No Men are Foreign Class 9 Question Answer
Textbook Questions:
Thinking about the Poem
Question 1.
(i) “Beneath all uniforms ……”. What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
कवि कौन-सी वर्दियों की बात कर रहा है?
Answer:
Probably the poet is speaking about the uniforms of armed forces of all different countries of the world.
(ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?
कवि कैसे कहता है कि धरती पर सब लोग एक जैसे हैं?
Answer:
The poet says that all people need sun, air and water. All are happy in peace and die of hunger in war. All people have eyes and hands. All people sleep, wake, breathe, work, and die.
Question 2.
Find in stanza 1, five ways in which we all are alike, pick out the words.
पद्यांश नं. 1 में बताओ कौन-से पांच तरह से हम सब एक जैसे हैं, उन शब्दों को चुनो।
Answer:
- Each of us has a similar body.
- All of us breathe.
- All of us walk.
- All of us lie (die).
- We live and die on the same earth.
Question 3.
How many common features can you find in stanza 2?
पद्यांश नं. 2 में कौन-सी सांझी बातें आपको मिल सकती हैं?
Answer:
We all need sun, air and water. We all live well in peace but starve during war. We all have hands and work with them.
Question 4.
‘……. whenever we are told to hate our brothers ……’ When do you think this happens? Why ? Who “tells” us-? Should we do as we are told, at such times? What does the poet say?
जबं भी हमें अपने भाइयों से घृणा करने के लिए कहा जाता है….. ‘आपके विचार में ऐसा कब कहा जाता है? क्यों ? हमें कौन कहता है? क्या हमें ऐसे अवसरों पर वही करना चाहिए जो हम से कहा जाता है ? कवि क्या कहता है?
Answer:
Whenever there is war, leaders tell people to hate the other country. They tell us to do so because their ego is hurt. But we should not do as they tell us. The poet says that if we fight against them we do not harm anybody else. We kill, condemn, and betray ourselves.
IV. Very Important Examination Questions:
Short Answer type Questions
Question 1.
What does the word, ‘uniform’ denote in the poem ‘No Men Are Foreign’?
‘नो मेन आर फॉरेन’ कविता में यूनिफॉर्म शब्द क्या अर्थ देता है?
Answer:
The word, ‘uniform’ denotes the dress of armed force of all different countries of the world. The poet wants to say that soldiers of different countries wear different types of uniforms. But, their bodies are alike. So, all are brothers.
Question 2.
How does the poet, James Kirkup, prove that there are no foreign countries?
कवि जेम्स किरकप किस प्रकार सिद्ध करते हैं कि कोई भी जगह विदेश की धरती नहीं है?
Answer:
The poet James Kirkup says that soldiers may wear different types of uniforms but their bodies are alike. All people need sun, air and water. All are happy in peace and die of hunger in water. They sleep, wake, breathe, work and die on the same earth.
Question 3.
According to James Kirkup, what are the aftermaths of hatred?
जेम्स किरकप के अनुसार घृणा का प्रभाव क्या होता है?
Answer:
Hatred makes people enemies. It gives rise to the feelings of dislike, anger, destruction and loss. Hatred is the root cause of war between two countries. The poet says that if we fight against each other, we do not harm anybody else. But, we kill, condemn and betray ourselves.
Question 4.
What does the poet ask the people to remember in the last stanza of the poem “No Men Are Foreign”?
‘नो मेन आर फॉरेन’ की अंतिम पंक्तियों में कवि लोगों को क्या याद रखने को कहता है?
Answer:
The poet urges the people to remember that no men are foreign and no countries are strange on the earth. We live, work and die on the same earth. So, we all are brothers. We should love one-another.
Question 5.
What message does the poem “No Men Are Foreign” convey?
‘नो मेन आर फॉरेन’ कविता क्या संदेश देती है?
Answer:
The poem conveys the message of universal brotherhood. He says that all are happy in peace and die of hunger in war. Even the enemies are human. We should not fight but win over everyone by love.
Long Answer type Questions
II. Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words :
Question 1.
It is undesirable to hate others. Which values will you advise your friend to imbibe to overcome their uncouth behaviour?
दूसरों से घृणा करना अवांछनीय है अपने मित्र को आप कौन से मूल्यों को आत्मसात् करने को कहेंगे जिससे वे अपने अभद्र व्यवहार पर विजय प्राप्त कर सकें?
Answer:
Undoubtedly, it is undesirable to hate others. It brings negativity that leads to enemies and war. It gives rise to the feelings of dislike, anger, destruction and loss. In fact, this is the root cause of war between two countires.
