Telangana SCERT TS 10th Class English Guide Pdf Unit 6B Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem) Textbook Questions and Answers.
TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 6B Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem)
Comprehension:
I. Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
Why does the poet say that these cubs could be the last ones ever to freely live and to roam and mate?
Answer:
Asiatic tigers are an endangered species on the world. The number of these tigers is getting reduced day by day. Deforesttion is vigorous due to indiscriminate efforts of human beings. In this way the habitat of tigers is reduced and the massive poaching in the past two years has wiped out the entire tiger population. If it is continued like that, certainly there is a chance of extinction of tigers. Thus, the poet says that these cubs could be the last ones ever to freely live and to roam and mate.
Question 2.
‘She waits for all the life she’s making’. What does the poet convey through this line?
Answer:
Due to global warming, the snow mountains are melting rather than the normal level. The glaciers are decreasing in length, year by year. So the white bear snuffles for its existence. The poet conveys through this line that the white bear is also in the list of endangered species as the environment is degrading and the white bear waits for all the life she’s making for the rehabilitation of the environment.
Question 3.
Why does the thrush weave her nest?
Answer:
The Thrush weave her nest to hold here clutch for a long wait to find here partner.
Question 4.
The child could sing the final whale song/ says the poet. Why does she say so?
Answer:
The whale the creature lives in the Antarctic Ocean or the South Ocean, is to be the last one on the world. The human beings dump all kinds of wastes into rivers, lakes and seas causing water pollution. This affects the plants and animals living in the water. Thus the whale has became one of the endangered species deep in Ocean south. They are now in danger of extinction. So, the poet says so.
Question 5.
The poet says ‘This could be our last true moment’ (last stanza). Is it true? In what way(s)?
Answer:
With all these kinds of species about to be vanished from the world, the moment that we live on this world would be the last of its kinds. In that sense, it is true. This may be our waking as we drown because only few species are in the list of endangered species at present. If this degradation continues, many species will become extincted.
Question 6.
What do you think the poem is about?
Answer:
The poem is about endangered species on this earth. It tells us how human beings’ indiscriminate activities lead to the extinction of many species.
Question 7.
What does the grandchild in this poem symbolize?
Answer:
The Grandchild symbolizes the future generations, who are yet to be born on this world. As we live on this earth, the future generations also have the right to be on this earth. The difference would be that they won’t have many of the provisions.
Question 8.
Who is the dreamer here? Who is being referred to?
Answer:
Human beings are the dreamers here. According to the poet they don’t think at all about the extinction of many species.
Question 9.
What according to you is the poem ‘Or Will the Dreamer Wake’ about? Justify your answer quoting lines from the poem.
Answer:
Medora Chevalier warns the reader to awake an environmental destruction through this poem. Tiger growls in pain in the east about its cubs’ future. White bear snuffles on melting glaciers in the north. Bird thinks about its eggs in the west. Whale sings in doubt in the south. Poet’s grandchild asks “That was the moment! And did the dreamer wake?”
Through his grandchild, poet turns the poem in a different direction to give message.
Listening:
Listen to the talk by an environmentalist on saving the trees and tick (3) the correct options that will complete the statements.
A Talk by an Environmentalist
As you all know, to the North of India we have snow-covered mountain ranges as boundaries to our country. They are the Himalayas. You know the Himalayas are also affected by the environmental pollution. You must be wondering as to how the Himalayas get affected. The Himalayas are huge, cool ice formations surrounded by beautiful habitation.
Do you know what happens if the Himalayas die? The whole of India will turn into a desert. Can you guess what felling of trees lead to? It leads to deforestation. Specially in the Himalayan region if the trees in the forest are cut down that will give way for warming of the atmosphere and with the result melting of the Himalayas.
Do you know when the movement for the protection of the Himalayas started? It started way back in 1970s and 1980s. The movement was for the resistance to the destruction of forests throughout India. Later it became organized and known as Chipko movement.
The architect of the movement to protect the Himalayas is a renowned person -Sunderlal Bahuguna. He was the follower of Mahatma Gandhi in many ways. He started the movement to resist the destruction of forests in the Himalayan region.
Do you know how the movement got its name? The name (Chipko) came from a word meaning ’embrace’. In the movement, the villagers hugged the trees and thus saved them by putting their bodies in the way of the contractors’ axes.
Question 1.
The Himalayas are affected by _________.
a) environmental pollution
b) melting of snow
Answer:
a) environmental pollution
Question 2.
Himalayas are protected _________.
a) by hugging trees
b) by stopping deforestation
Answer:
b) by stopping deforestation
Question 3.
The name of the movement that started in 1970s and 1980s is _________.
a) the resistance to the destruction of forests
b) Chipko movement
Answer:
b) Chipko movement
Question 4.
The person who started the movement is _________.
a) Sunderlal Bahuguna
b) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer:
a) Sunderlal Bahuguna
Question 5.
Chipko means _________.
a) to embrace
b) putting the bodies in the way of the contractors axes.
Answer:
a) to embrace
Study Skills:
Read the following essay and fill the coloumns in the table given after it with the correct information.
Pollution in India
Pollution in India is very high and thus it is one of the most polluted countries in the world. The reasons for high pollution in India can be attributed to the fact that it is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Coal powered plants and increased number of vehicles on the roads are also increasing pollution. With the economy of India growing, pollution in India is also growing.
