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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 8 English Poem Chapter 3 No Men are Foreign
No Men are Foreign Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes
Textbook Questions And Answers:
C1. Answer the following questions and share your responses with your partner:
Question 1.
What does the poet remind us of in the first tine of the poem?
Answer:
In the first line of the poem, the poet reminds us that, no men are strange and no countries are foreign.
Question 2.
What, according to the poet, are we doing when we hate others?
Answer:
According to the poet, we will be dispossessing ourselves When we hate others. We should realize that we are involving ourselves in our own destruction and downfall.
Question 3.
What are the two bad effects of war? Read lines 16 to 19 and answer.
Answer:
The bad effects of war are: It defiles our mother earth and pollutes our own environment.
Read And Write:
C2. Read and discuss your responses with your partner. Then write.
Question 1.
How do you think we are all treated alike by nature?
Answer:
All are equal on the Earth. Nature means sunlight, air, and water all are the same to all people. Nature would not discriminate.
Question 2.
Read the third stanza carefully. What message does the poet want to convey to us?
Answer:
On earth, life is common to all and all are equal. The strongest man gains his strength by the love of all and we should not hate our fellow beings. This is the message that the poet wants to convey to us.
Question 3.
Do you agree with the poet that we should wage no war? How do you justify that?
Answer:
Yes, I agree with the poet when he says that we should not wage war against each other. War is destructive. It destroys both sides. It defiles our mother earth. And it destroys the calm and serene environment. It results in bloodshed, ruin, and loss of life.
Question 4.
Some are of the opinion that the poet might have written this poem after witnessing the bad effects of the Second World War. Mention some of the lines in the poem to support that opinion.
Answer:
Some of the line to support that opinion as follows:
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes. 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.
Question 5.
Briefly describe how a war spoils everything.
Answer:
War gives way for more hatred and more wars. Innocent people lose their lives and prop- i city. They also lose their near and dear ones and have to lead a sorrowful life. War leaves the soldiers injured and many soldiers not only I lose their live but many lose their limbs and other pads of the body.
No Men are Foreign MCQ Poem 6 Class 9 English Beehive ·
No Men are Foreign Additional Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What does peaceful harvest refer to?
Answer:
Peaceful harvest refers to peace time and the prosperity one has in times of peace.
Question 2.
In what way is starvation associated with winter?
Answer:
Winter time is associated with cessation of activity and end of productivity. The time of war is as bleak as the time of winter. Life comes to a standstill and people die of starvation at the time of war.
Question 3.
What are hells of fire and dust? What do they destroy?
Answer:
Hells of fire and dust are the fire, smoke and dust from bombs and gunfire. They pollute the air which was given by God to all in pristine purity. The poet reminds us that we have no right to spoil what is commonly owned by all children of god.
Question 4.
What is the innocence of air? How is it defiled?
Answer:
Innocence of air is the purity of air. It is defiled by the guns and bombs used in wars. In other words, the innocence of air is spoilt by the wickedness of man. The poet seems to suggest that all gifts of God are pure and any act of defilement is evil.
Question 5.
What does the poet emphasise by beginning and ending the poem with the same line?
Answer:
When a word, phrase, clause or sentence is repeated, the repetition is for the emphasis. The poet’s intention is to drive home the truth that thinking of people of foreign countries as strangers is an unnecessary man-made barrier which should be broken.
Question 6.
What does the poet mean by ‘they, too, are aware of sun, air and water? What is the significance of the word ‘too’ here?
Answer:
People living in other countries are not strangers. They, too, are like us. They get the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water as we. The word ‘too’ is used to lay emphasis on the fact that people living in other countries are the same as we are.
Question 7.
War is the enemy of our environment. How?
Answer:
When we fight a war and use dreadful weapons against others, we pollute our environment with the dust and the smoke of the guns.
Question 8.
Why does Kirkup think that ‘no men are strange………… Beneath all uniforms’?
Answer:
Uniforms are the military uniforms which distinguish soldiers of one country from those of another. In the time of war, uniforms are necessary so that enemy soldiers can be killed. But, the poet’s concern is to show that the uniform stands for superficial differences and beneath the uniform all men are the same. They are all creations of God, breathing alike.
Question 9.
What happens when war breaks out?
Answer:
When we wage war and use dreadful weapons against, others, we defile our own earth. The dust and smoke of guns pollute the very air we breathe.
Question 10.
