CBSE Class 8 English Harvest Hymn Worksheet Set 02

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The people bring garlands and the riches of their valleys as tribute to ___________
Answer: Varuna, the sender of rain and dewfall
Explanation: People bring flowers and fresh crops to Varuna because he gives water to the plants.

Question. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option from the brackets. The phrase “plentiful bosom” represents ___________ (the Earth’s richness and fertility/the rain’s abundance)
Answer: the Earth’s richness and fertility
Explanation: Just like a mother feeds her baby, Mother Earth feeds all living things with her rich soil.

Question. The phrase “bright and munificent lord of the morn” depicts the lord as ___________
Answer: being generous and removing darkness of life
Explanation: The morning sun is very kind because he brings warm light to remove the darkness of night.

Question. The phrase “Thine is the womb where our wealth have birth” metaphorically refers to ___________
Answer: the Earth as the source of all agricultural wealth and crops
Explanation: Just like a mother gives birth to a baby, the fertile ground gives birth to plants and food.

Question. Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option from the brackets. The word “bounty” in this extract refers to (wealth/generosity/crops/sun)
Answer: generosity
Explanation: Bounty means a wonderful, kind gift given freely by God to help us.

Question. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option from the brackets. The phrase “sender of rain and the dewfall” relates to Varuna as the God of ___________ (the sky/ water and rain/ harvest/ the sun)
Answer: water and rain
Explanation: Varuna is the deity in charge of the rain clouds, oceans, and morning dew.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. What instruments are mentioned in the poem? What do they represent?
Answer: The instruments mentioned are the cymbal, flute, and pipe (and drum). They signify celebration, festive joy, and communal thanksgiving during harvest time.
Explanation: Musical instruments like flutes and cymbals show that harvest is a happy party with music and singing.

Question. Why is the poem named ‘Harvest Hymn’?
Answer: The poem is titled ‘Harvest Hymn’ because it is a song of praise and gratitude dedicated to the divine forces that bless the harvest. A hymn is a devotional composition, and in this poem, the speaker offers thanks to the Sun (Surya), Rain God (Varuna), Earth (Prithvi), and the Supreme Lord. These elements are essential for agriculture, and the poem reflects the joy of a successful harvest season. The villagers acknowledge the divine role in nurturing their crops. Therefore, the title perfectly captures the spiritual and seasonal essence of the poem.
Explanation: A hymn is a prayer song, and this song says thank you to God and nature for giving us plenty of food.

Question. What does the phrase “queen of the harvest” mean in the extract?
(a) The Earth is the ruler of all seasons.
(b) The Earth is the source of all crops and food.
(c) The Earth controls the weather.
(d) The Earth is a symbol of royalty.
Answer: (b) The Earth is the source of all crops and food.
Explanation: Mother Earth is called the queen because all vegetables, grains, and fruits grow from her soil.

Question. Why is Surya named ‘lord of the lotus’?
Answer: Surya is called 'lord of the lotus' because lotus blossoms bloom with the touch of the morning sunlight, showing the sun's power to awaken life and beauty in nature.
Explanation: Lotus flowers wake up and open their pretty petals when the warm morning sun shines on them.

Question. How is Earth (Prithvi) portrayed in the poem?
Answer: Earth is described as the “queen of the gourd-flower” and “sweet and omnipotent mother.” She is honored for her nurturing qualities, providing food and shelter to all living beings. The poet calls her bosom plentiful and her womb the source of riches. She is seen as the mother who supports all life and is worshipped with garlands, drums, and love. This description highlights the reverence for Earth in agrarian communities.
Explanation: The earth is like a caring mother because she gives us delicious fruits, vegetables, and a place to live.

Question. What does the phrase “new-garnered and ripe” point to in the extract?
(a) Freshly harvested crops
(b) New fruits in the market
(c) Newly built granaries
(d) Newly planted seeds
Answer: (a) Freshly harvested crops
Explanation: Garnered means gathered into barns, so new-garnered and ripe means fresh crops ready to be eaten.

Question. How does the poem emphasize the value of gratitude in agriculture?
Answer: The poem is centered around the theme of gratitude. Every stanza is a thanksgiving hymn to the forces of nature that contribute to a successful harvest. The men, women, and community offer their labour, produce, music, and praise as signs of thankfulness. Instead of taking nature for granted, they acknowledge its power and mercy. The poem shows that human labour alone is not enough; divine blessings are essential. By dedicating the harvest to divine beings, the community expresses humility. This gratitude promotes a sense of respect for the environment and communal bonding.
Explanation: Farmers work very hard, but they always remember to say thank you to nature for sunshine and rain.

