Poem on old newspapers and snakes
XAT 2026 · VALR · Medium · Poetry Comprehension
Passage / data set
Read the following poem and answer the TWO questions that follow.
Beware of the old newspapers stacked on that little three legged stool over there. Don't disturb them. I know it for a fact that snakes have spawned in between these sheets. Don't even look in that direction. It's not because of breeze that their corners are fluttering. It's alive, that nest of newspapers. New born snakes, coiling and uncoiling, are turning their heads to look at you. That white corner has spread its hood. A forked tongue shoots out of its mouth. Keep your eyes closed. Get rid of the whole goddamn pile if you want to in the morning.
Question 1 of 2
What does the poet BEST convey about old newspapers when he says "that snakes have spawned in between these sheets?"
- A.
Old newspapers stand for suppressed truths whose venom surfaces when disturbed.
- B.
Old newspapers are society's voices that turn hostile over time.
- C.
Old newspapers embody the decay of knowledge turning into toxic remnants.
- D.
Old newspapers' unattended knowledge turns into future threats.
- E.
Old newspapers symbolize the repressed stories that may confront the present.
Question 2 of 2
Which of the following BEST captures what the poet communicates when he says, "Keep your eyes closed./ Get rid of the whole goddamn pile if you/ want to/ in the morning?"
- A.
Acting on an unsettling past can help in overcoming the fear it instils.
- B.
Staying away from the past helps in escaping what is unsettling.
- C.
Being delusional about the disturbing past is the solution to handle it.
- D.
Confrontation is not the best way in dealing with the disturbing past.
- E.
Better to avoid the disturbing past rather than confronting it.
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