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NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 10 A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

NCERT textbook questions

Thinking about the poem
(Page 136)

Question 1.
“A slumber did my spirit seal”, says the poet. That is, a deep sleep ‘closed off’ his soul (or mind). How does the poet react to his loved one’s death? Does he feel deep sense of grief? Or does he feel a great peace?
Answer:
The poet is shocked and surprised at the death of his loved one. It feels painful. Death does not make anyone feel good. It is always associated with misery.

Question 2.
The passing of time will no longer affect her, says the poet. Which lines of the poem say this?
Answer:
“She seemed a thing that could not feel the touch of earthly years”.

Question 3.
How does the poet imagine her to be, after death? Does he think of her as a person living in a very happy state (a ‘heaven’)? Or does he see her now as a part of nature? In which lines of the poem do you find your answer?
Answer:
The poet imagines her to be an inseparable part of nature. No, he does not think so because ‘heaven’ is not a dead thing. It is shown in the line ‘Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course/With rocks and stones and trees’.

Additional questions solved

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
What happened to the poet’s beloved?
Answer:
The poet’s beloved was dead. She was not alive now. The poet remembers her beloved through the poem. Her death has sealed or made her spirit peaceful. Her death has ended all human fears. She was no more and was beyond the mortal earthly touch.

Question 2.
How does she become an inseparable part of nature?
Answer:
She becomes an integral part of nature. She is trapped under the surface of the earth and is rolled round in earth’s course with rocks, stones and trees. She is rolling round in earth’s diurnal course. Actually, she has become one with nature or inseparable part of it.

Question 3.
Is she visible? If not, why not?
Answer:
No, she is not visible because she is no more. She cannot be perceived with eyes. The poet can visualize her through his soul. She has become a part of the earth’s diurnal course. She has become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Question 4.
How will time not affect the poet’s beloved?
Answer:
The poet’s beloved is dead and a dead thing becomes immortal. It is a universally accepted fact that immortality is not affected by time or the physical world. She cannot hear or see. She has gone beyond the physical world. She is beyond the touch of earthly years now. She has become a part of nature’s diurnal course.

Question 5.
How does the poet react to his beloved’s death?
Answer:
The death of the poet’s beloved is so sudden and unexpected that his mind as well as his body seems to be closed off. A deep slumber has taken hold over him. His spirit seems to be sealed. He has lost touch of earthly consciousness. Her death has cut him off from all earthly fears. A deep slumber has engulfed all his wordly feelings.

Question 6.
How does the poet imagine her beloved to after her sudden and untimely death?
Answer:
Now his beloved is no more a part of this mortal world. She would be beyond the touch of earthly years. She is beyond the action and reaction of all five senses and the earthly body. However, she will become an inseparable part of nature. She will be rolling round in earth’s diurnal course. She will become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Long answer type questions

Question 1.
Give a brief analysis of the poem ‘A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal’ in your own words.
Answer:
In the poem ‘A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal’ the poet describes his beloved after her death. In the first stanza, the poet says that the death of his beloved made him very depressed. He says that his beloved has now become a non-living thing which cannot feel the touch of anything on the earth. In the second stanza, he says that his beloved has no motion. She can neither hear any sound nor can she see any thing. She is trapped under the earth and revolves with rocks, stones and trees.

Question 2.
How does the poet react to the untimely, sudden and shocking death of his beloved? What does he imagine her to be after her death?
Answer:
The sudden and untimely death of his beloved leaves the poet stunned. It is not easy to express the poet’s feelings in words. Actually, a deep slumber ‘sealed’ his spirit. He fell as if he were in deep sleep. This deep sleep seems to have closed off his body and soul. She is no more and will not be affected by the earthly years as well as by the touch of five physical senses. She will feel no motion, movement or force. Nor will be able to hear or see. Yet she will become an in separable part of nature. Physical death doesn’t mean that will be condemned to an everlasting death. No, she will roll round in earth’s diurnal course. She will become one with rocks, stones and trees.

Value based questions

Question 1.
All of us know that nothing is ours permanently, then why do we suffer so much to have more and more?
Answer:
It is true that nothing belongs to us permanently because one day we have to leave all the things on the earth. Nevertheless, people crave for more wealth, fame, knowledge, beauty and even commit crime, because this is human nature. We cannot separate ourselves from such things. If we give up our greed to have more and more, the world would be a much better place to live in. People would not go to extremes to achieve something.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 9 The Snake Trying

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 9 The Snake Trying

NCERT Textbook Questions

Thinking about the poem
(Page 125)

I.
Question 1.
What is the snake trying to escape from?
Answer:
The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Human beings try their level best to kill the snake. They take it for granted that the snake is poisonous and harmful.

Question 2.
Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?
Answer:
No, it is not harmful. It is a green snake.

Question 3.
The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.
Answer:
The poet uses the following words: beautiful and graceful, glides, small and green.

Question 4.
What does the poet wish for the snake?
Answer:
The poet wishes that the snake should be allowed to go. It should not be killed by the man.

Question 5.
Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?
Answer:
The snake was away from its secure area. It was basking in the sun along the sand. Finally, it disappears in the reeds.

II.
Question 1.
Find out as much as you can about different kinds of snakes (from books in the library, or from the Internet). Are they all poisonous? Find out the names of some poisonous snakes.
Answer:
Self-attempt.

