Chapter 9: Whatif

WORKING WITH THE POEM

Question 1.

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?

   Answer:Shel Silverstein is the speaker in the poem.

2. With your partner list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.

   Answer:The speaker was worried about the following things

   • If she fails in the examination.
   • If she gets sick and dies.
   • If nobody likes Jier.
   • If she becomes dumb.
   • If she does not grow taller.
   • If her parents get separated.
   • If she gets beaten up.

3. Why do you think she/he has these worries? Can you think of ways to get rid of such worries?

   Answer:She has these worries because she thinks a lot. Most of these worries are born due to baseless fear. One can get rid of such worries with a strong will power and developing positive attitude towards life.

Question 2.
Read the following line.
Some What ifs crawled inside my ear.
Can words crawl into your ear? This is an image. The poet is trying to make an image of what she/he experiences. Now with your partner try and list out some more images from the-poem.

Answer:Some other images are

• And pranced and partied all night long.
• What if the wind tears up my kite?
• What if green hair grows on my chest?
• And sang their same old Whatif song.

Question 3.In groups of four discuss some more ‘whatifs’ that you experience in your day-to-day life and list them out.

1. …………
2. …………
3. …………
4. …………
5. …………
6. …………
7. …………
8. …………

Answer:

1. Whatif I wake up late in the morning?
2. Whatif I arrive late in the school?
3. Whatif the teacher does not allow me to enter into the class?
4. Whatif I am punished in the class?
5. Whatif I meet with an accident?
6. Whatif I am alone at night in a big house?
7. Whatif I lose my memory?
8. Whatif somebody steals my books?

And now write a poem of five or six lines with the ‘whatifs’ that you have listed.

Answer:Do it yourself.