Samacheer Kalvi 10th English Solutions Poem Chapter 2 The Grumble Family

February 11, 2022

Tamilnadu Samacheer Kalvi 10th English Solutions Poem Chapter 2 The Grumble Family Questions and Answers

The Grumble Family Textual Questions

A. Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below.

(i) There’s a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street
(a) Where does the family live?
(b) Why do you think the street is named as ‘Complaining Street’?
Answer:
(a) The family lives on Complaining street.
(b) I think the street is named as ‘Complaining Street’ because there is a family which is always complaining and no one likes to meet them.

(ii) They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
(a) What does the word ‘growl’ mean here?
(b) Why do they find everything amiss?
Answer:
(a) The word growl here means ‘grumbling’.
(b) They find everything amiss, since they are not satisfied or contented with anything.

(iii) Nothing goes right with the folks you meet Down on that gloomy Complaining Street
(a) What is the opinion about the folks you meet down the street?
(b) What does the word ‘gloomy’ mean here?
Answer:
(a) The folks you meet down the street are always in trouble and are complaining.
(b) Here ‘gloomy’ means ‘depressing’.

(iv) The worst thing is that if anyone stays
Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
(а) What is the worst thing that can happen if anyone stays with them?
(b) What are the ways of the Grumble family?
Answer:
(a) The worst thing that can happen if anyone stays with them is that they too will start complaining and become one with them.
(b) The ‘Grumble Family’ growl at anything and everything so much that they sometimes growl that they have nothing to grumble about.

(v) And so it were wisest to keep our feet From wandering into Complaining Street;
(a) What is the wisest thing that the poet suggests?
(b) What does the phrase ‘to keep our feet from wandering’ refer to?
Answer:
(a) The wisest thing is to avoid wandering into the complaining street.
(b) The phrase, ‘to keep our feet from wandering’ refer to restricting your path from strolling.

(vi) Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
(a) What does the poet expect everyone to learn?
(b) What should we do when things go wrong sometimes?
Answer:
(a) The poetess expects everyone to learn to walk with a smile and a song even when things go wrong.
(b) Even when things go wrong, we need to feel happy and be cheerful.

Additional Questions

(i) “There’s a family nobody likes to meet;
They live, it is said, on Complaining Street In the city of Never-Are-Satisfied, The River of Discontent beside. ”
(a) Where is Complaining Street?
(b) Which river flows beside the Complaining Street?
(c) Pick out the rhyming words.
(d) What is the rhyme scheme?
Answer:
(a) Complaining street is in the city of Never-Are-Satisfied.
(b) River of Discontent runs beside Complaining Street.
(c) The rhyming words are ‘meet and street’ and ‘satisfied and beside’.
(d) The rhyme scheme is ‘aabb’

(ii) “ They growl at that and they growl at this;
Whatever comes, there is something amiss;
And whether their station be high or humble,
They are all known by the name of Grumble.”
(a) Pick out the rhyming words.
(b) What is the rhyme scheme?
(c) What is the figure of speech in the third line?
(d) Why are they known by the name of Grumble?
(e) What do you understand by the term, ‘high or humble’?
Answer:
(a) The rhyming words are ‘this and amiss’ and ‘humble and grumble’.
(b) The rhyme scheme is ‘aabb’
(c) The figure of speech is alliteration.
(d) They are known by the name of Grumble because they are never satisfied in any station be it high or humble.
(e) The term, ‘high or humble’ refers to their status or position in life.

(iii) “ The weather is always too hot or cold;
Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.’1′
(a) How is the Complaining Street?
(b) Which are the two seasons spoken here?
(c) Generally, how is the weather condition?
(d) Who does ‘they’ refer to?
(e) Where do you meet the folks who face problems?
Answer:
(a) The Complaining Street is always gloomy.
(b) The two seasons spoken here are summer and winter.
(c) Generally the weather condition is too hot or too cold.
(d)‘They’ refers to the grumblers in Complaining Street.
(e) We meet the folks on Complaining Street.

(iv) “They growl at the rain and they growl at the sun;
In fact, their growling is never done.
And if everything pleased them, there isn’t a doubt They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!”
(a) Explain the second line.
(b) What do they grumble about?
(c) What is the rhyming word for ‘sun’?
(d) Give the rhyme scheme.
(e) What is certain about the Grumble family when everything pleases them?
Answer:
(a) The second line means that they always grumble and murmur showing their dissatisfaction over everything.
(b) They grumble about the rain and sun.
(c) The rhyming word for ‘sun’ is ‘done’.
(d) The rhyme scheme is ‘aabb’.
(e) When everything pleases them, the Grumble family is sure to grumble that they have nothing to grumble about.

