Poem 1 - The Newcomer by Brian Patten | Questions and Answers | New Oxford Modern...

Qa. How do the animals feel about the newcomer? What do you think is the main emotion in the poem?

Ans. No animal feels happy about the newcomer. They are all scared, shocked and suspicious about its intervention in their natural life. Each animal wants to warn the other animals of its kind as soon as possible. The main emotions or feelings in the poem are those of fear, suspicion, anticipation, awe, and surprise.

Qb. There are a lot of negatives in the poem. What is the effect of the word “no” repeated again and again?

Qc. What is meant by ‘Not even the wing of a ghost’? Does it mean that humans have never had wings?

Ans: The repetition of the word ‘no’ helps to paint a dark or negative picture. “No” shows the lack of identification of the newcomer’s personality. It brings out or reiterates the great difference between the unwelcome visitor and the other animals living in the wild world.

Ans: In the river, the humans ‘ignore the impassable dam: In the warren, they dig deeper than the animals ‘dare’ go. This tells us that they have abilities far grater than those of the other animals.

Ans: It means that the newcomer hasn’t even the slightest physical similarity with any sort of bird. It is completely wingless. In spite of having no wings and feather, it can fly higher than birds. Qd. What do the humans do in the river and in the warren? What do these actions tell us about the abilities of humans?

Qe. Do you think that this poem is fair to human beings?

Qf. Can you imagine the world in which humanity does not ‘kill, kill and kill’? What would this be like? Discuss in your class whether this would be a better world?

Ans: No, this is not fair to human beings who are said to be like killing machines. There are thousands of people who do their level best to protect nature and wildlife in their own regions. They even educate others for the welfare and protection of animals. It is true about half of the humans who are not kind towards animals and nature.

Ans: No, I can’t imagine an overpopulated world without killing or violence. Man is always busy in killing even men at one place or the other. If it is at peace, the world would be like paradise. Such a peaceful situation would be an ideal state for us.