What message does Stephen Spender convey through the poem: ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’? [CBSE Delhi 2013]
Answer: The need is to free these children, liberate them and bring them into the mainstream by bringing meaningful changes to improve the standard of life and education in the slums. The poet deals with the theme of social injustice and class inequalities. There are two different worlds. Art, culture and literature have no relevance to the slum children. They live in dark, narrow, cramped holes and lanes. Unless the gap between the two worlds is abridged, there can’t be any real progress or development. The children will have to be made mentally and physically free to lead happy lives.
More Question-
- Gandhiji won the struggle for Champaran specifically because of his good leadership qualities. Write a paragraph on ‘Qualities of a good leader’
- ‘Dialogue and not violence can resolve situations of conflict and injustice.’ Prove the statement with reference to the lesson Indigo. [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]
- Though Rajkumar Shukla was an illiterate peasant; he was resolute and was able to bring a change in the lives of the people of Champaran
- Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor indigo farmers were exploited by the British landlords to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence
- How was the Champaran episode a big success? Elucidate
- Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran. [CBSE (AI) 2012]
- Which factors helped the fear-stricken peasants of Champaran to achieve freedom? [CBSE (F) 2010]
- Why did Gandhiji consider freedom from fear more important than legal justice for the poor peasants of Champaran? [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]
- Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the problem of the indigo farmers? [CBSE (AI) 2013]
- The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. Elucidate. [CBSE (AI) 2013]
- How will ‘keeping quiet’ protect our environment? [CBSE (AI) 2015]
- Why does one feel ‘a sudden strangeness’ on counting to twelve and keeping quiet? [CBSE (AI) 2015]
- ‘Life is what it is all about; . . .’ How is keeping quietly related to life? [CBSE (AI) 2015]
- What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve? [CBSE Delhi 2015]
- According to the poet, what is that human beings can learn from nature? [CBSE (AI) 2010]
- How can suspension of activities help? [CBSE (AI) 2012]
- What is ‘the fisherman’ symbolic of?
- When everything seems dead, what remains alive?
- What are the different kinds of wars mentioned in the poem? What is Neruda’s attitude towards these wars? [CBSE (AI) 2013]
- “Under the apparent stillness, there is life.” Justify this statement by giving an example from the poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’. [CBSE (F) 2010]
- How does M. Hamel prove to be an ideal teacher? [CBSE Sample Paper 2015]
- What does M. Hamel say about the French language? What did he urge his students and villagers to do?
- “We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.” Why did M. Hamel blame the parents and himself too for not showing due attention and care to the learning of French?