Summary & Question-answers of The Poem : 8- Meadow Surprises with the concerned video

Summary

The meadow offers several surprises to the one who has an eager eye to look at the meadow. Walking on the soft velvety grass, the sound of the brook, a butterfly sipping nectar from the flowers; all such sights give immense pleasure. These sights are no less than the nature’s surprise gift.Walking further on, one may find a rabbit hidden in the grass. One may not be able to see it instantly, but soon it would hop in front of you because it would be scared. A dandelion that was golden a couple of days ago would have also bloomed.

One could find several houses in the meadows. There would be burrows in the ground, nests beneath the tall grasses, mounds for ants and so on. For every person there would be some or the other surprise.

Working with the PoemQ

Question1:

Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context.

velvet grass

drinking straws

meadow houses

amazing mound

fuzzy head

Solution:

The velvet grass means soft grass that almost feels like fur or velvet.

Drinking straws mean that it appears as if the butterflies are sipping nectar from the flowers with the straws.

Meadow houses are a reference to several houses which inhabit the insects, birds and animals that live in the meadows. Such as burrows, nests and mounds.

The amazing mound is a reference to the mound created by the ants as their dwelling place.

Fuzzy head refers to the heads of the bright yellow flowers which have a beautiful texture.

Question 2:

Which line in the poem suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow? Read aloud the stanza that contains this line.

Solution:

“You may discover these yourself, if you look and listen well.

Question 3:

Watch a tree or a plant, or walk across a field or park at the same time everyday for a week. Keep a diary of what you see and hear. At the end of the week, write a short paragraph or a poem about your experiences. Put your writing up on the class bulletin board.

Solution:

During the summers, I observed the holy Basil plant placed in the courtyard dying, due to lack of water.

So, I decided to water it regularly. I realised that the first few days, there was hardly any change in the plant. On the fourth day, tiny leaves emerged on its branches. Soon, those tiny leaves grew into full leaves and the entire plant seemed to have bloomed fully.