Here are Extra Question Answers of the Poem An Elementary School . This question bank includes everything you need to master An Elementary School .This is updated as per 2024- 25 pattern. Go through to gain deep understanding and achieve a great score in exam of Class 12 English.

An Elementary School  Introduction in 100-120 words-

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender is a poem that highlights the harsh reality of children living in slums. The poet describes the classroom as dirty and neglected, just like the children’s lives.

These children are poor, weak, and malnourished, with no hope for a better future. The poem shows how disconnected they are from the world of opportunities, represented by the pictures of Shakespeare and world maps in the classroom.

The poet calls for change, urging society to provide these children with the freedom and opportunities they deserve. He imagines them playing in “green fields,” symbolising hope, freedom, and a brighter future.

Theme–The main theme of the poem is poverty and the lack of opportunities for slum children. It shows how poor children are stuck in harsh conditions and can’t dream of a better future.

Moral-The poem teaches us that all children deserve equal opportunities and education. It calls for society to help break the cycle of poverty and give these children a chance to succeed.

Characters-The children in the slum classroom are the central characters. They are described as weak, pale, and hopeless, representing all children trapped in poverty. There is also a boy who dreams of freedom and escape.

Progress of Thoughts-The poem begins by describing the poor state of the children and their classroom. It then contrasts their lives with the world of opportunity shown in the maps and pictures on the walls. Finally, the poet urges society to help these children experience freedom and hope.

Message-The poet wants to show how unfair life is for slum children. He asks for change and believes that with the right support, these children can build a better future. The poem is a call for compassion and action to help those in need.

Imagery-The poem uses powerful imagery like “rootless weeds,” “sour cream walls,” and “lead sky” to show the hopelessness in the children’s lives. These images help us feel the depth of their struggles and sadness.

Tone-The tone of the poem is sad but hopeful. The poet is upset about the children’s condition, but he believes that things can change if society takes action.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Theme in short.

The theme of the poem is the harsh reality of slum children’s lives.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Theme Justification-

Let’s see how this theme is applicable to the poem – “An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum”.

The theme is reflected through the sad, difficult lives of slum children, described as weak, hungry, and trapped in poverty. The poet, Stephen Spender, shows how they are surrounded by images of opportunity, but those dreams feel unreachable in their harsh reality, creating a sense of hopelessness.

Also Read:

• An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extra Questions and Answers
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum MCQ Online Test
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Extract Based Questions
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Theme
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Author
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum MCQ
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Summary

List of Themes-

Let’s see some more themes appropriately applicable on the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum”.

1. Poverty and Neglect  
2. Inequality  
3. Hopelessness  

 Short Summary of ” An Elementary School ” (Extra Questions)

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender describes the sad and poor conditions of children in a slum school. The children are weak, hungry, and neglected. Their classroom has pictures of Shakespeare, world maps, and valleys, but these feel unreachable to them.

They live in a world of poverty, with little hope for a better future. The poet calls for change, urging those in power to help the children escape their harsh reality through education and opportunities for a brighter future.

Word Meanings of ” An Elementary School -(Extra Questions)

Gusty = Strong, fast-moving wind (तेज़ हवा) , Rootless = Without support or stability (बिना आधार या समर्थन के) , Weeds = Unwanted plants growing in unwanted places (अनचाही घास या पौधे) , Pallor = Pale, unhealthy skin color (पीला या बीमार दिखने वाला रंग), Weighed-down = Burdened, feeling heavy (बोझिल या दबा हुआ),

Paper-seeming = Fragile, weak, like thin paper (कमज़ोर या कागज़ जैसा), Rat’s eyes = Small, sharp, alert eyes (चौकन्नी, नुकीली आँखें) , Stunted = Not fully grown, underdeveloped (रुका हुआ विकास, पूर्ण रूप से विकसित न होना) , Unlucky heir = Inheriting bad fortune or disease (अभागा वारिस),

