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Maharashtra Board Class 10 Solutions for English Reader – On Another’s Sorrow
Pre-reading Activities
Question 1:
What will you do?
Form groups of four students each, and decide what will be your reaction in the following situations. [Al, pg. 139]
i. When your classmate can’t continue his / her higher studies due to lack of textbooks ________
Answer:
I will help him get the books from a library, raise some funds from parents and classmates to buy books, request the seniors to donate their books or lend my books when I am not studying, so that he can make his notes and prepare for the exams.
ii. When you see a person lying on the road, and is seriously injured due to accident ________.
Answer:
I Will immediately give a call to the police, ambulance and give him first aid with the help of the people gathered around. We will inform his family’by checking his wallet or mobile.
iii. When you see a small boy begging for alms on the street ________ .
Answer:
I will ask the boy about his parents and also contact an NGO working for the orphans and poor children, so that they can take care of him and provide him shelter and education.
iv. When your teacher punishes your friend, and you know he is innocent _______.
Answer:
I will explain the truth to the teacher that he is innocent and request the teacher not to punish him for the mistake he has not done. I will also try to cheer my friend up.
v. When your friend has lost the amount collected for the class picnic ______ .
Answer:
I will inform our teacher / principal about the lost money and search for the same. I will also put up the same on the notice board and announce in the assembly and request to hand over the money if found, in the school office.
Question 2:
Remembering Almighty
Work in pairs and complete the table given below.
| When do you remember the Almighty? | When do you forget the Almighty? |
Answer:
| When do you remember the Almighty? | When do you forget the Almighty? |
| When I am afraid of something. | When I am happy. |
| When someone very dear to me is in trouble or sick. | When I and my near and dear ones are enjoying good health. |
| When I am confused and undecided. | When I am tension free. |
| When I want my wish to be fulfilled. | When I am blessed with everything I want. |
Question 3:
After Listening
Listening competition! Your teacher will read out the whole poem. After listening to the poem, note down reasonable / meaningful lines that you have listened to. The student who will write maximum lines will be declared winner.
The only condition for this competition is that you have to keep your books closed and just listen to the teacher.
[Students are expected to do the above activity on their own. ]
A1. Factual Reading
Question 1:
Read the extract carefully and select the alternatives to complete the following.
*i. The poem is about _______ . (grief and sorrows of others/joys and happiness of others) [A3 – 1, pg. 139]
*ii. The infant’s care is taken by . (mother/ god) [A3 – 5, pg. 139]
Answer:
i. grief and sorrows of others,
ii. mother.
Question 2:
What are the expected reactions in the following situations? [Oct 14]
i. to see another’s troubles _______ .
ii. to see another’s grief _______ .
iii. to see a falling tear _______ .
iv. father sees his child weeping _______ .
Answer:
i. be in sorrow too
ii. seek for kind relief
iii. feel our sorrow’s share
iv. filled with sorrow
Question 3:
Complete the web by choosing words from the passage related to sadness.
Answer:
i. sorow
ii. grief
iii. tear
iv. weep
Question 4:
State whether the following sentences are True or False.
i. A father is not filled with sorrow when he sees his child weep.
ii. A mother cannot sit and hear an infant groan with fear.
Answer:
i. False
ii. True
Read the extract from line (1 to 12) on page..(140) of your textbook and answer the following questions.
[Can I see another’s __________
___________ never can it be.]
A3. Vocabulary
Question 1:
Write words from the extract that create a musical effect.
Answer:
i. sorrow’s share
ii. no, no never
Question 2:
Find any two pairs of rhyming words from the extract. [Oct 14]
Answer:
i. grief-relief
ii. hear-fear
Question 3:
Find the correct meaning of the words in the box.
Answer:
woe – (a) troubles and problems.
