The Lotus Poem Question and Answers

Access here, comprehensive Question and Answer solutions for textbook exercises related to poem “The Lotus” by Toru Dutt. These solutions are of high quality and suitable for school students. The answers also include responses to in-text questions. Enjoy free learning here. 🤍😊

In-text Question:

Page 9:

Q. What does the high honour mean?

Answer:
The “high honour” in the poem refers to the title of being the ‘undisputed queen’ of all flowers. It symbolizes the recognition of the most beautiful, proud, and perfect flower among all. Both the rose and the lily compete for this special title.

The English Dale Textbook Exercise Q&A

Comprehension

A. Answer the following questions.

Questions:

1. Name the two flowers that have been mentioned in the poem.
2. Why does Love come to Flora?
3. What does Love demand from Flora?
4. How does Flora fulfil the demands of Love?
5. What is alliteration? Give three examples of alliteration from the poem.

Answers:

1. Name the two flowers that have been mentioned in the poem.
   Ans: The two flowers mentioned in the poem are the rose and the lily.
2. Why does Love come to Flora?
   Ans: Love comes to Flora to ask for a flower that will be the queen of all flowers.
3. What does Love demand from Flora?
   Ans: Love demands a flower that is as beautiful and fragrant as the rose, and as stately and dignified as the lily.
4. How does Flora fulfil the demands of Love?
   Ans: Flora creates the lotus, a flower that combines the rose’s red colour and the lily’s white colour, fulfilling Love’s demand.
5. What is alliteration? Give three examples of alliteration from the poem.
   Ans: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a sentence or phrase.
   Three examples from the poem:
   • ‘high honour’
   • ‘lily lovelier’
   • ‘Flower-factions’

B. Answer the following questions with reference to context:

1. “Love came to Flora asking for a flower
That would of flowers be undisputed queen,
The lily and the rose, long, long had been
Rivals for that high honour.”

(a) What did Love ask from Flora?
Ans: Love asked Flora to create a flower that would be the queen of all flowers—the best flower, surpassing all others.

(b) Why were the lily and the rose considered as rivals?
Ans: The lily and the rose were considered rivals because both had been competing for the title of the most beautiful and perfect flower for a long time.

(c) What does ‘undisputed queen’ refer to in these lines?
Ans: The term “undisputed queen” refers to the flower that would be the most beautiful and admired of all flowers, without any competition.

2. “Thus between
Flower factions rang the strife in Psyche’s bower.”

(a) What does ‘flower-factions’ refer to in the poem?
Ans: ‘Flower-factions’ refers to the rival groups or supporters of different flowers (in this case, the lily and the rose), who were in competition to be crowned the most beautiful.

(b) What was the reason behind the conflict?
Ans: The conflict was caused by the rivalry between the lily and the rose, each claiming to be the best and most beautiful flower.

(c) What is the relation between Love and Psyche?
Ans: Love and Psyche are often depicted as a couple in mythology. Psyche represents the soul, and Love (or Cupid) is the god of love. In the poem, Psyche’s bower (garden) symbolizes a place of beauty and emotion.

3. “Give me a flower delicious as the rose
And stately as the lily in her pride
But of what colour?”. Rose-red, Love first chose,
Then prayed, – No, lily-white, or, both provide.”

(a) Which qualities of the rose are mentioned in the poem?
Ans: The rose is described as delicious (beautiful and appealing), symbolizing its charm and vibrancy.

(b) Which qualities of the lily are mentioned in the poem?
Ans: The lily is described as stately and proud, symbolizing its dignity and purity.

(c) What is the final outcome of Love’s demands?
Ans: The final outcome is that Flora creates the lotus, a flower that is both rose-red and lily-white, combining the best qualities of both flowers.

C. Think, discuss and then answer the following questions.

Questions:

1. Based on the poem, what are the qualities of the lotus?
2. Have you experienced any kind of conflict? How did you resolve it?
3. Toru Dutt infuses the poem with Indian culture by declaring lotus as the queenliest flower? Why do you think she chose it as a symbol of Indian culture and heritage?

