Let us discuss
Page No. 159
I. The main ideas of each stanza of the poem are given below. Write the number of the stanza against the matching main idea.
1. At night, the speaker imagines the train and hears its engine in the quiet.
Answer: Stanza 2
2. The speaker feels a strong desire to take any train, no matter where it goes.
Answer: Stanza 3
3. The speaker hears the train whistle during the day, even though the train is far away.
Answer: Stanza 1
II. Read the poem and underline the rhyming words in each stanza.
Write the rhyming words from each stanza. An example has been done for you.
1. Stanza (i): away-day;
2. Stanza (ii):
3. Stanza (iii):
Answer:
- Stanza (i): away-day, speaking-shrieking
- Stanza (ii): by-sky, dreaming-steaming
- Stanza (iii): make-take, knowing-going
III. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem from the options given below.
1. AABB 2. ABCA 3. ABAB 4. ABBC
Answer: 1. AABB
- Explanation: In each stanza, the first and second lines rhyme with each other (e.g., away-day), and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (e.g., speaking-shrieking).
IV. Identify the word in the poem that personifies the whistle of the train.
Answer: The word is shrieking.
- Explanation: “Shrieking” gives the whistle a human-like quality, as if it is screaming or crying out.
V. Tone refers to the attitude the poet has about the poem. Which of these words can be used to describe the poet’s tone in this poem?
Answer: The poet’s tone can be described as excited, curious, enthusiastic, and joyful.
- Explanation: The poet expresses a longing for travel and adventure, with vivid imagery and a sense of eagerness, which aligns with these tones.
VI. Select the words that tell us what the train symbolises for the poet.
1. education 2. adventure 3. comfort 4. opportunities
Answer: The train symbolizes adventure (2) and opportunities (4).
- Explanation: The train represents the poet’s desire for exploration and new experiences, as seen in the line “there isn’t a train I wouldn’t take, no matter where it’s going.”
VII. Complete the following by choosing the correct option from those given in brackets.
The poet repeats the line, ‘…there isn’t a train goes by,’ in all three stanzas to _______. (highlight the speaker’s fascination with the train/suggest that the area has many trains passing through)
Answer: highlight the speaker’s fascination with the train
VIII. The poem contrasts the busy day with the stillness of the night. What is the common factor in these?
Answer: The common factor is the speaker’s awareness of the train.
IX. Imagery is a literary device that uses descriptive language to create mental pictures and appeal to the reader’s senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch). It makes the descriptions more relatable.
Select the phrases from the poem that are examples of imagery. One example is given: day is loud.
Answer: Examples of imagery in the poem include:
- day is loud
- whistle shrieking
- cinders red on the sky
- engine steaming
- night is still Explanation: These phrases appeal to the senses of sound (shrieking, loud), sight (cinders red, sky), and touch (steaming, still), creating vivid mental pictures.
Let us think and reflect
Page No. 160
I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. My heart is warm with the friends I make,
And better friends I’ll not be knowing…
(i) Choose the suitable option to complete the following.
The line ‘My heart is warm’ refers to a heart that is ___.
A. filled with worries
B. full of love
C. feeling upset
D. experiencing anger
Answer: B. full of love.
(ii) What does the speaker say about her current friends?
Answer: The speaker says that her heart is warm with the friends she makes, indicating that she values and cherishes them deeply.
(iii) What does the line ‘better friends I’ll not be knowing’ suggest about the speaker’s feelings toward their current friends?
Answer: The line suggests that the speaker feels her current friends are exceptional and unmatched, implying a deep sense of loyalty and satisfaction with these friendships.
(iv) Complete the following suitably.
The tone of the speaker in these lines is ______. (grateful/content)
Answer: The tone of the speaker in these lines is grateful/content.
- Explanation: The speaker expresses appreciation and satisfaction with her friends, reflecting a grateful and content tone.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. What does the phrase ‘cinders red on the sky’ tell us about the train at night?