I shall advise my friend to imbibe the values of love, kindness, universal brotherhood, social responsibility, sympathy and empathy to overcome their uncouth behaviour. Love brings peace and happiness in our lives whereas hatred and anger destroy our mental peace and happiness. So, we should win over everyone by love. We are happy during peace and miserable during war. Even enemies are humans. We all love, work and die on the same earth. So, we all are brothers. We should love one-another.
Question 2.
Patriotism is love of one’s country. Does it mean we should hate people of other countries? Explain.
देशभक्ति का अर्थ है-अपने देश से प्यार करना। क्या इसका यह अर्थ है कि हमें अन्य देश के लोगों से नफरत करना चाहिए? विवेचना करें।
Answer:
Patriotism is a gesture, a feeling existing in every citizen of every country. Everyone is ready to sacrifice his life for the country, but it doesn’t mean that we should hate other countries or their people. We should learn that all people are human living on the same earth, sharing the same sun, air and nature. Foreigners should not be viewed as different from us. It is nice to love one’s own country and its people but that should indicate hatred for other countries. They shouldn’t be treated like enemies, instead should be treated like humans, the same as we treat our countrymen. One should advocate the cause of humanity and should win over everyone by love. Even the uniformed soldiers that indulge in wars, walk on the same earth as we do. Hence, we should love everyone and do away with quarrels and fights.
I. Summary In English:
The poet reminds us that no men are strangers and no countries are ‘foreign’. Soldiers of different countries wear different types of uniforms. But their bodies are alike. They breathe and walk like us. They feel heat and cold, thirst and hunger. They are happy during peace and miserable during war. The land is the same everywhere. This is the earth on which we all live, work, and die. So all are brothers. If we harm, and condemn them, we harm ourselves.’ If we go to war against each other, we pollute our common mother earth. We shall bring destruction, disease and death. We shall starve and suffer. So we should love one another. We all are brothers. No one is a stranger or a foreigner.
II. Complete Text With Hindi Translation and Extract Based Objective Type Questions:
STANZA – I
Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours : the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
Vocabulary : strange (स्ट्रिंज) alien पराए; beneath (बिनीथ) under नीचे; uniforms (यूनिफार्म्ज) clothes, worn by soldiers सैनिकों की वर्दी; breathes (ब्रीद्ज) is alive जीवित. हैं, साँस ले रही है; lie (लाइ) buried when dead मरने के पश्चात दफन हो जाएँगे।
अनुवाद : याद रखें, कोई मनुष्य पराया नहीं, कोई देश-विदेश नहीं। सभी वर्दियों के नीचे एक जैसा शरीर साँस ले रहा है, जो हमारे जैसा ही है। धरती जिस पर हमारे बन्धु चलते हैं, वह धरती हमारी धरती जैसी ही है जिस के तले हम सब मर कर दफन हो जाएँगे।
(i) Who composed the above lines?
(a) Phoebe Cary
(b) James Kirkup
(c) Coates Kinney
(d) Robert Frost
Answer:
(b) James Kirkup
(ii) Why does the poet think ‘no men are strange’?
(а) Because they all have similar bodies, all breathe to live. No man is different.
(b) Because the creator of all men is the same.
(c) The mother earth rears all her children (the men) alike.
(d) As ‘God’ and ‘Earth’ are their parents so they are all alike.
Answer:
(а) Because they all have similar bodies, all breathe to live. No man is different.
(iii) Why does the poet think ‘no countries are foreign’?
(а) Because the land of all countries is the same earth.
(b) Because people of all countries have similar emotions.
(c) Because the basic needs of people of all the countries are the same.
(d) Because all countries have similar ambitions.
Answer:
(а) Because the land of all countries is the same earth.
(iv) What does the poet mean by ‘we all shall lie’?
(а) We lie down on the ground and take rest.
(b) After death, we are buried under the land of the same earth.
(c) We shall lie on the ground as it is cool.
(d) We shall lie on the soil of this earth that has a healing effect.
Answer:
(b) After death, we are buried under the land of the same earth.
(v) What is meant by ‘uniforms’ here?
Answer:
Here it means dresses of different countries or different culture worn by people in different parts of the world.
(vi) Identify the poetic device in line 4.
Answer:
In this line, comparison has been made using like’. So, the poetic device is simile here.
(vii) What message does the poet want to convey?
Answer:
The poet wants to convey the message of brotherhood. Despite our dissimilar robes and garbs, people in all parts of the world are similar having the same basic needs.
(viii) Name the author of the lesson the extract is taken from.
