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I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
The shoemakers affirming the quality of their work, for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home.
The delicious singing of the cook, or the rhythm of designer, mason, each celebrating what belongs to them and to none else,
The delicious singing of the cook, or the rhythm of designer, mason, each celebrating what belongs to them and to none else,
1. The poet says that the shoemakers ‘affirm’ the quality of their work. What does ‘affirm’ refer to here?
See Line 7
How to answer:
Replace “affirm” with each option and see which keeps the proud, confident sense of the line.
View Answer
Correct:
(ii) to declare with confidence
.
Why:
To “affirm” means to
state firmly and confidently
that something is true. The shoemakers proudly and confidently stand by the
quality
of their shoes.
2. What do quality shoes help with, according to the poet?
See Line 7
How to answer:
The answer is listed right in the extract — pick out the four actions of the feet plus the last one.
View Answer
According to the poet, quality shoes help the
feet
to
walk, dance, run and jump
through the day — and finally to
return home safely
. Good shoes quietly support every activity of our daily life.
3. What does ‘return home’ symbolise besides the literal act of returning?
See Line 7
How to answer:
Think of what “home” stands for in everyone’s life — not the building, but the feeling.
View Answer
Besides literally coming back, ‘
return home
’ symbolises
safety, comfort and the completion of the day’s journey
. It suggests that the shoemaker’s honest work quietly protects people through the day and brings them back, safe and sound, to their
loved ones
.
4. Identify the phrase that tells us that every worker’s contribution is distinct.
See Line 8
How to answer:
“Distinct” = belonging to one person only. Find the words “none else” in the extract.
View Answer
The phrase is:
“each celebrating what belongs to them and to none else”
.
Why:
It says every worker’s skill
belongs only to them
— no one else can claim it — so each contribution is
distinct
(one of a kind).
5. Complete the following with suitable words.
…for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home refers to ___________. See Line 7
…for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home refers to ___________. See Line 7
How to answer:
List what the feet DO in the line, then say whose feet they are and what the list shows.
View Answer
…for the feet that walk, dance, run, jump, return home refers to
all the everyday activities and movements that people perform wearing the shoes, and their safe return home at the end of the day
.
Why:
The shoemaker imagines
every use
his shoes will be put to — walking, dancing, running, jumping — which shows he cares about people’s
whole day
, not just the sale.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. Why does the poet say, ‘I hear Bharat celebrating, the varied vocations I hear’?
See Line 1
How to answer:
Connect the work-sounds (humming, singing) to the idea of a celebration; mention personification of Bharat.
View Answer
Everywhere the poet goes, he hears people
joyfully at work
— humming electricians, singing boatmen and cooks, the rhythm of masons and designers. These happy work-sounds together make it seem as if the
whole nation itself is celebrating
. So the poet says he hears
Bharat
celebrating through its many vocations.
2. What does the electrician ‘humming’ while getting ready for work suggest?
See Line 5
How to answer:
Ask: when do YOU hum a tune? When you are happy. Apply that feeling to the worker.
View Answer
Humming a tune while getting ready suggests that the electrician is
happy and content
with his work. He does not treat his job as a burden — he
enjoys it
and goes to work cheerfully, taking
pride
in brightening other people’s lives.
3. Explain the significance of the line, ‘The voice of their vocation is the voice of their identity.’
See Line 9
How to answer:
Explain both halves: the “voice” (the work people see/hear) and the “identity” (who the worker is).
View Answer
This line means that a person’s
work speaks for who they are
. The carpenter is known by his woodwork, the cook by her cooking, the boatman by his sea-songs — their vocation is not just a source of income but their
name, pride and place in society
. The line gives
dignity to every kind of labour
: when the work “speaks”, the worker’s identity speaks.
4. Do you think the role of all the people belonging to different vocations is important in our daily lives? Support your answer with a reason.
How to answer:
State your opinion (yes), then give ONE clear reason with two or three everyday examples.
View Answer
Yes
, every vocation is important in our daily lives.
Reason:
our day depends on a whole chain of workers — the farmer grows our food, the cook prepares it, the electrician keeps our lights on, the mason builds our home, the shoemaker makes the shoes we walk in. If
any one
of them stopped working, daily life would come to a halt. So no vocation is small; each one keeps society running.
5. Why is the poet celebrating all the vocations in the poem? Explain by giving examples from your context.
How to answer:
First give the poet’s reason (equal respect for all work), then add 3-4 workers YOU see daily.
View Answer
The poet celebrates all vocations because
every kind of honest work adds something essential to society
, and every worker deserves
equal respect
— whether they work with wood, wires, nets, shoes or food.
Examples from our own context:
the
vegetable seller
who brings fresh vegetables to our lane every morning, the
tailor
who stitches our school uniforms, the
plumber
who restores our water supply, and the
bus driver
who takes us safely to school — each one’s skill makes our day possible, just like the workers in the poem.
6. How does the poet use sensory imagery to bring out the beauty of everyday work?
How to answer:
Sort your examples by sense — hearing, sight, taste — and end with the effect: ordinary work looks beautiful.
View Answer
The poet fills the poem with
sense pictures
.
Auditory imagery
(sound): the artisans’
lutes
“echoing in the streets”, the electricians
humming
, the boatmen
singing
while at work, and the
“delicious singing”
of the cook.
Visual imagery
(sight): craft
“woven with colours and myriad hues”
and the boatmen
gathering their nets from the shore
. There is even a
taste
word (“delicious”) used for sound. Through these images, ordinary daily work starts to look and sound
beautiful, musical and worth celebrating
.
