Class 9 Beehive Poem Chapter 2 Question Answers - Wind

Q1:  Give in brief the central idea of the poem ‘Wind’.

Ans: The central idea of the poem is that nobody cares for the weak. Even gods help the strong. Therefore, we should not pray for mercy or help. We should make ourselves strong. If we are strong, everybody will like to be friends with us.

Q2: What lesson can we learn from the action of the wind on the tyre?

Ans: If the fire is weak, the wind blows it out. If the fire is strong, the wind adds more power to it. It makes it roar and flourish. Therefore, we should make ourselves strong. If we are weak, everybody will harm us. If we are strong, everybody will like to be friends with us. Even the gods help those who are strong. They pay no attention to the prayers of the weak.

Q3: How does the wind poke fun at weaklings?

Ans: Weaklings pray to the wind to come softly. They pray to the wind god not to break the shutters of their windows. But the wind god does not listen to their prayers. Rather, he pokes fun at them. He blows down their houses. He breaks their doors. He breaks their bodies, their lives and even their hearts. He crushes them badly.

Q4: What does the poet say the wind god winnows?

Ans: The poet states that the wind god winnows because it is nature’s way of rejecting frail and unhealthy objects. In a way, the wind god separates the weak from the strong, like the chaff is separated from the grain. The wind god is the winnower, and the wind is the winnowing fan and the weak men are the grain.

Q5:  What does the poet think of the wind god’s attitude to the requests of people?

Ans: The poet believes that the wind god is indifferent to the requests of people. Even though people request him to blow gently, he does not pay any heed to their pleas. He is defiant and does not care about the wishes of people. It means that the intensity of the wind is beyond human control.

Q6: Why does the poet want people to have firm bodies and strong hearts?

Ans: In life, people have to encounter the winds of hardships, unfavourable circumstances, and big obstacles. If people are infirm, unhealthy, and weak-willed, they will be defeated by these difficulties. But, if they are physically strong and mentally confident, they can resist all the hardships boldly and successfully.

Q7: Why does the poet plead with the wind to blow softly?

Ans: When the wind blows softly, it is harmless and enjoyable, but when it blows fiercely, it wreaks havoc. Therefore, the poet wants the wind to be gentle and soft.

Q8: What kind of destruction is caused by the violent wind?

Ans: When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the window shutters, scatters papers around, makes the books fall down, tears their pages and brings about a heavy downpour.

Q9: Explain the line: You brought rain again”?

Ans: The line highlights the fact that the wind brings rain. He blows the vapour-laden clouds around and causes them to make rain. Sometimes, the rain brought about by the wind also causes damage.

Q10: What should people do to avoid the destruction caused by the strong winds?

Ans: To avoid the destruction caused by the strong wind, it is essential that people construct solid, sturdy houses with firm, strong doors. The buildings should be able to resist the attack of the violent wind.

Q11: What does the wind symbolize in this poem?

Ans: The poet converts the natural force, wind, into a symbol in the context of human life. The destructive wind symbolizes the hardships, problems and obstructions in the lives of people. Just as buildings have to face strong winds, people have to encounter difficulties and obstacles in life.

Q12: Why does the poet want people to have firm bodies and strong hearts?

Ans: In life, people have to encounter the winds of hardships, unfavourable circumstances, and big obstacles. If people are infirm, unhealthy, and weak-willed, they will be defeated by these difficulties. But, if they are physically strong and mentally confident, they can resist all the hardships boldly and successfully.

Q13: Why does the poet remark that the friendship of wind is good?

Ans: The poet remarks that the friendship of the wind is good because the wind has both kind and wicked aspects. If we are weak, its destructive force causes havoc. But if we are strong, we may harness its power and use it for constructive purposes. As a friend, the wind works for the benefit of mankind.

Q14:  How does the wind behave with stronger fires?

Ans: It behaves like a friend with strong ones. It cannot destroy them. So, it accepts its might and stops troubling them. Rather, it increases its strength by contributing its own.

Q15:  What does the wind do with the books?

Ans: The wind tears the pages off and throws them down from the bookshelf. The potent (powerful) wind scatters the books and sheets of paper on the floor. It disturbs everything.