“English” Question Answers Chapter 1.3 ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers Class 9 Maharashtra Board

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Match the following:

2. Use the proper form of the verb in each line:

• ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
• That perches in the soul –
• And sings the tune without the words –
• And never stops – at all –

3. Fill in the blanks in the same pattern:

(a)

• fast – faster – fastest
• slow – slower – slowest
• high – higher – highest
• low – lower – lowest
• great – greater – greatest
• bright – brighter – brightest
• warm – warmer – warmest
• cold – colder – coldest

(b)

• brave – braver – bravest
• fine – finer – finest
• simple – simpler – simplest
• large – larger – largest
• close – closer – closest
• wise – wiser – wisest

(c)

• nasty – nastier – nastiest
• hungry – hungrier – hungriest
• angry – angrier – angriest
• naughty – naughtier – naughtiest

4. Find the phrases/lines in the poem that mean the following :

(a) Hope is a light, delicate thing → “Hope is the thing with feathers”

(b) Hope offers comfort to your soul → “That perches in the soul”

(c) Hope is not a wordy thought, it is more like a feeling, an emotion → “And sings the tune without the words”

(d) In the most difficult times, hope offers the greatest comfort → “And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard”

(e) Hope is not easily defeated → “And sore must be the storm – That could abash the little Bird”

(f) Hope has given comfort to many people → “That kept so many warm”

(g) Hope lives on in very hard times, even when it gets nothing from you → “Yet – never – in Extremity, It asked a crumb – of me.”

5. Relating Feelings/Experiences to Nature:

6. Write about an experience where you scored more than expected in exams:

Once, I was very nervous before my math exam because I found the subject difficult. However, I studied hard and practiced regularly. When the results came, I was surprised to see that I scored much higher than I expected. This experience taught me that hard work and confidence can lead to success, even when things seem difficult.

7. Personification in the Poem:

In this poem, hope is compared to a little bird, which is an example of personification because hope is given human-like qualities. The poet describes it as singing, perching in the soul, and staying strong even in storms. This means that hope always remains with us, even in the hardest times, without asking for anything in return.

Other examples of personification:

• “The wind whispered through the trees.” (The wind is given the human ability to whisper.)
• “The sun smiled down on us.” (The sun is given the human ability to smile.)
• “The flowers danced in the breeze.” (Flowers are given the human ability to dance.)