Short Questions with Answers
1. Who is described as an expert in the poem?
Answer : The poet’s father is described as an expert in ploughing.
2. What tool does the father use for farming?
Answer : The father uses a horse-plough for farming.
3. Why are the father’s shoulders compared to a sail?
Answer : His shoulders are strong and broad, like a sail strung tight.
4. What does “mapping the furrow” mean?
Answer : It means observing and creating straight, perfect lines in the soil.
5. What did the horses do in the poem?
Answer : The horses strained to pull the plough.
6. What did the poet do as a child while following his father?
Answer : As a child, the poet stumbled, fell, and followed his father closely.
7. What did the child wish to learn?
Answer : He wished to grow up and plough like his father.
8. Why did the poet call himself a nuisance?
Answer : He felt like a nuisance because he often stumbled and distracted his father.
9. How does the poet describe the ploughing process?
Answer : The father worked with precision, turning the soil smoothly without breaking it.
10. What does the phrase “hob-nailed wake” mean?
Answer : It refers to the child following his father’s heavy footsteps.
11. What kind of team is mentioned in the poem?
Answer : A team of sweating horses is mentioned.
12. What happens in the poem’s ending?
Answer : The roles reverse, and now the father stumbles behind the son.
13. What does “stiffening my arm” suggest?
Answer : It suggests the child’s desire to imitate his father’s strength and skill.
14. How does the father handle the horses?
Answer : He controls them with his skillful plucking of the reins.
15. What does the poet mean by “his broad shadow” ?
Answer : It refers to the father’s strong presence and influence over the child.
16. Why were the father’s eyes narrowed and angled?
Answer : He focused closely on the soil while ploughing.
17. What does the child want to grow up to be?
Answer : The child wants to grow up and plough like his father.
18. What does the father’s stumbling symbolize in the end?
Answer : It shows the reversal of roles due to aging.
19. What does “polished sod” mean?
Answer : It refers to the smooth, freshly turned soil during ploughing.
20. Why does the father “not go away” at the end?
Answer : The father stays near the son, possibly due to old age and dependence.
Medium Questions with Answers
1. Why is the father described as an expert?
Answer : The father is called an expert because he skillfully controls the horses and ploughs the land with precision. He knows exactly how to map the furrows and turn the soil without breaking it. His experience and control show his expertise in farming.
2. What does the child admire about his father?
Answer : The child admires his father’s strength, skill, and precision while ploughing the field. He watches his father’s every move, hoping to one day imitate his abilities. The child looks up to his father as a role model.
3. What does the poet mean by the “broad shadow” ?
Answer : The “broad shadow” refers to the father’s strong influence on the child. The child follows his father everywhere, trying to learn from him. It symbolizes the protection and guidance the father provides in the child’s life.
4. What happens when the roles reverse in the poem?
Answer : As time passes, the child becomes the stronger figure, and the father grows older and weaker. The son, who once followed his father, now leads him. This reversal symbolizes the natural cycle of aging and responsibility.
5. How does the poet describe the child’s actions?
Answer : The child stumbles and falls while following his father, unable to keep up. He tries to help but only causes distractions. His actions show his desire to learn but also his clumsiness.
6. How does the poem show the changes caused by aging?
Answer : The poem shows that with age, the father becomes weaker, while the son grows stronger. The roles of the father and son reverse, with the son now leading. This shows how aging affects relationships and roles within the family.
7. Why does the poet feel guilty about his childhood?
Answer : The poet feels guilty for being a nuisance as a child, stumbling and getting in his father’s way. He now realizes that his actions must have slowed his father down. This guilt reflects his deep respect and love for his father.
8. What is the role of the horses in the poem?
Answer : The horses represent the hard work of farming. They strain under the father’s control, showing the physical labor involved in ploughing. Their role emphasizes the challenges of rural life and the teamwork needed for farming.
9. How does the father’s ploughing show his dedication?
Answer : The father’s careful ploughing reflects his dedication to his work. He focuses on creating straight, perfect furrows, using all his skill and experience. His careful work shows how much he cares about the quality of his farming.
10. What does the ending of the poem teach us?
Answer : The ending teaches us that roles in life change as time passes. The son, who once followed his father, now leads him. It highlights how relationships evolve, showing both the inevitability of aging and the importance of family support.
Long Questions with Answers
1. How does the poem explore the bond between father and son?
Answer : The poem shows a deep bond between the father and son through admiration and learning. The son looks up to his father as strong and skilled. Over time, their roles change, and the son becomes the caregiver. Despite these changes, the love and respect between them stay strong. This bond reflects the natural cycle of life.
2. How does Seamus Heaney describe the father’s work?
Answer : Heaney uses imagery to describe the father’s strength and skill in ploughing. His shoulders are compared to a sail, showing his power. The smooth soil, the precision of the furrows, and his control of the horses highlight his expertise. These details show the father’s connection to his work. His dedication reflects the hard life of a farmer.
3. What does the reversal of roles in the poem symbolize?
Answer : The reversal of roles symbolizes the effects of aging and the passage of time. The father, once strong and skilled, grows weaker and depends on the son. The son, once clumsy and dependent, becomes the leader. This shows how relationships change but remain rooted in love and care. It reflects the cycle of life.
4. What emotions does the poet express in the poem?
Answer : The poet expresses admiration for his father’s strength and skill. He also feels guilt for being clumsy and slowing his father down. As an adult, he reflects on their relationship with love and understanding. The mix of these emotions makes the poem touching and relatable. It shows respect and the impact of time on relationships.
5. What themes are present in the poem “Follower” ?
Answer : The poem explores themes of admiration, aging, and family bonds. It shows the son’s respect for his father and his desire to follow in his footsteps. Aging is shown through the father’s weakening and the role reversal. The theme of family highlights love and care across generations, despite life’s changes.
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