Telephone Conversation Question Answers (Important) | ISC Class 12 English Rhapsody Book

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ISC Class 12 English Poem Telephone Conversation Important Question Answers from Rhapsody book

 

ISC Class 12 English Telephone Conversation Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for ISC Class 12 English Rhapsody Book Poem Telephone Conversation? 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 ISC Class 12 English Poem Telephone Conversation now. The questions listed below are based on the latest ISC exam pattern. All the Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered. 

 

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ISC Class 12 English Poem Telephone Conversation Textbook Questions

 

ASSIGNMENT

Question 1

Choose the correct options for the following questions:

1. The price of which of the following is the speaker talking about in the first line of the poem?
(a) A journey
(b) A rented accommodation
(c) Cigarette-holder
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) A rented accommodation

2. Which of the following is NOT an issue with the speaker for renting the accommodation?
(a) Price
(b) Location
(c) Residents
(d) Privacy
Ans. (d) Privacy

3. Which of the following confessions is made by the speaker?
(a) He is from America
(b) He is from Africa
(c) He is as black as a raven
(d) He is not dark.
Ans. (b) He is from Africa

4. What does the ‘self-confession’ by the speaker suggest?
(a) He pre-empts a racist prejudice from the lady
(b) He pre-empts a hike in the rent
(c) He feels himself as inferior to the landlady
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) He pre-empts a racist prejudice from the lady

5. How does the speaker want to prevent ‘a wasted journey’?
(a) By asking the lady to come and see for herself.
(b) By clearing the issue through telephonic conversation.
(c) By sending someone to clear all the issues.
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) By clearing the issue through telephonic conversation.

6. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below? ‘Silence. Silenced transmission of…’
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Polyptoton
Ans. (d) Polyptoton

7. What is suggested by the phrase ‘Lipstick coated’?
(a) The lady is trying to hide her racist prejudice
(b) The lady is trying to hide her own identity.
(c) The lady is trying to be extra-cautious
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) The lady is trying to hide her racist prejudice

8. What is referred to by the landlady’s ‘rancid breath’?
(a) Harsh voice
(b) Ignorance
(c) Knowledge
(d) Hypocrisy
Ans. (d) Hypocrisy

9. What is indicated by the colour ‘red’ in ‘Red booth. Red pillar-box and Red double-tiered Omnibus?
(a) Hypocrisy
(b) Annoyance
(c) Ignorance
(d) Knowledge
Ans. (b) Annoyance

10. What colour is ‘West African sepia’?
(a) Black
(b) White
(c) Red
(d) Dark Brown
Ans. (d) Dark Brown

11. Which figure of speech is used in the given line? ‘You mean-like plain or milk chocolate’?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Alliteration
(d) Simile
Ans. (d) Simile

12. Due to which ‘truthfulness’ does the landlady change her accent?
(a) She does not know about the colour ‘West African sepia’
(b) She is not aware about the speaker’s race
(c) She is being too harsh
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) She does not know about the colour ‘West African sepia’

13. Which colour are the palms of speaker’s hands and soles of his feet?
(a) West African sepia
(b) Brunette
(c) Peroxide blonde
(d) Raven black
Ans. (c) Peroxide blonde

14. What reason does the speaker give for his bottom being ‘raven black’?
(a) Harsh weather
(c) Standing in the sun
(b) Continuous sitting
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) Continuous sitting

15. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below?
‘Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap.’
(a) Assonance
(b) Onomatopoeia
(c) Simile
(d) Alliteration
Ans. (d) Alliteration

Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief:

1. For the speaker in the poem, the accommodation he wants to rent is all right because ………………………
Ans. For the speaker in the poem, the accommodation he wants to rent is all right because the price seemed reasonable, and the location was indifferent, meaning it wasn’t a concern.

2. The speaker makes a confession at the beginning of the poem because ………………………
Ans. The speaker makes a confession at the beginning of the poem because he wants to preempt any potential racial prejudice from the landlady and avoid a wasted journey, knowing his African identity might be an issue.

3. The speaker’s confession about the colour of his skin can be described as ironic because ……………………
Ans. The speaker’s confession about the colour of his skin can be described as ironic because he intends it as a straightforward disclosure, but it immediately triggers a series of intrusive and racially charged questions from the landlady, highlighting the absurdity of prejudice.

4. After the speaker’s confession, the lady remains silent for some time and he seems to hear a ‘transmission’ from her because …………………………………
Ans. After the speaker’s confession, the lady remains silent for some time and he seems to hear a ‘transmission’ from her because her pressurised good-breeding temporarily stops the conversation, indicating her shock and internal processing of the racial information before she responds.

5. The voice of the lady has been described by the speaker as ‘Lipstick coated’ because …………………………
Ans. The voice of the lady has been described by the speaker as ‘Lipstick coated’ because it suggests an artificial, superficial politeness or facade that she uses to mask her true racist thoughts and intentions.

