Little Star High School

Class XII
NOTES AND ASSIGNMENT ON BEETHOVEN
I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

II. Complete the Sentences

III. Short Answer Questions

IV. Long Answer Questions

I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which one of the following BEST describes Beethoven’s father’s attitude to him in the poem, Beethoven?

(a) He was overbearing.

(b) He was rude.

(c) He drove Beethoven to perfection.

(d) He wanted him to be successful.

2. Why does Shane Koyczan begin the poem, Beethoven, with the word “Listen”? (Analysis)

(a) To highlight the fact that Beethoven was abused.

(b) To make the poem appealing and lend rhythm.

(c) To add novelty to the beginning.

(d) To align it with the theme of music.

3. What does the poet want to convey by comparing Beethoven’s father’s words to an anthem in the poem
Beethoven? (Analysis)

(a) Beethoven’s father’s words sounded as sweet as an anthem.

(b) It highlighted Beethoven’s ability to play well.

(c) It emphasised Beethoven’s skill as a musician.

(d) The words are an ironic comment on the father’s harsh words.

4. Shane Koyczan begins his poem Beethoven with the word ‘Listen’ to: (Understanding)

(a) state that the audience must listen to Beethoven’s music.

(b) imply that the audience must listen to appreciate Beethoven’s music.

(c) insist that readers must listen to what the poet was saying.

(d) draw our attention to the suffering behind Beethoven’s talent.

5. In the poem, Beethoven, which one of the following BEST describes Beethoven's emotional and physical struggles?

(a) Use of vivid imagery to depict Beethoven's internal and external battles

(b) Negative reviews of those who heard Beethoven's music

(c) Beethoven's rivalry with other musicians

(d) Recounting of the appreciation and honours Beethoven received.

II. Complete the Sentences

[Link] the poem, Beethoven, the musicians made fun of Beethoven’s madness because they failed to understand the
connection between his perceived insanity and his extraordinary talent. They mimicked his movements in an attempt to
decipher the source of his genius, particularly the relationship between his deafness, his “intimacy with silence”, and his
profound musical creations. Or,

they did not understand his passion and genius / to them he was only a deaf man with his foibles / they were insensitive
/ they were jealous of his accomplishments/they laughed at him / If they talk of musicians fooling him as he was deaf/
he was deaf so they could play tricks on him. They knew he won’t find out./ their insistence of performance annoyed
them/ insensitive/ not good [Link] Beethoven’s childhood, mercy from his father’s tyranny had to be earned
because (Understanding)

2. A simile has been used to compare Beethoven’s fingers to gnarled roots because Of the agonizing cramps and the
muscles that twisted painfully like gnarled roots due to relentless practice. (Understanding)

3. The poet in the poem Beethoven says that history is not important to know Beethoven because his music, which is a
direct expression of his emotions and genius, allows us to truly understand the essence of Beethoven, his struggle, and
his triumphs. Listening to his compositions connects the listener to the "man" beyond his life story and biography

.4. Beethoven amputated the legs of his piano because he was deaf and got down on his knees so that he could feel the
vibrations through the floor. (Recall)

5. In Beethoven’s childhood, mercy from his father’s tyranny had to be earned because It was conditional and
depended on how flawlessly he played the piano. (Understanding)

II. Short Answer Questions

(a)Describe Beethoven’s efforts to live up to his father’s expectations. Write your answer in a short paragraph of
about 100 incorporating the following aspects incorporating the following aspects.

• His father’s expectations and treatment of Beethoven

• Difficulties Beethoven faced in fulfilling those expectations [5]

Hints:

• His father's expectations and treatment of Beethoven

➢ Beethoven’s father expected him to be perfect

➢ Even when he was young he was regularly hit and yelled at.

➢ He was made to practice again and again with his father's constant refrain that it was not 'good enough'

• Difficulties Beethoven faced in fulfilling those expectations.

➢ He had to fight against the lack of his most precious tool, his ear drums.
➢ The mockery of the musicians, nobody realised that to understand the genius all that one had to do was to listen.

Specimen answer:

Beethoven’s father had high expectations for him, driven by a desire to mould his son into a musical genius. He was
harsh and abusive, often hitting Beethoven and demanding perfection in his performances. This relentless pressure
created a toxic environment where Beethoven’s worth was tied to his ability to play flawlessly. Despite his father’s
cruelty, Beethoven strived to meet these expectations, practising tirelessly to earn even a moment of approval.
However, his father’s anthem of “not good enough” echoed constantly, leaving Beethoven in a perpetual state of
inadequacy.

