An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum is a poem written by Stephen Spender. It highlights the grim realities of poverty and the disparity in education between children from slums and those from wealthier backgrounds. Here’s the text of the poem:
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
by Stephen Spender
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head.
The paper-seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.
The sickly sun, the future, is a closed door.
All are in a blur of over-shoulder, crooked
fields and skies that have no beams.
The brown figures of innocence, green are they.
They come into this kingdom of foreboding winds
to learn from fields their own drab classroom.
Summary:
The poem describes a group of children from a slum attending an elementary school. The children’s faces are described as being pale and weary, like rootless weeds, symbolizing the neglect and deprivation they face. The poet contrasts these children with a brighter, more hopeful future that is beyond their reach, showing how the system fails to provide equal opportunities for all children. The classroom setting is depicted as a grim place where hope for a better life is dim. The poet calls for awareness of the social inequalities that affect these children.
An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum MCQ for Exams
Here are 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender, focusing on the themes, meaning, and grammar:
1-10: Theme and Meaning
- What is the main theme of the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? a) Joy and prosperity
b) Poverty and inequality
c) Peace and harmony
d) Freedom and independence - The phrase “rootless weeds” in the poem refers to: a) Children without a sense of belonging
b) Children who are healthy
c) Children who are independent
d) Children living in a forest - What is the poet’s attitude towards the children in the slum? a) Indifference
b) Sympathy
c) Anger
d) Happiness - How does the poet describe the future for the children in the slum? a) Bright and full of opportunities
b) Unclear and limited
c) Full of excitement
d) Peaceful and promising - What does the term “weighed-down head” symbolize? a) The burden of education
b) The burden of poverty
c) The weight of knowledge
d) The burden of happiness - What does the poet mean by “the paper-seeming boy”? a) A boy who is very thin and fragile
b) A boy who is mentally sharp
c) A boy who loves paper
d) A boy who is studying very hard - The reference to “rat’s eyes” is meant to suggest: a) A boy who is cunning
b) A boy who is scared and malnourished
c) A boy who is sharp and clever
d) A boy who is curious - What image does the poet use to describe the children’s faces? a) Like golden flowers
b) Like pale roots
c) Like bright stars
d) Like rootless weeds - What does the “sickly sun” in the poem represent? a) A symbol of hope
b) A symbol of oppression and poverty
c) A symbol of warmth
d) A symbol of health - The poet uses the image of a “closed door” to symbolize: a) A new opportunity
b) A barrier to a better future
c) A peaceful place
d) An open society
11-20: Figures of Speech and Literary Devices
- The phrase “rootless weeds” is an example of: a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Alliteration - The description “paper-seeming boy” is an example of: a) Alliteration
b) Hyperbole
c) Imagery
d) Onomatopoeia - The line “Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor” is an example of: a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Hyperbole
d) Symbolism - “The sickly sun” is an example of: a) Personification
b) Irony
c) Alliteration
d) Symbolism - The phrase “The future is a closed door” suggests: a) The children’s bright future
b) The children’s uncertain future
c) The children’s happiness
d) The children’s hope - The “weighed-down head” is an example of: a) Hyperbole
b) Metaphor
c) Symbolism
d) Simile - The poet’s use of “fields and skies that have no beams” is an example of: a) Imagery
b) Irony
c) Metaphor
d) Personification - The image of “the tall girl with her weighed-down head” represents: a) A physically strong girl
b) A girl burdened by poverty and hardship
c) A girl who loves nature
d) A girl who is free-spirited - The line “The paper-seeming boy, with rat’s eyes” primarily suggests: a) A boy with a keen intelligence
b) A boy who is neglected and in poor health
c) A boy who is always smiling
d) A boy who is always talking - “The brown figures of innocence” refers to: a) Children filled with happiness
b) Children who are innocent yet burdened by poverty
c) Children playing outside
d) Children learning happily
21-30: Grammar and Language
- What is the grammatical function of the phrase “like rootless weeds” in the poem? a) Adjective
b) Verb
c) Noun
d) Simile - In the line “the paper-seeming boy,” what part of speech is “paper-seeming”? a) Adjective
b) Noun
c) Verb
d) Adverb - In the line “the future is a closed door,” the word “closed” is: a) An adjective
b) A noun
c) A verb
d) An adverb - Which of the following is an example of alliteration in the poem? a) “sickly sun”
b) “rootless weeds”
c) “rat’s eyes”
d) “closed door” - What tense is primarily used in the poem? a) Present tense
b) Past tense
c) Future tense
d) Perfect tense - In the line “Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces,” what is the function of “Far far”? a) Adverbial phrase
b) Noun phrase
c) Subject
d) Object - Which of the following is a metaphor used in the poem? a) “Rootless weeds”
b) “Sickly sun”
c) “Closed door”
d) “Weighed-down head” - The phrase “Like rootless weeds” is an example of: a) Alliteration
b) Simile
c) Metaphor
d) Onomatopoeia - “The hair torn around their pallor” is an example of: a) Personification
b) Hyperbole
c) Imagery
d) Simile - What is the function of “the future” in the line “The future is a closed door”? a) Subject
b) Object
c) Adjective
d) Verb
31-40: Poem Structure and Style
- What type of poem is An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum? a) Sonnet