6. The speaker repeatedly uses the word Red as in ‘Red booth’, ‘Red pillar-box’ and Red double tiered/Omnibus’ because …………………………
Ans. The speaker repeatedly uses the word Red as in ‘Red booth’, ‘Red pillar-box’ and Red double tiered/Omnibus’ because the color red reflects the speaker’s rising anger, frustration, and humiliation caused by the landlady’s prejudiced questioning.

7. The speaker’s reference to the lady as ‘considerate’ is an example of verbal irony because ……………………
Ans. The speaker’s reference to the lady as ‘considerate’ is an example of verbal irony because she is actually being highly inconsiderate and offensive by forcing him to describe his skin color in humiliating terms, rather than truly being thoughtful.

8. The speaker describes his face as ‘brunette’, his hands and feet as ‘peroxide blonde’ and his bottom as ‘raven black’ because ……………………………………………
Ans. The speaker describes his face as ‘brunette’, his hands and feet as ‘peroxide blonde’ and his bottom as ‘raven black’ because he is using extreme sarcasm to mock the landlady’s absurd and intrusive attempt to categorize his skin tone, highlighting the ridiculousness of her racial prejudice.

9. The landlady shows double standards because ………………………………
Ans. The landlady shows double standards because she maintains a veneer of good-breeding and politeness while simultaneously engaging in blatant racial discrimination by asking intrusive and offensive questions about the speaker’s skin color.

10. The speaker pleads with the landlady to ‘see for’ herself because ……………………………………
Ans. The speaker pleads with the landlady to ‘see for’ herself because he has used sarcasm to describe his varying skin tones to expose the absurdity and impossibility of her racial categorization, challenging her to confront the reality of her prejudice visually rather than through reductive labels.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Answer the questions briefly in about 100-150 words.

1. What is the speaker’s confession? Why does he make such a confession? How is it received by the landlady?
Ans. The speaker’s confession is that he is African. He makes this confession at the outset to prevent a wasted journey, meaning he wants to disclose his race immediately to avoid traveling to view the accommodation only to be rejected due to prejudice. He understands that his racial identity might be an issue for the landlady, so he addresses it directly over the phone. This confession is received by the landlady with an initial silence, described as a ‘silenced transmission of pressurised good-breeding’, indicating a momentary shock or discomfort. When she finally speaks, her question is, ‘HOW DARK?’ reveals her underlying racist prejudice, as she immediately focuses on his skin tone rather than his suitability as a tenant, showing that his confession brought out her discriminatory nature.

2. Why is there a ‘silence’ after the speaker confesses that he is African? What is suggested by ‘Silenced transmission’?
Ans. The ‘silence’ after the speaker confesses he is African indicates the landlady’s immediate, internal reaction to the revelation. It’s a pause where her ‘good-breeding’, her taught politeness and social decorum, momentarily conflict with her underlying racial prejudice. The phrase ‘Silenced transmission of pressurised good-breeding’ suggests that her usual polite communication is abruptly halted or suppressed. It’s as if her inherent biases are struggling against her outward appearance of civility. This silence implies her mental scramble to process the information through her prejudiced worldview, attempting to find a polite, yet discriminatory, way to respond or assess the speaker based solely on his race, before she ultimately reveals her true colors with her subsequent intrusive questions.

3. When the lady finally speaks after a pause, what does the speaker make out about the woman? Was he correct in his assessment?
Ans. When the landlady finally speaks after the pause, her voice is described as ‘Lipstick coated’ and delivered through a ‘long gold-rolled / Cigarette-holder pipped’. The speaker interprets this as a sign that he has been ‘caught, foully’. This implies he perceives her as artificial, someone whose politeness is superficial and whose true, ugly prejudice is now about to surface. He recognizes that her elegant facade is a cover for discriminatory intent, as she immediately asks ‘HOW DARK?’ This question, rather than inquiries about his finances or reliability, confirms his suspicion that race is her primary concern. Therefore, his assessment was indeed correct; her initial silence and subsequent intrusive question reveal her deeply ingrained racial bias, despite any outward show of good-breeding.

4. What is similar between the two words ‘self-confession’ and ‘caught’? What do they suggest?
Ans. The words ‘self-confession’ and ‘caught’ are similar in that both imply a revelation or an admission, but their contexts in the poem convey different power dynamics and suggestions. ‘Self-confession’ refers to the speaker’s deliberate act of revealing his African identity, a proactive move to confront potential prejudice. He makes this confession to avoid a wasted journey, suggesting a strategic, though resigned, acknowledgment of the racial barriers he faces. In contrast, ‘caught’ describes the speaker’s feeling after the landlady’s subsequent discriminatory questions, particularly ‘HOW DARK?’ Here, ‘caught’ suggests a trap, a realization that despite his preemptive honesty, he is now ensnared by her prejudice. It implies a sense of helplessness and victimhood. Together, they suggest that while the speaker attempts to control the narrative through his ‘confession’, he ultimately remains ‘caught’ in the inescapable web of the landlady’s racism, illustrating the pervasive nature of discrimination.

