In This Article We Have “Our Casuarina Tree by Toru Dutt – Class 12 MCQs & Answers”
Introduction
“Our Casuarina Tree” by Toru Dutt is a timeless poem that beautifully blends the poetess’s emotions with the serene charm of nature. This Class 12 English poem, part of the WBCHSE Semester 3 syllabus, captures memories, friendship, and nostalgia around the majestic Casuarina tree. Our comprehensive guide provides detailed MCQs with answers, helping students excel in exams while gaining deep insights into Toru Dutt’s poetic style. Dive into this analysis to master every nuance of the poem, ensuring both academic success and a rich understanding of English literature.
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About the Poem “Our Casuarina Tree”
Background and Context
“Our Casuarina Tree” is one of the most celebrated poems by Toru Dutt, a pioneering Indian poetess of the 19th century. Written during her childhood memories in Kolkata, the poem beautifully captures the essence of nostalgia, friendship, and the poet’s deep attachment to nature. The Casuarina tree in the poem is not merely a tree—it stands as a silent witness to the poet’s joys, sorrows, and cherished childhood moments. This poem is included in the Class 12 WBCHSE Semester 3 English syllabus, making it an essential study for students preparing for exams. Its vivid imagery and emotional depth have made it a timeless piece of English literature in India.
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Toru Dutt’s Life and Literary Contributions
Toru Dutt (1856–1877) was a brilliant Indian poet and novelist who wrote in both English and French. Despite her short life, she made remarkable contributions to Indian English literature, blending European literary techniques with Indian themes. Her works often reflect patriotism, nostalgia, and deep emotional introspection. In “Our Casuarina Tree,” Toru Dutt showcases her mastery over imagery, personification, and symbolism, allowing readers to experience the sight, sound, and emotional essence of the tree as if they were present in her childhood home. She also contributed to translations of Indian epics, making her a significant bridge between Indian culture and English literature.
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Key Features of the Poem “Our Casuarina Tree”
1. Emotional Tone and Nostalgia
“One of the most striking features of Our Casuarina Tree is its deeply emotional and nostalgic tone. Toru Dutt masterfully evokes childhood memories, the innocence of youth, and the bonds of friendship through her vivid recollections. The poem is steeped in longing and remembrance, making the reader feel the poetess’s emotional attachment to her surroundings. This nostalgic undertone not only reflects personal experiences but also resonates universally, allowing students and readers to connect emotionally with the poem. The tone shifts seamlessly between joyful reminiscence and reflective melancholy, highlighting the poet’s sensitivity and introspection.
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2. Nature Imagery and Poetic Devices
Toru Dutt employs rich nature imagery to breathe life into the Casuarina tree, transforming it from a simple plant into a symbol of memory and continuity. The poet uses personification by describing the tree as a silent witness to human activities, and alliteration and similes to enhance the musicality and vividness of the poem. For example, the swaying branches and the shadows cast by the tree are depicted with poetic finesse, enabling readers to visualize the scene vividly. This use of imagery and literary devices strengthens the emotional impact, making the poem a perfect example of 19th-century Indian English poetry that combines personal memory with the natural environment.
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3. Friendship and Memory Reflections
Another key feature is the poet’s emphasis on friendship and cherished memories. The Casuarina tree serves as a meeting point for friends and a silent observer of shared moments. Through this tree, Toru Dutt celebrates companionship, loyalty, and the passage of time, showing how nature preserves human relationships in its permanence. Students studying this poem can easily identify the interplay between human emotion and natural symbolism, making it a critical text for both literary analysis and exam preparation.
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Theme and Symbolism of the Casuarina Tree
The central theme of the poem is nostalgia and the enduring presence of nature in human memory. The Casuarina tree symbolizes strength, friendship, and memory, serving as a guardian of the poet’s childhood experiences. Through detailed descriptions, Toru Dutt personifies the tree, portraying it as a silent witness of past joys, the passage of time, and enduring relationships. It also represents the connection between nature and human emotions, highlighting how memories are intertwined with the physical environment. Students studying this poem can explore themes like nature’s permanence, emotional resilience, and the beauty of childhood reminiscence, making it both a literary and emotional study.
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Our Casuarina Tree MCQ Questions and Answers Class 12 3rd Semester English [ Set – 1 ]
1. Who is the writer of the poem?
a) Toru Ray
b) 🟢 Toru Dutt
c) Toru Singh
2. What has been compared to a python?
a) 🟢 The Casuarina Tree
b) The Banyan Tree
c) The Cashew Tree
3. Which tree is described as standing ‘gallantly’ on the ground?
a) 🟢 The Casuarina Tree
b) The Banyan Tree
c) The Cashew Tree
4. What climbs around the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 A creeper
b) A snake
c) None of these
5. The expression ‘giant wears the scarf’ refers to—
a) 🟢 The cover of leaves
b) The cover of cloth
c) The cover of net
6. Who gathers around the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 Birds and bees
b) Worms and bees
c) Birds and worms
7. Why does the poet cherish the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 It reminds her of childhood days
b) Its majestic height
c) The birds and bees
8. ‘Up to its very summit near the stars’ refers to the—
a) Roots of the tree
b) Trunk of the tree
c) 🟢 High branches of the tree
9. What appears ‘in crimson clusters all the boughs among’?
a) Orange flowers
b) 🟢 Red flowers
c) Pink flowers
10. Where is the Casuarina tree located?
a) In the garden
b) 🟢 In the courtyard
c) In the forest
11. Who are the men that ‘repose’ by the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 Family members of the poet
b) Passersby
c) None of these
12. When does the poet usually see the tree?
a) 🟢 When she opens the window
b) When she opens her door
c) When she enters the courtyard
13. Which creature sits on the tree like a statue?
a) 🟢 Gray Baboon
b) Gray Monkey
c) Gray Bird
14. Which bird welcomes the day in the poem?
a) Parrot
b) 🟢 Kokila
c) Sparrow
15. Whose young ones play on the branches of the tree?
a) 🟢 Baboon’s offspring
b) Kokila’s offspring
c) Lamb’s offspring
16. Why do ‘hot tears blind mine eyes’?
a) 🟢 Memories of loved ones
b) Eye infection
c) None of these
17. Who is lamenting in the poem?
a) 🟢 The Casuarina Tree
b) The Bees
c) The Birds
18. ‘I have heard that wail far, far away…’ refers to—
a) 🟢 The sound of leaves in the wind
b) Childhood memories
c) The sound of music
19. Which nations are mentioned in the poem?
a) Germany and Italy
b) 🟢 France and Italy
c) None of these
20. The central theme of the poem is—
a) 🟢 Remembering childhood
b) Remembering the tree only
c) None of these
21. ‘With one sweet song that seems to have no close…’ refers to the—
a) 🟢 Songs of birds
b) Songs of men
c) None of these
22. “My happy prime…” denotes the poet’s—
a) 🟢 Childhood
b) Adulthood
c) None of these
23. What feelings does the poet hold for the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 Happiness
b) Sadness
c) Anger
24. How is nature portrayed in the poem?
a) The Casuarina Tree
b) Birds, bees, and baboons
c) 🟢 All of these
25. ‘Like the sea breaking on a shingle-beach’ is an example of—
a) Simile [ এটাও হতে পারে ]
b) Metaphor
c) 🟢 Personification
26. ‘And every time the music rose…’ refers to—
a) 🟢 Music of childhood memories
b) Music of the leaves
c) Music of the piano
27. What does the phrase ‘native clime’ stand for?
a) 🟢 Family members of the poet
b) Inhabitants of the land
c) None of these
28. ‘Who now in blessed sleep…’ refers to—
a) 🟢 The poet’s family members
b) Local inhabitants
c) None of these
29. In the line ‘Therefore I fain would consecrate a lay’, ‘lay’ means—
a) 🟢 Poem
b) Flower
c) Artefact
30. Which flowers are mentioned in the poem?
a) Roses
b) 🟢 Water-lilies
c) Lotus
31. Fill in the blank:
‘Sometimes, and most in ______, on its crest’
a) Summer
b) Spring
c) 🟢 Winter
32. Which animals graze in the pasture near the tree?
a) 🟢 Cows
b) Goats
c) Sheep
33. Fill in the blank:
“By that ______ tree…”
a) Soar
b) 🟢 Hoar
c) Roar
34. How is the language of the poem?
a) Simple and lucid
b) Ornamented and picturesque
c) 🟢 Both of these
35. What tone dominates the poem?
a) 🟢 Sad yet filled with happy memories
b) Anger and resentment
c) None of these
36. ‘Mayst thou be numbered when my days are done…’ Whose days are meant?