Answer:
Name of the author is : James Kirkup.
STANZA – II
They, too, aware of sun and air and water.
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read A labour not different from our own.
Vocabulary : aware (अवेअर) feel and know अनुभव करते हैं; peaceful ( पीसफुल) free from war शान्ति का समय; starv’d (स्टार्ब) go without food भूखे रहते हैं; lines (लाइन्ज) wrinkles झुर्रियाँ, रेखाएँ; labour (लेबर) hardwork परिश्रम।
अनुवाद : वे भी धूप, वायु व जल को अनुभव करते हैं। शांति के अन्न को खाते हैं और युद्ध की लंबी सर्दी से भूखे मरते हैं। उनके हाथ भी हमारे हाथों जैसे हैं, और उनकी रेखाओं से पता चलता है कि वे भी हमारी भाँति परिश्रम करते हैं।
(i) The people are aware of sun, air and water as they all :
(a) know that they are essential for our lives.
(b) are important elements of nature.
(c) exist on this earth.
(d) want their proper use.
Answer:
(a) know that they are essential for our lives.
(ii) The explosion ‘are fed by peaceful harvest’ implies:
(a) All people eat food that gives them peace.
(b) They can grow crops and reap harvest only in peace.
(c) They grow peace and harvest it to be fed by it.
(d) If they are fed only then they could remain peaceful.
Answer:
(b) They can grow crops and reap harvest only in peace.
(iii) The poet compares ‘war’ to :
(a) winter
(b) starvation
(c) famine
(d) autumn
Answer:
(a) winter
(iv) ‘lines in the hands’ here indicate :
(a) hard labour that makes the hand rough and lined.
(b) fortune of the people.
(c) lines that tell the future of people.
(d) lines that tell the past of people.
Answer:
(a) hard labour that makes the hand rough and lined.
(v) What message do these lines contain?
Answer:
These lines contain the message of universal brotherhood.
(vi) What is common among men of all countries?
Answer:
We all are similar in our basic need of the common resources for our life, as we use common sun, air and water.
(vii) How do ‘they’ get their food?
Answer:
‘They’ get their food by peaceful harvests.
(viii) What do you mean by long winter?
Answer:
‘War’ is compared to long winter.
(ix) What is ‘war’ compared to?
Answer:
‘War’ is compared to a long winter, where every body is starving.
(x) According to the stanza, nobody likes war because _________.
Answer:
It starves everyone.
(xi) What is common in all human beings?
Answer:
We all are similar in our basic need of the common resources for our life, as we use common sun, air and water.
(xii) What gives us food?
Answer:
Peaceful harvests give us food.
(xiii) Who are ‘they’ in these lines?
Answer:
‘They’ are the people living across different countries. The inhabitants of different nations.
(xiv) What is the theme of the poem?
Answer:
The theme of the poem is that all humans are alike and “no men are foreign”.
(xv) What does “war’s long winter starv’d” mean?
Answer:
It means nobody likes war because the long ‘winter’ like effect of war starves everyone.
(xvi) Name the poetic device in line 2.
Answer:
Metaphor.
(xvii) Who are ‘they’ in these lines?
Answer:
‘They’ here’refers to the people living in foreign countries.
(xviii) What feeds them and what starves them?
Answer:
Peace feeds them and war starves them.
(xix) Identify the poetic device in the last two lines.
Answer:
Metaphor.
STANZA – III
Remember they have eyes like ours that wake Or sleep, and strength that can be won By love. In every land is common life That all can recognise and understand.
Vocabulary : common (कॉमन) similar समान; recognise (रिक्गनाइज) know what it is पहचानना।
अनुवाद : याद रखें उनकी आँखें भी हमारी आँखों जैसी हैं जो जागती हैं और सोती हैं। और उनमें शक्ति है जिसे प्यार से जीता जा सकता है। हर देश में जीवन एक समान है जिसे सब पहचान सकते हैं और समझ सकते हैं।
(i) Who are ‘they* in the stanza?
Answer:
They refers to so-called enemies.
(ii) According to the poet, how can we win all?
Answer:
According to the poet, we can win all by love.
(iii) What does the poet want?
Answer:
The poet wants all to win over even their enemies by love.
(iv) What all can recognise and understand?
Answer:
All can recognise and understand that others have life like us.
(v) The poet asks us to remember _________.
Answer:
that ‘they’ i.e., our enemies are humans like us for ‘they have eyes like ours ………’
(vi) The force that can win over strength is _________.
Answer:
love.
(vii) The likeness of life can be understood by _________.
Answer:
common life’ in ‘every land’ that all ‘can recognise and understand’.