Answers:

1. Based on the poem, what are the qualities of the lotus?

Ans: The lotus is described as a perfect flower, combining the best qualities of both the rose and the lily. It is:

• Rose-red in colour, symbolizing beauty and passion.
• Lily-white in colour, representing purity and grace.
• The queenliest flower, meaning it is the most beautiful and regal of all flowers.
  • The lotus also symbolizes harmony, as it merges the qualities of two competing flowers to create something better.

2. Have you experienced any kind of conflict? How did you resolve it?

Ans: This question encourages personal reflection. You can answer by describing any situation in which you faced a disagreement or rivalry and how you handled it. A possible response could be:

• Example Answer: “I once had a conflict with a friend over which activity we should do together. We resolved it by talking openly and deciding to try both activities, taking turns to enjoy each one. This way, we found a way to compromise and be happy.”

3. Toru Dutt infuses the poem with Indian culture by declaring lotus as the queenliest flower. Why do you think she chose it as a symbol of Indian culture and heritage?

Ans: The lotus is a very important symbol in Indian culture, representing purity, spirituality, and divinity. It is often associated with Hindu gods like Vishnu and Lakshmi, who are depicted sitting on or holding a lotus. The lotus grows beautifully in muddy waters, symbolizing rising above challenges and achieving perfection despite difficulties. By choosing the lotus, Toru Dutt connects the poem to Indian values and the idea that true beauty and greatness come from unity and balance.

Another Set of Answers:

1. Based on the poem, what are the qualities of the lotus?
Based on the poem, the lotus has the following qualities:

• It is beautiful like the rose (rose-red in colour).
• It is graceful and dignified like the lily (lily-white in colour).
• It is the perfect combination of the best qualities of both the rose and the lily.
• It is described as the queenliest flower, symbolizing purity, beauty, and harmony.

2. Have you experienced any kind of conflict? How did you resolve it?
(You can answer this from your personal experience. Here’s an example answer.)
Example Answer:
Yes, I have experienced conflicts with my friends over small misunderstandings. We usually resolve them by talking openly and listening to each other’s perspectives. By compromising and understanding each other’s feelings, we can work together to find a solution that makes everyone happy.

3. Toru Dutt infuses the poem with Indian culture by declaring lotus as the queenliest flower. Why do you think she chose it as a symbol of Indian culture and heritage?
Toru Dutt chose the lotus as a symbol of Indian culture and heritage because it holds great significance in Indian traditions and spirituality.

• The lotus is often associated with purity, beauty, spirituality and divinity in Indian culture.
• It is a symbol of spiritual growth and is often linked with gods like Brahma and Lakshmi in Hindu mythology.
• The lotus also symbolizes rising above challenges because it grows beautifully even in muddy waters.
• By choosing the lotus, Toru Dutt connects the beauty of nature with deeper cultural and spiritual meanings that are deeply rooted in Indian heritage.

Appreciation:

A. Identify and explain the figure of speech used in the following sentences.

1. All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players.
2. My love is like a red, red rose.
3. The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.
4. Kisses are the flowers of love in bloom.
5. His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.
6. The wheels of justice turn slowly.
7. He’s a rolling stone.
8. The teacher planted the seeds of wisdom.
9. Hope shines like a pebble in the gloom.
10. She was as cool as a cucumber even under pressure.

Answers:

1. “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares the world to a stage and people to players (actors) without using “like” or “as.” It suggests that life is a performance and everyone plays a role.

2. “My love is like a red, red rose.”

• Figure of Speech: Simile
• Explanation: This is a simile because it directly compares love to a red rose using the word “like,” highlighting its beauty and passion.

3. “The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares the detective’s face to wood to suggest that he showed no emotion, implying a stiff or expressionless demeanour (behaviour).

4. “Kisses are the flowers of love in bloom.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares kisses to flowers and suggests that kisses are the expression of love when it is at its fullest and most beautiful.

5. “His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares words to cotton candy, implying that his words were sweet but shallow, not meaningful or substantive.

6. “The wheels of justice turn slowly.”

