Q.1. (a) "Beneath all uniforms..." What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
(b) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
Ans.
(a) The poet is most probably referring to soldiers' uniforms worn during war. The word "uniforms" can also mean the different national or traditional dress or outward symbols that separate people, but the poet uses it to show that beneath these outward signs all people remain alike.
(b) The poet suggests that all people are the same by naming common human experiences and needs. Everyone breathes, loves, hates and labours; everyone depends on the sun, the air and the water; all of us desire peace and suffer hunger and loss in war. By pointing to these shared needs and feelings, the poet shows that at a human level there is no real difference between nations.
Q.2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we are all alike. Pick out the words.
Ans.
Words that show five ways we are alike include: similar body; breathe; walk; lie; and the same earth.
Q.3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.
Ans. There are six common features in stanza 2: the sun, the air, the water, the harvest (peaceful crops), the hands and the labour.
Q.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?
Ans. Calls to hate usually come in times of tension or war, when leaders, politicians or propagandists urge people to see others as enemies. They do this to gain power, unite people against a common foe, or distract from their own failings. We should not obey such calls blindly; instead we must question the reasons and remember our shared humanity. The poet warns that giving in to hatred harms everyone: fighting one another ultimately injures ourselves and defiles the common world we all live on.
