Let us discuss
Page No. 111
I. Choose the correct words from the brackets to complete the summary of the poem given below.
The poet sends paper boats down a 1. ________ (stream/river) each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. ________ (school/ village) on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. ______ (strange/familiar) land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. _______ (rose/shiuli) flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. ______ (night/morning). As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. ________ (clouds/birds) in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. ________(swim/float) under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. _______ (dreams/fruits).
Answer: The poet sends paper boats down a 1. stream each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. village on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. strange land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. shiuli flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. night. As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. clouds in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. float under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. dreams.
II. Choose the correct option for the following.
The theme of the poem is ___________.
1. innocence 2. imagination 3. ignorance
4. playfulness 5. travel
(i) 1, 2 and 3 (ii) 3, 4 and 5 (iii) 1, 4 and 5 (iv) 1, 2 and 4
Answer: (iv) 1, 2 and 4
III. Identify whether the following statement is true or false.
The setting of the poem is a natural, outdoor environment.
Answer: True
- Explanation: The poem describes a “running stream” and mentions natural elements like shiuli flowers, clouds, and midnight stars, indicating a natural, outdoor setting.
IV. Complete the following sentence by choosing the correct word given within the brackets.
The tone is ___________ (sad and serious/gentle and wishful) and the mood is ____________(thoughtful/boring).
Answer: gentle and wishfu, thoughtful
V. Identify the examples of alliteration from the poem.
Answer: Examples of alliteration:
- “Big black letters”
- “Shiuli flower”
- “Fairies of sleep”
Explanation: Alliteration occurs when consecutive words begin with the same sound, as seen in these phrases.
VI. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the poem.
1. The repetition of words _____ and ______ emphasises the passage of time.
2. The poet uses imagery like _______ and _______ to create a clear picture in the minds of the readers.
Answer:
- day, night
- midnight sta, white bulging sail
VII. Match the descriptions in Column 1 with what they symbolise in Column 2.
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. The child’s innocence, dreams, hopes, and messages sent out into the world | (ii) paper boats |
| 2. Purity, beauty, and the start of a new day | (iii) shiuli flowers |
| 3. The vast universe and the child’s dreams continuing through the night | (i) midnight stars |
Let us think and reflect
Page No. 112
I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars. The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.
(i) Select the option that is most likely to be the speaker as per the extract.
Answer: The most likely option is A.
(ii) What can be inferred about the speaker’s feelings when night comes?
Answer: The speaker feels dreamy and imaginative when night comes. The act of burying their face in their arms and dreaming of paper boats floating under the stars indicates a sense of wonder and longing for their dreams to continue.
(iii) What kind of beings are the ‘fairies of sleep’ imagined as? Select the most appropriate option.
A. mischievous B. gentle C. fearsome D. playful
Answer: B. gentle.
(iv) Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option from those given in the brackets.
The phrase ‘lading is their baskets full of dreams’ suggests that the speaker imagines the fairies of sleep carefully __________(carrying his dreams /collecting his wishes) in their baskets.
Answer: carrying his dream
II. Answer the following questions
1. Why do you think the poet writes his personal details on the paper boats?
Answer: The poet writes his personal details, such as his name and village, on the paper boats to send a message about his identity. He hopes that someone in a strange land will find the boats and know who he is, reflecting his desire for connection and recognition beyond his immediate surroundings.
2. The poet talks about the imagination of a child. Support this view with examples from the poem.
Answer: The poem highlights a child’s imagination through several examples:
- The poet imagines that the paper boats will reach someone in a “strange land” who will learn about him, showing a childlike hope for connection.
- He pictures the clouds in the sky as playmates racing with his boats, a whimsical idea typical of a child’s imagination.
- At night, he dreams of “fairies of sleep” sailing in the boats with baskets full of dreams, blending reality with a magical, imaginative world.
3. How does the poet bring together imagination and reality to make the poem more interesting?
Answer: The poet blends imagination and reality to create a captivating narrative:
- Reality: The act of floating paper boats down a stream and writing his name and village on them is a tangible, real activity.
- Imagination: The poet imagines the boats reaching a “strange land,” the clouds as playmates racing with his boats, and fairies of sleep sailing in them under the midnight stars.
This combination makes the poem more interesting by grounding the child’s imaginative dreams in a relatable activity, allowing readers to connect with both the real and fantastical elements.
Let us learn
Page No. 113
I. The poet has used phrases like ‘blooms of the dawn’ and ‘fairies of sleep’ in the poem. In the same way we can create phrases. Now, select words from Column 1 and Column 2 and combine them with ‘of’. Write as many phrases as possible in Column 3. An example has been done for you.
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| wings | the birds | wings of the birds |
| waves | the wind | waves of the wind |
| dreams | the evening | dreams of the evening |
| songs | the children | songs of the children |
| glimmers | the rain | glimmers of the rain |
| cries | the stars | cries of the stars |
| echoes | the thunder | echoes of the thunder |
| shadows | the ocean | shadows of the ocean |
| the clouds | shadows of the clouds |
II. The poet uses words like ‘dawn’, ‘night’ and ‘midnight’ to show different parts of the day. The box given below has some more words. Write the words in the appropriate columns.
