Long Answer Questions of The Frog and the Nightingale Class 10th.

1.      The nightingale was foolish and could be exploited.  Explain  in  100-125 words.

[C.B.S.E.,  2011  (T-1)]

Ans : The nightingale had a typical temperament of an artist. She was very musical and her melody not only earned her great appreciation but also made some creatures cry. The crowd of her concerts consisted of some with titles  and creatures from far also flocked to listen to her. She quickly became addicted to their praise but lacked acute business sense. She was not practical or worldly wise and got very foolishly trapped by the clever frog. She never realised that he was making money and cheating her. She never saw through his manipulations that he wanted her

to  overexert.  He  criticised  her  needlessly  and  made her

lose confidence. So it was the nightingale’s fault to succumb to the clever frog’s tricks. She never realised her own interest and welfare till the end. Her end was inevitable.

2.      The frog was too boastful and conceited. The nightingale was too modest and unaware of her latent talent. The frog was insensitive to public reaction. The nightingale thrived solely on public adulation. Compare and contrast the singing of the frog with that of the nightingale in the light of  the  above  statements.

Ans : The frog was conceited and self-centred. He sang loudly,  brashly all through the night, thus disturbing all  the creatures of the Bingle Bog. The frog was rude, arrogant and  too  boastful. The  bog-creatures  were  so  fed  up that

they prayed, resorted to beating  but  nothing could stop his irritating and noisy singing. The frog basically lived and sang to please himself. He was egoistic and self-centred.

In contrast the nightingale was too sensitive and polite. She was innocent and very gullible. Despite being an excellent singer, she loses confidence because of the frog. So she is an artist who has no confidence in herself and needs others to either boost her morale or break it.  The nightingale was most pleasant and the frog was most irritating  and  unmusical.

3.      Vikram Seth has used irony and symbols with great dexterity in the poem ‘The Frog and the Nightingale.’  Discuss  by  giving examples.

Ans : The poet has incorporated a large variety of meanings beneath the emotional storyline. The poem is allegorical in nature for the frog is a symbol of very clever and manipulative people who exploit young artists and abort their careers. The nightingale represents true and innocent artists who are taken for a ride by the people like frog        in the guise of organisers who harm the blooming careers of great ‘geniuses’ in the making. It is ironical that nightingale enchants and pleases everyone, but does not understand her own strength or talent. The poet also highlights the importance of public applause and the importance of blooming careers. It is ironical that many times a good talent is nipped in the bud, like that of the nightingale.

4.      How did the Frog break the nightingale’s spirit and  destroy  her?  (100  to  125 words)

Ans : The frog wanted to be the undisputed king of Bingle Bog. He sang to his delight and could not stand any kind  of rivalry. Even though he was hated by all but there was no one to compete with. He is extremely passionate about his loud and unmusical voice and has an exaggerated opinion about himself. When the nightingale arrives, she mesmerises everyone with her politeness and musical voice. The frog senses competition. So he forcibly becomes her tutor and mentor and strategically plans, not only to finish her career but also to end her life. He makes her sing         in rough weather, endlessly and advises her to exert more and more. As a result, the nightingale succumbs to pressure and the frog emerges as the king of Bingle Bog again.

5.      Do you think that ‘The Frog and the Nightingale’ is a humorous poem or a tragic one? Give arguments  to  support  your  answer.

Ans : The basic storyline of the poem is humorous. The poet has added lot of humorous touches like the pun of words like “owl of Sandwich” etc. The frog’s exaggerated opinion of himself is really funny and the fact that he         is compared to ‘Mozart’, a great musician, is quite hilarious. There are bits of humour here and there but the message and essence of the story is tragic. The poem is a tragic    tale of a great singer whose flourishing and thriving career is ended prematurely. The nightingale is too innocent, too gullible and her succumbing to her death is a masterstroke of great tragedy. Her end arouses sympathy for her and hatred for such conniving cheats who exploit natural talent and  destroy  it  for  their  own  selfish  interests.