Tamilnadu state Board samacheer Kalvi 10th English Guide Unit-7 The House on Elm Street(poem)
7. The House on Elm Street(poem)
- Nadia Bush
A. Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
B.P.No. 203
1. It sat alone.
What happened there is still today unknown.
It is a very mysterious place,
And inside you can tell it has a ton of space,
But at the same time it is bare to the bone.
a.
What does ‘It’ refer to?
‘It’ refers to the mysterious house.
b.
Pick out the line that indicates the size of the house.
‘And inside you can tell it has a ton of space.’
2. I drive past the house almost every day.
The house seems to be a bit brighter.
On this warm summer day in May.
It plays with your mind.
a.
Who does ‘I’ refer to?
‘I’ refers to the poet.
b.
Pick out the alliterated words in the 2nd line.
be – bit – brighter.
3. It never grows leaves,
Not in the winter, spring, summer or fall.
It just sits there never getting small or ever growing tall
a. What does ‘it’ refer to?
‘It’ refers to the tree.
b. In what way is the tree a mystery?
The tree does not have any leaves. It never grows nor does it become small.
4. Rumors are constantly being made,
And each day the house just begins to fade.
What happened inside that house?
a. Does the house remain the same every day?
No, the house seems to begin to fade.
b. Why does the poet consider the house to be a mystery?
Nobody knows what happens inside the house. So the poet considers the house a mystery.
5. What happened inside that house?
I really don’t know
I guess it will always be a mystery
a. Does the poet know what happened in the house?
No, the poet does not know what happened in the house.
b. What is the mystery about the house?
As nobody knows what happens inside the house, it is a mystery.
ADDITIONAL
Read the given lines and answer the questions given below.
1. Beside the house sits a tree.
It never grows leaves,
Not in the winter, spring, summer or fall.
a. Do leaves grow in the tree?
No, leaves don’t grow on the tree.
b. What is near the house?
A tree is near the house.
2. And each day the house just begins to fade.
What happened inside that house?
a. When does the house seem to fade?
Every day the house seems to fade.
b. Identify the words in alliteration.
happened, house.
3. How could this be?
a. What is the figure of speech.
“Rhetorical Question”.
4. It just sits there, never getting small or ever growing tall.
a. What is the figure of speech mentioned here.
Paradox
B. Answer the following in a paragraph.
1. Where is the house located? Why is it a mysterious place?
Poem-The House on Elm Street
Poet-Nadia Bush
Theme
An enigmatic mysterious house
It sat alone
What happened there is still today unknown
Nadia Bush in her poem ‘The House on Elm Tree’ describes a mysterious house. Nobody knows what happens inside the house. It is still there but still people do not know what happens inside the house. The house has plenty of space inside and it is a very big house. But nobody lives there; it is bare. At night the house seems to have some life. Some light comes and goes. In summer the house seems to be little brighter. It is always in her mind; it never leaves her mind. Near the house there is a tree. It never has any leaves on it. In all the seasons it looks the same. It neither grows nor becomes small. She wonders how it is possible. Some rumors are going round saying that the house begins to fade away. The poet does not know what is going on inside the house and it will always remain a mystery to the poet.
Besides the house sits a tree
It never grows leaves
2. How is the mystery depicted in the poem?
Poem-The House on Elm Street
Poet-Nadia Bush
Theme
An enigmatic mysterious house
At night the house seems to be alive
Lights flicker on and off
Nadia Bush in her poem ‘The House on Elm Tree’ describes a mysterious house. Nobody knows what happens inside the house. It is still there but still people do not know what happens inside the house. The house has plenty of space inside and it is a very big house. But nobody lives there; it is bare. At night the house seems to have some life. Some light comes and goes. The poet is often tempted to go inside the house just to see what is inside. But fear never allows her to take any step towards that. Every day the poet drives past the house. In summer the house seems to be littlebrighter. It is always in her mind; it never leaves her mind. Near the house there is a tree. It never has any leaves on it. In all the seasons it looks the same. It neither grows nor becomes small. She wonders how it is possible. Some rumors are going round saying that the house begins to fade away. The poet does not know what is going on inside the house and it will always remain a mystery to the poet.
What happened inside that house?
I really don’t know.
I guess it will always be a mystery