Answer:
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| dawn | noon | twilight | nightfall |
| sunrise | noontime | dusk | midnight |
| daybreak | noonday | sunset | night-time |
| sunup | midday | sundown | |
| forenoon |
III. Match the words from the text given in Column 1 with their opposites in Column 2.
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 1. strange | (i) halt | 1 – (v) ordinary |
| 2. dawn | (ii) emptying | 2 – (iv) dusk |
| 3. launch | (iii) sink | 3 – (i) halt |
| 4. bulging | (iv) dusk | 4 – (vi) shrinking |
| 5. float | (v) ordinary | 5 – (iii) sink |
| 6. lading | (vi) shrinking | 6 – (ii) emptying |
Let us listen
Page No. 114
You will listen to a conversation between a girl and her father about the art of paper folding called origami. As you listen, select the true statements from 1–7. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 137)
1. Sai was trying to make an origami boat.
2. Sai’s father used to do origami as a child.
3. Paper was very expensive so it was used only for special occasions.
4. People have been making paper cranes for thousands of years.
5. There is a belief that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true.
6. The art of origami is about enjoying the process.
7. Sai’s father suggests making a paper bookmark next time.
Answer: True Statements:
1. Sai was trying to make an origami boat.
2. Sai’s father used to do origami as a child.
5. There is a belief that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true.
6. The art of origami is about enjoying the process.
False Statements:
3. Paper was very expensive so it was used only for special occasions.
4. People have been making paper cranes for thousands of years.
7. Sai’s father suggests making a paper bookmark next time.
Let us write
Page No. 116
A diary entry is a personal document. It records an individual’s account of a day of her or his life expressing the thoughts, feelings and opinions in the individual’s mind.
The guidelines to compose a diary entry include:
• mentioning day, date and time of writing it
• beginning with a general sentence describing the day or feelings towards an event or experience
• giving details
• concluding with a final remark
Now, write a diary entry expressing your joy experiencing a rainy day. You may begin as given below:
Answer:
Friday, 15 July 20XX
6:30 p.m.
Dear Diary,
It was quite humid today. On my journey back from school, I wished that it would rain. And it did! The moment the first drops fell, I felt a wave of joy wash over me. The sky turned dark, and soon, the rain was pouring down, creating little puddles on the ground. I couldn’t resist-I kicked off my shoes and splashed in the water, laughing as the cool rain soaked my clothes. The sound of the rain tapping on the leaves was like music, and I even made a tiny paper boat, just like in the poem we read in class, and watched it float in a small stream by the road. It was such a magical moment, feeling so free and happy. I hope it rains again tomorrow so I can dance in the rain once more.
Until tomorrow,
[Your Name]
Let us explore
Page No. 116
I. Shiuli flowers often find a mention in Rabindranath Tagore’s poems. These flowers are found in many parts of our country.
Look at the pictures of shiuli flowers and recall what you call them in your language.
1. Find out names of some more trees or plants in your locality which have fragrant flowers. Write their names in your language and English language. Draw any two flowers and colour them.
Answer: Since I cannot look at pictures or draw, I’ll focus on the textual part of the task. Shiuli flowers are mentioned in the poem “Paper Boats” as “blooms of the dawn.” Shiuli flowers are commonly known as night-flowering jasmine or parijat, often found in India and associated with a sweet fragrance. The task asks for their name in “your language,” but since the user’s language isn’t specified, I’ll assume a general context (e.g., Hindi, as it’s widely spoken in India, where Tagore’s works are popular).
- Shiuli flowers in Hindi: पारिजात (Parijat)
- English name: Night-flowering jasmine or Shiuli
II. Solve the riddles given below. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
1. I have water that you cannot drink,
People come to see how in me the Sun sinks.
I can be rough, I can be calm,
I hold within myself plenty of charm.
My depths tell a never-ending tale.
Who am I with dolphins and the whale?
Answer: Sea
- Explanation: The sea has water you cannot drink (saltwater), the sun appears to sink into it at sunset, it can be rough or calm, it’s charming with its vastness, and it’s home to dolphins and whales.
2. I sit in stillness, but move with the wind,
My surface mirrors the world you are in.
The trees around me live happily,
In me, you can take a dip daily.
Home to ducks, frogs, fish, and all,
Can you guess what I am, after all?
Answer: Lake
- Explanation: A lake is still but its surface ripples with the wind, it reflects the surroundings, trees grow around it, you can swim in it, and it’s home to ducks, frogs, and fish.
3. I gently travel through valleys deep,
My soft murmur can make you sleep.
Little paper boats float on me in rain
The merry laughter of the kids I gain.
You may sit beside me without any fear,
Who am I who skips along, crystal clear?
Answer: Stream
- Explanation: A stream flows gently through valleys, its sound is soothing, paper boats (as in the poem) float on it, children play near it, and it’s clear and safe to sit beside.
4. I have a bed, but I do not sleep.
I have a bank, but no money I keep.
I carry stories, old and new,
High mountains to the oceans blue.
I journey far to meet the sea,
Can you guess, who I can be?
Answer: River
- Explanation: A river has a riverbed but doesn’t sleep, it has banks but no money, it carries stories through its journey from mountains to the sea, and it flows to meet the ocean.
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