The Tale Of Melon City

The Tale of Melon City

by Vikram Seth

Short-Answer Questions:

1. How do you think a just and placid king would be after reading the first two lines?

Ans:  The qualities of justness and placidity fits  a king. After reading the first two lines of the poem we feel that the king would be truth loving and serious about his administration.

2. How did the king react when the people responsible for tumbling the king’s crown started blaming each other?

Ans: The king started immediately accepting the other one’s statement and declaring punishment for them.

3. Ultimately, who was held responsible in the matter of fixing the charges for insulting the crown?

Ans: The king himself was held responsible for insulting the crown as no one was of the height to fit the rope.

4. The Tale of Melon City is an irony. Describe giving instances  from the poem.

Ans: The instance of deciding the issue of the wisest man and the next king is an irony on the decision making process in modern government while the King’s getting executed by his own order is an irony on the nature of so called just laws.

 Long Answer Questions:

1. Sometimes stressing too much on rules and regulations is also difficult for smooth functioning and may lead to chaos and anarchy. Explain in wake of the theme of the poem ‘Tale of Melon City’.

Value points:

-Rules are made for systematizing working

-Following all rules in all conditions not possible

-Need of change in rules as per circumstances

-King’s stress on his just and placid nature

-The disastrous result.

 

Questions for Practice: Long Questions:

1. Describe the different twists and turns of the story.

 2. What larger picture of politics does the story in the poem paint?

3. Describe the exercise undertaken by the king and his men to frame charges for the crown’s insult. What was its final result?

Short Questions:

1. What is the tone of the poem? Is it ironical and satiric or sarcastic? Comment.

2. How do the architects and the masons save themselves from the blame?  

3.What does the melon being a King signify