NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Poetry Chapter 4

NCERT solutions for Class 11 English Chapter Telephone Conversation – complete answers & explanations

This blog provides clear and reliable NCERT solutions for Class 11 English Chapter Telephone Conversation from the Woven Words poetry section. This chapter highlights the issue of racial discrimination through a simple yet powerful phone conversation between two individuals. It shows how prejudice can exist in everyday situations and how language, tone, and humour can be used to expose unfair behaviour. The poem is important for developing critical thinking, understanding social issues, and improving literary analysis skills. These solutions help students understand the poem clearly and prepare effectively for exams with the correct approach to answering. You can also download the worksheet and practice alongside solutions for better clarity. For additional support and deeper understanding, you can also book a free trial now to get expert guidance. This guide supports both students and parents in building strong comprehension and answer-writing skills.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

1. The poem focuses on the theme of racial discrimination and social prejudice. 
2. It presents a conversation between the speaker and a landlady over the telephone. 
3. The chapter highlights how colour and skin tone are unfairly judged. 
4. It explores the use of humour and irony to expose serious issues. 
5. Students learn about tone, voice, and character portrayal in poetry. 
6. The poem shows how silence and pauses can convey meaning. 
7. It introduces descriptive expressions related to colour and imagery. 
8. The chapter builds awareness of social behaviour and bias. 
9. Students learn to analyse how language reflects attitudes and emotions. 
10. It helps improve interpretation and critical thinking skills for exams. 

How to use these NCERT solutions?

1. Read the poem carefully to understand the situation and message. 
2. Try answering all questions on your own before checking solutions. 
3. Use the answers to compare and correct your responses. 
4. Focus on how answers are structured and written clearly. 
5. Revisit the poem after reading answers for better understanding. 
6. Parents and teachers can discuss each answer with students. 
7. Practice writing answers in a similar format for exams. 
8. Follow the exact order of questions as given in the worksheet. 
9. Revise regularly to strengthen understanding of key ideas. 
10. Use these solutions as a guide for exam preparation and revision. 

Important tips & tricks for students

1. Read the poem carefully to understand the tone and message. 
2. Pay attention to the use of humour and irony in the poem. 
3. Avoid writing incomplete or unclear answers. 
4. Focus on understanding the theme of racial discrimination. 
5. Use simple and clear language in your answers. 
6. Practice identifying important expressions and their meanings. 
7. Write answers in a well-structured format. 
8. Do not skip activity-based questions. 
9. Revise key points and examples regularly. 
10. Stay consistent with practice to improve confidence. 

NCERT solutions – complete answer key

NOTICE THESE EXPRESSIONS

1. Squelching tar – sticky, wet sound made by vehicles moving over soft tar on the road 

2. Rancid breath – a foul, unpleasant smell of breath 

3. Rearring on the thunderclap – suddenly reacting in shock or alarm 

4. Spectroscopic flight of fancy – an imaginative or exaggerated analysis of colour shades 

5. Peroxide blonde – very light blond colour produced by bleaching 

6. Brunette – a person with dark brown hair or dark complexion 

7. Raven black – very deep, shiny black colour 

8. Clinical assent – a cold, emotionless agreement 

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

1. The central issue in the poem is racial discrimination. The speaker faces prejudice from a landlady who wants to know how dark his skin colour is before renting her house to him. 

2. The intervals of silence occur because the landlady is shocked and unsure how to react after learning that the caller is African. The silence also reflects her hesitation and prejudice before asking about his skin colour. 

3. Colour is highlighted in the poem to emphasize racial discrimination and the absurd way the landlady judges the speaker based on skin colour. 
Words suggesting colour in the poem include: red, dark, light, plain, milk chocolate, West African sepia, brunette, peroxide blonde, and raven black. 

4. “Palm of my hand, soles of my feet 
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused— 
Foolishly madam—by sitting down, has turned 
My bottom raven black.” 
These lines stand out because the speaker uses humour and exaggeration to mock the landlady’s obsession with skin colour. 

5. Certain words in the poem are written in capital letters to show the loud, sharp, and intrusive tone of the landlady when she asks about the speaker’s skin colour. It also highlights the importance and tension of those questions. 

6. The title “Telephone Conversation” is appropriate because the entire incident takes place during a phone call between the speaker and the landlady. The poem shows how racial prejudice appears even in a simple conversation. 
Another possible title could be “Racial Prejudice” or “Colour Question”. 

7. The poem uses suggestion and understatement to show racism in a subtle but powerful way. Instead of directly accusing the landlady, the poet presents the conversation and uses humour, irony, and imagery to expose the absurdity and cruelty of racial discrimination 

8. ‘Hide-and-speak’ suggests a situation where people speak indirectly or anonymously without revealing their true identity, similar to hiding while speaking over the telephone. 

TRY THIS OUT

1. Students should work in pairs and act out the dialogue between the speaker and the landlady to understand the tone and emotions in the poem. 

2. Students should draw a rough sketch showing the speaker standing inside a red telephone booth while talking on the phone, with objects like a red pillar-box and a double-decker bus nearby. 

3. 
a. The place from which the call was made – Students describe a public telephone booth on a street with traffic, a red pillar-box, and buses moving on wet tar roads. 

b. The lady at the other end – Students imagine the landlady as a formal, well-mannered but prejudiced woman speaking in a cold and distant tone. 

c. The speaker in the poem – Students describe the speaker as an African man who responds intelligently and humorously to expose the landlady’s racism. 

4. Students should imagine a face-to-face meeting between the speaker and the landlady and write a short dialogue showing how the conversation might continue when they meet in person. 

Why NCERT solutions help students?

NCERT solutions help students understand concepts clearly, improve answer-writing skills, and prepare confidently for exams. They provide the correct approach to answering questions and ensure students stay aligned with expected academic standards.

Help your child build strong English fundamentals with expert-guided learning support.
Book a free trial!