CLASS: IX NOTES OF LESSONS

1.The Sound of Music Date of Issue:

SUBJECT PART I 15/06/2022
ENGLISH PART II
2. Wind

The Sound of Music Part I

I. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.
It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any
teenager fresh from a Scottish farm. But this aspiring musician faced a bigger challenge than most.

1. Who is referred to as the ‘aspiring musician’?

Ans: Evelyn Glennie is referred to as the aspiring musician.

2. What do you understand by the expression: “fresh from a Scottish farm”?

Ans: ``Fresh from a Scottish farm” implies that the girl belonged to the family of farmers in Scotland
and had not yet attained much experience or exposure in the world.

3. What bigger challenge did she have to face?

Ans: The ‘bigger challenge’ that she had to face was to rise in spite of her total hearing impairment.

II. Answer in 40-50 words.

1. Apart from the regular concerts, where else did Evelyn perform and why?
Ans: Apart from the regular concerts, Evelyn gave free concerts in prisons and hospitals, so as to
inspire the inmates. She also gave high priority to classes for young musicians, so that they learn to
master their skills and achieve success. She was much more than an inspiration to them. She gave
enormous pleasure to millions of people.

2. What message do you get from the life of Evelyn Glennie?

Ans: The message we get is never to allow adversity to come in the way of your pursuit to
success. if one sense organ is damaged, make good use of the other sensory organs but never give up
hope. Life is a precious gift, it should not be wasted. We should not give up just because we don’t know
how to face challenges. work towards success.

III. Answer in 100-120 words.

1. Which values of life strengthened Evelyn against the handicap of her deafness? What does her
career teach to the handicapped people?
Ans: Evelyn’s firm determination, her industrious nature and her clarity of aim are well revealed in her
statement. These values of her character have enabled her to overcome her handicap of deafness very
bravely. Although she developed hearing impairment at a young age of eight only, she has never let it
become a stumbling block in her way to success.
Firmly determined to lead the life of a normal person, Evelyn never gave up her passion for music. The
encouragement and training provided by Ron Forbes paved the way for her advancement and she stuck to
the path with unstaggering confidence. It was this confidence and faith in herself that made her dare to
audition for the Royal Academy of Music, London where she received the topmost awards.

Evelyn is a workaholic. This helped her to toil hard, in fact much harder than the classical musicians to
bring percussion to the front stage in the orchestra. She believes that no goal is unachievable for those
who work hard and are focused on the goal. With her earnest efforts, she moved from orchestra to solo
performances and eventually became an internationally renowned percussionist owing to her command
over a large number of instruments. She had the courage and confidence to trample down her disability
and move on without looking back.

Her firm decisions, her sincere efforts, her passionate labor, and her untiring devotion to music are a
source of inspiration for the people with challenges.

The Sound of Music Part II

I. Read the Following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of a musical instrument called pungi in the royal residence for it
had a shrill unpleasant sound. Pungi became the generic name for reeded noisemakers. Few had thought
that it would one day be revived. A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the
royal palace, decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi. He chose a pipe with a natural hollow
stem that was longer and broader than the pungi, and made seven holes on the body of the pipe. When he
played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced.

1. Which musical instrument was banned by the emperor?

Ans:Pungi was the musical instrument banned by the emperor.

2. Who decided to improve the tonal quality of the pungi?

Ans: A barber of a family of professional musicians, who had access to the royal palace, decided
to improve the tonal quality of the pungi.

3. What happened when he played on it, closing and opening some of the holes?
Ans: When he played on it, closing and opening some of these holes, soft and melodious sounds
were produced.

II. Answer in 20-30 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Ans: Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because he considered it as a reeded
noisemaker with its loud, shrill, and unpleasant sound. He prohibited its play in the royal court.