Twisted bones = Deformed or bent bones (टेढ़ी-मेढ़ी हड्डियाँ), Gnarled = Rough, twisted, usually due to age or illness (टेढ़ी-मेढ़ी, अक्सर बीमारी या उम्र के कारण), Dim class = Dark or poorly lit classroom (अंधेरा या कम रोशनी वाला क्लासरूम), Unnoted = Unnoticed, ignored (नज़रअंदाज़ किया गया) ,

Squirrel’s game = Playful, carefree activity (गिलहरी के खेल जैसा, मुक्त खेल), Tree room = A natural or open environment, like being in a tree (पेड़ के कमरे जैसा, खुला वातावरण), Sour cream walls = pale, dirty (मटमैली, गंदी दीवारें)  , Donations = gifts, contributions (दान की हुई चीज़ें)  ,

Shakespeare’s head = symbol of literature, knowledge (साहित्य का प्रतीक)  , Cloudless at dawn = clear morning, bright start (साफ़ सुबह, उजला आरंभ)  , Civilized dome = advanced city, cultured place (विकसित शहर), Tyrolese valley = beautiful place, scenic valley (सुंदर घाटी)

Open-handed map = map of opportunities, world view (अवसरों का नक्शा)  Awarding the world its world = giving the world its opportunities, offering possibilities (दुनिया को उसके अवसर देना),Windows, not this map = limited world, small view (सीमित दुनिया) ,Painted with a fog = unclear, uncertain (धुंधला, अनिश्चित)

Extract Based Questions of ” An Elementary School -(Extra Questions)

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based MCQ questions – 1

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces
like rootless weeds, the hair was torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
Seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.

1.Question: Why do you think the boy is described as having “rat’s eyes”? Answer in about 40 words.  

Answer: The boy is described as having “rat’s eyes” to highlight his alertness and fear, like a rat always searching for safety. It reflects his tough life, where survival is more important than innocence or childhood joy.

2. Question: State True or False.

None of the following terms can be applied to the statement- “The tall girl with her weighed-down head”:  

(a) A metaphor – comparing her looks to her sadness  
(b) A hyperbole – exaggerating her condition  
(c) An assumption – assuming she’s sad because of her posture  
(d) A simile – comparing her posture to something directly

Answer: (a) False

Reason: The “weighed-down head” symbolises the girl’s sadness and burden, showing her emotions through her posture without directly stating them.

3. Question: The comparison of the children’s faces to “rootless weeds” in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum suggests they are _____.  

Answer: Helpless/Neglected/Disconnected/Vulnerable/Uncared or any other similar response

4.Question: What does the description of “hair torn around their pallor” imply?  

Answer: It implies neglect, poor health, and lack of proper care.

Extract from An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum- 2

The stunted, unlucky heir
of  twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lessons from his desk. At the back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of Squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this

1.Question: Why do you think the boy at the back of the class dreams of a “squirrel’s game”? Answer in about 40 words.  

Answer: The boy dreams of a squirrel’s game to escape his harsh reality. It represents freedom and fun. This dream gives him a break from the boring and confining classroom. It helps him forget the struggles of his life for a while.

2. Question: State True or False

None of the following terms applies to the statement “His eyes live in a dream, of Squirrel’s game” 

(a) An escape – a mental escape from his current harsh reality  
(b) A metaphor – comparing his dreams to a squirrel’s game  
(c) A hyperbole –overstating the boy’s state of mind  
(d) A reflection – showing his inner thoughts and desires  

Answer: (a) False

Reason: The boy’s dream of a squirrel’s game symbolises his mental escape from the harsh reality of the classroom.

3.Question: The description of the boy as an “unlucky heir of twisted bones” could be a _____.  

Answer:Victim/Sufferer/Inherited/Fighter/Survivor/Burdened/Challenge or any other similar response. 

4.Question: What does the “father’s gnarled disease” suggest about the boy’s condition?  