5. How do the words ‘How Dark’ reflect the theme of the poem?
Ans. The words ‘How Dark?’ spoken by the landlady captures the central theme of racial prejudice and the dehumanizing nature of discrimination in the poem. This blunt, intrusive question immediately shifts the focus from the practicalities of renting a room to the speaker’s skin color, reducing his identity solely to his complexion. It reflects the racist obsession with categorizing and judging individuals based on superficial physical traits. The capitalized ‘How Dark?’ emphasizes the landlady’s intense, almost scientific, scrutiny of his racial identity, highlighting the absurdity and offensive nature of her inquiry. This moment reveals the ugly reality of covert racism, where politeness is stripped away to expose a fundamental bias, making the speaker’s skin color the sole determinant of his worth in the landlady’s eyes and thus serving as the poem’s core thematic statement.

6. How does the speaker feel after the landlady asks him the colour of his skin?
What does he think about the lady?
Ans. After the landlady asks him the color of his skin, the speaker feels deeply disgusted and trapped. He describes being ‘caught… foully’ and experiences the ‘stench of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak’. This indicates his revulsion at the hypocrisy and underlying racism that the landlady’s polite facade initially concealed. He views her as representing a pervasive societal prejudice that is both offensive and dehumanizing. The ‘stench’ suggests moral decay and the repulsive nature of her discriminatory mindset. He feels immense frustration and a sense of being cornered, forced to engage in an absurd and demeaning conversation about his skin tone, rather than discussing the terms of the rental, which is the actual purpose of the call.

7. Why does the speaker feel ‘shamed”? What does it indicate about the speaker?
Ans. The speaker feels ‘shamed / By ill-mannered silence’ not because of his own identity, but because he is forced to participate in the landlady’s crude and prejudiced line of questioning. His shame stems from the indignity of the situation and the fact that he is ‘pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification’ of her racist query. This shame indicates the speaker’s inherent self-respect and dignity. He is a person who would rather avoid such demeaning interactions, but the circumstance forces him to engage, leading to a feeling of humiliation and outrage at being subjected to such an offensive and absurd racial categorization. It highlights his sensitivity to injustice and his refusal to internalize the landlady’s discriminatory values.

8. Why does the speaker feel that the lady is ‘considerate”? What does it indicate about the lady?
Ans. The speaker’s description of the landlady as ‘considerate’ is a clear example of verbal irony. He says this sarcastically because, in reality, she is anything but considerate. Her ‘consideration’ merely involves varying the emphasis of her intrusive question (‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’), which is still fundamentally offensive and racially motivated. This ironic statement highlights the landlady’s hypocrisy and lack of genuine empathy. It indicates that she believes she is being polite or accommodating by rephrasing her discriminatory question, but her actions only serve to emphasize her deep-seated prejudice. She is oblivious to the profound offense she is causing, wrapped in her own self-righteousness and racial bias.

9. Explain the meaning of ‘Silence for spectroscopic/Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent.’
Ans. This line is rich with figurative language. ‘Silence for spectroscopic / Flight of fancy’ refers to a pause during which the landlady is mentally processing the speaker’s ironic description of his ‘West African sepia’ skin tone, coupled with the passport detail. ‘Spectroscopic’ is highly ironic, comparing her attempt to categorize his complex skin tone to a precise scientific analysis, when her true intent is crude racial profiling. It’s her ‘flight of fancy’ because she’s imagining his appearance in a comically detached way. The silence lasts ‘till truthfulness clanged her accent’, meaning that her attempt at sophisticated racial categorization quickly gives way to her true, harsher, and less refined prejudiced nature when she can’t understand ‘sepia’. The ‘clanging’ implies a sudden, shocking shift from her feigned politeness to her raw, impatient, and prejudiced tone.

10. Why does the speaker state different colours for his body parts? What is it suggestive of?
Ans. The speaker states different colors for his body parts, ‘Facially, I am brunette’, palms and soles ‘peroxide blonde’, and bottom ‘raven black’, as an act of extreme sarcasm and defiance. He does this to mock and ridicule the landlady’s absurd and intrusive attempt to categorize his complexion with simplistic ‘dark or light’ labels. It is highly suggestive of the inherent absurdity of racial categorization, highlighting how ridiculous it is to reduce a complex human being to a single color, especially when skin tone naturally varies even on one body. This also serves as a form of resistance against dehumanization, as he refuses to be neatly pigeonholed into her prejudiced categories, thereby exposing the ludicrousness of her discriminatory mindset.

11. How does the setting depict the universality of the theme of the poem?
Ans. The poem’s setting, specifically a telephone booth on a public street, significantly contributes to the universality of its theme. The telephone booth, pillar-box, and omnibus are everyday urban fixtures, common in many cities across the globe. This mundane, public setting emphasizes that racism is not confined to isolated, private spaces or specific extremist groups; it permeates everyday interactions and public life. The phone call itself represents a seemingly anonymous and impersonal transaction, yet it becomes a vehicle for overt racial discrimination. The ‘red’ motif for these public objects like booth, pillar-box, omnibus hints at the widespread and institutional nature of the prejudice, suggesting that racism is an ever-present, almost normalized, aspect of the environment. This ordinary backdrop makes the extraordinary prejudice all the more jarring and relatable, highlighting that discrimination is a pervasive, global issue rather than an isolated incident.

