Solutions to the lesson ‘The Ghost’ are given here. Summary and meanings are also given. These notes will help students in understanding and writing their own answers. Click here for stanza wise explanation of the poem ‘The Ghost’.
Word Meanings
- Transparent: Allowing light to pass through so that objects on the other side can be seen clearly.
- Eerily: In a strange, mysterious, or unsettling manner.
- Vapour: A visible suspension of particles in the air, such as mist or fog.
- Station: A place where someone or something usually stays or is located.
- Barge in: To enter a place abruptly or rudely without being invited.
- Invitation: A request or welcoming to come to a place or event.
- Omens: Signs or events that are believed to predict or foreshadow something, often considered to be bad.
- Chimneys: Vertical structures on rooftops through which smoke and gases from a fire or furnace escape into the air.
- Broom: A traditional tool used for sweeping, often associated with witches in folklore.
- Creak: A sharp, high-pitched sound often produced by a door, floorboard, or other object when it moves.
- Squeak: A high-pitched sound, similar to a creak, produced by friction between surfaces.
- Chudails: A term used in Indian folklore for female demons or evil spirits.
- Mussoorie: A popular hill station and tourist destination in India.
- Dhoti: A traditional Indian garment, similar to a long loincloth, often worn by men.
- Ethereal: Delicate, light, and otherworldly in nature; often used to describe something that seems heavenly or ghostly.
- Fragmented: Broken into smaller pieces or parts.
- Mystique: A sense of mystery, intrigue, or fascination that surrounds a person, place, or concept.
- Paradoxical: Something that seems contradictory or goes against common understanding.
- Enigmatic: Mysterious and difficult to understan
- Litter: In this context, “litter” refers to scattered or untidy objects, like trash or debris, that are lying around in a disorderly manner.
- Jitters: “Jitters” is a colloquial term that refers to feelings of nervousness, unease, or anxiety. It’s often used to describe a sense of apprehension before a particular event or situation.
Summary
Keki N Daruwalla’s poem humorously depicts the strange encounters one may have with ghosts. The most daunting aspect of these encounters, as per the poet, is their transparent nature, leaving one unsure of what they are facing. The poet recalls encountering a lady ghost in a Mussoorie hotel, notorious for being a ghostly abode. He heard the sound of her bangles and running water, but found an empty, dry bathroom upon entering. Additionally, the poet shares stories of encountering ghosts in a forest, another popular location for supernatural beings. Forest guards reported sightings of ghosts with only eyebrows and goatee or a floating dhoti. The poem also suggests that animals and birds behave unusually in the presence of ghosts. The poem concludes with the poet confessing to being scared by simply discussing this topic, ending on an abrupt note.
Textbook Exercise Solutions
Answers: A.
- a. The poet says this in the context of the transparent forms of ghosts.
b. The wall is the ghost’s body.
c. ‘Up against’ implies some kind of confrontation. - a. ‘Another’ is the second forest guard.
b. The previous guard saw a ghost with one-fifth of his face present, along with eyebrows and
a goatee.
c. The legs could not be seen because they were transparent. - a. Ghost stories are being referred to.
b. The jitters might be literal in case the poet is a superstitious person.
c. The lines are ironic because it is the poet himself who had chosen to start telling ghost stories.
Answers: B
1. In this verse, the poet plays with the double meaning of transparent. To be transparent can refer to someone who is truthful and straightforward, while a ghost is literally transparent in appearance, making it impossible to know if they are present.
2. Ghosts are bad hosts and worse guests.
3. Ghosts are bad hosts because they are always invisible and bad guests because they go wherever they want and whenever.
4. The poet does not think they are bad omens.
5. It was reported that in a hotel room in Mussoorie, one could hear the water run in the bathroom and the jingle of a woman’s bangles, but when the room was searched, they found no one and the bathroom floor was dry.
6. Attempt yourself or ask for support at WhatsApp (8081370373)
Poetry Appreciation
Answers:
1. creak, squeak
2. a. tick-tock b. thud c. rustle d. drip-drop (patter) e. crunch f. murmur
Workbook
Vocabulary
A.
1. mystery 2. horror 3. fantasy 4. comedy 5. poetry 6. historical fiction 7. science fiction 8. biography 9. fairy tale
Grammar
- more happily 2. badly 3. earlier 4. sooner 5. less dimly 6. most sweetly 7. more brightly 8. hardest 9. gladly 10. terribly
