Practice 1 2.

The theme may not be exactly about

hardship as implied by the title. What is
IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP the theme related to?

1. Why were their clothes ‘soaky’? ………………………………………………………

………………………….
………………………………………………………
……………………………. ………………………………………………………
…………………………
………………………………………………………
……………………………. 3. What does the phrase ‘albino buffalo’
reveal?
2. Write down the line in the poem which
reveals that this incident took place in a ………………………………………………………
village? …………………………

……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
…………………………… …………………………

……………………………………………………… 4. What moral value did you learn from the

…………………………… poem? Explain.

3. What does the phrase “bloated ………………………………………………………

carcasses” refer to? …………………………

……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
…………………………… …………………………

4. In your opinion, what kind of attitude do the Practice 3:

last two lines imply? Explain.
He Had Such Quiet Eyes (Stanzas 1 and 2)
………………………………………………………
…………………………… 1. What does the phrase ‘two pools of lies’
refer to?
………………………………………………………
…………………………… ………………………………………………………
………………….
Practice 2:
2. Which lines show that the man is saying
IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP (stanzas 1 and “I love you, and if you love me, prove it!”
2)
………………………………………………………
1. Write down the line which shows that ………………….
they have been out for long hours?
………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ………………….
………………………….
3. Which stanza shows that there is a
sense of regret?

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……………………………………………………… 1. Who is the persona in the poem?
…………………
………………………………………………………
4. What do you understand by the phrase ………………….
“the hows and whys”?
2. Write one line from the poem that depicts
……………………………………………………… that people are jobless.
………………….
………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ………………….
………………….
3. Provide three phrases that depict the
Practice 4: message of cruel realities of a nation in
uncertainty of its future.
He Had Such Quiet Eyes
……………………………………………………
1.What does the phrase ‘thinnest ice’ imply? ………………………….
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………
……………………. ………………………….
……………………………………………………… 4.In your own words describe why the poet
……………………. used the word “sick” to describe the rice fields.
2.In this poem, the poet talks about the betrayal ………………………………………………………
of a young girl’s feelings for a man. She ………………………….
believes in his sincerity to her as he had
pleaded to her to surrender to him. Write the ………………………………………………………
two lines depicting this. ……………………….
……………………………………………………… Practice 6:
…………………….
Are You Still Playing Your Flute? (Stanzas 1
………………………………………………………
……………………. and 2)

3.What is the main theme in this poem? 1. What did the persona mean when she said
‘deserted’?
………………………………………………………
……………………… ……………………………………………………
…………………….
4.What did you learn from this poem? Explain.
2. Why is the persona feeling guilty?
………………………………………………………
……………………… ……………………………………………………
……………………
………………………………………………………
……………………… ……………………………………………………
……………………
Practice 5:

Are You Still Playing Your Flute?

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3. Why is the question “Are you still playing ………………………………………………………
your flute’ repeated as the starting line of all the ………………………..
stanzas?
………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………… ……………………….
……………………
Practice 8:
4.In your opinion, is this a romantic poem?
Provide reasons for your answer. Nature by H.D Carberry
……………………………………………………… 1. Why do you think H.D.Carberry wrote
……………………. the poem?
……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
………………… ……………………………
Practice 7: 2. List three words related to nature.

Nature by H.D Carberry ………………………………………………………

……………………………
1. In your words describe the weather as
depicted in the poem. 3. Which line in the poem ‘Nature’ suggests
the sense of smell?
………………………………………………………
……………………. ………………………………………………………
……………………………
………………………………………………………
……………………. 4. Based on your knowledge of the poem
‘Nature’, describe a theme in the poem.
2. State one moral value that you have learnt
from the poem. ………………………………………………………
……………………………
………………………………………………………
…………………….. ………………………………………………………
……………………………
3. Note that the poem ends with the line “and
beauty comes suddenly and the rains have Nature
gone”. Describe how this bears a resemblance
in our life. a. “What seasons did the poet say that
they did not have?”
………………………………………………………
……………………… ______________________________________
____________________________
………………………………………………………
……………………… b. List out the verbs found in the poem
‘Nature’.
4. In the opening lines of the poem, the poet
describes the things that are absent. In your ______________________________________
opinion, what is the poet trying to convey? ____________________________

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______________________________________ ………………………………………………………
____________________________ ………………………………………………………
……
c. List words that describe the following in
the poem. ………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………
i) sunny days ……

