Tracking progress through consistent use of DAV Class 8 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 2 Granny’s Tree Climbing is a helpful practice.
DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 2 Question Answer – Granny’s Tree Climbing
Pre-Reading Task
Question 1.
Which of the following tasks do you associate with your grandmother:
(a) cooking
(b) knitting
(c) sewing
(d) preparing pickles
(e) climbing trees?
Question 2.
Have you ever climbed a tree? Did you find the task easy and enjoyable or difficult? Discuss with your friends some risks involved in climbing trees.
Question 3.
Do you know what a tree-top house is? Discuss with your friends how different living in a tree-top house would be from living in an ordinary house.
Answer:
- Grandmothers are more close to their grandchildren. I too love my grandmother. I can associate my grandmother with all the tasks including cooking, knitting, sewing, preparing pickles etc. except climbing trees.
- Yes, I have climbed a tree. In the beginning I found it difficult. Once I got to it, it became an easy and enjoyable task. There are several risks involved in climbing a tree, one can fall down and get injured.
- A tree-top house is a house made of wood and situated at the top of a tree. It is made in the forests by the people to protect themselves from wild animals. It is adventurous to live in such houses. People live in the lap of nature. Though, risks are there yet one who loves nature is thrilled himself.
I. Understanding the Poem
A. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions in one word/phrase.
Question 1.
At what age did the Granny learn climbing trees?
Answer:
At the age of six.
Question 2.
Who taught her the art of climbing trees?
Answer:
Her loving brother.
Question 3.
How old was she when she last climbed a tree?
Answer:
She was 62 years old.
Question 4.
In which season did she get trapped in a tree?
Answer:
In summer season.
Question 5.
For how long was she advised to take rest after being rescued?
Answer:
She was advised to take rest for a week.
Question 6.
Who made a tree-top house for her?
Answer:
With the help of the poet Granny’s son, made a tree-top house for her.
Question 7.
What things does the narrator carry to his granny’s tree-top house daily?
Answer:
The narrator carries glasses, tray and sherry to drink.
B. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
We sighed with relief and tucked her up well.
Poor Granny! For her, it was like a brief season in hell.
Confined to her bedroom, while every breeze
Whispered of summer and dancing leaves.
(a) Why did the narrator and his family ‘sigh in relief?
Answer:
Granny used to climb trees which was taken as disgraceful by the family. When the doctor advised her to take rest for a week, the family took a shy of relief that she would not try to climb trees again for some days.
(b) Why was Granny confined to bed? Why did she find it ‘a brief season in hell’?
Answer:
On doctor’s advice Granny was confined to bed. She did not want to spend her entire summer in one room. She had to spend many days in this confinement and she could not climb trees. The summer season in such condition became a hell for her.
(c) How did she finally get rid of this ‘season in hell’?
Answer:
Granny could not live in such situation. She asked her son to make a tree-top house for her. When it was ready, she began to live there enjoying her time.
Question 2.
—but it was feared by all
That one day she’d have a terrible fall.
The outcome was different—
(a) What did everyone fear?
Answer:
Everyone had fear that one day she would fall from the tree.
(b) The outcome was different’. What was this outcome? How was it different from what everyone had expected?
Answer:
Once when the entire family had gone out of home Granny climbed the tree, but she was unable to come down. The outcome was quite different from what everyone expected. They expected that she would fall down but she remained stuck there, and could not come down.
(c) What did this outcome lead to?
Answer:
When she came down the doctor advised her to take a week’s rest. This season became a hell for Granny.
C. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb.
II. HOTS
The poet says:
‘… every breeze
Whispered of summer and dancing leaves.’
Discuss with your partner how breeze can “whisper’ and leaves ‘dance’. Which figure of speech has been used here?
Answer:
According to the poet, every breeze that was blowing was speaking of the arrival of the summer season, leaves were fluttering in a manner as if they were dancing. The figure of speech used here is personification as if breeze and leaves have been given a human shape.
III. Life Skills
Granny liked living in a tree-top house more than living in an ordinary house. If you get a chance to live in a tree-top house what problems would you face while living there and what thing would you enjoy?
Answer:
The poet’s grandmother is quite different from other grandmother’s. She has own passion of climbing trees. She lias developed a close relation with nature and loves to spend sometime in the laps of nature. If I would get a chance like grandmother I would love to enjoy my new found freedom but at the same time it would be at the cost of sacrificing the comnany of my family members.
IV. Values
Grandparents are always very dear to grandchildren. What all do you do to spend quality time with your grand parents.
Answer:
For self-attempt.
V. Writing Skills
Imagine yourself to be Granny. Write a diary entry expressing your ardent wish to climb trees and your family’s disapproval of it.
Answer:
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10:00 p.m. 20th June, 20XX |
DAV Class 8 English Literature Chapter 2 Solutions – Granny’s Tree Climbing
I. Reference to Context
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1.
(i) But she held her peace till she felt stronger,
Then sat up and said, ‘I’ll lie here no longer!’
And she called for my father and told him undaunted
That a house in a tree-top was what she now wanted.
(a) Who is she?
Answer:
She is the poet’s grandmother.
(b) Was she happy there?
Answer:
She was not happy there. When she found herself recovered from her illness, she protested that she would no longer live there.
(c) Why did she call the poet’s father?
Answer:
She was advised by the doctor to live on the bed. But she considered the bed as a hell. So she called the poet’s father and expressed her desire for a tree-top house.
(d) Was hei desire fulfilled?
Answer:
The poet’s father was a dutiful son. He prepared a tree-top house with a door and windows with the help of poet for her mother. Thus, her desire was fulfilled.
(ii) I climb to her room with glasses and a tray.
She sits there in state and drinks sherry with me,
Upholding her right to reside in a tree.
