma’s song that they retire amazed, even though they know it is well-meant. They run away in panic, leading to a stampede where they get trampled, or they languish pale and sickly from listening to his raucous sound continuously.
(v) What do they plead with Bhisma ? Does he listen to them ? If not, why?
Answer: The people plead with Bhisma, saying, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh stop your singing quickly!’ and later cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh won’t you stop your singing?’. However, Bhisma does not listen to them. He does not listen because he is a stubborn and eccentric fellow, hell-bent on singing, unconcerned by their pleas, and pays no heed to their requests or complaints, continuing to sing.
PASSAGE-2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they
know it’s well-meant.
They’re trampled in the panic rout or languish
pale and sickly,
And plead, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh
stop your singing quickly!’
(i) Give evidence to prove that Bhisma’s music was nothing but a nuisance.
Answer: Evidence from the poem proving Bhisma’s music was a nuisance includes the fact that people were dazed and amazed, they were trampled in a panic rout or would languish pale and sickly. Furthermore, they pleaded with him, saying they were near their end and begged him to stop his singing quickly. His singing is described as an irritatingly loud and bad sound that had an adverse impact on listeners.
(ii) What do people plead to Bhisma ?
Answer: People plead to Bhisma, saying, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh stop your singing quickly!’
(iii) Explain the line, ‘we’re near our end’.
Answer: The line ‘we’re near our end’ means that the people have lost their patience with Bhisma’s singing. Given that they are trampled or languish pale and sickly, it also suggests they feel they are suffering greatly and can no longer bear his music.
(iv) What do people want?
Answer: People want Bhisma to stop his singing quickly, as expressed in their plea. They desire silence from his irritatingly loud voice.
(v) Who else besides humans are affected by Bhisma’s singing? How ?
Answer: Besides humans, Bhisma’s singing also badly affects animals, plants, and even inanimate objects and the sky. Bullock-carts are overturned. Horses line the roadside, refuse to work, cry out in pain, stare, raise their feet in the air, and wonder quite confounded. Fishes dive below the lake in a frantic search for silence. Trees collapse and shake with a crash heard a mile hence. Birds, referred to as feathered fly, turn turtle while winging, losing control of their wings. The welkin, or sky, weeps to hear his screech, and mighty mansions tumble.
PASSAGE-3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses
line the roadside;
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes
booming out his broadside.
The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour
they hear it sounded,
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder
quite confounded.
(i) In what way does the poet describe the impact of loud jarring music?
Answer: The poet describes the impact of loud jarring music humorously, using exaggeration and hyperbolic situations. The situations are made-up, and the exaggeration adds to the humour, creating a comical effect and a humorous atmosphere to appeal to the readers’ minds.
(ii) What happens to bullock-carts and horses ? What literary device is used by the poet in describing the event ?
Answer: Due to Bhisma’s singing, the bullock-carts are overturned. Horses line the roadside, refuse to work, and the wretched brutes resent the blare, whining, staring with feet in air, or wondering quite confounded, crying out in pain. The literary devices used by the poet in describing these events include hyperbole, to emphasize the extreme effects, and personification, as the horses are described as resenting the blare and behaving like humans in their distress.
(iii) Who are wretched brutes? Why do they behave abnormally?
Answer: The wretched brutes referred to are animals, specifically horses. They behave abnormally because they resent the blare of Bhisma’s singing the moment they hear it sounded. His loud, unpleasant singing causes them to cry out in pain, stare, raise their feet in the air, and wonder what is happening.
(iv) Explain the last two lines.
Answer: The last two lines, “They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder quite confounded,” describe the reaction of the horses to Bhisma’s singing. They cry out, which is what ‘whine’ means, look around in confusion or ‘stare’, possibly rear up, suggested by ‘with feet in air’, and are completely bewildered or ‘quite confounded’, meaning highly upset and wondering what is happening.
(v) Even fishes in the lake are affected by Bhisma’s singing? What do they do ? How do you react to the description?
Answer: Yes, even fishes in the lake are affected by Bhisma’s singing. Troubled by his loud, irritating voice, the fishes dive below the lake in a frantic search for silence. The description is meant to be amusing, and one cannot help laughing at the exaggeration, as the poet skilfully builds up a humorous atmosphere.