Question 2.
Look for information on how to find out whether a snake is harmful.
Answer:
Self-attempt.

Question 3.
As you know, from the previous lesson you have just read, there are people in our country who have traditional knowledge about snakes, who even catch poisonous snakes with practically bare hands. Can you find out something more about them?
Answer:
Self-attempt.

Additional questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
How does the snake protect itself? What kind of body does it have?
Answer:
The snake has a natural instinct of survival. He can smell and see dangers and escape from them safely. The snake moves with sudden curvings gliding through the water to protect itself from the attack. He has a thin long body.

Question 2.
How does the poet describe its shapes?
Answer:
Even a dangerous and venomous creature like a snake has its fascinating appeal and beauty. The poet says that the snake makes beautiful and graceful shapes. It is mesmerized to see the zig-zag walk of the snake.

Question 3.
What does the poet appeal?
Answer:
Every creature demands our sympathy and protection. The snake is small and green and is harmless even to the children. The poet is a very kind and generous man. He is sympathetic to the snake. So it appeals to let it go safely to his place.

Question 4.
Where does the snake vanish?
Answer:
The snake does possess the instinct of survival. With sudden curvings of its body, he can escape from the stick aimed at him. The snake vanishes in the ripples among the green thin reeds.

Question 5.
Describe the natural beauty of the snake. It the poet fascinated by it?
Answer:
It is a small snake. It is green in colour. Curvings of its long body have their own appeal. His shapes are graceful and beautiful. So are its movements. The harmless, graceful and beautiful snake attracts the admiration and sympathy of the poet.

Question 6.
How does the snake escape and survive the pursuing stick?
Answer:
A stick is aimed at the snake. The snake knows well that it can harm it. It has a sharp sense of smelling the coming danger. He also knows how to escape it. He glides away through the water away from the stroke. Finally, it vanishes in the green slim reeds.

Long answer type question

Question 1.
Why does the man want to kill the snake? How does the snake protect itself?
Answer:
The man thinks that the snake is poisonous and hence it is better to kill it. He chases the snake with a stick. The snake is trying to escape at a great pace so that the man cannot reach and kill it. The movement of the snake is very graceful and elegant. The snake does not stick to one straight path but wends its way in and out of the path. At last, the snake floats over the water and hides itself into the green reeds. The snake has an instinct for its survival. It can smell and recognise the danger. It knows how to escape from it and reach to a safe place. It escapes the pursuing stick and its strike and finally vanishes into the green reeds.

Question 2.
Why is the poet fascinated by the snake? Why does he want to let it go unhurt into the reeds?
Answer:
Even a snake can be graceful and beautiful. At least to the poet, the snake is a living being with grace and beauty. The snake described in the poem is small and green in colour. The sudden curvings of its thin body charm the poem. So does its graceful movement. When it glides through the water it looks an object of grace and beauty. He develops a liking and sympathy for this strange creative of nature. He appeals not to attack such a graceful creature. The small green snake is not poisonous. It is harmless even to children. Such a beautiful and harmless snake should not be an object of our anger. On the other hand, it deserves appreciation and our sympathy.

Value based questions

Question 1.
Do you agree that a snake does not want to bite a man, it bites a man only when it feels that he is going to kill it?
Answer:
I agree with this statement that a snake does not want to bite man, unless it feels that a man is going to kill it. But people are of the opinion that all snakes are poisonous and it is their nature to bite a man. So, they want to kill it.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 8 On Killing A Tree

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 8 On Killing A Tree

NCERT Textbook Questions

Thinking about the poem
(Page 111)

I.
Question 1.
Can a “simple jab of the knife” kill a tree? Why not?
Answer:
No, a simple jab of knife does not have the ability to kill the tree. It has to go through various processes. If its root is not removed from the earth, it will sprout again.

Question 2.
How has the tree grown to its full size? List the words suggestive of its life and activity.
Answer:
The tree consumes the earth, and rises out it feeding upon its crust. It absorbs years of sunlight, air and water.

Question 3.
What is the meaning of “bleeding bark”? What makes it bleed?
Answer:
‘Bleeding bark’ means the twigs which are cut mercilessly. They leave a liquid substance. If any part of the human body is cut, it starts bleeding. In the same way the liquid substance comes out from the branch of a tree. The human beings’ axe makes it bleed.

Question 4.
The poet says “No” in the beginning of the third stanza. What does he mean by this?
Answer:
‘No’ is used to emphasize the perspective that chopping or hacking will not be sufficient for killing a tree.

Question 5.
What is the meaning of “anchoring earth” and “earth cave”?
Answer:
It means that the earth protects it like a mother. ‘Earth Cave’ implies a hole inside it. The tree allows its roots to spread underneath. The earth protects it and fosters it. It provides all the essential ingredients to the tree.

Question 6.
What does he mean by “the strength of the tree exposed”?
Answer:
The stem/root is the strength of a tree. When the tree is pulled out, its strength is exposed.

Question 7.
What finally kills the tree?
Answer:
Pulling out the tree from the mother earth and scorching and choking it in the sun and air kill the tree. It becomes brown, dry and gets hard. Eventually it dies.