• Figure of Speech: Personification
• Explanation: This is personification because it gives human qualities (turning slowly) to wheels of justice, which are not literal wheels but a symbolic reference to how justice takes time.

7. “He’s a rolling stone.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares a person to a rolling stone, implying that the person is always moving and not settling down, much like the literal stone.

8. “The teacher planted the seeds of wisdom.”

• Figure of Speech: Metaphor
• Explanation: This is a metaphor because it compares teaching to planting seeds of wisdom, suggesting that the teacher’s lessons will grow and develop into knowledge over time.

9. “Hope shines like a pebble in the gloom.”

• Figure of Speech: Simile
• Explanation: This is a simile because it compares hope to a pebble in the gloom using the word “like,” suggesting that hope is a small but significant light in dark times.

10. “She was as cool as a cucumber even under pressure.”

• Figure of Speech: Simile
• Explanation: This is a simile because it compares her calmness to a cucumber using the word “as,” suggesting she remained calm and unaffected by pressure.

B. Identify and explain the personification in the following sentences.

1. The nails danced playfully when the magnet was brought near them.
2. The ruins of the monument looked old and depressed.
3. She should realize that opportunities do not knock at the door so often.
4. The wind howled during the terrible storm.
5. The car suffered irreparable wounds after the accident.
6. At precisely 6:30 am, my alarm clock sprang to life.
7. The old door moaned slowly as it opened.
8. Mahima’s hair danced in the wind when she drove her cycle down the hill.
9. The painting spoke to me about my childhood.
10. Tashu told his mother, The city of Delhi never sleeps.

Answers:

1. “The nails danced playfully when the magnet was brought near them.”

• Personification: The nails are described as dancing playfully.
• Explanation: Nails, being inanimate objects, cannot dance or act playfully. The sentence gives them human qualities to suggest that they moved in an active, lively manner when the magnet was near.

2. “The ruins of the monument looked old and depressed.”

• Personification: The ruins are described as depressed.
• Explanation: Ruins, which are inanimate objects, cannot feel emotions like depression. The sentence gives the ruins a human-like quality to emphasize their state of decay and sadness.

3. “She should realize that opportunities do not knock at the door so often.”

• Personification: Opportunities are described as knocking at the door.
• Explanation: Opportunities cannot literally knock. This gives opportunities human qualities, suggesting that they appear at certain moments and require attention, much like someone knocking on a door.

4. “The wind howled during the terrible storm.”

• Personification: The wind is described as howling.
• Explanation: The wind cannot literally howl. This gives it the human characteristic of howling, suggesting that it made a loud, eerie sound during the storm.

5. “The car suffered irreparable wounds after the accident.”

• Personification: The car is said to have suffered wounds.
• Explanation: A car cannot literally suffer wounds like a human. This gives the car human qualities to describe the extent of the damage it sustained in the accident.

6. “At precisely 6:30 am, my alarm clock sprang to life.”

• Personification: The alarm clock is said to spring to life.
• Explanation: An alarm clock cannot spring to life. This gives it a human-like action, suggesting that it became active and began making noise at exactly the right time.

7. “The old door moaned slowly as it opened.”

• Personification: The door is described as moaning.
• Explanation: A door cannot literally moan. The word “moaned” gives the door a human-like quality, suggesting that it made a creaky sound as it opened, almost as if it was in pain.

8. “Mahima’s hair danced in the wind when she drove her cycle down the hill.”

• Personification: Hair is described as dancing.
• Explanation: Hair cannot dance. This gives it a lively, playful quality to describe how it moved in the wind as Mahima cycled down the hill.

9. “The painting spoke to me about my childhood.”

• Personification: The painting is said to speak.
• Explanation: Paintings cannot speak. This gives the painting a human-like ability to communicate, suggesting that it brought memories of childhood to the person who was viewing it.

10. “Tashu told his mother, The city of Delhi never sleeps.”

• Personification: The city of Delhi is said to never sleep.
• Explanation: Cities cannot sleep. This gives the city a human quality, suggesting that it is always active and full of life, even at night.