BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book Poem 8 Fire Hymn Question Answers
Fire Hymn Question Answers: Looking for Fire Hymn important questions and Answers for BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practicing BSEB Class 12 English question Answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Fire Hymn Question Answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest BSEB exam pattern. All the exercises and Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered.
- Fire Hymn Textbook Question and Answers
- Fire Hymn Multiple Choice Questions
- Fire Hymn Extract-Based Questions
Related: Fire Hymn Summary, Explanation, Word Meanings
BSEB Class 12 English Poem 8 Fire Hymn Textbook Question and Answers
Exercises
B.1 1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements:
a) The poem describes the scene of a burning .
b) Passers-by tend to ignore the burning at the ghat.
c) The sight of burning becomes frightening at night.
d) The redness of fire appears cruel to the speaker.
e) The half-burnt limbs at the ghat suggest the true working of fire.
f) The speaker belongs to Zoroastrian religion.
g) The speaker is not pleased with the views of his father.
h) The ‘first-born child’ was consigned to fire under compulsion.
Answer-
a) The poem describes the scene of a burning . True
b) Passers-by tend to ignore the burning at the ghat. False
c) The sight of burning becomes frightening at night. True
d) The redness of fire appears cruel to the speaker. True
e) The half-burnt limbs at the ghat suggest the true working of fire. True
f) The speaker belongs to Zoroastrian religion. True
g) The speaker is not pleased with the views of his father. False
h) The ‘first-born child’ was consigned to fire under compulsion. True
B.1 2. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the poem:
- a) The wandering ghost lights ………….. passer-by.
- b) The grey ash that …………….. all.
- c) The ghat is littered with …………… .
- d) The fire at times …………….. its dead.
- e) I swore to save fire from the …………. of forgetfulness.
- f) The nearest ……………….. was a thousand miles.
- g) The speaker consigned his ………. to the flames.
- h) The speaker was broken yet ……………….
- i) The second time the speaker swore to save the fire from the sin of ……….. .
Answer-
- a) The wandering ghost lights frightened passer-by.
- b) The grey ash that swallows
- c) The ghat is littered with embers .
- d) The fire at times forgets its dead.
- e) I swore to save fire from the sin of forgetfulness.
- f) The nearest tower was a thousand miles.
- g) The speaker consigned his first-born to the flames.
- h) The speaker was broken yet rebellious.
- i) The second time the speaker swore to save the fire from the sin of forgiving .
B.1 3. Answer the following questions briefly:
1) How did the passer-by get frightened?
Answer- The passer-by got frightened to see the phosphorescent fire, the dreadful scenes at the ghat and wandering ghost lights in the burning ghat at night.
2) Which event does the expression ‘the burning ghat’ refer to?
Answer- The expression “the burning ghat” refers to the place where dead- bodies are usually cremated.
3) Where do you think is the ghat located?
Answer- The ghat is located near the bank of a river.
4) What does the speaker see/observe in the morning at the ghat?
Answer- The speaker observes Half-cooked limbs which are the left-overs of the dead body and the pieces of wood and coal, which are losing their redness from the fire and only grey ashes are left in the morning at the ghat.
5) Why does he say that the redness of the fire is cruel?
Answer- The poet says that the redness of the fire is cruel because it swallows everything and turns it into ash or embers. The fire stings, burns and it spares nothing.
6) In what sense does the fire forget its dead?
Answer- The fire forgets its dead when it leaves the body half-burnt. The poet describes in the poem that the fire has an immoral behavior.
7) Why does the speaker reveal his religious identity?
Answer- The speaker reveals his religious identity because he did not cremate his first born’s body by his custom in which the body is disposed of on a structure called ‘Tower of silence instead he consigns his first born to fire. The poet is a Zorastrian. He reveals his religious identity to make this point clear.
8) Why did he consign his first born to the flames?
Answer- He consigned his firstborn to the flames because the poet was a Parsi and in his culture the bodies are disposed of on a structure called “Tower of silence” and the nearest “Tower of Silence”, was a thousand miles away. So, he could not dispose of the dead-body of his first-born-child in that place.
9) What did the firm-hymn say to him?
Answer- The fire- hymn, which was a religious song or poem to praise God, said to the poet that he had been forgiven. The poet was broken yet he was unwilling to obey the rules and once again the poet, he swore to save the fire from committing the sin of forgiving. The poet had taken oath to overlook and pardon him this time for the sin he committed.
C.1. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. What are the different forms and roles of fire at the ghat?
Answer- The different forms and roles of fire at the ghat are that the ghat is surrounded all around with fire and is burning because it is busy engulfing the dead bodies. The passerby and passengers are frightened because of the wandering ghost lights erupted from the ghat. The other form and role of fire at the ghat that the poet witnesses is the embers which are the pieces of woods and coals which lose their redness of the fire and only grey ashes are left.