a) 🟢 The author’s
b) The Casuarina tree’s
c) None of these
37. How is time depicted in the poem?
a) 🟢 Eternal and flowing
b) Standing still
c) None of these
38. The phrase ‘days are done’ implies—
a) 🟢 Inevitable death
b) Leaving the homeland
c) None of these
39. The Casuarina tree symbolizes the poet’s—
a) Childhood memories
b) Family and friends
c) 🟢 All of these
40. What does the poet wish to achieve through the Casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 To immortalize it in poetry
b) To cut its branches
c) To uproot it completely
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Our Casuarina Tree MCQ Question Answer / Toru Dutt / Class 12 English Semester 3 [ Set – 2 ]
1. Who is the writer of the poem “Our Casuarina Tree”?
a) Sarojini Naidu
b) Kamala Das
c) 🟢 Toru Dutt
d) Rabindranath Tagore
2. ‘Our Casuarina Tree’ is best described as—
a) A sonnet
b) 🟢 An ode
c) An elegy
d) A dramatic monologue
3. The Casuarina tree symbolizes—
a) Nature’s cruelty
b) Nature’s wonder
c) 🟢 Childhood memories and loved ones
d) Supernatural beliefs
4. The poem was published in the collection—
a) Lyrical Ballads
b) 🟢 Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan
c) Song Offerings
d) Sanchita
5. Year of publication of ‘Our Casuarina Tree’—
a) 1880
b) 🟢 1881
c) 1882
d) 1885
6. What coils around the trunk of the tree?
a) A creeper
b) 🟢 A python
c) A climber
d) A vine
7. The creeper in the poem is compared to a—
a) Tiger
b) Squirrel
c) Baboon
d) 🟢 Python
8. “Like a huge Python, winding round and round”—the device is—
a) 🟢 Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) Hyperbole
9. The trunk of the tree is described as—
a) Soft
b) 🟢 Rugged
c) Tough
d) Shiny
10. Scars on the Casuarina tree are caused by—
a) Cruel cutting by men
b) A python
c) 🟢 A creeper
d) A climber
11. The grandeur of the tree is compared to—
a) A temple
b) 🟢 A gallant warrior
c) A ship
d) A chariot
12. The ‘scarf’ in the line “the giant wears the scarf” refers to—
a) A spiral climber
b) 🟢 A curling creeper
c) A cluster of flowers
d) A python
13. “Giant wears the scarf” is an example of—
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) 🟢 Personification
d) Irony
14. The summit of the Casuarina tree reaches near—
a) Moon
b) 🟢 Stars
c) Sun
d) Sky
15. “Up to its very summit near the stars”—the figure of speech is—
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) 🟢 Hyperbole
16. The flowers hanging from the tree are—
a) White
b) Pink
c) Yellow
d) 🟢 Crimson
17. Who gathers on the tree during the day?
a) Insects and worms
b) 🟢 Birds and bees
c) Pythons
d) All of these
18. When does the garden overflow with song?
a) 🟢 At night
b) In the morning
c) In the evening
d) All day
19. Whose song fills the garden at night?
a) Cuckoo
b) 🟢 Darkling bird
c) Nightingale
d) Dove
20. The poet opens her casement at—
a) 🟢 Dawn
b) Morning
c) Afternoon
d) Night
21. At dawn, the poet’s eyes rest upon—
a) The garden
b) The birds
c) The baboons
d) 🟢 The Casuarina tree
22. The baboon sits on—
a) A lower branch
b) 🟢 The crest
c) A side branch
d) None of these
23. The baboon’s family comes during—
a) 🟢 Winter
b) Summer
c) Spring
d) Rainy season
24. The baboon sitting quietly watches—
a) The ground
b) 🟢 The sunrise
c) Its cubs
d) The blue sky
25. Its puny offspring are seen—
a) 🟢 On the lower branches
b) On the upper branches
c) On the ground
d) On the crest
26. The young baboons—
a) Fight
b) 🟢 Leap about and play
c) Eat leaves
d) Hang by tails
27. The sleepy cows move towards their—
a) Ground
b) Offspring
c) 🟢 Pastures
d) Tank
28. The shadow of the tree falls on the—
a) Lake
b) River
c) Pastures
d) 🟢 Tank
29. Which flowers spring in the tank?
a) Lotus
b) 🟢 Water-lilies
c) Water poppy
d) Hawthorn
30. “The water-lilies spring, like snow enmassed”—figure of speech is—
a) 🟢 Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) Onomatopoeia
31. The poet with her companions used to—
a) Chat
b) Sing
c) Talk
d) 🟢 Play
32. “O sweet companions, love with love intense”—refers to—
a) School friends
b) 🟢 Siblings
c) Teachers
d) Children
33. The tree is dear to the poet because of—
a) Its shadow
b) Its crimson flowers
c) 🟢 Memories of companions
d) Its shelter to birds
34. “Dirge-like murmur that I hear”—implies—
a) The wind’s mourning
b) Rain’s wail
c) 🟢 The tree’s lament
d) The tank’s joy
35. “Unknown, yet well known to the eye of faith!”—suggests—
a) Land of horrors
b) Land of dreams
c) 🟢 A mysterious yet familiar land
d) Land of despair
36. The poetic device in the line “Unknown, yet well known”—
a) Personification
b) Oxymoron
c) 🟢 Paradox
d) Irony
37. “I have heard that wail far, far away”—‘distant lands’ means—
a) England or Australia
b) India or Bangladesh
c) 🟢 France or Italy
d) Japan or China
38. The ‘wail’ heard far away refers to—
a) 🟢 The tree
b) The baboon
c) The darkling bird
d) The kokila
39. “Earth lay tranced in a dreamless swoon”—suggests—
a) Remorse
b) Pain
c) 🟢 Deep sleep
d) Joy
40. What does the poet consecrate to the tree?
a) Poem
b) 🟢 Lay (song/verse)
c) Epithet
d) Novel
41. “Who now in blessed sleep repose”—‘blessed sleep’ means—
a) Sound sleep
b) 🟢 Death
c) Rest
d) Swoon
42. Who are in ‘blessed sleep’?
a) 🟢 Poet’s loved ones
b) Poet’s forefathers
c) The tree’s creatures
d) All of these
43. Why is the tree especially dear to the poet?
a) Its beauty
b) Its fruits
c) 🟢 Its bond with loved ones
d) Its history
44. The tree brings back memories of—
a) School and education
b) 🟢 Lost childhood and loved ones
c) Travel and adventure
d) Victory and pride
45. “May love defend thee from oblivion’s curse”—‘oblivion’s curse’ means—
a) Sickness
b) Death
c) 🟢 Being forgotten
d) Burden of knowledge
46. The tree in the poem represents—
a) Power and victory
b) Change and decay
c) 🟢 Permanence of memory
d) Religious faith
47. The ending tone of the poem is—
a) Joy
b) 🟢 Hope and blessing
c) Warning
d) Doubt
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Mcq questions and answers from the poem “Our Casuarina Tree” by Toru Dutt [ Set – 3 ]
Q1. Who has composed the poem Our Casuarina Tree?
(A) Sarojini Naidu
(B) 🟢 Toru Dutt
(C) Rabindranath Thakur
(D) Annie Besant
Q2. Which animal has the poetess compared to the Casuarina tree?
(A) Elephant
(B) 🟢 Python
(C) Horse
(D) Lion
Q3. How does the Casuarina tree stand despite the vine?
(A) Shivering with fear
(B) Dry and lifeless
(C) 🟢 Proudly and beautiful
(D) To give shade
Q4. Which animal is shown sitting on top of the tree in the poem?
