question_answer

  Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.                                                                           (1 x 3 = 3) "Alone she cuts and binds the grain, And sings a melancholy strain : OListen !for the vale profound Is overflowing with the sound. (i) Which poetic device is used in last two lines? (ii) What does 'melancholy strain' mean? (iii) Why does the poet feel that the song of the girl was sad? Or "Avva was a wonderful student. The amount of homework she did was amazing." (i) Who is "Awa"? (ii) How was "Awa" as a student?      (iii) What does "amazing" mean?

Answer:

  (i) The poetic device used is a metaphor because the valley is implicitly compared to a river overflowing asthe sound of the reaper's song resonates in the entire valley. (ii) The phrase 'melancholy strain' means a sad song and here it refers to the reaper's song. (iii) He feels so because the girl was alone working in the field and the tone of the song was sad. Or (i) "Awa" here refers to the grandmother, Krishtakka. (ii) "Awa" as a student was serious as she worked hard to complete her homework. (iii) The word means incredible.