Extract 2
A1. Factual Reading
Question 1:
Read the extract carefully and select the alternatives to complete the following,
*i. There are two characters in the poem, ________. (god and man / god and animals) [A3 – 2, pg. 139]
*ii. He, His and Maker are words referring to _______. (God/Man) [A3-3, pg. 139] [July 16]
*iii. The cradle here is used as _______. (swing for boys / an infant’s bed) [A3-4, pg. 139]
iv. The bird which has small sorrows is (wren / sparrow)
Answer:
i. god and man
ii. God
iii. an infant’s bed
iv. the wren
Question 2:
Read the extract and select the alternative. [Mar 16]
i. God becomes a small infant because _______.
a. He likes to become an infant
b. He wants to feel its sorrow
c. He needs a change
Answer:
b. He wants to feel the sorrow
ii. God destroys our sorrow by ______.
a. saving us from sorrow
b. giving us strength
c. giving us His joy
Answer:
c. giving us His joy
Question 3:
Choose the correct alternatives and complete the sentences.
i. God makes us happy by
a. becoming a Maker
b. becoming a father
c. becoming a child
Answer:
c. becoming a child
ii. God becomes ______ for us in sorrow.
a. a man of woe
b. a man of strength
c. a man of action ‘
Answer:
a. a man of woe
iii. _____ gives us the joy to help us overcome our sorrow.
a. Mother
b. God
c. Man
Answer:
b. God
Question 4:
Complete the web by choosing the Old English words from the extract.
Answer:
i. doth
ii. thou
iii. canst
iv. thy
Question 5:
Complete the following sentences with reference to the extract.
i. The poet says that God sits next to us both day and night and ________.
ii. According to the poet, we should not think that when we weep a tear, ______.
Answer:
i. wipes away all our tears,
ii. our Maker is not near us.
A2. Understanding the Extract
Question 1:
What is the reaction of God towards small things in the nature? [A5-III (1), pg. 141]
Answer:
God hears and cares for every small thing in the nature. He hears the wren who has small sorrows, he hears the small bird’s grief and care. He also hears the woes that infants bear.
Question 2:
Who becomes a small infant? [A5 -1 (3), pg. 141]
Answer:
God becomes a small infant.
Question 3:
Who is referred to by ‘He’, ‘His’ and ‘Maker’ in the poem? [A5 – II (1), pg. 141]
Answer:
God is referred to by ‘He’, ‘His’ and ‘Maker’ in the poem.
Question 4:
How does God help us to regain our joys and remove our grief? [A5 – II (2), pg. 141]
Answer:
God is always by our side when we are in sorrow. He gives us His joy, so that our grief may be destroyed. He sits by us and moans until our grief is fled and gone.
Question 5:
How does the Maker help us to come out of sorrow? [Mar 16]
Answer:
The Maker gives us all of his joys and destroys our grief. Until our sorrows have vanished, He sits by us and moans along with us. In this way, He helps us to come out of sorrow.
Question 6:
Match the words in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in ‘Column B’ [July 16]
| Column A | Column B | ||
| i. | grief | a. | you |
| ii. | doth | b. | sorrow |
| iii. | infant | c. | does |
| iv. | thou | d. | a newborn baby |
Answer:
(i – b), (ii – c), (iii – d), (iv – a)
A3. Vocabulary :
Question 1:
Point out the repeated lines in the extract. [July 16]
Answer:
i. Think not thou canst sigh a sigh
Think not thou canst weep a tear
ii. And Thy Maker is not by
And thy Maker is not near
Question 2:
List all the rhyming words from the extract. [Mar 16]
Answer:
all – small
care – bear
nest – breast
near – tear
day – away
sigh – by
joy – destroy
gone – moan
Question 3:
Write from the extract words that create a musical effect.
Answer:
i. sorrows small
ii. pouring pity
Question 4:
Enlist the words repeated in the same line.
Answer:
i. never
ii. sigh
Question 5:
Find words from the extract that mean
i. a feeling of sympathy at the suffering of someone
ii. long, deep sound expressing unhappiness
Answer:
i. pity
ii. moan
Additional Questions for Practice
Question 1:
Read the poem again and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions.