(A) Peacock
(B) Monkey
(C) 🟢 Langur
(D) Owl
Q5. Why does the poet consider this tree dear?
(A) Because it is fruitful
(B) Because birds live on it
(C) Because it is beautiful
(D) 🟢 Because it connects childhood memories
Q6. Where did the poet remember this tree abroad?
(A) America and Japan
(B) 🟢 Italy and France
(C) Africa and Australia
(D) England and Russia
Q7. In which context is ‘Borrowdale’ mentioned in poetry?
(A) As a beautiful valley
(B) 🟢 As an example of famous trees in literature
(C) For foreign flowers
(D) For the shade of the tree
Q8. Which natural scene is described in poetry?
(A) Rain and electricity
(B) Mountains and waterfalls
(C) 🟢 Sunrise, birds, and ponds
(D) Desert and sand
Q9. What message does the poet convey through the tree?
(A) Power of science
(B) Importance of horticulture
(C) 🟢 The immortality and emotional bond of memories
(D) Utility of tree wood
Q10. What does “Oblivion’s Curse” mean in the poem?
(A) Cutting the tree
(B) 🟢 Curse of forgetting
(C) Tree dries
(D) Effect of bad dreams
Q11. Into how many stanzas is the poem divided?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 🟢 5
(D) 6
Q12. In which context is the word ‘Darkling’ used?
(A) For a plant growing in darkness
(B) 🟢 For a song sung at night
(C) For solar eclipse
(D) For a brown bird
Q13. What does ‘Creeper climbs’ mean?
(A) Cutting the tree
(B) 🟢 A creeper climbing upward
(C) Birds fly
(D) Bending branches
Q14. To what are ‘Water-lilies’ compared in the poem?
(A) 🟢 Snow flowers
(B) Sunflowers
(C) Gems
(D) Moonlight
Q15. What does ‘Dirge-like murmur’ symbolize in the poem?
(A) Song of joy
(B) 🟢 Lament for the dead
(C) Sea waves
(D) Thunder of war
Q16. What does the poet wish to give to the tree?
(A) A new life
(B) 🟢 Immortality
(C) Beauty
(D) Fruit and flowers
Q17. What is the poetess’s emotional tone?
(A) Political
(B) Scientific
(C) 🟢 Deeply emotional
(D) Social
Q18. What does “Kokilas hail the day” mean in the poem?
(A) Cuckoos announce the end of the day
(B) 🟢 Cuckoo welcomes the day
(C) Cuckoos fall asleep
(D) Cuckoos fly away
Q19. Which countries are mentioned where the poet remembered the tree?
(A) Japan and China
(B) Nepal and Bhutan
(C) 🟢 France and Italy
(D) America and Canada
Q20. ‘Borrowdale’ is related to which literary tradition?
(A) Indian
(B) American
(C) Romanic
(D) 🟢 English
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Our Casuarina Tree by Toru Dutt – MCQ, Class – 12, Semester III, WBCHSE [ Set – 4 ]
Q1. This poem was published in—
(A) 🟢 Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan
(B) French Fields
(C) Poem Collection of Toru Dutt
(D) Best of Toru Dutta
Q2. The writer of this poem is—
(A) Shakespeare
(B) Jayanta Mahapatra
(C) 🟢 Toru Dutt
(D) Sarojini Naidu
Q3. This poem was published in—
(A) 1880
(B) 🟢 1881
(C) 1882
(D) 1883
Q4. The tree described in this poem is—
(A) Oak tree
(B) 🟢 Casuarina tree
(C) Mango tree
(D) Banyan tree
Q5. Here the creeper is compared to a—
(A) 🟢 Python
(B) Cobra
(C) Cloud
(D) Waterfalls
Q6. The trunk of the tree was—
(A) Smooth
(B) Square
(C) Short
(D) 🟢 Rugged
Q7. On the trunk, the creeper makes—
(A) 🟢 Deep scars
(B) Deep holes
(C) Straight lines
(D) No mark
Q8. The poetess imagines that the summit of the tree has reached—
(A) The cloud
(B) Rainbow
(C) 🟢 Stars
(D) Horizon line
Q9. ______________ embraces the tree round and round—
(A) Python
(B) 🟢 Creeper
(C) Leaves
(D) Bark
Q10. The tree takes the creeper as—
(A) 🟢 Scarf
(B) Shawl
(C) Blanket
(D) Rope
Q11. The tree wears the creeper—
(A) Unwillingly
(B) 🟢 Gallantly
(C) Fearfully
(D) Sadly
Q12. Due to the embraces of the creeper, another tree would have—
(A) Lived longer
(B) Grown taller
(C) Been beautiful
(D) 🟢 Died
Q13. The colour of Casuarina’s flowers is—
(A) 🟢 Crimson/Red
(B) Yellow
(C) White
(D) Purple
Q14. The flowers of the tree attract—
(A) Python
(B) Bird
(C) Bee
(D) 🟢 Both bird and bee
Q15. At night, the garden gets overflowed by—
(A) Song of birds
(B) Smell of flowers
(C) Buzzing sound of bees
(D) 🟢 Song of cricket
Q16. The song heard during night seems—
(A) Hoarse
(B) Little lasting
(C) 🟢 To have no close
(D) None of the above
Q17. At dawn, the poetess looks at the tree through—
(A) 🟢 Casement
(B) Door
(C) Balcony
(D) Wall hole
Q18. The poetess discovers on the crest of the tree—
(A) Bird
(B) Monkey
(C) Baby monkey
(D) 🟢 Baboon
Q19. The colour of the baboon was—
(A) Black
(B) Gray
(C) White
(D) 🟢 Black and white
Q20. The baboon is seen mostly in—
(A) Summer
(B) Rain
(C) 🟢 Winter
(D) Spring
Q21. Sitting on the top, the baboon watches—
(A) 🟢 Sunrise
(B) Rain
(C) The poetess
(D) Sunset
Q22. The baboon sits like—
(A) Idol
(B) 🟢 Statue
(C) Toy
(D) Tree
Q23. On the lower branches, there were—
(A) More baboons
(B) Birds
(C) 🟢 Baboon’s little offspring
(D) None
Q24. ______________ hail the day—
(A) Baboon
(B) Birds
(C) Wind
(D) 🟢 Kokilas
Q25. The sleepy cows went to—
(A) Home
(B) River
(C) Pond
(D) 🟢 Pastures
Q26. The colour of the tree was—
(A) 🟢 Hoar/Gray
(B) Black
(C) Brown
(D) Green
Q27. The tree’s shadow falls on—
(A) 🟢 Broad tank
(B) Field
(C) Poet’s house
(D) River
Q28. ______________ spring in the tank—
(A) Lotus
(B) 🟢 Water lilies
(C) Daffodils
(D) Roses
Q29. The lilies on the tank look like—
(A) 🟢 Snow
(B) Cloud
(C) Fog
(D) Python
Q30. The tree is dear to the poetess for—
(A) Its hugeness/magnificence
(B) Its colour
(C) 🟢 Memories with it
(D) Baboon
Q31. Under the tree, the poetess had played with—
(A) 🟢 Sweet companions
(B) Other players
(C) Other poets
(D) Parents
Q32. The poetess could think of the tree until—
(A) She got tired
(B) 🟢 Her eyes got drenched with hot tears
(C) She slept
(D) She began to sing
Q33. The ‘dirge-like murmur’ is—
(A) Song of birds
(B) Song of wind
(C) Sound of sea waves
(D) 🟢 Tree’s lament
Q34. The word ‘dirge’ means—
(A) Bird song
(B) Wind song
(C) Kind of play
(D) 🟢 Mournful song at a funeral
Q35. The lament of the tree seems to the poetess like—
(A) Sound of violin
(B) Song of birds
(C) Sound of sea breaking
(D) 🟢 Sound of wind
Q36. The ‘eerie speech’ refers to—
(A) 🟢 Lament of the tree
(B) Song of birds
(C) Sound of sea breaking
(D) Sound of wind
Q37. ‘Water-wraith’ means—
(A) Big fish
(B) 🟢 Ghost in water
(C) Waves
(D) Ships
Q38. The classic shores mentioned in the poem are of—
(A) Brazil
(B) France
(C) Italy
(D) 🟢 Both France and Italy
Q39. The word ‘shingle’ means—
(A) 🟢 Beach
(B) High
(C) Heavy
(D) Rocky
Q40. “Thy form”—the form refers to—
(A) 🟢 Tree
(B) Baboon
(C) Companions
(D) Cows
Q41. In her happy youth, the poetess had seen the tree in—
(A) 🟢 Native clime/Motherland
(B) Neighbour village
(C) France
(D) Italy
Q42. In the inner mind of the poetess, the tree rose in the form of—
(A) Baboon
(B) Companions
(C) Sea
(D) 🟢 Sublime
Q43. She would offer to the tree a—
(A) 🟢 Lay/Song
(B) Flower
(C) Baboon
(D) Photo
Q44. The beloved friends are now—
(A) 🟢 In eternal sleep (dead)
(B) All alive
(C) Playing under the tree
(D) In France or Italy
Q45. Who are dearer to the poetess?—
(A) The tree
(B) Parents
(C) 🟢 Sweet childhood companions
(D) Motherland
Q46. The deathless trees are in—
(A) 🟢 Borrowdale
(B) Himalaya
(C) Dooars
(D) Forests in France
Q47. Borrowdale valley is located in—
(A) 🟢 Cumberland, England
(B) France
(C) Italy
(D) America
Q48. The trees in Borrowdale have seen—
(A) 🟢 So many deaths
(B) Poetess
(C) Her friends
(D) None of the above
Q49. ______________ will defend the tree from oblivion’s curse—
(A) 🟢 Poetess’ love
(B) Friends’ love
(C) Baboon
(D) Sun
Q50. The word ‘oblivion’ means—
(A) Love
(B) Anguish
(C) 🟢 State of forgetfulness
(D) Memory
—
Our Casuarina Tree Class 12 MCQ Questions for WBCHSE Semester 3 [ Set – 5 ]
