GSEB Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 2 Wind Solutions

Thinking About The Poem

Question 1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
Answer: In the first stanza, the wind breaks the window shutters, scatters the papers, knocks down books from the shelf, tears the book pages, and brings showers of rain.
In simple words: The wind creates a lot of mess by breaking shutters, scattering papers, and knocking things down, also bringing rain.

Exam Tip: When describing actions in a poem, list them clearly and directly as they appear in the text.

Question 2. Have you seen anybody winnow grain at home or in a paddy field? What is the word in your language for winnowing? What do people use for winnowing? (Give the words in your language, if you know them.)
Answer: Yes, I have observed many women winnowing grain in rural areas. "Pachhorana" is the word used in my language for winnowing. People usually use a special basket or a winnowing fan for these tasks.
In simple words: Yes, I've seen women winnowing in villages using "Pachhorana" and a winnowing fan.

Exam Tip: Personal experience questions like this require you to connect the poem's themes to your own observations and knowledge.

Question 3. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Answer: The poet mentions that the wind god separates and sorts the weak, crumbling houses, doors, rafters, wood, bodies, lives, and hearts, and then crushes them completely.
In simple words: The poet states that the wind god breaks down all the fragile things like weak houses, doors, and even weak bodies and hearts.

Exam Tip: Identify the specific imagery used by the poet to understand the destructive power attributed to the wind god.

Question 4. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: To become friends with the wind, we need to construct strong houses with secure doors. We should also build ourselves physically and mentally strong by having robust bodies and unwavering hearts.
In simple words: To be friends with the wind, we must build strong homes and become strong in both body and mind.

Exam Tip: Focus on the actions suggested by the poet—both physical preparations and internal strength—to withstand challenges.

Question 5. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
Answer: In the last four lines, the poet encourages us to bravely confront the wind, which stands for life's difficulties. He states that the wind can only put out small fires but makes stronger ones burn more intensely. Likewise, challenges discourage the weak-hearted but strengthen those with unwavering determination. In such situations, becoming friends with the wind or life's hardships helps us to manage them more easily.
In simple words: The last four lines teach us to face life's challenges courageously, as they make strong people even stronger and help us handle difficulties better.

Exam Tip: When interpreting lines, look for metaphors and the overall message or moral the poet is trying to convey.

Question 6. How does the poet speak to the wind – in anger or with humour? You must also have seen or heard of the wind 'crumbling lives'. What is your response to this? Is it like the poets?
Answer: The poet addresses the wind with anger. Indeed, powerful winds are known to cause significant harm and ruin to both people and possessions. Storms, cyclones, strong winds, and gales create devastation on land. They uproot trees, demolish houses, bring down electricity poles, and take lives. They also damage boats and frighten poor sailors and fishermen at sea. However, I do not entirely agree with the poet that the wind only 'crumbles lives'. The wind is responsible for bringing rain; it cools the land and helps make the climate pleasant. Today, wind energy is utilized for many beneficial purposes, including turning windmills, wind turbines, and generating electricity.
In simple words: The poet talks to the wind with anger because strong winds cause a lot of damage, but I also think wind brings rain and helps create electricity, so it's not just destructive.

Exam Tip: Provide a balanced answer by acknowledging both the destructive and beneficial aspects of the wind, showing critical thinking.

Question 7. The poem you have just read is originally in the Tamil. Do you know any such poems in your language?
Answer: Yes, I have read another poem about the wind. It is titled 'Toofan' and was originally composed in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal.
In simple words: Yes, I know a poem called 'Toofan' about wind, written in Hindi by Naresh Aggarwal.

Exam Tip: For cultural context questions, recall similar works in your own language or tradition if applicable.

