BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book Poem 3 Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Question Answers
Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Question Answers: Looking for Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast 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 Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast 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.
- Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Textbook Question and Answers
- Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Multiple Choice Questions
- Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Extract-Based Questions
BSEB Class 12 English Poem 3 Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Textbook Question and Answers
B.1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements :
- a) The leaves are falling very fast.
- b) The nurses are still there to take care of the flowers.
- c) All the prams are gone to the grave.
- d) ‘Whispering neighbours’ disturb the ‘real delight’ of the ageing persons.
- e) Old persons feel lonely as they gradually become inactive.
- f) Death freezes the body and separates us from the crowd of the people.
- g) The promises of love are often deceptive.
- h) Starvation and suffering do not characterise human life.
- i) Travellers get one relief in the waterfall of the mountain.
- j) ‘The prams go rolling on’ suggests the continuity of life.
Answer-
- a) The leaves are falling very fast. True
- b) The nurses are still there to take care of the flowers. False
- c) All the prams are gone to the grave. True
- d) ‘Whispering neighbours’ disturb the ‘real delight’ of the ageing persons. True
- e) Old persons feel lonely as they gradually become inactive. True
- f) Death freezes the body and separates us from the crowd of the people. True
- g) The promises of love are often deceptive. True
- h) Starvation and suffering do not characterise human life. True
- i) Travellers get one relief in the waterfall of the mountain. True
- j) ‘The prams go rolling on’ suggests the continuity of life. False
B.2. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the poem:
- Nurses to the ………………………. rolling one.
- Cold, impossible, ahead ………..…… lovely head………………….could bless ……………. last distress.
Answer-
- Nurse’s flowers will not last;
Nurses to the graves are gone,
And the prams go rolling one.
- Cold impossible ahead.
Lists the mountain’s lovely head
Whose white waterfall could bless
Travellers in their last distress.
B.3. Answer the following questions briefly:
1) What does the poet mean when he says “Now the leaves are falling fast”?
Answer-The poet means that the leaves of the branches of the tree are falling and the trees are becoming leafless. It is also meant by a person who slowly goes to its death and at last in a grave. Like a tree, every human life has to be destroyed one day. There is none who can be alive forever as everyone is mortal.
2) What are the words in the second stanza that suggest death and the effect of death on human body?
Answer- In the second stanza, the following are the words that suggest death and the effect of death on the human body: “Whispering neighbours, Pluck and Freeze.”
3) How do we complete our last journey to the grave?
Answer- When a man is dead hundreds of men carry the dead body in a wooden coffin to the grave. This is how one completes their last journey to the grave.
4) What do ‘Trolls’ do in the ‘leafless wood’?
Answer- Trolls run in search of their food in the leafless wood. They search for food to live.
5) Who are the ‘travellers’ and how will they be ‘blessed’?
Answer- Old persons are the travellers and travellers will be blessed by those white waterfalls which come out from the mountain’s head. They will be blessed in their last distress and that is death
6) Which words in the first stanza suggest objects from Nature?
Answer- ‘Nurse’s flowers‘ is the word in the first stanza that suggests objects from nature. It means ‘a nurse’.
7) Who are the ‘whispering neighbours’?
Answer– Agents or messengers of death are the whispering neighbours who come when a human body is dead.
8) How does human life become miserable?
Answer- Suffering from diseases and other problems make human life miserable and unhappy.
9) In what way will the travellers be blessed?
Answer- Travellers will be blessed by those white waterfalls which come out from the mountain’s head. They will be blessed in their last distress.
C.1. Long Answer Questions
1. Falling of leaves suggests the process of death and human waste on a large scale. Explain with reference to the poem.
Answer- Falling of leaves suggested the process of death and human waste on a large scale.The poet compared human life with the trees and he meant that all human beings were going towards death very fast, due to diseases and other reasons. Firstly, human life started as a baby and slowly it grew but after some time, human life suffered from a lot of diseases. Just like weather, human life also changes. When the weather changes the leaves fall down. In the same way, human life also decreases and decays.
During their lifespan, their desires and aspirations were not fulfilled. So, they became hopeless and felt lonely. Like a tree, every human life had to be destroyed. Nothing would last that long. Despite this, the life cycle would go on. It means human life is just like a leaf which falls from a tree.
2. The poet is critical of the negative tendencies of human society. What are these tendencies? Give details.
Answer- The poet is critical of the negative tendencies of human society. He wants to say that human life is totally dependent on human society. Without a human society, it can’t grow properly and also can’t do anything well.There are different kinds of caste or creed. The poet says that all human life is the same and belongs to the same society but the people create different kinds of caste and divide themselves. The poet says that it is not good.
