Maharashtra Board Class 9 English Poem Comparisons 2.1 Solutions

Warming Up!

Chit-chat

 

Question 1. What is your favourite colour?
Answer: My favourite colour is blue. It brings a sense of peace and calmness to my mind.
In simple words: My favourite colour is blue because it makes me feel calm and happy.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering personal preference questions, state your choice clearly and give a simple reason.

 

Question 2. What does it remind you of?
Answer: It reminds me of the vast, limitless sky and the deep, quiet ocean. This beautiful colour always makes me think of nature's wonders.
In simple words: It reminds me of the blue sky and the deep ocean.

🎯 Exam Tip: Connect your favourite colour to natural elements to make your answer more descriptive.

Expanding Word Webs

 

Question 1. Form pairs. List the names of as many vehicles as you can. Choose any two of them, but they must be of different types. Then draw a word web for each of them to show their appearance, qualities and the things that these features remind you of. You may use words as well as phrases in the web.
Answer:
Structure of the Word Web:

• Central Node: Name of vehicle
• Branches:
  • Speed
  • Used, old or new (price)
  • Sound
  • Shape
  • (Colour) shiny black → Black stallion (horse)
  • Origin or brand
  • Size
  • Use

Words that can be used in the Word-web:
1. Terrific
2. Brand new
3. Sleek
4. Tiny/huge
5. Powerful
6. Affordable
7. Expensive
8. Easy-to-drive
9. Eco-friendly
10. Luxurious
11. Fuel-efficient
12. Automatic
13. Left-hand drive
14. Fastest
15. Imported
These descriptive words help us build a detailed profile of any vehicle we choose to describe.
In simple words: A word web helps you describe a vehicle by connecting it to different features like its speed, size, shape, and color. You can use descriptive words like "sleek", "powerful", or "eco-friendly" to make your description detailed and interesting.

🎯 Exam Tip: When creating a word web, start with the main topic in the center and branch out into categories like appearance, speed, and cost to organize your thoughts clearly.

Describing Vehicles

 

Question 1. Choose any two of the vehicles listed below and write related describing words for each from the given list.
Describing Words:
1. brand-new
2. sleek
3. tiny/huge
4. powerful
5. affordable
6. expensive
7. easy-to-drive
8. eco-friendly
9. luxurious
10. fuel-efficient
11. automatic
12. lefthand drive
13. fastest
14. imported

Vehicles:
1. bicycle
2. bullock-cart
3. car
4. bus
5. truck
6. motorcycle
7. scooter
8. boat
9. ship
10. train
11. helicopter
12. aeroplane

Answer:
(i) Car: brand-new, sleek, powerful, affordable, expensive, easy-to-drive, eco-friendly, luxurious, fuel-efficient, automatic, lefthand drive, imported. These words perfectly describe the modern features and capabilities of these vehicles.
(ii) Aeroplane: huge, powerful, expensive, luxurious, fastest, imported.
In simple words: We can use describing words like 'sleek' or 'automatic' for a car, and 'huge' or 'fastest' for an aeroplane to show what they are like.

🎯 Exam Tip: Group your adjectives logically by category (like speed, cost, or size) to make your descriptions clear and well-structured.

Bullock-cart Features:

• Saves fuel
• No need of concrete roads
• Eco-friendly
• Affordable
• Easy to drive/ride
• No accidents
• No pollution
• Slow

Aeroplane Features:

• Saves time
• Fastest
• Expensive
• Luxurious
• Less pollution
• Good service
• Thrilling experience
• Comfortable

 

Question 2. Note the difference between drive and ride. Use the two words correctly in your own sentences :
Answer:
1. Ride – to sit on and be carried by an animal or a two wheeler.
Sentence – I don’t like to ride on a camel. Riding helps us enjoy the fresh air and scenic views outdoors.
2. Drive – to sit in a vehicle and force to go in some directions.
Sentence – My father drives the car with full speed. Driving safely is extremely important to protect everyone on the road.
In simple words: Use 'ride' when you sit on top of something like a bicycle or an animal, and use 'drive' when you control a vehicle like a car from the inside.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that 'ride' is used for two-wheelers or animals where you sit astride, while 'drive' is used for four-wheelers where you sit inside.

