KSEEB Solutions for Class 10 English Poem Chapter 5 Jazz Poem Two

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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 10 English Poem Chapter 5 Jazz Poem Two

Jazz Poem Two Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes

Understand the poem:

Question 1.
Read the first stanza and see how closely the description of the Jazz player is made and fill in the columns in the table.

Answer:

Question 2.
Why do you think the Jazz player keeps his head down? (lines 1 – 6)
Answer:
The Jazz player keeps his head down bogged down by life’s wearies.

Question 3.
The word ‘old’ has been repeated several times in the first two stanzas. What does this suggest?
Answer:
The word ‘old’ is repeated several times to heighten the pathetic aspect of the Jazz player.

Question 4.
What description do the lines 13 to 18 suggest about the Jazz player?
Answer:
In lines 13-18, as in other lines before and after these, we see the poor condition of the Jazz player. His shoes are old and have paper in them to keep them firm. His wrinkled, unshaven face is the very symbol of pain.

Question 5.
a) Read lines 19 to 25 carefully. Is there any change in the stature of the Jazz player?
b) Now read likes 31 to 35. Can you guess what he is meditating on?
Answer:
a) Yes, there is a change. Even as his head and eyes remain still down and still closed, his ears are perked, suggestive of attentiveness and alertness.
b) He is meditating on giving a message to the people of the world on the Black Gospel Jazz.

Question 6.
How has he held his instrument?
Answer:
His instrument, an old alto saxophone, hangs from his neck, supported by a wire coat hanger.

Question 7.
Read lines 29 to 41. It gives a picture. Can you imagine that? Try to get that picture in your mind. If you can, draw the picture.
Answer:
Lines 29-41 create the picture of the man playing his instrument. The minute he puts his musical instrument to his mouth, he undergoes a transformation. As he preaches his Black Gospel of Jazz through his music, he changes from being a black man to a bird, soaring high in the sky. This transformation is symbolic of the liberating spirit of music. It also shows that music has no divisive boundaries.

Question 8.
‘Preaching it with words’ (line 37)
What does ‘it’ stand for here?
Answer:
‘it’ stands for the Black Gospel of Jazz.

Question 9.
‘He is no longer a man’, says the poet, (line 37)
Who else is he supposed to be if he is no longer a man?
Answer:
He is a bird, which means he is a free spirit.

Question 10.
Read the last ten words of the poem. You may observe a change in the tone. What is that about?
Answer:
The tone in the last ten words is of despondence (loss of hope). The speaker says that the Jazz player, who transformed himself into a bird with the power of music, may once again relapse into his pathetic condition of being an old black man with a wrinkled face and worn-out clothing.

Read and appreciate:

Question 1.
Usually, a poem is written in stanza form with a rhyme scheme. Check and find out whether this poem follows any rhyme scheme.
Answer:
The poem has no rhyme scheme. It is written in what is called ‘free verse’. Free verse is a modern form of poetry that does not follow any specific rhyme or metrical scheme, although it does not completely abandon the basic poetic sensibility.

Question 2.
Refer to the last stanza. Do you find anything extraordinary in the shape of the poem? Check the length of each line carefully. Why do you think lines 41, 42, and 43 are different from others? What does it suggest?
Answer:
Modern poets experiment with both form and content. We see that, in this poem, lines 41, 42, and 43 are single-worded lines and they are indented to show the step format. Although downwards, the step format is suggestive of moving higher and higher, soaring like a bird.

Question 3.
The poem is full of images [word pictures]. Some examples are given. Now find as many images as you can in the poem.
a) wrinkled old face
b) sagging stomach
c) ____________
d) ____________
e) ____________
Answer:
a) Wrinkled old face
b) Sagging stomach
c) Run-down shoes
d) Unshaven face
e) Frayed collar.

Question 4.
Is there a simile in the poem? If so, identify it.
Answer:
The simile in the poem is “He stands like a black Ancient Mariner”.