1. What does the casuarina tree symbolize in the poem?
a) Strength and permanence
b) Love and nostalgia
c) 🟢 Both A and B
d) The beauty of nature
2. Who wrote the poem Our Casuarina Tree?
a) Sarojini Naidu
b) 🟢 Toru Dutt
c) Rabindranath Tagore
d) Kamala Das
3. What kind of imagery is prominently used in the poem?
a) Urban imagery
b) 🟢 Pastoral and natural imagery
c) Futuristic imagery
d) Industrial imagery
4. What is the tone of the poem Our Casuarina Tree?
a) Light and humorous
b) 🟢 Nostalgic and melancholic
c) Angry and defiant
d) Romantic and passionate
5. What creature is described as climbing the casuarina tree?
a) A monkey
b) 🟢 A python
c) A squirrel
d) A bird
6. What does the poet associate the tree with?
a) 🟢 Childhood memories and lost loved ones
b) The struggles of life
c) The beauty of urbanization
d) The horrors of colonial rule
7. Which season is vividly described in the poem?
a) Summer
b) Autumn
c) 🟢 Winter
d) Spring
8. Why does the poet wish to immortalize the casuarina tree?
a) To preserve its beauty for future generations
b) 🟢 To honor its connection to her childhood and loved ones
c) To celebrate nature’s role in human life
d) To express her desire to protect the environment
9. What literary devices are prominently used in Our Casuarina Tree?
a) 🟢 Metaphor and personification
b) Hyperbole and satire
c) Allegory and irony
d) Euphemism and understatement
10. What does the poet mean by “a presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts”?
a) 🟢 The tree inspires her with deep, reflective thoughts.
b) The tree makes her feel uneasy and anxious.
c) The tree reminds her of her responsibilities.
d) The tree disturbs her with its towering height.
11. What is the primary theme of Our Casuarina Tree?
a) The beauty of nature
b) 🟢 The passage of time and nostalgia
c) The importance of preserving trees
d) The joy of childhood play
12. What does the poet wish to achieve by writing this poem?
a) To protect the casuarina tree
b) 🟢 To immortalize her memories and loved ones
c) To promote the conservation of forests
d) To criticize modern lifestyles
13. What is the poetic form of Our Casuarina Tree?
a) A sonnet
b) A free verse poem
c) 🟢 A lyric poem
d) An epic poem
14. Which classical allusion does Toru Dutt use in the poem?
a) Greek gods and myths
b) Italian landscapes
c) 🟢 The immortal yew trees of literature
d) Biblical references
15. What role does the python play in the poem?
a) It adds an element of danger.
b) 🟢 It highlights the tree’s grandeur and timelessness.
c) It symbolizes the struggle of life.
d) It represents death and decay.
16. What kind of relationship does the poet have with the tree?
a) 🟢 A spiritual and emotional connection
b) A fear and respect for its power
c) An indifferent relationship
d) A purely aesthetic appreciation
17. What is the significance of the tree in the poet’s childhood?
a) It was a source of shade during hot days.
b) 🟢 It was a silent witness to her childhood joys and losses.
c) It was a barrier against storms.
d) It provided fruits and resources.
18. Why does the poet refer to the tree as “giant”?
a) To emphasize its physical size and grandeur
b) To symbolize its strength and timelessness
c) To portray it as a protector of memories
d) 🟢 All of the above
19. What does the casuarina tree remind the poet of?
a) 🟢 Her lost siblings and their shared childhood
b) The hardships of life
c) The beauty of Indian flora
d) The cultural importance of nature
20. What mood is evoked at the end of the poem?
a) A sense of sorrow and finality
b) 🟢 A hopeful and eternal connection to memories
c) A feeling of detachment from nature
d) A longing to return to the past
21. How does the poet describe the casuarina tree’s flowers?
a) They are small and red.
b) They are large and fragrant.
c) 🟢 They are tiny and clustered.
d) They are golden and glowing.
22. Which literary device is used in the line “like a huge Python, winding round and round”?
a) 🟢 Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Alliteration
d) Personification
23. The casuarina tree stands as a symbol of what in the poet’s life?
a) Change and uncertainty
b) 🟢 Stability, love, and memories
c) Growth and success
d) Nature’s mysteries
24. What significance does the casuarina tree hold for the poet’s siblings?
a) 🟢 They used to play around it during their childhood.
b) It provided them with shade while they studied.
c) They carved their initials on it.
d) They never interacted with it.
25. How does the poet immortalize the casuarina tree?
a) By planting more trees
b) 🟢 By dedicating her poem to it
c) By preserving it in a photograph
d) By writing about its fruit-bearing qualities
—
26. What is the significance of the phrase “a grey baboon sits statue-like alone”?
🟢 D) Both A and B
◯ A) It reflects the stillness of the morning.
◯ B) It symbolizes the tree’s role as a shelter for wildlife.
◯ C) It highlights the mysterious atmosphere of the tree.
27. Why does the poet reference yew trees in the poem?
🟢 A) To draw a parallel between yew trees and the casuarina tree as symbols of immortality.
◯ B) To emphasize the casuarina tree’s historical significance.
◯ C) To show her interest in European landscapes.
◯ D) To compare different types of trees.
28. What emotion does the poet associate with the chirping of birds around the tree?
🟢 B) Nostalgia and longing
◯ A) Joy and contentment
◯ C) Sadness and regret
◯ D) Anxiety and fear
29. What poetic technique is used in the phrase “Time the shadow, and light the intervening”?
🟢 D) Symbolism
◯ A) Personification
◯ B) Oxymoron
◯ C) Metaphor
30. How does the poet describe the morning scene around the tree?
🟢 B) As serene and filled with natural activity
◯ A) As noisy and crowded
◯ C) As dark and gloomy
◯ D) As chaotic and wild
31. What does the poet hope to achieve by writing about the casuarina tree?
🟢 A) Immortalize the tree and her cherished memories
◯ B) Advocate for environmental conservation
◯ C) Criticize industrialization
◯ D) Provide a botanical description
32. What does the casuarina tree represent for the poet in terms of time?
🟢 B) The permanence amidst the transience of life
◯ A) The fleeting nature of life
◯ C) The inevitability of death
◯ D) The gradual passage of years
33. What is the poet’s connection to the casuarina tree in adulthood?
🟢 A) It serves as a reminder of her happy childhood.
