Chapter: 02. Piano
A. Answer these questions.
At what time of day does the woman begin singing to the poet? The woman begins singing at dusk. What is the main sound the child hears while sitting under the piano? The child hears the “boom of the tingling strings.” What specific weather condition is mentioned as being outside during the Sunday evenings the poet remembers? Winter is mentioned as being outside. What does the poet compare his past emotions to when he states, “I weep like a child for the past”? He compares his weeping to that of a child. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see A child sitting under the piano…”
a. What does the phrase “vista of years” suggest about the poet’s journey back in time?
* It suggests a long, expansive, and perhaps panoramic view of many years stretching behind him, implying a deep dive into a distant past.
b. How does the imagery of a “child sitting under the piano” contribute to the overall feeling of the poem?
* It creates an intimate, vulnerable, and innocent image, highlighting the sense of security and childlike perspective that the poet misses. It makes the memory feel very personal and deeply rooted. “So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour With the great black piano appassionato.”
a. What does the poet mean by saying the singer’s efforts are “vain”?
* The poet means that the singer’s powerful and passionate performance is pointless or useless because his own emotions are already completely dominated by his personal memories, not the present music.
b. How does the “great black piano appassionato” contrast with the poet’s memory of the “tinkling piano”?
* The “great black piano appassionato” suggests a grand, forceful, and intensely emotional performance in the present, while the “tinkling piano” from his memory implies a gentler, more delicate, and perhaps more innocent sound from his childhood. This contrast highlights the difference between his current reality and his cherished past. C. Think and answer.
How does the poet’s use of different sounds (e.g., “boom,” “tingling,” “tinkling,” “clamour”) help to convey the changing atmosphere or emotional state in the poem? “Boom” and “tingling” describe the physical sensation and immersive sound of the piano from a child’s perspective, creating a vivid, almost tactile memory. “Tinkling” for the old piano suggests a softer, perhaps simpler, and comforting sound of home. “Clamour” describes the present singer’s loud and passionate playing, which contrasts with the gentler past and highlights the poet’s detachment from the present performance because he is overwhelmed by his internal memories. These sounds transition from intimate sensory details to a powerful present sound that the poet can’t connect with, reflecting his internal emotional shift. The poem explores the theme of memory’s power. Discuss how the poet’s reaction to the music changes from a gentle recollection to an overwhelming emotional experience. Initially, the music “softly” takes him back, leading to a gentle, visual recollection of himself as a child. However, this gentle start quickly turns into an “insidious mastery of song” that “betrays” him, making his heart “weep to belong.” By the end, the memory becomes a “flood of remembrance” that completely overtakes him, stripping away his “manhood” and causing him to “weep like a child,” showing a progression from a simple memory trigger to an all-consuming emotional experience. Imagine you are the woman singing to the poet. How might you feel witnessing his profound emotional reaction to your music? (Personal Answer Example) As the woman singing, I might feel a mix of emotions. Initially, I might feel successful and proud that my music is so moving. However, seeing someone weep so profoundly might also make me feel a bit concerned or confused, wondering if I’ve touched a painful memory. There would likely be a sense of awe at the immense power of music to evoke such a deep, personal response in another person. D. Appreciation: Simile and Transferred Epithet
Identify the simile in the following sentence and explain what two things are being compared:
“The silence stretched out like an endless road.” The simile is “like an endless road.” It compares the duration and vastness of the silence to the length and seemingly never-ending nature of an endless road. Underline the transferred epithet in these sentences and explain which noun the adjective truly describes:
a. He passed a sleepless night worrying about the exam.
* sleepless (The person, he, is sleepless, not the night itself.)
b. She shook her angry finger at the disobedient child.
* angry (The person, she, is angry, not her finger.)
c. They navigated the lonely road through the desert.
* lonely (The people travelling, they, feel lonely, not the road itself.) E. Learn About Language: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
@My mother@ baked a delicious cake. (T) @The artist@ painted a beautiful portrait. (T) F. Language Lab: Double Consonant Sounds
Answer key