Intermediate English 11th Poem 13 A Tale of Two Cities MCQs Short Questions Synonyms Reference Context Explanations
FSc ICS FA ICom Notes Part I, 1st year English Notes, Short Questions, Book Exercise SQs, MCQs, Quizzes, Translation, Synonyms, TCA Notes, tcanotes, The Concept Academy Notes
Poem & Theme
Poem 13 A Tale of Two Cities (John Peter)
In the storms of the shrills
Of arms, smoke and the drills
All were scarred, burnt and afraid
Powerless and helpless were they made.
Wonderful were all the hills
Wasteful were all the grills
None to share their moans
None to lessen their groans
The flowers, flavours all smashed
Burnt, crushed and all dashed
All all passed through the grind
Leaving there nothing behind.
No eye could look
The explosion that took
The lives of two glories
In the moments of furies
All was done by a nation
Who in her wild passion
Cared not for the human rights
Nor saved them from deadly fights.
But how much great were they
Who bore the pains of black day:
“Ashes are not merely the waste
They can really create the great.”
Theme:
The people of the two cities of Japan passed through the most cruel period of their lives when the atomic bombs burst, and destroyed the glory of their culture and civilization. They suffered all the pains and pangs patiently and boldly, and did not lose heart. They, with their great will and determination, again rose to the heights as an economic power from the aches.
MCQs
Important MCQs
1. Choose the meaning of the underlined word.
i. Of arms, smoke and the drills.
- exercises
- soldiers
- fights
- cries
ii. All were scarred.
- injured
- afraid
- interested
- dared
iii. Woeful were all the hills.
- cheerful
- mouthful
- gloomy
- happy
iv. None to share their moans.
- eagerness
- groans
- voices
- speeches
v. The flowers, flavours all smashed.
- matched
- played
- crashed
- dispatched
vi. None to lessen their groans.
- reduce
- increase
- speed
- view
vii. The flowers, flavours all smashed.
- leaves
- fruits
- aroma
- plants
viii. In the moments of furies.
- hate
- love
- anxiety
- ferocity
ix. Who in her wild passion.
- simple
- grave
- serious
- barbaric
x. Nor saved them from deadly fights.
- deathful
- simple
- mocking
- brave
2. Choose the correct answer.
i. People were.
- powerless
- helpless
- scarred
- All of above
ii. Flowers flavours.
- increased
- smashed
- burnt
- exploded
iii. Who saw the explosion.
- everyone
- No one
- children
- Men
iv. Ashes can create.
- waste
- fury
- contempt
- great
Synonyms
| Woeful | grieved, gloomy |
| Smashed | destroyed, crashed |
| Drills | exercise |
| Scarred | injured |
| Moans | groans |
| Lessen | reduce |
| Flavours | aroma |
| Furies | Ferocity |
| Wild | barbaric |
| Deadly | deathful |
Short Questions
Book Questions and Answer.
Q1. Why do the people look powerless and helpless?
Ans. People look powerless and helpless because they were attacked by an enemy which they could not encounter. They were powerless and helpless against the nuclear explosion. They were burnt, scarred and scared.
Q2. Under whet circumstances the victims have to pass through?
Ans. The victims had to pass through great distress and misery. Their lives and properties were ruined. Everything was crushed and smashed by the invisible power of atom bombs. There was nobody to help them. They had to help
themselves without having proper means. Nobody knew what to do as such devastation had never occurred before.
Q3. Describe the scene of devastation?
Ans. People were crying everywhere. There were arms and soldiers. Smoke was rising from the rubble. Everybody was in great pain. The environment was gloomy and there were cries in the air but nobody was in a position to help the other. There was destruction all around. The two glorious cities had been vanished from the earth. There seemed to be ghosts everywhere mourning the dead.
Q4. What is the moral lesson of the poem?
Ans. The poem gives human beings a moral lesson. They should never try to possess fatal and ultimate powers which prove ruinous for mankind. Wealthy and powerful countries should help other countries. They are responsible for world peace. If they decide to devastate the world then who would save it.
Q5. Write down rhyming words and use them in your sentences.
Ans. Rhyming Words & Sentences
Shrills: There was a flood of shrills after the accident.
Drills: Everybody was afraid of the drills.
Afraid: I am not afraid of examination.
Made: He has made me a gentlemen.
Hills: We went to the Murree hills last summer.
Grills: Put it under hot grills for five minutes.
Moans: Everybody tried to share their moans.
Groans: Nobody was there to lessen her groans.
Smashed: He smashed the radio to pieces.
Dashed: She dashed off to keep an appointment.
Grind: She is grinding flour.
Behind: He was standing behind the door.
Look: Look at the beautiful scenery.
Took: He took me for his enemy.
Glories: The atomic explosion took the lives of two glories.
Furies: We should keep ourselves calm in the moments of furies.
Nation: Our nation celebrates its independence day on 14th August.
Passion: Noble passions always benefit others.
Rights: We should give everybody his rights.
Fights: We should try to stop fights in the world.
They: They should work for humanity,
Day: This is a great day for me.
Waste: Do not waste Your time.
Great: Great people always do great deeds.
Q6. Write two more rhyming words:
i. afraid, spade, blade
ii. moans, groans, loans
iii. kites, bites, rights
Additional Questions and Answers.
Q1 .What sort of storms did the people face?
Ans. They faced storms of shrills, arms, smoke and drills.
Q2. How did the storms affect the people?