12. Why does the speaker plead with the landlady to see for herself? What does it tell about the speaker?
Ans. The speaker pleads with the landlady to ‘see for herself’ as a final, desperate act of defiance and a powerful rhetorical challenge. After sarcastically listing the various, contradictory colors of his body parts, he senses that the landlady is about to hang up, overwhelmed by his shocking description. His plea is an ultimate test of her prejudice, essentially daring her to confront the physical reality of his being rather than relying on abstract, prejudiced notions. This tells us several things about the speaker; it reveals his breaking point and courage to directly challenge her discriminatory views, his refusal to be silenced, and his profound desire for direct confrontation. He wants her to witness the absurdity of her prejudice firsthand, demanding to be seen and judged as a whole human being, not just a color.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Answer the questions briefly in about 200-250 words.
1. Why do you think that the poet has chosen the title Telephone Conversation? Is he justified in choosing this title? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans. The poet has chosen the title ‘Telephone Conversation’ because it perfectly captures the entire setting and the central conflict of the poem. The entire poem unfolds as a dialogue over the phone between the speaker, an African man, and a potential landlady. The telephone acts as a barrier, initially offering a layer of anonymity and perceived politeness, but ultimately becoming the instrument through which raw racial prejudice is exposed. The title highlights the stark contrast between the impersonal nature of a phone call and the intensely personal and dehumanizing experience of racism. It emphasizes how easily discrimination can manifest even in seemingly mundane interactions. Yes, the poet is entirely justified in choosing this title. The ‘conversation’ is not a typical polite exchange; it’s a battle of wits and a confrontation with bigotry. The phone itself becomes a crucial element. The landlady’s inability to see the speaker physically makes her resort to crude, color-based questions, revealing her prejudices without the direct social consequences of a face-to-face meeting. The title is deceptively simple, belying the profound and complex themes of racism, dehumanization, and the speaker’s dignified resistance that are explored within the poem. It grounds the universal theme of racial prejudice in a specific, relatable, and everyday scenario.

2. There are intervals of silence in the interaction between the African man and the landlady. What are the reasons for this silence? Give examples to support your answer.
Ans. There are distinct intervals of silence in the telephone conversation, each serving a specific purpose in revealing the underlying tensions and prejudices. The first silence occurs immediately after the speaker’s ‘self-confession’; “Madam,’ I warned, / ‘I hate a wasted journey—I am African.’ / Silence. Silenced transmission of / Pressurised good-breeding’. This silence signifies the landlady’s shock and internal struggle. Her ‘pressurised good-breeding’ temporarily freezes her, as her ingrained politeness clashes with her racial bias. She needs a moment to process this information and formulate a polite way to express her prejudice, rather than revealing it immediately. The second silence appears after the speaker offers his ‘West African sepia’ complexion as a description: ‘Silence for spectroscopic / Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent / Hard on the mouthpiece.’ This silence is the landlady’s attempt to mentally categorize or visualize ‘sepia’. It’s her ‘flight of fancy’, trying to fit this unfamiliar, more nuanced racial descriptor into her simplistic ‘dark or light’ framework. This pause is broken when her ‘truthfulness’, her impatience and underlying prejudice, reasserts itself, leading to her blunt admission, ‘DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS’. These silences are crucial in highlighting the landlady’s internal bigotry and the speaker’s awareness of it.

3. What is the central theme of the poem? How has the author portrayed this theme?
Ans. The central theme of the poem Telephone Conversation is racial discrimination and prejudice. The poem vividly portrays the pervasive and dehumanizing nature of racism experienced by a black individual in seemingly mundane interactions. The author, Wole Soyinka, portrays this theme through several powerful literary techniques. Firstly, he uses dialogue as the primary medium, making the landlady’s explicit questions about the speaker’s skin tone, ‘HOW DARK? / ARE YOU LIGHT / OR VERY DARK?’ shockingly direct and offensive. This directness highlights the blatant racism. Secondly, irony is heavily employed. The landlady’s supposed ‘good-breeding’ and ‘considerate’ demeanor are starkly contrasted with her intrusive and demeaning inquiries, exposing her hypocrisy. The speaker’s sarcastic and exaggerated descriptions of his varying skin tones ‘peroxide blonde’ palms, ‘raven black’ bottom further amplify this irony, making a mockery of the landlady’s attempt to categorize him. Thirdly, imagery of the public setting, the ‘Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered / Omnibus’, emphasizes the universality of this racism, suggesting it’s not an isolated incident but a common, everyday occurrence. Finally, the speaker’s internal reaction, his shame, disgust, ‘stench of rancid breath’, and ultimate defiance, effectively conveys the emotional toll of experiencing such prejudice, making the theme visceral and impactful for the reader.

