CLASS IX- TREASURE TROVE POEMS

THE COLD WITHIN

WORKBOOK ANSWERS

EXTRACT I

Six humans trapped…….one was black.

1. Which figure of speech is used in the line ‘In bleak and bitter cold’? What special significance
do the adjectives bleak and bitter have?

ANS: Alliteration, close repetition of consonant sound.

The adjectives bleak and bitter define the word cold. The coldness outside is comparable to the
coldness within the hearts of these six characters as they are not warm or friendly with each other.

2. Who are the people referred to in the above extract? Why do they need logs?

ANS: The people referred to are six indifferent people, who are trapped together by chance
in biting cold. They need logs so that they can renew the dying fire to prevent themselves from
cold.

3. State how the following theme is connected with the theme of the poem:

Their dying fire in need of logs

ANS: Literally, it refers to the fire that is dying and needs to be kept alive with the use of
a log. Metaphorically, it can be understood as the fire of compassion in their hearts that is dying.
To keep it burning what they need is a log of wood, but they do not use it. Thus, by the end, each
one of them dies from ‘the cold within’.

4. What does the first one hold back and why?

ANS: The first person holds back her log because she was guided by her racist attitude
towards the black man. So she does not use log to prevent the black man from getting its warmth.

5. What character traits would you associate with ‘the first one’ and ‘the next man’? Why?

ANS: The first one can be said to be holding a racist attitude as she does not want to benefit
the black man. The next man can be said to be a bigot who on seeing that one of the men in the
group does not belong to his religion, prevents himself from using his log to renew the fire.

EXTRACT II

The third one sat…..chance to spite the white.

1. What is meant by ‘tattered clothes’? What does this expression symbolize? Why the
‘third one’ does gives his coat a hitch?

ANS: Tattered clothes refer to the torn clothes. This expression symbolizes that the man,
who was wearing them was poor and had little money to cover himself in extreme cold.

The poor man does not intend to use his log to renew the fire and thus to protect himself from
biting cold, he pulled up his coat to feel a little warm.

2. The ‘third one’ doesn’t want to use his log to warm the rich. Why?

ANS: The ‘third one’ is a poor man and is envious of the rich man. He is prejudiced and
thus does not put his log to use.
3. What thoughts preoccupy the rich man’s mind? What does it say about him?

ANS: The thoughts of keeping his wealth safe from the lazy poor man preoccupied the rich
man’s mind. It reflects his class bias.

4. What prejudice the black man has and for whom?

ANS: The black man is filled with revenge for the white man. Based on colour of the skin,
he considers the white man different from himself.

5. Explain the following lines:

For all he saw in his stick of wood

Was a chance to spite the white

ANS: The lines refer to the black man, who was filled with revenge for the white man.
Therefore, to harm the white man he does not put his log to use. Making the white man suffer in
cold was his only chance to get his revenge.

EXTRACT III
The last man of this forlorn………….from the cold within.

1. Explain the phrase ‘forlorn group.’ Which figure of speech is used here?
ANS: The phrase ‘forlorn group’ is an example of oxymoron i.e., a pair of contradictory
terms. This phrase is ironical as it refers to these six people, who were sitting together in a group
and were sad and lonely.
2. What game is the poet referring to while mentioning the last man of the group?
ANS: The selfish game of give and take that the last man employs-since anyone else does
not offer his log to renew the fire, he also steps back.
3. What ‘proof of human sin’ is being referred to here? Explain.
ANS: All the six people died with their logs tightly clutched in their hands. Their
indifference, animosity, discrimination invited death. This ‘proof of human sin’ is referred here.

4. The poet says that the characters ‘died from the cold within.’ What does he mean?
ANS: The title of the poem The Cold Within is symbolic of lack of warmth and compassion
in human beings. Six human beings are caught against their will in ‘bleak and bitter cold,’ but
none of them uses the wooden stick each one has , due to racism, envy, arrogance, revenge and
greed. They are so cold from inside that they do not realise that by not helping others, they
themselves will perish. Their cold heartedness invites death in the end and they die with their logs
held tight in their hands.
5. What message is the poet trying to convey in the poem? How does he succeed in carrying
out his task?
ANS: The message that the poet tries to give is that discriminatory attitude and hatred that
humans have against one another on the basis of race, class and religion is futile. It is self-
destructive.
The poem projects discrimination based on race, class and religion by narrating the story
of six individuals who are caught together by chance in extreme cold. The people in the poem are
from different backgrounds and religions. Owing to their prejudices against one another, it
becomes difficult for them to put their stick into the fire. The discrimination, racism and bigotry
proves futile as none of the six people stay alive at the end. Each perishes, not because of the cold
outside but of the cold heartedness within each.
 PROJECT WORK
1. Why did none of the characters in the poem, “The cold within”, share their wood? What
role did prejudice, discriminatination, racism and envy play in this poem?

In the poem, six ‘humans’ were there around the dying fire and everybody had a stick to give the
fire a new lease of life. But no one came forward to share their wood because they had hatred in
the mind for others. They all were filled with discrimination towards others.

In James Patrick Kinney’s poem The Cold Within the poet has shown how people are
divided all over the world based on some narrow considerations like racism, religious hatred,
class distinction, prejudice and so on. The discrimination among people can lead to a great deal
of problem for the society.

The first woman had racism against the black people. Another man had ill feelings for
people with other religious faith different from his. The third man was prejudiced against the rich
people as he was poor. The fourth one had prejudice against the poor and he was rich and greedy
to save more for himself. The fifth man was the black one and wanted to take revenge against the
white people as they had always ill-treated their race. The last man was narrow minded and
wanted to share his wood only in exchange for something else. So none of them shared their piece
of wood and rather chose to die in the cold weather.

2.How do the ideas conveyed in this poem relate to the society today? You can substantiate
the answer based on experiences you have had or witnessed

The poem ‘The Cold Within’ is very relevant even in the present day world. In the poem,
we see that the six people who gathered around a dying fire in the bleak and bitter cold night
refused to share their logs to keep the fire burning. It was because of their narrow mindedness
and discrimination that they all faced death in the end.

The poet here conveys the message that people should not discriminate among themselves
for petty issues like class, caste, religion, colour or ethnicity for their own good. At least, in the
time of need, they should come forward to help each other in order to save humanity. Otherwise,
the very existence of the human species is at stake.

This poem of Kinney has not lost its relevance because the world is yet to gather enough
wisdom to know how to live in peace and harmony. The problem of discriminatory attitude is
rather on a rise all over the world. We often hear of ill-treatment of people for their caste, colour,
gender, religion or ethnicity, not only in the developing countries, but also in the developed ones.
So, this poem is only very fitting for today’s readers.

It’s a poem about the turbulent consciousness that unfortunately shapes our world
regarding many people’s beliefs about race, man-made religions, wealth, and class, where in the
long run all those constructs, ideas, thoughts, paradigms and ideologies just poison our souls and
we become filled with hate, selfishness, greed, and too stubborn in our beliefs to the point we
would rather die for them, than let go of what keeps us stuck and angry at others, rather than
looking inward to change

You can add your experience of discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, colour
and class