NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Chapter 2 A Concrete Example

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Chapter 2 A Concrete Example

Let us discuss 

I. Complete the following summary with exact words from the poem. One example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.
The poem describes Mrs. Jones, the speaker’s next-door neighbour, who has a unique garden filled with
1. _________. Her garden includes a peculiar 2. _________, a pond, and a rockery, along with an unusual 3. _________ that she finds charming. Mrs. Jones plants tiny, 4. _________ plants between the stones, which the speaker thinks must be so small that they are planted with a 5. _________. One day, Mrs. Jones invites the speaker to see her garden, and they discuss a 6. _________ that Mrs. Jones treasures. When the speaker asks where the 7. _________ flower is, Mrs. Jones says that the speaker has been 8. _________ on it all along.

 II Select the correct option to fill in the blanks for the following sentences. 

1. The tone of the poem is ____________.
 (i) mocking
 (ii) humorous
 (iii) mournful
 (iv) amusing
 (v) light-hearted
      A. (i), (ii), and (iii)
      B. (i), (ii), and (v)
      C. (ii), (iii), and (iv)
      D. (ii), (iv), and (v) 

2. The speaker in the poem is ____________.
 (i) Mrs. Jones
 (ii) the poet
 (iii) a gardener
 (iv) a child 

3. The rhyme scheme of the poem is _________.
 (i) AABBCC
 (ii) ABABCC
 (iii) AABCAC
 (iv) ABBACC

III Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct answer given in the brackets.
 1. The poet uses the word ‘stones’ in all stanzas in order to emphasise her ________. (obsession with a stony garden/pride in gardening skills)
 2. The poet uses imagery to describe the features of the garden that help readers _____________. (understand Mrs. Jones’ love for plants/visualise the garden’s peculiar nature) 

IV Pick examples of alliteration from the poem. 

V A refrain is a repeated line or phrase that appears in each stanza. Identify the refrain from the poem. 

VI Irony is a literary device that emphasises the difference between what is expected and what actually happens. It often involves a situation where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected, creating a surprising or a humorous effect. For example, Mrs. Jones’ excitement about her garden contrasts with the speaker’s disappointment on how ordinary it is. Identify the line(s) from the poem that display(s) situational irony. 

VII Complete the following sentences appropriately.
 1. The word ‘concrete’ can refer to ______________ in Mrs. Jones’ garden.
 2. The title also has a symbolic meaning, as the poem provides a clear or ‘concrete’ example of Mrs. Jones’ ______________ gardening habits. 

VIII The title ‘A Concrete Example’ carries both literal and symbolic (metaphorical) meaning. Such word play is called a pun. A pun is a figure of speech that uses words with multiple meanings or words that sound alike but have different meanings, creating a humorous effect.
 • Itried arguing with my pencil butit kept making sharp points.(suggests the idea of an actual sharp pencil point and strong argument points)
 • My pencil and I had a disagreement but we finally got to the point. (refers to solving an argument and the pencil’s tip)

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Let us think and reflect

I Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow. 

1. My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,
    has got a garden full of stones:
    A crazy path, a lily pond,
    a rockery and, just beyond
    A sundial with a strange device,
    which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice.

(i) What can be inferred about Mrs. Jones’s taste in gardening from the description of her garden being ‘full of stones’? 

(ii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false. The garden serves as a means to reveal more about Mrs. Jones herself. 

(iii) What does the poet mean by ‘crazy path’? 

(iv) What does the sundial with a ‘strange device’ suggest about Mrs. Jones’ personality?
       A. She has a fascination with unusual items.
       B. She prefers traditional garden decorations.
      C. She is uninterested in her garden’s appearance.
      D. She likes modern and expensive items. 

II Answer the following questions. 

1. How does Mrs. Jones feel about her garden? Support your answer with evidence from the poem. 

2. Why do you think the speaker describes the plants as being so small that they could be planted with a pin? 

3. What do we get to know about Mrs. Jones—based on her gardening style and her interaction with the speaker? 

4. ThepoemportraysMrs.Jones inapositive light. Supportthis statement. 

5. What does the poem tell us about the way people think differently about the world around them?