The Pot Maker & Gifts of Grace: Honouring Our Vocations

1. What is common among these pictures?
All the people are making things by hand. They use traditional skills passed down in families.

2. We refer to such skill-based work as v _ _ a _ _ o _ s.
vocations

3. Mention a few differences between handmade and machine-made products.
Handmade products are unique. No two pieces are exactly the same. They take more time and cost more. They support local artisans and are often eco-friendly.

Machine-made products are identical. They are made quickly and in large numbers. They are usually cheaper.

(i) Choose the correct reason for the assertion: The effort in making pots is far greater than the returns.
A. The process of pot making is quite tiresome and long, and one hardly earns much.

(ii) Why does Arenla want Sentila to learn weaving?
Weaving earns much more money. It also gives enough cloth for the family.

(iii) State one advantage that weaving has over pot making.
Weaving is not messy and can be done indoors in all seasons.

(iv) Choose the sentence that uses ‘handsome’ in the same way as in the extract.
B. They will make a handsome profit selling this property.

(v) ‘And the reward?’ What is the purpose of using a question mark here?
It is a rhetorical question. It stresses how small the reward is and shows Arenla’s disappointment.

(i) Onula feels Sentila’s effort at making a pot is clumsy because ______.
Sentila was too tense, so the clay would not take the right shape.

(ii) ‘Don’t worry, little one, I shall teach you…’ This shows that Onula was ______.
C. thoughtful and generous

(iii) Which among the following is the effect of a cause?
A. As a result, the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape.

(iv) ‘Onula fashioned a beautiful pot.’ Here, ‘fashioned’ means ______.
created

(v) How might Sentila have felt when she saw ‘the misshapen lump fall flat on the ground’?
She must have felt tired, frustrated and disappointed.

1. Describe the process of pot making followed by expert pot makers, as observed by Sentila.
The clay is mixed with water and pounded. The potter pushes the left hand into the softened lump and rotates it. The pot is shaped with a spatula in the right hand. After two or three days, it gets a final touch. Then the pots dry in the sun and are fired in a kiln on a bed of hay and dried bamboo.

2. What warning was given to Mesoba by the village council?
The elders told him to remind Arenla that it was her duty to teach Sentila the skill. Such skills did not belong to any one person. Experts had to pass them on to anyone who wished to learn.

3. How did Sentila feel when she failed at pot making even after a year of training?
She felt ashamed and frustrated. She hung her head in shame.

4. ‘Onula stood there for a long time as if trying to absorb a new phenomenon.’ Explain.
Onula saw two rows of pots that looked exactly alike. She realised that Sentila had made one batch. The skill had passed from mother to daughter. She was amazed and needed time to understand it.

5. ‘The tradition and history of the people did not belong to any individual.’ What does this symbolise?
It means that traditional skills belong to the whole community. They must be shared and passed on, so that the culture stays alive.

6. What is the significance of the line, ‘A new pot maker was born’?
It shows that Sentila had finally mastered the craft. The tradition passed on to the next generation, even as her mother died.

7. What is the role of perseverance in pursuing one’s dreams? Elaborate with reference to Sentila.
Perseverance helps us keep going after failure. Sentila failed for a whole year. Still, she practised secretly, watched carefully and never gave up. In the end, she made pots as fine as her mother’s.

1(i) Does the poem strictly adhere to a rhyme scheme, or is it in free verse?
It is in free verse. There is no fixed rhyme scheme.

1(ii) What is the impact of the varying length of lines?
The lines flow naturally like speech. They also show the variety of vocations described.

1(iii) What is the pattern in the structure of most lines?
Most lines name a vocation and then use an ‘-ing’ word, such as “The carpenters celebrating”, “The electricians humming”.

2(i) Who appears to be the speaker and what is her/his role here?
The speaker is the poet, an observer who hears Bharat. The speaker celebrates and honours all workers.

3(i) Fill in the blanks.
A. The tone is celebratory and reverential. B. There is a joyful mood throughout the poem.

4(i) Select any two descriptions that evoke visual images.
“craft, woven with colours and myriad hues” and “The boatmen gathering their nets from the shore”.

4(ii) The poem includes auditory imagery through mentions of artisans with lutes, ______ and ______.
the electricians humming and the boatmen singing (also the delicious singing of the cook)

5(i) The mention of ‘delicious singing’ of the cook is a metaphor… True or false?
True

6(i) Select the line that shows the poet personifies vocations.
“The voice of their vocation is the voice of their identity.”

7(i) Why might the poet have begun and ended with the same line?
It stresses the main idea of celebrating all vocations. It also gives the poem a complete, circular shape.

8(i) Identify two examples of alliteration.
“varied vocations” and “carpenters celebrating”.

9(i) What does each vocation symbolise?
Each vocation symbolises the identity, pride and dignity of the worker. It also stands for the rich culture of Bharat.

1. What does ‘affirm’ refer to here?
(ii) to declare with confidence

2. What do quality shoes help with, according to the poet?
They help our feet walk, dance, run, jump and return home.

3. What does ‘return home’ symbolise besides the literal act of returning?
It symbolises safety, comfort and completing the journey of the day.

4. Identify the phrase that tells us every worker’s contribution is distinct.
“each celebrating what belongs to them and to none else”

5. …for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home refers to ______.
all the activities of our daily life

1. Why does the poet say, ‘I hear Bharat celebrating, the varied vocations I hear’?
In Bharat, people follow many different vocations. Each worker is proud of the work and celebrates it. The poet hears this joy everywhere.

2. What does the electrician ‘humming’ while getting ready for work suggest?
It suggests that the electrician is happy and enjoys the work.

3. Explain the line, ‘The voice of their vocation is the voice of their identity.’
A person’s work shows who they are. Their skill gives them pride and a place in society.

4. Is the role of all people of different vocations important in our daily lives? Give a reason.
Yes. We need the farmer for food, the electrician for light and the shoemaker for footwear. Every worker makes our life easy.

5. Why is the poet celebrating all the vocations? Explain with examples from your context.
The poet wants us to respect all kinds of work. In my area, the vegetable seller, the tailor and the auto driver help us every day. Without them, life would stop.

6. How does the poet use sensory imagery to bring out the beauty of everyday work?
The poet uses sight (“colours and myriad hues”), sound (“humming”, “singing”, “rhythm”) and taste (“delicious singing”). These make ordinary work look beautiful and alive.