Answer: It suggests the boy suffers from an inherited physical deformity.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)- of  ” An Elementary School ”

1. What does the metaphor “rootless weeds” primarily suggest about the children in an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

(a) Their happiness  
(b) Their lack of direction and support  
(c) Their freedom  
(d) Their intelligence  

Answer:  Their lack of direction and support  
Reason: It symbolises the children’s unstable and neglected lives.

 2. Why does the poet compare the boy to having “rat’s eyes” in an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

(a) To show his intelligence  
(b) To suggest his sharp eyesight  
(c) To depict his fear and survival instinct  
(d) To show his friendliness  

Answer: To depict his fear and survival instinct  
Reason:It implies the boy’s constant alertness, suggesting fear and hunger.

 3. Why is the girl’s head described as “weighed down” in an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

(a) Because she is physically ill  
(b) She carried emotional burdens and sadness  
(c) She is ashamed  
(d) She is sleepy  

Answer: She carried emotional burdens and sadness  
Reason: The phrase reflects the weight of her emotional struggles and hardships.

4. What does the “sour cream walls” in the classroom symbolise  in an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

(a) Happiness and joy  
(b) Old age and decay  
(c) Brightness  
(d) New beginnings  

Answer: Old age and decay  
“Reason: It suggests the decayed, dull state of the classroom, indicating neglect.

 5. What is the significance of the phrase “the paper-seeming boy” in an Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?

(a) He is delicate and fragile  
(b) He is wise  
(c) He is tough and strong  
(d) He is playful  

Answer: He is delicate and fragile  
Reason:It emphasises the boy’s frailty due to poverty and malnutrition.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Short Answer Type Question

1. Why does the poet compare the children’s faces to ‘rootless weeds’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet compares the children’s faces to rootless weeds to show their helplessness. Like weeds without roots, they lack a stable foundation, proper care, and nourishment, reflecting their poor condition and their uncertain, vulnerable existence.

2. What does the poet mean by ‘a narrow street sealed in with a lead sky’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The phrase ‘a narrow street sealed in with a lead sky’ shows how trapped the children are in their environment. The sky feels heavy and dark, symbolising the hopelessness and limitations they face in their slum life.

3. How do the classroom walls contrast with the lives of the children in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The classroom walls are decorated with pictures of Shakespeare, beautiful valleys, and world maps. These images show a world full of beauty and opportunity, which is completely opposite to the children’s harsh and restricted lives in the slum. They can’t reach or experience these dreams.

4. Why does the poet call Shakespeare ‘wicked’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet calls Shakespeare ‘wicked’ because his works represent a world of beauty and knowledge that is out of reach for the slum children. For them, Shakespeare’s world is a reminder of what they cannot have, which makes it seem unfair.

5. What does the poet suggest through the image of ‘foggy slum’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The image of the ‘foggy slum’ suggests that the children’s lives are filled with confusion and darkness. They live in a world where they cannot see a clear future, and their hopes are blurred by the harsh conditions of the slum, leaving them in perpetual uncertainty.

6. Why does the poet say the map is a ‘bad example’ for the slum children in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet believes the map is a bad example because it shows a world full of possibilities that the slum children will never experience. It attracts them with dreams of freedom and adventure, but their reality is limited to the narrow streets of the slum.

7. How does the poet highlight the contrast between the children’s dreams and their reality in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet shows that the children have dreams of playing in open spaces, like the boy imagining a squirrel’s game in a tree. However, their reality is a cramped, dark classroom, symbolising the gap between their dreams and what they can actually achieve.

8. Why does the poet refer to the classroom as a ‘catacomb’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet refers to the classroom as a ‘catacomb’ because it feels like a tomb, trapping the children inside with no hope of escape. The comparison shows how the classroom, instead of being a place of learning, is a place where their spirits are buried.

9. What does the poet wish for the slum children in the end of An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The poet wishes for the slum children to break free from their trapped lives and experience a world of opportunities. He hopes they can enjoy green fields, read books, and learn about the world, just like other children in more privileged environments.