2. How was Bismillah Khan’s music appreciated and recognised on the international level?

Ans: Bismillah Khan’s music was so much appreciated on the international level that he became
the first Indian to be invited to perform in the prestigious Lincoln Central Hall, USA. He participated in
the World Exposition in Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. In Teheran, an
auditorium was named after him.
III. Answer in 100-120 words.

1. Justify Bismillah Khan as a true Hindustani.

Ans: Music is a universal language, it knows no boundaries. Despite being a devout Muslim, he used to
play and practise Shehnai in temples and on the banks of the river Ganga. He was nostalgic about his
homeland. When one of his students asked him to head a Shehnai School in the USA, he refused, as the
student was being asked by the Ustad if he could bring the Ganga to the USA said that he could only
attempt to create an atmosphere of Benaras but he could not bring the river. Bismillah Khan simply coult
bear the thought of being away from Hindustan for long intervals.
On getting the Bharat Ratna, he addressed the parents and told them to teach their children Indian Music,
the country’s richest heritage, that was being appreciated and learnt by the westerners, while our nation
was failing to do so. He lived and breathed Hindustan.

Wind
I. Read the Following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow.

He won’t do what you tell him.

So, come, let’s build strong homes,

Let’s joint the doors firmly.

Practise to firm the body.

Make the heart steadfast.

1. ‘He won’t do what you tell him.’ Why will ‘he’ not listen?

Ans: He will not listen because its nature is to disobey others.

2. Which word means the same as ‘ardent’?

Ans: Steadfast.

3. Name the poet.

Ans: Subrahmania Bharati

II. Answer in 20-30 words.

1. How does wind make fun of the weakling?

Ans: Wind makes fun of the weaklings by separating them from the strong and then crushing them by
its force. It destroys the weak things.

2. What damages does Wind cause in the poet’s room?

Ans: Wind breaks the shutters of the windows. it scatters the poet’s papers. it even throws down his books
and tears the pagees. Then, it brings rain and disturbs everything.
 3. What is the theme of the poem “Wind’?
Ans: The theme of the poem ‘Wind’ is that we should have a strong body and mind. So that in times of
adversity or difficulties, we are able to combat all odds. We should be able to face challenges and
overcome them with ease.There will always be someone waiting round the corner to overpower and
defeat us, if we are weak.

III. Answer in 100-120 words.

1. Why does the poet suggest to the people that they have to be strong? Write your answer in the context
of the poem, ‘Wind’.

Ans: ‘Wind’ is a poem written by the renowned tamil poet Subrahmania Bharati. It was translated to
English by A. K. Ramanujan.The poem ‘Wind’ inspires us to face the challenges thrown at us with grit
and firm determination. We should be strong enough to face all the hardships of life with courage.
According to the poet, the wind is very powerful. It has the power to break the shutters of the windows,
scatter the papers and throw the books down the shelf. When it blows violently, it brings the clouds. It
mocks at the weak and destroys their homes. The weak are really helpless before the wind.
But the poet is quite hopeful. He thinks that when people build strong houses, they can challenge the
wind. Actually the poet suggests to the people that they should be strong at heart because weak persons
can not face the challenges of life. Only the people with strong hearts have the courage to face the
challenges of life.

IV. Following literary devices have been used in the poem ‘Wind’

1. Personification: It is the attribution of human characteristics to animals and non-living things.

In the poem the poet calls Wind by the pronoun “He” which is usually used for humans. He also
calls wind as Wind God.

2. Repetition: it is the repetition of certain words or phrases for poetic effect.

In the poem “crumbling” has been repeated several times.

3. Alliteration: It is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely
connected words.

e.g. “the wind god winnows”, “He won’t do what you tell him.”

4. Enjambment: It is the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line,
couplet, or stanza.

e.g. “Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters, crumbling wood, crumbling
bodies, crumbling lives, crumbling hearts”.

5. Symbolism: It is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

e.g. wind symbolizes challenges and problems, weak fires symbolize people with weak will power
and strong fires symbolize people with strong will power and firm determination