Additional Questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
How does a tree become strong?
Answer:
A tree grows and expands gradually. Various forces of nature including the earth, help in its growth. A tree grows on earth, feeds on its crust, absorbs years of sunlight, air and water. It makes them strong.

Question 2.
How does the sun and the air contribute in the killing of a tree?
Answer:
The sun and the air harden and wither the exposed roots of the tree and kill it. The sun and the air are the two essential elements that help in the growth of a tree. Left to themselves, they will never kill a tree. But if the roots are exposed and kept in the sun and air, the tree will wither away and die.

Question 3.
What is the most important thing to do while killing a tree?
Answer:
The most important thing to do while killing a tree is to ensure that the root is pulled out of the earth. A tree is not killed all of a sudden. So long the roots are intact inside the earth, the tree remains alive.

Question 4.
How the tree gets killed in the end?
Answer:
The tree will go through a process of browning, hardening, twisting and withering. Then ultimately, the tree gets killed. A tree takes a long time to get itself killed. Only when the roots are exposed, scorched and choked, the process of dying start.

Question 5.
Describe the growth and expansion story of a tree.
Answer:
The story of growth and expansion is gradual and methodical. The seed is sown into the earth. It sprouts. It grows slowly consuming the earth. It feeds on its crust. After years of absorbing sunlight, air and water of the atmosphere, it grows into a tree. Its ‘leprous hide’ sprouts leaves and branches making it huge in size.

Question 6.
Describe the healing power of a tree that doesn’t allow it to die so soon.
Answer:
It takes much time to kill a tree. Nature gifts every tree with a healing touch that won’t allow it to die. If we cut the bark with a knife, the bleeding bark will heal. Then, from close to the ground green twigs will appear. If it is left unchecked, the tree will expand again to its former size.

Question 7.
Describe various processes that lead to the ultimate death of a rootless tree.
Answer:
The roots are the most sensitive parts hidden in the earth for years. The tree gets air and water through them. When a tree is uprooted, it follows certain steps till it finally dies. It goes, through scorching and choking in the sun and air. Browning, hardening, twisting and withering are the processes that lead to the ultimate death of a tree.

Long answer type question

Question 1.
Write the critical appreciation of the poem ‘On Killing a Tree’?
Answer:
The poem itself is modelled as a plant growing from the seed. The first line states “It takes much time to kill a tree.” Then the process of growth of the tree is described. It is presumed that the tree has grown from its seed.

The seed develops the root. The root works its way through the rocks and stones of the soil. The trees grows slowly by feeding upon the earth’s crust absorbing years of sunlight, air and water. There is a fight during the development of the tree which is suggested in the poem. The survival of the tree, in spite of the efforts to kill it, is shown by the lines. “And from close to the ground”.

Question 2.
Describe the pulling out of the roots and the various processes of withering and dying of a tree after it.
Answer:
The roots are the most sensitive parts of a tree. They remain hidden inside the earth for years. First root is to be pulled out of the anchoring earth. It is roped tied and pulled out entirely. The strength of the tree is totally exposed. Then starts the process of scorching and choking. The rootless tree is scorched in the sunlight. It is choked as it doesn’t get necessary oxygen for its survival from the air. Then the colour fades and hardens. It loses its proper shape. It twists and withers. Finally, it dies down.

Value based questions

Question 1.
After reading the poem, what similarities can we draw between trees and some great people of yesteryears?
Ans.
Trees go on live on for years. There are some trees in the Amazon forest which are said to be more than five hundred years old. We may take some lesson from them to spread our roots deep inside the earth. There had been some great people of yesteryears who still live in our memories. They had spread their roots inside our consciousness and as a result refuse to die. The hidden root gives all the sustenance to a tree. One needs to snap this source of life to kill a tree.


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 7 The Duck and the Kangaroo

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 7 The Duck and the Kangaroo

Additional Questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
What did the Duck do for the Kangaroo’s love?
Answer:
The Duck bought four pairs of worsted socks which fit her web-feet neatly. Moreover she bought a cloak to keep out herself from the cold. She did it for the Kangaroo’s love.

Question 2.
Why did she want to have a ride on his back?
Answer:
She felt her life had become a hell in the pond. She got bored there. So she wanted to see the whole world. But she did not have that capability. So she wanted to take the Kangaroo’s help.

Question 3.
How did she express her intention to the Kangaroo?
Answer:
She spoke to him most respectfully. She made a request to give her a ride so that she could also enjoy life. She promises to cover her wet-feet and smoke a cigar every day to fight against cold.

Question 4.
How did the Kangaroo respond to her proposal?
Answer:
The Kangaroo said that he would have to ponder over this request. He first raised an objection and later agreed to her request. He thought that it might bring him good luck. So he accepted her proposal to give her a ride on his back.

Question 5.
How did the Duck ride on the Kangaroo’s back?
Ans.
The Duck sat steady at the end of his tail. So that his balance might be maintained. She sat without speaking anything and hopped the world three times. She followed the instructions given by the Kangaroo and sat there without making any movement.

Question 6.
What request did the Duck make to the Kangaroo and why?
Answer:
The Duck was pleasantly surprised at the way the Kangaroo hopped. It hopped effortlessly over the fields and the water. It looked as if he would never stop. Her life in the pond was very boring. She longed to go beyond the limited world of the pond. She wished to hop around like him. She requested him to give a ride on his back.

