Class 9 Beehive Poem Chapter 2 Question Answers - Wind

Short Answer Questions

Q1: Why does the poet ask wind to blow softly?
Ans: The poet asks wind to blow softly because he knows that a strong wind will cause a lot of damage to structures that are not very strong. It will break the shutters of windows, throw the books from the shelves, tear their pages, and bring rain.

Q2: What damage does wind cause in the poet’s room?
Ans: The wind causes significant damage in the poet's room by:

• Breaking the shutters of the windows.
• Scattering the poet's papers.
• Throwing down his books.
• Tearing the pages of his books.
• Bringing rain and disturbing everything.

Q3: What is winnowing? What, according to the poet, does the wind god winnow?
Ans: Winnowing refers to blowing away or removing the chaff from grain before it can be used as food. It implies segregating people or things by judging their quality. The poet says that the wind god separates the weak from the strong, like the chaff from grain.

Q4: How does wind make fun of weaklings?
Ans: Wind makes fun of the weaklings by separating them from the strong and then crushing them with its force. The strong wind does not behave in a friendly way with the weak. It destroys the weak things.

Q5: What harm does wind do when it blows hard?
Ans: When a strong wind blows, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of the windows, scatters the papers, throws the books off the shelves, and tears the pages of the books.

Q6: What kinds of houses should we build to withstand the power of wind?
Ans: We should make strong houses with doors that have firm joints as wind will not be able to crumble those.

Q7: What does ‘crumbling’ suggest in the poem ‘Wind’?
Ans: The word ‘crumbling’ in the poem ‘Wind’ suggests fragility or being frail. It implies that wind separates the frail or derelict houses, doors, rafters, wood, weak bodies, lives, and hearts from those that are strong and crushes them all.

Q8: Explain what the poet means by ‘Make the heart steadfast’.
Ans: The poet advises that while facing difficulties and challenges in life, one should have strong determination and courage. Wind causes weak structures to crumble and puts out a weak fire, but has no effect on a strong structure; in fact, it causes a strong fire to burn more intensely. Similarly, a resolute heart can face all adversities.

Q9: What should we do to make friends with the winds?
Ans: The wind makes fun of weak things. Thus, wind teaches us to be strong and determined, as a true friend should. We should make ourselves physically and mentally strong to overcome the troubles and turmoil we may face in life.

Q10: ‘He won’t do what you tell him’. Who is ‘he’? Why does he not obey others?
Ans: In this line, ‘he’ stands for the wind god. The wind god does not obey man because it is so powerful that it cannot be controlled.

Q11: Explain the meaning of ‘We praise him every day’.
Ans: Here ‘him’ stands for the wind god. We praise the wind every day because it provides us strength and life. As long as wind is our friend, it helps us flourish. Therefore, we must sing his praises.

Q12: What does the wind symbolize?
Ans: In the first stanza, wind represents destruction. Wind destroys the weak by throwing books down from the shelves, tearing pages from books, and by bringing rain. Wind, especially strong and gusty wind, symbolizes the difficulties and turmoil we face in life. Strong people face difficulties bravely while weak people are broken.

Q13: How does the poet describe the wind in the poem ‘Wind’?
Ans: The poet describes wind in two forms. One is a fierce and violent wind that destroys everything. It is not friendly with weak structures or characters. It makes them crumble. The second form of wind is nurturing. It brings comfort and happiness to the strong. It makes a strong fire burn brighter.

Q14: What is the central idea of the poem ‘Wind’?
Ans: In the poem "Wind," Subramania Bharati advises us to face challenges and obstacles in life with grit and determination. For this, we must be strong in mind and body. Only then will wind be our friend. Wind represents the difficulties and challenges we encounter in life. We should encounter them boldly.

Q15: What kind of people are disturbed by wind?
Ans: Wind disturbs only those people who are weak and vulnerable. People who are determined and self-confident are able to overcome the hardships caused by wind. The wind is not able to disturb their equanimity or peace of mind. The wind blows out weak fires and makes strong fires roar and flourish.

Long Answer Questions

Q16: What advice does the poet offer the people? Write your answer in the context of the poem, ‘Wind’.
Ans: According to the poet, the wind is very powerful. It can break the shutters of the windows, scatter the papers, throw the books down from the shelves and tear their pages. When it blows violently, it brings the clouds. It mocks at the weak and destroys their homes. But the poet is not dismayed. He realises thinks that when the people build strong houses, they can challenge the wind. The poet suggests that we should face the challenges and hardships with courage, grit and firm determination. The wind is a symbol of problems and obstacles which are to be dealt without fear.

Q17: What challenges are posed by wind in the life of the poet and the common man?
Ans: According to the poet, wind disrupts our everyday life. Wind, and accompanying rain, are forces of nature that are perceived as the tempest forces which create impediments in a man’s life. Just as our problems which can arise from nowhere, wind can hit us at any time of our life It mocks the weak and the frail. For frail people, literally and metaphorically, wind creates barriers. Winds do not let a frail body or a frail mind survive but on the other hand If you are strong, you have the power and the will to survive and fight back, wind can never be a threat to your being.