Ans. They were all injured, burnt, afraid, powerless and helpless.
Q3. How were the people of two cities made powerless?
Ans. Atomic bombs were thrown on the two cities by the Americans. Every living being was smashed by the evil technology. The destruction was so massive that the people became powerless.
Q4. How did the hills look?
Ans. The hills looked sad and gloomy.
Q5. Who consoled the miserable people?
Ans. There was nobody to share their griefs.
Q6. How was the atmosphere all around?
Ans. The flowers and flavours had lost their charms. There was nothing left behind.
Q7. Who was responsible for taking lives of two glories?
Ans. The wild nation took the lives of two glories.
Q8. What did a wild nation do in her fury?
Ans. She did not care for the human rights in her fury and destroyed everything.
Q9. Who were those who bore the pains of black day?
Ans. They were very great people(Japanese) as they bore the pains of black day.
Q10. What is the message of the poem, “A Tale of Two Cities”?
Ans. The poet preaches that man should renounce the use of destructive weapons. He emphasizes that those who work hard to regain their lost strength finally become successful. They should work with determination to gain honour.
Q11. What is the theme of the poem?
Ans. The poem gives expression to the sufferings of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed by the atomic bomb. At the same time, the poet praises the Japanese nation that did not lose heart.
Explanation with reference to the context
In the storms of the shrills
Of arms, smoke and the drills
All were scarred, burnt and afraid
Powerless and helpless were they made’:
Reference:
These lines have been taken from “A Tale of Two Cities” by John Peter.
Context:
The poem is a tribute to the people of Japan. They rose to the heights of the universe as an economic power from the ashes. They suffered all the pains and pangs patiently and bravely. They worked very hard to regain their lost strength. They worked with iron will and determination. The poet also condemns the cruelty of the Americans that they violated the human rights.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet has vividly portrayed the picture of the disaster in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, caused by the dropping of atom bombs, It caused a havoc on the surface of the earth. Millions of people were killed. Those who survived the attack were įn a miserable condition. They were burnt and unable to do anything. They were scared to hear the piercing sounds of arms, to see the heavy smoke spread all around and see military exercises. It was such a dreadful situation as made all the people of the two cities of Japan powerless and utterly helpless. The poet mourns the dead and describes the miserable condition of the Japanese after the atomic explosions. The poet says that there were cries, smoke, arms and ammunition everywhere. Everybody was injured or burnt. All were powerless and helpless. Atmosphere was gloomy. It seemed as if nature were mourning the worst barbarism. There was nobody to share their griefs and lessen their pain.
Woeful were all the hills
Wasteful were all the grills
None to share their moans
None to lessen their groans.
Reference:
Same as above.
Context:
Same as above.
Explanation:
In the given lines the poet exclaims while describing the scene of the place where the bombs were dropped that even the hills were presenting the view of great sufferings and misfortune. All the informal public restaurants were transformed into ruins. There was no one who could share griefs and pains of the disabled. They were presenting a heart-rending spectacle. Everybody was involved in mourning in one way or the other. They were friendless
helpless.
The flowers, flavours all smashed
Burns, crushed and all dashed
And all passed through the grind
Leaving there nothing behind.
Reference:
Same as above.
Context:
Same as above.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet exclaims that there were heavy explosions that destroyed and everything. The gardens bearing fascinating and beautiful flowers were crushed, burnt and devastated. The innocent people who were flower-like underwent the same destruction. They were crushed like flowers by the dropping of the atomic bombs on the two cities of Japan. There remained no difference among flavours, all burnt, ruined and damaged. All the flowery plants passed through the grinding machine run by the craze of the power-drunk.
No eye could look
The explosion that took
The lives of two glories
In the moments of furies.
Reference:
Same as above.
Context:
Same as above.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet tells us about the intensity of the explosion. There was eye of a man that could look at the destruction caused by the dropping of the atomic bombs on the two cities of Japan. For the first time in the history of the world heavy explosives were used. The explosion was so severe that it was impossible for anybody to see it. The two cities, which were at the height of their splendor and grandeur, were turned into debris in no time. Angers and furies make a person unable to think whether he is doing right or wrong. The two cities fell a victim to same moments of anger and rage of the pseudo civilized nation of the world, that is, America.
All was done by a nation
Who in her wild passion
Cared not for the human rights
Nor saved them from deadly fights.
Reference:
Same as above.
Context:
Same as above.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet highlights the wild and untamed craze of the superpower that at the time of dropping atom bombs it didn’t have a slight idea of the human rights which that nation boasted of. It did not stop itself from fatal fights. It did not think of the precious lives of the thousands of the innocent people. Fights, battles and wars always aggravate the situation and can never be a safe solution of the problems. But the crazy nation couldn’t understand that very thing and did not save them from the fatal clash.
But how much great were they
Who bore the pains of black day
“Ashes are not merely the waste
They can really create the great.”
Reference:
Same as above.
Context:
Same as above.
Explanation:
In these lines the poet has given a comparative view of the destroyer and the destroyed. On one hand, the former was condemned by everyone for its contemptible act. On the other hand, the latter was appreciated not only for the patience it exhibited to face the disaster but also for their subsequent efforts and endeavours to raise itself to the height of lost glory again. Rather their efforts led them to the status of economic superpower and in this way the despicable event proved blessing in disguise. With their strong will-power and steadfastness they rose to the heights of progress in the world as an economic power from the ashes.
