Poem 6 The Wonderful Words
Text Book Questions and Answers
Working with the poem(NCERT Page 83)
Question 1.
With your partner, complete the following sentences in your own words using the ideas in the poem.
- Do not let a thought shrivel and die because ________________.
- English is a _______________ with words that everyone can play.
- One has to match _________________ .
- Words are the _______________ of thought.
Аnswer:
- you don’t know how to say it.
- wonderful game.
- the words to the brightest thoughts in one’s head.
- food and dress.
Question 2.
In groups of four discuss the following lines and their meanings.
1. All that you do is match the words
To the brightest thoughts in your head
2. For many of the loveliest things
Have never yet been said
3. And everyone’s longing today to hear.
Some fresh and beautiful thing
4. But only words can free a thought.
From its prison behind your eyes
Аnswer:
- You need to look for proper and accurate words to convey your thoughts beautifully.
- It is wrong to think that all that was worth saying has already been said earlier. There are numerous lovely things waiting to be said.
- If you have got some original and striking thing to say, you will find thousands of eager listeners.
- Mind is a treasure house of wonderful ideas and plans. They are like captives in your head. Only proper words can liberate those thoughts from the prison.
The Wonderful Words Extra Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Type
Question 1.
Why did the poet say that “English is a wonderful game”?
Answer:
English is a wonderful game because we can play with words and frame them in such a way as to convey desired message.
Question 2.
Who can liberate thoughts from our mind?
Answer:
Words can liberate thoughts from our mind. Thoughts and ideas are being held captive in our mind.
Question 3.
What has not been said yet according to the poem?
Answer:
Many lovely things have not been said yet and they need to be conveyed in a beautiful way.
Question 4.
Where can we find a new surprise?
Answer:
We can find a marvelous new surprise in our mind.
Short Answer Type
Question 1.
Do you think words are the food and dress of thought? Give a reason to support your answer.
Answer:
Yes, words are the food and dress of our thoughts because without them thoughts have no identity and meaning. Only words can express our feelings which we can convey to others. Thoughts will remain captive in mind in the absence of words.
Question 2.
What does the poet say about human thoughts?
Answer:
The poet says that one must not let his thoughts die if he does not know how to express them. One should always express his thoughts with the help of appropriate words. One should always convey his feelings clearly and truly without least hesitation.
Question 3.
What does the poet tell you about the world of words? Do you agree with him?
Answer:
Words are wonderful means of communication with their use. We express our thoughts and feelings while speaking or writing English. You try to match the words to the thoughts in your head. Words are the food and dress of thought. They allow your thought to move out freely from the prison of mind. And there is no dearth of wonderful new ideas.
Question 4.
Why does Mary O’ Neill call English “a wonderful game’?
Answer:
Mary calls English a wonderful game because it is so interesting to find right words to put your thoughts properly and correctly. Mind is a factory for your lovely thoughts. You can free them from the prison of your mind through words. You can also dress them decently to impress the listener. Just possible your new idea may take the world by surprise.
Value Based Type
Question 1.
Justify the title The Wonderful Words’!
Answer:
The title of the poem is justifiable because the poet has given the importance of words which are vital in order to convey messages or thoughts. They are the best means to express thoughts and to take out them from our mind. In order to convey though in a beautiful way there is a need to look for proper and accurate words. Thousands of thoughts which are imprisoned in the mind can find way only through the magic of language. Hence, they are wonderful, amazing.
Extract Based Type
Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Extract 1
Words are the food and dress of thought They give it its body and swing And everyone’s longing today to hear Some fresh and beautiful thing But only words can free a thought From its prison behind your eyes May be your mind is holding now A marvelous new surprise!
Question 1.
What do people want to hear?
Answer:
People want to hear fresh and beautiful thoughts. They have a desire to hear such things.
Question 2.
What did the poet want to convey through this poem?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey the importance of expressing our thoughts with the help of appropriate words.
Question 3.
What does the poet want to say through “prison behind your eyes”?
Answer:
The poet wanted to refer to our mind. She said that only words have the power to liberate thoughts from our mind.