(viii) Name of the poet is _________.
Answer:
James Kirkup.
(ix) According to the poet we should all remember that _________.
Answer:
even our enemies are like us.
(x) The thing which is recognised and understood everywhere is _________.
Answer:
‘common life’ in ‘every land’.
(xi) They are like us as they also _________.
Answer:
sleep and wake.
(xii) is common everywhere _________.
Answer:
Love and life
(xiii) By love we can win _________.
Answer:
enemies.
(xiv) They have like us _________.
Answer:
eyes
(xv) We can win others by _________.
Answer:
love.
(xvi) The poet is _________.
Answer:
James Kirkup.
(xvii) What is the poetic device in line 1?
Answer:
Simile.
(xviii) What do ‘they’ have in common?
Answer:
They have eyes like ours that wake and sleep.
(xix) How can we win their strength?
Answer:
We can win over their strength by love.
(xx) What should we remember?
Answer:
We should all remember that even our enemies are like us.
STANZA – IV
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
Remember, we who take arms against each other.
It is the human earth that we defile.
Our hells of fire and dust outrage the innocence
Of air that is everywhere our own,
Remember, no men are foreign, and no countries strange.
Vocabulary : brothers (ब्रदर्ज) fellow human beings बंधु जो दूसरे देशों में रहते हैं; dispossess (डिस्पोजैस) deprive of one’s belonging लूट लेना; betray (बिट्रे) be disloyal धोखा देना, विश्वासघात करना; condemn (कन्डेम) blame आरोप लगाना, बुरा बताना; take arms (टेक आर्मज्) fight युद्ध करना, लड़ना। defile ( डिफाइल) make dirty गंदी करते हैं, अपवित्र; hells (हेल्ज) wickedness दुष्टता; outrage (आउट रेज) insult, ravish अत्याचार, बलात्कार।
अनुवाद : आओ हम याद रखें कि जब कभी हमें अपने बन्धुओं से घृणा करने के लिए कहा जाता है तो हम अपने आपको ही लूटते हैं, अपने आपको धोखा देते हैं, अपने आपको बुरा बताते हैं। याद रखें, हम जो एक-दूसरे के विरुद्ध शस्त्र उठाते हैं। (जब दूसरों के विरुद्ध हम शस्त्र उठाते हैं) तो हम मानव जाति की धरती को अपवित्र करते हैं और अपनी दुष्टता की आग व धूल से अबोध लोगों पर अत्याचार करते हैं, याद रखें कि न कोई आदमी विदेशी है और न कोई देश पराया है।
(i) When are we told to hate our brothers?
(a) When there is war, we are told they are our enemies.
(b) When they do evil things.
(c) When they take our share of property.
(d) When they hurt us.
Answer:
(a) When there is war, we are told they are our enemies.
(ii) What are we told to do as a result of hate?
(a) We are told to kill them.
(b) We are told to rob them.
(c) We are told to condemn them.
(d) We are told to beat them.
Answer:
(a) We are told to kill them.
(iii) How do we defile the earth?
(a) By polluting air and killing innocent people in war.
(b) By deforestation.
(c) By mining the minerals.
(d) By constructing big and tall buildings.
Answer:
(a) By polluting air and killing innocent people in war.
(iv) ‘hells of fire and dust’ is created by :
(a) vehicular traffic.
(b) industries and factories.
(c) cooking food and cleaning the houses.
(d) the use of war-weapons.
Answer:
(d) the use of war-weapons.
(v) What are the factors that cause hell of fire?
Answer:
These are : hatred, lack of sympathy, jealousy.
(vi) How do we defile our mother earth?
Or
How do we humiliate the mother earth?
Answer:
We defile our mother earth by fighting with each other and spreading the air of hatred.
(vii) What should a man remember?
Answer:
All men should remember that our fellow humans are brothers and nobody is a foreigner and no countries are “strange”.
(viii) Name the poet of these lines.
Answer:
James Kirkup.
(ix) Find the word from this stanza which is opposite in meaning to ‘nowhere’.
Answer:
everywhere
(x) Name the poem and the poet.
Answer:
The poem is No Men Are Foreign by James Kirkup.
(xi) If we hate others, we shall .
Answer:
harm ourselves.
(xii) What does ‘hells of fire’ stand for?
Answer:
‘Hells of fire’ stands for wickedness of humans.
(xiii) The poem contains the message of _________.
Answer:
universal brotherhood.
(xiv) Men should remember that _________.
Answer:
men should remember that our fellow humans are brothers and nobody is a foreigner and no countries are strange.