Poem - No Men are Foreign Class 9 Worksheet English Chapter 1

Short Answer Questions

Q.1. What is the motive of the poet about the poem?

The motive of the poet is that we should refrain from war and not destroy people of other nations based on religion, culture, race or colour or for land as all are human and have descended from the same ancestors.

Q.2. Why does the poet say that under the uniform the same body lies?

The poet says that under the uniform the same body lies. He wants to express that different countries may have their soldiers in different uniforms, but human body is the same that wears it.

Q.3. What is the poet trying to convey through this poem?

Through this poem the poet is trying to convey that we belong to the same human race and thus have common ancestors. We all have been bestowed with similar bodies and limbs and therefore should not wage a war with others.

Q.4. What was the mood of the poet when he wrote this poem?

The mood of the poet was full of gloom and sadness when he wrote this poem because he saw the ravages and destruction caused by war.

Q.5. Why does the poet say, ‘it is ourselves that we shall dispossess, betray, condemn’?

The poet says, ‘it is ourselves that we shall dispossess, betray, condemn’ for he wants to convey that by destroying people of other countries we are not only harming them but harming ourselves too.

Q.6. What is the attitude of the poet towards human race as a whole?

The attitude of the poet towards human race is very positive. He doesn’t want war among nations for a piece of land or based on religion.

Q.7. The poem is all about ‘Xenophobia’. Does the poet like the idea of the people to create their societies propagating xenophobia or jingoism?

‘Xenophobia’ is the fear and distrust of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. Xenophobia is a political term and not a recognized medical phobia. It may develop from the perception that other race, culture or religion or country is trying to destroy your identity. Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an "uncritical praise of another culture" in which a culture is recognized "an unreal, labelled and mysterious quality". The terms xenophobia and racism are sometimes confused and used interchangeably because people who share a national origin may also belong to the same race. Due to this, xenophobia is usually distinguished by opposition to foreign culture.

Q.8. What is the central idea of the poem?

The central idea of the poem is that all people are equal, have descended from the same ancestors and have been bestowed with same body, limbs and mind. The earth is a single entity, but we have divided it into different continents, nations either based on the religion or culture. The poet says we wage wars to acquire a piece of land that belongs to other country but what we do, we destroy not only our neighbor, we destroy our people as well. The destruction caused by war is like a long winter in which the vary people who wage war are at the receiving end.

Q.9. What is the perception of the poet?

From the first stanza we come to know that the poet is against all the borders among the countries and he expressed his wish to remove it. According to him if there will be no border no country will be consider as a foreign country. Everyone will be free to move around. He wanted to state that all people are belonging from a single human race and all the soldiers are our brothers. We all one children of the “Mother Earth”.

Q.10. What are the similarities between them and us?

Here ‘Them’ refers to the foreigners. We always discriminate them and fight with them thought we know that we all belong from a single human race. We as a human being, all enjoy the every beauty of nature. That means for God we all are same. Again we all do farming when there is no war, we starve because of the war, our hands are same and we can put same effort to work hard. So here the poet wanted to convey the message of universal brotherhood.

Multiple Choice Questions

Q1: What is the main theme of the poem?

1. Love and War
2. Unity and Brotherhood
3. Nature and Humanity
4. Struggle and Victory

Ans:Q1: b

Q2: What do the author's words suggest about human life?

1. It is filled with hatred
2. It is a struggle for power
3. It is universal and interconnected
4. It is meant for individual gain

Ans:Q2: c

Q3: What do the lines "Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence Of air that is everywhere our own" imply?

1. Human actions impact the environment negatively
2. Humanity is inherently destructive
3. Wars create a polluted atmosphere
4. People are indifferent to nature

Ans:Q3: a

Q4: What should individuals remember according to the text?

1. To always prioritize their own country
2. That all men are foreign
3. To hate their brothers
4. To recognize common humanity

Ans:Q4: d

Q5: What is the consequence of taking arms against each other as per the poem?

1. Victory and glory
2. Unity and peace
3. Ruin and desolation
4. Freedom and prosperity

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Ans:Q5: c

Fill in the Blanks

Q1: The land our brothers walk upon is earth like this, in which we all shall lie. They, too, aware of sun and air and water, are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter __________.

Ans:Q1: starved

Q2: Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read a labour not different from our __________.

Ans:Q2: own

Q3: Remember they have eyes like ours that wake or __________, and strength that can be won by love.

Ans:Q3: sleep

Q4: In every land is common life that all can __________ and understand.

Ans:Q4: recognise

Q5: Let us remember, whenever we are told to hate our brothers, it is ourselves that we shall __________, betray, condemn.

Ans:Q5: dispossess

True or False

Q1: All countries are strange and all men are foreign.

Ans:Q1: False

Q2: Human actions do not impact the environment according to the poem.

Ans:Q2: False

Q3: Taking arms against each other defiles the human earth.

Ans:Q3: True

Q4: The author suggests that hatred towards our brothers is justified.

Ans:Q4: False

Q5: Unity and brotherhood are not important values to uphold.

Ans:Q5: False 

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Match the Following

Answers:

Column A - Column B
No men are foreign - Unity and Brotherhood
The land our brothers walk upon - Earth like this
Human earth that we defile - Our hells of fire and dust
War's long winter starved - Peaceful harvests
Remember they have eyes like ours - Strength that can be won by love

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Reference to Context

Q1: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
(a) Who does the poet address in the poem? Name the poetic device used in line 1.
Ans: The poet is addressing the readers in the poem. The poetic device used here is Apostrophe.