Question 4.
Give synonym for the word ‘prison’.
(a) House
(b) Jail
(c) Class
(d) Mind
Answer:
(b) Jail
Question 5.
Write antonym for the word ‘new’.
(a) Old
(b) Word
(c) Longing
(d) Surprise
Answer:
(a) Old
Question 6.
People always want
(a) to hear beautiful things
(b) to be sad
(c) to transform others
(d) to fight with others.
Answer:
(a) to hear beautiful things
Extract 2
Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Never let a thought shrivel and die For want of a way to say it For English is a wonderful game And all of you can play it. All that you do is match the words To the brightest thougths in your head So that they come out clear and true And handsomely groomed and fed- For many of the lovelist things Have never yet been said.
Question 1.
What kind of a language is English according to the poet?
Answer:
According to the poet, English is a wonderful language.
Question 2.
What is the poet not asking us to do?
Answer:
Poet is not asking us to let our thoughts die, she is asking us to say whatever we have in our mind.
Question 3.
What does the poet mean by ‘English is a wonderful game’ and all of you can play it?
Answer:
The poet here means that ‘English is a wonderful language and everybody can use this language.
Question 4.
Write the antonym for ‘wonderful’.
(a) Horrible
(b) Beautiful
(c) Graceful
(d) Scary
Answer:
(a) Horrible
Question 5.
Write the synonym ‘shrivel’.
(a) Shrink
(b) Shed
(c) Shave
(d) Sink
Answer:
(a) Shrink
Question 6.
Write the meaning for ‘prison behind your eyes’.
(a) Mind
(b) Eyes
(c) Brain
(d) Mouth
Answer:
(a) Mind
Summary in English
All people think as well as speak. It is God’s special gift to man. Every person speaks at least one language to express his thoughts.The poet advises us to master a language, at least, our mother tongue. We must not let a great or good thought die because we don’t know how to say it.English is a wonderful and rich language. One can express one’s thoughts in this language effectively. What we need is to look for proper words to put forth our ideas clearly. It is wrong to think that there are no lovely thoughts left to be expressed.Words are a wonderful medium to communicate. If you have some new and beautiful thing to say, everyone is willing to hear it.Every thought is like a prisoner in our mind. We can set that idea free with the help of words. It is just possible that the thought may be marvellous.
Summary in Hindi
सभी मनुष्य सोचते और बोलते हैं। यह परमात्मा की मानव को विशेष देन है। हर व्यक्ति कम से कम एक भाषा तो अपने विचार व्यक्त करने हेतु बोलता ही है।कवि हमें सलाह देता है कि हम कम से कम अपनी मातृभाषा में निपुणता हासिल कर लें। हमें अपने किसी महान या सुन्दर विचार को केवल इस कारण मरने नहीं देना चाहिये कि हम उसे प्रगट करने की शैली नहीं जानते। अंग्रेजी एक अद्भुत तथा समृद्ध भाषा है। व्यक्ति इस भाषा में अपने विचारों को प्रभावोत्पादक तरीके से व्यक्त कर सकता है। हमें जरूरत इस बात की होती है कि हम उसके लिये उपयुक्त शब्द खोज लें ताकि हमारी बात स्पष्ट हो जाये। यह सोचना गलत है कि अब कोई भी सुमधुर विचार कहने के लिये बचे ही नहीं।शब्द, संचार के अद्भुत साधन हैं। यदि आपको कोई नयी और सुन्दर बात कहनी है तो उसके लिये श्रोताओं की कमी नहीं है। हर विचार हमारे मस्तिष्क में एक कैदी की भाँति होता है। शब्दों के सहारे हम उस विचार को मुक्ति दे सकते हैं। नितान्त संभव है कि वह विचार बहुत उच्च कोटि का हो।
Hindi version of the poem with comprehension
1. Never let a thought shrivel and die
For want of a way to Say it
For English is a wonderful game
And all of you Can play it.