 

Question 3. Describe your dream vehicle in a few lines :
Answer: Flying car is my dream vehicle. It will fly in the air. It will fly fast and save our time. It will also have advanced safety features to prevent any accidents in the sky.
In simple words: My dream vehicle is a flying car because it can travel quickly through the air and avoid traffic jams on the road.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use creative adjectives and clear, simple sentences to describe your imagination vividly to score full marks.

English Workshop

 

Question 1. List all the adjectives in the poem. Use the comparative forms of at least 8 of them to write new comparisons. Two of them have been given as examples.
Answer:
1. as rapid as spaceship
2. as tough as snail
3. as dangerous as dinosaur
4. as brave as tiger
5. as nice as lamb
6. as yellow as lemon
7. as delicious as jam
8. as hot as desert
9. as deep as sea
10. as fine as house
11. as green as pea
12. as dark as cave
13. as crunchy as toast
14. as heavy as road drill
15. as fearful as ghost
These comparisons help us understand the qualities of different things by comparing them to well-known objects.
In simple words: This list shows how we can describe things by comparing them to other objects that are famous for that quality, like comparing speed to a spaceship.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing similes, make sure the comparison is easy to understand and uses common objects that clearly show the quality.

 

Question 2. List all the nouns in the poem. Find a suitable adjective – other than the ones given here – for each of the nouns and write meaningful similes for at least 8 of them.
For example, as yellow as a lemon.
Answer:
1. spaceship - as fast as a spaceship
2. snail - as slow as a snail
3. dinosaur - as huge as a dinosaur
4. tiger - as fierce as a tiger
5. lamb - as gentle as a lamb
6. lemon - as sour as a lemon
7. jam - as sweet as jam
8. desert - as dry as a desert
Creating new similes helps expand our vocabulary and creative writing skills.
In simple words: We can make new descriptions by choosing a different quality of the same noun, like describing a lemon by its sour taste instead of its yellow color.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always choose adjectives that represent the most well-known characteristic of the noun to make your similes effective.

 

Question 1. List all the nouns in the poem. Find a suitable adjective – other than the ones given here – for each of the nouns and write meaningful similes for at least 8 of them. For example, as yellow as a lemon.
Answer:
1. as useful as ore
2. as lovely as a kitten
3. as stable as a rock
4. as warm as a mitten
5. as narrow as tunnel
6. as cute as an elf
7. as tricky as a mountain path
8. as safe as shelf
These comparisons help us visualize the qualities of each noun more vividly.
In simple words: A simile is a way of comparing two different things using words like 'as' or 'like'. Here, we have paired nouns with new adjectives to make creative comparisons.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing similes, choose adjectives that highlight a well-known characteristic of the object to make the comparison clear.

 

Question 1. Form groups of 6-8. Think of similes using different objects, for example, Dry as land, Wet as a puddle. Now try to put together the similes to make a poem with rhyming lines.
Answer: This is a group activity to be performed in class. A sample poem using similes is given below:

Dry as land, wet as a puddle,
Warm as toast, close in a cuddle.
Cold as ice, bright as the sun,
Learning with similes is always fun!

Creating your own rhymes is an excellent way to practice vocabulary and rhythm.
In simple words: This activity asks you to work with your classmates to make a rhyming poem using comparisons. You can use simple opposites like dry and wet to make it easy.

🎯 Exam Tip: To make your poem flow well, try to keep the line lengths similar and ensure the last words of alternate lines rhyme.

 

Question 1. Write the pairs of rhyming words.
Answer:
1. kitten - mitten
2. moon - noon
3. elf - shelf
4. shelf - yourself
5. snail - nail
6. lamb - jam
Rhyming words share the same ending sound, which gives poems their musical quality.
In simple words: Rhyming words are words that sound similar at the end, like 'kitten' and 'mitten'. Finding these pairs helps us understand the rhythm of the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always focus on the sound of the words rather than their spelling when identifying rhyming pairs.

