I Believe, Comprehension Level Questions and Answers

I Believe

Extract I

I believe if a pebble…….at play.

 (i) Who is ‘I’ referred to in the first line of the extract? Why does the ‘I’ in the extract want to throw a pebble upwards?

‘I’ in the first line of the extract refers to the poet. She wants to throw a pebble upwards to make a hole in the heavens to see the angels at play there.

(ii) What will be the result of throwing the pebble upwards? What is the symbolic meaning of ‘throwing the pebble upwards’?

 By throwing the pebble upwards, the poet will be able to pierce the heavens and see the angels at play there. Symbolically, the act of ‘throwing the pebble upwards’ suggests the efforts made to rise in life to achieve unachievable goals.

(iii) Give the meaning of the following:

 (a) The phrase pierce the heavens means to make a small hole in the universe. It means to achieve unachievable goals with right efforts and conviction.

(b) The phrase See the angels at play means to see the spirits, who are believed to be the servants of God and who dwell in heavens.

(iv) What do the phrase ‘I believe’ and ‘I can’ signify?

The phrase ‘I believe’ signifies the poet’s dreams and aspirations whereas the phrase ‘I can’ signifies the determination and confidence of the speaker at what she believes she can achieve.

(v) What does the extract portray about the characteristic traits of the speaker?

The extract portrays the speaker as an optimistic, hard-working person who has the will and determination to achieve all her dreams and aspirations.

Extract II

I believe I can soar……with the sharks.

(i)The speaker believes that she can ‘soar to the heights’. What are the possible heights she wants to achieve?

 The speaker wants to achieve the highest limit of achievement. For her, sky is the limit for achievements.

(ii) Give the symbolic meaning of the ‘heights’.

‘Heights’ symbolise the sky, meaning ‘space without limit’ for achievement. The poet wishes to convey the message that the sky is the limit for human achievements.

(iii) What does the speaker mean by ‘touch the silky clouds’ and ‘feel the stars’?

 By the phrase ‘touch the silky clouds’ the speaker means to reach the highest limits of achievement and the phrase ‘feel the stars’ means to be one among the list of achievers or stars.

(iv) What is meant by ‘dive right into the depths’? What is the deeper meaning of the phrase?

‘Dive right into the depths’ mean to dive into the deepest ocean. The deeper meaning of this phrase is that one can dive into the depths meaning the ‘ocean of life’ and cross all the hurdles on the way and achieve success.

(v) What do the ‘sharks’ in the last line of the stanza refer to? What will be the effect of swimming with the sharks?

 ‘Sharks’ in the last line of the stanza refer to the hurdles and difficulties which come in life. By ‘swimming with the sharks’ one is able to achieve success by overcoming all the difficulties (sharks) on the way.

Extract III

I believe I can claw………the world’s treasures.

(i) What is the meaning of clawing into the earth’s belly?

The phrase “clawing into the earth’s belly” means to dig deep into the earth to get the precious jewels that lie within.

(ii) Why does the speaker want to claw into the earth’s belly?

The speaker wants to “claw into the earth’s belly” to get all the priceless gems that lie within.

(iii) What are the priceless gems? Where are these gems found? How can these gems be obtained?

The “priceless gems” refer to the resources that lie within the earth like metals, minerals and precious stones. These gems can be obtained by toiling hard and digging deep into the earth.

(iv) Where does the speaker believe she can do many things? Why?

The speaker believes that she can do many things on the earth. She believes so because there are many valuable resources on the earth which she can utilise.

(v)Who are the human angels? Why does the speaker call them so?

 The human angels are the speaker’s fellow human beings on the earth. The speaker has called them so because they are capable of attaining the status of angels by following the righteous path and doing their duty diligently.

Extract IV

But I firmly….and breathe.

(i)             Why does the speaker say that she ‘firmly believe’ instead of ‘I believe’?

 The speaker says that she ‘firmly believe’ to emphasise the duties she has to perform in this world before she can indulge in persuing her dreams and aspirations.

(ii) What is the role assigned to her? What does ‘here’ mean?

Being a woman, the role assigned to the speaker is that of a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. The word ‘here’ refers to the planet earth where she lives and dreams to fulfill a number of aspirations.

(ii)           Give the meaning of ‘Where I dream and breathe.’

 The phrase “where I dream and breathe” means the place, i.e., the earth, where the speaker dreams and lives, to perform her duties and achieve her goals and aspirations.

(iii)         DO you feel that the speaker feels that the role assigned to her acts as a hindrance in achieving her dreams? Give a reason for your answer.

 Yes, the speaker seems to feel that the role assigned to her because of being a woman, acts as a hindrance in achieving her dreams. This is because of the social constraints due to the gender based denial and discrimination prevalent in Indian society.

(iv)         The speaker believes that she has to complete the role assigned to her. What does it tell about the speaker and the woman in general?

 It tells us that the speaker, like all the other women, has to perform all the duties assigned to her, like that of a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and so on, before she can fulfill her own dreams and aspirations. The women in general feel restricted in achieving their aspirations due to the social constraints imposed on them by traditions, customs and religion for being a ‘woman.'