2. How does the ghat appear to the common people?
Answer- Ghat appears to be haunted by ghosts. It is a very scary place for common people. The ghat is surrounded all around with fire and is burning because it is busy engulfing the dead bodies. The passerby and passengers are frightened because of the wandering ghost lights erupted from the ghat. The scene of the ghat is most dreadful. Moonlight runs fast among the dead bodies but still people are afraid because of the ghat which was continuously burning.
3. What is the fire’s debauchery?
Answer- The fire’s debauchery is its immoral behavior because it sometimes leaves a few bodies half-burnt. It leaves some parts half-burnt like fingers and bones and the remains are left at the ghat. It seems sometimes that fire forgets that it is dead.
4. What has offended the religious sentiment of the speaker when he was a child?
Answer- The speaker’s religious sentiment got offended when he saw a dead body being cremated. The speaker happens to be a “Parsi” by religion. This custom is against his religious tradition, dead ones were not burnt in fire but they were kept on the Tower of Silence. The Tower of Silence was the structure where Parsis dispose of the dead bodies. He noticed the brutality and the immoral behavior of the fire. As such it has offended the religious sentiment of the speaker when he was a child.
5. Why do you think the speaker consigned his first born to the flames?
Answer- The speaker is a Parsi by religion and dead ones are not burnt in fire according to his religion but they are kept on the Tower of Silence. The Tower of Silence is the structure where Parsis dispose of the dead bodies and the nearest Tower of Silence is a thousand miles away. So he commits a sin against his religion and submits his child to fire.
6. Why was the speaker ‘broken’ and how did he regard himself rebellious?
Answer- The speaker was broken because he lost his first-born child and he had to go against his Parsi culture and tradition as he did not cremate his first-born’s body by his culture. He had to consign the body to the flames and it was very difficult and painful for him to experience this. This great loss had broken him and he regarded himself rebellious for going against his religious tradition.
7. Why did he swear twice to save the fire from two different sins?
Answer- He swore twice to save fire from two different sins. The first time he swore because he consigned his firstborn child to the flames and as he was a ‘Parsi’ by religion, he had to go against his Parsi culture and tradition as he did not cremate his first-born’s body by his culture because his religious place to perform rituals for the sad demise of his child was thousand miles away. The fire had forgotten that he is a ‘Parsi’ because fire deals equally with everybody irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion. So he swore to save fire from the sin of forgetfulness. The next time he swore to save the fire from the sin of forgiving for its deviation. As such he swore twice to save the fire from two different sins.
8. Though the poem reveals the religious leaning of a Parsi, it still has its human appeal. Justify it with your own comments.
Answer- The poem reveals the religious leaning of a Parsi. They have a custom of cremating the dead bodies by burying them in the “Tower of Silence.” And it was very difficult for the poet to consign his first-born’s body to the flames due to which the poet made a human appeal by the poem and that is not to follow this custom of cremation which involves the body to be consigned to the flames. It is a fact that the poem primarily reveals the religious tendency of a “Parsi”. But at the same time, it has a compassionate appeal to humanity. As a poet and a human being, he has thrown light on this burning problem. It appears to be the most unpleasant, pathetic, and gruesome practice to offer the dead-body to the flames of the fire. But this custom is in the Hindu Culture and in my opinion, this custom of cremation has its own significance. It’s not just the fire on which the body is set to be burnt but the air and soil and water and sky, all these five elements are given back to the body in different forms. The body is consigned to the flames, the smoke caused by the fire reaches to the sky, the ash and is to be flowed in water. So this tradition has its own importance in Hindu culture. It is the process and it is not as painful or hurting for the Hindus because they know its importance.
C.3. COMPOSITION
Write a short essay in about 150 words on the following:
a.Concept of sin in modern life
Answer- The concept of sin is the concept of a human fault that offends a good God and brings with it human guilt. From the point of view of good and evil, our desires should correspond to God’s Will. According to the research, binge-drinking, domestic violence, tax evasion, racism, terrorism, bullying and bigotry constitute seven deadly sins in today’s society. The nature of the original sin is not the mere assertion of the fact that a human is sinful since early childhood. In fact, there is hardly a person who walks with God. Practically every person disobeys to a variable degree God’s laws. We do not realize that God gives us an opportunity for salvation. Corruption is one of the biggest modern sins in the present era. Money that is meant to benefit the people is diverted to the pockets of corrupt government officials and their conspirators. It can lead to death and damage of property when corrupt government officials allow corporations to destroy the environment that causes flooding, air pollution, and climate changes. Hence people should abstain from involving in modern sins.
b.Forgetfulness is a matter of habit
Answer- Memory is a fickle thing. Everyone forgets things every now and then, but if you are often forgetful with important things just out of grasp in your mind or words right on the tip of your tongue it can feel debilitating and beyond frustrating. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily happen overnight. Some bad habits take weeks, or years, to take a toll. But it’s still important to always remember the mind/body connection. Brain health, as any other part of the body, is directly related to how we treat ourselves. The habit of forgetting might feel like a betrayal. Just as physical activity helps keep the body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep the brain in shape and might keep memory loss at bay. Sleep plays an important role in helping to consolidate the memories, so one can recall them down the road. Make getting enough sleep a priority. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a day.
