Short Questions (with Answers)
1. Who wrote the poem “The Empty Heart” ?
Answer : Periasamy Thooran wrote the poem.
2. What is the main theme of the poem?
Answer : The poem shows how greed can ruin people.
3. What does the man pray for?
Answer : He prays for a pot of gold.
4. How many pots of gold did the man receive?
Answer : He got seven full pots and one half-full pot.
5. What is the “Wish-yielding Tree” called in the poem?
Answer : It is called Kalpaka.
6. Why was the tree called unkind?
Answer : It gave him a half-full pot to test his greed.
7. What does the man do after receiving the pots?
Answer : He becomes obsessed with filling the half-full pot.
8. What did the man forget while trying to fill the half pot?
Answer : He forgot the seven full pots of gold he already had.
9. What happens to the man at the end?
Answer : He dies while trying to fill the pot.
10. What does the demon Desire represent in the poem?
Answer : It represents endless greed.
11. What does the empty heart symbolize?
Answer : It symbolizes dissatisfaction caused by greed.
12. What lesson does the poem teach about greed?
Answer : Greed leads to unhappiness and ruin.
13. What is wrong with the man’s heart ?
Answer : His heart is empty because he is never satisfied.
14. What does the “half-full pot” symbolize ?
Answer : It symbolizes never-ending desires.
15. What is the curse mentioned in the poem?
Answer : The curse is the emptiness in the heart caused by greed.
16. Who translated the poem “The Empty Heart” ?
Answer : S. Swaminathan translated the poem.
17. What is the man’s daily routine after receiving the gold?
Answer : He works day and night, ignoring his family, food, and health.
18. What finally happens to the man?
Answer : He dies trying to fill the half-full pot of gold.
19. What does the poet say about the half-filled purse?
Answer : The poet says it is not a problem if someone has less money; greed is the real problem.
20. What lesson does the tree teach?
Answer : The tree shows that greed brings unhappiness, even if wishes are fulfilled.
Medium Questions (with Answers)
1. Why was the man not happy even though he was rich?
Answer : The man was very greedy and wanted more gold. He prayed to the Wish-yielding Tree for wealth, even though he already had enough. His greed kept him from being happy.
2. What does the Wish-yielding Tree give the man?
Answer : The tree gave him seven full pots and one half-full pot of gold. Instead of being happy, he became obsessed with filling the half pot. This made him greedy and restless.
3. How did the man’s behavior change after getting the gold?
Answer : The man became greedy and worked all day and night to fill the half pot. He ignored his family, stopped eating and sleeping, and ruined his health. He lost his peace of mind.
4. Why did the man forget about the seven full pots of gold?
Answer : The man became obsessed with the half-full pot. His greed made him focus only on filling it. He completely ignored the gold he already had.
5. What do the silver pitchers symbolize in the poem?
Answer : The silver pitchers represent wealth and greed. Even though they were filled with gold, they couldn’t make the man happy. They show that material wealth doesn’t bring satisfaction.
6. What is the meaning of “Nothing is wrong with a half-filled purse” ?
Answer : It means having less wealth is fine if a person is happy. The problem is greed, which keeps people dissatisfied. The poem teaches us to be content with what we have.
7. What does the demon Desire do to the man?
Answer : The demon Desire makes the man greedy and restless. It pushes him to work endlessly to fill the pot. His greed takes over his life and leads to his death.
8. What does the void in the heart represent?
Answer : The void in the heart represents dissatisfaction and greed. Even with great wealth, the man’s heart felt empty because he always wanted more. True happiness comes from contentment.
9. How did the man’s greed affect his life?
Answer : His greed destroyed his health, peace, and relationships. He became selfish and ignored his family. In the end, his greed caused his death.
10. What message does the poem give about wealth?
Answer : The poem teaches that wealth alone cannot make people happy. Greed for more wealth only leads to unhappiness. Contentment and peace of mind are more valuable than money.
Long Questions (with Answers)
1. Comment on the title of the poem “The Empty Heart.” Is it justified?
Answer : The title “The Empty Heart” is perfect because it shows how greed makes people feel empty inside. Even though the man had wealth, his heart was never satisfied. He wanted more and more, which ruined his life. The title highlights the unhappiness caused by greed.
2. How does the poem show the dangers of greed?
Answer : The poem shows that greed makes people blind to what they already have. The man had seven pots of gold but focused only on filling the half-full pot. His greed made him work day and night, ruining his life and health. In the end, his greed caused his death.
3. Explain the lines: “Nothing is wrong with a half-filled purse; ‘Tis the void in the heart that is the curse.”
Answer : These lines mean that it’s okay to have less money if you are happy. The real problem is greed, which makes people restless and unhappy. The poem teaches that contentment is the true source of happiness. Greed is like a curse that destroys peace of mind.
4. What does the Wish-yielding Tree symbolize in the poem?
Answer : The Wish-yielding Tree represents opportunities and desires. It gives the man more than he asks for, but his greed makes him unhappy. The half-full pot tests the man’s ability to be content. The tree shows that greed can turn blessings into pain.
5. How does the poet emphasize the value of contentment in the poem?
Answer : The poet emphasizes contentment by showing the man’s downfall caused by greed. The man could have been happy with seven pots of gold but wanted more. His greed ruined his life, health, and relationships. The poem teaches that being happy with what we have is more important than wealth.
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