Question 7.
What promise did the Duck make to the Kangaroo and what did she assure him during the ride?
Answer:
The Duck requested the Kangaroo to let her ride on his back. She promised to behave quite decently during the ride. She would sit silently without making a noise. She would say nothing but ‘Quack’. She assured him of her good conduct. They would hop over the land and the sea together.

Question 8.
What one objection did the Kangaroo make while responding favourably to the Duck’s request?
Answer:
The Kangaroo responded rather favourably to the Duck’s request. He was ready to allow her ride on his back. He expressed one objection. Her feet were ‘unpleasantly wet and cold’. This wetness and cold might give some pain in his joints.

Question 9.
What preparations did the Duck make to keep out the wetness and cold of her feet?
Answer:
The Duck gave a serious consideration over the matter. She bought four pairs of worsted socks that would fit her web-feet neatly. She also bought a cloak to keep out the cold. And every day she would smoke a cigar. She would do all such things out of her love towards the Kangaroo.

Long answer type question

Question 1.
Why does the Duck appreciate Kangaroo’s hopping?
Ans.
As a matter of fact, the Duck wants to have a ride on the Kangaroo’s back. The Duck lives in a nasty pond and gets bored. She also wants to enjoy the beauty of the world. But she knows that she cannot go beyond the pond. When she sees the Kangaroo hopping on the land, she thinks that how lucky the Kangaroo is that he can go anywhere on the land and enjoy the beauty of the world. She appreciates the Kangaroo’s hopping to make her happy and then requests him to let her sit on her back and visit the beautiful world. Due to her sweetness and politeness, the Kangaroo allows her to sit at the end of his tail. Though the Kangaroo tells the Duck to sit steady and quiet still so that he would not lose his balance.

Question 2.
How did the Kangaroo respond to the Duck’s request? What one objection did he make?
Answer:
The Duck made a request to the Kangaroo. She wanted to ride on his back and hop around the world beyond her pond. The Kangaroo didn’t respond without thinking. The request needed ‘some little reflection’. He told the Duck frankly that her feet were unpleasantly wet and cold. They might cause some trouble to him. The wetness and cold might give him ‘roo-matiz’ or pain in his joints. She must think over it and if possible find out a way to overcome it. Otherwise, he had no objection of allowing her a ride on his back. It might bring good luck to him. So, the understanding on this issue was very clear. The Duck assured the Kangaroo that she had already made all arrangements to keep out wetness and cold.

Question 3.
What precautions and preparations had the Duck already made to make her ride smooth and comfortable? What was the net result?
Answer:
Perhaps the Duck knew it already that her feet could definitely cause some trouble to the Kangaroo during her pleasure ride. Therefore, she had already thought over it. She had already made preparation to keep out that wetness and cold. She bought four pairs of worsted socks that kitted her web-feet neatly. She also bought a cloak to keep out the cold. She would smoke a cigar everyday. She would do everything for her love towards him.

The net result was very pleasant. The Duck balanced herself well and sat steadly for a smooth and comfortable ride. She sat quietly at the end of her tail. And they ‘hopped the world three times round’. They appeared to be happy and blissful during the ride.

Value based questions

Question 1.
“Our politeness and humility compels other to accept our request.” Do you agree with this statement? Write your answer with reference to the poem ‘The Duck and the Kangaroo’.
Answer:
It is absolutely true that our politeness and humility compels others to accept our request. As we read in the poem that the Duck politely requests the Kangaroo to make her visit the beautiful world and the Kangaroo accepts her request. So, if we want to get our work done by others, we have to be polite and humble to them. We cannot get any work done forcefully. If we force someone to do some work, he/she would do that work reluctantly and hence the work would not be perfect. So, we should always request somebody politely to get our work done. But remember, if someone does our work, we should feel grateful to him/her and be ready to help him/her as well.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 6 No Men Are Foreign

NCERT Textbook Questions

Thinking about the poem
(Page 81)

Question 1.

  1. “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
  2. How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

Answer:

  1. The poet speaks about the various dresses that people of various countries wear but beneath them, the human body is same.
  2. The poet says that nobody is different and peculiar. No country is foreign. A single body breathes beneath all uniforms. Moreover, the land is the same everywhere.

Question 2.
In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words.
Answer:
In the first stanza the poet says that there is no difference between the body of a citizen of one country and the citizen of another country. We have same kind of body; we wear same kind of clothes. We walk on the same planet, and the end of each individual is the same.

Question 3.
How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Answer:
The following common features are given in the stanzas:

  1. sun
  2. air
  3. water,
  4. Peaceful harvests required for human survival
  5. same hands

Question 4.
“… whenever we are told to hate our brothers….” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times What does the poet say?
Answer:
Sometimes some selfish people instigate the innocent to harm others. They do it for their own benefit. The common or ordinary man does not understand their tricks and starts hating his fellow human beings. They tell them to cause riots. The poet says that one should not follow anybody’s advice without brooding over it. The poet repeatedly says that there is no difference in them and the foreigners. The people of the entire world are the same.

Additional Questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
What message does the poet want to convey?
Answer:
The poet wants to say that there should be no discrimination between people on the basis of their appearance, religion or region. It is inhuman to tease one because of one’s different background. The poet wants that the people should discourage this malpractice and love their fellow human beings from the bottom of their heart.

