Textbook: The Will to Win | English Kumarbharati Class 10 (Maharashtra SSC Board) PDF Download

 Page 1


The Will to Win
If you want a thing bad enough 
to go out and fight for it, 
work day and night for it, 
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If all that you dream  
and scheme is about it and life 
seems useless and worthless without it
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose 
all your terror of the opposition for it. 
If you simply go after that thing that you want with all 
of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and 
confidence and stern pertinacity.
If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
or sickness or pain 
of body and brain 
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, 
with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited 
his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age 
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why 
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always 
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had 
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making 
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come 
what may.
l scheme - plan
l fret : worry, be
anxious
l sagacity : wisdom
and good judgement
l pertinacity :
constant determination
l famished : extremely
hungry
l gaunt : very thin
especially from
disease, hunger or
cold
l grim : serious,
unhappy
- Berton Braley
124
Page 2


The Will to Win
If you want a thing bad enough 
to go out and fight for it, 
work day and night for it, 
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If all that you dream  
and scheme is about it and life 
seems useless and worthless without it
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose 
all your terror of the opposition for it. 
If you simply go after that thing that you want with all 
of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and 
confidence and stern pertinacity.
If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
or sickness or pain 
of body and brain 
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, 
with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited 
his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age 
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why 
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always 
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had 
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making 
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come 
what may.
l scheme - plan
l fret : worry, be
anxious
l sagacity : wisdom
and good judgement
l pertinacity :
constant determination
l famished : extremely
hungry
l gaunt : very thin
especially from
disease, hunger or
cold
l grim : serious,
unhappy
- Berton Braley
124
1. (A) In order to achieve success the poet wants us to
(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(B) Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your
sentences.
Example : good enough
 (C) What does the word ‘Scheme’ mean here ? Choose the correct alternative
from the following.
(a) Housing colony
(b) Goal in life
(c) Rhyme pattern
(d) Plan of action
(D) Do you think the line ‘Give up your time and your peace and your sleep
for it’ means that one should be ‘desperate’ or restless’ to achieve one’s
goal. Explain your opinion, in your notebook.
(E) Following lines are given to you. Find their appropriate meanings after discussing
with your partner.
(a) To go out and fight for it.
(b) If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it.
(c) Lose all your terror of opposition for it.
(d) With all your capacity, strength and sagacity.
(F) Read the poem again and complete the web showing all those things that can
turn one away from ones efforts towards a goal.
Things that can turn 
you away from goals
(G) Find the lines from the poem which mean-
(a) become crazy for the goal
(b) toil hard happily
(c) get rid of all fears
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
125
Page 3


The Will to Win
If you want a thing bad enough 
to go out and fight for it, 
work day and night for it, 
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If all that you dream  
and scheme is about it and life 
seems useless and worthless without it
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose 
all your terror of the opposition for it. 
If you simply go after that thing that you want with all 
of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and 
confidence and stern pertinacity.
If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
or sickness or pain 
of body and brain 
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, 
with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited 
his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age 
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why 
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always 
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had 
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making 
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come 
what may.
l scheme - plan
l fret : worry, be
anxious
l sagacity : wisdom
and good judgement
l pertinacity :
constant determination
l famished : extremely
hungry
l gaunt : very thin
especially from
disease, hunger or
cold
l grim : serious,
unhappy
- Berton Braley
124
1. (A) In order to achieve success the poet wants us to
(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(B) Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your
sentences.
Example : good enough
 (C) What does the word ‘Scheme’ mean here ? Choose the correct alternative
from the following.
(a) Housing colony
(b) Goal in life
(c) Rhyme pattern
(d) Plan of action
(D) Do you think the line ‘Give up your time and your peace and your sleep
for it’ means that one should be ‘desperate’ or restless’ to achieve one’s
goal. Explain your opinion, in your notebook.
(E) Following lines are given to you. Find their appropriate meanings after discussing
with your partner.
(a) To go out and fight for it.
(b) If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it.
(c) Lose all your terror of opposition for it.
(d) With all your capacity, strength and sagacity.
(F) Read the poem again and complete the web showing all those things that can
turn one away from ones efforts towards a goal.
Things that can turn 
you away from goals
(G) Find the lines from the poem which mean-
(a) become crazy for the goal
(b) toil hard happily
(c) get rid of all fears
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
125
(d) make efforts continuously
(e) extremely poor condition
2. The poet has mentioned some hurdles in the poem that keep us away from
achieving our goal in our life. Discuss with your partner and make a list of all
the hurdles mentioned in the poem.
l sickness
l
l
3. The poem explicitly describes some strengths and weaknesses with the help of
some words and phrases. The poet wants us to possess all the strengths and
keep away from all the weaknesses. Make a list of all the words and phrases
showing Strengths in table A and Weaknesses in table B. One is done for you.
A
Strengths
B
Weaknesses
l Work day and night
l
l
l
l Sickness
l
l
l
4. Listen to the poem carefully and state whether the following statements are true
or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) If you want a thing you should not give up your sleep.
(b) You should be afraid of your opposition.
(c) Cold or poverty cannot keep you away from achieving your goal.
(d) You can achieve your goal with the help of God.
(e) Life will not seem useless and worthless without achieving your goal.
5. Form pairs and complete the web with suitable responses. Tell the class what all
things the poet wants us to do to win.
give up our sleep
The poet wants
 us to 
126
Page 4