PASSAGE-4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search
for silence,
The very trees collapse and shake – you hear the
crash a mile hence –
And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while
they’re winging.
(i) What exaggerated situations has the poet depicted earlier in the context ? What affect do they create ?
Answer: Earlier in the context, the poet depicted exaggerated situations such as Bhisma’s song being heard from Delhi down to Burma, people being trampled in a panic rout or languishing pale and sickly, bullock-carts being overturned, and horses whining and staring with feet in air, quite confounded. These exaggerated situations create a comical effect, adding to the humour of the poem and building up a humorous atmosphere.
(ii) Why do the fishes dive below the lake?
Answer: The fishes dive below the lake because they are troubled by Bhisma’s loud, irritating voice and are in a frantic search for silence.
(iii) What happens to trees ?
Answer: Due to Bhisma’s singing, the very trees collapse and shake, and one can hear the crash a mile hence.
(iv) What is amusing about the image of the flying birds in Lines 5-6 here?
Answer: What is amusing about the image of the flying birds, the feathered fly, in Lines 5-6 is the absurdity of them turning turtle, or flipping upside down, while they are winging. Birds, which are naturally skilled flyers, losing control over their wings and tumbling mid-air due to a sound contributes to the comic structure and humorous effect of the poem.
(v) Which, according to you, is the most absurd situation depicted in the poem?
Answer: While many situations are absurd, the image of the feathered fly, or birds, turning turtle in the sky while they are winging is particularly absurd because it defies their natural ability to fly with ease. Other highly absurd situations include the welkin weeping or mighty mansions tumbling due to the song, all contributing to the poem’s character as a non-sense verse meant to amuse.
PASSAGE-5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Again we cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh won’t you
stop your singing?’
But Bhisma’s soared beyond our reach, howe’er
we plead and grumble;
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty
mansions tumble.
(i) Who are ‘we’? Why have they to plead repeatedly with Bhisma to stop singing?
Answer: ‘We’ refers to the people, the human listeners who are suffering due to Bhisma’s unbearable singing. They have to plead repeatedly with Bhisma to stop singing because his song causes them great distress, making them feel as if they are going to die, and Bhisma has soared beyond their reach, paying no heed to their pleas and grumbles, continuing to sing as he is a stubborn fellow who does not listen.
(ii) Who are badly affected by Bhisma’s singing?
Answer: Many are badly affected by Bhisma’s singing. In this extract, humans, referred to as ‘we’, are affected as they cry out in distress. The welkin, or sky, is also affected as it weeps to hear his screech. Mighty mansions are affected as they tumble. Throughout the poem, it is shown that his singing also rattles plants and animals like horses, fishes, and birds.
(iii) What is personified in this extract ? What is the purpose?
Answer: In this extract, the welkin, or sky, is personified when it is said that “The welkin weeps to hear his screech.” The sky is given the human action of weeping. The purpose of this personification is to create an intended comic effect and contribute to the comic structure of the poem by humorously exaggerating the extreme and widespread negative impact of Bhisma’s singing.
(iv) In what way are you affected when you read about the fate of humans, animals and even non-living things impacted by unpleasant voice of the singer?
Answer: When reading about the fate of humans, animals, and even non-living things impacted by the singer’s unpleasant voice, one is affected with amusement. The poem is primarily written to amuse, and the exaggerated, hyperbolic, and fantastical situations, such as the sky weeping or mansions tumbling, are designed to make the reader laugh.
(v) Who ultimately stops Bhisma from singing and how?
Answer: Ultimately, a billy goat, described as a most sagacious or wise fellow, stops Bhisma from singing. The goat stops him by downing its horns and charging straight at Bhisma, hitting him. The strains of Bhisma’s song are then tossed and whirled by this blast of brutal violence, and the singer is tossed up in the air by the violent blow of the goat’s horns, thus putting an end to his singing.
PASSAGE-6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
(Board’s Practice Question)
He downs his horns and charges straight, with
bellow answ’ring bellow.
The strains of song are tossed and whirled by
blast of brutal violence,
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden
gift of silence.
(i) In which season would one hear Bhisma Lochan Sharma singing? Where would one hear his voice?
