Childhood Revision Class 11 English

Class 11 English – Mock Test

Poem: Childhood – Markus Natten

Maximum Marks: 30 | Time: 1 Hour

Section A – Very Short Answer Questions

10 × 1 = 10 Marks

Answer each question in 20–30 words.

1.Who is the poet of Childhood?

2.What does the poet wonder about his childhood?

3.At what age does the poet think he lost his childhood?

4.What did the poet realise about Hell and Heaven?

5.What does the poet mean by “adult geography”?

6.What hypocrisy did the poet notice in adults?

7.What did the poet discover about the minds of adults?

8.Where does the poet say his childhood has gone?

9.What does the poet mean by “my own”?

10.What is the central theme of the poem?

Section A – Answers

1.Markus Natten is the poet of Childhood.

2.The poet wonders when and how he lost his childhood as he gradually became mature.

3.The poet suggests that he lost his childhood around the age of eleven, when his thinking became more mature.

4.He realised that Hell and Heaven were not simply physical places as he had imagined earlier.

5.“Adult geography” refers to the poet's understanding of the world and its physical and geographical realities as he grew older.

6.He noticed that adults talked about love but often failed to behave lovingly themselves.

7.He discovered that adults had their own independent thoughts and did not always think exactly as they appeared to.

8.He believes that his childhood has gone to a forgotten place hidden in an infant's innocent face.

9.“My own” refers to the poet's independent thinking and individuality.

10.The poem explores the loss of childhood innocence and the process of growing into adulthood.

Section B – Short Answer Questions

10 × 1 = 10 Marks

Answer each question in 30–40 words.

1.Why does the poet ask, “When did my childhood go?”

2.How did the poet's understanding of Hell and Heaven change?

3.What does the phrase “adult geography” suggest?

4.Why does the poet say that adults were not what they seemed to be?

5.How did the poet realise that adults were hypocritical?

6.What did the poet learn about the thoughts of adults?

7.Why does the poet believe that childhood is hidden in an infant's face?

8.Explain the significance of the repeated question, “When did my childhood go?”

9.What changes take place in the poet as he grows up?

10.What message does Childhood convey about growing up?

Section B – Answers

1.The poet asks when his childhood disappeared because he cannot identify one exact moment when he stopped being a child. He reflects on the gradual development of maturity and independent thinking.

2.As a child, the poet believed in the conventional ideas about Hell and Heaven. Later, he realised that these ideas were not necessarily literal physical places, showing his growing rationality.

3.“Adult geography” suggests the poet's growing awareness of the real physical world. He begins to understand the world through knowledge and reasoning rather than through a child's imagination.

4.The poet realised that adults were not always as good and loving as they appeared. Their words and actions often differed, which made him question their sincerity.

5.He noticed that adults talked about love and taught children to behave lovingly, but they themselves did not always act with love. This contradiction made him aware of adult hypocrisy.

6.The poet discovered that adults possessed their own thoughts and opinions. He understood that their minds were independent and that they did not simply behave according to what children believed.

7.The poet feels that childhood innocence can still be seen in an infant's face. Infants represent purity, innocence and freedom from the complexities of adult life.

8.The repeated question emphasises the poet's deep curiosity about the loss of his innocence. It also shows that growing up is a gradual process rather than a single clearly defined event.

9.As he grows up, the poet becomes more rational and independent. He questions traditional beliefs, recognises adult hypocrisy and develops an individual way of thinking.

10.The poem conveys that growing up involves losing childhood innocence and gaining maturity, rational thinking and self-awareness. It suggests that childhood is precious and cannot be completely recovered once it is lost.

Section C – Extract-Based Questions

2 × 5 = 10 Marks

Extract 1

“When did my childhood go?

Was it the time I realised that adults were not all they seemed to be,

They talked of love and preached of love,

But did not act so lovingly.”

Answer the following:

a. What does the poet wonder about? (1)

b. What did he discover about adults? (1)

c. What contradiction did he observe in adults? (1)

d. What does “preached of love” mean? (1)

e. Identify the main theme reflected in these lines. (1)

Extract 1 – Answers

a. The poet wonders when and how his childhood disappeared.

b. He discovered that adults were not always what they appeared to be.

c. He noticed that adults spoke about love but did not always behave lovingly.

d. “Preached of love” means that adults taught or advised others to love and behave lovingly.

e. The main theme is the loss of childhood innocence and the discovery of adult hypocrisy.

Extract 2

“It went to some forgotten place,

That’s hidden in an infant’s face,

That’s all I know.”

Answer the following:

a. What does “It” refer to? (1)

b. Where does the poet believe his childhood has gone? (1)

c. What does an “infant’s face” symbolise? (1)

d. Why does the poet say “That’s all I know”? (1)

e. What tone is created in these lines? (1)

Extract 2 – Answers

a. “It” refers to the poet's childhood.

b. He believes that his childhood has gone to a forgotten place hidden in an infant's face.

c. An infant's face symbolises innocence, purity and childhood.

d. He says this because he cannot know or explain exactly where his childhood has gone.

e. The tone is reflective, nostalgic and slightly melancholic.

Class 11 English – Childhood by Markus Natten

 Long Answer Questions with Complete Answers

Q1. What are the three stages of childhood mentioned by the poet? What does the poet realise at each stage?

Answer:

The poet describes three important stages in his journey from childhood to adulthood. First, he wonders when he lost his childhood and realises that it disappeared when he understood that Hell and Heaven are not physical places, but ideas created by people. Second, he loses his childhood when he discovers that adults are not always truthful or sincere. They may preach love and goodness but behave differently. Finally, he realises that childhood disappears when he understands that he has developed an individual mind and identity. He can now think independently and form his own opinions. Thus, the poem presents childhood as a state of innocence that gradually disappears with maturity and self-awareness.

Q2. Why does the poet say, “Adults are hypocrites”? How does this realisation mark the loss of childhood?

Answer:

The poet discovers that adults often say one thing but do another. They talk about love, kindness and good behaviour, but their actions do not always match their words. This contradiction makes the poet question the honesty of adults. As a child, he had believed that adults were sincere and trustworthy. When he becomes mature enough to recognise their hypocrisy, his innocent view of the world changes. This realisation marks the loss of childhood because innocence involves accepting people and their words without questioning them. With growing maturity, the poet develops the ability to observe, question and judge human behaviour critically.

Q3. What does the poet mean by “my mind was really mine”? Why is this an important stage in growing up?

Answer:

The expression “my mind was really mine” means that the poet has developed an independent personality and the ability to think for himself. He no longer accepts everything simply because others tell him to. He can form his own opinions, make judgments and understand the world through his own experiences. This is an important stage of growing up because maturity brings self-awareness, independent thinking and personal identity. The poet realises that childhood has disappeared when he begins to think independently. Therefore, the poem suggests that growing up is not merely becoming physically older; it is also the development of an independent mind and understanding of life.