Chapter-4.3 The Bees
1. What lesson do honey bees teach human beings?
Answer: Honey bees teach human beings the importance of order, discipline, cooperation, and hard work in society. Just like bees work together in an organized way, humans should also follow rules and work collectively for the progress of their kingdom or society.
2. How does the poet compare the bee community with a human kingdom?
Answer: The poet compares the bee community with a well-organized human kingdom where every member has a specific duty. Just like a kingdom has a king, officers, soldiers, merchants, and workers, the bee colony also has different bees performing different roles.
3. Who is the ruler in the bee kingdom according to the poem?
Answer: The ruler in the bee kingdom is the emperor bee, who sits in the royal tent and supervises the work of all the other bees.
4. What role do some bees play that is similar to magistrates?
Answer: Some bees act like magistrates who stay at home and maintain discipline. They correct mistakes and keep order in the hive, just as magistrates administer the law in a human society.
5. Which bees are compared to merchants and why?
Answer: Bees that go outside the hive to collect nectar from flowers are compared to merchants because they travel abroad for trade and bring valuable resources back home.
6. Why are some bees compared to soldiers?
Answer: Some bees are compared to soldiers because they are armed with stings and are ready to defend the hive against enemies.
7. What does the phrase “make boot upon the summer’s velvet buds” mean?
Answer: This phrase means that bees gather nectar from the soft buds of summer flowers. They collect nectar as if they are looting treasures from nature.
8. Where do the bees bring the nectar they collect?
Answer: The bees bring the nectar they collect from flowers back to the royal hive, which the poet calls the “tent royal” of their emperor.
9. What does the emperor bee do in the hive?
Answer: The emperor bee sits in majesty and observes the activities of all the bees. He supervises the work being done in the hive.
10. Who are described as “singing masons” in the poem?
Answer: The bees that build the honeycomb are called “singing masons” because they construct the hive while making a humming sound.
11. What are the “roofs of gold”?
Answer: The “roofs of gold” refer to the honeycombs filled with golden honey that the bees build inside the hive.
12. What work do the “civil citizens” perform?
Answer: The civil citizens are the bees that knead and prepare honey from the nectar collected by other bees.
13. Who are called “mechanic porters” in the poem?
Answer: The bees that carry heavy loads of nectar and pollen into the hive are called mechanic porters.
14. What are the mechanic porters carrying?
Answer: They are carrying heavy burdens of nectar and pollen collected from flowers outside the hive.
15. What happens at the narrow gate of the hive?
Answer: At the narrow gate of the hive, the porter bees enter carrying nectar while other bees manage the traffic and maintain order.
16. Who is described as the “sad-eyed Justice”?
Answer: The sad-eyed Justice represents the bees responsible for maintaining discipline and punishing lazy or useless bees.
17. Why is the Justice described as “surly”?
Answer: The Justice is described as surly because he is strict and serious while performing his duty of punishing the lazy drones.
18. Who are the executors mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The executors are bees that carry out the punishment given to the lazy drones.
19. Who is the “lazy yawning drone”?
Answer: The drone is the male bee that does not work like the other bees and is therefore punished or removed from the hive.
20. Why are the drones punished in the bee colony?
Answer: Drones are punished because they are lazy and do not contribute to the work of the hive.
21. What does the poem teach about teamwork?
Answer: The poem teaches that teamwork and cooperation are essential for success. Every bee works together to maintain the hive and produce honey.
22. How do bees show discipline in their work?
Answer: Bees follow strict roles and responsibilities. Each bee performs its assigned task without disturbing the order of the colony.
23. Why is the bee colony considered well organized?
Answer: The bee colony is well organized because every bee has a particular role, and all tasks are carried out systematically under the supervision of the emperor bee.
24. What is the significance of the humming sound made by bees?
Answer: The humming sound symbolizes their constant activity and cooperation while working together.
25. How do bees collect nectar from flowers?
Answer: Bees fly to flowers, gather nectar using their tongues, and store it in their bodies before carrying it back to the hive.
26. How is honey prepared inside the hive?
Answer: The bees mix and process the nectar they collect and convert it into honey inside the honeycomb cells.
27. Why does the poet admire the bees?
Answer: The poet admires bees for their discipline, organization, and hardworking nature.
28. How do bees defend their colony?
Answer: Bees defend their colony using their sharp stings when enemies approach the hive.
29. What moral lesson can humans learn from bees?
Answer: Humans can learn to live in harmony, work hard, and follow rules just like bees do.
30. Why is the hive compared to a kingdom?
Answer: The hive is compared to a kingdom because it has a ruler, workers, soldiers, and administrators who maintain order.
31. What role does the emperor bee play in maintaining order?
Answer: The emperor bee supervises the activities of the colony and ensures that everything runs smoothly.
32. What does the poet mean by “art of order”?
Answer: The “art of order” refers to the ability to organize society in a disciplined and systematic manner.
33. Why are bees called “creatures that teach”?
Answer: Bees are called creatures that teach because their behavior shows humans how to live and work together efficiently.
34. What does the poem say about hard work?
Answer: The poem emphasizes that success and prosperity come from constant hard work and cooperation.
35. How does the poet describe the movement of bees returning to the hive?
Answer: The poet describes it as a joyful march where bees return together carrying nectar.
36. What happens to bees that do not work?
Answer: Bees that do not work, like drones, are punished or removed from the colony.
37. Why are bees important to nature?
Answer: Bees are important because they help in pollination and maintain the balance of nature.
38. What does the poet mean by “tent royal”?
Answer: The “tent royal” refers to the hive where the emperor bee lives and rules.
39. How does the poem describe the life of bees?
Answer: The poem describes the life of bees as organized, disciplined, cooperative, and hardworking.
40. What overall message does the poem “The Bees” convey?
Answer: The poem conveys that a successful society depends on discipline, teamwork, and proper organization, just as seen in the life of bees.
Answer by Dimpee Bora
