The Village Master – Oliver Goldsmith (Grade 9)

1. Where was the school located?

• The village school was the modest mansion of the village schoolmaster which was
fenced by a straggling fence and there was an overgrowth of grass.
2. How did the children react to the school master’s jokes?
• The children laughed with counterfeited glee which means that they pretended to enjoy
his jokes.
3. How could the children find the morning disaster?
• The children could easily predict the morning disaster just by looking at his expression.
4. schoolmaster was kind as well as severe.
5. Which of the following is not true of the village schoolmaster? he could write poems and
songs
6. What puzzled the villagers?
• The villagers could not understand how a small head could hold up such a large amount
of information and knowledge.
7. Why does Oliver Goldsmith say that the blossom’s furze was ‘unprofitably gay’?
• The poet wishes to say that the village school master’s garden was unkempt and ill-
maintained that the grass and flowers which grew there, were of no use.
C2:
1. What is the children’s view of the teacher?
• The children’s view of the teacher is that he was severe and stem. They however
respected him because he was kind and was dedicated to teaching them.
2. Why did the villagers respect the schoolmaster?
• The villagers respected the schoolmaster because he knew almost everything.
• He could read and write, solve sums, forecast the weather, survey the land, and was
skilled in debate.
• The villagers were in awe of his knowledge.
3. What impression does the poem give you of the
a. qualities and
b. abilities of the village schoolmaster?
a. Qualities: From the poem, we get the impression that the schoolmaster was a very stern
and severe man. His students were very much afraid of his temper and used to behave in
such a way as not to make him upset, His extreme love for his subject and teaching
made him stern and hence he would not tolerate truants.
b. Abilities: The village schoolmaster was a highly knowledgeable and versatile man. He
could write and decode, could measure land, tides, terms. He could argue his point so
well that even if he was defeated, he would continue his arguments in a thundering
voice with eloquent words.
4. Pick out the words that convey the different emotions of the poet.
• Gazing rustics, thundering, glee, strict, kind, and severe.
5. Describe the skills of the village schoolmaster which made the people wonder.
• The village schoolmaster was highly educated and extremely knowledgeable.
• He could write eloquently, decode messages, measure lands, terms, and could foretell
tides.
 • He also could skillfully argue using high sounding words and in thundering voice and
could continue to argue even if he lost the debate.
6. Gan you identify the mood of the speaker? How would you consider this poem- a serious one
or a humorous one? Justify your answer.
• The mood of the speaker is that of humour.
• He is making gentle fun of the schoolmaster but at the same time, he never uses a
derogatory tone.
• Though he makes fun of the teacher, he praises the teacher’s admirable qualities.
C3:
1. Would you consider the village schoolmaster as an ideal teacher in the present context?
• The village schoolmaster cannot be successful in the present day scenario because
society has changed so much now.
• There is a bombardment of information from all forms of media that the teacher’s role is
that of a facilitator.
• Nowadays the relationship between a teacher and a student is that of friends. Though the
basic respect is there, there is also familiarity between the two.
• The children won’t keep quiet if they know that the adult is giving wrong information.
2. What do you think are the abilities/qualities of the teacher whom you like most in your
school?
• The point can be used : Qualification, content knowledge,classroom
interaction,classroom teaching,class management, how interesting the teaching is