Contemplation — Questions and Answers

1. Theme / Main Idea / Subject / Purpose

Questions

1. What is the main idea of the poem “Contemplation”?

2. What is the poem “Contemplation” about?

3. What is the purpose of the poem “Contemplation”?

4. What is the theme of the poem “Contemplation”?

5. What does the title of the poem “Contemplation” signify?

Common Answer

The poem is about the beauty and greatness of the world seen from a high tree. It shows the speaker’s joy, wonder and love for nature and the wide world.

2. Freedom

Question

1. How does the poem “Contemplation” reflect the poet’s idea of freedom? [JSE-2025]

Common Answer

The poet feels free when he climbs high up the tree and looks across the wide land. The open view of fields, rivers, sheep and the distant town gives him a feeling of freedom.

3. “How Very Large the World Can Be!”

Questions

1. “How very large the world can be!” Explain the line in 2–3 sentences.

2. What do you think the speaker means by “How very large the world can be!” in the poem “Contemplation”?

3. What does the phrase “how large the world can be!” refer to in “Contemplation”?

4. What is the speaker’s realization in the poem “Contemplation”?

5. According to the poem “Contemplation”, what has the poet come to realize after climbing the tree so many times?

Common Answer

The line means that the world is very large and full of wonderful things. From the top of the tree, the speaker realizes how wide, beautiful and interesting the world is.

4. Why the Poet Climbs the Tree

Questions

1. In the poem “Contemplation”, why does the poet climb the tree so many times?

2. According to the poem “Contemplation”, why does the poet feel happy after climbing the tree?

3. According to the poem “Contemplation”, what does the poet do after climbing the tree?

Common Answer

The poet climbs the tree because he loves to see the wide world from a high place. From there, he looks around at the beautiful fields, rivers, sheep and town, and this makes him happy.

5. The Tree

Questions

1. How is the tree in the poem “Contemplation”?

2. What does “dappled yellow” suggest about the tree in “Contemplation”?

3. Where do you think the tree was, as described in the poem “Contemplation”?

4. In the poem “Contemplation”, what tree does the poet climb and how long has he been climbing the tree?

Common Answer

The poet climbs a beautiful tree with yellow patches of light and colour. The tree stands in a place from where he can see a wide view of the countryside.

6. What the Poet Sees from the Tree

Questions

1. What does the poet see from the tree in “Contemplation”?

2. What were the four things the poet could see from the tree in the poem “Contemplation”?

3. According to the poem “Contemplation”, what has the poet wished to see always?

Common Answer

From the tree, the poet sees green fields, shining rivers, little sheep and the roofs of a distant town. These are the beautiful things he enjoys seeing from the high tree.

7. Fields

Questions

1. How does the poet describe the fields in the poem “Contemplation”?

2. How does the speaker describe the fields in “Contemplation”?

3. How is the nature of the fields described in the poem “Contemplation”?

4. According to the poem “Contemplation”, describe the fields and the rivers the poet can see from the tree.

Common Answer

The fields look green, wide and peaceful from the tree. Together with the shining rivers, they create a beautiful countryside scene.

8. Rivers

Questions

1. What do the rivers look like in the poem “Contemplation”?

2. What does the phrase “shining rivers swimming through the rushes” mean in “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The rivers look bright and shining in the sunlight. They seem to move smoothly through the rushes and make the countryside more beautiful.

9. Fields, Rivers and Sheep Together

Question

1. How does the poet describe the fields, rivers, and sheep? What effect does this create in the poem “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The poet describes green fields, shining rivers and little sheep playing happily. These pictures create a peaceful, lively and beautiful scene of nature.

10. Sheep

Questions

1. What is the significance of the sheep playing in “Contemplation”?

2. What do the little sheep do in the poem “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The little sheep play happily in the fields. Their movement makes the countryside look lively, peaceful and joyful.

11. Roofs of the Town

Questions

1. How do the roofs of the town shine in “Contemplation”?

2. What is the significance of the roofs of the town in “Contemplation”?

3. In the poem “Contemplation”, what is shining in the sun?

Common Answer

The roofs of the distant town shine brightly in the sun. They are part of the beautiful wide view that the poet sees from the tree.

12. Speaker’s Attitude / Feelings about Nature

Questions

1. How does the poem make you feel about nature and the world around you?

2. What is the speaker’s attitude towards the world in “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The speaker feels happy, amazed and full of wonder about nature and the world. He enjoys the beauty and greatness of everything he sees around him.

13. Rhyme Scheme

Question

1. What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza of the poem “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is ABCB. The second and fourth lines rhyme with each other.

14. Poet

Question

1. Who wrote the poem “Contemplation”?

Common Answer

The poem “Contemplation” was written by John Carpenter.

How to Study

Many questions above have the same or almost the same meaning.

Read all the questions in one section carefully.
Notice the main idea shared by the questions.
Learn and understand the Common Answer.
Use the Common Answer for any similar question in that section.
Make a small change only when a question asks for a specific detail.
Do not memorize every question and answer separately.
Understand the main idea and use it for similar questions.