Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 7 – Time and Time Again Important Question Answers from Kaleidoscope Book Poetry
Class 12 English (Elective) Time and Time Again Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 7 – Time and Time Again? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 12 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 7 – Time and Time Again now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract-based questions, multiple choice questions and Extra Question Answers
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.
- Time and Time Again NCERT Solutions
- Time and Time Again Extra Question Answers
- Time and Time Again Multiple Choice Questions
- Time and Time Again Extract Based Questions
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Time and Time Again Textbook Questions (NCERT Solutions)
Responding to the Poem
1. What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?
Ans. The poem describes clock towers in well-run cities and how each city keeps its own time. The poet explains how time affects cities and their people, leading to small changes over time. These small changes can have big effects on the city. The clocktowers watch these changes and movements. However, no matter what changes happen, they won’t last long, and the cycle of time will start again.
2. From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?
Ans. In the last stanza of the poem, the line, “through the knocked out clockwork, after the riot, a peace march time bomb, or a precise act of nature in a light of lightning,” helps us understand the title of the poem, “Time and Time Again.” This line suggests that after fights, conflict, and division, peace will return to nature. It shows that good times will always follow bad times.
3. What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?
Ans. The gongs ring at different frequencies every half hour, and each one varies slightly in time. This comparison indirectly shows that each gong’s frequency represents a different country’s situation regarding communal or political issues. The range of frequencies highlights the various conditions in these countries, which is why the poet uses the terms deeper or lighter.
4. Why is the act of nature described as ‘precise’?
Ans. In the poem, nature acts with precision, trying to balance different situations over time. It starts by honoring someone’s wishes but then shows the long-lasting conflicts among Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. Nature resolves these issues with time, reflecting the poem’s title, “Time and Time Again.”
5. Which of the following reflects the poet’s attitude towards communal disharmony
(i) Critical condemnation
(ii) Helpless acceptance
(iii) Wistful lament
Ans. (i) Critical condemnation:
The poet condemns the riots caused by religious tensions and conflict between communities. He believes that these actions disrupt the nation’s balance, but they will eventually end, allowing everyone to wake up to a peaceful day without grudges. He trusts that nature’s timing will help resolve these issues over time.
6. Is the poet’s attitude a representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury?
Ans. Yes, the poet’s attitude is the sheer representation of how the average Indian feels both towards human violence and nature’s fury. Though religion is one’s identity, that doesn’t mean it’s above one’s life. The poet in the poem ‘Time and Time Again’ talks about three religions, which are Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. The followers of these religions sometimes get along, but they often end up in disputes. Although there are moments when they practice peace, most of the time, their relationship is marked by conflict. This leads to minor arguments that can spark riots and create feelings of hatred and disharmony.
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 7- Time and Time Again Extra Question and Answers
Answer the following questions.
Q1. Why is the sound of these metal bells different in every clock tower?
Ans. The sound of these metal bells is a little different in every clock tower. Some gongs make a deeper sound while others make a lighter sound, because of the bronze material used to make them. The gongs beat different sounds every half an hour because of the unexpected mixture of alloys. They are the same and different in a way.
Q2. What does the nature’s imagery at the end of the poem suggest?
Ans. The poet has used nature imagery to suggest that the distorted clock towers may be caused by the power of nature. Nature can create intense thunderstorms that darken everything and show lightning in the sky. The image of the ‘eyeless’ clock tower represents nature’s superior power, capable of diminishing the significance of human creations.
Q3. How does the poet describe the weak bond between the different religious communities?
Ans. Conflicts and brief moments of peace between Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities can quickly break down due to unexpected events, personal choices, or small disputes. The image of a ‘siren’ symbolizes how peace can be interrupted by urgent noise, while a ‘backstreet quarrel’ hints at minor conflicts that can significantly impact relationships. It shows how easily human connections can collapse, as even strong agreements or conflicts can be disrupted by unpredictable events.
Q4. What message does the poet give on Time and Nature in the poem ‘Time and Time Again’ convey?
Ans. The poem suggests nature’s superior and enduring power in comparison to humanity’s attempts, sometimes futile, to control or define time.
Q5. What does the image of the ‘eyeless’ clock tower represent?
Ans. The image of the ‘eyeless’ clock tower represents nature’s superior power, capable of diminishing the significance of human creations.
