Very Short Questions
Question 1 : Which new character is introduced in the second part of the story?
Answer : The character of the poet gets introduced in the story. The Great Stone Face, Part II.
Question 2 : Who all came to pay a visit to Ernest?
Answer : People from distant lands that included college professors, active men of the city and many others came to pay a visit to Ernest and converse with him.
Question 3 : Whom does Ernest assume to be a likeness of the Great Stone Face? Does his assumption prove right?
Answer : Ernest assumes the poet of his native land to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face. However, on seeing him, he realises that his assumption was not correct.
Question 4 : What was Ernest’s routine every evening?
Answer : After the day’s work, Ernest spent time reading the book of the new poet and gazing a the Great Stone Face. Besides this, every evening he addressed a group of neighbours as a preacher.
Question 5 : Was the old prophecy and the Great Stone Face forgotten as the years went by?
Answer : No. Neither the Great Stone Face not the prophecy related to it was forgotten. Ernest had spent his life wanting for his fulfilment and the poet had glorified it in his poems.
Question 6 : List down the adjectives used by the poet to describe Ernest.
Answer : Worthy, mild, sweet, thoughtful and glorious.
Question 7 : Why does Ernest not respond to the poet’s glorification of Ernest?
Answer : Ernest could not believe himself to be that much awaited likeness of the Great Stone Face for whom he had been waiting since childhood.
Short Questions
Question 1 : Why does Ernest become sad on being introduced with the author of the book he used to read?
Answer : Ernest was greatly impressed by the poet whose book he used to read every evening. Silently, in his mind, he had assumed the poet to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face. On meeting the poet, Ernest becomes sad because he does not see any resemblance between the poet and the Great Stone Face.
Question 2 : How different was the poet from Ernest’s assumptions of the poet?
Answer : From his reading of the poet’s works, Ernest thought the poet to be very thoughtful and noble person. However, when Ernest meets the poet, the poet admits that his life did not correspond with the thoughts he had penned on the paper. Also, the poet did not resemble the Great Stone Face as Ernest had assumed.
Question 3 : What draws the poet back to his native land?
Answer : The poet lived far away from his native land. Yet, he had heard much about Ernest and had also spent good deal of time reflecting upon Ernest’s character.
Ernest’s nobility and simplicity of life forced the poet to come back to his native land and meet Ernest in person.
Question 4 : Write a character sketch of the poet.
Answer : The poet was renowned for the kind of poetry he composed.
His poems appeared like sweet music to those who read them. In his poems, he expressed grand thoughts and dreams , glorified a simple way of life.
Yet, the poet’s character lacked that complete and true nobility and simplicity of life, for he lacked convictions in his own thoughts. There were certain weaknesses in his character . At the same time, he was conscious and honest in admitting these shortcomings before Ernest.
Long Questions
Question 1: How different is the old Ernest from the younger Ernest?
Answer : The younger Ernest did not attract much attention from the people of the valley. There was nothing remarkable about him. The older Ernest , however, was popular not just among the people of the valley, but beyond it. He was now a wise man with many a wise thoughts and his company was sought by many people. It was difficult to hide his wisdom. The older Ernest had also taken on the role of a preacher and used to address a group of neighbours every evening.
Question 2 : What made the poet feel that Ernest was the much awaited likeness of the Great Stone Face?
Answer : The poet accompanied Ernest when he addressed the crowd. In Ernest’s words, the poet found the conviction that lacked in his own words.
The poet felt that there was a perfect harmony between what Ernest preached and the life Ernest led. Therefore, his words had power; his thoughts had a certain reality and depth.
The worthiness of Ernest made the poet sure of Ernest being the likeness of the Great Stone Face.
Value Based Questions
Question 1 : Assume yourself to be one of the native people. Express your views on finding out that Ernest was the likeness of the Great Stone Face.
Answer : I was pleasantly shocked when I got to know that Ernest was the likeness of the Great Stone Face. He had lived amongst us, yet we ignored his remarkable features that bore resemblance to the features of the Great Stone Face.
Like many other people of my valley, I am shocked at how we could ignore Ernest to be our man, the man of the prophecy . His character revealed all strains of nobility and simplicity.
He was our preacher, our guide; yet an outsider had to come and make this revelation. At the same time, I am much glad to have been alive to see the fulfilment of the prophecy.