Class XII - Indigo

 

Landscape of the Soul

The Landscape of Souls

(Extra Questions)

Q. What happened to the painter as he entered the cave?

Q. Why, do you think, China’s classical education included stories having deep spiritual significance?

Q. How does the Chinese story present the powers and limitations of Emperor and the painter?

Q. ‘‘Let me show the way’’, said Wu Daozi. Explain how the author interprets the word ‘way’.

Q. Explain the concept of Shanshui? How does it express the concept of landscape?

Q. Who was Quintine Metsys? How did he become a famous painter of his age?

Q. Give three points of contrast between a classical Chinese landscape and a Western One.

Q. How would you classify ‘art’ on the basis of your reading the chapter ‘Landscape of the Soul’?

Q. Who was the untutored genius of art? What is the nature of his contribution?

Q. What is the unique feature of the horizontal scroll? How can it be appreciated?

Q. What is the third element, represents by the ‘Middle Void’ in Chinese landscape?

Q. What does the wonderful expression ‘the eye of the landscape’, as suggested by Francois Cheng, mean? 

Notebook Assignment: Attempt all questions given at the end of the lesson

Holiday Homework - Summer Vacation

Summer is synonymous with fun, fiestas and far-off places to explore! As you enjoy yourself, make summer time more productive with the following guidelines:

• Help your parents/grandparents/guardians with daily chores around the house and spend quality time with them.
• Reflect on what has been, and, what lies ahead. Begin a diary this summer or add a new entry to your existing diary listing down your personal goals.
• Ask yourself where you want to be twenty years down the line and do a fish bone analysis to identify the milestones which will help you achieve that dream.
• Spread newspaper sheets on your balcony/verandah and keep a bowl of water / grains out for the birds every day.
• Learn to write a cheque this summer and ask your parents about different types of bank accounts – savings, current, recurring, fixed deposit etc.
• Ask your helpers if they have children younger than you whom you can teach basic Arithmetic, English and Hindi.
• Learn to cook at least one new dish this summer
• Return and share your experiences with your peers.

A)    The following lessons have been covered in class before the summer vacation. Kindly ensure that the notebook work is complete as indicated below:

            Poem 01: A Photograph

(Vocabulary, poetic devices, summary and homework assigned on May 22, 2019 - i.e. Q1-7 on pg. 12 of your textbook)

CH01: The Portrait of a Lady

(Homework assigned on May 22, 2019-05-30 i.e.

Q.1. Why is the story titled 'The Portrait of a Lady'?

Q.2. How was the village school different from the city school?

Q.3. When did the common link of friendship between the grandmother and grandson snap and what was the turning point in their relationship?

Q.4. Do you think the grandmother was lonely? Justify your stance with evidences from the lesson.

Q.5. Trace the changes in the author's relationship with his grandmother from their time in the village to the final chapter of her life.)

            CH02: We’re Not Afraid to Die

                        (From Pg. 18 of your textbook, attempt:

Q1 from ‘Understanding the text’, Q1 – 3 from ‘Talking about the text’)   

            Poem 02: The Laburnum Top

                        (Poetic devices, summary, homework: Pg. 32: Q1 to Q5 from ‘Think it Out’)

B)    RTC QUESTIONS FOR POETRY:

A Photograph

1)      Some twenty – thirty years later... ease of loss

a.       When did the poetess first see the photograph?

b.      Who were Betty and Dolly?

c.       Which two pasts have been mentioned in these lines?

d.      Why are these memories ‘wry with the laboured ease of loss’?

2)      Now she’s been... silence silences

a.       Who is the ‘she’ in the above lines?

b.      How many years have gone by since ‘she’ has been dead?

c.       Why is the poetess left silent when thinking of this circumstance?

Laburnum Top

1)      Till the goldfinch comes... identity mask

a.       How does the goldfinch’s arrival change the tree?

b.      What is meant by ‘the engine of her family’?

c.       Whom does the goldfinch represent?

2)      Then with eerie... subsides to empty

a.       How is the sound of the goldfinch different in these lines?

b.      Which types of imagery have been used in these lines? Quote the relevant words.

c.       The goldfinch flies off but the family is still in the nest. Then why do you think the poet use the word ‘empty’ rather than ‘silent’?

C)    GRAMMAR: Attempt the following grammar tasks in your notebook. You need not copy the questions. Write only the answer number and the correct answers. Use the heading ‘Holiday Homework’ in the index:

Omission:                                                                   Before             Missing                Next

Back in the 16^th century, children baptised,               a) ________  ________          ________

that is, they were blessed given their Christian          b) ________  ________          ________

names church, three days after birth. According        c) ________  ________          ________

to historical records his baptism, Shakespeare’s         d) ________  ________          ________

birthday is assumed by us be April 23, 1564 in          e) ________  ________          ________

Stratford-on-Avon. Stratford is town in England      f) ________  ________          ________

situated on bank of the river Avon. This is why         g) ________  ________          ________

Shakespeare is often called the Bard Avon                h) ________  ________          ________

The word bard means a poet – but Shakespeare was a more!                                                                 i) ________  ________           ________

Editing:                                                                                  Incorrect        Correct

Shakespeare begin his journey as an actor,                 a)         __________    __________

turned through a poet and earned his true                  b)         __________    __________

reputation as a playwright. He living in the                c)         __________    __________

times of Queen Elizabeth or King James.                  d)         __________    __________

This period in history is described as a                       e)         __________    __________

golden age of English literature. His soon                  f)         __________    __________

became the world’s more pre-eminent                       g)         __________    __________

dramatist and some of the many prolific                       h)         __________    __________

writer of his times. Even today, he remains                i)          __________    __________

the writer most rarely translated into other                 j)          __________    __________

languages.