◯ B) It is no longer significant to her.
◯ C) It becomes a symbol of her spiritual beliefs.
◯ D) It provides her with shade while she writes.
34. What does the poet describe as “a blessing on the landscape”?
🟢 B) The casuarina tree
◯ A) The sunlight falling on the fields
◯ C) The chirping birds
◯ D) The baboon and its young
35. What aspect of the tree reflects its grandeur and age?
🟢 A) The giant trunk and winding branches
◯ B) The sound of its leaves in the wind
◯ C) The animals and birds it shelters
◯ D) Its ability to produce fruit
36. How does the poet view nature in the poem?
🟢 B) As a source of inspiration, solace, and nostalgia
◯ A) As indifferent to human emotions
◯ C) As something to be controlled and tamed
◯ D) As an object of scientific study
37. What does the poet associate the casuarina tree with in terms of loss?
🟢 B) The untimely loss of her siblings
◯ A) The death of her parents
◯ C) The destruction caused by industrialization
◯ D) The fading of her youthful innocence
38. How does the poet use the imagery of the python in the poem?
🟢 B) To symbolize the strength and majesty of the tree
◯ A) To show the tree’s danger
◯ C) To depict a scene of battle
◯ D) To introduce an element of fear
39. What does the poet’s longing for the casuarina tree signify?
🟢 B) Her deep emotional bond with the past
◯ A) Her regret for moving away
◯ C) Her fear of losing memories
◯ D) Her desire to return to her childhood home
40. How does Toru Dutt’s Our Casuarina Tree reflect her personal life?
🟢 A) It echoes her grief for her siblings and childhood memories.
◯ B) It portrays her connection with Indian mythology.
◯ C) It represents her love for traveling.
◯ D) It mirrors her spiritual struggles.
41. What does the poet compare the casuarina tree to in the poem?
🟢 B) A giant sentinel
◯ A) A watchtower
◯ C) A wise old sage
◯ D) A sheltering roof
42. What does the line “Its rugged trunk indented deep with scars” signify?
🟢 A) The tree’s long history and endurance
◯ B) The tree’s suffering and pain
◯ C) The tree’s struggle against storms
◯ D) The tree’s loss of beauty
43. What makes Our Casuarina Tree a blend of personal and universal themes?
🟢 A) The combination of childhood memories and reflections on immortality
◯ B) Its focus on environmental preservation
◯ C) Its celebration of nature’s beauty
◯ D) Its critique of modern life
44. Why is the casuarina tree described as a “blessing on the landscape”?
🟢 B) It stands as a symbol of comfort and continuity.
◯ A) It protects the surrounding land from storms.
◯ C) It provides economic resources to the villagers.
◯ D) It offers fruit to animals and humans alike.
45. What does the poet hope will preserve the memory of the casuarina tree?
🟢 A) The poem itself
◯ B) The stories told by her family
◯ C) The tree’s ability to grow forever
◯ D) Its fame in the local community
46. How does the poet create a sense of harmony in the poem?
🟢 A) By describing the relationship between humans, animals, and nature
◯ B) By focusing solely on the tree
◯ C) By emphasizing human struggles
◯ D) By ignoring the negative aspects of life
47. What does the poet mean by “Dear is the Casuarina to my soul”?
🟢 A) The tree is significant to her identity and emotions.
◯ B) The tree is an inspiration for her poetry.
◯ C) The tree is important to her family’s livelihood.
◯ D) The tree reminds her of her spiritual beliefs.
48. What emotion dominates the poet’s description of her siblings in the poem?
🟢 B) Grief mixed with nostalgia
◯ A) Regret
◯ C) Hope for reunion
◯ D) Fear of forgetting them
49. What role does the imagery of animals and birds play in the poem?
🟢 D) All of the above.
◯ A) It highlights the life the tree supports.
◯ B) It portrays the tree as a symbol of community.
◯ C) It connects the tree to the broader natural world.
50. What is the poet’s attitude toward death in Our Casuarina Tree?
🟢 B) Acceptance with a longing for immortality through memories
◯ A) Fear and denial
◯ C) Indifference and detachment
◯ D) Anger at its inevitability
51. Why does the poet reference the past in Our Casuarina Tree?
🟢 B) To express her love for her childhood and her lost loved ones
◯ A) To escape the realities of the present
◯ C) To show her regret for leaving home
◯ D) To highlight the historical importance of the tree
52. Which aspect of the tree’s beauty does the poet emphasize most?
🟢 B) Its grand size and towering presence
◯ A) Its leaves swaying in the wind
◯ C) Its flowers and fruit
◯ D) Its location in the landscape
53. What does the poet mean by “leafy dome”?
🟢 D) The tree’s crown of leaves resembling a dome
◯ A) The tree’s ability to protect those beneath it
◯ B) The tree’s widespread foliage
◯ C) The tree’s divine or spiritual significance
54. Why does the poet describe the tree as “silent and uncomplaining”?
🟢 D) All of the above
◯ A) To show its strength and endurance
◯ B) To highlight its role as a passive observer of life
◯ C) To emphasize its contrast with human struggles
55. What inspired Toru Dutt to write Our Casuarina Tree?
🟢 B) Her deep connection to her childhood memories and siblings
◯ A) Her fascination with Indian flora
◯ C) Her desire to create awareness about conservation
◯ D) Her admiration for Victorian poetry
56. Why does the poet say “The Casuarina tree shall be remembered”?
🟢 B) It symbolizes her eternal love for her childhood and loved ones.
◯ A) It is a unique and rare tree.
◯ C) It plays a significant role in her community.
◯ D) It is famous for its strength and beauty.
57. How does the poet’s use of the first person enhance the poem?
🟢 B) It makes the poem more personal and intimate.
◯ A) It gives the poem a universal appeal.
◯ C) It distances the poet from the subject.
◯ D) It focuses on the tree’s cultural value.
58. What kind of immortality does the poet seek for the casuarina tree?
🟢 B) Immortality in literature and memories
◯ A) Biological immortality
◯ C) Immortality through scientific preservation
◯ D) Immortality through spiritual transcendence
59. What does the poet mean by “The tree’s lament”?
🟢 D) All of the above.
◯ A) The poet imagines the tree mourning her lost siblings.
◯ B) The poet attributes human emotions to the tree.
◯ C) The poet sees the tree as a silent witness to sorrow.
60. Why is Our Casuarina Tree considered a unique contribution to Indian poetry in English?
🟢 D) All of the above.
◯ A) It blends Indian themes with Western literary techniques.
◯ B) It celebrates Indian flora with a universal appeal.
◯ C) It reflects personal and cultural nostalgia.
—
61. What does the “long and lonesome day” in the poem refer to?
a) The poet’s present life without her siblings 🟢
b) The hardships faced by the tree
c) The endless expanse of nature
d) The poet’s routine life away from her home
62. Which of the following best captures the poet’s feelings toward the casuarina tree?
a) 🟢 Awe and reverence
b) Indifference
c) Fear and anxiety
d) Superiority
63. What makes the casuarina tree a universal symbol in the poem?
a) 🟢 Its association with eternal life and enduring memories
b) Its representation of Indian culture
c) Its role as a source of livelihood
d) Its description as an exotic plant
64. How does the poet use the tree to bridge the past and the present?
a) 🟢 By connecting her childhood memories with her current emotions
b) By describing its changing appearance over time
c) By emphasizing its resilience despite environmental changes
d) By discussing the tree’s role in history
65. What is the significance of the “shadow” of the casuarina tree?
a) It provides comfort and shade.
b) It symbolizes the protective and nurturing nature of the tree.
c) It reflects the poet’s emotional attachment to the tree.
d) 🟢 All of the above
66. What role does the python play in the imagery of the poem?
a) It shows the danger and mystery surrounding the tree.
b) 🟢 It highlights the tree’s strength and timeless beauty.
c) It symbolizes the conflicts in the poet’s life.
d) It adds an exotic element to the tree’s description.
