What If Poem Important Questions Class 6 Honeysuckle English
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Why was the child afraid in the poem?
Answer
The child was afraid because he was worried about his future lest any mishap should happen anytime in his life It seems that the child is fearful about his future.
Question 2. Who is the speaker in the poem?
Answer
The speaker in the poem is a child.
Question 3. What is acquaintance with the ‘What if song’?
Answer
The ‘What if song’ deals with a lot of imaginary incidences that may happen and the changes that may take place in the child’s life.
Question 4. When did the strange things hit the child’s mind?
Answer
When the child was lying on her bed the last night, strange things hit her mind.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. With your partner list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.
Answer
The speaker is worried if he was dumb in school, if they had closed the swimming pool, if he got’ beaten up, if there was poison in his cup, if he started to cry, if he got sick and died, if he flunked that test, if green hair grew on his chest, if nobody liked him, if a bolt of lightning struck him, if he did not grow taller, if his head started getting smaller, if the fish would not bite, if the wind tore up his kite, if they started a war, if his parents got divorced, if the bus was late, if his teeth did not grow in straight, if he tore his pants, if ne never learnt to dance.
Question 2. What was the situation the next morning when the child woke up?
Answer
When the child woke up the next morning everything was fine. She was afraid of many things last night, but in the morning, She was feeling good but at night became afraid thinking what would happen if those terrifying moments again come in her mind. The child is afraid of imaginary fears.
Question 3. Who are the optimist or pessimist persons?
Answer
Optimism is best qualities of humanity. For a person, being optimistic is very much essential if he wants to lead a happy and healthy life. It is important to understand that life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes we are happy and sometimes sad. A human life may suffer from different kinds of problems in life. Instead of leading a monotonous life, it is preferable to face the issues and try to find the solution for all the problems in life. Optimism is such a quality which always helps to find a solution for any kind of problem. If a person continues to be pessimistic, it becomes difficult to live a peaceful life. Thus, it is always important to be an optimist rather than a pessimist to lead a happy and carefree life.
Question 4. What do you think, the child’s fear was real or imaginary?
Answer
The child’s fear was imaginary because she was only assuming things. No body can claim about future with surety and it is a mystery for everyone. Thinking too much about future is needless and waste of time. It gives birth to imaginary fears.
Question 5. With your partner, list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.
Answer
The speaker worries about his own well beings, his school, his parents, the world at large. He wonders how he will cope with the situations in the event of his being dumb, get beaten, poisoned, hit by lightening, taken ill his head becomes smaller. In a fit of wildness, he can also tear his pants. His parents got separated. A war breaks out and the fish change their habits.
Question 6. What are the fears and doubts that arise in the mind of the child?
Answer
There are a lot of fears in the mind of the child. She is worried what will happen if she lost the power to speak or if her school closes the swimming pool. She was afraid of being beaten up or if somebody puts poison in her cup. The child may fall sick and die. She may get hit by lightning or her height may stop growing. Some other bad situations also appear in her mind such as wind may tear up her kite or there may start a war. It is possible that her parents may get separated and her teeth grow irregular. She may be unable to learn dance and so many other things also may happen.
Question 7. Explain the lines ‘’some what ifs crawled inside my ear and pranced and partied all night long.’’
Answer
In these lines, the poet has some doubts and imaginary questions to which he refers to as ‘what ifs’. These fears haunt him at night. They disturb and trouble him by repeatedly questioning what (will happen) if something unpleasant happens. They are nightmarish.
Context Based Questions
Stanza 1
Last night, while I lay thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranched and partied all night long.
And sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I’m dumb in school?
Whatif they’ve closed the swimming-pool?
Explanation
The poet says that the last night he was observed with a ‘what if thoughts that constantly inside his , ears his ears. He felt annoyed as it was partying and enjoying the troubles it causes. He thinks ‘what if he were the dumbest in the clam. His worry regarding swimming pool shows his inclination towards it.
Questions
(i) What ‘crawled’ inside his ears again and again?
(ii) Who was haunting his mind?
(iii) What did he like and dislike about the schooling?
(iv) Find out the synonym for ‘walked in a lively manner’ from the extract.
Answer
(i) When he was lying thinking the "What if"song crawled into his mind.
(ii) The same old "whatif" song haunted his mind.
(iii) He disliked being taken as ‘a dumb’ person and liked the swimming pool. He was worried about closing of the swimming pool.
(iv) Prance.
Stanza 2
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there’s poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Explanation
The poet question that what would happen if he was beaten up or poisoned. He seemed to be hesitant in expressing emotionally that is why he asked what will happen if he start crying. He was scared of getting sick and death. He fear of loosing in a test is also a matter of great concern to him.
Questions
(i) Why was he disheartened by being ‘beaten up’?
(ii) What do you get from ‘there’s poison in my cup’?
(iii) Why he was scared of crying?
(iv) Explain ‘flunk the test’.
(v) What does the last line suggest about the poet?
Answer
(i) He was scared to be broken down. He did not want to be defeated.
(ii) The poet wanted to live and was scared to hell about death.
(iii) He didn’t want to ridicule by showing emotion in public.
(iv) He was afraid of tests. He didn’t want to fail. He seemed to be a sincere person.
(v) The last line suggests that the poet is a student or writing on his behalf.
Stanza 3
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don’t grow taller?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won’t bite?
Explanation
The weirdest thought anyone could handle wouldn’t at least be green hair grown on his chest. He was scared of left secluded. The poet of lightening bring terror in his heart. He wanted to be tall so was scared. He was afraid of becoming out of shape as he talks about his head getting smaller. He must be fond of fishes as he says that what happen he fails to get a fish.
Questions
(i) Which is his most funniest and weirdest fear?
(ii) Which of these lines talk about his fear of being ignored socially?
(iii) Do you think any of his fear is realistic?
(iv) What is his idea of height?
(v) Change the verb ‘strike’ into noun.
Answer
(i) The funniest one is when he thinks of having green hair on his chest.
(ii) “What if nobody likes me’.
(iii) No, none any of his fear is realistic.
(iv) He wants to grow taller.
(v) Striker.
Stanza 4
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don’t grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems swell, and then
The night-time Whatif strikes again!
Explanation
The child is afraid of wind that can tear up his kite. What could be the repercussion if any war starts. He is afraid if his parents get separated. He is scared if his bus gets late. He is worried about the shape of his teeth. He also thinks he cannot learn dance as he is scared of getting insulted or ridiculed. He wanted to learn dance and is afraid. The child woke up next morning and felt good. But the hovering idea of ‘What if striced again.
Questions
(i) Does the child love his family?
(ii) Explain this line from poem “Whatif I tearing parts”.
(iii) What happens when ‘Everything seems swell’.
(iv) When does “what if strikes again”?
(v) Give synonym of swell.
Answer
(i) Yes, the child loves his family.
(ii) The child was afraid of tearing of his pants because he will be mocked at.
(iii) In the morning, the natural course of events started happening.
(iv) At the night the ‘What if Strikes again’.
(v) Inflate.