11TH CLASS ENGLISH ALL CHAPTERS SOLUTIONS

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Childhood Summary in English

First of all, the poet thinks and wonders about the end of his childhood. He thinks where his childhood came to an end. He wonders if it was the day he was no longer eleven years of age. Another option could be the time when the author realized that Hell and Heaven didn’t exist and one could not find them in geography.  So, this was the time when the author could make a distinction between reality and fantasy. The poet realizes that they are imaginary places that have no existence in this world.

Once again the poet again repeats the same question about losing his childhood. Now, the poet wonders what was the time when he began to view the world with a different perception. Naturally, when humans grow older, their perception of the world changes. However, the poet seems to be deeply affected by it. Furthermore, the poet realized that adults are hypocrites. This is because the adults are not what they appear or seem to be. According to the author, adults preach about love but their behavior is not so loving. So the author believes that a double-face nature is displayed by the adults. So, was this the time when his childhood went?

Moving on, the poet deliberates on the same question regarding the loss of his childhood. Furthermore, the author asks himself about various possibilities. Moreover, the poet thinks about the day when he realized that his mind was his own. This was the time when the poet realized that he could use his mind in any way he wanted. Also, the poet realizes that his thoughts are his own and no one can affect them. One can say that the poet became aware that he could produce his thoughts and that he had free will. This was the time when the poet became aware of his individuality and personality. So, was that the day when his childhood became lost?

In the last stanza, the poet becomes remorseful about his lost childhood. It seems the poet has a desire to live his childhood once more. He concludes that his childhood had vanished into a forgotten place from which it can never return. The poet cherishes his now-lost innocence. This is the type of innocence that one can only see in a baby’s face. He only has sweet childhood memories that would fade away rather quickly. According to the poet, the innocence of childhood remains only until one is an infant.

Conclusion of Childhood Summary(NCERT SOLUTIONS)

The childhood summary discusses how the innocence of childhood gets lost as one grows older and becomes aware of the realities of life.

 

Childhood Chapter Questions and Answers

Childhood Think it out

Question 1.
Identify the stanza that talks of each of the following: individuality; rationalism; hypocrisy
Answer:

• Stanza 1 — rationalism
• Stanza 2 — hypocrisy
• Stanza 3 — individuality

Question 2.
What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up?
Answer:
The process of growing up involves understanding oneself, and other adults and the application of one’s mind rationally. One ceases to be a carefree child and starts judging people and situations.

Question 3.
What is the poet’s feeling towards childhood?
Answer:
The poet is all praise for childhood because one is free from tension and worries and free from the wrecked ways of the world of grown-ups. As one grows in years, one starts thinking independently and questioning what others say. Childhood is the stage of innocence.

Answer:
Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven
could not be found in Geography?
Childhood is ‘hidden in an infant’s face’.

Childhood Extra Questions and Answers (Ncert Solutions)

Question 1.
What is the theme/central idea of Markus Natten’s poem?
Answer:
The theme of the poem is the process of growing up. The poet is curious to know for certain when he ceased to be a child and became an adult. All he knows is that childhood lies hidden in the face of a small child.

Question 2.
Does the find answer to his query-When did my childhood go?
Answer:
No. He gets confused. He can only guess but not be sure of the right answer. Perhaps he lost her childhood innocence when he started questioning the concept of right and wrong, of hell and heaven. Or when he started judging the grown-ups and found them hypocritical. Or when he discovered that he could think independently and even better than others.

Question 3.
What does the poet finally conclude in the last stanza?
Answer:
The poet fails to find a definite answer to his question of when or at what style he became a grown-up person. In the last stanza, he answers the question of where his childhood has gone. He thinks that childhood innocence in its purest form can be seen only on a child’s face.

Sum up the main ideas of the poem ‘Childhood’ in about 80 words.
Answer:
The poet in the first three stanzas tries to find out when he crossed the stage of childhood and became a grown-up adult. Three answers came to his mind. He became a mature grown-up person when he discovered that Hell and Heaven have no definite locations anywhere.

Secondly, the grown-ups are commonly hypocritical. They do not practice what they preach to others. Thirdly, he discovered that he has a mind of his own and he can think independently. The poet is, however, convinced that childhood innocence can be seen only on the face of a child and not any adult.

 

 

Also Read:

Poem 5: Father to Son

 

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