Class 7 English Text
Poem If
A. Answer these questions
Q1. According to the advice given by the speaker , enumerate the qualities that make a man.
Ans .According to the speaker the qualities that make a man are having a calm mind, self trust, not lie or
hate , have the ability to dream, handle loss and victories in the same manner.
Q2. Why is it important to trust oneself?
Ans. It is important to trust one’s own self because it helps us to keep our confidence and spirits high
even in times of trouble and crisis .
Q3. What according to the speaker is the correct way to pursue one’s goals?
Ans. The correct way to pursue the goals is to have dreams and not become a puppet in the hands of the
dreams by making it your master.
Q4. What are ‘worn out tools’? Elaborate how the road to success in not easy.
Ans. This means that we have to hold our nerves even after seeing that our favourite thing that we build
with all our effort and time is broken. Then we have to pick up the scattered parts and build it all over
again. In this way success is not an easy thing to achieve. To keep our cool is not easy in such a situation.
But patience and the mental toughness would help us build them again and be successful.
Q5. What does the speaker say about success and failure?
Ans. The speaker says that both success and failure are the part and parcel of life, but one should not
become too happy with success and too sad with failures. One should treat both these extreme
situations with moderate emotion.
B. Answer these questions with reference to the context:
1 If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you....
A. Whom is the speaker talking to?
Ans. These line have been taken from the poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling. The speaker is talking to his
son.
B. What is meant by ‘keep your head’?
Ans. It means to control one’s temper and keep the mind calm.
C. Explain the second line.
Ans It means that when everyone is reacting negatively, the speaker’s son should be patient with
them even when they try to accuse him.
2.If you can meet Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same.
A. Explain ‘Triumph and Disaster’.
Ans. Triumph and Disaster are two sides of a same coin. It means the victories and losses that we
face in our lifetime.
B.Why are they called ‘impostors’?
Ans. They are called impostors because according to him winning and losing is really the same
thing. These are two aspects of life . They are called impostors also because both the situations
are fleeting neither of them last forever.
C.Idetify and explain the figure of speech in these lines.
Ans. Personification- Triumph and Disaster is personified as an imposters. Personification ascribe
human qualities to inanimate objects.
3. If you can fill the unforgiving minutes With sixty seconds worth of distance run….Yours is the
earth and everything that’s in it , And -which is more -you’ll be a Man , my son!
A. Explain ‘unforgiving minutes’.
Ans. Time is here called unforgiving minutes because it waits for no one and doesn’t forgive him
who waste it.
B.Explain the third line
Ans. The speaker says that the world will provide opportunities, which can be seized.
C.What is the tone of the speaker
Ans. The speaker has a tone that urges and encourages. This means it teaches, instructs and end
the poem on a positive note.