Question 2.
How does the poet prove that there are no foreign countries?
Answer:
The poet proves it with the help of nature. Everyone shares the same sun, earth and air. They have the same body structure and its functioning elements. So there should be no biased attitude towards anyone.

Question 3.
What does the poet ask us to remember in the last stanza?
Answer:
The poet warns the ordinary and innocent people whose emotions and sentiments are stirred by some selfish people. Their immoral acts and poisonous views don’t deserve attention.

Question 4.
How are we responsible for war?
Answer:
Everyone is responsible for war. If we start hating our brethren, we will become the cause of tension. And the tension is converted into war one day. So nobody should hate and despise anyone. Our biased and impolite behaviour towards the fellow human beings becomes the cause of unnecessary wars.

Question 5.
How do all men living on the earth share the same fate?
Answer:
All men living on this earth live and die the same way. They share the same fate. Beneath different kinds of colourful dresses and faces, all have the heart of man. While they live, they walk on the same earth. After their death, they will be buried under the same earth. The apparent differences of lands and race are only superficial and not real.

Question 6.
Nature doesn’t differentiate between men of different lands and races. Do you agree with the given statement?
Answer:
Nature never differentiate between men and men. It transcends the differences based on geography, race or religion. The sun gives its heat and energy to all. Similarly, all of them need air and water to survive. Dining peace they prosper and have plenty of food to eat. However, long wars starve them. They labour hard to survive with the same kinds of limbs and hands.

Question 7.
How can we recognise and understand ‘common life’ in every land?
Answer:
All human beings are woven in the wreath of humanity. If our vision is not clouded by narrow ideas, we can recognise and understand ‘common life’ in every land. All men are bom and brought up in the same way. They love, hate and sleep in the same way. Peace and love bind them together.

Question 8.
Hating our brother means hating ourselves and taking arms against them means fighting with ourselves. Is it true?
Answer:
Wars are imposed on lands and people. The poison of hate divide men and nations. They go to wars, kill and destroy one another. Hating our brothers means hating ourselves. Similarly, raising arms against the people of one land means raising arms against humanity.

Question 9.
How do we defile and outrage the ‘human earth’ that is ours?
Answer:
Hate breeds hatred. Narrow ideas pollute and defile this earth which belongs to all mankind. ‘Hells of fire and dust’ are our own creations. They pollute and outrage the ‘innocence of air that is our own’. We should remember that the mother earth belongs to all lands and all people.

Long answer type questions

Question 1.
How are we alike? Explain in context with the poem.
Answer:
We all are alike. We have same body structure. All of us need air to breathe, sun to get sunlight and warmth and water for many purposes. Our daily routine is also almost the same. We get up in the morning take a bathe, have breakfast and go to work or school. All of us long for love. We all sleep at night and wake up in the morning.

When our needs and feelings are the same, then we should treat all people equally. We should not look down upon anybody on the basis of his/her colour, caste, region or gender. We should treat everyone as our brother and sister.

Unfortunately, some self-centred people fight with others and try to hurt them. They think that others have harmed them. We should not think that other people are ‘others’. They are also our brothers. If they make any mistake, we should forgive them or compromise with them.

Question 2.
‘The land our brothers walk upon. Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie!’ What does the poet mean to say above lines? Explain.
Answer:
The poet means to say in these lines that it is the same land on which we walk and after our death would be buried in the same earth. Through these lines the poet tell us that we do all our activities on the same land. We get food from this land. We make our houses on this land and we get many other things from the same land, then why do we say to some people to be ‘others’. No one is other. We live in the same house or universe as a family. Then why do we create discrimination against some people. Why do we fight with our brothers? It is all because of our greed to get more wealth and power. We want to have more wealth and power than others. In pursuit to fulfil this desire, we fight with others and hurt them.

The poet also tells us that one day all of us have to die. Nothing would remain ours. We will have to leave all things on the same earth. At last, we all will be buried in the same earth.

Question 3.
Beneath apparent differences of lands, races and uniforms there lies the same body—the human body. Comment?
Answer:
No doubt, geography, religious, cultures and races divide lands and people. These division lead to conflicts and wars. Such man-made differences pollute the minds of people. Wars and conflicts defile the earth which is ours. Beneath all these divisions and differences, we should understand and recognise ‘common life’ which is same in every land. Hating the people of other lands means hating humanity and mankind. Let us weave ourselves in the common wreath of humanity. Let us not defile and destroy this earth which is ours. Let us understand once for all that all divisions of men are only superficial. The same soul runs through all men. The same heart throbs in all—the heart of man.

Question 4.
How does the poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ gives the message of unity and commonality of all mankind? Give a reasoned answer.
Answer:
James Kirkup gives a definite message of hope to mankind. Inspite of apparent divisions and differences, all are united together by the common bond of humanity and mankind. Vested interests gain by dividing lands and people. They conspire to create hatred and divisions among people. We should frustrate their evil designs. We should understand and try to recognise that the same soul runs through all the people. Let us work for the unity and prosperity of all lands and all people.

Let us not pollute and defile the earth which is ours. Hatred and narrow ideas pollute the minds of the people. Conflicts and wars bring destruction and violence. We should remember that raising our arms against anyone means fighting against ourselves. The poet reminds us to remember, recognise and strengthen the common bond that unites mankind and humanity.