4. Do you think that the poem Telephone Conversation’ is based on the personal experience of the poet? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans. While it’s not explicitly stated as autobiographical, it is highly probable that Telephone Conversation is based on the personal experience of the poet, Wole Soyinka. Soyinka is a Nigerian Nobel laureate who lived and studied in England, and as an African man, he would have undoubtedly faced racial discrimination. The poem’s raw authenticity, vivid emotional detail, and precise depiction of discriminatory language strongly suggest a lived experience. The speaker’s detailed internal monologue, his initial attempt to preempt prejudice, his profound shock and shame at the landlady’s questions, and his witty, yet agonizing, sarcastic response all feel too real and nuanced to be purely imagined. The particularity of the questions about skin tone, the ‘lip-stick coated’ voice, the ‘rancid breath’, and the final desperate plea to ‘see for yourself’ resonate with the frustration and dehumanization that victims of racism often endure. The poem effectively captures the subtle yet deeply offensive nature of such encounters. This level of psychological and linguistic accuracy is characteristic of writing drawn from direct personal encounters with prejudice, making it very likely that Soyinka drew from his own life to craft this powerful commentary on racism.

5. Give a character sketch of the speaker as understood from the narrative given in the poem.
Ans. The speaker in ‘Telephone Conversation’ is an educated, articulate, and intelligent African man who is acutely aware of the racial prejudices prevalent in society. He demonstrates a proactive approach by immediately disclosing his race to avoid a wasted journey, indicating his experience with such discrimination. Despite his initial attempt at politeness and his desire to secure accommodation, he possesses a strong sense of self-respect and dignity. When confronted with the landlady’s blatant racism, he shifts from a position of seeking accommodation to one of defiance and sardonic wit. He is not easily intimidated; instead, he uses sarcasm and exaggerated descriptions of his skin tones to expose the absurdity and ignorance of her prejudiced questions. His detailed observations of the Red booth, Red pillar-box, and Red double-tiered Omnibus suggest his acute awareness of his surroundings and his ability to find meaning in them, symbolizing his growing anger and frustration. Ultimately, he is a resilient and courageous individual who, despite the emotional toll of the encounter of feeling shamed and sensing rancid breath, refuses to be humiliated or silenced, choosing to challenge racism with sharp intellect and a powerful, if desperate, plea for genuine human interaction.

ISC Class 12 English Poem Telephone Conversation Extra Question and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1. What is the speaker’s primary concern when first speaking to the landlady?
A. The price of the room
B. The cleanliness of the premises
C. Avoiding a wasted journey due to racial prejudice
D. Negotiating the rent
Ans. C. Avoiding a wasted journey due to racial prejudice

Q2. What is the immediate reaction of the landlady after the speaker reveals he is African?
A. She apologizes for any inconvenience
B. There is a “Silence” or “Silenced transmission”
C. She expresses surprise
D. She immediately offers him the room
Ans. B. There is a “Silence” or “Silenced transmission”

Q3. How is the landlady’s voice initially described when it returns after the silence?
A. Angry and loud
B. Confused and hesitant
C. Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled Cigarette-holder pipped.
D. Warm and welcoming
Ans. C. Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled Cigarette-holder pipped.

Q4. What is the landlady’s first direct question about the speaker’s appearance?
A. “HOW DARK?”
B. “HOW TALL ARE YOU?”
C. “HOW OLD ARE YOU?”
D. “ARE YOU MARRIED?”
Ans. A. “HOW DARK?”

Q5. What does the phrase “Stench Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak” refer to?
A. The actual smell inside the telephone booth
B. The offensive nature of the landlady’s prejudiced questions
C. The smell of the speaker’s own frustration
D. The general unpleasantness of public spaces
Ans. B. The offensive nature of the landlady’s prejudiced questions

Q6. What color is repeatedly emphasized in the description of the telephone booth and its surroundings?
A. Blue
B. Green
C. Yellow
D. Red
Ans. D. Red

Q7. What does the speaker initially suggest to the landlady to help her understand his complexion?
A. A color chart
B. A fruit comparison
C. A chocolate comparison
D. A paint swatch
Ans. C. A chocolate comparison

Q8. How does the speaker describe the landlady’s “assent” to his chocolate analogy?
A. Enthusiastic and understanding
B. Hesitant and unsure
C. “Clinical, crushing in its light Impersonality”
D. Polite and curious
Ans. C. “Clinical, crushing in its light Impersonality”

Q9. What term does the speaker use to describe his complexion, which the landlady does not understand?
A. Ebony sheen
B. Midnight hue
C. Cocoa brown
D. West African sepia
Ans. D. West African sepia

Q10. What does “truthfulness changed her accent” imply about the landlady?
A. She became more honest and straightforward.
B. Her true prejudiced nature caused her polite facade to drop.
C. She began to speak with a foreign accent.
D. She became more eloquent.
Ans. B. Her true prejudiced nature caused her polite facade to drop.

Q11. What common term does the speaker offer when the landlady doesn’t understand “West African sepia”?
A. Mahogany
B. Olive-skinned
C. Brunette
D. Tan
Ans. C. Brunette

Q12. What specific part of his body does the speaker claim is “peroxide blonde”?
A. His hair
B. His teeth
C. The palm of his hand and soles of his feet
D. His fingernails
Ans. C. The palm of his hand and soles of his feet

Q13. What exaggerated reason does the speaker give for his “bottom raven black”?
A. Too much sunbathing
B. Sitting down frequently
C. A birthmark
D. A clothing dye
Ans. B. Sitting down frequently

Q14. What does the speaker sense the landlady is about to do near the end of the conversation?
A. Offer him the room
B. Invite him for an interview
C. Hang up the phone
D. Apologize for her questions
Ans. C. Hang up the phone

Q15. What is the speaker’s final, sarcastic plea to the landlady?
A. “Would you lower the price?”
B. “Wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?”
C. “Can we continue this discussion later?”
D. “Do you have any other rooms?”
Ans. B. “Wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?”