3. Who are the ‘Strolls’ in the real world ‘?
Answer- According to the poet W. H. Auden, those people are the ‘trolls’ in the real world who divide human life in different castes or creeds. These are the people who commit crimes, give troubles to others and always think about wrong things. They don’t think about others and their problems. They hurt those people who are gentle. Such types of people are the ‘trolls’ in the real world.
4. Though the poet refers to ‘death’ several times, yet the poem is not a pessimistic one. Justify your answer.
Answer- The poet refers to death several times in his poem, yet the poem is not a pessimistic one. In this poem, the poet compared human life with trees. He explained how trees become leafless in autumn. It looks like an old person who suffers from the illness. It seems that the poet has narrated the reality of life. Everything is bound to come to an end. But the circle of life and death will continue. As there are different types of seasons, people also suffer from different kinds of disease. But the poet concluded the poem with a feeling of optimism. The poet said that like a tree every human life had to be destroyed.The death provided silence and peace like white waterfalls who produced inner pleasantness and peace.
C.3. COMPOSITION
Write a paragraph in about 100 words on each of the following:
1. If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Answer- Life is blessed with good and bad. Human beings should understand the law of Nature. By winter it means sorrows and sufferings and by spring it means pleasures and joys. It says that as spring follows winter, so pleasure follows sorrow. So nobody is condemned to sorrows forever as nothing is permanent. Sometimes even sorrow makes a path for joy as it is said every dark cloud has a silver lining. As change is the law of nature, we should not be pessimistic but instead we should be optimistic and we should patiently bear bad times and not lose heart. Every person has his day of sorrows and pleasures but they do not last forever. Sometimes it is sorrow and at other times it is pleasure because nothing is permanent.
2. Let us make this world a better place to live in.
Answer- Life is beautiful and the world is a beautiful place to live in. God blessed us with a beautiful world. But the world is starting to become a bad place to live in. Whether it’s from pollution or foreign matter. One needs to be resourceful with natural resources. Man is giving so much pressure on this earth that an imbalance is created. Today, a time has come that there is no fellow feeling among the people. They are scared of believing other people. They are trying to protect and save themselves from their enemies in great fear. So it is our duty to make this world a better place to live in and enjoy its beauty. We should stop complaining and see positivity in everything. We should try to help and make the world a better place because one needs the world to live on.We should also help others whenever they need and take care of the environment. Always be kind, polite and patient.
D. WORD STUDY
D.1. Dictionary Use
Ex. 1. Look up a dictionary and write two meanings of the following words — the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common
last | lonely | reprove | freeze |
stiff | attitude | distress |
Answer-
Last-
|
Lonely
|
Reprove
|
Freeze
|
Stiff
|
Attitude
|
Distress
|
D.2. Word-formation
Read carefully the following sentence taken from the poem:
And the prams go rolling on..
In the above sentence the word ‘pram’ is the shortened form of perambulators. Write down the short forms of the following:
examination _______________
programme _______________
department _______________
congratulation _______________
modern _____________
advertisement ______________
Answer-
- Examination- Exam
- Programme- Prog
- Department- Dept
- Congratulation- Congrats
- Modern- Mod
- Advertisement- Ad.
D.3. Word-meaning
Ex 1. Write the antonyms of the following words and use them in your own sentences:
falling ______________ | fast ______________ |
last ________________ | real ______________ |
freeze _____________ | separate ___________ |
responsive ______________ | false ______________ |
impossible ____________ | bless _____________ |
Answer-
falling – Raising | fast – Slow |
last – First | real – Fake |
freeze – Melt | separate – Together |
responsive – Unresponsive | false – True |
impossible – Possible | bless – Curse |
Sentences are-
- The oldest staff maintained discipline often just with the raising of an eyebrow and rarely shouted.
- Don’t be faint-hearted when things seem a bit slow or boring.
- I do not remember who spoke first, but we all expressed the same opinion.
- It’s safer to fake a tan with make-up than spend a lot of time in the sun.
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water.
- They all live together in a three-bedroom house.
- He was totally unresponsive to the pressing social and economic needs of the majority.
- The play follows the true story of the couple whose daughter has an extreme form of Asperger’s syndrome.
- Of course it’s possible that a severe shake-up would make your husband realize how much you really mean to him.
- Grandma protested, but he cursed her and rudely pushed her aside.
E. GRAMMAR
Ex.1. Read the following sentences carefully:
‘And the prams go rolling on’.
The line suggests continuity of an action. It can also be rewritten as: ‘And the prams go on rolling.’
Write five similar sentences with ‘go on’ using the following verbs: swim, walk, read, sleep, sketch.