The Will to Win
If you want a thing bad enough 
to go out and fight for it, 
work day and night for it, 
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If all that you dream  
and scheme is about it and life 
seems useless and worthless without it
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose 
all your terror of the opposition for it. 
If you simply go after that thing that you want with all 
of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and 
confidence and stern pertinacity.
If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
or sickness or pain 
of body and brain 
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, 
with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited 
his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age 
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why 
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always 
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had 
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making 
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come 
what may.
l scheme - plan
l fret : worry, be
anxious
l sagacity : wisdom
and good judgement
l pertinacity :
constant determination
l famished : extremely
hungry
l gaunt : very thin
especially from
disease, hunger or
cold
l grim : serious,
unhappy
- Berton Braley
124
1. (A) In order to achieve success the poet wants us to
(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(B) Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your
sentences.
Example : good enough
 (C) What does the word ‘Scheme’ mean here ? Choose the correct alternative
from the following.
(a) Housing colony
(b) Goal in life
(c) Rhyme pattern
(d) Plan of action
(D) Do you think the line ‘Give up your time and your peace and your sleep
for it’ means that one should be ‘desperate’ or restless’ to achieve one’s
goal. Explain your opinion, in your notebook.
(E) Following lines are given to you. Find their appropriate meanings after discussing
with your partner.
(a) To go out and fight for it.
(b) If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it.
(c) Lose all your terror of opposition for it.
(d) With all your capacity, strength and sagacity.
(F) Read the poem again and complete the web showing all those things that can
turn one away from ones efforts towards a goal.
Things that can turn 
you away from goals
(G) Find the lines from the poem which mean-
(a) become crazy for the goal
(b) toil hard happily
(c) get rid of all fears
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
125
(d) make efforts continuously
(e) extremely poor condition
2. The poet has mentioned some hurdles in the poem that keep us away from
achieving our goal in our life. Discuss with your partner and make a list of all
the hurdles mentioned in the poem.
l sickness
l
l
3. The poem explicitly describes some strengths and weaknesses with the help of
some words and phrases. The poet wants us to possess all the strengths and
keep away from all the weaknesses. Make a list of all the words and phrases
showing Strengths in table A and Weaknesses in table B. One is done for you.
A
Strengths
B
Weaknesses
l Work day and night
l
l
l
l Sickness
l
l
l
4. Listen to the poem carefully and state whether the following statements are true
or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) If you want a thing you should not give up your sleep.
(b) You should be afraid of your opposition.
(c) Cold or poverty cannot keep you away from achieving your goal.
(d) You can achieve your goal with the help of God.
(e) Life will not seem useless and worthless without achieving your goal.
5. Form pairs and complete the web with suitable responses. Tell the class what all
things the poet wants us to do to win.
give up our sleep
The poet wants
 us to 
126
6. Match the phrases in table A with lines of the poem given in table B. 
Phrases Lines
(1) Toil hard
(2) Get rid of all
(3) Extremely poor condition
(4) Need desperately
(a) If you want a thing bad enough...
(b) If neither cold or poverty, famished ...
(c) To work day and night for it. 
(d) Lose all your terror of the opposition for it. 
7. Every stanza begins with word ‘if’. How does it add to the effectiveness of the 
poem ?
8. (A) In poetry, when words/ideas are arranged in an ascending order of   
 importance,  the figure of speech used is called ‘Climax’. 
  For example, Man should work for his family, his country, but most of all  
 for   God.
  l  Pick out two examples of ‘Climax’ from the poem.
   (B) When some words, in the line of the poem, express the same idea in   
 different ways, the figure of speech used is ‘Tautology’.
  For example, . . . happy and joyful.
               . . . motionless and still.
   l Pick out two examples of ‘Tautology’ from the poem.
   (C) Pick out one example of the following Figures of Speech.
  (1) Antithesis : 
  (2) Alliteration : 
  (3) Repetition: 
9. Work in group and prepare and present a speech on ‘How to Achieve Success.’ 
(You may take help of the poem).
10. Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem ‘The Will to  
   Win’ in a paragraph format. (Refer to page no. 5) 
11. Project :
   Make a list of Berton Braley’s collection of selected poems. You can take  
help of your teacher, library or search on the internet. Recite any one   
poem by Braley in front of the class. 
²???²???²???²
127
Page 5


