Important Questions Class 8 Chapter 5 English MP Board

The Miser and his Gold

Short Questions

1. Who is the poem “The Miser and His Gold” about?

• The poem is about a miser who hides his gold in a hole.

2. Where did the miser keep his treasure?

• He kept it in a hole that he had dug.

3. What was the miser’s only pleasure?

• His only pleasure was looking at his treasure every day.

4. Who saw the miser at the hole?

• A bold robber saw the miser kneeling by the hole.

5. What did the robber do at night?

• He returned at night and stole the miser’s gold.

6. What happened when the miser found the gold gone?

• He made a terrible noise and cried loudly.

7. Who came running to the miser?

• The neighbours came running to see what was wrong.

8. What did the neighbours ask the miser?

• They asked what he did with the gold before it was stolen.

9. What was the miser’s reply to the neighbours?

• He said he only came daily to look at it.

10. What did the friend suggest in the end?

• He suggested the miser could now look at the hole instead.

Long Questions

1. What does the poem teach us about the nature of a miser?

• The poem shows that misers do not use their wealth and are more focused on keeping it than enjoying it.It teaches that wealth has no value if it is not used wisely.

2. Why did the robber steal the miser’s gold?

• The robber saw the miser visiting the same hole every day, which made him suspicious.He guessed there was something valuable and came back at night to steal it.

3. How did the miser react when he lost his treasure?

• The miser was devastated and made a loud clatter, attracting attention.His sadness showed how deeply attached he was to the gold, despite never using it.

4. What role did the neighbours play in the poem?

• The neighbours came running to help when they heard the noise.They questioned the miser, making him realize how meaningless his attachment was.

5. What was ironic about the miser’s attachment to the treasure?

• The miser never used the treasure, he only looked at it.Even after losing it, his routine could continue – just by looking at the empty hole.

6. Why is the ending of the poem humorous and meaningful?

• The friend’s suggestion to keep looking at the hole mocks the miser’s behavior.It highlights the foolishness of hoarding wealth without purpose.

7. Do you think the miser deserved to lose his gold? Why or why not?

• In a way, yes, because he wasn’t using it for any good and was obsessed with it.The loss served as a lesson on the futility of greed and attachment.

8. How does the poet create sympathy or criticism for the miser?

• The poem criticizes the miser subtly by showing his ridiculous routine.Yet, it also evokes a bit of sympathy for his foolishness and loss.

9. How does the structure of the poem help in telling the story?

• The simple rhyme and short stanzas make the story easy and enjoyable to read.It also helps convey the moral lesson in a light and rhythmic way.

10. What can we learn from this poem in our daily lives?

• We learn that wealth should be used wisely and not just stored away.True value comes from how we use our resources, not how much we have.