Answer-
Sentences are as follows-
- The students go on swimming.
- Healthy people go on walking.
- The students go on reading.
- The lazy go on sleeping.
- ‘The children go on sketching.
Ex. 2. Read the following sentences carefully:
‘And the active hands must freeze…”
In the above line ‘must’ suggests ‘compulsion’ or necessity. ‘Must’ is different from ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ which suggest ‘suggestion’ or ‘obligation’. Fill in the blanks with ‘must’, ‘should’, ‘ought to’ to complete the following sentences:
- We ……… follow a suitable time-table of study.
- The young ……… be considerate about the sentiments of their elders.
- Death does not mean the end of everything, life ………. go on.
- Why …….. I always follow the fashion?
- We, the Indians, ……….. show respect to the national flag.
Answer-
- We should follow a suitable time-table of study.
- The young must be considerate about the sentiments of their elders.
- Death does not mean the end of everything, life must go on.
- Why should I always follow the fashion?
- We, the Indians, ought to show respect to the national flag.
BSEB Class 12 English Poem 3 Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast Extra Question and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions
- What is the primary theme of the poem?
a) Celebration of life
b) Death and decay
c) Hope and renewal
d) Love and relationships
Ans: b) Death and decay
- What do the “leaves” symbolize in the poem?
a) Youth
b) Death and the passage of time
c) Freedom
d) Happiness
Ans: b) Death and the passage of time
- What do the “nurses” represent?
a) Caregivers
b) Messengers of life
c) Agents associated with death
d) Figures of hope
Ans: c) Agents associated with death
- What do the “prams” symbolize?
a) Birth and new beginnings
b) Death and finality
c) Joy and celebration
d) Movement and progress
Ans: a) Birth and new beginnings
- What is meant by “arms raised stiffly to reprove”?
a) A gesture of welcome
b) A sign of judgment or admonition
c) A plea for help
d) A sign of fatigue
Ans: b) A sign of judgment or admonition
- Who are the “whispering neighbours”?
a) Actual neighbors
b) Figures of gossip
c) Messengers or agents of death
d) Trolls in the forest
Ans: c) Messengers or agents of death
- What is the tone of the poem?
a) Joyful
b) Somber
c) Humorous
d) Hopeful
Ans: b) Somber
- Why is the nightingale “dumb”?
a) It is asleep
b) It symbolizes the absence of joy and life
c) It has migrated for winter
d) It has lost its voice
Ans: b) It symbolizes the absence of joy and life
- What is the significance of the “mountain’s lovely head”?
a) It symbolizes nature’s beauty
b) It represents an unattainable goal or hope
c) It indicates danger ahead
d) It is a metaphor for death
Ans: b) It represents an unattainable goal or hope
- What literary device is used in “falling fast”?
a) Metaphor
b) Alliteration
c) Simile
d) Irony
Ans: b) Alliteration
- What do the trolls symbolize?
a) Mischief
b) Hunger and desperation
c) Guardians of the forest
d) Figures of joy
Ans: b) Hunger and desperation
- What does the “waterfall” signify in the poem?
a) A source of joy
b) A moment of relief in distress
c) A symbol of life’s vitality
d) A dangerous element
Ans: b) A moment of relief in distress
- How does the poet depict the inevitability of death?
a) Through images of decay and lifelessness
b) By emphasizing the beauty of life
c) By glorifying heroic deeds
d) By portraying eternal love
Ans: a) Through images of decay and lifelessness
- What is the significance of “the angel will not come”?
a) The absence of divine intervention
b) The end of joy and love
c) The futility of human desires
d) A sign of freedom from earthly ties
Ans: a) The absence of divine intervention
- What overall message does the poem convey?
a) The beauty of nature
b) The inevitable march towards death
c) The joys of human companionship
d) The rewards of perseverance
Ans: b) The inevitable march towards death
16. Who is the poet of the poem “Now the leaves are falling fast”?
a) Robert Frost
b) W.H. Auden
c) John Keats
d) William Shakespeare
Ans: b) W.H. Auden
- ‘Leaves are falling fast’ is a metaphor for –
a) humans are dying quickly
b) Apples are ripening fast
c) Humans are telling lies
d) A lot of cheating is going on
Ans: a) humans are dying quickly
- Identify the figure of speech-
“Nurse’s flowers will not last;
Nurses to the graves are gone,”
a) metaphor
b) simile
c) Oxymoron
d) Anaphora
Ans: d) Anaphora
- Identify the figure of speech-
“Whispering neighbours, left and right,”
a) metaphor
b) simile
c) Oxymoron
d) Antithesis
Ans: d) Antithesis
- What is the rhyme scheme?
a) abab
b) free verse
c) aabb
d) abcb
Ans: c) aabb
Extract Based Questions
A. Now the leaves are falling fast,
Nurse’s flowers will not last;
Nurses to the graves are gone,
And the prams go rolling on.