Value based questions

Question 1.
All great persons tell us to live cordially as brothers. But we people tend to fight over trivial issues. Why don’t we live with others people harmoniously? What makes us fight and hurt other?
Answer:
It is true that many people have been telling us to live harmoniously since long. We never follow their message. We also know it that our greed to get more wealth and power cannot give us peaceful life. But some deep-rooted evils in our society make us draw a distinction between people. We know that all customs and conventions have been made by people. God has made all people equal. But we make differences between people for our selfish motives. We start to hate even our family members due to our ego to be more powerful. By doing so, we at last harm ourselves. We became the objects of hatredness for society. In society, people dislike selfish people.

So before going to hurt other’s feeling, first of all we should think whether doing such act with others are justified by other people or society. We should learn to live with others as brothers. We should learn to tolerate, forgive and compromise. Only in this way, our life would be happy and peaceful.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 5 A Legend Of The Northland

 


NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Poem Chapter 5 A Legend Of The Northland

NCERT Textbook Questions

Thinking About the Poem
(Page 67)

I.
Quiestion 1.
Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
Answer:
It is a country in the north where days are short and nights are long.

Question 2.
What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Answer:
Saint Peter asked the old lady for a piece of cake. The lady behaved miserly and kept decreasing the size of the cake. At last she did not give him anything to eat.

Question 3.
How did he punish her?
Answer:
He cursed her and made her a woodpecker.

Question 4.
How does the woodpecker get her food?
Answer:
The woodpecker bores the hard and dry wood to get its food.

Question 5.
Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
Answer:
No, she would not have done this. On the contrary, she would have given him a large piece of cake to make him happy with the greed to get a handsome return.

Question 6.
Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Answer:
No, it is an imaginative story. It is a legend. The third stanza of the poem is very important.

Question 7.
What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Answer:
A legend is a story from ancient times about people and events. The title of the poem tells that it is a legend. The poet himself says that ‘I don’t believe it is true’.

Question 8.
Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Answer:
The poem is a story of an old woman. She is asked by Saint Peter for alms who has become weak because of fasting and travelling. But her greed forces her not to give him anything. He becomes angry and makes her a woodpecker who bores hard, dry wood to get food. Her clothes are burnt to ashes and she is left with a cap on her head. She continues boring into hard wood for her little food.

II.
Question 1.
Let’s look at words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, ‘true’ and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know’. We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’ rhymes with ‘know’.
Find more such rhyming words.
Answer:
Earth-hearth, done-one, lay-away, another-over, flat-that, faint-saint, form- worm, food-wood, same-flame.

Question 2.
Go to the local library or talk to older persons in your locality and find legends in your own language. Tell the class these legends.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Additional Questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
Why was Saint Peter tired and hungry?
Answer:
Saint Peter was a holy man. He used to preach people. For his preaching he often made long journey. During the course of his journey, sometimes, he did not take food and water. Besides, he had to observe fasts also. Fasts and journey were the essential part of his life. Hence, he was tired and hungry.

Question 2.
What happened to the cake every time when the old lady tried to bake it?
Answer:
The old lady was a greedy woman. She had no desire to share her things with others. Once Saint Peter was tired and hungry. He arrived at her cottage to get something. The old lady tried again and again to bake a too small cake for Saint Peter. But the size of cake always appeared to her bigger and the lady was even unable to give this cake to the saint.

Question 3.
What happened to the old lady when Saint Peter cursed her?
Answer:
Saint Peter became angry at her greed because she did not give a piece of cake to Saint Peter to satiate his hunger. When he cursed the lady, she turned into a bird. She flew through the chimney. Finally, she became a woodpecker. She wore a red cap and her body was black. Besides, she was bound to live in the forest with scanty food.

Question 4.
Describe the landscape of the Northland as described in the poem.
Answer:
The Northland is far away in the north. In this land of snow and ice, the days are very short. The nights are too long. When it snows, they harness swift reindeer to the sledges. Children are packed with so many layers of clothes to protect from the cold. In their funny and furry clothes they look like cubs of bears.

Question 5.
Why does the poet tell a story which he does not believe to be true?
Answer:
The poet wants to tell a ‘curious’ story. It is the story of St. Peter and a greedy little woman. The poet himself doesn’t believe in the truth of the story. But still he is compelled to tell this story simply for one reason. The story gives a moral lesson. Greed is an evil trait in man. It is punished in the end. The greedy little woman who didn’t want to give a small piece of cake to hungry St. Peter was cursed to be a woodpecker. She had to live with little food. We should show human qualities in our behaviour.

Question 6.
Who was St. Peter and why did he come to the cottage of a little woman?
Answer:
St. Peter was a holy man and a Christian saint. He went around different places preaching the people. Too much travelling made him tired and hungry. He needed food and rest badly. Therefore, he came to the cottage of a little woman who was making cakes. He asked the woman to give one from her store of cakes to him.

Question 7.
Why did the little woman knead another and still a smaller cake?
Answer:
St. Peter asked the little woman to give one cake from her store of cakes. The little woman made a very little piece of cake to give it to the hungry Saint Peter. However, even that little piece seemed too large to be given away. Therefore, the greedy little woman kneaded another and still a smaller cake.