Jazz Poem Two Additional Questions and Answers

Answer the following questions in a word or a sentence each:

Question 1.
What is the ancient mariner?
Answer:
‘The Ancient Mariner’ is a very famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in which a seaman shoots an albatross, a bird of good omen, and suffers supernatural punishment.

Question 2.
What is full of wearies?
Answer:
The musician’s face is full of wearies.

Question 3.
Why is the musician weary?
Answer:
The musician is weary because of all the experiences that life has put him through.

Question 4.
Why is the musician’s shirt faded?
Answer:
The musician is a poor man and wears an old, faded shirt.

Question 5.
Why is the musician’s shirt turning dark?
Answer:
The musician’s shirt is turning dark because of his sweat.

Question 6.
Who is wearing a necktie?
Answer:
The saxophonist is wearing a necktie.

Question 7.
Why are the shoes of the musician in bad shape?
Answer:
The musician cannot afford new shoes or even repair them, so his shoes are in a very bad condition.

Question 8.
Why is there paper in the musician’s shoes?
Answer:
Paper has been stuffed into the shoes to make them usable.

Question 9.
Why is there pain in each wrinkle on the musician’s face?
Answer:
The musician is a poor, black man, who has experienced many hardships in life and therefore there is pain in each of his wrinkles.

Question 10.
How does the pain in each wrinkle of the musician’s face help him?
Answer:
The pain helps him to play good music, and it fills his music with a passion.

Question 11.
Which musical instrument does the jazz player play?
Answer:
The alto saxophone.

Question 12.
Why does the saxophone lie across his chest?
Answer:
The saxophone lies across his chest because he is still waiting to begin playing.

Question 13.
What is supported by the musician’s neck?
Answer:
His instrument, the alto saxophone, is supported by the musician’s neck.

Question 14.
Why does the musician use a wire coat hanger?
Answer:
The musician cannot afford a strap and hence uses a wire coat hanger to support the saxophone.

Question 15.
Why are the musician’s lips parted?
Answer:
The musician’s lips are parted because he is about to begin playing his instrument.

Question 16.
What is the musician preaching?
Answer:
The musician is preaching the gospel of Jazz.

Question 17.
Why are the words and musical notes described as‘screaming?
Answer:
The words and musical notes are described as ‘screaming’ because they are loud and full of passion and harmony.

Question 18.
Who is no longer a man?
Answer:
A black musician is no longer a man.

Question 19.
Why did he stop being a man?
Answer:
The musician stops being a man because, when he starts playing, he is transformed into a bird.

Question 20.
Why is the musician no longer even a black man?
Answer:
When the musician begins to play, he transforms into a bird and flies away. Therefore, the poet says that he is no longer even a black man.

Question 21.
How does the musician find himself a black man again?
Answer:
After he transforms into a bird and flies away, he discovers himself afresh as a black man again.

Question 22.
Whose unshaven face is referred to in the poem?
Answer:
Jazz musicians.

Question 23.
How could the musician go away from the earth?
Answer:
With the power of music. Music had transformed him into a bird.

Question 24.
Why is it not a happy proposition for the musician to come back?
Answer:
The musician had soared like a bird and had been liberated from the drudgery of the earth. So, coming back to the earth to go through the wearies-is not a happy thought.

Question 25.
What does the Jazz player look like the moment he plays the saxophone?
Answer:
The moment the Jazz player plays the saxophone, he turns into a bird with wings.

Question 26.
What does each wrinkle on the Jazz player’s face show?
Answer:
Each wrinkle on the Jazz player’s face shows pain.

Question 27.
What is the Jazz player supposed to be when he plays music?
Answer:
The Jazz player is supposed to be a bird when he plays music.

Question 28.
What did the Jazz player have in his shoes?
Answer:
The Jazz player had the paper in his shoes.

Question 29.
The old Jazz musician’s shirt was dark due to
Answer:
sweat.

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each:

Question 1.
Comment on the phrase, ‘full of wearies of living.’
Answer:
The poet heightens the long, tiring life of the jazz musician by employing the expression ‘wearies of living’. Wearies refers to fatigue and other tiring acts highlighting the drudgery of life.