Class 12 Time and Time Again Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Who are the ‘donors’ in the poem?
A. People donating things to beggars
B. False religious preachers
C. Followers
D. God
Ans. B. False religious preachers
Q2. What does the poet mean by ‘backstreet quarrel’?
A. Fights among women
B. Big conflicts
C. Riots
D. Trivial conflict
Ans. D. Trivial conflict
Q3. What does ‘siren’ symbolise?
A. Interruption of peace
B. Chickadee
C. Firefighters siren
D. Police siren
Ans. A. Interruption of peace
Q4. What does the poet mean by ‘perennial feuds’?
A. Everlasting peace
B. Everlasting conflicts
C. Brief moments of peace
D. Brief moments of conflicts
Ans. B. Everlasting conflicts
Q5. Which religion isn’t mentioned in the poem ‘Time and Time Again’?
A. Hindu
B. Muslim
C. Sikhs
D. Christian
Ans. C. Sikhs
Q6. What is the rhyming scheme of the poem ‘Time and Time Again’?
A. ABCB
B. ABAB
C. AABB
D. Free Verse
Ans. D. Free Verse
Q7. What poetic device is used in the line ‘Of nature in a night of lightnings’?
A. metaphor
B. Allusion
C. Imagery
D. Simile
Ans. C. Imagery
Q8. What ‘accident’ is referred to in the poem ‘Time and Time Again’?
A. The poet lost his watch
B. Accidentally meeting someone
C. Road accidents
D. Mixture of alloys
Ans. D. Mixture of alloys
Q9. What is the tone of the poem ‘Time and Time Again’?
A. Reflective and observational
B. Hopeful
C. Nostalgic
D. Mournful
Ans. A. Reflective and observational
Q10. What does the ‘zigzag sky’ represent?
A. Hope
B. Bright future
C. Colorful sky
D. Distorted society and religions
Ans. D. Distorted society and religions.
Q11. What material is used to make the clock towers’ gongs?
A. Platinum
B. Bronze
C. Silver
D. Aluminum
Ans. B. Bronze
Q12. Which poetic device is used in the line ‘of alloy, a maker’s shaking hand’?
A. Imagery
B. Simile
C. Oxymoron
D. Allusion
Ans. A. Imagery
Q13. Who is described as an ‘eyeless’ entity?
A. People donating things to beggars
B. God
C. Followers
D. False religious preachers
Ans. D. False religious preachers
Q14. What does the ‘change of wind’ symbolise?
A. Storm
B. Changes in the weather conditions
C. Unforeseen circumstances
D. Changes in the sky colors
Ans. C. Unforeseen circumstances
Q15. Who is the poet of the poem ‘ Time and Time Again’?
A. John Milton
B. William Blake
C. A. K. Ramanujan
D. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Ans. C. A. K. Ramanujan
Q16. What does the poet mean by ‘seasonal alliance’?
A. Everlasting peace
B. Everlasting conflicts
C. Brief moments of peace
D. Brief moments of conflicts
Ans. C. Brief moments of peace
Q17. What does the ‘change of mind’ symbolise?
A. Individual decisions
B. More options
C. Choosing a better option
D. Not able to choose any option
Ans. A. Individual decisions
Q18. What poetic device is used in the line ‘eyeless, silent, a zigzag sky’?
A. Simile
B. Oxymoron
C. Alliteration
D. Personification
Ans. D. Personification
Q19. What does the imagery of clock towers ‘shaking hands in Switzerland in ‘Time and Time Again’ suggest?
A. Interconnectedness of different cities
B. Cultural isolation of different cities
C. Global contributions
D. Conflicts between traditions and modernity
Ans. A. Interconnectedness of different cities
Q20. What does the differing chimes of clocks in old, well-managed cities symbolise?
A. Technological Advancement
B. Universal unchanging time
C. Competition between cities to maintain accurate time
D. Subjective experience of time varying from place to place
Ans. D. Subjective experience of time varying from place to place
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 7 Time and Time Again Extract-Based Questions
A. One day you look up and see one of them
eyeless, silent, a zigzag sky showing
through the knocked-out clockwork, after a riot,
a peace-march time bomb, or a precise act
Of nature in a night of lightnings.
Q1. Who is referred to as ‘eyeless’ in the given context?
Ans. The self-made religious leaders are referred to as ‘eyeless’ in the given context.