 

Question 1. Start a collection of idioms with comparisons. Use the following categories:
Answer: These common comparisons, known as similes, help make our writing and speech much more colorful and descriptive.
(a) idioms with colours:
1. as black as coal
2. as white as snow
3. as red as blood
4. as blue as the sky
5. as green as an emerald
6. as pink as a rose
7. as yellow as gold
8. as orange as a pumpkin
9. as brown as a coffee bean
(b) Idioms with animals:
1. as cunning as a fox
2. as brave as a lion
3. as hairy as a gorilla
4. as hungry as a horse
(c) Idioms with objects:
1. as black as coal
2. as soft as butter
3. as light as cotton
In simple words: Idioms with comparisons use well-known colors, animals, or objects to describe something clearly, like saying someone is "as brave as a lion" to show they have a lot of courage.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing similes, make sure to use the correct pairing of adjectives and nouns, as these are fixed expressions in English.

• Like a bull in a china shop (Here, china means delicate articles of porcelain)
• Like a cat on a hot tin roof.
• Like a red rag to a bull.
• Like a cat that stole the cream.
• Like water off a duck’s back.
• Memory like a sieve.

 

Using your imagination write more comparisons using ‘like’.
Answer:
1. Like a fish out of water.
2. Like two peas in a pod.
3. Like a moth to a flame.
In simple words: We can make creative comparisons using the word 'like' to describe how people behave or how things look by comparing them to familiar objects or animals.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use simple, vivid, and universally understood comparisons to make your writing more expressive and engaging.

Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the Following Extract and Do the Activities

Simple Factual Activities

 

Question 1. Read the extract and complete the following by choosing the correct alternative:
Answer:
1. While comparing a spaceship with a snail, the narrator used speed, as a common feature in both. (speed/weight)
2. Square and round are shapes, commonly used to compare. (shapes/objects)
In simple words: This exercise helps us identify the common features and shapes used when making comparisons between different things.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the context of the comparison to choose the correct descriptive word.

 

Question 2. Match the following:

‘A’	‘B’
1. big	(a) toast
2. fierce	(b) desert
3. dry	(c) cave

Answer:
1. big — dinosaur
2. fierce — tiger
3. dry — (b) desert
In simple words: We match each describing word with the correct object or animal that represents that quality from the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize the standard comparisons from the poem so you can easily match them in exams even if the options are scrambled.

Question 2. Match the following:
Answer:

'A'	'B'
1. big	(d) dinosaur
2. fierce	(e) tiger
3. dry	(b) desert
4. warm	(a) toast

In simple words: This table matches describing words with the correct animals or things from the poem, like a big dinosaur or warm toast.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always write the matching words directly opposite each other in a clean table to help the examiner grade your paper quickly.

 

Question 3. Answer in 1-2 words:
1. How is a mountain path?
2. What is the world full of?
3. What is hard and what is soft?
4. What is commonly compared in a giant and an elf?
Answer:
1. crooked
2. opposites
3. a rock, a mitten
4. height
In simple words: These short answers describe different things from the poem, like a crooked mountain path and the opposites we see in the world.

🎯 Exam Tip: For very short answer questions, write only the exact words required to answer the question directly without writing long sentences.

 

Question 4. Match the following:

'A'	'B'
1. dark	(a) elf
2. hard	(b) ox
3. strong	(c) cool
4. short	(d) rock

Answer:

'A'	'B'
1. dark	(c) cool
2. hard	(d) rock
3. strong	(b) ox
4. short	(a) elf

In simple words: This matches describing words with their correct comparisons, like being as strong as an ox or as hard as a rock.

🎯 Exam Tip: Double-check each match to ensure that common comparisons (like strong with ox, and hard with rock) are correctly paired before writing your final answer.

p>Question. Match the adjectives in Column 'A' with the nouns in Column 'B':
Answer: Refer to the table below.
In simple words: This table pairs descriptive words with the things they describe best, like dark with a tunnel and strong with an ox.

'A'	'B'
1. dark	(e) tunnel
2. hard	(d) rock
3. strong	(b) ox
4. short	(a) elf

🎯 Exam Tip: In matching questions, always write the correct matching pair directly opposite to each other in the final answer table to make it easy for the examiner to grade.

 

Complex Factual Activity

 

Question 1. Complete the following:
Answer:
1. According to the poet a spaceship is fast whereas a snail is slow.
2. The poet says a road drill is noisy and a ghost is quiet.
In simple words: The poet compares very fast things like spaceships to very slow things like snails, and loud noises like drills to quiet things like ghosts.

🎯 Exam Tip: Underline the filled-in words in your answer sheet to highlight your answers clearly.