What commonalities of life can be found everywhere? OR What are the commonalities Kirkup highlights to prove that all human beings are one?
Answer:
The commonalities of life that can be found everywhere are – beneath the different clothes that people wear they possess the same body, people live and die on the same earth, people living in different lands get the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water, people have the same hands that are destined to work hard, and all people have eyes that wake or sleep.
Question 11.
What are the evils of war, according to the poet?
Answer:
The poet advises people to shun hatred and warfare. The poet says that during peace, people enjoy the harvests and prosper, whereas during war people experience distress and scarcity of food. He further says that when we hate others, we actually rob, deceive and condemn ourselves. When we fight against others we defile the purity of our own earth. The fire and smoke from the weapons of war poison the air which we all breathe and is essential for our existence.
Figures of Speech:
C3. Name the figure of speech in these lines:
- Fed by peaceful harvests.
- War’s long winter starved.
- Our hells of fire and dust.
- Outrage the innocence of air.
Answer:
- Metaphor
- Metaphor
- Metaphor
- Metaphor.
Comprehension:
Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
Question 1.
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.
- Who is the narrator in the poem? To whom is the poem – addressed?
- What is there beneath all uniforms?
- Who are referred to as brothers?
Answer:
- The narrator in the poem is a person who believes in the idea of universal brotherhood. He addresses other Citizens of the world.
- Beneath the uniforms all men are the same, they are all creations of God, breathing alike.
- Brothers are fellow human beings.
Question 2.
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.
- What should we remember?
- What are all men to us?
- Where shall we all lie in the end?
Answer:
- We should remember that no men are strange and no countries are foreign.
- All men are brothers to us.
- We shall all lie under the same land.
Question 3.
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
Labour not different from our own.
- Who are ‘they’ that are mentioned in the extract?
- What are peaceful harvests?
- In what way is starvation associated with winter?
- What is meant by, ‘Their hands are ours’?
Answer:
- ‘They’ refers to foreigners.
- Peaceful harvest refers to peacetime and the prosperity one has in times of peace.
- Wintertime is associated with cessation of activity and end of productivity. The time of war is as bleak as the time of winter. Life comes to a standstill and people die of starvation at the time of war.
- When the poet says, “Their hands are ours”, he means to suggest the idea that people all over the world work in the same manner as their aspirations are the same.
Question 4.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war’s long winter starv’d.
- What does the poet mean by ‘they, too, are aware of sun, air and water’?
- In which way are all of us fed by ‘peaceful harvests’?
- How do we starve during the long winter of war?
Answer:
- People living in other countries are not strangers. They, too, are like us. They get the same sunlight, breathe the same air and drink the same water as we.
- All of us grow and prosper and feel happy in peace time.
- All of us suffer from hunger and poverty during war.
Question 5.
Their hands are ours, and in their lines we read
A labour not different from our own.
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 recognize and understand.
- Why does the poet allude to the similarity of hands of all human beings?
- Why does the poet say that human ‘strength’ can be won by love?
- What do you mean by common life? flow is it the same everywhere?
- What is the message conveyed by the poet?
Answer:
- People living in other countries have the same hands as we. They, too, are destined to labour for earning their livelihood as we are.
- The poet wants to say that love has the emotional strength and power to subdue the most powerful person in the world.
- The poet means to say that people all over the world lead a common life. Life is the same everywhere because people all over the world wake up and sleep in the same manner.
- The poet conveys a message of universal brotherhood.
Question 6.
Let us remember, whenever we are told
To hate our brothers, it is ourselves
That we shall dispossess, betray, condemn.
- Who tell us to hate others?
- Why are we asked to hate others?
- What happens when we look down upon others?
Answer:
- Selfish politicians who do not believe in universal brotherhood incite us to hate others.
- We are asked to hate others so that we develop enmity with the people of other countries.
- When we look down upon others, we only look down upon ourselves. By hating others, we betray and condemn ourselves.
Question 7.
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.
- What are the harmful effects of waging war against others?
- What are the hells of fire and dust? What do they destroy?
- What is the innocence of air? How is it defiled?
- How is war the enemy of our environment?
Answer:
- When we wage war and use dreadful weapons against others, we defile our own earth. The dust and smoke of guns pollute the very air we breathe.
- Hells of fire and dust are the fire, smoke and dust from bombs and gunfire. They pollute the air which was given by God to all in pristine purity. The poet reminds us that we have no right to spoil what is commonly owned by all children of god.