Answer: One would hear Bhisma Lochan Sharma singing when summer comes. His voice, or strain, could be caught on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma, meaning his voice resounded in the hills and valleys across this vast region.
(ii) Give one reason to conclude that Bhisma was passionate about singing. How did people react when they heard his song?
Answer: One reason to conclude that Bhisma was passionate about singing is that he sang as though he had staked his life on it and as though he was hell-bent, continuing to sing as if he had bet his life on his singing. When people heard his song, they were dazed and retired amazed, though they knew it was well-meant. They were trampled in the panic rout or would languish pale and sickly, and they pleaded with him to stop his singing quickly.
(iii) How did animals react when they heard Bhisma Lochan Sharma ?
Answer: Animals reacted strongly to Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing. Horses would line the roadside, resent the blare, whine, stare with their feet in the air, and wonder quite confounded. Fishes dived below the lake in a frantic search for silence. The feathered fly, or birds, would turn turtle while they were winging.
(iv) After reading the poem, give any three characteristic features that you can associate with Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
Answer: Three characteristic features that can be associated with Bhisma Lochan Sharma are: firstly, he is stubborn and hell-bent on singing; secondly, he is a very loud and discordant singer whose voice is irritating; and thirdly, he is unconcerned and oblivious to the chaos and distress his singing causes, not bothering about any complaints or requests.
(v) How did the world get the golden gift of silence ? Mention two ways in which music helps a person.
Answer: The world got the golden gift of silence when a wise billy goat downed its horns and charged straight at Bhisma Lochan Sharma. The goat’s bellow answered Bhisma’s, and the strains of Bhisma’s song were tossed and whirled by the blast of brutal violence from the goat, thus ending his singing.
Two ways in which good music helps a person are that it touches hearts and it can be divine, like a gift of gods, implying it can be emotionally moving and spiritually uplifting or inspiring.
Morning Star workbook answers/solutions
Multiiple Choice Questions II
1. You catch his strain on hill and plain… What is referred to as ‘his strain”?
A. The people like Bhisma
B. The singers like Bhisma
C. Bhisma Lochan’s singing
D. None of the above
Answer: C. Bhisma Lochan’s singing
2. What is the genre of the poem, “The Power of Music”?
A. Ballad
B. Sonnet
C. Elegy
D. Nonsense Verse
Answer: D. Nonsense Verse
3. What kind of person was Bhisma Lochan Sharma?
A. Determined
B. Stubborn
C. Gentle
D. All of the above
Answer: B. Stubborn
4. Which of the following did NOT happen when people heard Bhisma Lochan singing?
A. They got trampled
B. They became pale and sick
C. They were able to make him stop singing
D. They got confused
Answer: C. They were able to make him stop singing
5. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?
‘The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses line the roadside.’
A. Alliteration
B. Simile
C. Assonance
D. Hyperbole
Answer: D. Hyperbole
6. Who are referred to as the ‘wretched brutes’?
A. The horses
B. The fishes
C. The bulls
D. None of the above
Answer: A. The horses
7. What happens to the wretched brutes on hearing Bhisma Lochan’s singing?
A. They raise their feet in the air
B. They cry out in pain
C. They wonder what is happening
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
8. What happens to birds on hearing Bhisma Lochan’s loud singing?
A. They lose control over their wings
B. They start chirping loudly
C. They stop flying forever
D. None of the above
Answer: A. They lose control over their wings
9. The billy goat has been compared to which of the following?
A. A trained musician
B. Bhisma Lochan
C. A wise man
D. None of the above
Answer: B. Bhisma Lochan
10. Which of the following grants the golden gift of silence to the world?
A. The wise man
B. The goat
C. Bhisma Lochan
D. None of the above
Answer: B. The goat
11. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in Sukumar Ray’s, “The welkin weeps to hear his screech…”?
A. I learnt upon a coppice gate, When Frost was spectre-grey.
B. …..life is too much like a pathless wood, Where our face burns and tickles with cobwebs.
C. We circle well-worn grooves of water on a single note.
D. To know I’m farther off from heaven than when I was a boy!
Answer: A. I learnt upon a coppice gate, When Frost was spectre-grey.
