The Squirrel Poem: 7th CBSE Honeycomb English Ch 11

The Squirrel (Poem): NCERT 7th CBSE Honeycomb English Chapter 11

Question: Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail”? Draw a squirrel, or find a picture of a squirrel sitting on the ground. How would you describe its tail?

Answer: The poet said that the squirrel “wore a question mark for a tail” because its tail is twisted appearing like a question mark.

Question: Do we usually say that an animal ‘wears’ a tail? What do we say? (Think: Does an animal wear a coat? Consult a dictionary if you like, and find out how ‘wear’ is used in different ways.)

Answer: We usually say that an animal ‘has’ a set of given characteristics rather than saying ‘wear’. The poet, however, uses the word ‘wear’ to indicate the external characteristics of the squirrel.

The dictionary meaning of ‘wear’ suggests something of an outer covering, for instance clothes.

Question: “He liked to tease and play”. Who is teasing whom? How?

Answer: The poet liked to tease and play with the squirrel. Whenever the poet went a little close to the squirrel, the squirrel would run away in the other direction.

Question: What is being compared to a gray overcoat?

Answer: The squirrel’s body is being compared to a gray overcoat.

Question: Discuss the posture of the squirrel as discussed in line 3 of the poem.

Answer: The squirrel ‘sat up straight’ to eat a nut. Else, the squirrel usually sits and runs with a bended back.

Question: What did the squirrel do if someone came too close to his tree?

Answer: The squirrel would run away in the opposite direction if someone came too close to his tree.

Question: Having observed the squirrels around us, can we say that a squirrel is a fast paced animal?

Answer: Yes, based on our observation of the squirrels around us, we can say that a squirrel is a fast paced animal. We rarely come across squirrels sitting still, except when they are biting into the nuts. Usually we see the squirrels running from one place to another with great energy.

Question: What does the poem say about the poet’s choice of subject?

Answer: The poem is a reflection of the poet’s desire to compose poetry on most mundane elements that we come across in our day to day surrounding. A squirrel is the most commonly found animal that we see around us. Yet, very few of us would have thought of it as a potent subject matter for a writer’s pen. The poet very simplistically discusses the various aspects of the squirrel, which each one of us must have observed closely.

Direction: Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

“He liked to tease and play,
And if we ran around his tree,
He went the other way.”

Question: Give a synonym for ‘like’ in the context of the poem.

Answer: Relish

Question: Teasing is the poet’s way of …………………. with the squirrel.

Answer: playing

Question: Use the word, ‘run’ in a sentence of your own.

Answer: It is a joy to see children running in various directions while playing in the garden.

Question: Choose a befitting adjective to describe the nature of squirrel.

1. Playful
2. Scornful
3. Introvert
4. Jealous

Answer:

• 1. Playful

Question: Identify the ‘he’ in the first line.

1. The poet
2. The squirrel
3. The onlooker
4. The gardener

Answer:

• 1. The poet

The Squirrel (Poem) – Question: Who went the other way?

1. The poet
2. The squirrel
3. The onlooker
4. The gardener

The Squirrel (Poem) – Answer:

• 2. The squirrel