CBSE Class 12 English: An Elementary School in a Slum NCERT Solutions

Solution:

(a) These children are likely sitting in a classroom located within a slum. The phrase 'far far from gusty waves' suggests their environment is distant from the natural, vibrant world, implying a deprived setting.

(b) The children's faces appear pale and lack vitality. Their hair is unkempt and messy, described as being 'torn around their pallor', resembling 'rootless weeds' that are wild and uncared for.

(c) The tall girl's head is 'weighed down' not by physical weight, but by the immense emotional and existential burdens she carries. This suggests she is overwhelmed by the hardships, poverty, and despair of her life, feeling depressed and exhausted.

(d) The description 'The paper-seeming boy, with rat eyes' paints a picture of extreme emaciation and hunger. 'Paper-seeming' implies he is thin and frail, almost transparent, while 'rat eyes' suggests a look of fear, alertness, and perhaps a constant state of hunger and scavenging, typical of a creature living in dire conditions.

Solution:

(a) The 'unlucky heir' refers to a boy who is physically underdeveloped ('stunted') and suffers from the consequences of his family's misfortune. He is destined to inherit the physical ailments and possibly the poverty of his father, symbolized by 'twisted bones' and 'a father's gnarled disease'.

(b) The stunted boy is reciting his lesson from his desk. The phrase 'reciting a father's gnarled disease' suggests he is perhaps learning about or listing the symptoms and progression of a hereditary illness that affects his father, highlighting the cycle of sickness and suffering.

(c) At the back of the dim classroom sits a student who is described as 'unnoted, sweet and young'. He is unnoticed by others, perhaps lost in his own thoughts or simply overlooked in the bleak environment.

(d) The boy's eyes 'live in a dream' because he longs for a life beyond the confines of the dismal classroom and slum. He dreams of the simple joys and freedom of nature, specifically mentioning the playful 'game' of a squirrel and the imaginative 'tree room', representing a world of innocence and natural beauty far removed from his current reality.

Solution:

(a) The classroom walls are painted a 'sour cream' colour, which is an off-white shade. This colour suggests neglect, decay, and a pathetic condition, reflecting the overall dismal state of the slum school and the lives of the children within it.

(b) Despite the poor condition of the walls, they are adorned with pictures that represent a different, more privileged world. These include a picture of Shakespeare (symbolizing culture and intellect), images of cities with 'cloudless at dawn' domes (representing progress and beauty), a 'flowery, Tyrolese valley' (evoking natural beauty and prosperity), and a world map.

(c) The poet contrasts two worlds: the world of the slum children, characterized by poverty, malnutrition, misery, and stunted growth, with the world of the rich and powerful. This latter world is represented by the idealized images on the walls – Shakespeare, beautiful landscapes, and the world map – which symbolize progress, prosperity, and opportunities far removed from the children's reality. The contrast is stark, highlighting the injustice and inequality in society.

(d) (i) 'Open-handed map' suggests a map that is presented generously, but in the context of the poem, it implies a map that is drawn and divided by powerful people or dictators according to their own will and desires, not necessarily reflecting reality or opportunity for all.

(ii) 'Awarding the world its world' refers to how conquerors, colonizers, or powerful nations divide and distribute territories or influence ('award the world') according to their own interests and perspectives ('its world'). It signifies a world controlled and defined by the powerful, excluding the marginalized.

Solution:

(a) The 'children' referred to here are the students attending the elementary school in the slum, whose lives and environment are the central focus of the poem.

(b) Their world is extremely limited and confined. It is primarily defined by the view from their classroom window, which looks out onto a 'narrow street sealed ip with a lead sky'. This signifies their restricted existence, trapped within the bleakness of the slum, far from the natural elements like 'rivers, capes, and stars of words' (representing knowledge and broader horizons).

(c) Their life is starkly different from that of other children because they lack basic necessities and freedom. While other children might enjoy opportunities for education, play, and a hopeful future, these slum children are deprived of food, clothing, shelter, and crucially, the freedom to experience the wider world. Their lives are characterized by despair and despondency.

(d) The future of these children is depicted as uncertain and bleak. It is 'painted with a fog', metaphorically suggesting a lack of clarity, hope, and opportunity. Their lives are likely to remain confined to the cycle of poverty and deprivation they are born into, with little chance for upward mobility or a brighter existence.