67. Why does the poet refer to the tree as “uncomplaining”?
a) To contrast it with human suffering and complaints
b) To emphasize its silent endurance over time
c) To highlight its role as a passive observer of life
d) 🟢 All of the above
68. What does the poet’s wish to immortalize the tree reflect about her worldview?
a) 🟢 A longing for permanence in a transient world
b) A desire to return to her childhood
c) An emphasis on the importance of nature in art
d) A belief in the spiritual power of trees
69. Why is Our Casuarina Tree considered a tribute to Toru Dutt’s family?
a) It celebrates her childhood memories with her siblings.
b) It reflects her love for Indian flora and culture.
c) It expresses her grief for her lost siblings.
d) 🟢 Both A and C
70. How does the poet’s description of the tree’s physical features contribute to its symbolism?
a) 🟢 It highlights its grandeur and enduring presence.
b) It emphasizes its practical uses.
c) It shows the tree’s interaction with animals.
d) It compares the tree to other natural elements.
71. Why does the poet mention the “unknown land” in the poem?
a) To reflect her belief in an afterlife
b) To symbolize the spiritual connection between the tree and her siblings
c) To highlight the tree’s ability to transcend time and space
d) 🟢 All of the above
72. How does the poet use the casuarina tree to explore the theme of loss?
a) By portraying the tree as a witness to her siblings’ absence
b) By associating the tree with fading childhood memories
c) By showing the tree as a link to her lost loved ones
d) 🟢 All of the above
73. What does the poet mean by the phrase “my own loved dead”?
a) Her ancestors who planted the tree
b) 🟢 Her siblings who passed away
c) The local villagers who admired the tree
d) The animals who lived near the tree
74. What poetic device is used in the line “Thy form, O Tree, as in my happy prime”?
a) 🟢 Apostrophe
b) Simile
c) Alliteration
d) Hyperbole
75. How does the poet view the casuarina tree’s relationship with the surrounding landscape?
a) As a dominating force that overshadows everything
b) 🟢 As a harmonious and integral part of the natural world
c) As a lonely figure disconnected from its surroundings
d) As a symbol of urbanization
76. What is the significance of the poet’s reference to “friends who have crossed the sea”?
a) It reflects her nostalgia for distant loved ones.
b) It emphasizes the tree’s connection to people far away.
c) It shows her desire to immortalize relationships through memory.
d) 🟢 All of the above
77. What emotion is evoked by the tree’s association with the poet’s siblings?
a) Joy at remembering their shared childhood
b) 🟢 Grief and longing for their presence
c) Hope for spiritual reunion
d) Fear of losing those memories
78. What does the poet mean by “May Love defend thee from Oblivion’s curse”?
a) 🟢 She hopes that the tree will never be forgotten.
b) She prays for the tree’s eternal physical existence.
c) She wishes the tree to remain untouched by humans.
d) She hopes that the tree will become a symbol of her legacy.
79. Which of the following best describes the poet’s approach to nature in the poem?
a) 🟢 Romantic and deeply emotional
b) Scientific and analytical
c) Detached and observational
d) Practical and resource-focused
80. Why does Our Casuarina Tree hold significance in Indian English literature?
a) It is one of the earliest examples of Indian poetry in English.
b) It blends personal and universal themes with rich imagery.
c) It represents a fusion of Indian culture and Western literary traditions.
d) 🟢 All of the above
—
Our Casuarina Tree by Toru Dutt – MCQs with Answers | Class 12 English Poetry Questions [ Set – 6 ]
1. Our Casuarina Tree’ is written by:
🟢 (b) Toru Dutt
(a) Anita Desai
(c) William Wordsworth
(d) Edwin Muir
2. Toru Dutt wrote poems both in:
🟢 (c) English and French
(a) English and Hindi
(b) Hindi and Latin
(d) English and Kannada
3. ‘Our Casuarina Tree’ is a poem published in:
🟢 (a) 1881
(b) 1889
(c) 1880
(d) 1882
4. What kind of a poem is ‘Our Casuarina Tree’?
🟢 (a) Ode
(b) Ballad
(c) Elegy
(d) Epic
5. What is the form of the poem?
🟢 (a) Lyric
(b) Epic
(c) Satire
(d) Mock epic
6. Who is the speaker in the poem?
🟢 (c) A person reminiscing about childhood memories under the tree
(a) A gardener tending the Casuarina tree
(b) A bird singing in the branches of the tree
(d) A traveler admiring the beauty of the tree
7. Where is the tree located according to the poem?
🟢 (c) In the garden of the poet’s childhood home
(a) In a forest by the poet’s childhood home
(b) By a river
(d) By the sea shore
8. The poet’s attitude towards the tree can be called:
🟢 (b) Affection
(a) Indifference
(c) Fear
(d) Anger
9. What does the poem reveal about the poet’s childhood?
🟢 (c) It was happy and carefree
(a) It was marked by poverty and hardship
(b) It was spent in a hostel
(d) It was spent in a foreign country
10. The huge python here is:
🟢 (b) The creeper
(a) The tree
(c) The crimson flowers
(d) The poet’s siblings
11. How does a creeper wind up the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (a) Round and round like a python making deep wounds up to its summit
(b) Like a squirrel making its track
(c) Like a hurricane devouring all the things on its way
(d) None of these
12. Which figure of speech is employed in the line – “Like a huge python, winding round and round…”?
🟢 (a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Metonymy
13. The trunk of the tree is:
🟢 (d) Rugged
(a) Smooth
(b) Thin
(c) Short
14. On the trunk of the tree the creeper makes:
🟢 (a) Deep scars
(b) Deep holes
(c) Straight lines
(d) No mark
15. The Casuarina tree’s creeper climbs up to its very:
🟢 (b) Summit
(a) Lower branches
(c) Height
(d) Crest
16. The poet imagines that the summit of the tree has reached the:
🟢 (c) Stars
(a) Clouds
(b) Rainbow
(d) Horizon
17. “Up to its very summit near the stars.” – What does this line indicate?
🟢 (c) The tree is very tall
(a) The tree shines like the stars
(b) The tree cannot be seen in darkness
(d) The tree cannot stand without support
18. Due to the embrace of the creeper, the other tree would have:
🟢 (c) Died
(a) Lived longer
(b) Grown taller
(d) Looked beautiful
19. “A creeper climbs, in whose embraces bound / No other tree could live.” What does this line tell us about the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (b) The tree is very strong
(a) The tree is bent
(c) The tree is bare with no leaves
(d) The tree is imaginary
20. How does the poet describe the tree’s appearance?
🟢 (a) Tall and majestic
(b) Small and delicate
(c) Old and twisted
(d) Young and vibrant
21. Identify the rhyme scheme of – “Like a huge Python, winding round and round / The rugged trunk, indented deep with scars, / Up to its very summit near the stars, / A creeper climbs, in whose embraces bound…”
🟢 (c) abba
(a) abcd
(b) aabc
(d) aaba
22. What hangs from the boughs of the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (c) Flowers
(a) Fruits
(b) Leaves
(d) Monkeys
23. What is the colour of the clusters of flowers hanging from the boughs of the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (b) Crimson
