CBSE Class 8 English Harvest Hymn MCQs Set 02

Answer: (B) bring him no profit

Explanation:
1. The farmer only cares about earning money.
2. Wild flowers grow naturally and cannot be sold for cash.
3. He calls them wicked because they give him no profit.

Answer: (D) Varuna

Explanation:
1. Varuna is the god of water and oceans.
2. He sends water from the sky as fresh rain and dew.
3. This water helps crops grow tall and healthy.

Answer: (C) The Earth

Explanation:
1. Prithvi is the Sanskrit name for Mother Earth.
2. She holds all plants, animals, and people.
3. She feeds everyone with delicious grains and fruits.

Answer: (A) greed and love of material comfort

Explanation:
1. Jaguars are very expensive luxury cars.
2. Freezers and television lounges are modern comforts.
3. This list shows that the farmers only want wealth and luxury.

Answer: (B) you

Explanation:
1. Thee is an old English word.
2. In simple modern words, thee means you.
3. Poets used it when praying to God.

Answer: (B) Surya

Explanation:
1. Surya is the sun god.
2. He shines warm and gentle sunlight upon the fields.
3. His light ripens the crops and fruits.

Answer: (B) Sarojini Naidu

Explanation:
1. Sarojini Naidu was a famous Indian poet.
2. People lovingly called her the Nightingale of India.
3. She wrote this hymn to thank Surya, Varuna, and Prithvi.

Answer: (A) A traditional harvest thanksgiving hymn

Explanation:
1. A hymn is a church song sung to thank God for nature.
2. A parody copies a serious song in an ironic way.
3. The poet mimics an old harvest song to show modern farmer greed.

Answer: (D) harmonium

Explanation:
1. The poem speaks of flutes, pipes, and cymbals.
2. It does not name the harmonium anywhere.
3. Therefore, harmonium is the instrument not mentioned.

Answer: (B) Metaphor

Explanation:
1. A metaphor compares two things directly without using like or as.
2. The line says God directly is the Seed and the Scythe.
3. Therefore, this poetic technique is a metaphor.

Answer: (D) the natural, living countryside and man-made, profit-driven change

Explanation:
1. The poem shows beautiful nature on one side.
2. On the other side, it shows machines, chemicals, and greed.
3. It contrasts living nature with selfish human destruction.

Answer: (C) mother

Explanation:
1. The earth feeds all living things like a kind mother.
2. She nurtures seeds into crops.
3. That is why she is called Mother Earth.

Answer: (D) Poison

Explanation:
1. The farmers spray dangerous chemicals on the ground.
2. These chemicals kill weeds, birds, and insects.
3. The poem directly calls these toxic chemicals poison.

Answer: (C) Joy and celebration

Explanation:
1. Flutes and cymbals make cheerful, lively sounds.
2. People play music when they feel happy.
3. Their music celebrates the joy of a rich harvest.

Answer: (A) it ripens the crop and fruit

Explanation:
1. Surya is the warm and shining sun.
2. Plants need sunlight to make food and grow.
3. His warmth ripens all crops and sweet fruits.

Answer: (A) a song of thanksgiving is used to celebrate the very destruction of nature it should be grateful for

Explanation:
1. A thanksgiving song should thank God for beautiful nature.
2. Here, the farmers sing happily while destroying nature.
3. Celebrating the killing of nature in a hymn is the greatest irony.

Answer: (B) elegant

Explanation:
1. Opulent means grand, rich, and plentiful.
2. Elegant also describes something rich and graceful.
3. Out of the given choices, elegant is the closest synonym.

Answer: (C) John Betjeman

Explanation:
1. John Betjeman was a famous English writer.
2. He wrote this satirical poem named Harvest Hymn.
3. He used it to criticize modern industrial farming.

Answer: (A) Earth

Explanation:
1. Gourd vines grow along the moist soil.
2. Earth nourishes these crawling green plants.
3. Therefore, Mother Earth is praised as queen of the gourd-flower.

Answer: (C) they condemn themselves through their own proud confession

Explanation:
1. The farmer speaks proudly about spraying poison and cutting trees.
2. Readers can clearly see his cruelty and selfishness.
3. His own proud words show everyone how wrong he is.

Answer: (A) prayer song

Explanation:
1. A hymn is a sacred song of devotion.
2. People sing it to worship and praise God.
3. Therefore, a hymn is a prayer song.

Answer: (D) old family homes of earlier generations

Explanation:
1. Small village cottages had stood in the valley for decades.
2. Families had lived in them happily for generations.
3. Greedy farmers burned them away to make bigger fields for cash.

Answer: (B) Surya

Explanation:
1. Mellowing radiance means soft, golden light.
2. The sun produces this bright, life-giving light.
3. Surya is the source of this gentle warmth.