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Answer ANY ONE of the… (Class 12 English SQP 2023-24, Q12A)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2023-24 · 5 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2023-24: question 12(A)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section C, question 12(A), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q12(A) · 5 marks · Long answerCompetency-basedA Roadside Stand

Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words.

Imagine you are Pablo Neruda, the poet of Keeping Quiet.
What advice might you offer to Robert Frost, the poet of A Roadside Stand, in the context of his conflicted emotions, as displayed in the given lines-
The requisite lift of spirit has never been found,
Or so the voice of the country seems to complain,
I can't help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.
Pen down your advice, in a letter to Frost.

You may begin this way:
Dear Robert
I recently read your poem, "A Roadside Stand," and...

You may end this way:
I hope this advice is helpful to you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support you.
Warmly,
Pablo Neruda

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2023-24.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Recall the message of 'Keeping Quiet': stillness and self-reflection.

Hint 2

Link that to Frost's wish to end the people's pain 'at one stroke'.

Hint 3

Use a warm, advisory tone and stay within 120-150 words.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

Verified: two independent solves agree and the official marking scheme matchesChecked 2026-11-01

  1. Format: begin 'Dear Robert', mention reading 'A Roadside Stand', and end with the given closing line and 'Warmly, Pablo Neruda'.

    1 mark

  2. Model letter:

    Dear Robert

    I recently read your poem, "A Roadside Stand," and was struck by the conflicting emotions you express near the end. When we are overwhelmed by feeling, decisions are hard to make.

    In my own experience, a moment of stillness and reflection brings deeper understanding and connects us with our own humanity and that of others. This is what I try to say in "Keeping Quiet."

    I would advise you to be still and contemplative before deciding anything about the roadside stand people. By quieting your mind you may understand their struggles objectively and see your own place in the world differently. Breaking from routine can help you make a wiser decision.

    This pause may help you see beyond your conflicting emotions. Before resolving others' troubles we must connect with ourselves, so that we advise from a place of calm and balance.

    I hope this advice is helpful to you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to support you.

    Warmly,
    Pablo Neruda

    4 marks

Answer: Letter from Neruda advising Frost to practise stillness and reflection, and to understand the stand people's pain instead of wishing them out of it

Where the marks are

  • Correct letter format with given opening and closing (1 mark)
  • Content: advice rooted in 'Keeping Quiet' and stillness (2 marks)
  • Organisation, spelling and grammar within 120-150 words (2 marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: A Roadside Stand (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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