(v) “But the queerest thing is that not one of the same Can be brought to acknowledge his family name;
For never a Grumbler will own that he is connected with it at all, you see.”
(a) Give the rhyming word for same.
(b) What is meant by ‘queer’?
(c) What is the queerest thing about the Grumble family?
Answer:
(a) The rhyming word for ‘same’ is ‘name’.
(b) ‘Queer’ means ‘strange’.
(c) The queerest thing about the Grumble family is that they will never accept the name of the family.

(vi) The worst thing is that if anyone stays Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
And before he dreams of the terrible jumble He’s adopted into the family of Grumble.”
(a) Pick out the alliterated words from the above stanza.
(b) Give the rhyming word for ‘stays’.
(c) What is he expected to dream of?
(d) What happens before he could dream?
Answer:
(a) The alliterated words are long and leam in the second line.
(b) The rhyming word for ‘stays’ is ‘ways’.
(c) The Grumbler is expected to dream of the terrible jumble.
(d) Before he could dream of the terrible jumble, he is adopted into the family of Grumble.

(vii) “And so it were wisest to keep our feet,
From wandering into Complaining Street;
And never to growl, whatever we do,
Lest we be mistaken for Grumblers, too.”
(a) What is the advice given to new comers to the city of ‘Never-Are-Satisfied’?
(b) Pick out the alliterated words in the first line.
(c) What are the rhyming words for do and feet?
(d) What is the rhyme scheme followed?
(e) What will happen if we enter Complaining Street?
Answer:
(a) Any new comers to the ‘Never-are-Satisfied’ city are advised not to enter into Complaining Street.
(b) The alliterated words in the first line are ‘were wisest’.
(c) The rhyming word for do is too and for feet it is street.
(d) The rhyme scheme followed is ‘aabb’ pattern.
(e) If we enter Complaining Street, we will be mistaken to be Grumblers.

(viii) “Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,
No matter if things do sometimes go wrong;
And then, be our station high or humble,
We’ll never belong to the family of Grumble”
(a) What is the poetic device used in the first line?
(b) What are the alliterated words in the first line?
(c) Pick out the rhyming words.
(d) What is the rhyme scheme?
Answer:
(a) The figure of speech is alliteration.
(b) The alliterated words are Let- leam; walk-with and smile- song in the first line.
(c) The rhyming words are ‘song and wrong’ and ‘humble and grumble’.
(d) The rhyme scheme is ‘aabb’

B. Answer the following question in about 80 – 100 words.

The Grumble Family Poem Questions And Answers Question 1.
Write a paragraph on ‘The Grumble Family’ and their attitude towards other folks.
Answer:
The Grumble family lives on Complaining street in the city called’ Never-are-Satisfied’ where River Discontent runs beside it. They growl at anything and everything and whatever – happens, there is something that goes wrong. They scold at each other at all seasons be it winter or summer.

They never stop growling at any weather conditions be it during monsoon or summer. Anyone who is associated with them even as an acquaintance get adapted to their ways easily. They are moaning, grumbling and never satisfied. A feeling of pessimism is strongly embedded in them and they are so contagious that they pass on the nature of grumbling and complaining to all who converse with them.
“7o do nothing but grumble and not to act – that is throwing away ones life.”

The Grumble Family Poem Question 2.
If you were to live in the Complaining Street, how would you deal with the people who grumble?
Answer:
If I were in Complaining Street, I will try my level best to bring about a change in their outlook towards life. Continuous attempts with perseverance and determination will surely fetch me good rewards. I will never give up and keep spreading the spirit of optimism amidst them. I will try my best to be a live wire and make them stay high-spirited. I will therefore never allow the negativity of one person to restrict from reaching the heights of success that God desires for us.

Many a times, we come into contact with people who have nothing good or positive to say. If they see the sun shining, they will complain that it is too hot. If they see the snow falling, they will complain that it is too cold. So, I will make them see the God who created us to never want us to complain or murmur. I will speak of blessings and prosperity and show them the areas where many are much more in poverty or sickness than us and be thankful to the creator for what we are.
“Empty grumblers are the sources of everyday failure”

The Grumble Family Poem Question 3.
From the poem ‘The Grumble Family’ what kind of behavior does the poet want the readers to possess?
Answer:
L.M. Montgomery, from the poem, ‘The Grumble Family’ wants the readers to possess optimistic behavior. The poet wants us to focus on the bright side of life and avoid the negativity around us. She wants us to learn to appreciate the beauty around us and avoid criticism.

The poetess wants us to always try our best to be an optimist who sees the good and not the bad. Hence, she opines that it is wise to keep our feet from roaming into the Complaining Street and never growl at anything we do even if we are mistaken to be a complainer. Therefore, the poetess wants us to learn to walk with a smile and a song even when things go against our likes.
“A complainer is just an ex-plainer of problems.”