GSEB Class 9 English Wind Additional Important Questions And Answers

Reading Comprehension

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1. The wind blows out weak fires. He makes strong fires roar and flourish. His friendship is good. We praise him every day.
Questions:
1. How does the wind affect the weak fires?
2. What is the effect of the wind on strong fire?
3. Trace a word from the extract that means 'prosper'.
Answer:
1. The wind puts out weak fires.
2. The wind causes strong fires to become even more powerful and increases their intensity.
3. Flourish
In simple words: Weak fires go out in the wind, but strong fires grow bigger. The word for 'prosper' here is 'flourish'.

Exam Tip: When answering questions based on a stanza, ensure your answers are drawn directly from the given text.

Question 2. Wind, come softly Don't break the shutters of the windows. Don't scatter the papers. Don't throw down the books on the shelf.
Questions:
1. Whom does the poet request in the above lines?
2. Write any one action of the wind.
3. Trace a word from the extract which means 'thrown in different directions.
Answer:
1. The poet makes a request to the wind in the lines above.
2. Scattering of paper/throwing books from the shelf/breaking the shutters of the window.
3. Scatter
In simple words: The poet asks the wind to be gentle. An action of the wind is scattering papers. The word for 'thrown in different directions' is 'scatter'.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to the speaker's tone and direct address when identifying who is being requested.

Question 3. He won't do what you tell him, So, come, let's build strong homes. Let's joint the doors firmly Practise to firm the body. Make the heart steadfast.
Questions:
1. What does the poet advise?
2. He won't do what you tell him, what does it mean?
3. Find a word from the stanza that means 'loyal/faithful.
Answer:
1. The poet advises building strong homes, joining the doors firmly, and making our bodies firm and strong.
2. It means that the wind does not obey our commands.
3. Steadfast
In simple words: The poet suggests building strong homes and bodies because the wind won't listen. 'Steadfast' means loyal or faithful.

Exam Tip: When asked for advice, summarize the instructions or recommendations given in the poem clearly.

Question 4. He won't do what you tell him. So, come, let's build strong homes. Let's joint the doors firmly. Practise to firm the body, Make the heart steadfast.
Questions:
1. What does 'He' stand for?
2. What should we do to save our homes?
3. The word which stands for 'to fix' is
Answer:
1. 'He' stands for the wind.
2. To protect our homes, we should build strong houses and secure the doors firmly.
3. Joint
In simple words: 'He' refers to the wind. To save homes, we should build strong houses and make sure doors are joined firmly. 'Joint' means 'to fix'.

Exam Tip: Always identify pronouns correctly based on the context of the poem to avoid misinterpretations.

Question 5. Wind, come softly Don't break the shutters of the windows. Don't scatter the papers. Don't throw down the books on the shelf. There, look what you did – you threw them all down. You tore the pages of the books. You brought rain again. You're very clever at poking fun at weaklings.
Questions:
1. Write about any two destructive activities of the wind.
2. How can we make friends with the wind?
3. Find the word from the stanza which is an antonym of 'foolish'.
Answer:
1. Two destructive actions of the wind are: Breaks the shutters of windows and Scatters the papers.
2. We can make friends with the wind by constructing strong homes, having a strong body, and a strong heart.
3. Clever
In simple words: The wind breaks shutters and scatters papers. We can make friends with it by being strong. The opposite of 'foolish' is 'clever'.

Exam Tip: For antonyms, carefully read the stanza and find a word that expresses the opposite meaning of the given word.

Figures Of Speech

Choose the correct Figures of Speech in the following lines:

Question 1. 'Wind, come softly'.
(a) Apostrophe
(b) Personification
(c) Synecdoche
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)
In simple words: When the poet talks directly to the wind, it is an apostrophe. Also, giving the wind human-like qualities makes it personification.

Exam Tip: Apostrophe occurs when addressing an absent person or inanimate object directly; personification gives human qualities to non-human things.

Question 2. (1) 'Don't break the shutters of the windows. (2)'Don't scatter the papers'. (3) 'Don't throw down the books on the shelf. (4) 'There, look what you did.
(a) Litotes
(b) Alliteration
(c) Personification
(d) Metaphor
Answer: (c) Personification
In simple words: These lines show personification because they give human actions like breaking, scattering, and throwing to the wind.