The Will to Win
If you want a thing bad enough 
to go out and fight for it, 
work day and night for it, 
give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it
If all that you dream  
and scheme is about it and life 
seems useless and worthless without it
If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it and lose 
all your terror of the opposition for it. 
If you simply go after that thing that you want with all 
of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and 
confidence and stern pertinacity.
If neither cold or poverty, famished or gaunt
or sickness or pain 
of body and brain 
can keep you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, 
with the help of GOD you’ll get it!
Berton Braley was born in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. He inherited 
his father’s talent in writing and had shown his talent at a young age 
of eleven, when he published his first work - a fairy tale called “Why 
the grass is green”. Braley was considered a person who was always 
optimistic and held the belief that everything is possible. Braley had 
written around 4,000 verses and several hundred short stories making 
him one of the most widely read American poets of his era.
In this poem, the poet teaches us to have the will to win, come 
what may.
l scheme - plan
l fret : worry, be
anxious
l sagacity : wisdom
and good judgement
l pertinacity :
constant determination
l famished : extremely
hungry
l gaunt : very thin
especially from
disease, hunger or
cold
l grim : serious,
unhappy
- Berton Braley
124
1. (A) In order to achieve success the poet wants us to
(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(B) Write as many phrases as you can using ‘enough’ and use them in your
sentences.
Example : good enough
 (C) What does the word ‘Scheme’ mean here ? Choose the correct alternative
from the following.
(a) Housing colony
(b) Goal in life
(c) Rhyme pattern
(d) Plan of action
(D) Do you think the line ‘Give up your time and your peace and your sleep
for it’ means that one should be ‘desperate’ or restless’ to achieve one’s
goal. Explain your opinion, in your notebook.
(E) Following lines are given to you. Find their appropriate meanings after discussing
with your partner.
(a) To go out and fight for it.
(b) If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it.
(c) Lose all your terror of opposition for it.
(d) With all your capacity, strength and sagacity.
(F) Read the poem again and complete the web showing all those things that can
turn one away from ones efforts towards a goal.
Things that can turn 
you away from goals
(G) Find the lines from the poem which mean-
(a) become crazy for the goal
(b) toil hard happily
(c) get rid of all fears
ENGLISH WORKSHOP 
125
(d) make efforts continuously
(e) extremely poor condition
2. The poet has mentioned some hurdles in the poem that keep us away from
achieving our goal in our life. Discuss with your partner and make a list of all
the hurdles mentioned in the poem.
l sickness
l
l
3. The poem explicitly describes some strengths and weaknesses with the help of
some words and phrases. The poet wants us to possess all the strengths and
keep away from all the weaknesses. Make a list of all the words and phrases
showing Strengths in table A and Weaknesses in table B. One is done for you.
A
Strengths
B
Weaknesses
l Work day and night
l
l
l
l Sickness
l
l
l
4. Listen to the poem carefully and state whether the following statements are true
or false. Correct the false statements.
(a) If you want a thing you should not give up your sleep.
(b) You should be afraid of your opposition.
(c) Cold or poverty cannot keep you away from achieving your goal.
(d) You can achieve your goal with the help of God.
(e) Life will not seem useless and worthless without achieving your goal.
5. Form pairs and complete the web with suitable responses. Tell the class what all
things the poet wants us to do to win.
give up our sleep
The poet wants
 us to 
126
6. Match the phrases in table A with lines of the poem given in table B. 
Phrases Lines
(1) Toil hard
(2) Get rid of all
(3) Extremely poor condition
(4) Need desperately
(a) If you want a thing bad enough...
(b) If neither cold or poverty, famished ...
(c) To work day and night for it. 
(d) Lose all your terror of the opposition for it. 
7. Every stanza begins with word ‘if’. How does it add to the effectiveness of the 
poem ?
8. (A) In poetry, when words/ideas are arranged in an ascending order of   
 importance,  the figure of speech used is called ‘Climax’. 
  For example, Man should work for his family, his country, but most of all  
 for   God.
  l  Pick out two examples of ‘Climax’ from the poem.
   (B) When some words, in the line of the poem, express the same idea in   
 different ways, the figure of speech used is ‘Tautology’.
  For example, . . . happy and joyful.
               . . . motionless and still.
   l Pick out two examples of ‘Tautology’ from the poem.
   (C) Pick out one example of the following Figures of Speech.
  (1) Antithesis : 
  (2) Alliteration : 
  (3) Repetition: 
9. Work in group and prepare and present a speech on ‘How to Achieve Success.’ 
(You may take help of the poem).
10. Read the poem again and write an appreciation of the poem ‘The Will to  
   Win’ in a paragraph format. (Refer to page no. 5) 
11. Project :
   Make a list of Berton Braley’s collection of selected poems. You can take  
help of your teacher, library or search on the internet. Recite any one   
poem by Braley in front of the class. 
²???²???²???²
127
128
1. Discuss and find out the jobs which were done only by men in the past but
nowadays women too have started doing them.
2. Complete the following web of India’s winning medals in Olympics.
3.5 Unbeatable Super Mom - Mary Kom
Abhinav
Bindra
Olympic 
Medal
boxing
The text is about a famous female boxer, Mary Kom, who has brought laurels to our 
country by winning many national and international boxing championships. Make a list 
of famous men and women boxers across the world. You can take help of internet or your 
school library to get this information to complete the table. 
Name of boxer Gender Country
1. Mary Kom
2.
3.
4.
5.
Female India
W arming Up !