All that you do is match the words
To the brightest thoughts in your head
So that they come out clear and true
And handsomely groomed and fed –
For many of the loveliest things
Have never Jet been Said.
अपने किसी भी विचार को इस कारण मुरझाने या मरने मत दो क्योंकि तुम्हारे पास उन्हें कहने के लिये उपयुक्त तरीका नहीं है, या सही शब्दों का अभाव है। कारण यह कि अंग्रेजी ऐसा विस्मयकारी खेल है जिसे तुम सभी खेल सकते हो। तुम्हें बस यही करना है कि अपने मन के उत्कृष्ट विचारों को व्यक्त करने के लिये उपयुक्त शब्दों को खोज लो ताकि जब वे तुम्हारी कलम से निकलें तो स्पष्ट और सच्चे हों तथा उन्हें भलीभाँति पालिश किया गया हो और वे सारगर्भित हों क्योंकि असंख्य सुन्दरतम बातें या विचार अभी तक व्यक्त नहीं किये जा सके हैं।
Read the following questions and choose the most appropriate option from the ones given below:
Question 1.
The poet asks us to think and find proper words to…………
(a) express our ideas clearly
(b) write a beautiful essay
(c) speak fluently
(d) reply the questions.
Answer:
(a) express our ideas clearly
Question 2.
How is English a wonderful game?
(a) It is liked by all
(b) It is rich in vocabulary
(c) It encourages people to express themselves
(d) It is, easily spoken.
Answer:
(b) It is rich in vocabulary
Question 3.
How can we play the game of words?
(a) By dividing the children into several groups
(b) By using our presence of mind and talent
(c) By looking for suitable words/phrases to express our ideas
(d) By learning more and more English words.
Answer:
(c) By looking for suitable words/phrases to express our ideas
Question 4.
According to the poet, a lot is left unsaid because of………
(a) man’s slackness
(b) lack of knowledge
(c) lack of courage
(d) lack of expression.
Answer:
(d) lack of expression.
Question 5.
What does the word ‘groomed” here mean?
(a) Made meaningful
(b) Polished
(c) Prepared
(d) Combed.
Answer:
(b) Polished
2. Words are the food and dress of thought
They give it its body and Suing
And everyone’s longing today to hear
Some fresh and beautiful thing
But only words can free a thought
From its prison behind your eyes
May be your mind is holding now
A marvellous new surprise.
शब्द ही विचारों का भोजन और वस्त्र या कलेवर होते हैं। शब्द ही विचारों को एक रूप और गति प्रदान करते हैं। हर व्यक्ति कुछ नया ताजा और सुन्दर कथन सुनने को लालायित है, पर केवल शब्द ही तुम्हारी आँखों के पीछे मस्तिष्क में बन्द विचारों को कैद से मुक्ति दिला सकते हैं। संभवत: तुम्हारे दिमाग में इस समय भी कोई अति सुन्दर नया विस्मयकारी विचार कुलबुला रहा हो।
Read the following questions and choose the most appropriate option from the ones given below:
Question 1.
How are words related to ideas?
(a) Both words and ideas play important role in life
(b) Without ideas words are meaningless
(c) Every thought/idea is expressed in words
(d) With the increase in vocabulary our ideas increase.
Answer:
(c) Every thought/idea is expressed in words
Question 2.
What are the people always eager to hear?
(a) A good speaker
(b) A good story
(c) A good leader
(d) Devotional songs.
Answer:
(a) A good speaker
Question 3.
How are thoughts like prisoners?
(a) Thoughts are dependent on words
(b) Thoughts are shut-up in the prison house of the mind
(c) Thoughts cannot be expressed
(d) Thoughts always remain hidden.
Answer:
(b) Thoughts are shut-up in the prison house of the mind
Question 4.
What can liberate thoughts from the prison?
(a) Proper guidance
(b) Thinking habit
(c) Proper words
(d) Good listeners.
Answer:
(c) Proper words
Question 5.
What does the word “marvellous’ mean?
(a) Very good
(b) Very dull
(c) Very naughty
(d) Very labourious.
Answer:
(a) Very good