The Farmer’s Wife question and answer for class 11. Notes of the poem The Farmer’s Wife is given for first PUC students. The Farmer’s Wife notes.
In this post we have discussed important questions and answers of The Farmer’s Wife for PUC first year exam preparation.
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The Farmer’s Wife question and answer for class 11
Comprehension I
1. Who do ‘you’ and ‘I’ in the poem refer to?
Ans: In this poem ‘you’ refer to the farmer and ‘I’ refer to the farmer’s wife.
2. Why has the speaker’s husband committed suicide?
Ans: The speaker’s husband committed suicide because his cotton crops failed as a result he failed to repay the debts.
3) What series of contrasts does the speaker draw between herself and her husband?
Ans: The farmer’s wife contrasts how the farmer, only had to face pain and humiliation before he died, where as she faced it all her life. Another biggest contrast between them is that she is optimistic who chose life, where as her husband chose death.
4) What expressions in the poem bring out the contrast between the speaker and her husband’s plight? What difference does this indicate?
Ans: The farmer’s wife points out that he found release with poison and that poisoned her bitter existence. She also says that he embraced death but she will embrace life. These contrasts indicate that the farmer is pessimist where as his wife optimistic.
5) The farmer’s wife in the poem is
a. complaining about her husband’s death.
b. lamenting the death of her husband.
c. angry that her husband has left her.
d. bitter about her husband’s act.
e. worried about her future.
f. all of the above.
Ans: All the above answers are correct.
6) What memories of her husband trouble her now?
Ans: The memories of her husband abusing and kicking her when he was drunk. She recalls his ill treatment and misbehavior, which troubles her now.
Notes of the poem The Farmer’s Wife for first PUC
7) What does the phrase ‘harvest of my womb’ suggest? Why is their plight compared to ‘worm-eaten cotton pod’?
Ans: The phrase ‘harvest of my womb’ refers to the farmer’s children. Their plight is compared to ‘worm-eaten cotton pod’ as they are now left without care or nourishment from the primary earning member of the family.
8) To what condition had her husband’s act of committing suicide pushed her?
Ans: The husband’s suicide has left her with an outstretched hand and bent head. She is alone and without any support.
9) The poem ends with
a. an assertion.
b. a deep sense of failure and despondency.
c. a will to survive against all odds.
Ans: c. a will to survive against all odds.
Comprehension II
1. Many times the tone suggests the attitude of the speaker. What kind of attitude are suggested by the words ‘virtuous’, ‘poor sinner’, ‘he is but a man’, ‘what of this?’, ‘why is this?’.
Ans: ‘The positive attitude of the speaker here depicted. She has a firm heart to say these expressions. She has the lesson to teach her children not to be as father but to take the challenges in our life and win the battle.
2. What kind of questions does the poem arise about the plight of farmers’ widows? Do you think that these questions are only addressed to the speaker’s dead husband?
Ans: What of this?, Why is this? My back would bear the burden of four children? But our family? These questions the speaker asks not only against her husband but the people who are in that situation.
First PUC English notes
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