From the Formalin Jar | Question Answer | Class 10 | Odisha Board

From the Formalin Jar

By Dr. Reeta S. Mani

Question Answer 

1. What is the poem "From the formalin Jar" about? 

Ans: From the "Formalin Jar is a famous poem by Dr. Reeta S Moni. In this poem the poet describes the fictitious character Vicky - How Vicky rode his bike carelessly and ended his life. After his death, his brain has been kept in a formalin jar as a specimen. In the poem the poet describes the feelings of Vicky's brain. 

2. How is the Title 'From the Formalin Jar" justified? 

Ans: Formalin is a chemical substance, which is used to preserve body parts for a longer period of time. Vicky is a fictional character who is dead and his brain has been kept in a formalin jar as a specimen in the museum. The poet, very nicely describes the feeling of the brain about his past and how a simple carelessness cost a lot of pain and suffering to the family. Thus the title of the poem is very appropriate. 

3. Describe Vicky's feeling as a specimen !

Ans: Vicky's brain was kept in a formalin jar after his death. Formalin is a chemical solution used for preserving body. Vicky's brain is kept as a specimen which he doesn't like at all. To him to be called as a specimen is insulting. People watch the jar again and again. He again states that it didn't have any reason to end like stroke, tumors or bug. 

4. How does the poet describe Vicky in the poem from the formalin Jar? 

Ans: According to the poet, Vicky was a young boy. He was smart and sane. He had mastery Mathematics. He was very strong and stout. He was very hard working. The poet says his motto of life was "No pain-No gain".Vicky was little careful about his safety while riding his bike. For this he met his tragic death. 

5. How was Vicky's family life? 

Ans: Vicky had his parents and grandmother in his family. He loved his parents the most. He adored his grandmother, who had wrinkles on her face and skin. Hence Vicky lived a very happy and enjoyable life. His family was crushed with pain after his death. 

6. How did Vicky meet his tragic death? What happened to his family? 

Ans: Vicky was a young boy. He was very strong and genius. On a wet monsoon day, he rode his bike to his friend who was living in the next lane. Vicky always used helmet but that day he did not put it on. On his way he met with an accident only in a moment and Vicky lost his life due to his simple carelessness. The death of Vicky was irreparable and a great loss to the family. The happy family suffered a lot. 

7. What does Vicky's brain know about his college life? 

Ans: Vicky's brain discloses the fact when he was a college going young boy he was very brilliant and his favorite subjects were Mathematics and Computer. He was very shy and his heart was beating where he saw a girl. 

8. What message does the poet want to share? 

Ans: The poet is a doctor. It is not her duty to control and reduce the rate of accidents. But seeing the apathetic condition of patients and family members after an accident, she wants to make everybody aware of the safety of life. She wants to share the message that everybody should drive safely on the road, so she has used the phrase, 'DRIVE SAFE' using capital letters. 

Short question answer

1. What is this poem about? 

Ans: The poem is about road safety. It attempts to create awareness on road safety rules. 

2. Where is Vicky's brilliant brain? 

Ans: The brilliant brain of Vicky is inside the formalin jar. 

3. Why is the brain put inside the formalin jar? 

Ans: The brain is put inside the formalin jar so as to serve as a specimen in the NIMHANS institute, 

4. Who do I refer to in the poem? 

Ans: I refer to the brain of Vicky. 

5. How does the brain feel inside the jar?

Ans: The brain feels disgusting and insulting inside the jar. 

6. Who is the brain talking about? 

Ans: The brain is talking about Vicky. 

7. What does the brain say about Vicky? 

Ans: The brains goes on to say that was a very smart young boy full of vigour and optimism. He was good at studies and loved his parents a lot. 

8. Do you think that Vicky and the brilliant brain are two persons? Why? 

Ans: No, Vicky and the brilliant brain are not two persons. Because the brain made Vicky so talented. 

9. Which were Vicky's favourite subjects?

Ans: Computer and mathematics were Vicky's favourite subjects. 

10. What was the motto of his life?

Ans: The motto of Vicky's life was 'No pain, No gain'. 

11. Was Vicky good at studies? How do you know this?

Ans: Yes, Vicky was very good at studies. The fact that he was very good at computers and mathematics tells us so. 

12. Vicky loved his parents. Which line says so?

Ans: Yes, Vicky loved his parents dearly. The first line of the fourth stanza, Vicky's love for his parents was truly insane' tell us about his love for his parents. 

13. Which word says that Vicky loved his grandmother very much?

Ans: Adored 

14. What else, besides studies, did Vicky do during his college days? 

Ans: Besides studies, Vicky played with his friends during his college days. 

15. Who was Lorraine? Why did he steal a glance at her? 

Ans: Lorraine was a girl studying with Vicky. He stole a glance at her because he liked her a lot. 

