clown's wife essay type questions

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Questions on the poem 'The Clown's Wife' by Johnson Agard

Short Answer Questions

• Who talks about the clown?
• How does the clown look like when he is on the stage?
• How does the clown behave when he comes home?
• What does the wife do to cheer him up?
• Does the wife know what goes on inside the husband's mind?
• What does the clown say to himself? Do you think that he is happy?

What can you say about the relationship between the clown and his wife?

• What can you say about the lifestyle/ social background of the two characters? What evidence do you find in the poem to prove your point?
• Which aspect of life does the writer discuss in the poem?
• What is the impact, the change of roles has on it?
• Comment on the language used, the effect of the use of the word 'me' and the rhyming pattern.
• What are the poetic devices used in the poem?
• How does the irregular versification help the poet to convey his message?
• What is the effect created by the phrases 'King on a throne' and 'hear him moan' in verse two?
• What do you understand by the phrase 'World on his shoulder'?
• Why do you think the wife refers to her husband as a 'poor soul'? How does this contradict the earlier reference 'king on a throne'?

Essay Type Question.

• Discuss the appearance vs. reality in the poem 'The Clown's Wife' by Johnson Agard.
• A clown's traumatic life is displayed in the poem 'The clown's wife' by Johnson Agard.  Discuss.
• The life style and the social background of the poor is shown in the poem 'A Clown's Wife' Discuss.

Dear students, Once you have entered this page, please don't forget to leave a comment so I know that you have read it

Please give me answers for essey type qquestions

Madam, why doesn't the clown say about his feelings?

This comment has been removed by the author.

Im doolya hi miss....

Hi Doolya, hope you have completed all work assigned.

Hi miss Iam Gayathri . Thank you for your generosity

Very helpful questions.. Thank you.

The reader is more entertained by the wife than the clown.' Is this a true statement in relations to the poem The Clown's Wife? please give me answer. Thesis- 1 main idea- 2 main idea

Hi madam, can i have the answers for these questions

Did you get the answers

Teacher, Can we have the answers for this questions

Tnx teacher..Its great.

Madam can I have answers for these questions please

Can i have the comment

Madam can i have the anawer for thease questions please

Madam... can i have the answers for these questions please....

Madam, please answer to the essay type questions.

Miss could you please give me an explanation of third stanza

Madam who speaks in the poem clowns wife

Clown's wife is speaking here no??

Hi I'm Navodith this is a good essay type question are perfect 😁 Thank u

Could u please be kind to answer this question # is clown's wife a good person or not? though she try her best to cheer him up,it seems that she 's not sensitive and haven't got feelings towards his husband.she does not complete her duties as a wife properly. Is that true?

she is a good person. the whole poem is about the worry of clown's wife because he does not shares any of his problems and worries with her. she is sensitive that's why she understand that he has problems and worries in his life (world on his shoulder) and she feels sympathy towards his husband's mourning. and as a wife she completes her duty by cheering him up when he is upset.

this was very helpful,thank you!

Hi ma'am I'm Tharuki Kumaravila. I'm so thankful to you .... Cuz these questions are very useful ... Could u pls publish some essay type questions for Lahore Attack ?

Yes plz ma'am

Madam can I have the answer for the short answer question please?

This is very help full for studies

this helped me to improve my literature knowledge more generously...thank you very much tr

madam for what this poem is included

madam for what term this poem is included

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The Agony of a Duel Faced Life in the Poem the Clown’s Wife by Johnson Agard.

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The Clown's Wife - A Poetry Analysis

                          the clown's wife                                                                               - by johnson agard  , themes                                                                                                                                     , language techniques                                                                                                                , essay type question                                                                                                                 .

      The difference between appearance and reality is discussed in the poem "The Clown's Wife". Discuss. 

             The poem "The Clown's Wife" was written by Jhonson Agard, he was a British poet and playwright who has received multiple awards for his poems and creations. In this poem, he illustrates the gap between illusion and reality and the sufferings of the poor. Although the poem is mainly about the clown's life, the wife's character is highlighted throughout the poem.

        In the second stanza, it is said that "Up there he is a king on the throne" indicates that he is very good at what he does as a clown. But it is also said that "...at home, you should hear him moan." , this reveals another side of his life and creates a contrast between his private and public lives. This is ironic as we expect a clown to be a happy person as he jokes around and makes other people laugh, but the clown described by the wife is unhappy and dull. This shows us the unseen burdens in domestic households. "... to have the world on his shoulder" , t o have the world on his shoulder means to carry a great burden, perhaps his job doesn't pay him enough...  this statement further illustrates the hardships of the poor. 

