The Lament
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. Comment on the indifference that meets Iona’s attempts to share his grief with his fellow human beings.
Answer:
2. What impression of the character of Iona do you get from this
story?
Answer:
3. How does the horse serve as a true friend and companion to
Iona?
Answer:
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss the following in pairs
1. Empathy and understanding are going out of modern society.
The individual experiences intense alienation from the society
around him or her.
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2. Behind the public face of the people in various occupations is a
whole saga of personal suffering and joy which they wish to
share with others.
Answer:
APPRECIATION
1. The story begins with a description of the setting. How does this
serve as a fitting prelude to the events described in the story?
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2. Comment on the graphic detail with which the various
passengers who took Iona’s cab are described.
Answer:
3. This short story revolves around a single important event.
Discuss how the narrative is woven around this central fact.
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4. The story begins and ends with Iona and his horse. Comment
on the significance of this to the plot of the story.
Answer:
LANGUAGE WORK
1. Look at the following set of words and mention what is common
to them both in form and meaning
snuffle snort sniffle snore
Answer:
2. Look at the words given in the box below
snigger wriggle sneak squeak
squawk titter pant chuckle
giggle jeer chortle guffaw
sigh sidle boo shriek
scramble croak straggle plod
gasp
Now classify them according to their closeness in meaning to
the words given below
A B C D E
snigger wriggle squeak jeer sigh
3. Explain the associations that the colour ‘white’ has in the story.
Answer:
4. What does the phrase ‘as if he were on needles’ mean? Can you
think of another phrase with a similar meaning substituting
the word ‘needles’?
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SUGGESTED READING
1. ‘What Men Live by’ by Leo Tolstoy
Answer:
2. ‘The Overcoat’ by N. Gogol.
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