81. What does the poet wish to “consecrate” to the tree in the final stanza?
a) A painting
b) A lay (poem)
c) A garden
d) A monument
Answer: b) A lay (poem)
Explanation: In the fifth stanza, Toru Dutt writes, “Therefore I fain would consecrate a lay / Unto thy honor, Tree, beloved of those / Who now in blessed sleep, for aye, repose.” “Consecrate” means to dedicate solemnly, and a “lay” is an old term for a short narrative or lyrical poem. Here, it refers to “Our Casuarina Tree” itself, which she offers as a tribute to honor the tree and the memories of her lost loved ones associated with it.
82. Which poet’s work does Toru Dutt reference in the final stanza?
a) John Keats
b) William Wordsworth
c) Percy Shelley
d) Lord Byron
Answer: b) William Wordsworth
Explanation: In the fifth stanza, she writes, “Mayst thou be numbered when my days are done / With deathless trees—like those in Borrowdale, / Under whose awful branches lingered pale / ‘Fear, trembling Hope, and Death, the skeleton, / And Time the shadow.’” This is a direct allusion to Wordsworth’s poem “Yew-Trees,” where he describes the ancient yew trees of Borrowdale and uses the same phrase, “Fear, trembling Hope, and Death, the skeleton, and Time the shadow,” to evoke their timeless, haunting presence. Dutt’s reference shows her admiration for Wordsworth and ties her casuarina tree to this Romantic tradition of immortalizing nature.
83. What does the poet compare the water-lilies to in the second stanza?
a) Stars in the sky
b) Snow enmassed
c) Pearls in the water
d) Flowers in a field
Answer: b) Snow enmassed
Explanation: In the second stanza, Toru Dutt writes, “And in the shadow, on the broad tank cast / By that hoar tree, so beautiful and vast, / The water-lilies spring, like snow enmassed.” The simile “like snow enmassed” likens the water-lilies to a gathered mass of snow, suggesting their white, delicate, and clustered appearance in the pond under the tree’s shadow, enhancing the serene beauty of the scene.
84. What emotion does the poet express when she says, “till the hot tears blind mine eyes”?
a) Joy
b) Anger
c) Grief
d) Fear
Answer: c) Grief
Explanation: In the third stanza, Toru Dutt writes, “Blent with your images, it shall arise / In memory, till the hot tears blind mine eyes!” This line follows her reflection on her “sweet companions, loved with love intense,” who are now gone, suggesting that the memory of them and the casuarina tree stirs deep sorrow. The “hot tears” blinding her eyes indicate an overwhelming, mournful emotion—grief over the loss of those childhood companions—fitting the poem’s elegiac tone.