Q16. What is the main theme explored in “Telephone Conversation”?
A. The importance of clear communication.
B. The difficulties of finding housing in London.
C. The prevalent nature of racial prejudice and discrimination.
D. The humorous aspects of phone calls.
Ans. C. The prevalent nature of racial prejudice and discrimination.

Q17. Which poetic device is used in “Silence for spectroscopic/Flight of fancy, till truthfulness”?
A. Metaphor
B. Simile
C. Synecdoche
D. Alliteration
Ans. D. Alliteration

Q18. What does the landlady’s constant questioning about skin shade imply about her character?
A. She is genuinely curious about different ethnicities.
B. She is trying to be culturally sensitive.
C. She harbors racial prejudices and seeks to classify people by skin color.
D. She is a meticulous person who likes precise details.
Ans. C. She harbors racial prejudices and seeks to classify people by skin color.

Q19. What literary device is used in the phrase “Silenced transmission of Pressurised good-breeding”?
A. Onomatopoeia.
B. Paradox
C. Personification
D. Allusion
Ans. C. Personification

Q20. What is the speaker’s overall attitude towards the landlady by the end of the poem?
A. Respectful and understanding
B. Frustrated but resigned
C. Apologetic and submissive
D. Mocking and challenging
Ans. D. Mocking and challenging

Extract-Based Questions

Answer the following extract-based questions.

A.
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. ‘Madam,’ I warned,
‘I hate a wasted journey—I am African.’
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurised good-breeding.

Q1. What initial positive aspects of the room for rent does the speaker mention?
Ans. The speaker mentions that the price of the room seemed reasonable and its location was “indifferent,” meaning it was neither particularly good nor bad, but acceptable.

Q2. What did the landlady confirm about her living situation?
Ans. The landlady confirmed that she lived “Off premises”, meaning she did not live in the same building as the room for rent.

Q3. Why did the speaker feel the need for “self-confession” at this point?
Ans. The speaker felt it was necessary for “self-confession” because he wanted to disclose his race honestly to avoid wasting his own time and the landlady’s if she held racial prejudice.

Q4. What phrase does the speaker use to justify his directness with the landlady about his race?
Ans. The speaker justifies his directness by stating, “I hate a wasted journey.”

Q5. How does the landlady react immediately after the speaker reveals he is African?
Ans. After the speaker reveals he is African, there is a distinct “Silence,” described as a “Silenced transmission of / Pressurised good-breeding”, indicating her shock or suppressed discomfort due to her prejudiced “good-breeding”.

B.
Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
‘HOW DARK ?’… I had not misheard… ‘ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK ?’ Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.

Q1. How is the landlady’s voice described when it finally returns after the silence?
Ans. Her voice is described vividly as “Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled / Cigarette-holder pipped”, suggesting an image of artificial refinement or a false politeness.

Q2. What is the shocking question the landlady asks that immediately reveals her prejudice?
Ans. The shocking question she asks is “HOW DARK?” followed by the clarifying options, “ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?”

Q3. What does the speaker mean by feeling “Caught I was, foully”?
Ans. He means he felt trapped and unfairly cornered by her direct and offensive racial question, indicating a sense of disgust and being caught in a discriminatory situation.

Q4. What sensory detail does the speaker associate with the experience of the phone call and the public space?
Ans. The speaker associates an olfactory (smell) detail: “Stench / Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak,” conveying his disgust at the anonymous and prejudiced nature of the interaction.

Q5. What specific details of the public environment does the speaker observe, and what might their color symbolize?
Ans. The speaker observes a “Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered / Omnibus”. The repeated use of “Red” can symbolize the speaker’s rising anger, embarrassment, or the obvious reality of racism.

 

C.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis—
‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’ Revelation came.
‘You mean—like plain or milk chocolate?’
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. ‘West African sepia’—and as afterthought,
“down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness changed her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. ‘WHAT’S THAT?’ conceding
‘DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.’ ‘Like brunette.’

Q1. How does the landlady try to rephrase her question about the speaker’s skin color?
Ans. The landlady, attempting to sound “considerate”, rephrases her question by varying the emphasis, asking, “ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?”

Q2. What analogy does the speaker use to clarify the landlady’s question about his complexion?
Ans. To simplify her question, the speaker asks if she means plain or milk chocolate.

Q3. How does the landlady’s agreement to the chocolate analogy affect the speaker?
Ans. Her agreement felt “clinical” and “crushing in its light Impersonality,” suggesting it was cold, detached, and dehumanizing.