Q1. What does the phrase “leaves are falling fast” signify?
Ans: It signifies the passage of time and the inevitability of death and decay.
Q2. Why are the nurse’s flowers said to “not last”?
Ans: The flowers symbolize fragility and mortality, suggesting that life and beauty are transient.
Q3. What is implied by “Nurses to the graves are gone”?
Ans: This implies that even caregivers or healers, who typically sustain life, are not immune to death.
Q4. What contrast is presented with “the prams go rolling on”?
Ans: The prams symbolize new life and continuity, contrasting with the imagery of death and decay in the earlier lines.
Q5. What tone is set by this stanza?
Ans: The tone is somber and reflective, emphasizing the themes of mortality and the cycle of life.
B. Whispering neighbours, left and right,
Pluck us from the real delight:
And the active hands must freeze
Lonely on the separate knees.
Q1. Who are the “whispering neighbours”?
Ans: The “whispering neighbours” symbolize agents or messengers of death, conveying the inevitability of mortality.
Q2. What is meant by “pluck us from the real delight”?
Ans: It suggests that these figures (death or its messengers) interrupt and take away life’s genuine pleasures and joys.
Q3. What does “the active hands must freeze” signify?
Ans: It signifies the stillness and lifelessness that comes with death, as all activity ceases.
Q4. What is the significance of “lonely on the separate knees”?
Ans: This line highlights isolation and solitude in death, emphasizing the separation of individuals in their final moments.
Q5. What mood is created in this extract?
Ans: The mood is bleak and melancholic, reflecting themes of mortality and the loss of life’s vibrancy.
C. Dead in hundreds at the back
Follow wooden in our track,
Arms raised stiffly to reprove
In false attitudes of love.
Q1. Who are referred to as “dead in hundreds at the back”?
Ans: The “dead in hundreds” likely symbolize the countless individuals who have succumbed to death, following in the inevitable procession of mortality.
Q2. What is meant by “follow wooden in our track”?
Ans: This suggests a mechanical or lifeless following, indicating the inevitability and uniformity of death.
Q3. What do the “arms raised stiffly to reprove” imply?
Ans: The stiffly raised arms symbolize judgment or reproach, possibly highlighting the unresolved conflicts or pretensions of the dead.
Q4. What is the significance of “false attitudes of love”?
Ans: This phrase critiques insincere or superficial expressions of love, suggesting a lack of genuine emotion even in the face of death.
Q5. What tone is created in this stanza?
Ans: The tone is somber and ironic, blending the inevitability of death with a critique of human pretense and emotional detachment.
D. Starving through the leafless wood
Trolls run scolding for their food:
And the nightingale is dumb.
And the angle will not come.
Q1. What does “starving through the leafless wood” signify?
Ans: It signifies desolation, scarcity, and the harshness of life, emphasizing a bleak and lifeless environment.
Q2. Who are the “trolls,” and what do they represent?
Ans: The trolls symbolize hunger, desperation, and the primal struggle for survival in a barren world.
Q3. Why is the nightingale described as “dumb”?
Ans: The nightingale, often a symbol of beauty and song, is silent here to represent the absence of joy and vitality.
Q4. What is implied by “the angel will not come”?
Ans: This implies the absence of divine intervention or salvation, deepening the poem’s somber tone.
Q5. What mood is evoked by this extract?
Ans: The mood is one of despair and hopelessness, reflecting a world devoid of beauty, sustenance, and spiritual solace.
E. Cold, impossible, ahead
Lists the mountain’s lovely head
Whose white waterfall could bless
Travellers in their last distress.
Q1. What does the “mountain’s lovely head” symbolize?
Ans: The mountain symbolizes an unattainable ideal or hope, standing as a distant, cold, and unreachable goal.
Q2. What is meant by “cold, impossible, ahead”?
Ans: This phrase conveys the harshness and inaccessibility of the mountain, emphasizing the challenges and obstacles in life’s journey.
Q3. How could the “white waterfall” bless the travelers?
Ans: The waterfall represents a moment of relief or spiritual solace, offering comfort to those facing their final moments.
Q4. What does “travellers in their last distress” refer to?
Ans: It refers to individuals nearing the end of their life or journey, seeking solace or peace in their final moments.
Q5. What tone is conveyed by this stanza?
Ans: The tone is both somber and contemplative, blending despair with a faint glimmer of hope or peace through the imagery of the waterfall.