 

Appreciation Of Poem

• Title: The title of the poem is ‘Comparisons’.
• Poet: The poem is by an anonymous (= unknown) poet.
• Theme/Central Idea: The central idea of the poem is given in the last but one line of the poem. The poem celebrates the diversity in the universe. The poem also reminds us that all sorts of people and things are needed to make our world beautiful.
• Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme Scheme of first six stanzas is ‘abcb’. The last stanza has six lines and its rhyme scheme is ‘abcbdb’.
• Figure of Speech: Similes.

6. Special Features: The structural quality is a special feature of this poem. The quatrain stanzas and their ‘abcb’ rhyme scheme flows with the force of ballad. Here, in the conclusive two lines, the pace of the poem slows down and poet’s argument sinks deep down in our hearts.

7. Favourite line: The world is full of opposites, so think of some yourself.

8. Why I like the poem: I like this poem because it made me think for the first time the extreme diversity in the world around me. I think the poem helped me in looking at the world around me in a different light.

Vocabulary Focus

 

Question 1. Write adjectives/words used here, to show – shape, size, temperature:
Answer:
• shape – round, square
• size – big, small
• temperature – dry, wet.
In simple words: These are describing words from the poem that tell us about how things look, how big they are, or how they feel.

🎯 Exam Tip: Grouping adjectives by categories like shape, size, and temperature helps in organizing vocabulary effectively for descriptive writing.

 

Question 2. List all the adjectives in the poem. Use the comparative forms to write new comparisons:
Answer:
1. (a) faster than the wind
(b) slower than a tortoise
2. (a) bigger than my brother
(b) smaller than my sister
3. (a) fiercer than a giant
(b) gentler than a butler
4. (a) cooler than ice
(b) warmer than a sweater
These comparative phrases allow us to make vivid and imaginative comparisons in our writing.
In simple words: Comparative adjectives are used to compare one thing to another, like saying something is faster than the wind or smaller than a sister.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing comparative forms, remember to use 'than' after the comparative adjective (e.g., faster than, bigger than) to make correct comparisons.

 

Question 5.
(a) sourer than tamarind
(b) sweeter than mango
Answer:
(a) sourer than tamarind
(b) sweeter than mango
In simple words: These phrases compare things to show extreme qualities, like being very sour like tamarind or very sweet like a mango.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use these comparative adjectives to make your descriptive writing more vivid and engaging.

 

Question 6.
(a) noisier than a machine
(b) quieter than a cave.
Answer:
(a) noisier than a machine
(b) quieter than a cave.
In simple words: These comparisons describe extreme levels of sound, comparing loud things to machines and silent things to caves.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that "quieter" is the comparative form of quiet, used when comparing two things.

 

Question 7.
(a) stronger than a tiger
(b) weaker than a rabbit
Answer:
(a) stronger than a tiger
(b) weaker than a rabbit
In simple words: These phrases compare strength, using a tiger to show great power and a rabbit to show weakness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always use "than" (not "then") when making comparisons between two objects or animals.

 

Question 8.
(a) taller than a tree
(b) shorter than plant
Answer:
(a) taller than a tree
(b) shorter than plant
In simple words: These comparisons describe height, comparing very tall things to trees and very short things to small plants.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the articles used before nouns in comparisons to keep your grammar correct.

 

Question 9.
(a) darker than night
(b) lighter than tubelight
Answer:
(a) darker than night
(b) lighter than tubelight
In simple words: These phrases compare brightness, describing extreme darkness like the night sky or brightness like a tubelight.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use opposites like "darker" and "lighter" to create strong contrasts in your essays.

 

Question 10.
(a) harder than a stone
(b) softer than butter
Answer:
(a) harder than a stone
(b) softer than butter
In simple words: These comparisons describe texture, comparing tough things to hard stones and gentle or smooth things to soft butter.

🎯 Exam Tip: Similes and comparisons like "softer than butter" help readers feel the texture of what you are describing.

 

Question 11.
(a) crooked than hillroad
(b) straighter than a railway line
Answer:
(a) crooked than hillroad
(b) straighter than a railway line
In simple words: These phrases compare paths, describing winding routes like mountain roads or perfectly direct paths like railway tracks.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note how "crooked" and "straighter" describe the shape and direction of paths or lines.