Question 8.
Why did the little old woman had to struggle for her scanty food after she was cursed to be a woodpecker?
Answer:
The greedy little woman denied hungry St Peter even a small piece of cake. She made a very small piece of cake but it seemed too large to her to be given away. She went on making it still small and smaller. She was cursed by St. Peter to be a woodpecker. She was made to struggle even for her scanty food. As a woodpecker, she went on boring to get a small morsel of food.

Long answer type questions

Question 1.
A holy man should not curse the lady. Justify this statement in the context of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’.
Answer:
A holy man is known for his wisdom. He teaches moral lessons to the people whether they are liberal or greedy. All are equal in his eyes. In the present story, Saint Peter is a holy man. He is also famous for his preaching. He has preached and travelled a lot. So, he is hungry. He asks the lady for some food but she does not share her food with him. Finally, the saint becomes angry and curses her. In fact, he should have shown some mercy and the example of his wisdom. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that a holy man should not curse the lady.

Question 2.
How can you say that the old lady was greedy?
Answer:
The old lady was running a bakery. Saint Peter was a wise saint. He had travelled and preached a lot so he was tired and hungry. He had arrived at her door for some food. Still the lady made him wait for the cake for a long time. Every time she tried to bake too small cake but unfortunately the cake often seemed to her of a bigger size. The old lady did not want to share the cake of this size with the saint. At last, the saint grew angry and cursed her. So, it can be said that her greed had no limit.

Question 3.
Why was St. Peter forced to curse the greedy little woman? Do you justify the action of St. Peter?
Answer:
St. Peter was a holy man. He was a Christian saint. He spent his time moving around places and preaching the people there. Saints generally bless the people. They don’t curse them. However, these holy men resort to cursing when people defy good sense and become evil. The little woman in the story was extremely selfish and greedy. After much travelling and preaching, St. Peter had become tired. He had become weak and hungry after the fast. He came to the cottage of the little woman for food. Seeing her baking cakes, St. Peter asked her to give one from her store of cakes. The greedy woman made a very little piece of cake for him. Even that small piece looked too large to be given away to the saint. Hence, she went on making it smaller and smaller. The hungry St. Peter cursed the selfish and greedy woman. She was cursed to be a woodpecker boring and struggling for her scanty food. St. Peter was justified in cursing her. She had deprived a tired and hungry saint even from a small piece of cake. She was rightly punished for her greed.

Question 4.
Why was the little woman cursed particularly to be a woodpecker and not another bird? How did she struggle to get her scanty food?
Answer:
The little woman aroused the anger of a holy man. The saint spend most of his time in travelling and preaching. Constant fasting had made him hungry and weak.

Saint Peter asked for a small piece of cake when he saw a little woman baking cakes. The greedy woman could have easily given a piece of cake to the saint. But the selfish woman thought that even a very little piece was too large to be given away to him. She denied even this little offering. The saint cursed her to be a woodpecker. A woodpecker has to bore for a long time to get even a scanty food. She was cursed to labour hard by boring into the tree to get even her scanty food as she had made the saint to wait so long for such a small piece of cake.

Value based questions

Question 1.
What moral lesson do you get from this poem?
Answer:
This poem teaches us that true happiness lies in sharing things with the persons who are in need. If we are greedy, we cannot have happiness in our life. On the other hand our charitable nature makes us think about pains and sorrows suffered by the other people. The charitable people have many friends and they are always connected with one another with a strong bond of sentiments. But the greedy people have hardly any friends and they often live alone in the world.

Question 2.
What quality do you find in saints?
Answer:
Saints are wise people. They have gained heavenly power. Riches make no sense for them, for which people often hanker. They need only food to survive in this world. They travel far off land and give people moral lessons.

Question 3.
How is true satisfaction spoiled by greed?
Answer:
True satisfaction lies in sharing things with others. Peace and satisfaction are the two sides of a coin. If there is satisfaction in our life, peace is bound to come in our life. However greed spoils both. If we are greedy, we cannot get satisfaction as well as peace in our life. In the poem, the old lady was greedy and she failed to give cake to the saint. If she had satisfaction, she would certainly have shown honour and regard to the saint. So, in the case of this little lady it can be said that her greed had spoiled her peace and satisfaction.

Actually, saints try to create such societies in which all the people shall be treated with equality and greed will have no room in them. With the help of teachings, they desire to bring down heaven on the earth.

Extract Based Questions(3 marks)

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1:
He came to the door of a cottage In travelling round the earth Where a little woman was making cakes And baking them on the hearth

  1. Who does “he” refer to in the first line ?
  2. What request did “he” make to the woman ?
  3. Was the little woman rewarded or punished ? Why ?

Answer:

  1. “He” refers to Saint Peter in the first line.
  2. “He” requested the woman to give him a cake.
  3. The little woman was punished since she was highly stingy, miserly, greedy and mean.

Question 2:
He came to the door of a cottage
In travelling round the earth
Where a little woman was making cakes
And baking them on the hearth.

