THE FROG AND THE NIGHTINGALE

VIKRAM SETH
Vikaram Seth was born in Kolkata in 1952. Educated at Oxford and Stamford University,
he won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in 1986 and the Sahitya Akademy award in
1998.

Character of Frog: Shameless, Imposing, Jealous, Liar, Scheming, Heartless, Callous,

Mercenary, Shrewd, Manipulative, Materialistic, Cunning,
Heartless, Mean, Rude, Insensitive, Wicked, Boastful, Patronizing,
Possessive and greedy, Arrogant and condescending.

Character of Nightingale: Susceptible to praise, Nervous, Under-confident, Desires

attention, Sensitive, Polite, Soft, Timorous, Nervous and shy,
Timid

1. What is the frog’s determination? How did he get rid of him?

2. What is the reaction of the other creatures of the Bog towards the frog?
3. Why were the other creatures enraptured?
4. Why was everyone staring at the sumac, rapt?
5. Explain the phrase ‘whole admiring bog?
6. What had been the frog’s experience at the sumac tree?
7. How do you know that the nightingale was getting ready to sing?
8. What startled the nightingale?
9. Who was the critic? What had he said?
10. Why was the nightingale so impressed by him?
11. Why does the nightingale mean by ‘at least it’s mine’?
12. Why does the nightingale feel her song is not divine?
13. Why is the frog called ‘heartless’?
14. How does the frog change his own statement” That is not much to beast about
later in the poem?
15. Did the training help or harm the nightingale?
16. What happened to the Nightingale in the end?
17. Why, according to the frog, was just boasting and was not worth much?
18. How was the heartlessness of the frog proved at the end?
19. Who were the ladies? Why were they here?
20. Why did the frog feel a joy sweet and bitter?
21. What ‘interval’s being referred to?
22. How did the frog sell her songs for silver?
23. What is the result of the frog’s scolding?

Your passion will define your limit….. strive for more.

24. Who was Mozart?
25. Why does the nightingale consider the frog as Mozart?
26. How did the frog comment on the nightingale’s song?
27. The bird was trembling, blind with tears. Why?
28. Why did the nightingale die?
29. Analyze the change in the nightingale from the beginning to the end of the
poem?
30. Who was the unrivalled king of the bog?
31. Why is the frog angry?
32. What effect does the frog’s anger have on the nightingale?
33. Why is the bird referred to as ‘poor’?
34. What is the frog try to teach and to whom?
35. Why was the frog dumbstruck?
36. Why did the bog march towards the tree?
37. What was the nightingale’s reaction?
38. Why was the nightingale reluctantly to sing?
39. Why was the frog talking affectionately to the nightingale?
40. How did the frog sell her songs?
41. What advice did the frog give regarding the singing technique?
42. Why was the nightingale terrified to fail?
43. Why did she puff up a vain?
44. What did the frog try to teach her?
45. Why did he say she was prone to influence?
46. What does the Bog mean?
47. Why did the frog croak from dust to dawn? How did others react to it?
48. Why did the frog sing all night?
49. Where did the frog live?
50. How did the other creatures respond to the frog’s voice?
51. Who used to sing before the nightingale and where?
52. What did the nightingale do one night?
53. What was the effect of her song on others?
54. Who has been described as ‘a solitary loon’ and why?
55. What made the nightingale sing on and on?
56. How did the critical comment affect the nightingale?
57. What impressions did the nightingale gather about the frog?
58. How did the nightingale show her humility?
59. What offer did the frog make? What was his real motive?
60. What did the frog assure the nightingale?
61. Why does Nightingale call him Mozart?
62. How can you say that she was a great sensation?
63. What did the frog gain out of her song?

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 64. With what ulterior motive did the frog tell the nightingale about her
performance of the previous night?
65. The gullible bird had to pay a heavy price in the end. How?
66. What two reasons did he give to persuade the nightingale to modify her
singing skill?
Why did the audience feel bored?
67. What was the effect of such a change in the attitude of audience?
68. How far do you think the nightingale was responsible for her own failure?
69. Why did the frog lose his temper? What remedy did he suggest?
70. What was the effect of the frog’s advice on her?
71. Who do you hold guilty for the birds’ death?
72. Why does the frog call he nightingale ‘stupid’?
73. Why according to the frog, did the nightingale fail?
74. What was irritating to other creatures in the forest?
75. Why did they tolerate the Frog?
76. How did they get rid of him at last?
77. How did the creatures of the jungle react to the singing of the nightingale?
78. Why did the nightingale sing for the whole night?
79. Give an example of coined word that the poet used in the poem. How apt is it?
80. What had been the frog’s experience at the sumac tree?
81. Explain the phrase’ whole admiring bog’
82. Why were the other creatures enraptured?
83. What does ‘encore’ men?
84. How did the frog take undue advantage of the nightingale?
85. How does the lack of applause affect her later?
86. What startled the nightingale?
87. Why was the nightingale so impressed by him?
88. What, according to the frog, was just boasting and was not worth much?
89. How was the heartlessness of the frog proved at the end?
90. What did the frog say to entice the nightingale?
91. What does gross mean her? How can it crash?
92. How did the nightingale become a huge sensation?
93. Explain how the frog benefited from the nightingale’s melodious song.
94. What was the effect of continuous singing?
95. The bird was trembling, blind with tears. Why?
96. ‘That is why I sing with panache’. Explain.
97. What did the frog do when the earning dwindled? What was the result?
98. The frog was boastful and insensitive. Give reason for your answer (100)
99. Describe how a frog managed to exploit a nightingale? (100 words)
100. What made the frog so angry? Was the nightingale really ‘stupid’?

Your passion will define your limit….. strive for more.

 101. Why was everyone surprised to hear a melodious voice? Whose sweet voice
was it? Give two traits of the singer. Who introduced himself to her
102. Who are the two characters in this story in verse? What is such a poem called?
103. Which tree did the frog own and what did he do there?
104. What flaw did the frog find in the nightingale’s song? What impression do
you form about the frog.
105. The end of the poem is not justified but not unexpected. Comment.
106. What message does the writer want to convey?
107. Whose influence did ‘she’ come under? What was the effect of the influence?
108. Write a note in about 100 words on the personality of the nightingale and
frog?
109. Write the theme of the poem in about 100 words.
110. Who offered to train the nightingale? Ho did he benefit from it? What
happened to the nightingale and why?
111. How does the frog make use of the bird’s talent for gains?
112. The sale of tickets, is initially encouraging at nightingale’s concerts, letter on
it falls down. What were the reasons for it?
113. The nightingale had a melodious voice, but possessed neither intelligence nor
confidence. How can you say this? Your answer should not exceed 80 words)

Your passion will define your limit….. strive for more.

Lali Mathew M.A.M.Ed D.A.564 Sheesh Mahal Apartment 9810312549