D.WORD STUDY
D.1. Dictionary Use
Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words:
phosphorescence | scutled | staulling | emberes |
Zorastrian | consined | rebelious | hym |
Answer-
Phosphorescence-
Phosphorescence |
Scutled-
Scuttled |
Staulling-
Strolling |
Emberes-
Embers |
Zorastrian-
Zoroastrian |
Consined-
Consigned |
Rebelious-
Rebellious |
Hym-
Hymn |
Ex. 2. Look up a dictionary and write the synonyms of the following words:
dawn __________ | losing _________ |
swallow ________ | forget _________ |
pain ___________ | nearest ________ |
silence _________ | save __________ |
Answer-
Dawn – Daylight | Losing- Misplace |
Swallow- Consume | Forget- Let slip |
Pain- Suffering | Nearest- Closest |
Silence- Quietness | Save- Preserve |
D.2. Word-formation
Read the following line carefully:
The burning ghat erupted phosphorescence:
And wandering ghost lights frightened passers-by
In the above lines ‘burning’ in ‘burning ghats’ and ‘wandering’ in ‘wandering ghost’ are verbs in ‘—ing’ (gerund) form. Such forms of verbs can be used as adjectives. Add ‘-ing’ to the following verbs and fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences:
lose | stroll | cook | swear | break |
- The ————– news was quite sensational.
- People were in long queue for —————— gas.
- The match was so fine that we admired even the ————– team.
- The ————— persons have the opportunity to breathe fresh air.
- We could not attend the ———– ceremony.
Answer-
lose | stroll | cook | swear | break |
- The breaking news was quite sensational.
- People were in a long queue for cooking gas.
- The match was so fine that we admired even the losing team.
- The strolling persons have the opportunity to breathe fresh air.
- We could not attend the swearing ceremony.
D.3. Word-meaning
Ex 1. In the expression ‘half-cooked limb’ (line 6) and ‘half-burnt fingers’ (line 8), ‘half suggests the process stopped mid-way.
Make similar structures from the given words (using ‘half) and use them in sentences of your own:
done, written, sketched, drawn, hearted
Answer-
Words and sentences using ‘half’ are as follows-
- Half-done- Had there been a half-done sketch of hers in the cupboard that they had put in a parcel to be sent to Mrs Kelly at some later date?
- Half-written– she has sent me a half-written letter.
- Half-sketched– This is a half-sketched portrait
- Half-drawn- He went quickly, to the half-drawn curtains and looked in.
- Half-hearted- She made a half-hearted attempt to pull him away which was a failure.
E.GRAMMAR
Ex. 1. Read the following lines from the poem carefully:
i.as moonlight scuttled among the bones.
ii.once strolling at dawn ….
Mark the use of prepositions ‘among’ and ‘at’ in the lines given above.
Use the following prepositions to complete the following sentences:
i.The military rescued several people ………… the flood.
ii.The world of insects and animals awake ………… at night
iii. Naghaz listened …………. the lecture attentively.
iv.The prizes were distributed …………. winners.
v.The police inquired ………………… the murder case.
Answer-
i.The military rescued several people from the flood.
ii.The world of insects and animals awake up at night
iii. Naghaz listened to the lecture attentively.
iv. The prizes were distributed to winners.
v.The police inquired into the murder case.
BSEB Class 12 English Poem 8 Fire Hymn Extra Question and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who has penned the poem ‘Fire Hymn’?
