For Anne Gregory's Class 10 Questions and Answers help you understand the poem’s theme, tone, and poetic devices clearly.
These NCERT question answers explain the difference between superficial and true love, making it easier for Class 10 students to frame exam-ready answers.
Question 1: What does the young man mean by “great honey-coloured /Ramparts at your ear?” Why does he say that young men are “thrown into despair” by them?
Answer:
In the poem, the young man admires Anne’s “great honey-coloured hair / Ramparts at Anne’s ear,” referring to her lovely golden hair that falls gracefully behind her ear like a wall. Her beauty captivates everyone, and young men fall hopelessly in love with her. Because she is so charming and desired by all, they are left in a state of despair, unable to win her affection.
Question 2: What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she can change it to? Why would she want to do so?
Answer:
Anne’s hair is golden, resembling honey. She mentions that she could dye it black, brown, or carrot-coloured, showing that outward beauty is changeable and not permanent. Through this, she urges young men to look beyond her appearance and appreciate her for her inner qualities rather than superficial looks.
Question 3:
Objects have qualities which make them desirable to others. Can you think of some objects (a car, a phone, a dress…) and say what qualities make one object more desirable than another? Imagine you were trying to sell an object: what qualities would you emphasise?
Answer:
There are various objects that have qualities in our lives that make them desirable to others. Check the list below:
| Object | Qualities |
| Car | Colour, speed, fuel efficiency, brand |
| Dress | Pattern, colour, material, fit |
| Phone | Brand, technology, user-friendliness, memory, price |
| Bag | Design, colour, brand, price, style |
While selling an object, a person should emphasise the different features of the product and also help the buyer identify how it is better than other products in the market. Students can also add some points on their own to understand how best an object can be sold to a customer.
Question 4:
What about people? Do we love others because we like their qualities, whether physical or mental? Or is it possible to love someone “for themselves alone”? Are some people ‘more lovable’ than others? Discuss this question in pairs or in groups, considering points like the following.
(i) a parent or caregiver’s love for a newborn baby, for a mentally or physically challenged child, for a clever child or a prodigy
(ii) the public’s love for a film star, a sportsperson, a politician, or a social worker
(iii) your love for a friend, or brother or sister
(iv) your love for a pet, and the pet’s love for you.
Answer:
Every person has his/her own choices, likes and dislikes. Students are advised to answer the question based on their interpretation and personal experience. As humans, we all have our personal favourites based on our perceptions and situation in life. It is, therefore, not wrong to like some people more than others.
Question 5: You have perhaps concluded that people are not objects to be valued for their qualities or riches, rather than for themselves. But elsewhere, Yeats asks the question: How can we separate the dancer from the dance? Is it possible to separate ‘the person himself or herself’ from how the person looks, sounds, walks, and so on? Think of how you or a friend or member of your family has changed over the years. Has your relationship also changed? In what way?
Answer:
Students can write this answer as per their personal experiences. It is recommended that they think about their family and friends and attempt this question based on their interpretation and personal experiences.
Here are some hints that may help you:
Poetic devices are asked in the class 10 English board exam directly. While writing the answer in the exam, students should write the name of the device, a line from the poem, and the effect on the meaning.
Metaphor: Honey-coloured ramparts as hair, beauty as physical appearance
Symbolism: Yellow hair as outer beauty, inner self as true love
Imagery: Honey-coloured hair, ramparts at your ear, young man in love
Irony: Men love Anne for her yellow hair, poet values inner character over appearance