Q4. What specific term does the speaker initially choose to describe his skin color to the landlady?
Ans. The speaker initially chooses to describe his skin color as “West African sepia”, to categorize his skin tone as a reddish-brown hue similar to old monochromatic photographs.

Q5. How does the landlady react to the term “West African sepia”?
Ans. After a moment of silence, the landlady’s tone changes to become “Hard on the mouthpiece” and she directly asks, “WHAT’S THAT?” admitting she doesn’t know what the term means. Her true, blunt nature came out, and her voice became harsh on the phone.

 

D.
‘THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?’ ‘Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused—
Foolishly madam—by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black—One moment madam!’—sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears—‘Madam,’ I pleaded, ‘wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself ?’

Q1. How does the landlady respond after the speaker offers “brunette” as a description?
Ans. The landlady responds with a judgmental question, “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?”

Q2. What specific parts of his body does the speaker claim are “peroxide blonde”?
Ans. The speaker humorously claims that the palm of his hand and the soles of his feet are “peroxide blonde.”

Q3. What exaggerated and humorous reason does the speaker give for his “bottom raven black” color?
Ans. He humorously claims that his bottom has turned “raven black” due to “Friction, caused—Foolishly madam—by sitting down.”

Q4. What action does the speaker sense the landlady is about to take?
Ans. The speaker senses that the landlady is about to hang up the phone, described as her “receiver rearing on the thunderclap About my ears.”

Q5. What is the speaker’s final, provocative question to the landlady?
Ans. His final, provocative question to the landlady is, “Madam, wouldn’t you rather See for yourself?”

Extra Questions

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Answer the following questions.

Q1. Why does the speaker refer to the telephone booth setting as “public hide-and-speak”?
Ans. This phrase highlights the ironic public nature of the booth that allows for private, prejudiced conversations. It suggests a place where people can hide behind anonymity to speak their biases without direct confrontation, evoking a sense of concealed disgust.

Q2. What is the significance of the speaker’s comment “It was real!” after describing the red booth, pillar-box, and omnibus?
Ans. This signifies the speaker’s sudden, grounding realization that the discriminatory interaction he’s experiencing is not a nightmare or an imagined scenario, but a harsh reality. The familiar red objects serve as reliable evidence to confirm the concrete existence of the prejudice.

Q3. How does the speaker use the “chocolate” analogy to expose the landlady’s prejudice, rather than just describe his skin?
Ans. By offering an analogy like “plain or milk chocolate,” the speaker forces the landlady to explicitly categorize him using a common, agreeable consumer product. Her “clinical, crushing” assent reveals her willingness to reduce human identity to a commodity, exposing the cold, impersonal nature of her racism.

Q4. What is the emotional impact on the speaker indicated by the line “Shamed By ill-mannered silence, surrender Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification”?
Ans. This line reveals a complex emotional state. The speaker feels “shamed” not by his own race, but by the landlady’s “ill-mannered silence”—her rude judgment. This shame, coupled with his “dumbfounded” surprise at her blatant racism, pushes him to “surrender” his dignity and seek clarification, rather than immediately challenging her.

Q5. What is the ultimate effect of the speaker’s increasingly absurd and detailed physical descriptions at the end of the poem?
Ans. The absurd descriptions (peroxide blonde palms, raven black bottom) serve as a satirical strategy to mock and expose the landlady’s crude obsession with racial categorization. By providing such ridiculous, over-the-top details, the speaker turns the tables, making her invasive questions seem utterly bizarre and forcing her to confront the ridiculousness of her own discriminatory criteria.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. How does the speaker use vivid sensory details to convey the absurdity and dehumanization of the landlady’s interrogation?
Ans. The speaker masterfully uses a range of sensory details to highlight the dehumanizing absurdity of the landlady’s questions. The initial silence that follows his confession, ‘I am African’ is described as a ‘silenced transmission of / Pressurized good-breeding’, a phrase that captures the suffocating, calculated pause of someone trying to maintain a polite facade while their prejudice takes over. When her voice finally returns, it’s described as ‘Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled / Cigarette-holder pipped’, evoking an image of a pretentious, well-to-do woman whose physical accessories stand in for a genuine human response. The most powerful sensory detail, however, is the ‘Stench / Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak’, which physically manifests the corruption of her words. This smell doesn’t just describe bad breath; it symbolizes the hypocrisy and moral decay behind her polite inquiries. The speaker also notes the ‘Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered / Omnibus’, a powerful repetition of the color red that symbolizes his simmering rage and humiliation. The world around him seems to echo his internal state, making the surreal interrogation feel jarringly, viscerally real. These sensory details effectively transform an abstract concept of racism into a tangible, repulsive experience for the reader, making the speaker’s emotional turmoil palpable.