*i. What do you feel when you see people in grief, pain and sufferings? How would you help them to come out of the situation?
Answer:
I can’t bear it when I see people in grief, pain and suffering. In order to help them come out of the situation, I would:
i. talk to them and try to find out the cause for the suffering.
ii. try to solve their problems
iii. lend them support and help them in every possible manner.
ii. How do parents try to reduce their children’s sorrow?
Answer:
Parents try to reduce their children’s sorrow by giving them moral support and being by their side in times of need. They advice, guide and bring out solutions to the problems faced by their children in order to reduce their sorrow.
iii. Why, do you think, interrogative sentences are used in the poem?
Answer:
According to me, interrogative sentences are used in the poem to highlight and emphasise the poet’s views. They do not expect any answers. They are used for rhetorical effect.
Question 2:
Questions and answers Form pairs and make a list of various questions seen in the poem. Try to find out the possible solutions for the questions that are present in the questions themselves.
| Questions | Possible answers | |
| i. |
Can I see another’s woe and not be in sorrow too? |
No, I cannot see other person suffering or in pain. I feel sorrow for such people. |
Answer:
| Questions | Possible answers | |
| i. | Can I see another’s woe and not be in sorrow too? | No, I cannot see other person suffering or in pain. I feel sorrow for such people. |
| ii. | Can I see another’s grief and not seek for kind relief? | No, I cannot see another person’s suffering or sorrow. I would try to understand the problem of the other person and help him or her in any possible way. |
| iii. | Can I see a falling tear and not feel my sorrow’s share? | No, I cannot see someone weeping in sorrow without feeling and experiencing the same sorrow. |
| iv. |
Can a father see his child weep, nor be with sorrow filled? |
No, a father cannot see his child weep without being filled with sorrow himself. |
| V. | Can a mother sit and hear an infant groan, an infant fear? | No, a mother cannot sit and hear an infant groan because she loves her baby the most and it is a part of her. |
Question 1:
Music of words .
Look at the phrases ‘sorrow’s share’, ‘sorrows small’, etc. [A7, pg. 141]
i. Say these words again and again
[Students are expected to attempt this activity on their own.]
ii. Note the effect
Answer:
It creates a musical effect.
iii. Look at the similarity of sound
Answer:
The sound of ‘s’ is repeated for a musical effect.
iv. Find some more phrases of this type
Answer:
i. no, no, never
ii. pouring pity
iii. sigh a sigh
iv. never, never
Question 4:
Rhyming words
i. Read the poem again.
ii. Look at the last word of each line.
iii. Note the rhyming words in pairs
Answer:
grief—relief;
hear—fear;
all—small;
care—bear;
nest—breast;
near—tear;
day—away;
sigh—by;
joy—destroy.
iv. What effect do these rhyming words create?
Answer:
These rhyming words create a musical effect.
Question 5:
Opposites
Look at the line and the underlined part and discuss with your partner the questions and note your responses. 1A9, pg. 1411
And not sit both night and day
i. What special thing do you observe in the underlined words?
Answer:
The underlined words ‘night and day’ have opposite meanings.
ii. What is the effect of the ideas of this type brought together in one line?
Answer:
When such expressions (words having opposite meanings) arc brought together in one line, they create an unusual effect of coñtrast.
iii. Find some more expressions of this type.
Answer:
a. Can I see another’s grief and not seek for kind relief?
b. He becomes an infant small, He becomes a man of woe.
c. O! He gives to us His joy That our grief He may destroy.
Question 6:
Capital
Read the poem, observe and note. [A10, pg. 142]
i. Find out the words used in capital within the lines.
Answer:
The words ‘He’, ‘His’ and ‘Maker’ begin with capital Letters within the lines.
ii. Whom do these words refer to?
Answer:
These words refer to God, the creator.
iii. Why, do you think, only these words are in capital?
Answer:
Only these words are in capital to show the greatness of God and as a symbol of respect to him.