(a) Who is ‘I’? Where does he climb?
Answer:
‘I’ refers to the poet here. He climbs the tree-top house to get company of her grandmother.
(b) How can you say she is happy there?
Answer:
She is happy in her tree-top house as she sits there in grand style as if that small tree-top house were her magnificent palace.
(c) Which right of grandmother is mentioned here?
Answer:
The grandmother’s passion was tree climbing. She was stopped for it. At last she got success in upholding her right to res.de in a tree-top house.
II. Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Do you consider poet’s grandmother a crazy woman? Support your answer with your opinion.
Answer:
The poet’s grandmother is quite different from other grandmothers. She does not like to pass her time in telling stories to her grandchildren or praying God. She has her own passion of climbing trees. She has developed her close relation with nature. So she doesn’t want to be deprived of this pleasure. She cannot be considered as crazy as it is her love for nature that she seeks fervour of life in a tree-top house. Even she sacrifices the company of her family members at the cost of nature. I appreciate her love and intimacy with nature.
Question 2.
Write a brief character sketch of the grandmother.
Answer:
The grandmother is a genius. She loves adventure. So even at the age of 62, she climbs a tree. The adventure of tree climbing is in her blood. She loves freedom and finds herself in a hell when she is confined to her bed. She is a courageous lady. So she doesn’t care to be hurt while climbing a tree. Her intimacy with nature reflects in persuading her son to make a tree-top house for her. She is quite different to other ladies of her age. For her, nature is heaven and everything to her.
Question 3.
You Eire poet, Ruskin Bond. Write a letter to your friend sifter making a tree-top house for your grandmother and how she feels there.
Answer:
Examination Hall
20th June 20XX
Dear Ashimov
I hope you will find this letter in good spirit. I have told you earlier about my grandmother’s passion for living in tree top house. I along with my father have built a tree-top house for her. Though, she lives in it alone yet she is quite contented. Perhaps, she loves company of nature more than the company of human beings. Sometimes in the eyening I visit her and she loves to have sherry with me.
My family members and neighbours take grEindmother’s passion quite peculiar. But I love her passion. A lot of people want to live in the lap of nature. I invite you to visit my grandmother in her tree-top house.
Yours
Ruskin
Granny’s Tree Climbing Summary in English
‘Granny’s Tree Climbing’ is one of the best poems of Ruskin Bond. His grandmother was a genius. She could climb any tree. She was 62 years old when she climbed a tree last time. She was fond of climbing trees since her childhood. Her climbing on the trees was forbidden when she grew up as it was disgraceful in this age to act like this. But she was happy in growing old even disgracefully. In the garden there was no tree as everyone was scared that she would fall one day. Once when the entire family went out Granny climbed the tree but she was unable to come down. When she was rescued, she was advised by the doctor to take a week’s rest. This season became a hell for Granny. She was unable to go out. On one summer day, she called the poet’s father and asked him to make a tree-top house for her. With the assistance of the poet Granny’s son made a tree-top house with windows and a door. Granny now stays in that house in grand style and drinks sherry with her grandson (the poet).
Granny’s Tree Climbing Summary in Hindi
‘ग्रेनीज ट्री क्लाइमबिंग’ रस्किन बॉण्ड की महत्वपूर्ण कविताओं में से एक है। वह अपनी दादी की असाधारण प्रतिभा की तारीफ करता है। वह किसी भी पेड़ पर चढ़ सकती थी। जब वह आखिरी बार पेड़ पर चढ़ी तब वह 62 वर्ष की थी। बचपन से ही उन्हें पेड़ों पर चढ़ने का शौक था। उन्हें समझाया गया कि बढ़ती हुई उम्र के साथ उन्हें पेड़ पर चढ़ना बन्द कर देना चाहिए। इस उम्र में इस प्रकार का काम अपमानजनक होता है। लेकिन वह अपमानजनक तरीके से बड़ा होना पसन्द करती है क्योंकि उन्हें पेड़ों पर चढ़ने में खुशी मिलती हैं। हर किसी को डर था कि वह किसी दिन पेड़ से गिर जाएगी क्योंकि बगीचे में कोई भी पेड़ नहीं था। एक बार पूरा परिवार बाहर गया तो दादी पेड़ पर चढ़ गयी लेकिन उतर नहीं पायीं । जब उन्हें बचाया गया तो डॉक्टर ने उन्हें एक सप्ताह तक बिस्तर पर आराम करने की सलाह दी। दादी के लिए यह असहनीय था । वह बाहर जाने में बिल्कुल असमर्थ थी । ग्रीष्म ऋतु में एक दिन उन्होंने कवि के पिता को बुलाया और कहा कि उन्हें पेड़ पर घर चाहिए । कवि की मदद से दादी के पुत्र ने पेड़ पर एक दरवाजे और खिड़कियों का घर बनाया। अब दादी पेड़ के ऊपर उस घर में बड़े शानदार तरीके से रहती है और अपने पोते (कवि) के साथ बैठकर शैरी पीती हैं।
- Genius-great natural ability – असाधारण प्रतिभा
- In a trice – very quickly – जल्दबाजी में;
- Gracefully – in an elegant way – लालित्यपूर्ण;
- Feared – scared – भयभीत;
- Outcome -result – परिणाम;
- Rescue – save from danger or distress – खतरे से बचाना;
- Recommend – suggest – अनुशासन करना;
- Confined – imprisoned – सीमा विशेष में रखना;
- Undaunted – boldly – साहसपूर्ण;
- Chore – job – कार्य;
- In state – in a grand style – भव्यशैली में;
- Sherry – a kind of wine – एक प्रकार की शराब;
- Uphold – support a decision – किसी निर्णय आदि का समर्थन करना ।