Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
Where was the poet Vikram Seth born?
Answer
Calcutta
Question
What was the profession of Vikram Seth's father?
Answer
He was an executive of Bata Shoes.
Question
Which legal milestone did Leila Seth achieve at the Delhi High Court?
Answer
She was the first female judge of the Delhi High Court.
Question
Leila Seth was the first woman in India to hold which judicial position at the state level?
Answer
Chief Justice of a state High Court
Question
Which teacher at The Doon School significantly influenced Vikram Seth?
Answer
The mountaineer Gurdial Singh
Question
What specific musical interest did Gurdial Singh encourage in Vikram Seth?
Answer
An appreciation for Western classical music
Question
How did Gurdial Singh describe Vikram Seth's work ethic?
Answer
As an indefatigable worker
Question
Where did Vikram Seth complete his A-levels after graduating from Doon School?
Answer
Tonbridge School, England
Question
Name two of Vikram Seth's notable poetry collections.
Answer
Mappings and Beastly Tales
Question
In which Indian state does Vikram Seth maintain a family home?
Answer
Uttar Pradesh (specifically Noida)
Question
When was the poem 'A Doctor's Journal Entry for August 6, 1945' published?
Answer
1990
Question
What specific historical event is the subject of 'A Doctor's Journal Entry for August 6, 1945'?
Answer
The atomic explosion on Hiroshima, Japan.
Question
What atmosphere does the narrator describe at the start of the poem?
Answer
The morning was calm, beautiful, and warm.
Question
What was the narrator's first visual indication of the explosion?
Answer
A strong flash followed by another.
Question
What did the narrator initially mistake the atomic flashes for?
Answer
Magnesium flares
Question
Describe the immediate impact of the blast on the narrator's home.
Answer
The roof and walls collapsed in timber and debris.
Question
What unusual effect did the blast have on the narrator's clothing?
Answer
His drawers and undershirt disappeared.
Question
What specific injury did the narrator find in his thigh?
Answer
A splinter jutted from it.
Question
What was the narrator's emotional state while dislodging a piece of glass from his cheek?
Answer
He acted detachedly.
Question
What is the name of the narrator's wife?
Answer
Yecko-san
Question
Which major injury caused the narrator to fear for his life?
Answer
An artery in his neck was gushing blood.
Question
Describe Yecko-san's physical state when she first emerged.
Answer
She was pale, bloodstained, and frightened, holding her elbow.
Question
What gruesome object did the narrator trip over in the street?
Answer
A severed head
Question
What was the fate of the man the narrator found under a gate?
Answer
He was dead.
Question
How did the fire behave shortly after the explosion?
Answer
It sprang up in the dust and was spread by the wind.
Question
Why was the narrator determined to reach the hospital?
Answer
To receive aid and to help his staff.
Question
What physical sensation seized the narrator after he sat on the ground?
Answer
An intense thirst
Question
Why did the narrator feel no shame about being naked in public?
Answer
The shock and magnitude of the disaster overwhelmed social norms.
Question
What did the silent soldier provide to the narrator?
Answer
A towel to wrap around his neck.
Question
Why did the narrator tell Yecko-san she must go on ahead?
Answer
His legs were stiff with dried blood and failed to move.
Question
How did the narrator feel after Yecko-san departed?
Answer
A dreadful loneliness came over him.
Question
Describe the disparity between the narrator's mind and body during the crisis.
Answer
His mind ran at high speed while his body crept behind.
Question
What metaphorical terms does the poet use to describe the survivors?
Answer
Ghosts and scarecrows
Question
Why did the victims walk with their arms stretched straight out?
Answer
To prevent the friction on their burns from causing more pain.
Question
The narrator describes the survivors' movement towards the hospital as a _____.
Answer
Blank parade
Question
What was the narrator's reaction to seeing a naked woman and child?
Answer
He was dismayed.
Question
What common characteristic did all survivors share according to the poem's conclusion?
Answer
They were all silent and made no cries of anguish.
Question
Which literary award did Vikram Seth win that is specifically for the Indian diaspora?
Answer
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Question
The poem 'A Doctor's Journal Entry for August 6, 1945' is categorised as what type of poem?
Answer
An anti-war poem
Question
How did the narrator remove the glass from his cheek?
Answer
He dislodged it detachedly.
Question
Which object in the garden was 'brightly lit' by the magnesium-like flashes?
Answer
An old stone lantern
Question
Why was the narrator initially sprawled 'half-clad' in his garden?
Answer
He was gazing at the shimmering leaves and shadows.
Question
What action did the house perform before it crashed?
Answer
It tilted, swayed, and toppled.
Question
Why was the narrator unable to find water despite his thirst?
Answer
No water could be found in the aftermath of the blast.
Question
The narrator described the victims as 'wordless _____'.
Answer
Dumb
Question
What was the condition of the old woman's face on the ground?
Answer
It was marred with suffering.
Question
Which civilian award, one of India's highest, has Vikram Seth won?
Answer
Padma Shri
Question
What did the narrator's legs do that forced him to sit on the ground?
Answer
They gave way.
Question
Where did the narrator find himself immediately after the house collapsed?
Answer
In the garden
Question
How many flashes did the narrator observe before the collapse?
Answer
Two (a strong flash, then another)