Question. What does the phrase “Seed and the Scythe” represent?
Answer: The phrase “Seed and the Scythe” symbolizes the beginning and the end of the agricultural cycle. The seed represents sowing or creation, while the scythe represents harvesting or completion. By calling the divine both, the poem suggests that God is involved in every part of life. It also signifies the cycle of life and death. This metaphor connects nature, spirituality, and human labor.
Explanation: The seed is the start of a plant's life, and the scythe tool cuts it when ripe. God is with us from the start to the end.

Question. How do the men laud the sun?
Answer: The men praise Surya as the lord of the lotus and harvest, singing hymns with cymbals and flutes, thanking him for providing warmth and golden radiance that ripens their grain.
Explanation: The men sing happy songs with instruments to thank the sun for shining over their fields.

Question. How is Surya (the Sun) honoured in the poem?
Answer: Surya is called the ‘lord of the lotus’ and ‘lord of the morn’. The poet praises him as the source of bounty and mellowing radiance that helps in ripening the crops. He is thanked for prospering the sowing and nurturing the corn. Surya is associated with brilliance, warmth, and life, and is celebrated with cymbal and flute. His presence is seen as vital for a rich and golden harvest.
Explanation: Surya brings warm light that helps corn grow tall and makes grains sweet and ready to eat.

Question. What does the community present as tribute in the poem?
Answer: The community offers their songs, garlands, harvested produce, labours, and grateful prayers as tribute to the divine powers.
Explanation: The village people offer pretty flower garlands, sweet fruits, songs, and prayers to God.

Question. What type of tone does the poem have?
Answer: The tone of the poem is reverent, celebratory, and grateful. The speakers show deep respect and thankfulness toward the natural and divine elements. The poem has a musical and joyful tone, filled with rhythm and sounds like cymbal, flute, and drum. There is also a collective tone as voices of men, women, and the community unite in praise. The overall mood is spiritual and festive.
Explanation: The poem feels like a joyful festival where everybody sings together to say thank you.

Question. What does the phrase “lord of the harvest” indicate about the divine figure being addressed?
(a) He controls the weather.
(b) He blesses and ensures the success of crops.
(c) He is responsible for the market prices.
(d) He only governs the flowers.
Answer: (b) He blesses and ensures the success of crops.
Explanation: Calling the sun the lord of the harvest means his warm light helps all farm plants grow successfully.

Question. How does Sarojini Naidu use poetic devices to enrich the meaning of the poem?
Answer: Sarojini Naidu uses alliteration, imagery, personification, metaphor, and symbolism to make the poem vibrant. Metaphors like "Seed and the Scythe" and personification of Earth and Sun highlight the divine sacredness of nature and the beauty of rural thanksgiving.
Explanation: The poet uses words that paint colourful pictures in our minds, making the village celebration feel real and magical.

Question. What part does Varuna play according to the poem?
Answer: Varuna is the rain God and is referred to as the ‘lord of the rainbow’ and ‘beneficent lord of the morn’. He is credited with providing rain and dew, which are essential for agriculture. His mercy is said to cherish the furrows and foster the grain. The villagers express their gratitude for the timely rainfall that nourishes their crops. Varuna’s role emphasizes the dependence of agriculture on water.
Explanation: Varuna is the rain god who sends water from the sky so thirsty crops can drink and grow.

Question. Why is Earth termed a “source of manifold gladness”?
Answer: Earth is called a source of manifold gladness because she provides abundant food, variety of crops, and beauty that bring multiple joys and happiness to the people.
Explanation: Manifold gladness means many joys. Earth gives grains, fruits, and beautiful flowers that make everyone happy.

Question. Explain how the poem “Harvest Hymn” uses nature and divinity to praise rural life.
Answer: ‘Harvest Hymn” beautifully blends nature and spirituality to celebrate the joys of rural life. The poem acknowledges the Sun (Surya), Rain God (Varuna), Earth (Prithvi), and the Universal Lord for their vital roles in agriculture. The people praise them for blessing the fields with warmth, rain, fertility, and life. This divine connection to nature reflects the traditional Indian belief that nature is sacred. The poem is set during the harvest season, a time of joy and gratitude in villages. Through its musical tone, repetitive structure, and vibrant imagery, the poem captures the festive and thankful atmosphere of rural India. It emphasizes the bond between people, nature, and God in creating abundance and happiness.
Explanation: Village life is closely connected to nature, and farmers treat the sun, rain, and soil like sacred gods.

Question. Why do the people worship Varuna with cymbal and pipe?
Answer: People praise Varuna with cymbal and pipe to express their gratitude and celebrate the blessings of rain and dew that help their crops grow.
Explanation: Playing musical instruments is a joyful way to thank the rain god for watering the crops.