Context questions and answers
Extract 1
When summer comes, we hear the hums
Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi
down to Burma
He sings as though he’s staked his life, he sings
as though he’s hell-bent;
The people, dazed, retire amazed although they
know it’s well-meant.
(i) Who is Bhisma Lochan Sharma? How is his singing?
Answer: Bhisma Lochan Sharma is a singer whose powerful singing can be heard from Delhi to Burma. His singing is intense and passionate, as if he is singing with all his energy and determination.
(ii) Why does the speaker say that ‘his strain’ can be heard ‘on hill and plain from Delhi down to Burma’?
Answer: The speaker exaggerates to highlight the wide-reaching and overwhelming nature of Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing, implying that his loud voice can be heard across a vast distance.
(iii) What does the speaker say about Bhisma Lochan’s continuous singing?
Answer: The speaker suggests that Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing is relentless and forceful, and though people find it overwhelming and confusing, they understand that his intentions are good.
(iv) Although the people get confused on hearing Bhisma Lochan’s singing, what do they think about him? What does it suggest about him?
Answer: Although the people are confused by his singing, they believe it is well-meant. This suggests that Bhisma Lochan Sharma is sincere and committed to his art, even if his style is hard for others to appreciate.
(v) Explain briefly the genre of this poem. State the figure of speech used to attain the characteristics of this genre.
Answer: The genre of this poem is satire. The poet uses exaggeration (hyperbole) to comically describe the overwhelming effect of Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing on people and nature, enhancing the satirical tone.
Extract 2
They’re trampled in the panic rout or languish
pale and sickly,
And plead, ‘My friend, we’re near our end, oh
stop your singing quickly!’
The bullock-carts are overturned, and horses
line the roadside;
(i) Who are ‘They’ referred to in the first line of the extract? What happens to them?
Answer: ‘They’ refers to the animals and people who are affected by Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing. They are either trampled in the chaos or become weak and sick.
(ii) To whom do they plead and why?
Answer: They plead to Bhisma Lochan Sharma, begging him to stop singing because his voice is causing them distress and physical discomfort.
(iii) What is the effect of their pleading? What does it suggest about the man whom they plead for?
Answer: Despite their pleas, Bhisma Lochan continues to sing, suggesting that he is either unaware or indifferent to the discomfort he is causing others.
(iv) What is the effect of his singing on animals and birds?
Answer: Bhisma Lochan’s singing causes animals to panic, and some even collapse in fear or confusion. His singing has a disruptive and distressing effect on them.
(v) Which poetic device is used by the poet in this extract? Why? Does he achieve his objective? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: The poet uses hyperbole in this extract, exaggerating the effects of Bhisma Lochan’s singing to create a humorous and satirical tone. The objective of highlighting the absurdity of the situation is achieved through these exaggerated descriptions.
Extract 3
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, goes
booming out his broadside.
The wretched brutes resent the blare the hour
they hear it sounded,
They whine and stare with feet in air or wonder
quite confounded.
The fishes dived below the lake in frantic search
for silence,
The very trees collapse and shake – you hear the
crash a mile hence –
And in the sky the feathered fly turn turtle while
they’re winging.
(i) What was Bhisma Lochan unconcerned about? What is meant by ‘he goes booming out his broadside’?
Answer: Bhisma Lochan is unconcerned about the chaos and confusion his singing causes. The phrase ‘he goes booming out his broadside’ means that he continues to sing loudly and forcefully, as if launching a powerful attack.
(ii) Who were the ‘wretched brutes’? Why did they behave abnormally?
Answer: The ‘wretched brutes’ refer to animals, including horses and other creatures, that behave abnormally because they are distressed by the loud and overwhelming sound of Bhisma Lochan’s singing.
(iii) State the three activities done by the wretched brutes on hearing Bhisma Lochan’s singing?
Answer: The wretched brutes whine, stare in confusion, and collapse or flail their legs in the air, overwhelmed by the sound.
(iv) How are the fishes and the trees affected by Bhisma Lochan’s singing?
Answer: The fishes dive frantically in search of silence, while the trees collapse and shake, causing a loud crash.
