THE GRASS IS REALLY LIKE ME- FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH NOTES- CLASS 09 - KSEEB

Poem -1

THE GRASS IS REALLY LIKE ME

Kishwar Naheed

Comprehension

C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following questions after discussing your response in pairs or in groups.

1) What does the poet mean by the phrase, “raise its head?”

Ans: This phrase represents that women raise their voice for liberty like the grass unfurl underfoot to fulfill itself.

2) Explain the phrase “unfurl underfoot to fulfill itself”?

Ans: This phrase represents the growth of grass to fulfill itself.

3) Refer to lines four and five. Are they contrasting? Which one do you think is the poet referring to?

Ans: Yes, they are contrasting and poet refers to line four the sagacity of humiliation in unbearable, but her incapability to strike backs her to silent. Then within her heart must be scorching with sentiments for impartiality and raise her head.

4) The poet is associating herself with the grass. Why? When she says “me” is she referring to just herself or the entire womenfolk?

Ans: When she says “me” is she referring to just herself or the entire womenfolk, the poet is associating herself with the grass because women condition is equal to grass.

5) Do you think the “lawnmowers” are the same in the case of the grass and the poet?

Ans: The poetess views towards the grass and women were same. In the men dominating society women were repressed if they try to raise their head, similarly lawnmowers cut down grass if it grows up.

6) Pick out the line from which the poet shifts the attention from “grass” to “woman”. Who is the “you” in line 11?

Ans: “How you strive and endeavor to level woman down too! These above lines from which the poet shifts the attention from “grass” to “woman”.

7) What does the phrase “scorching defeat” refer to? What does the poet mean by the words “grafted on to the earth?”

Ans: Agonizing fiery outcome of the bravery shown by the women in the phrase “scorching defeat”. The words “grafted on to the earth” mean that the routed are crushed down as the grass.

8) What is the poet trying to tell us in lines 18 and 19?

Ans: Women who cannot take and overcome the abuse will be stuck at the bottom and never grow. Grass is not like that is keeps trying. That is how we all should act like the grass and keep trying that is why she is the grass she keeps trying.

9) “But neither the earth’s nor woman’s desire to manifest life dies” Explain the meaning of the above lines.

Ans: Earth continuously grafts grass to grow, as its desire is to make the sapling grow. When woman is oppressed in men dominated society but her efforts should not end to raise her head.

C2. Put the following lines in the table given below according to the figure of speech used in them:

1) The grass is also like me.

2) As soon as it can raise its head

The lawn mower

Obsessed with flattening it into velvet

Mows it down again.

3) But they are merely straw not grass.

4) Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.

5) Work is food for noble minds.

6) Man needs God as he needs water and oxygen.

Ans:

SIMILE