Question 2.
Pick out at least two references to the old age of the musician.
Answer:
There are many references to the apparel being old. But the references ‘wrinkled old face’ and ‘sagging stomach’ are the two pointers to old age.

Question 3.
Give at least two descriptions of the Jazz player to show that he is sad while not playing the instrument.
Answer:
The Jazz player keeps his head down bogged by life’s wearies. He has experienced many hardships in life and therefore his rough unshaven face shows pain in each wrinkle.

Question 4.
How has the poet described the facial expression of the Jazz player?
Answer:
The old Jazz player had a defeated expression. His old face reflected the weariness of living. His face, which was turned downwards and his eyes which were closed, further indicated his pessimism.

Question 5.
‘He is no longer a man’, says the poet in the poem ‘Jazz Poem Two’. What does the poet mean by this?
Answer:
The poet conveys the idea that an artist can transcend his physical being and free his spirit from the confinement of the flesh. When he plays jazz, he is a free-soaring spirit like a bird. , The poet wants to highlight the liberating spirit of music.

Question 6.
What message does the Jazz player want to convey?
Answer:
The black Jazz player wants to convey to the world through the music that God has sent him to this earth to teach the black gospel. The poet wants to convey to the world that every man, whether black or white, is a messenger of God.

Question 7.
Why do you think the word ‘old’ has been repeated several times in the first two stanzas?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey the idea that the Jazz player is old in every sense. He is advanced in his age, his clothes are old and his spirit is dull. This aspect that is emphasized in the beginning is a total contrast in the concluding part of the poem wherein the Jazz musician soars like a bird.

Question 8.
How does the Jazz player change as he plays on the saxophone?
Answer:
The player, who looks old, defeated and dejected, has a complete transformation in the end when he starts playing jazz music. He is now a messenger of God, soaring higher and higher like a free bird. The music liberates him from his miseries, though temporarily.

Question 9.
Why does the Jazz player keep his head down? When does he feel like a bird?
Answer:
The Jazz player keeps his head down bogged by life’s wearies. He has experienced many hardships in life and therefore his rough, unshaven face shows pain in each wrinkle. He feels like a bird when he produces jazz music from his saxophone.

Answer the following questions in 6-8 sentences each:

Question 1.
The poet uses the word ‘see’ twice. What is his intention in doing this?
Answer:
The poet uses the word ‘see’ once at the beginning while he introduces the Jazz musician to the readers, and once again when the Jazz musician lifts the musical instrument to his lips. The poet’s intention is to draw the attention of the reader to the transformation that is going to take place in the musician once he starts playing the instrument. It is as if the poet is urging the readers to take note of the magical power of music. The poet wants the readers to take note of the transformation completely, moment by moment.

Question 2.
What is the significance of the music being Jazz music?
Answer:
Jazz is a type of African-American music that originated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the Southern United States as a combination of European harmony and forms with African musical elements. Jazz spans a range of music from ragtime to the present day – a period of over 100 years – and has proved to be very difficult to define. All that one can say is that Jazz is a form of art music that originated in the United States through the confrontation of Blacks with European music. The poet chooses Jazz music because the musician thinks that he has a Black Gospel to share with the world.

Question 3.
What do you think is meant by the Black Gospel of Jazz?
Answer:
The traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life. It is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of gospel music. The origins of gospel music are during American slavery when enslaved Africans were introduced to the Christian religion and converted in large numbers.

In the 1930s gospel music of the civil rights movement was referred to as the black gospel period because this was the most prosperous era for gospel music. The message of many of the civil rights activists was supported by the message gospel music was putting forth. Hence the poet talks about the Black Gospel of Jazz. On the whole, we can see that the message the musician has to share is from the black perspective.

Question 4.
Describe the appearance of the black man in ‘Jazz Poem Two’.
OR
Describe the physical appearance of the Jazz player. What special skill did he have?
Answer:
The Jazz player has an old and haggard look. He has dejected in his spirit also. His wrinkled, unshaven face is the very symbol of pain. To match this mental condition, his clothes are also old. His eyes, which are turned downwards, are indicative of his pessimism’ and hopelessness. His shoes are old and have paper in them to keep them firm. His instrument, an old alto saxophone, hangs from his neck, supported by a wire coat hanger.