Exam Tip: Look for verbs and actions attributed to non-human entities to identify personification.

Question 3. 'Crumbling woods, crumbling bodies, crumbling lives.
(a) Personification
(b) Repetition
(c) Alliteration
(d) Assonance
Answer: (b) Repetition
In simple words: The word "crumbling" is repeated multiple times, which is an example of repetition.

Exam Tip: Repetition is the deliberate use of a word or phrase multiple times for emphasis or rhythmic effect.

Question 4. 'The wind god winnows and crushes them all.
(a) Alliteration
(b) Repetition
(c) Synecdoche
(d) Metaphor
Answer: (a) Alliteration
In simple words: "Wind god winnows" uses the same starting sound, 'w', in close words, showing alliteration.

Exam Tip: Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together.

Question 5. (1) 'So, come let's build strong homes'. (2) 'Let's joint the doors firmly'.
(a) Repetition
(b) Apostrophe
(c) Alliteration
(d) Personification
Answer: (d) Personification
In simple words: These lines are directed at the wind as if it were a person, instructing it on what 'we' should do in response to its actions, which is personification.

Exam Tip: When abstract concepts or inanimate objects are treated as if they have human characteristics or can be conversed with, it's personification.

Question 6. 'He makes strong fires roar and flourishes'.
(a) Alliteration
(b) Onomatopoeia
(c) Personification
(d) All of these three
Answer: (d) All of these three
In simple words: "Fires roar and flourishes" shows alliteration (f), "roar" is onomatopoeia, and "flourishes" gives a human quality to fire, which is personification.

Exam Tip: Complex lines can often contain multiple figures of speech; analyze each part of the phrase for different literary devices.

Question 7. (1) 'He won't do what you tell him. (2)'His friendship is good'.
(a) Personification
(b) Apostrophe
(c) Anastrophe
(d) Repetition
Answer: (a) Personification
In simple words: The wind is referred to as "He" and is given human qualities like not listening ("won't do what you tell him") and having "friendship," which is personification.

Exam Tip: Look for gender pronouns (He/She) used for inanimate objects or forces, which are strong indicators of personification.

Questions - Answers

Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each :

Question 1. Describe the central idea of the poem.
Answer: The poem 'Wind' encourages us to confront the challenges that life presents with courage and strong determination. We must be resilient enough to face all the difficulties of existence bravely. Wind symbolizes the problems and obstacles that everyone encounters and experiences at some point in their lives.
In simple words: The poem 'Wind' tells us to be strong and determined when facing life's problems, which are like the wind.

Exam Tip: When asked for the central idea, summarize the main message or theme the poet wants to convey in a concise manner.

Question 2. Is wind regarded as a symbol of destruction in the poem? Explain.
Answer: In the poem, the first stanza clearly shows the destruction caused by the wind. The wind rips the pages from books, brings rain, and disrupts the daily routines of the world's weaker population. The strong or powerful winds signify the turmoil and difficulties in our lives. These problems should be ignored.
In simple words: Yes, the wind is a symbol of destruction in the poem, especially in the first stanza, where it tears books and disrupts lives, showing life's troubles.

Exam Tip: Support your answer with specific examples from the poem, especially from the relevant stanzas, to justify your interpretation.

Question 3. What are the Figures of Speech in the poem ‘Wind'?
Answer: The most common figure of speech in the poem is 'Anaphora', which means the repeating of certain words. The repetition of the word 'don't' in the first three lines of the poem serves as an example of Anaphora. Also, the entire poem acts as a metaphor, concluding with a message for humanity to stand firm against all kinds of ravages, whether natural or man-made.
In simple words: The poem uses anaphora, repeating "don't" at the start of lines. The whole poem is also a metaphor for facing life's challenges.

Exam Tip: Be sure to name the figures of speech and provide clear examples from the poem for each one you identify.

