English : Term 1 Unit 3 : Poem : Your Space
Warm Up
Look at the pictures given below. Fill in the blanks according to the cues given.
GLOSSARY
1. harsh: rough
2. doth: does
3. whisper: low voice
4. accents: emphasise
5. anxious: feeling worried or showing worry
6. grieve: be sorrowful
7. depart: leave/go
8. endure: suffer patiently
9. toiled: worked hard
10. vain: producing no results
11. stubborn: one refusing to change one’s opinion
12. strife: disagreement
13. eternity:Â without end
Questions Answers
Read and Understand
A. Answer the following questions in a sentence or two.
1. Why should we speak gently?
Harsh words spoil the good we do to others. So we should speak gently.
2. What do you infer about speaking with others from this poem?
We should whisper gentle words. Our voice should be kind and friendly. Our accents should be soft and mild. Our words should kindle love in others, not fear. Our words should not cause grief to elderly people.
3. What are the disadvantages of speaking harshly?
When we speak harshly it kindles fear in others. Moreover it spoils all the good we have done to others.
4. Why does the poet tell us to speak gently to young children?
We should speak gently to young children. If we do so, the children will repay their love to us. So it is always good to speak to them in soft and mild accents.
5. How should you speak with old people?
The hearts of old people are already burdened with disease, discomfort and loneliness. Our words should not make them more grief-stricken. Moreover they are nearing death. They should die in peace. So we should speak gently to old people.
PARAGRAPH WRITING
How does the poet stress the importance of gentle words?
The poet says that we should always speak gently to others. Harsh words spoil all the good we have done. So our words should be soft and mild. We should rule others by love, not by fear. For that gentle speech is essential. We should speak gentle words to children, young people and old people. The aged ones are nearing their grave. They should not be grief- stricken with our harsh words. Our gentle words will help them to die in peace. We should speak gentle words to the poor, the erring and the stubborn. The poet concludes that gentle words will bless us with everything good and joyful.
B. Read the poem and fill in the blanks with the correct option.
Soft vain fear joy love heard toiled mild good sand life harsh
1. It is better far to rule by love than fear.
2. Teach it in accents soft and mild.
3. Let no harsh tone be heard.
4. They may have toiled in vain.
5. The good, the joy, which it may bring.
6. The sands of life are nearly run.
C. Pick out the words which rhyme with the given words and write similar rhyming words on your own.
1. far – mar – star
2. fear – here – dear
3. low – flow – grow
4. kind – bind – mind
5. remain – gain – pain
6. they – may – lay
Rhyme Scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. We can find it with the help of rhyming words.
For Example
do and go , lost and post look like as if they are rhyming but they aren’t. Sometimes the letters will not be same at the end but they rhyme.
For example: poor – endure, know – so, bear – care
In a verse we mark the words that rhyme with the same letter, using a new letter for each set of rhymes. If there is a regular pattern to the rhymes it forms the rhyming scheme.
For example
Lines from the poem Rhyme scheme
Speak gently to the little child! a
Its love be sure to gain b
Teach it in accents soft and mild a
It may not long remain b
So the rhyme scheme is abab
Exercise
D. Take a stanza from the poem. Write it in the blanks and find the rhyme scheme
Lines from the poem Rhyme scheme (a/b/c/d)
Speak gently! – ’tis a little thing a
Dropped in the heart’s deep well; b
The good, the joy, which it may bring, a
Eternity shall tell. b