(v) What happens to the birds in the sky? Do you agree with the speaker of the poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: The birds turn upside down (turn turtle) while flying, unable to maintain their flight due to the overwhelming noise. Whether one agrees with the speaker depends on interpreting the poem as satire—if so, the exaggerated descriptions are meant to be humorous rather than taken literally.
Extract 4
The welkin weeps to hear his screech, and mighty
mansions tumble.
But now there comes a billy goat, a most
sagacious fellow,
He downs his horns and charges straight, with
bellow answ’ring bellow.
The strains of song are tossed and whirled by
blast of brutal violence,
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden
gift of silence.
(i) Who ‘weeps’ in this extract and why? Which figure of speech is used in ‘the welkin weeps’?
Answer: The ‘welkin,’ meaning the sky, weeps because of Bhisma Lochan’s screeching. The figure of speech used is personification, attributing human emotions to the sky.
(ii) What happens to ‘mighty mansions’? Which natural object met the same fate as mansions earlier in the poem?
Answer: The ‘mighty mansions’ tumble due to the force of Bhisma’s singing. Earlier in the poem, the trees met a similar fate, collapsing under the impact of his voice.
(iii) Why is the billy goat described as ‘a most sagacious fellow’?
Answer: The billy goat is described as ‘a most sagacious fellow’ because it intelligently takes action to stop Bhisma Lochan’s singing by charging at him.
(iv) What does the billy goat do which many others could not? How?
Answer: The billy goat successfully silences Bhisma Lochan by physically charging at him, which many others were unable to do despite their pleas and suffering.
(v) Which figure of speech is used in the last line of the extract? What is the significance of this line? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: The figure of speech in the last line is metaphor. The ‘golden gift of silence’ refers to the relief everyone feels when Bhisma Lochan finally stops singing. The line emphasizes the value of peace and quiet after the chaos caused by his relentless singing.
Extras/additional
Questions and answers
Extract 1
When summer comes we hear the hums
Bhisma Lochan Sharma.
You catch his strain on hill and plain from Delhi
down to Burma.
He sings as though he’s staked his life he sings
as though he’s hell-bent;
The people dazed retire amazed although they
know it’s well-meant.
(i) What effect does Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing have on people?
Answer: People are left dazed and amazed by his singing, even though they understand his intentions are good.
(ii) How is the geographical scope of Bhisma’s singing described?
Answer: His singing can be heard across a vast area, from Delhi down to Burma, indicating its far-reaching nature.
(iii) How does Bhisma’s passion for singing manifest?
Answer: Bhisma sings as though his life depends on it, showing his intense commitment and determination.
(iv) What do people think of Bhisma’s singing, despite its intensity?
Answer: While they recognize that his intentions are well-meaning, they still find his singing overwhelming.
(v) What is implied about the energy and persistence of Bhisma’s singing?
Answer: His singing is portrayed as relentless, as he continues even in the face of the astonishment and confusion of the people.
Extract 5
But now there comes a billy goat a most
sagacious fellow
He downs his horns and charges straight with
bellow answ’ring bellow.
The strains of song are tossed and whirled by
blast of brutal violence
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world the golden
gift of silence.
(i) What role does the billy goat play in the poem?
Answer: The billy goat, described as wise, charges at Bhisma with force, ultimately putting an end to his singing.
(ii) How does the billy goat’s arrival change the situation?
Answer: The billy goat’s charge disrupts Bhisma’s singing, finally bringing the chaotic situation to a halt.
(iii) What is the significance of “bellow answ’ring bellow”?
Answer: It suggests that the billy goat’s bellow competes with Bhisma’s singing in intensity, matching his forceful sound with an equally loud response.
(iv) What happens to Bhisma’s song as a result of the goat’s actions?
Answer: The goat’s violent charge scatters the song’s strains, silencing Bhisma’s relentless singing.
(v) How is the end of the singing described?
Answer: Bhisma’s silence is described as a “golden gift,” highlighting the relief and peace that comes with the cessation of his overwhelming noise.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Where does the poet say Bhisma Lochan Sharma’s singing spreads in summer?
A. Across villages B. From Lanka to China C. From Delhi to Burma D. Across all of India
Answer: C. From Delhi to Burma
20. The tone of the poem can best be described as _______.
A. Angry B. Sad C. Humorous D. Boring
Answer: C. Humorous
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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