RBSE Solutions Class 8 English Chapter 7 The Song of the Free

About The Poem And The Poet

The poet strongly believes that every person is born with special inner strengths. These strengths help them face any hard problem or situation. He thinks that truly great people show their best abilities when they discover their hidden powers during difficult times.

Summary Of The Poem

The poet explains that a snake flares its hood when hurt, flames grow stronger with the heat, desert air echoes loudly, and a lion gets angry when bothered. Similarly, clouds show their power as heavy rain when lightning strikes them. In the same way, important people reveal their true strength when they are challenged deeply inside.

The poet further states that even if vision becomes unclear, or the heart feels low, and friends fail, or love betrays, or bad luck brings many troubles, and the path seems completely dark, a person should never give up. Even if nature tries to break them, people have a special inner power to keep going without fear of any difficulties. By staying focused on their goal, they will eventually achieve whatever they work for from within themselves.

कवि तथा कविता के बारे में ।

कवि का मानना है कि सभी मनुष्यों के पास खास शक्तियां होती हैं जो उन्हें किसी भी परेशानी का सामना करने में मदद करती हैं। उनका यह मानना है कि महान लोग मुश्किल समय में अपनी छिपी हुई शक्ति को पहचान कर अपनी परेशानियों से लड़ते हुए आगे बढ़ते हैं। यह विश्वास हमें अपनी आंतरिक क्षमता को पहचानने की प्रेरणा देता है।

कविता का सार

कवि बताते हैं कि जब एक साँप घायल होता है तो अपना फन फैलाता है, आग की लपटें तेज होकर और भड़कती हैं, रेगिस्तान की हवा गूँजती है, शेर को परेशान करने पर उसका गुस्सा बढ़ता है, और बादल बिजली गिरने पर भारी बारिश के रूप में अपनी शक्ति दिखाते हैं। ठीक इसी तरह, जब किसी इंसान की आत्मा को अंदर से झकझोरा जाता है, तब उसे अपनी छिपी हुई शक्ति का एहसास होता है और वह अपना सबसे अच्छा प्रदर्शन करता है। कवि आगे कहते हैं कि चाहे तुम्हारी आँखों की रोशनी कम हो जाए, दोस्ती में धोखा मिले, प्यार में विश्वासघात हो, या भाग्य तुम्हें कई भयानक मुश्किलें दिखाए, चाहे रास्ता कितना भी अँधेरा क्यों न हो, और चाहे प्रकृति तुम्हें पूरी तरह से खत्म करने की कोशिश करे, फिर भी तुम्हें खुद को ईश्वर जैसा मानते हुए, बिना भटके, अपने लक्ष्य की ओर बढ़ते रहना चाहिए। अपने लक्ष्य पर ध्यान केंद्रित करके तुम अंततः उसे पा लोगे, चाहे तुम्हारे रास्ते में कितनी भी बाधाएँ आएँ। तुम्हारी अंदर की ताकत तुम्हें सभी रुकावटों से लड़ने और लक्ष्य पाने में मदद करेगी।

Glossary

Faint-to fall down senseless; धुंधला, शिथिल
Crush-press, down, squeeze; कुचलना
Betray-break faith; विश्वासघात करना
Clotted-complete; पूरी तरह
Fate-luck; भाग्य
Block-to stop; बंद करना
Frown-look, displeased; तेवर, त्यौरी
Deluge-to overwhelm with a flood of water; जल प्रलय, भरमार

Wounded : injured
Stirred up : made people feel strong emotions
Blaze : extremely hot, or angry/bright light
Cleave : split or cut something
Deluge : a sudden heavy fall of rain
Clotted darkness : complete darkness
Divine : godly
Frown : angry look
Crush out : to press something so hard that it is damaged or injured
Betray : to cheat, to hurt somebody who trust you
Unfurl : spread out
Faint : weak, dim

The Song Of The Free Textbook Questions Solved

Activity - I

A. Tick The Correct Alternative.

सही विकल्प पर निशान लगाइए।

Question 1. The lion roars angrily.....
(a) by nature
(b) when it is struck
(c) when it is hungry
(d) all of the options
Answer: (b) when it is struck
In simple words: The lion gets very angry and roars loudly when someone bothers or harms it. This shows its strength when provoked.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always relate the answer back to the poem's context. The poem states that the lion becomes annoyed when troubled.

B. Complete The Following With The Best Choice.

सर्वश्रेष्ठ विकल्प चुनकर वाक्य पूरे कीजिए।

Question 1. Let eyes grow dim and .......... grow faint.
(a) heart
(b) courage
(c) manhood
Answer: (a) heart
In simple words: This line from the poem suggests that even if one's sight grows weak and emotions become faint, they should still persevere. It connects the idea of physical and emotional fading.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to word pairs and phrases used together in the poem to complete such sentences accurately.