He stands like a black ancient mariner as though he has a message for the people of the world. However, in the second part of the poem, there is a complete transformation and the old man gets transformed into a free bird in spirit because of the special skill that he possesses. The special skill is, playing jazz music on his saxophone.

Question 5.
How does the poet discriminate against the Jazz player’s appearance with his artistic character?
OR
Physical appearance has nothing to do with the talent of a person. Substantiate your answer with reference to the Jazz player’s physical appearance and artistic talent.
OR
The physical appearance of the Jazz player does not match when he plays on his saxophone. Explain.
OR
Draw a contrast between the musical ability and the appearance of the Jazz player.
OR
Describe the two faces of the Jazz player as a pathetic figure and a commanding artist.
OR
The poverty-filled life of the Jazz player cannot bring down his spirits on the music. Justify.
Answer:
The poet describes the old Jazz player and how he is transformed when he plays the music he loves. The Jazz player has a rough unshaven face and sagging stomach. He wears a faded blue shirt, a loose necktie and an old jacket. His shoes are run down. Across his chest is an old alto saxophone supported from his neck by a wire coat hanger. He keeps his head down bogged by life’s wearies. He has experienced many hardships in life and therefore his rough, unshaven face shows pain in each wrinkle. The player, who looks old, defeated and dejected, has a complete transformation in the end when he starts playing the jazz music. He is now a messenger of God, soaring higher and higher like a free bird. Tli,e poverty-filled life of the Jazz player Cannot bring down his spirits on the music. On the contrary, the music liberates him from his miseries, though temporarily.

Read the following extracts and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1.
His rough unshaven face shows pain in each wrinkle.
a) Whose face is referred to?
b) Why is there pain in each wrinkle on the musician’s face?
c) How does the pain in each wrinkle of the musician’s face help him?
Answer:
a) The jazz players.
b) The musician is a poor, black man. He has experienced many hardships in life and therefore there is a pain in each of his wrinkles.
c) The pain helps him to play good music, and it fills his music with a passion.

Question 2.
he is no longer a man, no not even A Black Man, but (yeah!)
A Bird.
a) Who is no longer a man?
b) How is he transformed from a man to a bird?
c) What does transformation symbolize?
Answer:
a) The Jazz player is no longer a man.
b) The minute he puts his musical instrument to his mouth, he undergoes a transformation. As he preaches his Black Gospel of Jazz through his music, he changes from being a black man to a bird, soaring in the sky.
c) The transformation is symbolic of the liberating spirit of music.

Question 3.
“his run-down shoes have paper in them and his rough unshaven face shows pain in each wrinkle”.
a) Why do the shoes have paper in them?
b) Why is there pain in each wrinkle on the musician’s face?
c) What does the description of the face suggest?
Answer:
a) The Jazz player is a poor man. His shoes are old and torn and he has put paper in them to be able to wear them.
b) The musician is a poor, black man. He has experienced many hardships in life and therefore there is pain in each of his wrinkles.
c) The Jazz player’s face is unshaven which suggests that he does not care for his appearance. He has led a hard life, so his face is wrinkled.

Question 4.
“gently he lifts it now to parted lips, see? to tell all the world that he is a Black Man”.
a) What does he lift?
b) Why does he lift it?
c) What message does he want to convey?
Answer:
a) He lifts an old saxophone.
b) To play the saxophone.
c) Through his music, he wishes to convey the message of God to his listeners. He wants to convey to the world through his music that God has sent him to this earth to teach the black gospel.

Question 5.
“he is no longer a man, no not even a Black Man, hut (yeah!) a Bird”
a) Who is the man referred to here?
b) When is he no longer a man?
c) What do these lines suggest?
Answer:
a) The jazz player.
b) When he plays jazz music.
c) These lines suggest that music can transform a man from the slavish condition to the free, masterly position. The transformation is symbolic of the liberating spirit of music.

