'The Rebel — D. J. Enright' — Practice

Question 1

Describe the behaviour of a rebel as shown in the poem.

Accepted Answer

The rebel always does the opposite of the majority. When everyone has short hair, the rebel grows long hair, and vice versa. When others talk in class, the rebel is silent; when others are silent, the rebel creates a disturbance. He wears fancy clothes when others wear uniforms, prefers cats among dog lovers and dogs among cat lovers, and wants rain when others praise the sun. His behaviour is defined entirely by opposition to whatever is popular.

Question 2

What is the poet's attitude towards rebels?

Accepted Answer

The poet is gently satirical but ultimately positive. He pokes fun at the rebel's need to always be different, and notes that being a rebel is 'not very pleasant'. Yet he concludes that 'it is very good that we have rebels' because they break the monotony of everyone being the same.

Question 3

What does the rebel do when everyone has short hair, and when everyone is silent in class?

Accepted Answer

When everyone has short hair, the rebel grows his hair long. When nobody talks in class, the rebel creates a disturbance.

Question 4

Explain the message of the poem 'The Rebel'.

Accepted Answer

The message is that individuality and non-conformity are valuable because they break sameness and remind us we have choices, but that being a rebel who always opposes the crowd is difficult and not always pleasant.

Practice — 'The Rebel — D. J. Enright'

Sign in to save attempts to your dashboard and track your accuracy over time

Find a verified tutor

Join a live course

Browse coaching centres

About

Categories

Support

Documentation

Get Study Tips & Updates

Download Our App

Download for iOS

Download for Android

Popular Cities