📘 Maharashtra Board Textbook Solutions
Standard 9 – English
Chapter 1.3 – Have You Ever Seen…?
Paraphrase of the Poem
Ans:
In this humorous poem, the poet plays with words that have more than one meaning. Such words are called homographs. The poet uses these words in a funny and imaginative way to create amusement.
In the first stanza, the poet talks about a “sheet” for a river bed. Here, the word sheet usually means a bedsheet, but the bed of a river means the bottom part of the river. Similarly, the poet asks whether a hammer’s head has hair. The word head is used both for a human head and the top part of a hammer. The poet also talks about the foot of a mountain and asks whether it has toes like a human foot. He then refers to a garden hose and compares it with hose, meaning stockings or socks.
In the second stanza, the poet refers to the eye of a needle and wonders if it can wink like a human eye. He humorously imagines the wing of a building flying like a bird’s wing. The poet also talks about the ribs of an umbrella and asks whether they can be tickled like human ribs. He further asks whether the trunk of a tree can open like a travelling trunk or suitcase.
In the last stanza, the poet asks if the teeth of a rake can bite like human teeth. He wonders whether the hands of a clock are left-handed or right-handed. The poet also compares the plot of a garden with the plot of a story. Finally, he asks whether the bark of a birch tree can make sounds like the bark of a dog.
Thus, the poet uses puns and wordplay to make the poem humorous, imaginative, and enjoyable.
Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hose | (i) A flexible tube used for watering plants (ii) A pair of stockings |
| parasol | Umbrella |
| plot | Also means a secret or evil plan |
| birch | A type of tree |
Appreciation of the Poem
Ans:
The poem “Have You Ever Seen…?” is written by an anonymous poet. It is a humorous and imaginative poem based on wordplay and puns. The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb. The poet uses homographs—words with the same spelling but different meanings—to create fun and amusement.
The poem contains many examples of figures of speech such as Pun, Interrogation, Personification, and Alliteration. The poet asks funny and imaginative questions that make readers think and smile at the same time.
One of my favourite lines from the poem is:
“Are the teeth of a rake ever going to bite?
Have the hands of a clock any left or right?”
These lines are humorous because the poet compares objects with human body parts in a playful manner.
The special feature of the poem is its clever use of puns and double meanings. The language is simple, attractive, and enjoyable for children. The poem teaches us how English words can have different meanings depending on the context.
I like this poem because it is funny, creative, and entertaining. It makes learning English interesting through playful use of language.
Warming Up!
1. Homographs
Think of 5 homographs and write two sentences for each to show different meanings.
Ans:
| Homograph | Sentences |
|---|---|
| Bat | (a) Rahul bought a new cricket bat. (b) Bats fly out at night. |
| Fan | (a) I am a fan of Sachin Tendulkar. (b) Switch on the fan, please. |
| Pupil | (a) The doctor checked my pupil. (b) Riya is a brilliant pupil. |
| Bow | (a) She tied a red bow to the gift. (b) We bow before our teachers. |
| Close | (a) Please close the door. (b) My house is close to school. |
2. Examples of Pun
Ans:
- When his wife died, he cried for a second.
- Living life depends on the liver.
- You cannot buy a cap for your knee.
- Don’t cross the bridge of your nose.
3. Examples of Interrogation
Ans:
- Do you want to succeed in life?
- Would you hammer a nail on your toes?
- Can we do better next time?
- How can you sharpen your shoulder blades?
In Between the Lesson
Q1. In what way is a work of fiction different from a fact file?
Ans: A work of fiction is based on imagination and creativity, while a fact file is based on real and factual information. Fiction may include imaginary characters and events, whereas a fact file presents true information.
Q2. How did the family reach the tropical island?
Ans: The family was shipwrecked near a tropical island. They built a floating raft using barrels and other materials from the ship and safely reached the island.
Q3. Why did Mother wish to shift the family to a tree-house?
