Chapter 1
Sympathy
The teacher will read out the following text to the learners and discuss the questions that follow:-
A thirsty old man is sitting beside the road. He says, ‘water ! water ! water !. Suraj and Ravi are friends. They hear the old man’s cry. Suraj ignores it but Ravi stops near the old man. He takes out his water bottle. He gives the bottle to the thirsty man. The man takes the. bottle and drinks water. He thanks Ravi.
1 . Why does Ravi and top near the thirsty man ?
Ans. Ravi feels pity for the thirsty old man. He stops near him to give him his own water to drink.
2 . Why does the man thank Ravi ?
Ans. The man thanks Ravi for parting with his own water to quench his thirst.
3 . Do you ever feel sorry for a person in grief ?
Ans. Yes, I do feel sorry for a person in grief.
B. Let’s Comprehend
B. 1. Think and Tell.
Answer the following questions in word/phrasea/sentence.
Q1. Who was in sorrow ?
Ans. The poet was in sorrow.
Q2. What did the proud man give to the poet’?
Ans. Gold.
Q3. Who bound the head of the poet in hour of sorrow ?
Ans. A poor man bound the head of the poet in hour of grief.
Q4. Which is greater – gold or sympathy ?
Ans. Sympathy is greater.
B. 2. Think and Write
B. 2. 1. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements.
- The proud man watched the poet day and night. – False
- The proud man’s looks were cold. – True
- The poet did not return money to the proud man. – False
- The poor man went away by ignoring the poet. – False
- The poet was unable to pay back the deeds of a poor man. – True
- Sympathy cannot be paid back. – True
B. 2. 2. Answer the following questions in one sentence.
Q1. Who did not tell a kind word ?
Ans. The proud man did not tell a kind word to the poet.
Q2. What did the poor man give to the poet to eat ?
Ans. The poor man gave bread to the poet to eat.
Q3. What did the poor man do for the poet when he (the poet) lay in want and grief ?
Ans. The poor man watched night and day and gave bread to eat. He also bound the poet’s head.
B. 2. 3. Answer the following questions in not more than 50 words.
Q1. How did the proud man help the poet when he was in deep sorrow you like this way of helping a person in need ?
Ans. The proud man helped the poet by giving him some gold when he was very sad. But he did this without any kindness or concern. He didn’t say a comforting word or show that he cared about the poet’s feelings. I do not like this way of helping. True help should come with care, understanding, and empathy, not just gifts.
Q2. Sympathy can not be compared with gold. Explain.
Ans. Sympathy और gold की तुलना नहीं की जा सकती क्योंकि ये पूरी तरह अलग चीजें हैं। Gold एक भौतिक वस्तु है जिसे खरीदा, बेचा या बदला जा सकता है। जबकि sympathy एक भावनात्मक अनुभव है, जो किसी की परेशानी को समझने और उसके साथ महसूस करने से उत्पन्न होती है। यह निःस्वार्थ दया और सहानुभूति है, जिसे खरीदा या बेचा नहीं जा सकता। Sympathy का असली मूल्य यह है कि यह किसी को आराम और सांत्वना दे सकती है, जो केवल gold कभी नहीं कर सकता।
Q3. Have you ever shown sympathy to any one ? If yes, give details.
Ans.Yes, I have shown sympathy to others several times. For example, when my neighbor’s grandmother passed away, I could feel their sadness and wanted to support them. I visited their house, listened to their memories, offered my condolences, and helped them with small tasks during that hard time. Being kind and present for someone in need is a way to truly show sympathy.
Q1: What does the word “distressed” mean in the poem?
Answer: In the poem, the word “distressed” refers to a state of deep sadness or suffering, showing that the poet was feeling very unhappy and troubled.
Q2: What is meant by “charity” in the context of the poem?
Answer:In the poem, “charity” refers to an act of kindness or help given to someone in need — such as the proud man’s gold or the poor man’s loving care for the poet.
Q3: What does “blessed” mean in the poem?
Answer: In the poem, “blessed” means to express gratitude or to show thankfulness towards someone for their good or kind actions.
Q4: What is the meaning of “watched” in the poem?
Answer:In the poem, “watched” means to take care of or keep an eye on someone with concern, just as the poor man lovingly cared for the poet during his sorrow.
Q5: Explain the phrase “pay back” as used in the poem.
Answer:In the poem, “pay back” means to give something in return for what one has received — the poet wished to repay the proud man’s gold and the poor man’s kindness.
Q6: What does “heavenly sympathy” mean?
Answer:In the poem, “heavenly sympathy” means a holy and selfless form of kindness — a deep, heartfelt compassion that brings comfort and peace beyond material help.
Q7: How does the poem define “sympathy”?
Answer:In the poem, “sympathy” means sharing another person’s pain with genuine kindness — feeling for them and offering comfort and love from the heart.
Q8: What is the significance of the word “erect” in the poem?
Answer: In the poem, “erect” means to stand upright, showing the poet’s self-respect and thankful attitude when he acknowledged the proud man’s gift.
Q9: Identify two pairs of rhyming words in the poem.
Answer: The poem includes rhyming pairs such as gold – cold and heard – word, which make the poem sound pleasant and rhythmic.
Q10: Give examples of other words in the poem that rhyme.
Answer: Some other rhyming words in the poem are way – gray and pain – again, bed – fed, which help to keep the poem’s smooth and musical flow.
Q11: What literary device is used when comparing sympathy to gold?
Answer: The poem uses a metaphor, comparing sympathy with gold to highlight that true kindness and emotional warmth are more precious than material wealth.
Q12: Why is repetition used in the poem?
Answer:The poet uses repetition to stress the difference between the proud man’s shallow charity and the poor man’s true kindness, making the message of real sympathy stronger and clearer.
Answer by Mrinmoee