b) Free verse
c) Limerick
d) Haiku - How does the poem convey the theme of social inequality? a) By focusing on the differences between the rich and the poor
b) By showing the happiness of slum children
c) By describing a rich school environment
d) By focusing on nature - Which literary device does the poet use to contrast the children’s present and future? a) Symbolism
b) Hyperbole
c) Onomatopoeia
d) Irony - The poem primarily appeals to which sense? a) Hearing
b) Touch
c) Sight
d) Taste - What is the tone of the poem? a) Joyful
b) Sarcastic
c) Sorrowful
d) Angry - What is the effect of the poet’s use of dark and grim imagery? a) To convey a sense of hope
b) To emphasize the harsh reality of poverty
c) To show a happy life in the slums
d) To describe a peaceful environment - How does the poem highlight the condition of education in slums? a) By showing the well-equipped classrooms
b) By showing how the children are eager to learn
c) By showing the bleak and under-resourced environment
d) By showing the excitement of the children - Which line in the poem suggests a lack of opportunity for the children? a) “The future is a closed door”
b) “The paper-seeming boy”
c) “Like rootless weeds”
d) “The tall girl with her weighed-down head” - How does the poet use contrast to show the difference between the children’s present and future? a) By contrasting the “closed door” with the children’s bright faces
b) By comparing the children’s present suffering with the future’s promise
c) By describing the children’s joy and the future’s gloom
d) By showing the children playing happily - The structure of the poem is mostly: a) Regular and rhythmic
b) Free and flowing
c) Rigid and uniform
d) Symmetrical and balanced
41-50: Interpretation and Reflection
- What do the “gusty waves” in the first line symbolize? a) A distant place
b) A peaceful place
c) A turbulent environment
d) A metaphor for poverty - What does the poet hope for these children in the poem? a) A better future and more opportunities
b) A continuation of their suffering
c) A life filled with happiness
d) A return to nature - The word “innocence” in “brown figures of innocence” refers to: a) The children’s purity despite their hardships
b) The children’s ignorance of the world
c) The children’s happiness
d) The children’s intelligence - The poet mentions “fields and skies that have no beams.” What does this imply? a) The children live in a place full of sunlight
b) The children are surrounded by darkness and hardship
c) The children are surrounded by open fields
d) The children live in a peaceful countryside - The “closed door” represents: a) A bright future
b) A future full of opportunities
c) A barrier to the children’s dreams
d) A place of peace and safety - What does the phrase “brown figures of innocence” convey? a) The children’s innocence despite their poverty
b) The children’s desire for freedom
c) The children’s knowledge of life
d) The children’s innocence in a peaceful world - Which of the following best reflects the poet’s purpose in writing this poem? a) To criticize the lack of opportunity for slum children
b) To show how children enjoy learning
c) To depict a happy and thriving classroom
d) To glorify the slum environment - The phrase “the future is a closed door” suggests that: a) The children have limitless possibilities ahead
b) The children are locked out of a better future
c) The children will soon escape poverty
d) The children have a clear path to success - The “weighed-down head” symbolizes: a) Mental fatigue and burden of responsibility
b) A sense of happiness
c) A desire for education
d) A desire for freedom - The overall message of the poem is: a) To show the positive aspects of slum life
b) To highlight the contrast between the rich and the poor
c) To encourage children to dream big
d) To showcase the beauty of education
These questions cover a variety of aspects from the poem, helping with comprehension, analysis, and reflection.
Also Read- 6 Best Ways to Let Go Of Negative Thoughts
Here are the answers to the 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender:
1-10: Theme and Meaning
- b) Poverty and inequality
- a) Children without a sense of belonging
- b) Sympathy
- b) Unclear and limited
- b) The burden of poverty
- a) A boy who is very thin and fragile
- b) A boy who is scared and malnourished
- d) Like rootless weeds
- b) A symbol of oppression and poverty
- b) A barrier to a better future
11-20: Figures of Speech and Literary Devices
- a) Metaphor
- c) Imagery
- a) Simile
- a) Personification
- b) The children’s uncertain future
- b) Metaphor
- a) Imagery
- b) A girl burdened by poverty and hardship
- b) A boy who is neglected and in poor health
- b) Children who are innocent yet burdened by poverty
21-30: Grammar and Language
- a) Adjective
- a) Adjective
- a) An adjective
- a) “sickly sun”
- a) Present tense
- a) Adverbial phrase
- a) Metaphor
- b) Simile
- c) Imagery
- a) Subject
31-40: Poem Structure and Style
- b) Free verse
- a) By focusing on the differences between the rich and the poor
- a) Symbolism
- c) Sight
- c) Sorrowful
- b) To emphasize the harsh reality of poverty
- c) By showing the bleak and under-resourced environment
- a) “The future is a closed door”
- b) By comparing the children’s present suffering with the future’s promise
- b) Free and flowing
41-50: Interpretation and Reflection
- a) A distant place
- a) A better future and more opportunities
- a) The children’s purity despite their hardships
- b) The children are surrounded by darkness and hardship
- b) A future full of opportunities
- a) The children’s innocence despite their poverty
- a) To criticize the lack of opportunity for slum children
- b) The children are locked out of a better future
- a) Mental fatigue and burden of responsibility
- b) To highlight the contrast between the rich and the poor
These answers align with the poem’s themes, literary devices, and the emotional tone that Stephen Spender conveys.
