AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM IN A SLUM POEM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADE 12 As per the Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Summary, the poet saw the kids coming from different families living in the slum to study. They had bright eyes but were marred by malnutrition and poverty, just like their parents. They have the eyes to dream but not the platform to make them come true.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
BY STEPHEN SPENDER
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
seeming boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream
Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.
On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed map
Awarding the world its world. And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.
Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example.
With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal —
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night? On their slag heap, these children
Wear skins peeped through by bones and spectacles of steel
With mended glass, like bottle bits on stones.
All of their time and space are foggy slum.
So blot their maps with slums as big as doom.
Unless, governor, inspector, visitor,
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
Break O break open till they break the town
And show the children to green fields, and make their world
Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues
Run naked into books the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.
QUESTIONS
Refer to the poem on above and answer the questions below.
- Complete the following sentences by using the words provided in the list Write down only the words next to the question number (1 – 3).
good; primary; children; resources; high; poor The setting (background) of the poem is a (1) … school in a (2) … area. There are very few (3) … in the classroom. (3)
- Using your own words, describe the children in the classroom
State THREE points. (3)
NOTE: in this question use your own words. Do not quote directly from the poem. For 3 marks, give 3 points. - Refer to lines 6-8.
In your OWN words, say how this child is different from the rest of the children in his class. (1) - Refer to stanza
How does the speaker feel about the “donations”? Give a reason for your answer. (2)
Note: When you are asked to give a reason, the reason must be based on the poem. - Refer to line 15 (“A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky”).
5.1 Identify the figure of speech used (1)
5.2 Explain why the poet has used this figure of (2) - Refer to stanza
Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote TWO consecutive words to support your answer.
The children’s homes are large and comfortable. (2) - Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence: In stanza 4, the speaker’s tone shows that he is …
- commenting critically.
- pleading passionately.
- complaining bitterly.
- demanding forcefully. (1)
- Refer to stanza
Name ONE experience the speaker wishes the children to have. (1) - In your view, how does the speaker (poet) feel about the children? Using your OWN words, give TWO reasons for your (3) [19]
Note: When asked for your view, the answer requires your emotional response and understanding of the poem. For 3 marks, make 1 point about the speaker,s feeling (1 mark) and then give 2 reasons (2 marks).
ANSWERS
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