Poem- Wind

Answer the following questions

1. Why does the poet ask the wind to come softly in the beginning of the poem?
Ans: The poet asks the wind to come softly in the beginning of the poem so that peace
and order may be maintained. When the wind blows forcefully, it creates mess all
around. It disturbs everything and everyone.
2. ‘Make the heart steadfast’ Explain.
Ans: The poet advises that while facing wind, one should have a strong heart and a
strong physique. Wind is not friendly with weak characters.
3. “ The wind blows out weak fires”. What does the expression mean?
Ans: The expression implies the friendship is mostly among equals. Wind who is strong
does not behave in a friendly way with the weak. It destroys the weak things.
4. “ we praise him everyday”. Explain
Ans: Here ‘him’ stands for the wind. We praise the wind everyday because it provides
us strength and life. We cannot think of life without air. As long as wind is our friend, it is
praiseworthy.

Summary of the poem

The first part of the poem describes the action of the wind. The poet asks the wind to
come softly. He requests the wind not to break the shutters of the windows, not to
scatter the papers and throw down the books from the shelf.
But the wind throws the books and tears the pages. The poet says that the wind makes
a mockery of weaklings. It brings down frail houses, crumbling doors, rafters, and even
weak hearts. It crushes everything that is weak.
The poet advises us to be strong. Only then can we save ourselves from the wind. We
should build strong homes with firm doors. Our bodies and hearts should also be strong.
It is the way of the world to kick the weak and to be friends with the strong. The wind
blows out the weak fires but makes the strong fires roar and flourish.
Thus, the poem conveys the idea that nobody cares for the weak. Even the wind is on
the side of the strong people. We must make ourselves strong to become successful
and overcome the challenges in life.

Home work
I. Answer the following questions in short
1. According to the poet what are the things destroyed by the wind
2. What does crumbling suggest in the poem ’wind’
II. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow
(A)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,
1. Whom does the poet address as ‘You”
(a) the hail storm (b) the bird (c) The wind (d) the squirrel
2. The given lines indicate that the poet is----
(a) trying to give readers a moral lesson (b) is angry at the wind
(c) is trying to stop the damage (d)asking people to be strong
3. How does it deal with the ‘weaklings’?
(a) It treats them kindly (b) It terrifies them with its fierce power
© It ignores them (d) It does not harm them
4. The literary device used in the given lines is
(a) Repetition (b) Anaphora (c) Oxymoron (d) Metaphor

(B)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
1. What advice does the poet give?
2. Why should we make the heart steatfast?
3. What is revealed in the last two lines?
4. What is the symbolic meaning of these lines?
Please Note
Answer these questions on your own ( Home work)