Air, water, environment, sound and soil can all be contaminated. Air contamination leads to air pollution. Similarly water pollution, environment pollution, sound pollution and soil pollution are caused due to the pollutants in them. Each of these pollutions will affect the people in their own ways.
Air pollution:
If the level of pollutants in the air is in such quantities that are injurious to human, animal and plant life then we can say air pollution has taken place. Air pollution is caused due to a variety of reasons like increased number of vehicles, smoke from burning fuels and factories. Industrialization and modernization are to be blamed for the present situation of air pollution.
Industries such as thermal power plants, cement, steel, refineries, petrochemicals and mines emit chemical pollutants into the air causing air pollution. The air pollution is causing reduction of ozone layer which is important to protect earth from ultra violet rays that come from the sun.
Water Pollution:
Water is being contaminated by various foreign matters. Water is thus losing its quality. Water is polluted in various ways. It can be polluted by industrial waste, agricultural waste, and landfills. Nearly 80% of wastages from cities and towns in India are diverted to rivers.
In this way rivers are getting polluted and water is becoming unfit for usage by human beings. Aquatic animals are also dying due to this pollution, water from sewarages is also directed into the rivers which cause development of various bacteria in the water making them not even suitable for bathing.
Noise pollution:
Noise pollution is mainly caused by transportation and construction system. Noise pollution not only causes damage to the environment but shows negative effect on human health. Human beings who are exposed to noise pollution will develop high BP,stress, hearing loss, sleep disturbances and aggression. Using noise barriers, driving the vehicles slowly, using special tyres etc can help lower sound pollution.
The problem of noise pollution should be paid more attention. Though noise pollution is a major issue, no laws are existing in many cities of the world to control it. Noise pollution in seas and oceans is also increasing due to ship traffic and oil drilling. This is affecting the hearing sense of animals.
Soil pollution:
Soil is being polluted by pesticides, oil and fuel dumping, landfill wastes, industrial wastes etc. Chemical wastes from factories are being directly dumped on the soil and it is contaminating the soil. Increasing urbanization, decrease in agricultural lands, increase in domestic wastage, agricultural activities, industrial activities are all contributing to soil pollution in India.
Plastic factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, animal farms, coal fired power plants, nuclear waste, disposal activities are the main sources of soil pollution. Effects of soil pollution are dangerous. They may cause acid rains which can kill trees and other plants. It disrupts the balance of nature. Soil pollution is also dangerous to wildlife. Pesticides used more than required can damage the crops and poison birds, animals and fishes.
Or will the Dreamer Wake? (Poem) Summary in English
Medora Chevalier is a 21st century poet. She is a well-known writer of present day. She writes about contemporary themes. In this poem – “Or will the Dreamer Wake?” She writes about how the animals would become extinct if they are not protected.
The poet deals with four endangered species from different parts of the world. To start with east, the poet thinks of the Asiatic tiger. The poet thinks that the tigress is heard only by the huge trees. She growls in pain. She has the next generation in her. The cubs that she is to give birth to would be the last ones to live and mate freely on this earth. Our grand children would only read of the animal called tiger in their books.
Then the poet thinks of the Polar Bear in the Northern Arctic Region, Which is snuffling down in her hair the gleaming snow under its feet. In the den she has under the crashing glaciers, she has her cubs. These cubs would be the last Polar Bear Cubs in the world. Generations later, the kids would study about an animal called Polar Bear and its existence. They may need the help of a wake up from a dream to understand it.
In the West, there are the yellow Thrush Warbles, who also is facing the same problem of extinction. Warbles are a species of small noisy birds in USA. The Warbles holds her nest for a long time, in search of a partner. At last it got a partner and she had laid eggs as well. She was frightened that these eggs which are to be hatched are to be the last one to fly, to sing and to mate. The generations to emerge are not to hear the song of the Warbles.
In the South, the South Ocean, or the Antarctic Ocean, which has a lot of Whales in it. There are a thousand other creatures in the ocean, which are waiting for a glorious moment, which she gives birth to the calf. That child would be last whale to swim across the oceans and shake them. Our grand children may study about the giant creatures on the world once were the whales.
Where we stand now is the centre, where the four directions join together. The path may lead us to ups or downs. The world now seems to be bright. This is the last brightness that we have on.this world. This would be the last true moment that we are to have, to make our choices. The poet is clear that the present bday human beings did not wake up to respond to protect the endangered species even now by saying, “And did the dreamer wake?”.
About the Author:
Medora Chevalier is a 21st century poet. She is a well-known writer of present day. She writes about contemporary themes. In this poem – “Or will the Dreamer Wake?” she writes about how the animals would become extinct if they are not protected.
Glossary:
Plaintive (adj) = sad
Growls = to utter a deep guttural sound of anger or hostility
Roam = towanderoverorthrough
Snuffle (v) = to breathe noisily
Gleaming (adj) = shining softly
Glacier (n) = a large mass of ice which usually moves slowly down a mountain
Warbles (v) = to sing with a high continuous but quickly changing sound
Clutch = to seize with or as with the hands or claws
Birth fills (n) = the process of giving birth to a baby
Solemn (adj) = very serious and not happy