         This part of the poem reveals the wife's efforts to cheer up the clown by taking up his role. Her struggles to cheer him up explain that she is a benevolent character who understands the clown's feelings and cares for him. Again, it's ironic how a clown who makes other people happy is depressed and is cheered up by his wife.

        "He doesn't exactly say how he feels" , she might be complaining about how the clown doesn't exactly say how he feels and what's bothering him. The clown does not want to give his burden to his wife so he keeps his pain hidden, this shows us that the clown really cares about his wife. 

         In the  last lines "Oh life, ah life... without this clown of a wife?" , the clown's sighing indicates that he is deeply troubled by the burdens of life. He also notices how his wife struggles and devotes her time and effort to make him happy and he appreciates her efforts in silent words. Even though they go through tough times, both of them try to keep each other contented. It shows the mutual happiness and value of their relationship. 

         This poem illustrates how even through misfortunate times how people can be happy and peaceful when they are with their loved ones.

Context questions                                                                                                                       

Other questions                                                                                                                            ,                                  the end                               , post a comment.

Keep your comments respectful and appropriate, don't be like Jonathan. (I apologize if your name is Jonathan)

The Clown’s Wife

By john agard.

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About my husband, the clown, What could I say?

On stage, he’s a different person. Up there he’s a king on a throne, But at home you should hear him moan.

The moment he walks through that door without that red nose and them funny clothes, he seems to have the world on his shoulder.

I do me best to cheer him up, poor soul. I juggle with eggs, I turn cartwheels, I tell jokes, I do me latest card trick, I even have a borrow of his red nose.

But he doesn’t say exactly how he feels, Doesn’t say what’s bothering him inside. Just sits there saying almost to himself:

‘ O life, ah life, what would I do without this clown of a wife?’

Poem Analysis

The poem “The Clown’s Wife”, which comes under the theme of life, is about the life of a clown. The life of the clown is depicted through the eyes of his wife. The poem shows the difference between the appearance and reality. He has a dual personality- his public life and private life. People, the onlookers of the clown, may think that he lives very happily and always smiles as he performs on the stage. But according to the poem it is not so. His happiness is a pretense. His wife says though he is a “king on a throne” he is moaning or crying when he is at home. But the world doesn’t know about that. How pathetic the life of the clown is.

At home the wife plays the role of the clown and tries to make him laugh by doing various tricks and jokes. But he cannot laugh as there is something inside him. He doesn’t say the reason for his grief. Instead he talks to himself and say:

‘ O life, ah life,

what would I do without this clown of a wife?’

The image of the clown is sympathetic. The clowns have to put on a happy face before the audience to make them laugh. It is not easy to make others laugh specially while you yourself is suffering or grieving inside. Though he plays the role of an entertainer, as a human being he has many grievances which the others cannot see or understand. On the other hand he is unhappy may be because he gets a low salary for his work.

Moreover, the wife of the clown is presented as caring and loving person in the poem. She tries her best to cheer him up at home. It seems that the wife is a solace to the unhappy life of the clown.

The poet makes the reader aware of the pathetic side of the life of a clown and it can be applicable to lives of the people in general: what we see is always not the true picture.

Appearance is not always the reality. So the poem deals with the difference between appearance and reality and also the hardships and sufferings of the poor.

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Monday, August 19, 2013

What is the main theme of the poem "clown's wife" by johnson agard.

The main theme of the poem "Clown's Wife" by Johnson Agard is that appearances are not always what they seem.

In this six stanza poem, the reader is privy to the wife’s thoughts about the two personalities her husband presents, depending on whether he is performing his clown act, or if he is at home. When he is dressed and performing, she says, “Up there he’s a king on a throne, but at home you should hear him moan.”

As he performs, he puts up a façade for the audience in order to entertain them. When he arrives at home there is a role reversal between husband and wife. In his home, he bemoans their circumstances while the wife attempts to provide him with cheer and to lighten his load. She uses all of the clown’s tools such as juggling and card tricks in order to lift his mood. Her actions are metaphors for the many things wives do to provide a steady home life.  

Although he resists speaking about what is bothering him, she feels it is her duty to provide a diversion by entertaining him.  

And, in his own way, he appreciates her efforts with his quiet words, as stated in the last line of the poem.

Just sits there saying almost to himself, “O life, ah life, what would I do without this clown of a wife?”

When performing for his audience he is majestic; in his home life he is forlorn.

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