Reordering of jumbled words into a meaningful sentence:

a)      penned / long poems / miscellaneous / has / Shakespeare / 38 plays, / and some other / down / 154 sonnets, two / work

b)     ‘Lord Chamberlain’s Men’ and / group / to ‘The King’s Men / were called / were later / Shakespeare and his / renamed

c)      his fellow actors / Globe Theatre / their plays / Shakespeare and / built / the / to showcase

d)     gem / 52^nd birthday / on 23^rd April 1616, / his / lost this / the world 

e)      remains! / curse anyone / gravestone / famous: / even the words / have become / who dares to / on his / I / disturb my

Gap-filling:

a) _________ father John was a glove-maker and a hatter. His mother Mary b) _______ a landowner’s daughter. They c) _______ eight children of d) _______ Shakespeare was the third. Here’s what’s strange - Shakespeare e) ________ to a local grammar school and received only basic education. f) _______, he polished his skills with constant and thorough practice. Students, the g) _______ time you pick up a pen to create something beautiful - a poem or story, remember that practice h) _______ perfect!

a) i) Shakespeare         ii) Shakespeares’         iii) Shakespeare’s        iv) Shakespearean

b) i) is                          ii) had been                 iii) being                      iv) was

c) i) were                     ii) had                          iii) were having           iv) had been

d) i) which                   ii) who                         iii) whose                     iv) whom

e) i) was going             ii) went                        iii) go                           iv) had gone

f) i) Furthermore         ii) However                 iii) Moreover               iv) Consequently

g) i) other                    ii) another                    iii) only                        iv) next

h) i) is making             ii) makes                      iii) will make               iv) can make

An Introduction

Dear students

This blog has been created to enable students to revise the Literature Curriculum of English Core, CBSE. Since it was conceptualized with a particular school in mind, some posts may not be directly relevant to you. Search for the chapter's name in the list on the right and you'll find the requisite material for revision. 

Wish you good luck as you embark upon this journey :)

Geetanjali ma'am 

Chapter Wise Values for Literature

Following are the values my students have identified for the first six chapters and a sample value-based answer. 
Once you have gone through them, go ahead and find values taught by the other chapters 
and challenge yourself to answer questions about them. 
GOOD LUCK!!

1) The Portrait of a Lady

                1.1) Grandmother: piety, devotion, affection, love, kindness, benevolence, acceptance, sensitivity to animals

                1.2) Chapter: respect for elders and all values mentioned above

2) We’re not afraid to die

                2.1) Narrator: courage, diligence, resourcefulness, initiative, spontaneity

                2.2) Children: optimism, support, love, affection, understanding, empathy, tolerance

                2.3) Mary and the crew: diligence, team spirit, diligence, courage, unity

3) Discovering Tut

                3.1) Chapter: sensitivity to heritage, cultural preservation, respect for antiquity, spirit of curiosity

4) Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

                4.1) Boys: freedom, innocence, sensitivity to animals, curiosity, wonder, passion

                4.2) Garoghlanian Tribe: honesty, truth, integrity, pride, morality

                4.3) John Byro: simplicity, understanding, tolerance, forgiveness

5) The Address

                5.1) Chapter: empathy, understanding, tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, unity, humanity

6) Ranga’s Marriage

                6.1) Ranga: progressiveness, traditionalism, respect for heritage, respect for elders

                6.2) Narrator: affection, traditionalism, intelligence, strategic acumen, subtlety

Sample value based question (solved)

Q.1. Discuss the effect of war on the lives of civilians with reference to the instances and values

in the chapter ‘The Address’?                                                                                    (3m/4m/6m)

Ans .1. War leads to loss of life, property, sense of identity and peace. This has been aptly implied in books like ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ as well as the chapter ‘The Address’ by Marga Minco.

The narrator of the story was the survivor of a war. Simple things such as the view from her window, the colour of the bread and a safe bed seemed like gifts after the atrocities of war.

Rejection and disappointment met her attempt to reclaim her mother’s belongings. Eventually, she realized that the items seemed unfamiliar in new surroundings, unsuitable to her new life and were a part of an innocent young girl’s childhood. Among all the atrocities of war the narrator had to forget, it seemed easiest to leave behind the painful memories of a connection that no longer existed.

This foray onto the path to recovery, the narrator demonstrated the values of empathy, understanding, tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, unity and humanity.