Question. What poetic techniques are used in the poem?
Answer: The poem uses alliteration, imagery, personification, metaphor, and symbolism. Examples include “munificent morning” (alliteration), “bosom that feeds us” (personification), and “Seed and the Scythe” (metaphor). Symbolism is seen in figures like Surya (sun = life), Varuna (rain = nourishment), and Earth (motherhood). These devices enrich the poem and make it more expressive.
Explanation: The poet uses word tricks like matching sounds and comparing the earth to a loving mother.

Question. Why is Earth called as “sweet and omnipotent mother” in the extract?
Answer: Earth is described as “sweet and omnipotent mother” because she is loving, kind, and nurturing like a mother, and possesses the supreme, all-powerful strength to sustain and feed all life.
Explanation: Mother Earth is sweet because she cares for us, and all-powerful because she grows all our food.

Question. How has the sun helped towards the rich harvest?
Answer: The sun has provided mellowing radiance and vital warmth, blessing the sowing of seeds, nurturing the growing corn, and ripening the crops to golden perfection.
Explanation: Sunlight gives warmth to plants so that green crops turn into ripe golden corn.

Question. What is the importance of repetition in the poem?
Answer: Repetition is used to emphasize gratitude and to create a musical rhythm. For example, phrases like “the gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit” highlight abundance. Repeating words like “we praise thee” helps build a sense of collective prayer. It also reflects the rituals and chants common in hymns and religious songs. Repetition reinforces key ideas and makes the poem more lyrical.
Explanation: Repeating words makes the poem sound like a sweet prayer song that everyone can sing together.

Question. What is the lesson of the poem?
Answer: The message of the poem is that human beings should live in harmony with nature, showing deep gratitude, reverence, and humility toward the divine forces that sustain life.
Explanation: We must always love and respect nature because our food and life come from the soil, sun, and rain.

Question. How does the expression “Thine is the bounty that prospered our sowing” reflect the people’s feelings towards the divine?
Answer: It reflects people’s respect and awe for the earth’s life-giving qualities, seeing her as a divine force.
Explanation: The people feel very humble and thankful because they know God helped their seeds grow.

Question. How does the poem depict the harvest?
Answer: The harvest is portrayed as a bountiful and divine gift. The gold of fields and fruit represents rich produce. The people bring offerings to the deities to show their appreciation. The scene is filled with music and praise, showing the joy of a successful season. The harvest is not only an economic event but also a spiritual one.
Explanation: The harvest is shown as a golden gift of food that brings music, dancing, and happy smiles to the village.

Question. What cultural elements of Indian village life are mirrored in the poem?
Answer: The poem reflects traditional Indian agrarian customs including offering the first harvest to deities, singing devotional hymns accompanied by folk instruments, collective community participation, and worshipping natural elements as sacred beings.
Explanation: In Indian villages, people celebrate new crops together with folk music, temple prayers, and sweet food.

Question. Why is the poem arranged in multiple voices?
Answer: The poem uses the voices of men, women, and all voices to show the unity of the entire community in offering thanks. Each group pays homage to different aspects of nature and divinity. Men praise the Sun and Rain, women praise the Earth, and all voices praise the Supreme Lord. This structure also reflects traditional folk songs and rituals. It emphasizes that all members of society contribute to and benefit from the harvest.
Explanation: Men, women, and children all take turns singing to show that the whole village is united in saying thank you.

Question. How does the poem show the rural Indian atmosphere?
Answer: The poem reflects rural India through agricultural imagery of sowing and harvesting, musical instruments like flute and cymbal, traditional worship of nature's deities, and the communal unity of village life.
Explanation: It shows the sights and sounds of an Indian village with green fields, happy songs, and flute music.

Question. Describe the function and symbolism of Surya, Varuna, and Prithvi in the poem.
Answer: In the poem, Surya symbolizes light, warmth, and growth. He is praised as the “lord of the harvest” and credited for nurturing the corn. Varuna, the Rain God, symbolizes mercy and water, essential for farming. He is honoured for his role in watering the furrows and making the grain grow. Prithvi, or Mother Earth, is personified as a nurturing and fertile mother who gives birth to all riches. Each of these figures represents essential elements of nature without which agriculture would not thrive. Their symbolic presence reflects a deep ecological awareness and spiritual reverence. The villagers see these forces not just as natural phenomena but as deities worthy of worship.
Explanation: Surya gives sunshine, Varuna gives cool rain, and Prithvi gives the soil for plants to grow into healthy food.