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The black man’s instrument is
A) a tenor saxophone
B) an alto saxophone
C) a baritone saxophone
D) a bass saxophone
Answer:
B) an alto saxophone

Question 2.
The black man’s transformation to a bird happens when he
A) holds the instrument
B) goes to church
C) begins to play
D) begins to sweat
Answer:
C) begins to play

Question 3.
The instrument used by the musician in Jazz Poem Two’ is
A) tambourine
B) saxophone
C) mouth organ
D) none of the above
Answer:
B) saxophone

Question 4.
The poem’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ is written by
A) Wordsworth
B) Shelley
C) Keats
D) Coleridge
Answer:
D) Coleridge

Question 5.
In the poem ‘Jazz Poem Two’, the saxophone is supported from the poet’s neck by
A) a wire coat hanger
B) a thread
C) a leather belt
D) a cloth belt.
Answer:
A) a wire coat hanger

Question 6.
“there he stands, see?
Like a black Ancient Mariner ______________” .
The figure of speech in the above line is
A) personification
B) simile
C) metaphor
D) paradox.
Answer:
B) simile

Question 7.
” ______________his wrinkled old face so,
Full of the wearies of living”
These lines show that the Jazz player was
A) an old man full of life
B) old but cheerful
C) an old man tired of living
D) looking old due to the wrinkles.
Answer:
C) an old man tired of living

Question 8.
“______________ his run-down shoes have paper in them”. This suggests the Jazz player
A) had come running
B) was poor
C) was a good sportsman
D) kept his papers in his shoes.
Answer:
B) was poor

Question 9.
“ ______________ now preaching it with words of screaming notes and chords”.
These lines suggest that the Jazz player
A) was screaming very loudly
B) had an old saxophone
C) was flying very high
D) wanted to convey a message through his music.
Answer:
D) wanted to convey a message through his music.

Question 10.
“ ______________ he is no longer a man, no not even a Black Man”. What else is he?
A) a preacher
B) a bird
C) a white man
D) black ancient mariner.
Answer:
B) a bird

Jazz Poem Two Summary in English

The poem ‘Jazz Poem Two’ by Carl Wendall Hines, Jr. is a poem written in free verse. The poem has a clear division in thought between the first 30 and last 17 lines. If the first 30 lines describe the old, worn-out state of a Jazz musician, the last 17 lines speak about his transformation from a pathetic figure to a powerful musician. Just as he can transform himself with the power of music, he can transform the world around him with his preaching of Black Gospel in Jazz. With his eloquent music he can make people listen to him.

When he puts the Saxophone to his lips and produces music, he ceases to be a Black Man, even a Man and turns into a bird with wings. The wings can be taken as a metaphor for imagination and creativity. Empowered with the wings he soars higher and higher and can fly away from the miseries of the world. But then the poet is not so sure of this. He places before the readers the two possibilities – the musician escaping the burden or coming back to his drab existence as a Black Man again.

The poem can be read with different interpretations. On the one hand, it can be taken as a poem that speaks about the power of music and the freedom of spirit that is expressed in the Jazz music. On the other hand, it can be about the pathetic condition of the blacks and their attempts to make the world listen to them, their efforts to show to the world what is morally right and their inability to sustain and their tragic relapse into the slavish existence. The implication can also be taken as the man enjoying all the rights of a civil society like a free bird, or being denied it, and being the victim of discriminatory treatment.

Jazz Poem Two Summary in Kannada

Glossary:

• Ancient Mariner: a reference to the poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,’ by Samuel Coleridge, in which a seaman shoots an albatross, a bird of good omen, and suffers supernatural punishment.
• wearies of living: no longer interested in or enthusiastic about anything in life
• fray: threads in a piece of cloth starting to come apart
• sag: to hang
• solitude: the state of being alone
• ears perk up: become attentive
• Gospel: a type of religious music in which religious songs are sung very loudly
• screaming notes: loud musical sounds