Read the extract and complete the activities given below : (10 marks)Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,Healthy, free, the world before me,The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I mysel…

Answer: A1 — independence : ‘Healthy, free, the world before me,’ / ‘The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.’; self-reliance : ‘Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,’ / ‘Strong and content I travel the open road.’ A4 — Repetition. Full answers below.

A1.

(‘Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,’ and ‘Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,’ may also be given.)

A2. The poet is fully content with the earth and the open road before him; the earth is sufficient for him. The constellations stand for unreachable wishes, luck or heavenly things. He does not want them nearer because he no longer depends on fortune or on anything beyond his reach — he is happy with what he has and relies on himself.

A3. I agree that a man without liberty is a body without a soul. Freedom lets us think, speak, choose our path and develop our talents. Without it, a person merely exists — he eats and breathes, but cannot live with dignity, creativity or joy. That is why people have always fought for freedom; liberty gives life its meaning.

A4. Figure of speech : Repetition. The words ‘no more’ are repeated in the line to emphasise the poet’s firm decision. He will no longer complain or delay anything, and he needs nothing more; the repetition stresses his new confidence and self-reliance.

A5. (Sample)
Freedom is the open sky so wide,
Where hopes and dreams can freely glide;
No chains to hold, no walls to bind,
Just peace and courage in the mind.