A. Bejan Daruwala
B. Keki N Daruwala
C. Pattotie daruwala
D. Boman Irani
Ans. B. Keki N Daruwala
2. Where is the fire on?
A. In a bonfire
B. In the fireplace of a house
C. In the ghat
D. None of these
Ans. C. In the ghat
3. What does ‘hymn’ mean?
A. a prayer song
B. a love song
C. to humm a sound of ‘Om’
D. All of these
Ans. A. a prayer song
4. The poet ______ the fire
A. accuses
B. thanks
C. copies
D. forgives
Ans. D. forgives
5. What is the ‘immoral behaviour’ of the fire?
A. It burns the dead
B. It leaves half-burned bodies
C. It does not burn the dead at all
D. None of these
Ans. B. It leaves half-burned bodies
6. The poet is a ______
A. Hindu
B. Christian
C. Parsi
D. Not mentioned
Ans. C. Parsi
7. The poet’s _____ died.
A. father
B. son
C. wife
D. family
Ans. B. son
8. Where do Parsis dispose the dead?
A. at the fire ghat
B. at the tower of silence
C. at the burial ground
D. All of these
Ans. B. at the tower of silence
9. In his religion fire was _____
A. worshipped
B. considered evil
C. both A and B
D. None of these
Ans. A. worshipped
10. Who said to the poet that he could witness half burnt fingers?
A. His father
B. His son
C. His wife
D. All of them
Ans. A. His father
11. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
A. abab
B. aabb
C. abcb
D. Free verse
Ans. D. Free verse
12. What was the time gap between the two incidents mentioned in the poem?
A. they happened one after the other
B. 10 years
C. 20 years
D. 5 years
Ans. C. 20 years
13. The poem is ___
A. happy
B. sad
C. patriotic
D. love poem
Ans. B. sad
14. Why did the poet not dispose his son’s body at the tower of silence?
A. He was against thuis custom
B. He wanted to give it to the sacred fire
C. The tower of silence was far away
D. All of these
Ans. C. The tower of silence was far away
15. Identify the figure of speech used-
‘Once strolling at dawn past river-bank and ghat
we saw embers losing their cruel redness
to the grey ash that swallows all, half-cooked limbs’
A. Enjambment
B. Anaphora
C. Alliteration
D. Simile
Ans. A. Enjambment
16. Who has been personified in the poem?
A. dead bodies
B. fire
C. ghat
D. All of these
Ans. B. fire
17. ‘The firm-hymn said to me, “You stand forgiven,”’
For what was the poet forgiven?
A. for killing his son
B. for not disposing the dead body at the tower of silence
C. for accusing the fire
D. All of these
Ans. B. for not disposing the dead body at the tower of silence
18. Why was the poet broken?
A. due to fire’s immoral behaviour
B. due to his son’s death
C. due to inavailability of the tower of silence
D. None of these
Ans. B. due to his son’s death
19. The poet clenched his fingers means-
A. He closed them into a tight ball
B. he bit them
C. he cut them
D. he formed a knuckle and hit the ground
Ans. A. He closed them into a tight ball
20. ‘Consigned’ means-
A. blamed
B. gave away
C. welcomed
D. thanked
Ans. B. gave away
Extract Based Questions
Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow-
A. The burning ghat erupted phosphorescence:
and wandering ghost lights frightened passers-by
as moonlight scuttled among the bones.
Once strolling at dawn past river-bank and ghat
we saw embers losing their cruel redness
to the grey ash that swallows all, half-cooked limbs
1. What is the colour of ash?
Ans. It is grey in colour.
2. At what time did the poet cross the ghat?
Ans. It was dawn.
3. What is ‘phosphorescence’?
Ans. It is the light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat.
4. What does ‘scuttled’ mean in ‘moonlight scuttled among the bones’?
Ans. It means that the moonlight ran fast among the bones.
5. Find a word which means ‘pieces of wood or coal that are not burning but are still red’.
Ans. Embers means pieces of wood or coal that are not burning but are still red.
B. bore witness to the fire’s debauchery.
My father said, “You see those half-burnt fingers
And bone-stubs? The fire at times forgets its dead!”
A Zoroastrian I, my child -fingers clenched
Into a little knot of pain,
I swore to save fire
From the sin of forgetfulness.
1. Which word means ‘ immoral behaviour’?
Ans. Debauchery means immoral behaviour.
2. How does the fire forget its dead?
Ans. It forgets its dead by leaving half burnt fingers and bone stubs.
3. What is the poet’s religion?
Ans. Zoroastrian.
4. How old was the poet at the time of this incident?
Ans. He was a child.
5. Why did his fingers clenched into a little knot of pain?
Ans. When his father told him that fier forgets its dead, he clenched the fist too tight that it caused him pain.
C. It never forgot, and twenty years since
As I consigned my first-born to the flames —
The nearest Tower of Silence was a thousand miles –
The firm-hymn said to me, “You stand forgiven,”
Broken, yet rebellious, I swore this time
To save it from the sin of forgiving.
1. What did the fire hymn forgive the poet for?
Ans. It forgave him for consigning his son to fire and not to the Tower of Silence
2. Why did the poet do so?
Ans. He did so because the nearest Tower of Silence was a thousand miles away.
3. Who is ‘broken’?
Ans. The poet is broken because of the untimely death of his son.
4. What does ‘rebellious’ mean?
Ans. It means unwilling to obey rules.
5. Who swore to save what from the sin of forgiving?
Ans. The poet swore to save the fire from the sin of forgiving.
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