Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Q1: Wind, come softly.
Don’t break the shutters of the windows.
Don’t scatter the papers.
Don’t throw down the books on the shelf.
(a) Who is the poet addressing in the above lines?
Ans: The poet is addressing the wind in the above lines.
(b) How does the poet want the wind to blow?
Ans: The poet wants the wind to blow gently without causing destruction
(c) What has the wind done to the books?
Ans: Wind has thrown the books down from the shelves/tom their pages.
(d) Name the poetic device used in the above lines.
Ans:
Q2: There, look what you did – you threw them all down.
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
(a) What is the poet’s tone in the above lines?
Ans: The poet remonstrates with the wind. He accuses the wind of making a mess.
(b) What has the wind done?
Ans: Wind has thrown down his books from the shelves and has tom them.
(c) What has wind brought with it?
Ans: Wind has brought rain with it.
(d) Name a poetic device used in the lines above.
Ans: Personification: The poet addresses the wind like a mischief maker.
Q3: There, look what you did-you threw them all down
You tore the pages of the books.
You brought rain again.
You are very clever at poking fun at weaklings
(a) Whom are these lines addressed to? What is the figure of speech?
Ans: These lines are addressed to the wind; personification
(b) What kind of destruction does wind cause when it blows hard?
Ans: When wind blows hard, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters, scatters the papers, throws the books, and tears the pages of the books.
(c) What word is repeated and why?
Ans: You is repeated as the poet accuses the wind of wreaking chaos
(d) What does the wind symbolise?
Ans: Wind symbolises the challenges and hardships we face in life.
Q4: You ’re very clever at poking fun at weaklings.
Frail crumbling houses, crumbling doors, crumbling rafters,
Crumbling wood, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives,
Crumbling hearts—
the wind god winnows and crushes them all.
(a) Who is very clever? What is it clever at?
Ans: The wind is very clever. It makes fun of weaklings.
(b) How does wind make fun of weaklings?
Ans: Wind makes fun of the weak by making them crumble.
(c) What does the wind god do to the weak?
Ans: The wind god separates the weak from the strong and crushes them.
(d) What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Ans: To make friends with wind we need to build strong homes with firm doors. We should also make ourselves physically and mentally strong by building strong, firm bodies and having steadfast hearts.
Q5: He won’t do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
(a) Who is referred to as ‘He’ in the above lines?
Ans: He in the above lines refers to the wind.
(b) What is he being told to do?
Ans: He is being told to blow softly and not break the shutters of the windows, scatter the papers or throw down the books from the shelves.
(c) What advice does the poet give the reader?
Ans: The poet asks people to build strong houses and firm doors and keep our bodies and hearts strong unyielding.
(d) What does wind do to the strong?
Ans: Wind befriends those who are strong.
Q6: He won’t do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
(a) Who is the ‘you’ in the above lines?
Ans: You refers to the listener/reader/mankind in general.
(b) What does the poet imply when he says ‘He won’t do what you tell him’?
Ans: The poet implies that difficulties and troubles do not listen to entreaties; they have to be faced boldly.
(c) Why should we make the heart steadfast?
Ans: The poet says that the wind makes fun of the weaklings only. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be strong.
(d) What does the poet mean by ‘make the heart steadfast’?
Ans: We must be determined and resolute.
Q7: He won 7 do what you tell him.
So, come, let’s build strong homes,
Let’s joint the doors firmly.
Practise to firm the body.
Make the heart steadfast.
(a) Who does the poet advise?
Ans: The poet advises the listener/reader/mankind in general.
(b) What advice does he offer?
Ans: The poet advises to build strong houses, join doors firmly and to make ourselves firm and strong in body and mind.
(c) What quality of ‘his’ character is revealed in these lines?
Ans: He, the wind, does not listen to anyone’s pleadings or entreaties. He does what he wants to do.
(d) Write any two destructive actions of the wind?
Ans: Scatters papers/ throws books down from the shelf/breaks the shutters of the windows/tears pages from books.
Q8: Do this, and the wind will be friends with us.
The wind blows out weak fires.
He makes strong fires roar and flourish.
His friendship is good.
We praise him every day.
(a) What does the poet mean when he says ‘do this’?
Ans: By saying do this the poet says we must build strong houses and have firm doors. We must be strong in mind and body.
(b) How does wind affect fires?
Ans: Wind blows out weak fires, but it makes strong fires bum more fiercely.
(c) Who is referred to as ‘He’? Why does the poet say ‘his friendship is good’?
Ans: He refers to wind. The poet says so because its friendship gives us strength and makes us flourish.
(d) What message do we get from the poem?
Ans: We grow stronger when we face challenges in life with courage and confidence.
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