Chapter 2 -  Any women 

Important Questions and Answers  

1. Mention the underlying ideas in the expression 'pillars of the house'.          

The pillars are the main supports of the house. It make the house stronger without crumbling . It is not possible to have build a house without pillars. 

2. How does the poet portray the bond between a mother and her children?          

The poet says that children get their love from their mother. She is light of love. She is the twist that twist that holds together. The children in its sacred ring, Their knot of love, from whose close tether No lost child goes a-wandering. 

3. Comment on the expression ‘from floor to roof’. Attempt to coin another expression without changing the meaning.           

Floor to roof means from beginning to end. All aspects of the home connected with the woman, the mother of the house. Nothing in the home is away from her . 

4. What is the symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow’.                     

The symbolic significance of ‘wind and snow' is that there is a lot of troubles and tribulations that come to life. Life is affected by a problems of various sorts. They can be financial, health related problem, emotional problem etc... the mother is root of family tries to prevent all these things from entering the family.                   

5. Explain, in your own words, the concluding line of the poem.

It is prayer that the women makes to lord Shiva. Shiva is the person whom a woman  (Parvathy). The woman is praying to Shiva not to take away her life until her children have grown. She know without her , her children won’t able to live and thrive in the world. 

Word Meaning 

Slumber (v) : to sleep= ഉറങ്ങുക

Abrade(v) : to scrape or wear away by friction or erosion= രാകുക

Trance (n) : a semiconscious state, as between sleeping and waking =മോഹാലസ്യം

vex (v) : to make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried

 വിഷമിപ്പിക്കുക ,പ്രകോപ്പിക്കുക , ശല്ല്യപ്പെടുത്തുക

Rememberest (archaic) (v) : to remember ഓര്‍മ്മിച്ചുവെയ്ക്കുക

wrath (n) : extreme anger =  ഉഗ്രകോപം