NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 8: The Tale of Melon City

NCERT Solutions for class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 8 The Tale of Melon City is given in the article below as a pdf file. This poem written by Vikram Seth is about a melon that was chosen to become the king of an ancient state. The Tale of Melon City describes a peace-loving king who ruled an ancient state. The poet through his poem has made fun of the king’s government and policies that are based on old beliefs and superstitions. The poet wants readers to reflect upon the fate of a nation that is being ruled by a placid king who chooses to punish the innocent for a fault that only brings disgrace to his stature. 

Download: NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 8 pdf

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 8

The NCERT solutions for Class 11 English Chapter 8 The Tale of Melon City are given as follows:

The Tale of Melon City Summary

The Tale of Melon City is an attempt made by the poet Vikram Seth to bring to light the atrocities of the people in power who lead a nation. With the help of amusing language, the poet Vikram Seth has shown the reader that a good king does not punish his people for silly reasons and always places his kingdom above his selfish gains and public image. The poem can be summarized as follows:

• A king decides to build an arch in his kingdom and orders his men.
• The king then rides past the arch only to realize that his head hits the arch and in front of his countrymen the crown falls down.
• Considering this as an embarrassment to his status, he further orders his men to punish the builders by hanging them.
• Then begins the series of blame games where the builder blames the workmen and they blame the bricks.
• Further, the blame is shifted to the architect who in return blames the king back. The king decided to seek help from the wisest man in the country to make an apt decision.
• The old man brought as the wisest advisor was both weak in vision and hearing.
• The arch is then decided to be punished. Later people consider this act to bring disgrace to the kingdom and hence decide to build a noose to fulfill the king’s decision to hang the culprit.
• The noose is tested with everyone but happens to fit only in the king’s head.
• The king was executed and it was decided that the next person to pass the city gate would be declared the new King.
• Unfortunately, a melon passed next and it was declared the king.
• No one questioned this lame decision and everyone lived happily ever after.

The poem The Tale of Melon City depicts the state of a nation where the people and the king do not have strong decisions of their own. Everyone believes in illogical things and the decisions are heavily influenced. Thus, monarchy is not the right way to lead a country. 

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