(a) Yellow
(c) Vermilion
(d) Pink
24. The ‘giant’ in the poem is the:
🟢 (d) Casuarina tree
(a) Poet
(b) Creeper
(c) Python
25. The tree wears the creeper as a:
🟢 (b) Shawl
(a) Scarf
(c) Blanket
(d) Robe
26. The tree wears the scarf-like creeper:
🟢 (b) Gallantly
(a) Unwillingly
(c) Fearfully
(d) Sadly
27. Which phrase best describes the Casuarina tree in the poem?
🟢 (a) “A giant wears the scarf”
(b) “A creeper climbs”
(c) “A gray baboon sits”
(d) “Water-lilies spring”
28. The flowers of the tree attract:
🟢 (d) Both birds and bees
(a) Python
(b) Birds
(c) Bees
29. At night, the garden gets overflowed by a sweet song which actually refers to:
🟢 (c) Buzzing sound of beetles
(a) Song of birds
(b) Smell of flowers
(d) Song of cricket
30. The sweet song is heard:
🟢 (a) At night
(b) In the morning
—
31. The darkling’s song seems—
🟢 (c) To have no close
(a) Hoarse
(b) Temporary
(d) None of these
32. ‘Sung darkling from our tree,’ – Here ‘darkling’ refers to
🟢 (a) A beetle
(b) A bird
(c) A bee
(d) A baboon
33. The poet looks at the Casuarina tree through her casement-
🟢 (d) At dawn
(a) At dusk
(b) In the morning
(c) At night
34. What is the first thing the poet is delighted to look at in the morning when she opens her window?
🟢 (a) The Casuarina tree
(b) The cows grazing in the fields
(c) The birds singing on the tree
(d) The water lilies
35. How does the poet feel when her casement is thrown wide open in the morning?
🟢 (c) Delighted
(a) Angry
(b) Excited
(d) Disgusted
36. The baboon is seen mostly in-
🟢 (c) Winter
(a) Summer
(b) Autumn
(d) Spring
37. The poet discovers on the top of the tree a-
🟢 (d) Baboon
(a) Bird
(b) Darkling
(c) Python
38. The colour of the baboon is-
🟢 (b) Gray
(a) Black
(c) White
(d) Brown
39. The gray baboon sits on the crest of the tree-
🟢 (d) Alone
(a) With his friends
(b) With his family
(c) With his offspring
40. How does the gray baboon sit on the top of the tree?
🟢 (b) Like a statue
(a) Like a hero
(c) Like a ghost
(d) Like a soldier
41. Sitting on the top of the tree, the baboon watches the-
🟢 (a) Sunrise
(b) Sunset
(c) Poet
(d) Casuarina tree
42. On the lower branches, are found the-
🟢 (b) Baboon’s offspring
(a) Beetles
(c) Birds
(d) Ants
43. The adjective used to describe the offspring of the baboon is
🟢 (a) Puny
(b) Sweet
(c) Little
(d) Shrivelled
44. What do the baboon’s offspring do?
🟢 (c) Leap about and play
(a) Sleep
(b) Sit
(d) Sing and dance
45. Which of the following birds is mentioned in the poem?
🟢 (b) Kokila
(a) Bulbul
(c) Woodpecker
(d) Falcon
46. In the poem, ‘kokilas’ mean-
🟢 (b) Cuckoos
(a) Crows
(c) Sparrows
(d) Parrots
47. In the poem ‘Our Casuarina Tree’, who are singing?
🟢 (a) Cuckoos
(b) The poet and her friends
(c) The poet’s siblings
(d) Sparrows
48. Who hails the day?
🟢 (b) Kokilas
(a) Cows
(c) Bees
(d) Baboons
49. The sleepy cows go to the-
🟢 (b) Pastures
(a) Shed
(c) Pond
(d) River
50. The tree’s shadow falls on the-
🟢 (b) Field
(a) Broad tank
(c) Poet’s house
(d) River
51. Toru Dutt describes the hoar tree-
🟢 (d) Both (a) & (b) – Vast & Beautiful
(a) Vast
(b) Beautiful
(c) Small
52. What springs in the tank?
🟢 (c) Water-lilies
(a) Roses
(b) Lotuses
(d) Daffodils
53. The water-lilies in the tank look like-
🟢 (a) Enmassed snow
(b) Flying clouds
(c) Thick fog
(d) Black smoke
54. The Casuarina tree is dear to the poet not because of its-
🟢 (d) Dullness
(a) Strength
(b) Magnificence
(c) Beauty
55. The Casuarina tree is dear to the poet’s-
🟢 (c) Soul
(a) Friend
(b) Parents
(d) Existence
56. The Casuarina tree is dear to the poet because-
🟢 (c) She has many fond memories of the tree
(a) It gives shelter to many creatures
(b) It is enormous and magnificent
(d) It has its summit near the stars in the sky
57. Under the tree the poet played with-
🟢 (a) Her sweet companions
(b) Other players
(c) Her parents
(d) Other poets
58. The poet has played with her companions under the Casuarina tree-
🟢 (d) Many years ago
(a) Few days ago
(b) Few months ago
(c) Few weeks ago
59. Who are the ‘sweet companions’ referred to in the poem?
🟢 (c) The poet’s siblings
(a) The poet’s friends
(b) The poet’s neighbours
(d) The poet’s cousins
60. How did the poet love her sweet companions?
🟢 (c) Intensely
(a) Sweetly
(b) Passionately
(d) Fiercely
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61. The Casuarina tree will be dear to the poet forever for her-
🟢 (d) Both (a) & (b) – Sweet companions & Childhood memories
(a) Sweet companions
(b) Childhood memories
(c) Beauty
62. ‘Blent with your images’ – Whose images are being referred to here?
🟢 (b) The poet’s siblings
(a) The Casuarina tree
(c) The poet’s neighbours
(d) The poet’s parents
63. ‘…it shall arise’ – What is referred to as ‘it’?
