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I. Read the poem again and complete the summary of each stanza by filling in the blanks.
- The ______________ is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners’ __ __ __ a __ s flourish in the form of ______________ , awaiting spring.
- The garden flowers ______________ into a beautiful display of different b __ __ __ __ __ m s, resembling a ______________ by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.
- Each garden is likened to a wide __ __ n __ __ s, integrating art and __________. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life ______________.
1. The
earth
is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners’
dreams
flourish in the form of
seeds
, awaiting spring.
How to answer:
Stanza 1 says “Palette of earth… dreams of gardeners seep… Brushstrokes of seeds”. The letter hint “__ __ __ a __ s” fits a 6-letter word with ‘a’ in the 4th place.
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Why:
Stanza 1 opens with “
Palette of earth
, rich and deep” — so the
earth
is the palette. The gardeners’ “
dreams
… seep” into it (dreams fits the hint __ __ __ a __ s), and those dreams take the form of
seeds
— “Brushstrokes of seeds, planted true, / Awaiting spring’s vibrant hue.”
2. The garden flowers
bloom
into a beautiful display of different
blossoms
, resembling a
painting
by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.
How to answer:
Stanza 2 says “Blossoms bloom, a painted sight… Nature’s artwork”. The hint “b __ __ __ __ __ m s” is an 8-letter word starting with b and ending in ms.
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Why:
Stanza 2 says “
Blossoms bloom
, a painted sight, / Dancing in the morning light” — the flowers
bloom
into
blossoms
(fits the hint b __ __ __ __ __ m s), and the “painted sight” that is “Nature’s artwork” makes the garden look like a
painting
by Mother Nature.
3. Each garden is likened to a wide
canvas
, integrating art and
life
. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life
paintings
.
How to answer:
Stanza 3 says “Each plot, a canvas wide, / Where art and life coincide… Gardens become paintings still.” The hint “__ __ n __ __ s” has ‘n’ in the 3rd place.
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Why:
Stanza 3 says “Each plot, a
canvas
wide” (canvas fits __ __ n __ __ s), “Where art and
life
coincide”, and ends “Gardens become
paintings
still” — through the tilling hands of gardeners.
II. Select the appropriate title for each stanza from those given below. There are two extra titles.
- Nature’s Work of Art
- Sweet-smelling Blossoms
- Gardens as Living Canvases
- Earth and Possibilities
- The Painter’s Canvas
Select the appropriate title for each stanza.
How to answer:
Match the main idea: Stanza 1 = earth full of seeds waiting to grow; Stanza 2 = blossoms as Nature’s artwork; Stanza 3 = each plot as a canvas. Two titles will be left over.
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| Stanza | Title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stanza 1 | Earth and Possibilities | The earth is a rich palette where seeds (gardeners’ dreams) wait for spring — full of possibilities . |
| Stanza 2 | Nature’s Work of Art | Blossoms bloom into “a painted sight” — the stanza itself calls it “ Nature’s artwork , ever new”. |
| Stanza 3 | Gardens as Living Canvases | “Each plot, a canvas wide” — gardens become living paintings in the hands of those who till. |
Extra titles (not used): Sweet-smelling Blossoms and The Painter’s Canvas .
III. Match the poetic devices in Column 1 to the examples in Column 2. Discuss your responses in pairs. Then share the responses with your classmates and teacher.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. Imagery [mind pictures] | (i) appreciative |
| 2. Metaphor [comparison without use of ‘like’ or ‘as’] | (ii) AABB |
| 3. Rhyme Scheme | (iii) ‘Blossoms bloom’ |
| 4. Tone [what the poet feels] | (iv) colours, brushstrokes, blossoms, shades of green |
| 5. Mood [what the reader feels] | (v) a gardener |
| 6. Speaker | (vi) garden as a painting, plot as canvas, seeds as brushstrokes |
| 7. Alliteration [same consonant sound] | (vii) joyful |
Match the poetic devices in Column 1 to the examples in Column 2.
How to answer:
Use the bracket glosses: imagery = mind pictures, metaphor = comparison without ‘like/as’, tone = poet’s feeling, mood = reader’s feeling, alliteration = same starting consonant sound.
View Answer
| Poetic device | Matches | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Imagery [mind pictures] | (iv) colours, brushstrokes, blossoms, shades of green | These words paint pictures in the mind . |
| 2. Metaphor [comparison without use of ‘like’ or ‘as’] | (vi) garden as a painting, plot as canvas, seeds as brushstrokes | Direct comparisons made without ‘like’ or ‘as’. |
| 3. Rhyme Scheme | (ii) AABB | Lines rhyme in pairs — deep/seep (AA), true/hue (BB). |
| 4. Tone [what the poet feels] | (i) appreciative | The poet admires gardens and gardeners throughout. |
| 5. Mood [what the reader feels] | (vii) joyful | Blossoms “dancing in the morning light” leave the reader feeling happy . |
| 6. Speaker | (v) a gardener | The voice is of someone who knows the earth, seeds and tilling closely. |
| 7. Alliteration [same consonant sound] | (iii) ‘Blossoms bloom’ | The b sound repeats at the start of both words. |
Note from the textbook — the poem as an allegory
The poem may be interpreted as an allegory.
An allegory is a literary device used to express larger ideas than those presented without explicitly stating them. Allegory operates on two levels—the surface meaning and the deeper meaning.
Upon considering this poem as an allegory, the garden could symbolise various aspects of life or nature.
• Life’s journey and growth —The garden, with its changing seasons and blooming flowers, could represent the journey of life, growth, and the cyclical nature of existence.
• Harmony and diversity —The interaction of different colours in the garden could symbolise the beauty and importance of diversity and harmony in our world.
The poem may be interpreted as an allegory.
An allegory is a literary device used to express larger ideas than those presented without explicitly stating them. Allegory operates on two levels—the surface meaning and the deeper meaning.
Upon considering this poem as an allegory, the garden could symbolise various aspects of life or nature.
• Life’s journey and growth —The garden, with its changing seasons and blooming flowers, could represent the journey of life, growth, and the cyclical nature of existence.
• Harmony and diversity —The interaction of different colours in the garden could symbolise the beauty and importance of diversity and harmony in our world.