Question 2. Let .......... Its hundred horror send.
(a) enemy
(b) satan
(c) fate
Answer: (c) fate
In simple words: The poem talks about facing all challenges, including those sent by bad luck or destiny. This shows that the difficulties come from fate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the overall message of the poem about overcoming obstacles, which helps in identifying words like 'fate' that represent challenges.

C. Answer The Following Questions In 10 To 20 Words.

निम्न प्रश्नों के उत्तर 10-20 शब्दों में दीजिए।

Question 1. What happens when lightning rends the cloud?
जब बिजली बादलों को चीरती है, तब क्या होता है?
Answer: When lightning splits the clouds, the clouds show their power by raining very heavily. This heavy rain often looks like a flood.
In simple words: When lightning tears clouds, they powerfully release a lot of rain, like a big flood.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that natural phenomena in the poem, like lightning and rain, are used to symbolize strength and the revealing of power.

Question 2. When does the lion roar angrily?
शेर क्रोधित हो कर कब दहाड़ता हैं?
Answer: The lion roars angrily when someone hits or troubles it. The lion's roar is a sign of its power and anger when provoked.
In simple words: A lion roars angrily when someone makes it upset or strikes it.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on keywords like 'struck' or 'troubled' when answering questions about animal reactions in the poem.

Question 4. What is the main goal of human soul?
मानव आत्मा का मुख्य लक्ष्य क्या है?
Answer: The main goal of the human soul is to keep moving forward to achieve its aims. It must always strive to reach its true potential and purpose.
In simple words: The human soul's main aim is to always work towards its goals without stopping.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize the idea of continuous progress and goal attainment when describing the human soul's purpose.

Question 5. What is the message of this poem?
इस कविता का क्या संदेश है?
Answer: The poem teaches us to keep going and never give up, no matter what happens. It encourages us to find inner strength even in tough times.
In simple words: The poem tells us to never stop trying and to always move forward, even when things are hard.

🎯 Exam Tip: The core message of perseverance and inner strength is central to this poem and should be clearly stated.

D. Answer The Following Question In 30 To 40 Words.

निम्न प्रश्न का उत्तर 30-40 शब्दों में दीजिए।

Question 1. The poem about is a great source of learning. What do you learn from it?
यह कविता ज्ञान का अच्छा स्त्रोत है। आपने इस कविता से क्या सीखा?
Answer: Yes, this poem is truly a great source of learning. From it, I learned that a person's best qualities and abilities appear during their most difficult times. Therefore, everyone should never give up in any situation and should always work towards their goals. It teaches that challenges reveal our inner strength.
In simple words: I learned that people show their best when things are hard. So, we should never give up and keep working for our goals.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about lessons learned, link the poem's themes of inner strength and perseverance to personal growth.

Activity - II

A. Match The Word In Column 'A' With Their Meaning In Column 'B'.

Answer:
flame - blaze
strength - power
divine - godly
goal - aim
fate - luck
In simple words: We connect words from the poem with their correct meanings. For example, 'flame' means 'blaze', and 'goal' means 'aim'.

🎯 Exam Tip: For matching questions, it is helpful to first recall the meaning of each word from the poem's context before making a match.

B. Complete The Following Words By Filling In The Missing Letters.

Question. Complete the following words by filling in the missing letters.
I. str_ngth
II. betr_y
III. res_unds
IV. cl_aves
V. he_rt
Answer:
I. strength
II. betray
III. resounds
IV. cleaves
V. heart
In simple words: We filled in the missing letters to complete the words correctly. This shows how well you know the spellings from the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Review the spellings of important vocabulary words from the poem regularly to correctly complete such exercises.

Activity - III

The teacher recites the following lines and the students follow.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep”.
— Robert Frost

Activity-IV

Question 1. Collect pictures of some Indian Saints and Reformers, paste them in your Scrapbook and write a few lines about each of them.

Dayanand Saraswati

• He was the founder of Arya Samaj.
• At the early age of 14, he rebelled against the practice of idol worship.

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule

• He fought for improving the condition of women, poor and the untouchables.

The Song Of The Free Additional Questions For Practice

A. Tick The Correct Alternative.

सही विकल्प पर निशान लगाइए।

Question 1. Who unfurls its hood?
(a) snake
(b) lion
(c) clouds
(d) air
अपना फन कौन फैलाता है?
(अ) साँप
(ब) शेर
(स) बादल
(द) हवा
Answer: (a) snake
In simple words: The poem says that a snake spreads its hood when it is hurt. This is how it shows its anger or defense.

