The Gift in Wartime Exercise Class 11 English: Summary & Complete Questions with Answers

Class 11 The Gift in Wartime  Exercise

                                                                                                                                  

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions. 

a. Who is the speaker addressing and why can that person not hear or understand what she is saying? 

➜ The speaker is talking to someone dear to her who is no longer present. Unfortunately, this person can't hear or understand her words because they have passed away.

In this situation, the speaker is addressing a beloved person who has departed from this world. The reason they cannot hear or comprehend her words is that they have moved on to the afterlife, leaving the speaker with only memories of their time together.

b. What can you infer about the speaker’s feelings for the person addressed as “you”? 

➜ The speaker's feelings for the person she refers to as "you" are incredibly profound and intense. She cherishes this individual like the core of her existence, and their absence has left an immense void in her heart. It's evident that she carries a deep sense of longing for them, as depicted in the opening stanza where she offers symbols of love like roses and her wedding gown at their tomb.

The depth of the speaker's emotions becomes apparent through her words. She holds the departed person in the highest regard, and their absence has created a perpetual ache within her that only their presence could soothe.

c. What is the speaker’s attitude toward war? 

➜ The speaker holds a highly unfavorable view of war. She has experienced firsthand the devastating impact of the conflict between America and Vietnam, which resulted in the loss of her beloved individual. This traumatic event has left her with a lasting impression of the horrors of war, causing her to present a critical stance toward it in her poem.

The speaker's perspective on war is quite pessimistic due to the personal loss she has endured. Her portrayal of war highlights its destructive nature and the profound suffering it inflicts on individuals and their loved ones.

d. In what ways do you think this person’s fate has affected the speaker? 

➜ The fate of this person has significantly influenced the speaker's life. The person being spoken of was a courageous soldier who received accolades and honors for their bravery during the conflict. Tragically, they lost their life in a bomb explosion amidst the war between America and Vietnam. This loss has had a profound impact on the speaker, leaving her in a state of profound sadness and solitude.

The unfortunate destiny of this individual has brought about a series of emotional consequences for the speaker. The void created by their absence has made her feel helpless and devoid of love, casting a shadow over her life and causing her great unhappiness.

e. What does the speaker promise at the end of the poem? Why do you think the speaker does this? 

➜ As the poem draws to a close, the speaker makes a heartfelt promise to reunite with her beloved person in their next life. She envisions presenting a piece of shrapnel from the war as a token, intending to show it to him as a means of explaining the circumstances that led to his departure. This symbolic act is meant to facilitate their recognition of each other when they meet again.

The speaker's promise stems from her deep and enduring love for the departed individual. She yearns to be reunited with them and is willing to go to great lengths to ensure that they recognize each other in their future existence. This promise underscores the speaker's unbreakable connection to the person she holds dear, transcending the boundaries of life and death.

Reference to the context

a. What is the theme of the poem? 

➜ The poem's theme is about the cruelty of war and how it negatively affects people. War brings sadness and pain, taking away happiness and causing destruction. The poem highlights the harshness of war and its impact on humanity.

b. What imagery from the poem made the greatest impression on you? Why? 

➜ The images that stood out to me were the roses on the grave and the description of the speaker's lovable person leaving her with lips without a smile, arms without tenderness, eyes without sight, and a body without motion. These images show the deep sorrow caused by war and the emptiness it leaves behind.

c. Which figurative language is used in the poem? Explain with examples. 

➜The poem uses figurative language like irony, apostrophe, anaphora, and metaphor. The title itself is ironic, referring to war's "gifts" of pain and sorrow. The speaker uses apostrophe to address an absent person and share her feelings. Anaphora, repeating "You give me" in the poem, emphasizes the contrasts between war's supposed gifts and the actual losses. Metaphors, like "lips without a smile" and "arms without tenderness," depict the speaker's loneliness after her person's departure due to war.

d. What does the speaker “offer” in this poem? What does the person addressed as “you” give in return?

➜The speaker offers roses, her wedding gown, and her youth to her beloved. In return, the person addressed as "you" gives her medals, a badge, but also the pain of a bloody army dress, and the emptiness of their absence.

e. An apostrophe is a literary device in which a writer or speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and can understand. Discuss the poem in relation to apostrophe. 

➜The poem effectively uses apostrophe to talk to an absent person, expressing the pain of war and the speaker's emotions. The absent person is treated as if listening, making the poem a heartfelt conversation about the devastating effects of war.

Reference beyond the text

a. One way to get relief from grief is to write or talk about it. In your opinion, how might the speaker in this poem have benefitted from saying what she did? Explain. 

➜ Sharing her thoughts and feelings in the poem might have given the speaker a sense of relief from her grief. By expressing her emotions, she could have found a way to cope with the pain of losing her beloved person to the harshness of war. Through her words, she not only honors her loved one's memory but also raises awareness about the devastating impacts of war on human lives. By speaking out, she may have found solace in knowing that her message might prevent others from experiencing similar pain and loss.

b. Write an essay on the effects of war. 

➜  War, a conflict between nations or groups, has far-reaching effects that can devastate both individuals and societies. It leads to destruction, loss of life, and displacement of people. Physically, it results in injuries, illness, and even death, while mentally, it causes trauma, anxiety, and depression. War's aftermath can be seen in both the physical scars it leaves on infrastructure and the emotional scars it leaves on people. It disrupts lives, shatters communities, and leaves a legacy of suffering. Ultimately, war accomplishes little more than causing pain and suffering for all those involved.