🟢 (b) The Casuarina tree
(a) The poem
(c) The longing for the lost companions
(d) The love for the homeland
64. What makes the poet cry?
🟢 (d) The memory of the time spent with her companions under the Casuarina tree
(a) The memory of her paternal house
(b) The memory of only her companions
(c) The memory of only the Casuarina tree
65. Thinking of the tree, the poet’s eyes are blinded by-
🟢 (d) Hot tears
(a) Anger
(b) Jealousy
(c) Madness
66. The poet could think of the tree until-
🟢 (a) Her eyes were drenched with hot tears
(b) She fell asleep
(c) She became tired
(d) She became happy
67. What sound does the tree make, according to the poem?
🟢 (a) A dirge-like murmur
(b) A sweet song
(c) The rustling of leaves
(d) The baboon’s cry
68. The ‘dirge-like murmur’ is-
🟢 (d) The tree’s lament
(a) The song of the birds
(b) The sound of the sea
(c) The sound of the wind
69. What does the poet compare the murmur of the tree to?
🟢 (c) The sound of sea waves breaking on a rocky beach
(a) The sound of wind on a summer day
(b) The sound of drums
(d) The sound of a whistle
70. The ‘eerie speech’ refers to the-
🟢 (a) Lament of the tree
(b) Sound of the wind
(c) Prayer of the poet
(d) Song of the birds
71. The Casuarina tree laments for-
🟢 (c) The poet’s companions who are dead
(a) The poet
(b) The poet’s companions who are alive
(d) The future
72. The poet feels that the tree’s lament reaches to the-
🟢 (a) Unknown lands
(b) Known lands
(c) Cities
(d) Villages
73. The ‘eye of faith’ refers to-
🟢 (b) The poet’s belief
(a) The tree
(c) Imagination of unknown lands through the mind’s eyes
(d) Death
74. What has the poet heard far, far away?
🟢 (a) The wail
(b) The speech
(c) The laugh
(d) The song
75. The ‘wail’ signifies-
🟢 (b) The tree’s lament
(a) The poet’s lament
(c) The sound of the wind
(d) The sound of the birds
76. In the poem, ‘water-wraith’ means-
🟢 (d) A water spirit
(a) Waves
(b) Ships
(c) A big fish
77. The water-wraith slumbers-
🟢 (a) In his cave
(b) In his den
(c) On the shore
(d) On the seabed
78. What do the waves do?
🟢 (c) They gently kiss the classic shore
(a) They break fiercely on the shore
(b) They make a roaring sound
(d) They drown boats and ships
79. Which figure of speech is employed in the following line – “And the waves gently kissed the classic shore”?
🟢 (c) Personification
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(d) Metonymy
80. Toru Dutt describes the shore of France or Italy as-
🟢 (d) Classic
(a) Beautiful
(b) Sandy
(c) Amazing
81. When does the earth lay tranced in a dreamless swoon?
🟢 (a) At night
(b) At dawn
(c) In the morning
(d) In the afternoon
82. What is meant by the phrase ‘dreamless swoon’?
🟢 (c) A state of sleep without dreams
(a) Unconsciousness
(b) An act of fainting
(d) Loss of memory
83. The memory of the Casuarina tree is aroused whenever the poet hears-
🟢 (d) The music of the waves
(a) The song of the birds
(b) The sound of the wind
(c) The moo of the cows
84. Where did the sublime form of the tree rise?
🟢 (b) In the poet’s inner vision
(a) In front of the poet
(c) In the readers’ inner vision
(d) In the courtyard
85. How does the poet describe the tree’s impact on her imagination?
🟢 (d) It sparks her creativity
(a) It distracts her from her sweet childhood memories
(b) It has no effect on her imagination
(c) It suppresses her imagination
86. When did the poet see the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (a) In her youth
(b) When she was at her deathbed
(c) When she visited distant countries
(d) After her siblings passed away
87. Where did the poet see the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (c) In her own motherland
(a) In France
(b) In Italy
(d) In a picture
88. What does the poet want to do at the end of the poem ‘Our Casuarina Tree’?
🟢 (c) She wants to immortalise the memory of the Casuarina tree
(a) She wants to leave her motherland
(b) She wants to return to her motherland
(d) She wants to cut down the Casuarina tree
89. What is the meaning of the word ‘consecrate’?
🟢 (b) To declare something sacred
(a) To declare something dangerous
90. “…beloved of those / Who now in blessed sleep, for aye, repose,” – Who are referred to as ‘those’?
🟢 (c) The poet’s siblings
(a) The birds
(b) The bees
(d) The poet’s parents
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91. “…beloved of those” What is referred to as ‘beloved’ in this line?
🟢 (d) The Casuarina tree
(a) The poet’s house in India
(b) The poet’s room
(c) The landscapes of France and Italy
92. What does the phrase ‘blessed sleep’ signify?
🟢 (c) Death
(a) Nap
(b) Rest
(d) Recess
93. Who were dearer to the poet than her own life?
🟢 (c) Her dead siblings
(a) The Casuarina tree
(b) Her paternal house
(d) Her friends
94. The beloved companions of the poet are now-
🟢 (a) In eternal sleep
(b) In distant lands
(c) All alive
(d) Sitting beside her in a circle
95. “…when my days are done” – What is the hidden implication of this line?
🟢 (b) The poet awaits her own death
(a) The poet realises that the Casuarina tree will die soon
(c) The poet wishes to live for many more years
(d) The poet wishes to travel to faraway lands
96. The deathless trees are seen in-
🟢 (b) Borrowdale
(a) France
(c) Paris
(d) Rome
97. What is ‘Borrowdale’?
🟢 (b) A valley in England
(a) A playground in Ireland
(c) A lake in India
(d) A country house in England
98. The deathless trees in Borrowdale have seen-
🟢 (a) Many deaths
(b) The poet
(c) The poet’s motherland
(d) The poet’s companions
99. “Fear, trembling Hope, and Death, the skeleton, /And Time the shadow;” – From which poem did Toru Dutt take this line?
🟢 (b) Wordsworth’s ‘Yew Trees’
(a) Wordsworth’s ‘The Solitary Reaper’
(c) Keats’ ‘To Autumn’
(d) Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’
100. “…and though weak the verse” – Which ‘verse’ is being referred to here?
🟢 (c) The poetry of Toru Dutt
(a) The book of nature
(b) The poems of other poets
(d) The poem of Wordsworth
101. “That would thy beauty fain, oh fain rehearse,” What does this line indicate?
🟢 (a) Though the poet’s verse seems weak, it would gladly continue to beautify the Casuarina tree forever
(b) The poet is sure that her verse will not be able to immortalise the Casuarina tree
(c) The poet feels that the Casuarina tree will soon wither away
(d) The poet realises that the Casuarina tree has lost all its beauty with time
102. What is meant by ‘Oblivion’s curse’?
🟢 (d) Being forgotten after death
(a) Feeling sleepy
(b) Being remembered for an achievement
(c) Gaining immortality
103. What will the poet’s love protect the Casuarina tree from?
🟢 (d) Both (a) & (b) – Death & Being forgotten
(a) Death
(b) Being forgotten
(c) Immortality
104. The Casuarina tree symbolises the ancient and venerable culture of-
🟢 (c) India
(a) France
(b) Italy
(d) The United Kingdom
105. What feeling(s) does the poet associate with the Casuarina tree?
🟢 (c) Comfort, security and happy memories
(a) Fear and danger
(b) Indifference and boredom
(d) Loneliness and isolation
106. The Casuarina tree in the poem is a symbol of-
🟢 (a) Strength and resilience
(b) Beauty and serenity
(c) Change and impermanence
(d) Loneliness and isolation
107. What is the main theme explored in ‘Our Casuarina Tree’?
🟢 (d) The passage of time and childhood memories
(a) The power of nature
(b) The importance of tradition
(c) The experience of cultural displacement
108. What is the poet trying to convey through her poem?
🟢 (a) A sense of belonging and the comfort of cherished moments from the past
(b) The beauty of the village where she was born
109. What does the poem reveal about the poet’s relationship with nature?
🟢 (b) She sees nature as a source of inspiration
(a) She is disconnected from nature
(c) She is afraid of nature
(d) She is indifferent to nature
110. How does the poet describe the tree’s presence in her life?
🟢 (d) As a reminder of her past
(a) As a distant memory
(b) As a source of inspiration
(c) As a constant companion
111. The tree is important to the poet because-
🟢 (c) It brings back her childhood memories
(a) It is tall
(b) It provides her with fruits
(d) She planted it
112. What is the poet’s attitude towards change and separation?
🟢 (c) She is nostalgic and melancholic about change and separation
(a) She welcomes change and separation with an open heart
(b) She is indifferent to change and separation
(d) She is angry and resentful about change and separation
113. What is the significance of the poem’s title ‘Our Casuarina Tree’?
🟢 (c) It signifies the poet’s memories of her childhood through the image of the tree
(a) It symbolizes the poet’s individuality
(b) It represents the poet’s connection to nature
(d) It embodies the poet’s sense of ownership and possession
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Exam Tips for “Our Casuarina Tree” by Toru Dutt
1. Focus on Key Themes and Symbols
To excel in exams, students should identify the core themes of the poem: nostalgia, friendship, childhood memories, and nature’s permanence. Understanding the symbolism of the Casuarina tree is crucial—it represents strength, memory, and emotional continuity. Always link answers to these central ideas to score high marks.
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2. Memorize Important MCQs and Answers
Many questions in WBCHSE exams are directly taken from the poem’s content. Pay attention to author, literary devices, tone, imagery, and lines highlighting friendship and nature. Practicing 20–25 MCQs with answers can give you an edge, making your preparation both quick and effective.
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3. Understand Line-by-Line Meaning
Examiners often frame questions from specific lines or stanzas. Make sure you understand the meaning of every line, the emotional undertone, and the poetic devices used. This allows you to write detailed, precise answers confidently.
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4. Use Poetic Devices in Answers
Highlight literary techniques like personification, alliteration, similes, and imagery when explaining the poem. Teachers love well-structured answers that reference poetic devices, and it increases the chances of scoring full marks.
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5. Connect Personal Reflection with the Poem
Adding a short personal insight or reflection—like how the Casuarina tree reminds you of your childhood or friends—makes your answer unique and memorable. This exam strategy can impress examiners while staying relevant to the poem.
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6. Practice Writing Concise Answers
Time management is key. Practice writing 50–100 word answers for frequent questions. This ensures that you can cover all points clearly and quickly during the exam without missing important details.
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7. Revise Regularly
Do a final revision of themes, MCQs, and line meanings before the exam. Revising just 1–2 days before ensures you remember critical points, symbolism, and emotional tone effectively.
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Conclusion
“Our Casuarina Tree” not only reflects Toru Dutt’s love for nature but also immortalizes memories, friendship, and nostalgia in poetic form. By studying this poem along with the MCQs provided, students can strengthen both exam performance and literary understanding. The blend of emotional depth and natural imagery makes this poem an essential part of the Class 12 English syllabus, offering insights that go beyond the textbook.
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