(b) What does the word “uniform” mean?
Ans: The word “uniform” refers to the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools.

(c) What breathes beneath all uniforms?
Ans: A single body breathes beneath all uniforms. This means beneath superficial differences, there is a similarity.

(d) What is the irony in uniform?
Ans: Uniform implies a dress, costume or identification code that is similar to a group or organisation. But because every nation has a different uniform, the world remains divided rather than united.

Q2: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
(a) Why does the poet feel ‘no men are foreign’?
Ans: The poet feels that no human beings are strange or different as beneath a different exterior all human beings breathe just like any other person.

(b) Who are referred to as brothers?
Ans: All human beings are brothers, irrespective of their superficial differences.

(c) What two things are common to all people as referred to in lines three and four of the extract?
Ans: This is because all walk on the same land and will be buried in the same earth after death.

d) ‘In which we shall all lie.’ When will this happen?
Ans: We shall lie under the soil, in our grave, after our death.

Q3: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.
(a) Whom does ‘they’ refer to?
Ans: They refers to those people who hail from countries different from ours.

(b) What is the significance of the word “too”?
Ans: The word too is significant because it emphasizes that “they” or people who are said to be our enemies are just like us in their need of sun, air and water.

(c) What does the poet mean by ‘peaceful harvests’?
Ans: Peaceful harvests are the crops grown in abundance during times of peace.

(d) What is the message of the poem?
Ans: The message of the poem is that no men are strangers in this world because all people on earth are connected through their common humanity. We share a number of similarities even with our supposed enemies.

Q4: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv ’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.
(a) What are the common elements in the universe that are shared by all?
Ans: All of us share the common elements of sun, air and water.

(b) What happens to people during wartime?
Ans: Wars lead to deprivation causing famines, starvation and deaths.

(c) Explain “Their hands are ours.” What can we see in ‘their’ hands?
Ans: Our hands, and the hands of our so-called enemies are similar. Our hands show the same signs of hard work and struggle.

(d) “In their lines we read.” What do we read in their lines?
Ans: In the lines on their face and body we can read that though they belong to another land, they have worked hard throughout their lives, just like us.

Q5: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.
(a) How does the author show that men from other countries have the same basic requirements as his own countrymen?
Ans: Men from other countries have the same requirements as his own countrymen by saying that they enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water.

(b) In what respect are their eyes compared to ours?
Ans: Their eyes are compared to us in that they too wake and sleep, just as we do.

(c) Whose strength is referred to in the extract?
Ans: The poet is referring to the strength of people who are from another country.

(d) Explain how strength can be won by love?
Ans: Their strength can be won by love because everybody responds to love and appreciates the feeling of brotherhood.

Q6: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake
Or sleep, and strength that can be won
By love. In every land is common life
That all can recognise and understand.
(a) Name three basic requirements the author feels that men from other countries have which are the same as his own countrymen.
Ans: The author feels that men from other countries enjoy the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water. Not only this, they also work hard to earn a living.

(b) What is it that can be recognised and understood?
Ans: It can be recognised and understood that life is common everywhere.

(c) Explain: In every land is common life That all can recognise and understand.
Ans: People living in another land are just like us. They too understand the concept and feeling of universal brotherhood.

(d) What is the poet’s message in this stanza?
Ans: Every population of every nation in this world recognizes the similarity in the life of people and that physical strength that can be won by love.

Q7: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other
(a) Who are our brothers?
Ans: People from countries other than ours are our brothers.

(b) Why do we hate our brothers?
Ans: We are told by some selfish people to hate the others.

(c) The poet implies that one picks up arms for three reasons. What are they?
Ans: We pick up arms to take away what someone owns, to cheat or betray our brothers, or to condemn them.

(d) What happens when we hate our brothers?
Ans: When we hate our brothers, in effect we rob, cheat and condemn our own selves.

Q8: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other
(a) Who is the narrator of the poem? To whom is the poem addressed?
Ans: The poem appears to have an omniscient narrator and is addressed to all of mankind.

(b) Who tells us to hate our brothers?
Ans: Our leaders tell us to hate our brothers who belong to another country or a different religious, social or political group.

(c) Why do they tell us to hate our brothers?
Ans: They tell us to hate our brothers for their own personal gains.

(d) Should we believe those who tell us to hate our brothers? Why/why not?
Ans: We should not become puppets in the hands of those who incite us to hatred. If we fight our brothers, we condemn ourselves too.

Q9: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.
(a) How do we defile earth?
Ans: We defile the human earth by dividing our earth into countries and by developing enmity against another group of people.

(b) What you mean by the innocence of the air?
Ans: Air is essentially clean and pure so is it innocent.

(c) How does air become defiled?
Ans: We fight wars and carry on other such activities that raise dust and emit smoke. As a result, the air gets defiled.

(d) State briefly the theme of the poem.
Ans: The theme of the poem is one of universal brotherhood, internationalism and the renunciation of war.

Q10: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.
(a) What do you understand by ‘human earth?’
Ans: Human earth refers to the earth on which human beings live and that is full of human feelings and human values of love and brotherhood.

(b) Explain: hells of fire and dust?
Ans: The hells of fire and dust are the fire and dust caused by wars between countries.

(c) How is the innocence of air outraged?
Ans: Fire and dust caused by wars make the air impure.

(d) How does the poet bring out the idea that men are not strangers to one another?
Ans: The poet specifies that just like us they wake and sleep and respond to love. Even if we look different on the exterior we all can recognise and understand the universal language of love and brotherhood.