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The last part is the most important part of the poem which carries the central meaning and message of the poet. Here the poet narrates the heart-breaking accident that separated the brain form Vicky two years ago. On a rainy day Vicky was riding his motor cycle to his friend for some ordinary work which was not so important for him. His friend lived in the next lane which was not so far from his house. He could have walked easily. Although he always wore his helmet when he rode his bike, he did not wear it that day; maybe, he carelessly did it because of very short distance. But unfortunately, he met with a serious accident and lost his precious life due to brain injury. The poet describes that simple carelessness of the sincere and careful young boy cost the valuable life and brought a lot of unbearable sorrows and sufferings to the family. The poet, in the last two lines of the last stanza, wants to convey a very useful message to us, especially to the young people, that we must be very careful for our safety on road by obeying road safety rules.
Read the poem silently to understand and enjoy it. The poem has been divided into three SGPs for better understanding. Answer the comprehension questions given under each SGP/Stanza. Each comprehension question carries one mark in your examination. After writing the answers, if necessary, you can match your answers with the answers provided in the Answer-key inside the table at the end of all the SGPs/Stanzas.
Outlines:
1. Who is speaking from the formalin jar?
2. Who is ‘I’ in first two stanzas of the poem?
3. What is the brain doing inside the formalin jar?
4. What is the brain watching from the jar?
5. What does the brain not like?
6. How does the brain feel here?
7. Why does the brain feel insulted staying in the jar?
Stanza-1&2:
-Self-introduction of the Brain: name, place, work, feeling – sitting with disdain- for display and promote
knowledge – watching people- insulting to be a specimen
Questions for Comprehension:
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8. Where was the brain two years ago?
9. Did the brain suffer any disease?
10.Which word in the second stanza means dissatisfaction?
11. ________________ is the poet of the poem ‘From the Formalin Jar’.
12. ________________ means ‘sample’ in stanza-2.
13. The brain has been kept in the jar for ________________ years.
14. The brains are kept in the jars in the museum for public view and _________.
15. The rhyming word of ‘specimen’ is ‘________________’.
Outlines:
1. Who are there in these two stanzas?
2. Who speaks about Vicky in the poem?
3. How does the brain describe Vicky?
4. Which line in the third stanza describes that Vicky was strong and cheerful?
5. Which word gives the meaning that Vicky’s mind was sound and healthy?
6. Which were Vicky’s favourite subjects?
7. Vicky was hardworking. Which expression in stanza-3 support the statement?
8. What is the fourth stanza about?
9. Which word says that Vicky loved his parents too much?
10. Who else did Vicky love like his parents?
11. What things of the grandmother did Vicky like?
12.Vicky’s character was very good. From which line do you know this?
13. When did he become shame faced?
14. He liked his grandmother’s ________________.
15. His motto in life was________________.
Stanza-3&4:
Brain describes Vicky: physical & functional, relation with family & others: young, smart and wise, motto in life- love for his parents and grandmother, love for his friends Questions for Comprehension:
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Outlines:
1. What does the poet narrate in stanza-5?
2. Who was Vicky riding his bike to?
3. Why was he going to his friend?
4. Was the work very important for Vicky? Which word says so?
5. Where did his friend live?
6. What happened to Vicky on his way to his friend?
7. How is the accident described in the poem?
8. Why was Vicky’s brain injured?
9. Which words in stanza-5 say that Vicky always wore his helmet, but he did not wear it that day?
10. What may be the cause of not wearing helmet that day?
11.What was the result of the accident?
12. What message does the poet give us through this poem?
13. What are the other causes of accident?
14.How can we prevent ourselves from such type of accidents?
15. Vicky was riding to his ________________.
16. He was riding to his friend on a ________________ day.
17.He did not put on his ________________ that day.
Stanza Answers
SGP-1 1&2
1. The brilliant brain,2. the brain, 3. sitting unhappily, 4. people looking at him, 5. people looking at him regularly, 6. unhappy, 7. to be a specimen, 8. with a living human, 9. No, 10. Chagrin, 11.Dr Reeta S Mani, 12. specimen, 13. two, 14. promoting knowledge, 15.human SGP-2
3&4
1. Vicky, his parents, grandmother and friends, 2. The brain, 3.a young boy, smart and with sound mind, 4.line-2, 5.sane, 6.Computer and Mathematics, 7.no pain, no gain, 8. His relation with family and others, 9. Insane, 10.Grandmother,11. wrinkles and her stick, 12. 4th Stanza-5&6:
Narration of accident: causes, results: monsoon day- rode to his friend without helmet- met an accident- a young life lost.-message of poet-Drive safe
Questions for Comprehension:
Answer-key for the Questions for Comprehension:
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Fill in the blanks with the suitable words/phrases choosing from the poem. Each question carries one mark.
1.________________ is the poet of the poem ‘From the Formalin Jar’.
2. ________________ means ‘sample’ in stanza-2.
3. The brain has been kept in the jar for ________________ years.
4. The brains are kept in the jars in the museum view and _________.
5. Vicky was riding to his ________________.
6.He was riding to his friend on a ________________ day.
7. He did not put on his ________________ that day.
8. He liked his grandmother’s ________________.
9. His motto in life was________________.
10. The rhyming word of ‘specimen’ is ‘ ________________’.
Sample Answers:
line of fourth stanza, 13. When he looked at girls, 14. wrinkles and stick, 15. Pain for gain
SGP-3 5&6
1. accident, 2. to his friend, 3. unimportant work, 4. No, mundane, 5.in the next lane, 6. met an accident, 7.gory and inhumane, 8. did not put on helmet, 9. once, refrain, 10. friend lived in the next lane, 11.death of Vicky, 12. to be careful about risky driving and to drive safe, 13. Not obeying rules of road, drinking alcohol, using mobiles, etc. 14. To be careful about risky driving and obeying all the road safety rules, 15. To his friend, 16. Monsoon day, 17. helmet
1. Dr. Reeta S Mani, 2. specimen, 3. two, 4.to gain
knowledge, 5. Friend, 6. monsoon, 7. helmet,8. Wrinkles and cane, 9. no pain, no gain,10. human
Post-reading Activities:
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