Target Exam

CUET

Subject

English

Chapter

Comprehension - (Poetry / Literary)

Question:

Read the following poem. Answer the question that follow:

At the Museum

But in 2500 B.C. Harappa,
who cast in bronze a servant girl?
No one keeps records
of soldiers and slaves,
The sculptor knew this,
polishing the ache
off her fingers stiff
from washing the walls
and scrubbing the floors,
from stirring the meat
and the crushed asafoetida
in the bitter gourd.
But I'm grateful she smiled
at the sculptor,
as she smiles at me
in bronze,
a child who had to play women
to her lord
when the warm June rains
came to Harappa.

What is the poem 'At the Museum' about?

Options:

About a sculptor who fell in love with a dancer.

The powerful experience of encountering another person through art

About record keeping at a government office

Its about a child who preferred household work to playing

Correct Answer:

The powerful experience of encountering another person through art

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) → The powerful experience of encountering another person through art

The poem reflects on the servant girl immortalized in bronze, allowing the poet to connect with her across centuries. The lines, "I'm grateful she smiled at the sculptor, as she smiles at me in bronze," highlight the profound connection created through the sculptor’s art. It is not about record-keeping, falling in love, or a child preferring household work. Instead, it focuses on how art preserves the memory of individuals, enabling a powerful human connection.