______________________________________ ‘He had such Quiet Eyes’:

______________________
a. The phrase “two pools of lies’ is a
ii) rainy days metaphor. What does it refer to?

______________________________________ ………………………………………………………
______________________ ………………………………………………

d. Do you agree that the sunny days are b. Write down two words or phrases from
“the best days” as compared to rainy days? the poem that describe the eyes.
Explain why or why not?
i)
______________________________________ ………………………………………………………
____________________________ ………………………………………………

______________________________________ ii)
__________________________ ………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
In the Midst of Hardship’:
c. Describe in your own words how the girl
a. What does the word dawn mean? is being deceived by the eyes.
……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
……………………………………………… ………………………………………………………
……
b. Write down two phrases from the poem
that indicate injury.

1. ………………………………………………
………………………………………………
………

1. ………………………………………………
………………………………………………
………

c. Describe their feelings when they

reached home. Provide a reason to support
your answer.

……………………………………………………… ANSWERS.
………………………………………………………
Poem
……

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In The Midst Of Hardship
Practice 1
1. They were wet
2. desperately looking for their son’s
albino buffalo that was never found
3. animals killed as they drowned in the
flood water.
4. Optimistic,- they were making jokes not
crying or show signs of despair.
Practice 2
1. The whole day and night just passed
2. Facing hardship with optimism
3. They are in the village as people in the
town will not rear buffaloes.
4. Despite the hardship, we must remain
resilient and strong. Often, the difficult
time is not a permanent one.
He Had Such Quiet Eyes
Practice 3
1. The eyes are compared to deceit.
2. Imploring her to be nice
And to render him paradise.
3. Stanza 2
4. The hows and whys is compared to a
situation where one gets hurt emotionally
and tries to solve the problem.
Practice 4
1. dangerous
2. To her, those quiet eyes
Were breathing desolate sighs
Imploring her to be nice
3. Deceit
4. We sometimes encounter people who
have ill intentions towards us. We should
take precaution against them.
Are You Still Playing Your Flute?
Practice 5
1. a very perceptive and reflective woman.
2. my younger brothers unemployed and
desperate
3. my people disunited by politics
my friend slaughtered mercilessly
this world is too old and bleeding.
4.Perhaps the yield is not rewarding/ the
harvest is destroyed due to bad weather.
Practice 6
1. the villagers have left/migrated.
2. Feeling guilty as she is enjoying the
music when the nation is plagued with
problems
3. This is to stress on the activity as
something that should not be done when
the nation is facing so much trouble.
4. No, it is not a romantic poem. It is poem
that shows the irony between a leisure
activity and problems faced by the nation
at the same time.
Nature
Practice 7
1. The poem highlights the appealing
climate conditions on the island of
Jamaica.
2. We must appreciate the beauty of
nature.
3. This is a big resemblance to our life, as it
has been our experience that after bad
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 times, good times will follow and
sometimes ever so abruptly.
Answer to Sample question for the poem
4. It is to highlight the pleasant climate on ‘He had such Quiet Eyes’:
the island. It has no extreme weather
conditions. 1. the eyes that are deceiving
2. i)quiet
Practice 8
ii) the desolate sighs
1. He wants to celebrate the richness of the
land’s produce and how alive and c. the man eyes is very deceiving, deep, calm
plentiful Nature is. but dangerous, just like a pool in winter. It may
2. b. gold sun, rain, trees. look inviting and peaceful to see a still lake, but
when you try to walk on the thin ice, it will break
3. The line, “When the bushes are full of and you will drown in the icy cold water.
the sound of bees and the scent of
honey”
4. Appreciating one’s country-Life in one’s
country has its share of ups and downs
but one must always look at the brighter
side of life. In this poem, the poet
stresses on his country’s weather being
sunny, rainy and windy. The poet states
that we must appreciate what we have.

Nature
1. summer, winter, spring and autumn.
2. rain – beat, trees – struggle, reaped
canefields – lie, tall grass – sways /
shiver, buttercups – pave
3. i) gold sun shines

ii) rain beats like bullets on the roof

1. any logical answer.

Answers to Sample question for the poem

‘In the Midst of Hardship’:

1. Sun rise / early in the morning

2. i.Marked by scratches

iifull of wounds

3. Not sad because they do not show any

sign of sadness and continue with their
normal routine and joke.
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