  1. What was Saint Peter doing ?
  2. What was the little woman making ?
  3. What is a hearth ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-022)

Answer:

  1. Saint Peter was travelling.
  2. The little woman was baking cakes.
  3. Hearth is a fire-place.

Question 3:
Then Saint Peter grew angry
For he was hungry and faint ‘
And surely such a woman Was enough to provoke a saint

  1. Why was Saint Peter about to faint ?
  2. How did the woman provoke Saint Peter ?
  3. What is the rhyming scheme of the given stanza ?

Answer:

  1. Saint Peter was about to faint as he had been preaching and fasting.
  2. The woman provoked Saint Peter by not giving him the cakes that were baked for him.
  3. abcb.

Question 4:
He came to the door of a cottage In travelling round the earth Where a little woman was making cakes And baking them on the hearth.

  1. What was Saint Peter doing ?
  2. What was the little woman making ?
  3. What is a hearth ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-022)

Answer:

  1. Saint Peter was travelling.
  2. The little woman was baking cakes.
  3. Hearth is a fire-place.

Question 5:
And being faint with fasting For the day was almost done
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.

  1. Who is “He” in the extract ?
  2. What did he ask her to*give him ?
  3. Trace a word from the extract that means “weak”. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-023)

Answer:

  1. “He” referred to in the extract is Saint Peter.
  2. He asked her to give him one cake from her store. ‘
  3. Faint

Question 6:
And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done,
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.

  1. Who is “He” in the passage ?
  2. Why was he fainting ?
  3. What is meant by “the day was almost done” ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-024)

Answer:

  1. “He” in the passage is Saint Peter.
  2. He was fainting due to fasting.
  3. “The day°was alihost done” means that the day had finished or passed.

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Why does the poet say that the hours of the day are few ?
Answer:
In the poem, the poet uses a name Northland. In the area of Northland, the nights are longer and the days are shorter. As a result there are very few hours in a day.

Question 2:
Who came knocking at the door of the old woman? Why was he there ?
Answer:
In the Northland an old lady Lived in a cottage. She was baking cakes when St. Peter came knocking at her door. He had become weak with fasting and travelling. He was looking for food

Question 3:
Is this a true story? Which part of the poem do you think is really important ?
Answer:
This is a legend. It is not a true story. Even the poet feels that it is not true. The most important part of the poem is the point when we realize that the old woman is very greedy. She could not part with her cakes for a hungry man.

Question 4:
Is this poem correct in being known as a legend? Explain.
Answer:
A legend is a semi true story which has been passed on from person-to-person through ages. This legend has an important meaning or symbolism for the culture in which it originates. A legend includes an element of truth or is based on historic facts but with mythical qualities. The sainf in turn curses the old woman. This poem can also be regarded as a folktale which again is a story told from one generation to another.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
What are the poetic devices in the ballad ‘A Legend of the Northland’?
Answer:
The major literary devises, also called poetic devices, in “A Legend of the Northland” by Phoebe Gary areassonance which means repetition of vowel sounds, This appears in line 1: “Away, away…. Another striking literary element pertains to the structure of the quatrain stanzas (four lines per stanza) that have no end punctuation. Each line rolls to the other through enjambment. It works very well in most spots, although there are one or two places where the enjambment is clumsy, such as “Where a little woman was making cakes / And baking them on the hearth / .And being faint from fasting… .” There is both an explicit speaker (“tell me a curious story”) and an explicit addressee (“yet you might learn”). The rhyme scheme of the poem is alternate unrhymed lines with rhymed ones in an abebdefe, etc. pattern. The major literary technique is sensory imagery that includes vision, taste, and sound as Saint Peter (the technique of Biblical allusion) approaches the cottage and witnesses the baking of the cakes, then turns the woman into a woodpecker that can be heard tapping tapping on a free.

Question 2:
What is a dramatic narrative? Is our poem a form of dramatic narrative ?
Answer:
Poems with dramatic narrative are a form of poetry that has a plot and tells a story, Poems in this genre can vary in length from short to long and they can tell a complex story. Many times these poems use the voices of characters and narrator and usually the story is written in metered verse. This poem is a dramatic narrative told from inside a frame in which the speaker introduce,8. the story to the addressee.ir> the far cold Northland a good Saint was wondering on the road. He nearly fainted as he was so hungry with fasting.The saint cam^ to a cottage and within he saw a little old woman baking cakes. As he was starving, he asked a small cake for himself. The old lady baked the smallest cake for him but refused to even part with it. As a result the saint got angry with the old lady and cursed her. His curse transformed the old woman into a woodpecker. Today, everybody can see her in the forest where she lives in trees etching trees for her food.
This poem has a beginning and an end. The beginning is a simple narrative tone which ends in A dramatic form.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
Why did the woman bake a little cake ?(Board Term 1,2013, 9KK 73AP)
Answer:
The woman in the poem has been shown as a highly stingy, miserly, greedy and mean by nature. Whenever, she took out cake from the hearth, they appeared to be larger than the original size. Hence, she baked a very small cake for Saint Peter.

Question 2:
Greed is a quality which God does not like. Discuss it in the context of the poem.
Answer:
Greed is considered to be a sin. This has been clearly brought out in the poem. In a legend of the Northland greed has no end. This is evident in the behaviour of the old lady when she was asked for a cake by St. Peter. She could not even give him a wafer thin slice. This angered St. Peter and he cursed her to be a woodpecker. One should always be able to share with others as God has been so kind to give us so much.

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