Answer: The phrase ‘cinders red on the sky’ suggests that the speaker vividly imagines the train’s glowing Cleveland at night, with the glowing embers or sparks from the train’s engine creating a striking visual effect against the dark sky.
2. What is the significance of the repeated references to the train’s whistle?
Answer: The repeated references to the train’s whistle emphasize the speaker’s fascination with the train and its call to adventure, symbolizing a longing for exploration and new experiences.
3. What does the line ‘no matter where it’s going’ reveal about the speaker’s attitude towards travel?
Answer: The line ‘no matter where it’s going’ reveals the speaker’s open-minded and adventurous attitude towards travel, showing a willingness to embrace any journey or opportunity, regardless of the destination.
4. Do you think the poet actually sees and hears the train? Why or why not?
Answer: The poet does not actually see or hear the train. The poem suggests the train is far away (“The railroad track is miles away”), and the vivid imagery (e.g., “whistle shrieking,” “cinders red on the sky”) reflects the speaker’s imagination and longing for the train, rather than a literal experience.
Let us learn
Page No. 161
I. Read the expressions from the poem given in Column 1 and match them with what they indicate in Column 2.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. miles away | (v) The distance of the train from the speaker |
| 2. cinders red | (iv) The glow of the train’s sparks lighting up the night sky |
| 3. heart is warm | (i) The speaker’s affection for their friends |
| 4. day is loud | (iii) The busy and noisy atmosphere during the day |
| 5. engine steaming | (ii) The fast and powerful movement of the train |
Now, use the expressions in Column 1 to fill in the following blanks correctly.
1. After meeting her old friend, her ______ with the joy of rekindled memories.
2. As I arrived at the railway station I could hear the ______.
3. The marketplace is bustling, and the ______ with the chatter of shoppers and vendors.
4. The bonfire glowed brightly, throwing ______ into the dark night sky.
5. The sound of a train could still be heard _____ as the evening grew quiet.
Answer:
- heart is warm
- whistle shrieking
- day is loud
- cinders red
- engine steaming
II. The poet uses the word ‘shrieking’ to tell us about the sound of the train’s whistle. There are other words that tell us about different types of related sounds.
Read the meanings of such words in Column 1 and match them with the words in Column 2. You may use a dictionary. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| 1. shouting loudly, often in anger or excitement | (i) wailing |
| 2. crying out in fear or excitement | (ii) hollering |
| 3. crying loudly with grief or sorrow | (iii) screechin |
| 4. making a high-pitched, piercing sound | (iv) yelling |
| 5. calling out loudly, often in a casual or informal way | (v) whimpering |
| 6. crying softly in a low, broken voice | (vi) bawlin |
| 7. crying loudly and uncontrollably | (vii) screaming |
Answer:
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. shouting loudly, often in anger or excitement | (iv) yelling |
| 2. crying out in fear or excitement | (ii) hollering |
| 3. crying loudly with grief or sorrow | (vii) screaming |
| 4. making a high-pitched, piercing sound | (iii) screeching |
| 5. calling out loudly, often in a casual or informal way | (ii) hollering |
| 6. crying softly in a low, broken voice | (v) whimpering |
| 7. crying loudly and uncontrollably | (i) wailing |
Now, complete the following paragraph by using suitable words from Column 2.
The street was filled with a variety of sounds. A shopkeeper was 1. ______ to attract customers, while a child nearby was 2. _______ at his friend to wait for him. From the other side of the road, a toddler was 3. ________ uncontrollably after dropping his ice cream, and his mother tried to calm him as he began 4. _________ softly. In the background, someone’s loud 5. _________ voice added to the bustling noise of the busy evening.
Answer: The street was filled with a variety of sounds. A shopkeeper was yelling to attract customers, while a child nearby was hollering at his friend to wait for him. From the other side of the road, a toddler was wailing uncontrollably after dropping his ice cream, and his mother tried to calm him as he began whimpering softly. In the background, someone’s loud screaming voice added to the bustling noise of the busy evening.
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