Refugee Blues Extract Questions | English Class 11

Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 1

Reading Set

Extract 1

Passage

In the village churchyard there grows an old yew, Every spring it blossoms anew: Old passports can't do that, my dear, old passports can't do that.

The poet compares the old yew tree with _______ to show the difference between nature and bureaucracy.

old passports

The yew tree blossoms every _______, signifying a cycle of renewal.

spring

What is the symbolic meaning of the yew tree blossoming 'anew' in this extract?

ByteNotes

Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 2

Reading Set

Extract 2

Passage

The consul banged the table and said: 'If you've got no passport you're officially dead'; But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive.

The consul declares the refugees to be _______ because they lack a passport.

officially dead

The refugees assert their physical existence by saying they are still _______.

alive

What does the consul's act of 'banging the table' suggest about his attitude?

Banging the table suggests authority, impatience, and a lack of empathy. It shows that the consul is more interested in enforcing the power of his office and the rules of the state than in listening to the desperate pleas of the refugees.

Explain the irony in the phrase 'officially dead.'

The irony lies in the conflict between legal status and biological reality. While the refugees are physically breathing and standing right there, the 'official' system refuses to acknowledge them. It highlights how bureaucracy can erase a person's existence through mere technicalities and rules.

Why does the poet repeat the phrase 'but we are still alive'?

The repetition is a defiant cry of humanity. It emphasizes that despite the state's refusal to recognize them, their human lives still have value. It serves as a reminder to the reader that refugees are living people, not just statistics or legal problems.

ByteNotes

Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 3

Reading Set

Extract 3

Passage

Saw a poodle in a jacket fastened with a pin; Saw a door opened and a cat let in: But they weren't German Jews, my dear, but they weren't German Jews.

The poet observes a cat being let in through a _______.

door

The poodle in the extract is wearing a _______ fastened with a pin.

jacket

What point is the poet trying to make by mentioning the poodle and the cat?

The poet is pointing out the shocking inequality in how society treats animals versus certain groups of humans. Pets are given warmth, clothing, and shelter, while the 'German Jews' are left homeless and rejected, highlighting the extreme level of prejudice and dehumanization.

What is the significance of the door being 'opened' for the cat?

The opening door symbolizes welcome and belonging. The fact that a cat is granted entry while the refugees are shut out emphasizes their total exclusion from society. It shows that the most basic form of hospitality is denied to them solely because of their identity.

How does the phrase 'German Jews' change the tone of the poem here?

The phrase shifts the poem from a general story of displacement to a specific historical tragedy. It identifies the victims and explains the reason for their rejection. This specific detail makes the emotional pain more concrete and connects it to the Holocaust's reality.

ByteNotes

Extract Questions

Passage with linked answers

Extract

Extract 4

Reading Set

Extract 4

Passage

Stood on a great plain in the falling snow; Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.

The setting of this extract is a great plain where _______ is falling.

snow

There are _______ soldiers marching on the plain.

ten thousand

How does the setting in the 'falling snow' contribute to the mood of the poem?

The falling snow creates a cold, silent, and bleak atmosphere. It symbolizes a world that has grown cold and indifferent to suffering. It also suggests a lack of shelter and warmth, emphasizing the physical hardship and loneliness the refugees face while being hunted.

What is the effect of the phrase 'Looking for you and me'?

The phrase creates a sense of immediate, personal danger. It shifts the soldiers' actions from a general military exercise to a specific hunt for the speakers. This makes the threat feel unavoidable and terrifying, highlighting the constant fear that defined the refugees' lives.

What does the large number of soldiers ('ten thousand') represent?

The 'ten thousand' soldiers represent the overwhelming and disproportionate power of the state. It shows that a massive, organized force is being used to target just two vulnerable individuals. This emphasizes the helplessness of the refugees against a government determined to destroy them.

ByteNotes

Chapter sections

Chapter refugee-blues: Refugee Blues | Extract Questions

Extract 1

The poet compares the old yew tree with _______ to show the difference between nature and bureaucracy.

The yew tree blossoms every _______, signifying a cycle of renewal.

What is the symbolic meaning of the yew tree blossoming 'anew' in this extract?

Why does the poet specifically mention 'old passports' in this context?

How does this stanza reflect the central theme of the poem?

Extract 2

The consul declares the refugees to be _______ because they lack a passport.

The refugees assert their physical existence by saying they are still _______.

What does the consul's act of 'banging the table' suggest about his attitude?

Explain the irony in the phrase 'officially dead.'

Why does the poet repeat the phrase 'but we are still alive'?

Extract 3

The poet observes a cat being let in through a _______.

The poodle in the extract is wearing a _______ fastened with a pin.

What point is the poet trying to make by mentioning the poodle and the cat?

What is the significance of the door being 'opened' for the cat?

How does the phrase 'German Jews' change the tone of the poem here?

Extract 4

The setting of this extract is a great plain where _______ is falling.

There are _______ soldiers marching on the plain.

How does the setting in the 'falling snow' contribute to the mood of the poem?

What is the effect of the phrase 'Looking for you and me'?

What does the large number of soldiers ('ten thousand') represent?