Q2. Analyze the speaker’s shift in tone and strategy throughout the poem. How does he move from a position of vulnerability to one of defiant empowerment?
Ans. The speaker’s tone undergoes a significant transformation, moving from a position of vulnerability to one of defiant empowerment as the poem progresses. Initially, he is cautious and somewhat resigned, warning the landlady, ‘I hate a wasted journey—I am African’, a statement born out of a desire to prevent a predictable rejection. The pause and her subsequent questions about his darkness leave him dumbfounded, pushing him to a moment of surrender where he feels forced to ‘beg simplification’. This is the peak of his vulnerability, where he is at the mercy of her prejudice. However, a turning point occurs with her clinical, inhuman comparison of his skin to ‘plain or milk chocolate’. This dehumanizing metaphor acts as a catalyst for his change in strategy. He recognizes the futility of trying to appeal to her humanity and decides to beat her at her own game. His response, ‘West African sepia’, is the first sign of this shift. He then begins to describe his skin color with an absurd, almost scientific precision, detailing the different shades of his ‘palm of my hand, soles of my feet’, and even his ‘bottom’. This detailed, exaggerated description is not a genuine confession but a satirical performance designed to expose the absurdity of her racial classification system. By turning the interrogation into a grotesque joke, he reclaims his power and dignity, ending the poem not with a plea, but a challenge, ‘wouldn’t you rather / See for yourself?’ This final line is a direct, confrontational act of empowerment that leaves the landlady, and the reader, to grapple with the ridiculousness of her prejudice.

Q3. Explain the significance of the poem’s title, Telephone Conversation, in relation to its themes of identity, communication, and prejudice.
Ans. The title Telephone Conversation is highly significant because it immediately establishes a context of limited and mediated communication, which is central to the poem’s themes. A telephone call is a form of interaction where physical appearance is absent, forcing both parties to rely solely on voice and words. This lack of visual information should, in theory, create a level playing field, but the poem reveals how prejudice can contaminate even this seemingly neutral space. The landlady’s first question, ‘HOW DARK?’, immediately shatters the pretense of an equal conversation and reduces the speaker’s entire identity to a single, superficial trait. The telephone, instead of being a bridge, becomes a barrier that amplifies her biases, allowing her to categorize and judge him without ever having to face him. The poem shows that true communication is impossible in the face of such deep-seated prejudice. The speaker’s shift to a more theatrical, mocking tone is a direct result of this failed communication. He realizes that a genuine conversation about his identity is not possible. He can only engage with her on her own absurd terms, using the telephone line to transmit a satirical performance rather than an honest response. Thus, the title is ironic; the exchange is not a real conversation but a demonstration of how prejudice can turn a simple transaction into a dehumanizing interrogation, highlighting the pervasive nature of racism that can exist even without physical proximity.

Q4. Discuss how the speaker’s final, provocative question, ‘wouldn’t you rather / See for yourself?’, functions as a powerful rhetorical device.
Ans. The speaker’s final question, ‘wouldn’t you rather / See for yourself?’, is a powerful rhetorical device that serves multiple functions. First, it’s a direct challenge to the landlady. Up until this point, she has relied on abstract, dehumanizing classifications to judge him. His invitation forces her to confront the reality of her prejudice and the human being she is speaking to. By suggesting a physical meeting, he puts the ball in her court, forcing her to either accept his challenge and witness his full humanity or retreat, confirming her cowardice and hypocrisy. Second, it is a brilliant act of reclaiming power. The landlady began the conversation by demanding to know his level of darkness, reducing his worth to a color chart. The speaker ends it by giving her the ultimate option, to witness the complexity and individuality of his physical self. This subverts her control and gives him the final say. Finally, the question functions as a powerful moment of satire. The speaker has just described his body in absurd, ridiculous terms, highlighting the foolishness of her questions. The final line acts as the punchline to his elaborate joke, daring her to see if his bottom really is ‘raven black’. The absurdity of the request reflects the absurdity of her initial inquiry. The line leaves the reader with a feeling of triumph and empowerment, as the speaker, once the victim of her racism, now leaves her with an impossible choice, simultaneously shaming her and affirming his own dignity.

Q5. How does the poem use satire and humor to critique racism and the concept of racial categorization?
Ans. The poem employs satire and humor as its primary weapons to critique racism, turning a painful experience into an act of comedic defiance. The most obvious example of this is the speaker’s elaborate, scientific-like description of his skin tones. When the landlady’s questions reduce him to a single color, he responds by fragmenting his body into a multitude of shades: his face is ‘brunette’, his palms and soles are ‘peroxide blond’, and his bottom is ‘raven black’. This detailed and absurd breakdown is not meant to be taken literally; rather, it is a brilliant parody of the landlady’s obsession with categorization. By presenting a ridiculously complex color chart of his own body, the speaker exposes the foolishness of her attempts to neatly classify him. The humor here is deeply ironic, he is playing the role of the obedient subject, providing the exact kind of information she is looking for, but doing so in a way that highlights the sheer absurdity and impossibility of her request. The image of his bottom turning ‘raven black’ due to friction from sitting is a final, masterful touch of satire, a physical manifestation of his defiance that leaves the landlady dumbfounded. The humor serves a dual purpose; first, it allows the speaker to process and cope with the humiliation he is facing, and second, it allows the poet to deliver a sharp, memorable critique of a racist system that tries to reduce a person’s complex identity to a single, meaningless color. The final question, ‘wouldn’t you rather / See for yourself?’, is the triumphant culmination of this satirical performance.

 

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