Ans: Mother wanted the family to move to a tree-house because their first camp was unsafe and exposed to wild animals and heat. The tree-house would provide better safety.
Q4. How did the mother occupy herself while the tree house was being built?
Ans: Mother spent her time taking care of the garden and growing healthy plants while the tree-house was being built.
Q5. What was the third place the family decided to reside in? Why did they wish to shift there?
Ans: The third place where the family stayed was a cave house. They shifted there to protect themselves from winter and bad weather.
Q6. What made the family change over to their fourth residence? What precaution did they take before building it?
Ans: A herd of elephants destroyed one of their huts. Therefore, the family built a stronger house using four large trees as support and avoided using weak stilts.
Q7. Do the changes in the family’s residence remind you of the history of man’s evolution?
Ans: Yes. Like early humans, the Robinson family used tools, intelligence, and available resources to build better homes for safety and survival.
Q8. How did Fritz learn about another victim, forsaken on a far away island?
Ans: Fritz found a message tied to the leg of an albatross bird. The message stated that an Englishwoman was stranded on another island.
Q9. Who was the victim and how long had she survived?
Ans: The victim was Jenny Montrose, an Englishwoman who had survived alone on the island for three years.
Q10. Who is included in the word ‘Everyone’ in ‘Everyone was amazed …’?
Ans: The word ‘Everyone’ includes the passengers and crew members of the British ship that rescued the Robinson family.
Q11. How does the adventure come to a happy end?
Ans: The adventure ends happily when the Robinson family and Jenny Montrose are rescued by a British ship. Everyone admires their courage and successful survival.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Homographs from the Poem
Ans:
| Word | Meaning in the Poem | Other Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bed | Bottom of the river | A place to sleep |
| head | Top part of a hammer | Human head |
| foot | Base of a mountain | Human foot |
| hose | Water pipe | Stockings |
| eye | Hole of a needle | Human eye |
| wing | Part of a building | Bird’s wing |
| ribs | Rods of an umbrella | Human ribs |
| trunk | Stem of a tree | Box for storing clothes |
| teeth | Sharp parts of a rake | Human teeth |
| hands | Clock pointers | Human hands |
| plot | Piece of land | Storyline |
| bark | Outer covering of a tree | Sound made by a dog |
2. Write two humorous lines from the poem. Justify your choice.
Ans:
(i) “Does the needle ever wink its eye?”
This line is humorous because the poet imagines the eye of a needle behaving like a human eye.
(ii) “Why doesn’t the wing of a building fly?”
This line is funny because buildings cannot fly, but the poet compares the wing of a building to a bird’s wing.
3. Find examples from the poem.
(a) Interrogation
Ans:
- Does the needle ever wink its eye?
- Why doesn’t the wing of a building fly?
- What is the sound of the birch’s bark?
(b) Pun
Ans:
- Has the foot of a mountain any toes?
- Is there a pair of garden hose?
- Can you tickle the ribs of a parasol?
(c) Personification
Ans:
- Does the needle ever wink its eye?
- Are the teeth of a rake ever going to bite?
- Can you tickle the ribs of a parasol?
(d) Alliteration
Ans:
- A single hair from a hammer’s head
- Open the trunk of a tree at all
- Can the garden plot be deep and dark?
4. Add one more stanza to the poem.
Ans:
Do elephants bathe with their trunks in a pack?
Can a scientist build a flea from scratch?
Do bees arrange parties with honey so sweet?
Did the lion reject the clown as a treat?
5. Fill in the blanks to make puns.
Ans:
- She had a photographic memory but never developed it.
- He was struggling to understand lightning when it struck him.
- Every calendar’s days are numbered.
- A bicycle cannot stand on its own because it is too tired.
- I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.
- I’d tell you a chemistry joke, but I know I wouldn’t get a reaction.
- What do you call Watson when Sherlock isn’t around? Homeless.
- I would tell a history joke, but it’s too old-fashioned.
6. Read ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll.
Ans:
Students should do this activity on their own.