Additional Questions

The Grumble Family Questions And Answers Question 1.
Give summary of the poem, ‘The Grumble Family’.
Answer:
There is a family that no one ever wants to meet on Complaining Street in ‘Never-are- Satisfied’ city where River Discontent also runs. They growl at everything and hence – something goes wrong. Even if their station is high or humble, they are known by the r ‘S name of Grumble. The weather is always at extreme conditions and they scold at each other at both seasons. Everything is topsy-turvey with people who live on the gloomy ‘ Complaining street. Even when they are satisfied with everything, there isn’t a doubt!

that they would growl about not having anything to grumble about. The strangest thing is not a single person in the Grumble family can accept the family name because no – Grumbler will accept that he is a grumbler nor associated with such qualities. They are so contagious that anyone who says with them for a bit too long become a grumbler himself.

Hence, it is wise to keep our feet away from Complaining Street. Therefore, let us learn to walk with a smile on our lips and a song in our mouth even when things go against our desires. One should never belong to the family of Grumble, even if the status changes drastically.

“Be grateful and you won’t grumble.
Grumble and you won’t be grateful.”

C. Answer the following:

The Grumble Family Poem Questions And Answers Question 1.
And whether their station be high or humble,…
Pick out the alliteration from the above line
Answer:
The alliteration from the above line is ‘high and humble’.

10th English The Grumble Family Question 2.
Pick out the other examples for alliteration from the poem.
Answer:
They’d growl that they’d nothing to grumble about!
In the above line, growl and grumble are the alliterated words.
Let us learn to walk with a smile and a song,
In the above line, Let and learn, walk and with, and smile and song are the alliterated words.
Among them too long, he will learn their ways;
In the above line, Jong and learn are the alliterated words.

The Grumble Family Question 3.
The weather is always too hot or cold;
Summer and winter alike they scold.
Nothing goes right with the folks you meet Down on that gloomy Complaining Street.
Pick out the rhyming words and identify the rhyme scheme of the above lines.?
Answer:
The rhyming words are ‘cold and scold’ as well as ‘meet and street’.
The rhyme scheme for the above are, ‘aabb’ pattern.
The Grumble Family (Lucy Maud Montgomery) Literary Devices At A Glance (Figures of Speech)

The Grumble Family by L. M. Montgomeiy About the Poet:

L. M. Montgomeiy, (1874-1942) was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery went on to publish 20 novels as well as 530 short stories, 500 poems, and 30 essays. A prolific writer, Montgomery published – over 100 stories between 1897 and 1907. Montgomery’s work, diaries and letters have been read and studied by scholars and readers worldwide.

The Grumble Family Poem Summary

Figure Of Speech In The Poem The Grumble Family Samacheer Kalvi 10th English

Introduction:
This poem by Lucy Montgomery depicts a family whom everybody despises to meet. The poet’s resolution is to never meet people who grumble, instead, she wants to live in peace.

A Family in Isolation:
There is a family that no one ever wants to meet. They live on Complaining street in the city called’ Never-are-Satisfied’. River Discontent runs beside the Complaining Street.

Growling Grumblers:
They growl at anything and everything and whatever comes there is something that goes wrong. Even if their station is high or humble, they are known by the name of Grumble.

Everything Goes Topsy-Turvy The weather is always at extreme conditions of heat or cold and they scold at each other at all seasons be it winter or summer. Everything is topsy-turvey with people who live on the gloomy Complaining street.

All-time Grumblers :
They never stop growling at any weather conditions be it a rainy season or a sunny time. Even if everything goes well and they feel satisfied, there isn’t a doubt that they would growl about not having anything to grumble about.

Annoyed Being Called a Grumbler:
But the strangest thing is that not one in the Grumble family can accept the family name because no Grumbler will accept that he is a grumbler nor associated with the qualities of a grumbler.

Contagious Quality:
The worst is that when someone stays with them for a long time, he too will learn to be a moaner. Before he can dream of the terrible unwanted items, he will be adopted into the family of Grumble.

Slay Away – Stay Wise:
Hence) it is wise to keep our feet from roaming into the Complaining Street and never growl at anything we do even if we are mistaken to be a complainer.

Be an Optimist :
Therefore, let us learn to walk with a smile on our lips and a song in our mouth even when things go against our desires. Even if our position is high or humble, we will never belong to the family of Grumble.

Conclusion :
Rich or poor, one finds happiness in leading a peaceful life. No one likes to be tormented by quarrels and grumbling. So the poet’s advice is not to have the habit of grumbling.