GSEB Class 9 English Solutions Poem 2 The Useful Plough

Comprehension

Question 1. State whether the following statements are true or false.
(1) The poem is about farm life and the countryside.
Answer: True
In simple words: The poem correctly describes rural living and agricultural settings.

Exam Tip: Carefully read each statement and refer to the poem's context to determine if it is factually correct as per the text.

(2) The village life is unpleasant.
Answer: False
In simple words: The poem actually portrays village life as enjoyable, not bad.

Exam Tip: Look for descriptive words used by the poet to understand their sentiment towards the subject matter.

(3) The farmers in country side are unhappy with the hardships in farming.
Answer: False
In simple words: Farmers in the poem do not seem sad despite hard work; they find happiness in their labor.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to words indicating emotions or feelings expressed by or about the characters in the poem.

(4) Ploughing is an act of satisfaction for farmers.
Answer: True
In simple words: For farmers in the poem, working with the plough brings them contentment.

Exam Tip: Identify key actions or activities mentioned in the poem and assess if they are associated with positive or negative feelings.

2. Answer the questions briefly.

Question 1. How long do the farmers work in their fields?
Answer: The farmers work from early morning until evening in their fields.
In simple words: Farmers start their work very early and keep going until nightfall in their fields.

Exam Tip: When asked about duration, look for phrases indicating the start and end times of an activity.

Question 2. How does the poet describe the country life in the poem?
Answer: According to the poet, country life is sweet. It is neither too hot nor too cold. The air feels pleasant and clean. Fields are full of crops, and there are trees and flowers all around.
In simple words: The poet thinks country life is lovely, with mild weather, fresh air, and beautiful fields filled with plants and flowers.

Exam Tip: To describe how the poet portrays something, gather all relevant adjectives and descriptive phrases used in the poem.

Question 3. What makes the morning pleasant for the farmers?
Answer: The sweet singing of the birds in the trees makes the morning pleasant for the farmers.
In simple words: The lovely songs from birds in the trees make the mornings nice for the farmers.

Exam Tip: Look for specific elements or sounds described in the poem that contribute to the atmosphere.

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions.

A country life is sweet
In moderate cold and heat
To walk in the air, how pleasant and fair,
In every field of wheat.
The fairest of flowers adorning the bowers,
And every meadow's brow;

Question 1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Answer: The rhyming words in the stanza are heat-wheat.
In simple words: The words "heat" and "wheat" sound similar at the end, so they rhyme.

Exam Tip: To find rhyming words, check the end sounds of lines within a stanza.

Question 2. What does the poet say about a country life?
Answer: The poet says that a country life is sweet.
In simple words: The poet thinks living in the country is very pleasant.

Exam Tip: Identify the main descriptive adjective used by the poet when talking about the subject.

Question 3. What does the poet say about the weather in a country?
Answer: The poet says that cold and heat in a country are moderate.
In simple words: The poet mentions that the country's weather is not too cold and not too hot; it is mild.

Exam Tip: Look for specific words that describe temperature or climatic conditions.

Question 4. What does the poet enjoy in a country?
Answer: The poet enjoys walking in the pleasant and fair air of the wheat fields.
In simple words: The poet likes taking strolls in the fresh, beautiful air across the wheat fields.

Exam Tip: Pinpoint the activities or sensory experiences the poet explicitly mentions enjoying.

Question 5. What makes the bowers and meadows beautiful?
Answer: Flowers make the bowers and meadows beautiful.
In simple words: The flowers help to make the shady places and grassy fields look lovely.

Exam Tip: Identify the specific natural elements that are described as enhancing beauty.

(2) So that I say, no courtier may
Compare with them, who clothe in grey,
And follow the useful plough.

Question 1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Answer: The rhyming words in the stanza are may-grey.
In simple words: In this part of the poem, "may" and "grey" are the words that rhyme.

Exam Tip: Focus on the words at the end of the lines to find rhyming pairs.

Question 2. Who does the poet refer to when he says 'who clothe in grey'?
Answer: When the poet says 'who clothe in grey', he refers to the farmers.
In simple words: The poet uses the phrase 'who clothe in grey' to talk about the farmers.

Exam Tip: Interpret figurative language by connecting descriptive phrases to the characters or subjects of the poem.

(3) They rise with the morning lark,
And labour till almost dark;
Then folding their sheep, they hasten to sleep;

Question 1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Answer: The rhyming words in the stanza are lark-dark.
In simple words: In this stanza, the words "lark" and "dark" rhyme with each other.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to the sound and spelling patterns at the end of lines to spot rhymes.

