Objective Questions
1.The term “Zoroastrain’ in ‘Fire-Hymn’ stands for-
(A) Hindu
(B) Muslim
(C) Christian
(D) Parsi
Answer ⇒ (D)
2. The nearest ‘Tower of Silence’ according to the poem, ‘Fire-Hymn’ was ………… away.
(A) a thousand miles
(B) two thousand miles
(C) three thousand miles
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (A)
3. The speaker in the poem, ‘Fire-Hymn’ swears-
(A) once
(B) twice
(C) thrice
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (B)
4. Who has composed the poem, ‘Fire-Hymn” ?
(A) K.N. Daruwalla
(B) Kamala Das
(C) J. Mahapatra
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (A)
5. K.N. Daruwalla received Sahitya Akademy Award in-
(A) 1983
(B) 1984
(C) 1985
(D) 1986
Answer ⇒ (B)
6. Daruwalla has been a well-known poet as well as a —
(A) dramatist
(B) novelist
(C) short-story-writer
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (C)
7. The theme of Daruwalla’s poety consist —
(A) love, death
(B) love, death, domination
(C) love, death, domination, cynicism
(D) love, death, domination, cynicism, plight of human society and violence
Answer ⇒ (D)
8. Daruwalla’s poetry is a totally…………recording to subjective responses’.
(A) impressionistic
(B) symbolistic
(C) idealistic
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (A)
9. ‘Fire-Hymn’ deals with …………ghar.
(A) bathing
(B) burning
(C) drinking
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (B)
10. The term ‘debauchery’ in ‘Fire-Hymn’ stands for-
(A) moral behaviour
(B) disgusting behaviour
(C) immoral behaviour
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (C)
11. Keki N. Daruwalla has written the poem-
(A) Song of Myself
(B) Snake
(C) Fire-Hymn
(D) The Soldier
Answer ⇒ (C)
12. Keki N. Daruwalla is an is all ………… poet.
(A) American
(B) Indo-Anglian
(C) African
(D) British
Answer ⇒ (B)
13. Keki N. Daruwalla was a ……………… by religion.
(A) Parsi
(B) Muslim
(C) Hindu
(D) Christian
Answer ⇒ (A)
14. It was the …………. of the poet aling with him, passing by the cremation ghat.
(A) mother
(B) father
(C) brother
(D) son
Answer ⇒ (B)
15. The ……………. forgets its dead because sometimes it leaves the dead body half burnt.
(A) man
(B) animal
(C) five
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (C)
16. The cremation of dead bodies in ……………… are somewhat different.
(A) Parsi
(B) Muslim
(C) Hindu
(D) Christian
Answer ⇒ (A)
17. The speaker in ‘Fire-Hymn’ belongs to Le-ayun delongs to ………….. religion.
(A) Indian
(B) African
(C) Zoroastrian
(D) Nigerian
Answer ⇒ (C)
18. ………..swears to save fire from the sin of forgetfullness.
(A) John Donne
(B) Keki N. Daruwalla
(C) John Keats
(D) T.S. Eliot
Answer ⇒ (B)
19. Keki N. Daruwalla consigned his new born ……………. to flames.
(A) son
(B) daughter
(C) brother
(D) sister
Answer ⇒ (A)
20. The ………………. child was consigned to the fire under compulsion.
(A) first born
(B) second born
(C) third born
(D) fourth born
Answer ⇒ (A)
21. ……….. belongs to Zoroastrian religion.
(A) Rupert Brooke
(B) Kamala Das
(C) John Donne
(D) Keki N. Daruwalla
Answer ⇒ (D)
22. The poet sees the red hot ……..
(A) iron
(B) face
(C) embers
(D) None of these
Answer ⇒ (C)
23. ‘We saw embers losing their cruel redness’ is taken from…………….
(A) Song of Myself
(B) Fire-Hymn
(C) The Soldier
(D) Snake
Answer ⇒ (B)
24. ‘As I concigned my first-born to the flames’ is written by-
(A) Kamala Das
(B) Rupert Brooke
(C) Keki N. Daruwalla
(D) T.S. Eliot
Answer ⇒ (C)
Short Answer Questions
1. How did the passer-by get frightened?
Ans. The passer-by got frightened by the phosphorescence and wandering ghost lights in the burning ghat at night.
2. What does the speaker see/observe in the morning at the ghat?
Ans. He saw embers losing their redness, and the grey ash had covered the half burnt limbs.
3. Why does he say that the redness of the fire is cruel?
Ans. He says that the redness of the fire is cruel because it stings and burns. It spares nothing.
4. In what sense does the fire forget its dead?
Ans. The fire is supposed to burn the dead completely. But sometimes it does not do its duty. It leaves some limbs half-burnt.
5. Why does the speaker reveal his religious identity?
Ans. The speaker is a Zoroastrian. They do not burn their dead. They leave their dead on the Tower of Silence. He reveals his religious identity to make this point clear..
6. Why did he consign his first born to the flames ?
Ans. The speaker consigned his first born to the flames under compulsion. The Tower of Silence, where he should have disposed of the dead body, was a thousand miles away
7. What did the Fire-Hymn say to the speaker?
Ans. The fire-hymn said to the speaker that he had forgiven him and now it has taken oath to overlook and pardon him this time for the sin he committed.