Q2. Describe how the sky is personified in the given context?
Ans. The sky is personified as an entity (false preachers) who can’t see and chooses to remain silent in riots. The poet shows that many preachers share incorrect messages (‘zigzag’) with ordinary people, leading to intolerance and hatred among them.
Q3. What does the ruined clock tower represent?
Ans. The ruined clock tower shows the false teachings spread by unqualified religious leaders.
Q4. What poetic device is used in the line ‘eyeless, silent, a zigzag sky’?
Ans. Personification is used in the line ‘eyeless, silent, a zigzag sky’.
Q5. What does the distorted sky represent?
Ans. Through the ruined clock tower, a distorted sky is visible, representing a twisted society and religion. The poet shows that many preachers share incorrect messages with ordinary people, leading to intolerance and hatred among them.
B. Or listen to the clocktowers
of any old well-managed city
beating their gongs round the clock, each slightly
off the others’ time, deeper or lighter
in its bronze, beating out a different
sequence each half-hour, out of the accidents
Q1. Whose sound the poet wants the reader to listen to?
Ans. The poet wants the reader to listen to the sound of the clock towers of the well-maintained city.
Q2. What material are the clock tower gongs made of?
Ans. The clock tower gongs are made of bronze.
Q3. How is the sound of metal bells different in every clock tower?
Ans. The sound of these metal bells is a little different in every clock tower. Some gongs make a deeper sound while others make a lighter sound, because of the variation in the bronze material used to make them.
Q4. What do you understand about the cities in the given context?
Ans. These cities not only take care of their buildings and streets, but they also take care of their clock towers.
Q5. Why do the gongs beat different sounds every half an hour?
Ans. The gongs beat different sounds every half an hour because of the unexpected mixture of alloys. They are the same and different in a way.
C. of alloy, a maker’s shaking hand
in Switzerland, or the mutual distances
commemorating a donor’s whim,
the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance
of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim—
Q1. Which religion is the poet referred to in the given context?
Ans. Hindu, Christian, and Muslim are the religions that are referred to here.
Q2. What does the poet mean by ‘a maker’s shaking hand’?
Ans. The poet suggests that a manufacturer’s hand might have shaken during the clock-making process. This could explain why the gongs of different clock towers rang at different times.
Q3. Who are the ‘donors’?
Ans. The poet talks about well-known people who donate money to build clock towers. These donations may create distance and differences among people because of the uncertain and unpredictable nature of the donors. The donors act like false preachers of religion, spreading and promoting differences among humans. The poet points out the troubling nature of these donors, as their actions can lead to religious conflict.
Q4. What does the poet mean by ‘perennial feuds’ and ‘seasonal alliance’?
Ans. The everlasting conflicts (‘perennial feuds’) and brief periods of coexistence (‘seasonal alliance’) among the communities of Hindus, Christians and Muslims could be easily broken by unforeseen circumstances, individual decisions or sudden local trivial disputes.
Q5. Why does the poet mention Switzerland?
Ans. The poet mentions Switzerland because it is known as a top place for making clocks and watches. They are considered the best in the world.
D. cut off sometimes by a change of wind,
a change of mind, or a siren
between the pieces of a backstreet quarrel.
Q1. What has been referred to as being ‘cut off’?
Ans. The everlasting conflicts and brief periods of coexistence among the communities of Hindu, Christian and Muslims could be easily broken by unforeseen circumstances, individual decisions or sudden local trivial disputes.
Q2. What does the poet mean by ‘backstreet quarrel’?
Ans. The ‘backstreet quarrel’ indicates a small and possibly trivial conflict that can have a significant effect on the relationships of those involved.
Q3. What does the image of a ‘siren’ suggest?
Ans. The image of a ‘siren’ suggests the interruption of peace by an external, urgent noise.
Q4. What does the ‘change of mind’ symbolise?
Ans. The ‘change of mind’ symbolises individual decisions. The brief periods of coexistence among the communities of Hindu, Christian and Muslims could be easily broken by unforeseen circumstances, individual decisions or sudden local trivial disputes.
Q5. What does the ‘change of wind’ symbolise?
Ans. The ‘change of wind’ symbolises unforeseen circumstances. The brief periods of coexistence among the communities of Hindu, Christian and Muslims could be easily broken by unforeseen circumstances, individual decisions or sudden local trivial disputes.