16. Why does the poet say that only the brain could explain the cause of Vicky's heart- beat; thud-thud? 

Ans: The brain knew that perhaps Vicky was in love with Lorraine, whenever he saw his heart went thud-thud.  

17. Read the stanza 5 and stanza 6 again. What are they about?

How are they different from others

Ans: Stanza 5 tells us about how Vicky met with an accident by not wearing a helmet and Stanza 6 tells us about the impact that had on the life of Vicky. Stanza 5 is the negligence and stanza 6 is the outcome of such negligence. 

18. Where was Vicky riding? When and why? 

Ans: Vicky was riding to his friend's house. It was a wet monsoon day and he had some petty work with him. 

19. Where was his friend's house? Was it very far?

Ans: His friend's house was only in the next lane of their house. No, it was not very far. 

20. Why did he go to his friend?

Ans: He had some ordinary work with his friend. 

21. What caused the accident? Which words in the poem describe the accident? 

Ans: A moment of carelessness of not wearing the helmet on wet roads caused the accident The words gory and inhumane describe the severity of the accident. 

22. What meaning does the line- For once, from wearing his helmet he did refrain convey? Was it Vicky's habit to wear his helmet while riding his bike? 

Ans: It conveys the fact that he only did not wear the helmet for one time. Yes, it was Vicky's habit of wearing the helmet while riding his bike. 

23. How did the accident affect Vicky and his family?

Ans: The accident took away the precious life of a young talented boy like Vicky and his family also got devastated with his loss. 

24. What message does the poet have for the young generation through this poem?

Ans: The poem gives the message that risky driving is very dangerous as it can take away our precious life. So we must always drive by following the road safety rules. 

25. Can you say why such dreadful accidents occur on the road and cause death every moment? 

Ans: Such dreadful accidents occur on the road and cause death every moment due to our negligence and violation of the road safety norms, like over speeding, riding without helmet and seat bells to name a few. 

26. Suggest some ways to reduce Road Traffic Injuries (RTI)?

Ans: Some ways to reduce Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) are: 

a. Always wearing helmets and seat belts. 

b. Driving within the prescribed speed limits. 

c. We must never mix drink and drive. 

d. Obeying traffic rules. e. We must never use mobile phones while driving. 

LET'S APPRECIATE THE POEM

1. Who donated Vicky's brain to the Medical College? How is it preserved and used? 

Ans: Vicky's parents donated his brain to the medical college. It has been preserved in the chemical and serves as a specimen for creating awareness among students regarding reckless driving. 

2. What does the line 'On display to promote knowledge gain' express?

Ans: This line, 'On display to promote knowledge' expresses the aim behind the display of Vicky's brain inside the formalin jar. It will make people aware about road safety. 

3. What is called a specimen? Why is the brain preserved as a specimen? 

Ans: A specimen means a sample of something which serves as a model. The brain is preserved as a specimen because it serves as a medium to make the people aware about road safety. 

4. How was the brilliant brain a part of a living human two years ago? 

Ans: The brilliant brain belonged to Vicky who was full of vigour and cheerfulness. His favourite subjects were computers and maths. He was very hard working and believed in the saying, 'No pain, no gain". 

5. What does the phrase-'Yet ended up in this jar' mean to you? 

Ans: It means in spite of being so brilliant in studies and being loved by all, the brain went inside the formalin jar. 

6. Which expression suggests that Vicky was hard working? 

Ans: The expression, 'His motto was no pain, no gain." Suggests that Vicky was very hard working. 

7. Why does the poet say, "Only I could explain"? 

Ans: The brain said so because it knew that Vicky loved Miss Lorraine because his heart went thud-thud' whenever he saw her. 

8. Should we consider such demise by chance or by choice'? 

Ans: The demise of Vicky was an accident by chance but the decision to not wear the helmet was Vicky's choice. 

9. The poet uses flashback, which is often used to recount events that had happened '6 the story started. Which stanzas talk about the past events and which ones the present incident? 

Ans: Stanzas three (3), four (4) and five(5) talk about the past events whereas stanzas one (1), two (2) and six (6) talk about present events. 

10. Find the rhyming words in the poem. 

Ans: Brain-disdain-gain-again, specimen-human-within-chagrin, sane-rain-domain-gain, insane- cane-Lorraine-explain, mundane-lane-refrain-inhumane, inane-pain-bane-vain. 

11. Why does the poet use capital letters for the first two words in the last line of the poem? 

Ans: The poet uses capital letters for the first two words in the last line of the poem for the 10. 11. purpose of emphasis. 'DRIVE SAFE'. 

12. You read and understood the poem. Do you like the title of the poem? Why/Why not? Can you suggest another title for the poem? 

Ans: Yes, The title of the poem is very appropriate. It is so because it is upon ourselves where we want to see our brilliant brain, either with us or inside the formalin jar. Another appropriate title for the poem can be, "Drive Safe -Life is Precious".