Eid-ul-Fitr By Philip Gross

Philip Gross (1952) is a British poet. His famous poems include 'The Cat's Whiskers', 'The Ice Factory' and 'The Egg of Zero'. In 2009, he won the T. S. Eliot Prize for his book of poems entitled, 'The Water Table'. He teaches creative writing in Britain.

In the ninth month of Ramadan, one moon to another.
From sunrise to sunset the true Muslim brother.
For love of his God with a faith everlasting
Is steadfast in prayer and is strict in his fasting.

But come the new moon, Ramadan is then cover.
It's Eid-ul-Fitr and each child is in clover.
The boys all to handsome in robes of while cotton.
The long hours of school for a while are forgotten.

The girls are so pretty in new party dresses
With bright stain ribbons adorning dark tresses.
The mail-box is bursting with 'Happy Eid' greetings
And daytime is taken with visits and meetings.

The Sun sinks to Westward, the Red Sea gets redder,
As, dressed like a bride, the streets of Jeddah
Are in festival mood, coloured lights brightly burning
Over beach carousel and the Ferris wheel turning.

1.
Tick (√) the correct answer(s) to complete the statements given below:
1. What is the duration of the fast every day?
  1. From sunrise to noon.
  2. From sunrise to next day's sunrise.
  3. From sunrise to sundown.
  4. From sunrise to afternoon.
2. What does the advent of the new moon signify?
  1. The period of fasting is over.
  2. The festive period is over with the advent of the new moon.
  3. The period of fasting has started.
  4. The beginning of the new year.
3. Everyone lights up when they think of Eid-ul-Adha because
  1. eid-ul-Adha is a bigger festival than Eid-ul-Fitr.
  2. Eid-ul-Adha only calls for fasting, not fasting.
  3. Eid-ul-Adha comes just two months after Eid-ul-Fitr.
  4. the together of Eid-ul-Adha is enough to cheer them up.
2.
For love of this God with a faith everlasting
1. In this context, what does 'faith everlasting' refer to?
2. Who has everlasting faith according to the extract?
3. When does one get a chance to display everlasting faith?
3.
As, dressed like a bride, the streets of Jeddah are in a festive mood
1. Who is referred to as the bride? Why is this entity dressed as a bride?
2. How is the dressing up taking place? Explain your answer.
3. Why do you think are the people in a festive mood?
4.
Yet one day it's over. Each heart's a shade sadder
1. What does this extract refer to?
2. Why are the hearts a shade sadder? What cheers up the people?
3. What idea does this extract give you about the festival?
5.
Which line in the poem tells you that children get new clothing during Eid-ul-Fitr?
6.
What do the women get during the festival?

8 more answer(s) available.

English Integrated Coursebook 6

Nine Hats, Chetana Pub

Chapters

Eid-ul-Fitr

Philip Gross

Available Answers