The difficulties Beethoven faced were immense. Not only did he endure his father’s abuse, but he also struggled with
his growing deafness, which threatened his most precious tool as a musician: his hearing. Despite this, he continued to
compose and perform, even amputating the legs of his piano to feel the vibrations through the floor. His father’s
relentless demands and his own physical limitations made his journey agonising, yet Beethoven’s perseverance and
genius ultimately transcended these challenges, leaving a legacy that defied his father’s harsh criticisms.

(b) Referring to the poem, Beethoven, show how Beethoven's physical challenges and traumatic childhood led to him
becoming an outstanding musician. Answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details. [5]

• Beethoven's father's role

• The challenge of his deafness

The poem 'Beethoven' by Shane Koyczan illustrates how Beethoven's abusive, musically demanding father and his
gradual deafness became catalysts for his exceptional musicianship. The father's relentless pursuit of perfection,
coupled with his alcoholism and criticism ("Not good enough!"), created a traumatic childhood, fostering a desperate
need to earn love through musical achievement. His deafness, though a devastating challenge, pushed him to feel
vibrations and imagine music internally, eventually leading to his unique, divine compositions that could only be fully
understood by listening to the music itself.

Beethoven's Father's Role

Abusive & Demanding: His father, an alcoholic, subjected Beethoven to harsh conditions and physical abuse, demanding
that his musical talents be perfected.

Unsatisfied: He constantly dismissed Beethoven's efforts, making him feel "Not good enough," a cycle of emotional
abuse that left a lasting impact.

The Challenge of Deafness

Internal "Hearing": Despite losing his hearing, Beethoven developed an extraordinary ability to "hear" music internally,
envisioning his compositions in his mind.

Feeling Vibrations:He would press his ear to the piano or floor to feel the vibrations, using his heightened sense of touch
to connect with the music.

Transcending the Physical:His deafness transformed into a unique connection with silence, enabling him to create
powerful, divine music that resonated with extraordinary intensity.

(c) How does Shane Koyczan capture the essence of Beethoven’s music and the profound impact it had upon his
audiences? Write your answer in about 150 words incorporating the following details.

• Comment on the transformative power of Beethoven’s music.

• Pick out evidence from the poem that employs figurative devices to describe the enormous effect his music
had on listeners. (Recall & Application)
Hints:

• Transformative power of Beethoven’s music: It washes over the nervous system like an invading naval Armada, firing
volleys of cannonballs that detonate within the body, bombarding every molecule and nerve ending in cascading
explosions of sensation. This is to highlight the immersive power of Beethoven’s music.

• It makes the listener desperately crave for the one more ‘hit’ of the drug that was Beethoven. His music is like a
powerful addictive narcotic for the senses.

• The power of Beethoven’s music made joy tangible.

Figures of Speech:

• Allusion: The poet goes on to say that such was the timelessness and beauty of Beethoven’s music that it could take
you to distances past the towers of Babylon [Biblical Allusion].

• Imagery: Beethoven’s music takes on such astronomical power that the entire solar system resembles crashing
cymbals, comets colliding and creating crescendos so mighty that star seem to be loosened from constellations and fall
like luminous tears from heavens.

• Love and Hate are personified as elegantly dancing with such precision and beauty that the listener realizes that to
appreciate the beauty of Beethoven's music, the historical context or biography is really not important. All that is
important is to ‘Listen’.

IV. Long Answer Questions

(a)How does the poem Beethoven underscore the message that despite personal challenges, man can aspire to great
heights? Write your answer in about 250 words. (Evaluate)

Hints:

• Shane Koyczan’s Beethoven sings the praise of the great legendary composer, Beethoven, who is revered as the god of
music. Brought up in the tyrannical ambience of his unkind father, he emerges as a great classical maestro despite being
deaf.

[Challenges]

• To begin with, Beethoven opens with the picture of an unhappy childhood where a father is seen constantly bullying
his son. The father wants his child to become a musical expert and thus, goes to the extent of abusing his child both
physically and mentally without any mercy.

• Long practice sessions were forced upon the child and the severe ache in fingers hardly melts the father’s heart.
Whether Beethoven plays notes gently, slowly, or fiercely, the unkind father would discourage him saying, “Not good
enough”. This stayed with him all his life and therefore, whatever his orchestra played it was ‘Not good enough’ because
Beethoven would not settle for anything that was not perfect.