🎯 Exam Tip: Recall the specific examples from the poem's summary to identify which creature performs which action.

Question 2. Which air resounds?
(a) garden
(b) jungle
(c) desert
(d) fan
कौन सी हवा प्रतिध्वनित होती है?
(अ) उपवन
(ब) जंगल
Answer: (c) desert
In simple words: The poem mentions that the desert air echoes. This describes the vast and empty nature of the desert.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the specific details mentioned in the poem's description of nature to answer such questions.

Question 3. What is stirred to its inmost depth?
(a) eyes
(b) heart
(c) legs
(d) soul
अंतरतम गहराई तक किसे झकझोरा गया है।
(अ) आंख
(ब) दिल
(स) पैर
(द) आत्मा
Answer: (d) soul
In simple words: The poem talks about how a person's inner strength comes out when their soul is deeply challenged. This refers to the innermost self.

🎯 Exam Tip: Connect the idea of deep inner stirring with the core essence of a person, which is the soul.

Question 4. Let eyes grow .......... and heart grow...........
(a) dim-faint
(b) faint-dim
(c) fail-betray
(d) betray-fail
आंखें __________ होने दो और दिल __________ होने दो
(अ) धुंधली-शिथिल
(ब) शिथिल-धुंधली
(स) असफल- धोखा
(द) धोखा-असफल
Answer: (a) dim-faint
In simple words: This line means that even if your eyesight gets weak and your heart feels low, you should still not give up. It emphasizes resilience.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for pairs of words in the poem that describe similar conditions or experiences to complete these fill-in-the-blank questions.

B. Answer The Following Questions In 10 To 20 Words.

निम्न प्रश्नों के उत्तर 10-20 शब्दों में दीजिए।

Question 1. Who is the poet who wrote the poem 'The song of the free'?
'The song of free' के कवि कोन है?
Answer: The poet who wrote 'The Song of the Free' is Swami Vivekananda. He was an influential Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.
In simple words: Swami Vivekananda wrote 'The Song of the Free'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Knowing the author of a poem helps you understand its deeper meaning and context.

Question 2. What happens when the soul is stirred to its inmost depth?
जब आत्मा को अंतरतम तक झकझोरा जाता है तो क्या होता है?
Answer: When the soul is stirred to its inmost depth, great people reveal their best abilities. This moment of deep challenge brings out their true potential and strength.
In simple words: When the soul is deeply shaken, great people show their best qualities.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that inner challenges are often a catalyst for revealing one's greatest strengths, as highlighted in the poem.

Question 3. When does the snake unfurl its hood?
साँप अपना फन कब फैलाता है?
Answer: The snake unfurls its hood when it is injured or feels threatened. This action is a display of its defense mechanism and power.
In simple words: A snake spreads its hood when it is hurt.

🎯 Exam Tip: Relate the snake's action to a natural response to threat, which symbolizes revealing strength in adversity.

Question 4. With whom the poet has compared a human being with?
कवि ने मनुष्य की तुलना किससे की है?
Answer: The poet has compared a human being with the divine. This suggests that humans possess immense inner power and a god-like spirit within them.
In simple words: The poet compared people to divine beings.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that this comparison elevates the human spirit, emphasizing our inherent strength and potential.

C. Answer The Following Question In 20 To 30 Words.

निम्न प्रश्न का उत्तर 20-30 शब्दों में दीजिए।

Question 1. What happens when lightning cleaved the breast of clouds?
जब बिजली बादल का सीना चीरती है तो क्या होता है?
Answer: When lightning splits the clouds, the clouds show their power through very heavy rainfall. This powerful downpour can often appear as if a flood is occurring, demonstrating nature's might.
In simple words: When lightning strikes clouds, they show their strength by heavy rain, which looks like a flood.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on how natural events in the poem, like lightning, are symbols of revealing hidden power and strength.

D. Answer The Following Question In 30 To 40 Words.

निम्न प्रश्न का उत्तर 30-40 शब्दों में दीजिए।

Question 1. What problems are discussed in the poem by the poet.
Answer: The poet talks about several problems in the poem, such as friendship failing, love being betrayed, the scary nature of fate, deep darkness, an angry natural world, dimming vision, and a weakening heart. These difficulties can stop any person from reaching their goals. The poem guides us to face these challenges with inner power.
In simple words: The poem talks about problems like failed friendships, betrayals in love, bad luck, darkness, and a weak spirit. These things can stop us from reaching our goals.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing problems, remember to connect them back to the overall theme of human struggles and the need for inner resilience mentioned in the poem.