Question 2. When do the farmers wake up?
Answer: The farmers wake up early in the morning.
In simple words: Farmers start their day very early, when it is still morning.

Exam Tip: Look for temporal indicators or phrases that denote the time of day mentioned in the poem.

Question 3. How long do the farmers work?
Answer: The farmers work till evening.
In simple words: They keep working until the evening comes.

Exam Tip: Identify phrases that mark the duration or extent of an activity described.

(4) Next morning is ringing with birds that are singing
On each green, tender bough.
With what content and merriment
Their days are spent, whose minds are bent
To follow the useful plough!

Question 1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Answer: The rhyming words in the stanza are bough-plough, merriment-bent.
In simple words: The rhyming pairs in this part of the poem are "bough" and "plough", and also "merriment" and "bent".

Exam Tip: Sometimes, rhyming words might not be perfectly spelled alike but have similar sounds.

Question 2. What makes the morning pleasant for the farmers?
Answer: The sweet singing of the birds makes the morning pleasant for farmers.
In simple words: The pleasant songs from birds help to make the mornings enjoyable for the farmers.

Exam Tip: Focus on sensory details, especially sounds, that describe the morning atmosphere.

Question 3. How do the farmers spend their life?
Answer: The farmers spend their life in content and merriment.
In simple words: Farmers lead their lives feeling happy and joyful.

Exam Tip: Look for words describing the farmers' emotional state or general well-being.

Question 4. What do the farmers like to do?
Answer: The farmers like to plough their fields.
In simple words: Farmers enjoy tilling their land with a plough.

Exam Tip: Identify the main occupation or activity that the poem highlights as central to the farmers' lives.

The Useful Plough Summary in Gujarati

ગ્રામ્યજીવનની મજા છે.
મધ્યમ ઠંડી અને ગરમી
ઘઉંના દરેક ખેતરની
તાજી અને આફ્લાદક હવામાં ફરવું.
સૌથી સુંદર ફૂલો બધી લતાકુંજને,
અને ઘાસના મેદાનની કિનારીને સુશોભિત કરે છે;
એટલે જ મને લાગે છે
કે જૂનાપુરાણાં કપડાં પહેરીને
હળ ચલાવતા (ખેડૂતો) સાથે
કોઈ રાજ-દરબારીની તુલના અશક્ય છે.

તેઓ (ખેડૂતો) પરોઢિયે ઊઠી જાય છે,
અને સૂર્યાસ્ત સુધી સખત શ્રમ કરે છે;
પછી તેમના ઘેટાંને વાડામાં પૂરીને,
તેઓ જલ્દી ઊંધી જાય છે;
લીલી, કોમળ ડાળીઓ પર
કલરવ કરતાં પંખીઓ સાથે
તેમની સવાર પડે છે.
કેટલા સંતોષ અને આનંદથી
તેમના દિવસો પસાર થાય છે.
જેમનું મન ફક્ત
હળ ચલાવવામાં મગ્ન છે. – (પ્રાચીન ગીત)

Word Meanings:

plough (પ્લાઉ) હળ

moderate (મૉડરટ) મધ્યમસરનું

pleasant (પ્લેઝન્ટ) આનંદકારક

fair (ફેઅર) સુંદર, મધ્યમસરનું

field (ફિલ્ડ) ખેતર,

wheat (વીટ) ઘઉં

to adorn (અડૉર્ન) સુશોભિત કરવું

bower (બાવર) લતાકુંજ

meadow (મેડો) ઘાસનું મેદાન, બીડ

brow (બ્રાઉ) ધાર, કિનાર

courtier (કૉર્ટિઅર) દરબારી

to compare (કમ્પઅર) સરખાવવું, તુલના કરવી

to clothe (ક્લોધ) પહેરાવવું

to follow (ફૉલો) -ની પાછળ જવું

to rise (રાઈઝ) ઊઠવું

lark (લાક) એક ગાનારું પક્ષી

to labour (લેબર) પરિશ્રમ કરવો

dark (ડાર્ક) રાત

to fold (ફોલ્ડ) (ઘેટાંને) વાડામાં પૂરવું

to hasten (હેસન) ઉતાવળ કરવી

tender (ટેન્ડર) કોમળ

bough (બાઉ) ઝાડની ડાળી

content (કન્ટેન્ટ) સંતુષ્ટ

merriment (મેરિમન્ટ) ગમ્મત, મોજમજા

bent (બેન્ટ) વળેલું