• Life continued to be difficult for Beethoven even after he grew up. His incurable deafness stood as a challenge to his
musical career which was overcome with strong determination.

• People loved his symphonies but while his symphonies enthralled the audience, stimulated their nerves; the composer
himself could not hear his own music, all because of being deaf.

• Being deaf, he had to cut off the legs of his piano so that the vibrations of the musical notes produced on the floor
could easily be felt. His deafness did not deter from remaining uncompromising about his music.
• Musicians however teased him, taking advantage of his deafness, aped his gesture by holding their bows a bit above
the strings which would produce no sound. Yet, they were bound to acknowledge Beethoven’s expertise whose timeless
music takes one to the heights of the towers of Babylon.

• Beethoven established a special relation with silence. He was a man who had established a special bond with music
and notwithstanding his traumatic childhood and physical handicap, his passion and love for music continued unabated.

Specimen answer:

The poem "Beethoven" vividly illustrates how pain and suffering are integral to the process of artistic creativity and
excellence. Ludwig van Beethoven, a renowned composer, faced numerous personal challenges, most notably his
progressive hearing loss, which could have easily ended his career. Instead, these adversities fueled his creative genius,
transforming his pain into profound musical compositions that continue to resonate deeply with audiences.

Beethoven's suffering, particularly his deafness, is a poignant example of how personal tribulations can enhance artistic
expression. The poem likely highlights how, despite his deteriorating hearing, Beethoven's inner world became richer
and more complex. His inability to hear external sounds may have intensified his focus on the internal melodies and
harmonies that he translated into his music. This paradoxical relationship between his disability and his creativity
underscores the idea that suffering can lead to heightened sensitivity and insight, crucial elements in the creation of
profound art.

Moreover, the emotional and psychological struggles that Beethoven endured are reflected in the depth and intensity of
his music. His compositions, marked by their emotional range and structural innovations, mirror his inner turmoil and
resilience. The poem likely emphasizes this connection, illustrating how Beethoven's music became an outlet for his
pain, allowing him to communicate emotions that words could not express. This transformation of suffering into artistic
excellence underscores the therapeutic and cathartic role of art.

In essence, "Beethoven" underscores the role of pain and suffering as catalysts for artistic creativity. Beethoven's ability
to transcend his personal hardships and channel them into his music serves as a powerful testament to the idea that
adversity can enhance artistic expression. His legacy demonstrates that great art often emerges from the depths of
human experience, where pain and beauty coexist. Through his suffering, Beethoven achieved a level of artistic
excellence that continues to inspire and move people worldwide.

(b) The poem Beethoven explores the role of pain and suffering in the process of artistic creativity and excellence.
Justify this statement in 200 – 250 words. [Evaluate] [10]

Hints:

• Cite the words or lines which emphasise Beethoven’s suffering.

• Describe his anguish.

• Cite metaphors or imagery suggesting the connection between pain and artistic creativity.

• Describe how Beethoven overcame adversity.

• Provide evidence from the poem to describe the impact of his music on audiences.

Specimen answer:

In "Beethoven," the poem explores the profound role of pain and suffering in the process of artistic creativity and
excellence. The narrative focuses on Ludwig van Beethoven, who, despite his immense suffering, particularly his struggle
with deafness, achieved extraordinary artistic heights. His pain is not just a backdrop but a crucial element that shapes
his creative genius.
Beethoven's deafness, a devastating condition for a composer, paradoxically becomes a source of profound inspiration
and depth in his music. The poem suggests that his suffering imbued his compositions with an emotional intensity and a
depth of feeling that might not have been possible otherwise. His struggles are portrayed as a catalyst that pushes him
beyond ordinary limits, compelling him to innovate and express the inexpressible.

The poem further implies that Beethoven's pain and suffering allowed him to connect with the deeper aspects of the
human experience. His music, therefore, resonates with listeners on a profound level, as it is born out of genuine
hardship and emotional turmoil. This connection between suffering and creativity underscores the idea that true artistic
excellence often emerges from overcoming personal adversity.

In essence, the poem "Beethoven" justifies the statement by illustrating how Beethoven's personal suffering fuelled his
artistic creativity, leading to his unparalleled contributions to music. His pain, rather than hindering him, becomes the
driving force behind his extraordinary artistic achievements.

Prepared by AMRITA BANIK (15.08.2025)