Question 7:
Repetition
Look at the line and the underlined part. [A11,pg. 142]
Never. never can it be
Discuss
i. Do you hear the music as you read them?
Answer:
Yes, we can hear the music as we read them.
ii. What makes it musical?
Answer:
The repetition of the word ‘never’ makes it
musical.
iii. Find some more examples of this type.
Answer:
a. An infant groan, an infant fear?
b. No, no never can it be
c. Never, never can it be
d. Think not thou canst sigh a sigh
Question 8:
Sorrow and Happiness
Read the poem again and you will find that the poet uses many words expressing the feelings of either sadness or happiness. Form pairs and make a list of various words you know which are related to sadness or happiness. Develop a table as given below. [A12, pg. 142]
| Words suggesting Sadness | Words suggesting Happiness |
| sorrow | smile |
Answer:
| Words suggesting Sadness | Words suggesting Happiness |
|
(From the poem) sorrow, woe, grief, tear, weep, groan, sigh, moan |
(From the poem) smile, joy |
|
(Out of the poem) |
(Out of the poem) |
Question 9:
Who am I?
Go through the poem again and find the answers. Frame some more questions of this type and puzzle out your partner! [A13, pg. 142]
i. I feed, nourish and mould my children = _______
Answer:
a mother
ii. I watch from the top and take care of the whole world = _____
Answer:
God
iii. I sleep in the cradle, sometimes I weep and smile = ___
Answer:
an infant
iv. I fly in the sky, live in the nest = _____
Answer:
a bird
v. I am creation of God, I can speak, think, feel and sense = ______
Answer:
a human being
More questions:
i. I am all about, but cannot be seen, can be captured but cannot be held, no throat but can be heard = ________
Answer:
Wind
ii. Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me when I have flown = _____
Answer:
Time
iii. I am black when you buy me, red when you are using me, and white when you are through with me = _______
Answer:
Charcoal
iv. I always run but never walk, often murmur but never talk, have a bed but never sleep, have a mouth but never eat = _______
Answer:
a river
v. Say my name and I disappear = _______
Answer:
silence
Question 10:
Recitation
The teacher will conduct a recitation competition in the class. Every row will recite the poem. Before reciting the poem, you have to keep following things in your mind. [A14, pg. 142]
i. sound, speed
ii. proper rhyme and rhythm
iii. correct pronunciation
iv. proper intonation
v. singing together
[Students are expected to attempt this activity on their own.]
Question 11:
Picture Reading
Select a picture of your choice. [A15, pg. 143]
Look at the picture. Write a small story after reading the picture. What kind of emotions and feelings arise in your mind when you see this. Consider your attitude towards the characters in the picture. Remember you speak your mind when you write.
[Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own.’]
Question 12:
Be a Poet
i. Work in pairs and compose a poem. Some lines are given for you; add some more lines to make a meaningful stanza.
On Another’s Happiness
When I see another’s joy
My heart bounces like a ball
And I feel like a small boy
Dancing, rejoicing like a mountain fall.
Happiness is,in giving, caring and sharing
Answer:
On Another’s Happiness
When I see another’s joy
My heart bounces like a ball
And I feel like a small boy
Dancing, rejoicing like a mountain fall.
When I see someone dancing in the rain,
My heart and body joins the rhythm;
For I want to spread pleasure and remove pain, By singing the tunes of delightful anthem.
When I hear the chirping of birds,
I rejoice at the wonderful creations of God.
What they try to convey without words,
Carrying the message from the Lord.
Question 13:
Reading a Poem
Arrange for poetry reading competition. Select the poem of your choice.
i. Read it silently again and again.
ii. Pay attention to proper pronunciation.
iii. Consider the groups of words.
iv. Think of the pauses.
v. Have a rehearsal before you present.
vi. Read with confidence and fluency.
vii. Read the poem, again and again, to understand better.
[Students are expected to attempt the above activity on their own.]