- Innocence of air is the purity of air. It is defiled by the guns and bombs used in wars. In other words, the innocence of air is spoilt by the wickedness of man. The poet seems to suggest that all gifts of God are pure and any act of defilement is evil.
- When we fight war and use dreadful weapons against others, we pollute our environment with the dust and the smoke of the guns.
Multiple Choice Questions:
Four alternatives are given for each of the following questions/incomplete statements. Choose the most appropriate one.
Question 1.
The poem ‘No Men are Foreign’ is written by
A) James Kirkup
B) Henry Wotton
C) Isaac Watts
D) Sarojini Naidu
Answer:
A) James Kirkup
Question 2.
The people who are referred to as brothers are
A) other soldiers
B) strangers
C) foreigners
D) fellow human beings
Answer:
D) fellow human beings
Question 3.
‘Hells of fire and dust’refer to
A) destruction of hell
B) fire, smoke and dust from bombs and gunfire
C) the burning down of hell
D) war that takes place in hell.
Answer:
B) fire, smoke and dust from bombs and gunfire
Question 4.
The hells of fire and dust destroy the
A) air in hell
B) soldiers
C) peaceful harvests
D) purity of air
Answer:
D) purity of air
Question 5.
The force that can win over others’ strength is
A) war
B) love
C) hatred
D) peaceful harvests
Answer:
B) love
Question 6.
The example that the poet gives to prove that life is common everywhere is
A) people wake up and sleep in the same manner all over the world
B) there are wars everywhere
C) people hate others everywhere
D) the air is the same everywhere
Answer:
A) people wake up and sleep in the same manner all over the world
Question 7.
If we take up arms against each other
A) there will be war
B) there will be destruction
C) there will be fire and dust in hell
D) we defile the earth
Answer:
D) we defile the earth
Question 8.
War’s long winter is starved because
A) winters become longer due to war
B) there is no harvest
C) everything is in short supply due to war
D) war delays the coming of spring.
Answer:
C) everything is in short supply due to war
No Men are Foreign by James Kirkup About The Author:
James Falconer Kirkup was an English writer. He was born on 23rd April 1918. He was a poet, translator, and travel writer. His writings helped him to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962. He died on 10th May 2009. In this poem, the poet wants us to understand that all are equal in this world, and we should live in peace with one another.
No Men are Foreign Summary in English
The narrator asks us to remember that no men are strangers and no country should be branded as a foreign country. Although people of different countries have diverse cultures and wear clothes different from us, but under the clothes the human body is the same everywhere. All human beings, no matter to which country they belong, move on the same earth and will be buried in the same earth.
They have the same human constitution of flesh and blood. People living in other countries also tread the same earth as we do. We all live on the same earth and will be buried under the same soil. Nature does not discriminate between people belonging to various countries; it showers its blessings in the form of sunlight, air and water equally on everyone. They experience happiness and prosperity as long as peace prevails and suffer from hunger and poverty during war.
Wartime is like a prolonged winter when life comes to a standstill and people die due to scarcity of food. People living in other countries are no different from us. They have hands as we have which toil hard for a living. The lines on their body and particularly the face, reveal that the people belonging to some other land have also laboured like us throughout life.
Again, depicting the physical similarity that all human beings have, the poet asserts that the others also have eyes like ours that awaken and sleep. The strength they have is not less than ours but they can be won not by war but by the power of love. It is the bond of love and humanity which unites all the people in the world. The whole world is a big family and we all are its members. This feeling of international brotherhood can be recognised and understood by each one of us.
The poet urges us to remember that since people belonging to other countries are our brothers, when we are told to hate them, we are harming ourselves. We are involving ourselves in our own destruction and downfall. We are the people who take- up arms against one another.
By- fighting against and killing our own brothers we dishonour our earth, making it impure with bloodshed. Our destructive wars with bombs and gunfire together with the dust and smoke it produces, pollute the fresh and wholesome air that we breathe. In the end, the poet reiterates his appeal for universal brotherhood by saying that ‘no men are foreign, and no countries strange’.
Hence, we should always remember that wherever people live, whatever may be their colour and race, they are our brothers. We should live in mutual co-operation, love and understanding. Thus, the poem gives us a strong message of universal brotherhood. It preaches co-operation among countries and development of an international outlook so as to make us realise that the world is one community.
No Men are Foreign Summary in Kannada