Question 4. Can wind ever be friend with us?
Answer: Wind, literally, can be our friend. Wind is a natural phenomenon that teaches us to be resilient. Our friends always encourage us to be strong and determined. In challenging times, the wind wants us to bravely confront our obstacles. Therefore, we must be strong when facing life's hurdles so that we are not defeated by them.
In simple words: Yes, the wind can be our friend because it teaches us to be strong and determined, helping us face life's obstacles.

Exam Tip: Connect the symbolic meaning of "friendship with the wind" to the practical lessons of resilience and strength taught by the poem.

Answer the following questions in about five to six sentences each:

Question 1. What challenges are posed by wind in the life of the poet and the common man?
Answer: In our lives, the wind disrupts our daily routine. It hinders and lessens the spirit of life around us. According to the poet, rain and wind were seen as natural forces that act like powerful storms, destroying the old and negative within a person to create happiness and freedom in their mind. Wind is a natural occurrence that is very difficult to predict accurately, just like our problems that can appear unexpectedly. It can affect us at any moment in our lives. For vulnerable people, literally and figuratively, wind creates barriers. Winds do not allow a weak body or mind to survive, but on the other hand, if you are strong, with the power and will to endure and fight back, wind can never be a threat to your existence.
In simple words: The wind challenges people by disrupting daily life, dampening spirits, and symbolizing unpredictable problems that can destroy the weak. However, if one is strong and determined, the wind (or challenges) cannot pose a threat.

Exam Tip: When explaining challenges, provide specific instances from the poem and connect them to the broader symbolic meaning of the wind.

Question 2. Does the poem reflect the human suffering being initiated by wind? Explain with examples.
Answer: I believe that wind serves as a powerful example of God's will for various reasons. Firstly, wind is invisible, yet its effects on other parts of this world are clear and apparent. Our poem considers both the beneficial and harmful paths taken by the wind. Wind can be extreme and violent, but not always motivated by anger or emotions. Wind can create empathy, but also indifference in human life. Winds emphasize the poet's passionate, intense nature, while the decay and death described in the metaphor imply human sacrifice and suffering. We also see that wind is a metaphor for God's will because its effects in this world can be either helpful or seemingly destructive.
In simple words: Yes, the poem reflects human suffering caused by wind, showing its destructive effects on homes and lives, which symbolizes the difficult challenges from God's will that can be both good and bad.

Exam Tip: Discuss both the direct physical suffering and the metaphorical suffering implied by the wind's actions, linking them to a deeper meaning.

Wind Summary In English

Wind Introduction:

Chinnaswami Subramania Bharathiyar (11 December 1882 - 11 September 1921) was a Tamil writer, poet, and journalist, as well as an Indian Independence activist and social reformer from Tamil Nadu. Popularly known as 'Mahakavi Bharati', he was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry and is considered one of the greatest Tamil literary figures of all time. He is famous for his patriotism in the pre-independence era. A. K. Ramanujan is a Kannada and English poet. He is well-known for his translation of classical and modern poetry. He has translated this poem 'Wind' from Kannada.

Wind Summary:

A house is battered by the wind all night - so isolated in the middle of the storm that it seems like it's out at sea. The surrounding landscape and woods also suffer from the wind's attack. In the morning, the wind has (metaphorically) reorganized the hills and moves the light with the motions of a wildly spinning eye. At this point, two verses in, the poem's speaker, referred to only in the first person, appears in the poem. As he moves along the side of the house, he looks into the wind, feeling it dent his eyeballs. It seems to make the entire landscape tremble and shake, threatening to suddenly make it disappear with a quick movement. It also knocks some birds around. The house rings in the wind, like a goblet ready to break from the noise. The speaker and the other people (or person) in the house are unable to focus on reading, thinking, or talking to each other, as the feeling of the wind is so overpowering. It seems like it's moving the house's foundations and causing even the stones to "cry out under the horizon."