10. What is the significance of the ‘lead sky’ in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? (Answer in 40-50 words)  

Answer: The ‘lead sky’ represents the heaviness and hopelessness of the children’s environment. It shows how they are trapped under a world of poverty and despair, with no sunlight or hope to brighten their future, symbolising their confined, oppressive lives.

An Elementary School  Long Answer Type Question

1.Question: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, how does the poet describe the children in the slum school? What is the effect of their environment on them? (Answer in 120 to 150 words)

Answer: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, the poet describes the children as frail, neglected, and lacking energy. Their faces are compared to “rootless weeds,” suggesting they have no stable support or care in their lives. One boy is described as “paper-seeming,” highlighting his fragile health due to malnutrition.

Another boy has “rat’s eyes,” showing he is constantly alert, living in fear and survival mode. The environment is dark and hopeless, with a “lead sky” symbolising the weight of their situation.

This gloomy setting traps the children, preventing them from dreaming of a better future. The neglected classroom mirrors their neglected lives, making it clear that the children are stuck in a cycle of poverty and despair.

2.Question: In the poem “An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, what is the significance of the phrase “far far from gusty waves”? (Answer in 120 to 150 words)

Answer: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, the phrase “far far from gusty waves” highlights how the children are removed from any excitement or vitality in life. “Gusty waves” symbolise energy, movement, and freedom, but the children are far from experiencing these things.

They live in a slum, where their lives are stagnant and lifeless. There is no opportunity for adventure or joy, and they are confined to a dull, hopeless existence. The poet uses this phrase to emphasise the gap between the children’s harsh reality and a world full of possibilities. It shows how disconnected they are from the beauty, excitement, and opportunities that others might take for granted.

Also Read:

• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum MCQ Online Test
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Theme
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum Author
• An Elementary School Classroom in A Slum MCQ
• An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Summary Class 12 pdf

3.Question: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, what is the meaning of the “lead sky” in the children’s world? (Answer in 120 to 150 words)

 Answer:In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, the “lead sky” represents the oppressive and heavy burden that the children experience in their daily lives. Lead is a dense and heavy material, and the sky, which is typically open and free, feels closed and weighted down for these children.

It suggests that they are trapped in their environment, with no sense of freedom or opportunity to escape. The “lead sky” symbolises the hopelessness of their situation, where their future seems dark and filled with despair.

It reflects the absence of brightness or hope, leaving them confined under a heavy emotional and physical burden. The poet uses this image to emphasise the overwhelming sense of limitation and confinement in the children’s lives.

4.Question: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, why does the poet compare the children to “rootless weeds”? What does this tell us about their lives? (Answer in 120 to 150 words)

Answer:In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, the poet compares the children to “rootless weeds” to show their lack of stability and care. Just like weeds that grow anywhere without attention, these children grow up in difficult, uncaring conditions.

Weeds are often seen as unwanted, and this comparison suggests that the children are also neglected and overlooked by society. The term “rootless” highlights that they have no strong foundation or support system from their families or community. Their lives are unplanned, aimless, and full of uncertainty.

This metaphor emphasises the children’s fragility and how unwanted they feel in an environment that offers no chance for growth or success, trapping them in a cycle of neglect and hardship.

 5.Question: In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, how does the poet use the image of “sour cream walls” to describe the classroom? What does it symbolise? (Answer in 120 to 150 words)

Answer:In the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum, the poet uses the image of “sour cream walls” to highlight the decay and neglect of the classroom. Sour cream, which is old and spoiled, symbolises something that has lost its freshness and vitality.

Similarly, the classroom walls are dull, dirty, and worn out, reflecting the gloomy and neglected environment the children live in. These walls represent the poor conditions of the school, where nothing is cared for or maintained.

The image suggests that the children are trapped in a lifeless place that offers no inspiration or hope for growth. Just like the walls, their lives seem to be falling apart, with little chance for improvement, mirroring the overall neglect they experience daily.