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

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 

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