Poem 7: Words

Suggested Answer:
Words are important because they help us express thoughts, feelings, needs, promises, ideas and emotions. They allow us to connect with others and avoid misunderstanding. However, we can also communicate without words through facial expressions, gestures, body language, silence, eye contact, signs, symbols, drawings and actions.

Answer:

Answer:
In this poem, the poet reflects that words fail to truly satisfy what the heart wants to convey. Words are compared to summer birds who 1. depart, leaving nothing behind. The heart is equated to a 2. pilgrim who finds that words are as worthless as 3. weeds when needed. He feels that a few sincere words can bring more 4. joy than many meaningless ones. He adds that a voice that brings happiness to a 5. lonely place does not say much, but the few words it does are very precious. Moreover, if words could satisfy us, the 6. world would celebrate, but words often fail to do that. The poem ends on the note that empty words may look impressive with lots of flowers, but they cannot produce anything valuable, like a 7. fruit.

Answer:
Four sets of rhyming words are:
1. heart – depart
2. care – air
3. earth – worth
4. needs – weeds

The poem mainly follows the rhyme scheme ABAB in each stanza.

Answer:

Answer:
The words words, heart, and satisfy are repeated in the poem. The poet uses repetition to emphasise the central idea that words may sound impressive but they often fail to satisfy the deeper emotional needs of the heart unless they are sincere and meaningful.

Answer:
The correct option is (iii).

Stanza 4: admiration
Stanza 5: frustration
Stanza 6: disillusionment

Answer:
In the lines “If words could satisfy the chest, / The world might hold a feast”, the phrase “The world might hold a feast” is an example of hyperbole.

Sentence Completion:
1. I have tonnes of things to do on this weekend.
2. The player missed the basket by a mile.
3. My mother is so tired that she can sleep for a decade.
4. I will be back in two seconds.

Answer:

(i) The poet refers to the heart as “a pilgrim” because the heart travels through life searching for comfort, sincerity, emotional fulfilment and meaning.

(ii) A heart would need words when it is lonely, hurt, anxious, confused or in need of comfort and understanding.

(iii) The words are like weeds because they are useless, unwanted and unable to provide real emotional nourishment when they lack sincerity.

(iv) Two emotions the heart might experience are loneliness and disappointment.

(v) These lines suggest that communication is meaningful only when words are sincere and emotionally true. Words without feeling are ineffective.

Answer:

(i) Words can “satisfy the chest” when they comfort the heart, express true feelings, heal pain and create emotional understanding.

(ii) Words can be “summoned to the test” when they are required in a serious emotional situation, such as consoling someone or expressing genuine love, sorrow or support.

(iii) “The world” holding “a feast” implies that everyone would celebrate if words truly had the power to satisfy all emotional needs.

(iv) The poet mentions that words satisfy the least because they often remain superficial and fail to touch the heart when sincerity is missing.

(v) The word that does not mean the same as “oft” is A. always.

1. What is the comparison that the poet draws between words and “empty air”?
The poet compares words to “empty air” to show that words can disappear quickly and leave no real impact. Just as empty air cannot be held or relied upon, meaningless words cannot comfort the heart or satisfy emotional needs.

2. According to the poet, meaningful words are more precious than a lot of them. Explain.
According to the poet, a few sincere words can bring deeper joy than many empty words. Meaningful words touch the heart, while long speeches may reach the head but fail to create emotional connection.

3. Do you agree that the poet presents contrasting ideas related to “words” in the poem?
Yes, the poet presents contrasting ideas. Words can comfort, cheer and bring joy when they are sincere, but they can also be empty, showy and useless when they lack feeling. This contrast shows the power and limitation of language.

4. The theme of loneliness hovers over the poem. Support this statement with examples from the text.
The poem refers to the heart as “a pilgrim upon earth”, suggesting loneliness and searching. It also mentions “a lonely home to cheer”, showing that words can comfort isolation. These references show that the poem deals with emotional loneliness and the need for sincere communication.

5. How does the poet convey the superficial nature of words? What ought to be done to address this?
The poet conveys superficiality by comparing words to summer birds, empty air, weeds and showy plants without fruit. To address this, people should speak fewer but more sincere words. Words must come from the heart and be supported by true feeling and action.

Answer:

Suggested Answer:

Answer:
This is an audio-based task. The exact answers should be marked after listening to the classroom audio or teacher transcript.

Statements to verify:
1. The girl was excited to participate in the declamation contest.
2. The boy was doubtful about the suitability of the topic chosen for the contest.
3. The girl explained that people prefer to keep their personal experiences to themselves.
4. The boy was unaware of the role played by body language in reflecting the speaker’s confidence.
5. According to the girl, body language had an insignificant role to play in communication.
6. The girl had issued the book on body language earlier from the library.

Sample Answer:

I chose Mahatma Gandhi’s quotation: “It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

This quotation means that sincerity is more important than expression. Even if we do not have perfect words, true feeling has value. On the other hand, polished words without emotion are empty. I selected this quotation because it connects strongly with the poem “Words”, which also says that words must touch the heart to become meaningful.

Answer:

Words Must Come from the Heart

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” This quotation appealed to me because it teaches that sincerity is more valuable than impressive language. The purpose of this essay is to explain why genuine feeling gives meaning to words.

Words are powerful, but their power depends on the emotion behind them. A short sentence spoken with honesty can comfort a person more than a long speech filled with artificial expressions. For instance, a simple “I am with you” can give courage to someone in pain if it is said with true concern.

In addition, empty words can sometimes hurt or disappoint. Promises without action, praise without honesty and apologies without regret do not touch the heart. The poem “Words” also reminds us that words are valuable only when they satisfy the heart and produce real emotional meaning.

Some people may argue that language skills and impressive speech are important. This is true, but polished language without sincerity is incomplete. Good expression becomes truly powerful only when it carries truth, kindness and responsibility.

To conclude, words must be chosen with care and spoken with feeling. A heart without words may still be sincere, but words without a heart are empty. Therefore, we should speak less if needed, but always speak truthfully.

Suggested Activity Response:
Students can write expressions such as happy, sad, tired, angry, confused and surprised on slips. They can also write gestures such as united, silent, brave, nervous, sleepy and excited. Each student picks a slip and acts it out without speaking. The first student to identify the expression or gesture gets points. This activity shows that communication is possible even without spoken words.

Suggested Response:
Charles-Michel de l’Épée is recognised as “The Father of Sign Language and Deaf Education”. His work reminds us that language is not limited to spoken words. Sign language allows people to communicate through hand movements, facial expressions and body language. It proves that communication can be meaningful, expressive and complete even without sound.

Suggested Response:
“Weigh Your Words” teaches us to think carefully before speaking. It says that careless words and empty promises can hurt others. Like “Words” by Charles Swain, this poem reminds us that words should be meaningful, sincere and responsible.